Chapter 841
Chapter 841:
Noticing Fernanda’s intense gaze, Cristian furrowed his brows. “Why the intense look? What did Haley tell you?”
Fernanda stayed silent, her eyes fixed on his face.
Cristian’s expression grew more serious, and his smile faded slightly. His hands, resting by his sides, began to clench the white sheets involuntarily, causing them to ripple gently.
“You knew it was me all along, didn’t you?” Fernanda finally broke the silence.
Cristian, ever quick-witted, understood her underlying question immediately, despite its suddenness.
He pressed his lips together, his throat moving as he swallowed. After a brief pause, he replied, “So, you’ve figured it out.”
His response lacked both surprise and denial, offering only an acknowledgment. “Yes,” Fernanda said firmly. “Did you recognize me that night at the hotel in Zhota?”
As she reflected on their subsequent meeting in Esaham, she recalled two things he had said to her. One was: “Seems like we keep meeting, huh?” The other was: “A debt of gratitude is something I never forget.”
Now, thinking back, those words seemed to carry a deeper significance. At dinner, he had mentioned Zhota and Greenwillow, his eyes searching hers for any sign of recognition.
She had been surprised that a wealthy heir like him knew about her small, insignificant hometown, never considering his real intentions. Now, with hindsight, she realized he had been assessing her reactions at the time.
After a lengthy silence, Cristian met her gaze and nodded slowly. “Yes, I knew it was you right from the first moment.”
Though it was common for girls to change significantly as they grew up, Fernanda’s features still bore a remarkable resemblance to her younger self, only more refined and strikingly beautiful.
The moment he saw her, he instantly recognized her as the girl from his childhood. He had always kept a watchful eye on her.
He knew she and Hiram had relocated to the county seat, that she had opened an arcade there, and that she had been living alone since Hiram passed away. His knowledge of her life was extensive.
𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁: 𝗀⍺𝗅☼𝗇𝗈☼ν𝖊☼𝗅𝘀☼ⅽ𝗈☼𝗆
In his mind, he had often envisioned how their reunion might unfold. He had thought it possible that Fernanda had completely forgotten him, allowing them to start anew.
He had not anticipated, however, that their meeting would occur so abruptly. Caught up in an assassination attempt orchestrated by Marc, he had stumbled into a random room for cover, which unexpectedly turned out to be Fernanda’s. To him, it seemed nothing short of destiny.
“Why didn’t you tell me right from the start?” Fernanda asked, her lovely eyebrows knitting together as she regarded Cristian with a trace of displeasure. “Did you not intend to let me know?”
Though they hadn’t interacted or communicated much in his house, they had known each other for a long time. Surely, they had been friends to some extent, hadn’t they?
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.
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