"Miss, care for so chocolate-dipped strawberries?"
Veronica spun around at the vendor's voice.
The glossy fruit glistened under the carnival lights, each piece perfectly coated in dark chocolate. Her mouth watered. She hadn't indulged in such treats for months.
Almost instinctively, her eyes drifted toward Sabrina's direction.
The little girl was already halfway through her own skewer, chocolate smudged at the corner of her mouth. But what made Veronica's chest tighten was the scene unfolding beside her.
Niall had sohow acquired a dozen red roses, their petals deep crimson against her white dress. She stood pressed against Cullen's side, whispering sothing that made him lean closer to catch her words.
Sabrina offered her half-eaten treat to Niall, who accepted it with a radiant smile. She bit into the sa spot where the child's teeth had left marks, creating an intimate mont between them. When Sabrina extended the skewer toward Cullen, he declined with a gentle shake of his head, his lips moving in words Veronica couldn't decipher.
The dostic scene felt like a knife twisting in her chest.
"I'll take the strawberries," she told the vendor, forcing herself to look away.
She was about to ask Edric if he wanted anything when he stepped forward. "Allow ."
Before she could protest, he had his phone out, the paynt processed with a quick tap. He accepted the skewer from the vendor and placed it in her hands, his fingers brushing hers briefly.
"It's only ten dollars," she started to say.
"Don't ntion it," he replied smoothly.
Neither of them noticed Cullen and Niall turning in their direction at that exact mont. Cullen's jaw tightened as he watched Edric's casual gesture of paying for Veronica's treat. Beside him, Niall's smile vanished like smoke, her grip on the roses tightening until her knuckles went white.
But Veronica and Edric remained focused on each other, unaware of the scrutiny.
The fireworks erupted overhead in cascades of gold and silver, drawing everyone's attention skyward. For twenty srizing minutes, the night sky beca a canvas of light and color.
Sabrina tugged at Cullen's jacket sleeve, her small voice cutting through the crowd's murmurs. "Daddy, what were you and Niall staring at?"
Cullen's attention snapped back to the present. "Nothing important." Niall quickly composed herself, painting on a bright smile. "Just people-watching, sweetheart."
When the final firework faded into darkness, Veronica turned to face Edric. "Thank you for tonight. For keeping company and for the strawberries."
"Are you heading ho now?"
"Soon. I want to stop by the plant vendor first, then I'll call it a night."
Edric didn't push for more ti together. "Drive safely. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Veronica disappeared into the dispersing crowd while Edric made his way toward the parking area. He'd barely taken a dozen steps when a familiar voice stopped him.
"Edric? Is that you?"
He turned to find Maverick approaching, looking slightly flustered.
"Maverick. What brings you here?"
"Dinner with a friend," Maverick answered, then asked, "You?"
"Sa." Maverick's response ca with obvious discomfort, as if he'd been caught sowhere he shouldn't be.
"I was just leaving. You?"
Maverick opened his mouth to respond but the words died on his lips. His gaze had fixed on sothing beyond Edric's shoulder, his expression shifting to one of intense concentration.
Edric followed his stare and spotted the source of Maverick's distraction. Cullen and Niall hadn't left the carnival. Instead, they'd settled into a cozy cafe, visible through the large windows. Sabrina sat between them, looking every inch the happy family.
Maverick's voice dropped to almost a whisper. "That child with them... the rumors about Cullen having a daughter... they might actually be true."
Edric shrugged, uninterested in gossip. "Possibly."
But Maverick remained frozen, his mind clearly racing. The wheels of concern were turning behind his eyes.
If Sabrina truly was Cullen's daughter, what did that an for Niall's future? The complications seed endless. There were whispers that Cullen had been married before, that his ex-wife was still very much part of his life because of their child.
Maverick's hands clenched at his sides as he watched Niall laugh at sothing Cullen said, oblivious to the potential heartbreak awaiting her.
What if Cullen's ex-wife decided she wanted her family back? What if the pull of their shared daughter proved stronger than whatever Cullen felt for Niall? The thought of his sister suffering through such a scenario made Maverick's stomach turn.
The happy tableau in the cafe window suddenly looked more like a house of cards, ready to collapse at the slightest disturbance.
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