[EVE]
The chill of the night nipped at my skin as I hugged my knees closer to my chest, gazing up at the endless sky.
Streaks of green and purple light painted the heavens, weaving together in a hypnotic dance. The aurora was more beautiful than I ever imagined, yet sohow, the sight felt incomplete. Sothing was missing—or rather, soone.
"Are you cold?" Cole's voice broke the silence, low and steady, as he approached from behind. I turned to see him carrying a blanket in one hand and sothing else hidden beneath his jacket in the other.
Before I could answer, he draped the blanket over my shoulders, his touch lingering just a little longer than necessary.
"Thanks," I murmured, feeling the warmth of the fabric sink into my skin.
"You shouldn't sit out here alone." He settled down beside , close enough that our shoulders touched but not too close to overwhelm . "I've got sothing for you. Close your eyes."
I gave him a skeptical look. "Cole, if this is another one of your pranks, I swear—"
"It's not," he said, grinning faintly, his usual aloofness replaced by a softness I rarely saw. "Just trust , Eve."
Sighing, I relented and closed my eyes, the cold air brushing against my face while I waited. The next thing I knew, I felt a faint warmth near my hands.
"Okay, open."
When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by a small, beautifully arranged dinner laid out on a blanket in front of us. There were candles flickering in delicate lanterns, and plates of food that slled far too good for sothing prepared while camping.
The flas of the candles flickered gently in the wind, casting a golden glow over the snow-covered ground. A bottle of wine sat at the center, next to two glasses.
"You . . . you did all this?" I asked, unable to hide my surprise.
Cole shrugged, though there was a hint of pride in his expression. "Figured you deserved sothing special. It's Christmas Eve, after all."
I stared at him, montarily speechless. For soone like Cole—who usually treated life like a series of business proposals—this was so . . . unexpected. He wasn't the type to go out of his way to make grand romantic gestures, yet here he was, doing just that.
"You didn't have to do this," I said softly, my fingers brushing over the edge of the blanket beneath .
"I know," he replied, his voice quieter now. "But I wanted to."
We sat down together, the tension in the air slowly easing as we shared the al he had prepared. He poured us each a glass of wine, and for a while, we simply enjoyed the silence, the sound of the wind whispering through the trees, and the dazzling display of lights above. It felt surreal—like we had stepped out of the real world and into so dreamlike realm where ti didn't matter.
As we finished eating, a sudden burst of light caught my eye. I looked up just in ti to see a streak of silver shoot across the sky—a shooting star. Then another, and another, until the sky was filled with dozens of shimring trails.
"Whoa . . . a shooting star? Really?" I couldn't believe it. It felt so unreal that I would see one not to ntion this many.
"Make a wish," Cole said quietly, his gaze fixed on the stars.
I closed my eyes for a mont, letting the magic of the mont sink in. But instead of making a wish, I found myself thinking about the past—about how far we had co, about how much had changed between us. I had never imagined that Cole, of all people, would be the one sitting beside on a night like this, making feel . . . love.
When I opened my eyes again, he was watching , his expression unreadable. There was sothing in his eyes—sothing deeper than the usual indifference he wore like armor. Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire
Before I could say anything, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. My heart stilled for a mont as I stared at it, a thousand thoughts racing through my mind.
"Wait," I said quickly, my voice sharper than I intended. "Cole, if this is what I think it is—"
"It's not," he interrupted, his tone calm and reassuring. "I'm not proposing, Eve. Relax."
I blinked, caught off guard by his words. Thank God! Because if he did, I didn't know how to turn him down. I was not ready to settle yet. "Then . . . what is it?"
He opened the box, revealing a simple but elegant diamond ring nestled inside. The stone caught the light from the candles, shimring brilliantly. It wasn't overly extravagant or gaudy—it was perfect.
"It's a gift," he explained. "No strings attached. Just . . . sothing to remind you of tonight."
I didn't know what to say. The gesture was thoughtful, aningful in a way I hadn't expected. Cole wasn't the type to express his emotions easily, but this . . . this was his way of showing that I mattered to him.
"You didn't have to," I said softly, my fingers brushing over the edge of the box.
"I wanted to," he repeated, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You're important to , Eve. I know I don't always say it, but . . . you are."
For a mont, we just sat there, the world around us fading into the background. The aurora continued its dance in the sky, the shooting stars still streaking across the heavens, and in the distance, the faint sound of fireworks echoed through the night.
"Thank you," I finally said, slipping the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly, as though it had always belonged there.
Cole leaned back, propping himself up on his hands as he gazed up at the sky. "rry Christmas, Eve."
I smiled, feeling a warmth that had nothing to do with the blanket wrapped around my shoulders. "rry Christmas, Cole."
And in that mont, under the shimring lights of the aurora and the falling stars, I realized sothing. Life with Cole was never going to be predictable or easy, but it would always be full of surprises. And maybe, just maybe, that was exactly what I needed.
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|| A/N ||
My new book, "The Villains Must Win", is out now! 🎉 It's my entry for WSA 2025, and I hope you can show it so love and support.
Here's the premise: It's a transmigration story where the MC is thrown into various storylines with one goal—ensure that the villain of each world wins and gets their own satisfying ending. And yes, the villains are all guys. 😉
Expect a mix of all the tropes out there, including ancient China, werewolves, vampires, devils, CEOs, pop stars, and more! Every arc is short (around 30 to 50 chapters), keeping the story fast-paced and fresh as we move on to different villains in each world.
PS: There are plenty of steamy, mature scenes, so be prepared! Don't forget to add it to your library. I can't wait to hear what you think!
Thank you so much for your continued support—it ans everything! ❤️
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