?<strong>Chapter 699:</strong>


    Kristopher, who had been watching from a distance, sneered. His tone was sharp andced with mockery. “Daxton, I really don’t know how you manage to y the people-pleaser so well. Doesn’t it exhaust you?”


    Daxton turned to face him, his expression calm but firm. “Mr. Norris, were you nning to join us? Because I don’t recall inviting you.”


    His tone left no room for doubt—he was anything but a people-pleaser.


    Kristopher brushed off his jab with an indifferent wave. “When did I ever say I’d be going with you?”


    Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and walked off in another direction, with Oliver trailing behind.


    Ten minutester, Kyson’s car pulled up to the entrance of the Res Listen Academy. Daxton stood by the door, already waiting. The area was a pedestrian street, so driving here had been a minor detour.


    As Carrie stepped out of the car, she immediately felt a pang of guilt when she saw Daxton. “Daxton, I…” she started, unsure how to exin herself.


    She had intended to walk here with Daxton, but before she could voice her thoughts, he had already left.


    But Daxton, ever perceptive, gently cut her off. “It’s noon, and the sun is zing. Walking for over ten minutes in this heat would’ve given you heatstroke.” His voice was calm and reassuring. “I would have preferred you to ride with them.” His words carried a warmth that settled over her like a soft breeze. Carrie couldn’t help butpare this moment to her strained past with Kristopher, where exnations always seemed futile. With Daxton, words were almost unnecessary—he could read her feelings with just a nce or a small gesture.


    “Fate truly loves irony,” she thought, a wistful sigh escaping her. If Daxton hadn’t gone abroad to study all those years ago, perhaps her life would have turned out differently. When she was being forced into an unwanted marriage, maybe she would have turned to Daxton for help. If she had married him instead, she might have been spared the pain, the betrayal, and the heartache of losing Gracie.


    But life offered no rewrites, no “what ifs.”


    Shaking off her thoughts, she lowered her gaze, concealing her emotions, and followed Daxton inside.


    L?t??st chαpt?rs in ???lnovels.??????


    The restaurant was grand and luxurious, its design exuding understated elegance. Even the entrance boasted a door from a high-end designer brand. The establishment was renowned for its signature dish, Isonridge roast duck, prepared with fragrant wood instead of the traditional jujube.


    The wood’s rich nutty and milky aroma mingled with the scent of the perfectly roasted duck, making the courtyard air almost intoxicating.


    Carrie and the others followed the tantalizing fragrance as they made their way toward their private room.


    Just as she was about to step inside, a voice at the entrance caught her attention. “Sir, do you have a reservation?” The waiter’s polite but firm question was directed toward someone at the door. “Our restaurant requires reservations; otherwise, there are no rooms avable.”


    Carrie turned instinctively and froze when her eyes met Kristopher’s. He stood there with Oliver beside him, his expression cool and casual as always.


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