<b>Chapter </b>284
Joshua had a pretty good idea of what Xylia was thinking. He paused to consider.
“How about I call my mom and let her know you’re staying over, just so it’s not a surprise?” Joshua suggested.
“We’re already at the doorstep–it doesn’t really make sense to go all the way down and book a hotel now, right?”
The Garcia family’s estate was nestled halfway up the mountain, and it had taken them a while to get there. Driving back down to the city would take even longer.
Xylia thought Joshua’s suggestion made sense, so she called Eliza to ask if it was okay for her to stay the night at the Garcia estate.
Eliza picked up right away, her voice full of warmth and energy.
“Xylia, don’t be so formal with us! You’re always wee to stay. After all, this <b>is </b>going to be your home one day, so stay as long as you want!”
Xylia felt her cheeks warm at Eliza’s words. ‘I’ve thought about a future with Joshua, but we’re not nning on getting married yet… Eliza treats me like I’m already her daughter–inw. It’s a little embarrassing,‘ Xylia mused.
After she hung up, Joshua cocked an eyebrow at her, giving her a knowing, teasing look.
“So, you can settle in without stressing now, right?” Joshua teased.
Joshua held Xylia’s hand, leading her inside the estate side by side.
The ce was huge, but Joshua didn’t bother with the golf cart. Instead, they strolled together along the white stone path, heading straight for the main house.
By dusk, the setting sun bathed the whole estate in a golden glow. Behind them, their shadows stretched long and close, weaving together on the ground–sometimes merging, sometimes intertwining–as if the waning light wanted to capture the quiet affection between them.
Night had fallen.
Xylia sat on a chaise lounge in the middle of the greenhouse, the faint scent of blossoms drifting in the gentle
air.
Above her, the ss dome gave an unbroken view of the star–filled sky–the flowers below dazzling in vibrant color, as ifpeting with the brilliance above. With the night air fragrant and the garden aglow, sweetness and tranquility wrapped warmly around her, settling her heart.
Joshua walked in carrying two sses of juice, setting them on the small table between their lounge chairs.
“Here, have some juice–gotta keep your Vitamin C up,” Joshua said with azy smile.
<b>6:59 </b>Fri<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>
“Thanks, Xylia replied, taking a ss and sipping from it,
Xylia took the ss and started drinking.
Joshua settled into the chair next to her, and they both looked up at the same sky.
Joshua, did your parents pick out all the flowers in this greenhouse?” Xylia asked.
Joshua nodded. “I’m not really into this stuff, but my mom loves it.”
As Joshua spoke, bits and pieces of old memories came flooding back, and he couldn’t help but smile.
He continued, “This spot used to be a tea room–my grandfather had it built back in the day. But since my mom is crazy about flowers, and some of them need the perfect temperature, my dad went ahead and turned the tea room into a study. Eventually, it became this greenhouse.”
“He didn’t run it by my grandfather, though. Grandpa was so furious he nearly went after my dad’s legs with his cane.”
Xylia hardly ever heard Joshua open up about his family.
She just sat there quietly, letting Joshua talk.
Joshua spoke for quite a while, sharing story after story.
Joshua recalled how his dad spent two months prepping the greenhouse as a surprise for his mom, but when he finally brought her in, a swarm of bees crashed the party and left his dad’s face so puffy he looked like he’d gone a few rounds with a boxing glove.
He talked about how his mom loved to travel, and no matter how hectic his work got, he always managed to carve out time to take her exploring new ces.
He even shared that after he was born, his dad refused to hold him for a whole month–just because the delivery had been rough and somehow, his dad held a grudge against a literal newborn for making it so dramatic.
The greenhouse was quiet, save for the soft rustle of leaves and the distant hum of the night.
Joshua’s voice was deep and soft, like slow notes drifting in the air.
Xylia couldn’t help but weave these images together in her mind.
She pictured how Aaron, always so stern and reserved, might have devoted himself to nting flowers for the woman he loved, let down his guard and embarrassed himself in her presence, or been moved to tears by the pain she endured during childbirth.
Love is never simple.
But with Joshua’s parents, it became something pure and uplicated.
<b>6:59 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>
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Growing up surrounded by that kind of love, Joshua just naturally learned how to care for someone <b>with </b><b>all </b>
his heart.
Xylia shifted onto her side, her dark eyes quietly soaking in every detail of Joshua right in front of her,pletely caught up in the moment.
The warm glow from the greenhouse painted Joshua’s face with soft golden light. Xylia’s eyes traced his perfect profile–the golden lines outlining his strong features, his tall nose casting a gentle shadow, and those feather–lightshes quivering ever so slightly.
Right then, Xylia’s inner fangirl totally took over; she was helplessly mesmerized by his looks.
“This face–so breathtaking anyone would do a double take–and yet, he’s all mine, Xylia thought with a hint of pride.
As Xylia’s eyelids grew heavy, she let herself sink into the peaceful warmth of the greenhouse, the quiet night and Joshua’s soothing voice weaving around her until she slipped softly into sleep.
She drifted off with a gentle, happy smile still resting on her lips.
When Xylia woke up the next morning, she found herself lying in a huge bed, wrapped in luxuriously soft silk sheets.
The spot beside her was empty now, but the lingering warmth told her Joshua had only just left.
He must’ve just gotten up.
Her thoughts were still lingering aroundst night, wrapped up in the warmth of Joshua’s parents‘ love story, where she’d drifted off to sleep with a smile.
‘Joshua must’ve carried me back here… Xylia guessed to herself, tracing her fingers over the still–warm sheets beside her.
She let her mind drift for a few seconds before finally getting out of bed.
The staff around the estate hadn’t slowed down for a moment–now that Joshua was back, there seemed to be even more for them to do.
When Xylia went downstairs, Joshua was nowhere to be seen.
One of the staff told her he was in the study.
Xylia knew he had work to take care of, so she let him be.
After breakfast, she brought herptop into the living room and got to work.
Amidst the emails in Xylia’s inbox was a coboration invitation from Prairie Rose, the renowned international fashion house.
‘Wait, is this really from Prairie Rose?‘ Xylia wondered, briefly stunned by surprise–then excitement bubbled up and she hurriedly opened the message.
<b>6:59 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>
[Dear Ms. Sadler, my name is Lily Evans and I’m the creative director at Prairie Rose. For our uing season, we’re unveiling a bridal collection themed around “Love“-and we’d love to invite you and your studio to coborate with us on this special project. We truly hope to work together and look forward to <b>your </b>reply.l
Prairie Rose was an absolute giant in the fashion world–always in the top three internationally, no less. <b>Xylia </b>could barely keep her hands steady as she stared at the email, heart racing.
<b>Her </b>studio had only been around for half a year, just getting started.
An invitation from Prairie Rose? Honestly, she never even let herself imagine something like this could happen.
After double–checking that the email really came from Prairie Rose’s official address, Xylia could barely contain herself as she rushed to break the news to Josie.
Josie replied with a barrage of exmation marks.
Secondster, her phone lit up–Josie was calling.
“Prairie Rose! It’s Prairie Rose, Xylia–we’ve made it!” Josie squealed in excitement, her voice practically bouncing off the walls.
Josie couldn’t hide her excitement–it was written all over her face and in her voice.
Xylia’s eyes got a little misty from how overwhelmed she felt.
“We have to grab this chance,” Xylia said, her voice trembling with excitement. “If our studio coborates with Prairie Rose on their newest bridal line, we won’t just make a name for ourselves in the Norhill anymore- we’ll finally get recognized internationally.”
“Exactly! The creative director mentioned our studio in the email—we have to nail this coboration and make it unforgettable!” Josie agreed, practically bouncing with excitement.
“I’ll reply to her right away,” Xylia said, already thinking ahead. “Once the coboration is confirmed, we’ll n out the rest. For the next three months, let’s pause taking most new orders and free up our designers‘ schedules–this one is going to be our biggest challenge yet.”
“Got it, leave it to me!” Josie replied, her voice full of determination.
Once everything was sorted, Xylia shot off an email reply to Lily, her fingers flying across the keyboard in excitement.
The two quickly added each other on contacts and locked in their partnership. As for all the nitty–gritty details, they decided to hash it out in an online call scheduled for tomorrow morning.
After everything was settled, Xylia couldn’t help but smile even wider.
She could almost see her brand sparkling on the global stage in the future, making a name for itself all around the world.
Meanwhile, Joshua walked straight out of the study and made his way to the bedroom.
<b>6:59 </b>Fri<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>
‘She was so tired yesterday—I bet she’s still sleeping,‘ Joshua thought to himself, expecting Xylia to be out cold well into the morning.
But when he arrived, the bed was perfectly made and Xylia was nowhere to be seen–she was already up and moving.
Joshua headed downstairs and found Xylia in the kitchen.
Xylia was happy as a m, humming a tune as she simmered a pot of chicken soup–the joy practically radiating from her.
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