?Chapter 422:


    As she rxed, she noticed they were still holding hands. Her face flushed a bright shade of red, and she quickly pulled her hand away. Her ears tinted as if touched by the sunset.


    Louis felt his heart flutter, tempted to pinch her cheeks but recalling her usual retreats, he held back. “Is a simple thank you all I get?” he teased.


    Though Louis was joking, Kiera paused before surprisingly offering him a gift.


    Taken aback, Louis eximed, “Is this really for me?”


    Kiera felt shy. She had previously crafted a handmade doll for Elena, which Louis had noticed and yfully requested one for himself. Remembering this, she had gone home and made a doll just for him.


    Louis’s smile widened as he lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “Did you make this?”


    “Yes,” Kiera nodded simply.


    As Louis inspected the doll, flipping it in his hands, he suddenly paused, puzzled. “Is this supposed to be a wolf?” The doll was a yful gray wolf.


    A flicker of amusement crossed Kiera’s eyes as she nodded again in confirmation.


    Louis clenched his jaw and inhaled sharply, his thoughts racing. Was this a subtle jab at him?


    He let out a shortugh, though frustration was clear in his tone. “Are you making fun of me? After everything I’ve done, this is my thanks?”


    Embarrassment washed over Kiera. When crafting the doll, the image of a yful wolf had sprung to her mind, reflecting how Louis often teased her. To her, he resembled a yful wolf. She hadn’t intended the doll to be a gift under such awkward circumstances.


    Kiera bit her lip, a wave of unease passing through her. Indeed, calling him a yful wolf after his help might have been an overstep.


    She slowly lifted her gaze, only to catch Louis looking at her with a bemused expression. Her cheeks med with embarrassment when she realized she’d been caught staring.


    Louis slid the doll into his pocket, shifting the conversation. “Did you get hurt?”


    Relieved that he had dropped the subject of the doll, Kiera let out a quiet breath. “I’m fine,” she murmured.


    Curiously, Louis cocked his head. “Hungry? Let’s grab a bite.”


    Lɑt??τ cнαρτ?rs ιn g??l??ov?ls.??????


    The slice of cake Kiera had taken with her had been knocked off onto the floor. At the mention of food, her stomach responded loudly. She nodded, her face warming as she shyly looked down.


    A smile yed on Louis’s lips.


    The banquet had drawn to a close, and Felix was about to ask whether Wesley was heading back when Wesley’s gaze stopped him in his tracks.


    “Did you drive here?” Wesley asked Elena, his voice steady as a calm sea.


    Elena nodded, a hint of uncertainty flickering across her face. “I did.”


    “You had a drink earlier,” Wesley said, his tone firm yet gentle. “You shouldn’t be behind the wheel. I can offer you a ride.”


    Felix fell silent, contemting his next move. Should he simply slip away into the night?


    Elena hesitated, weighing her options. The distance wasn’t far, but the specter of drinking and driving loomedrge. She knew she shouldn’t be driving, yet a thorny issue arose. “You had a drink too,” she reminded him, her voice steady.


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