Chapter 180\u00a0<\/p>\n
Who knew that she would just stare at him for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next second.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine leaned down, almost pushing Roderick into the\u00a0<\/p>\n
water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had no technique, only pure emotion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The wave of heat she created felt like it was going to drown\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s surprise was no less than their first time together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He heard the person in his arms murmuring that she wanted to\u00a0<\/p>\n
go back to the room, back to bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s voice was hoarse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t wait, Kev\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s just do it here, okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a long moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 180\u00a0<\/p>\n
He heard Madeleine give a soft \u201cmm.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, with Bradley, after they finished at the mummy\u00a0<\/p>\n
museum, he followed Isabella to visit her forensic science\u00a0<\/p>\n
center.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The two of them didn\u2019t exchange a single word of idle chatter,\u00a0<\/p>\n
just a constant stream of professional knowledge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Anyone who knew would say they were on a blind date, but\u00a0<\/p>\n
anyone who didn\u2019t would think they were at some kind of\u00a0<\/p>\n
academic conference.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before they knew it, it was evening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They had dinner in the cafeteria but didn\u2019t eat much, so they\u00a0<\/p>\n
decided to grab a late\u2013night snack together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was only while they were eating their late\u2013night snack that\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley came to his senses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wait, this is a blind date.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He cleared his throat and awkwardly brought up the topic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 180\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUm, Isabella.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what Bradley had been calling Isabella all afternoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It made their relationship sound like one between a senior and\u00a0<\/p>\n
a junior.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He scratched his head, unsure of where to begin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hadn\u2019t taken this blind date seriously at first, planning to just\u00a0<\/p>\n
get through a meal and be done with it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t expect that they\u2019d get along so well because of their\u00a0<\/p>\n
similar professions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But getting along is one thing; there just wasn\u2019t any real spark.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was afraid the girl might get the wrong idea, so now he was\u00a0<\/p>\n
racking his brain trying to figure out how to explain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It would be better to clear the air sooner rather than later.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, there\u2019s something I should have made clear to you\u00a0<\/p>\n
earlier. You\u2019re a great girl, it\u2019s just that I\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella stared at him with a smile, seemingly not curious about\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 180\u00a0<\/p>\n
what he was going to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think, we\u2026 maybe we should just\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBradley.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella suddenly propped her chin on her hand, her eyes\u00a0<\/p>\n
sparkling as she stared at him, \u201cSo what\u2019s really going on\u00a0<\/p>\n
between you and Charlotte?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s expression was a bit stiff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stared at Isabella for a moment, his eyes filled with\u00a0<\/p>\n
confusion at first.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They had been chatting all afternoon, and it seemed they hadn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
mentioned Charlotte even once.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or maybe\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back at the restaurant during lunch, had Isabella already figured\u00a0<\/p>\n
out that he and Charlotte knew each other?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella giggled, \u201cYou don\u2019t have to look at me like that. I\u00a0<\/p>\n
guessed it the moment you two met.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUh, was it that obvious?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 180\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella snorted with laughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you think you were a good actor?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley laughed dryly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella continued to gossip, asking tentatively, \u201cYou must be\u00a0<\/p>\n
that \u2018little brother\u2018 of Charlotte\u2019s, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s expression grew even stranger, a look of \u2018how do you\u00a0<\/p>\n
know everything\u2018 on his face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He forced a smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you\u2026 very close with Charlotte?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCharlotte handled a case for one of my relatives before. I was\u00a0<\/p>\n
the one who delivered the documents and stuff, so we got to\u00a0<\/p>\n
know each other over time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella winked, a meaningful smile on her face. \u201cSo, she\u00a0<\/p>\n
mentions you sometimes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s breath hitched, and he unconsciously rubbed the rim\u00a0<\/p>\n
of his coffee cup. \u201cWhat\u2026 what did she say about me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella tilted her head, deliberately drawing out her words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHmm\u2026 she said you were a real handful as a kid, that you\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 180\u00a0<\/p>\n
broke your arm falling out of a tree, and you always used to\u00a0<\/p>\n
steal her snacks.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s ears burned. He coughed lightly, \u201cWhy would she even\u00a0<\/p>\n
tell you that\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella suddenly leaned in closer, lowering her voice. \u201cShe also\u00a0<\/p>\n
said that even though you were a troublemaker, you\u2019ve always\u00a0<\/p>\n
been there for her whenever she needed you, ever since you\u00a0<\/p>\n
were kids.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley froze, his heart feeling as if it had been gently struck by\u00a0<\/p>\n
something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked down at the rippling tea in his cup, the corner of his\u00a0<\/p>\n
mouth unconsciously curling into a smile, which he quickly\u00a0<\/p>\n
suppressed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she really say that?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would I lie to you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella pouted, then asked nosily, \u201cYou like her, don\u2019t you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley didn\u2019t say anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 180\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, that makes me wonder. If you like her, why are you out on\u00a0<\/p>\n
a blind date?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley didn\u2019t answer the question, just asked one back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about you?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I can tell you\u2019re not interested in me, and you don\u2019t seem like\u00a0<\/p>\n
someone who needs to be dating or getting married.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash 180 Chapter 180\u00a0 Who knew that she would just stare at him […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-heart-surgeons-last-patient-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29477\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}