A chatter of voices came from outside, and Madeleine could\u00a0<\/p>\n
see the main entrance from her seat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She glanced over, and her gaze froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoa, speak of the devil.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHm?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u104b\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca was confused. She turned to look, and her gaze froze\u00a0<\/p>\n
as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian was wearing a plain, short\u2013sleeved shirt with a black\u00a0<\/p>\n
jacket over it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t wearing his glasses, giving him a different vibe from\u00a0<\/p>\n
his usual gentle self.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca instantly recognized the people with him as students\u00a0<\/p>\n
from the lab.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As they walked in, they were thanking him, saying Professor Shaw was treating them to a meal again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 215\u00a0<\/p>\n
Until they saw Adrian and Rebecca\u2019s eyes meet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Someone gasped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Eleanor, did Professor Shaw invite you too?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca was completely embarrassed, her mouth slightly open,\u00a0<\/p>\n
unsure of what to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked away from Adrian and gave a dry laugh to the girl\u00a0<\/p>\n
who had spoken.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I\u2019m just here having dinner with a friend.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a coincidence. If Professor Shaw hadn\u2019t just spotted you,\u00a0<\/p>\n
I almost wouldn\u2019t have recognized you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, Eleanor, your style has changed so much. You always\u00a0<\/p>\n
dress so cute, I thought you were a sweet girl in your personal\u00a0<\/p>\n
life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca felt even more awkward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before, she had been cultivating a damsel in distress persona,\u00a0<\/p>\n
dressing plainly and gently.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That had\u2026 nothing to do with her real self.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 215\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was born with a sharp and exquisite face, and her dark\u00a0<\/p>\n
clothes made her features stand out even more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her porcelain skin was faintly visible at the collar of her black\u00a0<\/p>\n
shirt, highlighting the elegant lines of her long neck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her once\u2013smooth black hair was now casually styled with a\u00a0<\/p>\n
fluffy texture, a few unruly strands falling across her forehead,\u00a0<\/p>\n
making her look like an unsheathed saber.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A beauty so captivating you couldn\u2019t look away, yet with a sharp\u00a0<\/p>\n
edge of danger, completely different from the \u201cEleanor\u201d they\u00a0<\/p>\n
remembered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine, sitting across from her, was very busy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One moment she was looking at Rebecca, the next she was\u00a0<\/p>\n
staring at Adrian, studying his micro\u2013expressions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Looking back and forth between them, Madeleine\u2019s neck was\u00a0<\/p>\n
starting to hurt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just then, the owner came out from the back. \u201cProfessor Shaw,\u00a0<\/p>\n
you\u2019re here so soon! I was just about to call you\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. Are there any tables, owner?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 215\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian looked away and cut the owner off just in time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It seemed he had no intention of talking to Rebecca.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The owner was about to say yes, but then he remembered\u00a0<\/p>\n
something and gave an awkward smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of you, so you\u2019d need a private dining room, but\u00a0<\/p>\n
it was booked yesterday.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As he spoke, he glanced over at Rebecca\u2019s table, where there\u00a0<\/p>\n
was another four\u2013p\u00e8rson table nearby.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, but the only table left in the main dining area is for four,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and there are six of you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was exactly what Adrian was waiting for. He walked\u00a0<\/p>\n
straight up to Rebecca.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As he approached, Rebecca felt the air around her seem to\u00a0<\/p>\n
freeze for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian stood before her table, his tall figure casting a shadow,\u00a0<\/p>\n
the faint, cool scent of cedar wafting over.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes lingering on her face for a second before he spoke in a low, soft voice:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 215\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you mind if we share the table?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s fingertips unconsciously traced the side of her glass, her throat inexplicably tightening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before she could answer, Madeleine, sitting next to her, was\u00a0<\/p>\n
already smiling as she scooted over, saying enthusiastically:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNot at all, not at all!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Professor Shaw, please sit. The table is big enough anyway!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca: \u201c\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
She silently shot Madeleine a look, who winked back at her with\u00a0<\/p>\n
an expression that said, \u201cThis is all I can do for you, sis.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian didn\u2019t seem to notice their little exchange. He just\u00a0<\/p>\n
nodded slightly and said to the students behind him, \u201cHave a\u00a0<\/p>\n
seat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The students exchanged glances and came over, grinning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of the girls discreetly sized up Rebecca and whispered, \u201cSo\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eleanor is this cool in private. She didn\u2019t even respond when Professor Shaw spoke to her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s scalp tingled with embarrassment; she wished she\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 215\u00a0<\/p>\n
could just disappear on the spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She used to maintain her persona by wearing light\u2013colored\u00a0<\/p>\n
dresses every day, speaking softly, and even smiling with her\u00a0<\/p>\n
lips pressed together, afraid of blowing her cover.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But now\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
The cuffs of her black shirt were casually rolled to her elbows,\u00a0<\/p>\n
revealing a pale wrist with a delicate silver chain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her long legs were crossed, the tip of her boot tapping the\u00a0<\/p>\n
ground unconsciously, giving her a casual yet sharp aura.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A completely different person from \u201cEleanor.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian sat down beside her, his long fingers flipping open the\u00a0<\/p>\n
menu, his expression calm, as if he hadn\u2019t noticed her\u00a0<\/p>\n
discomfort at all.\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 ` 215 A chatter of voices came from outside, and Madeleine could\u00a0 […]<\/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-29512","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\/29512","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=29512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29512\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}