However, what welcomed her was complete silence and darkness, with the lights turned off and the gloomy weather casting a shadow over her. No one was inside to greet her. Leah hadnât returned from picking up Aurora, and Adrian was still at work.
Joelle let out a heavy sigh as she collapsed onto the sofa, loneliness creeping in once more. Before she knew it, the night had fallen. It was already seven oâclock in the evening, but she was still the only person in the house.
As she started to worry, her phone rang.
âSomething happened, Joelle. Turn on the TV!â It was Adrian on the line, the urgency in his voice startling her.
âWhat happened?â
âI donât have the time to explain right now. Just turn on the TV!â
Your next chapter awaits at galnÏð¿ððµð¼â¤com âAdrian? Adrian!â Worried about Aurora, Joelle hurriedly grabbed the remote and turned the TV on.
On the screen was a live broadcast of the busiest commercial street in Illerith. Joelle was confused. Before she could make sense of it, a photo replaced the live broadcast.
It had been taken by Aurora a year ago at the beach with a small camera. The image captured her and Adrian walking hand in hand through the waves, the sunset casting a golden glow in the background.
The image was a bit blurry, but it beautifully captured a tender moment between the couple. It didnât take long for Joelle to realize it was Adrianâs doing, and tears started to well up in her eyes.
Suddenly, a noise broke the silence outside. She rushed out and saw Callan aboard a helicopter, its rotor blades roaring over his voice as he called out to her.
âMaâam, Mr. Miller is waiting for you!â
âWaiting for me?â
âYes! He wanted to show you something thatâs best seen in person!â
Joelle laughed as she put on a helmet and boarded the helicopter, overwhelmed by surprise, joy, and anticipation. As they ascended slowly, the city appeared shrouded in darkness, resembling a vast black canvas.
âMaâam, look down!â
Joelle lowered her eyes and saw nothing but darkness, confusing her. But in the next second, the lights turned on one by one, forming a sentence before her eyes:
âAdrian loves Joelle.â
Joelle covered her mouth with her hands, completely taken by surprise. That was more than enough proof of Adrianâs sincerity. He had never done anything so romantic before. But this time, he let the whole nation see how much he loved her.
The helicopter slowly landed on the hotel rooftop, where Adrian waited patiently in his tailored white suit and sharp black bow tie. Extending his hand, he helped Joelle off the helicopter. Then, behind Adrian, Joelleâs friends appearedâwhom she had parted ways with just an hour ago.
âWhat else have you prepared?â Joelle sniffled, overwhelmed with emotion.
Adrian, his ears turning red, said sheepishly, âWith my limited imagination, this is all I could come up with for now.â Behind them, Shawn and Ferris were more excited than ever.
.
.
.