Chapter 68: Confession

"Hmm?"

When Jean stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair, she was surprised to find a beautiful blue dress laid out on the bed, with a small note resting beside it.

A smile had already begun to form on her lips as she approached.

She briefly glanced at Elara, making sure the little girl was still sleeping peacefully, before picking up the note.

Waiting for you.

Jean covered her lips with the note, her other arm instinctively folding across her chest as she glanced toward the door.

Her heart skipped a beat.

So the surprises hadn’t ended yet.

She decided not to keep him waiting and quickly began changing into the dress he had secretly bought for her.

It was a beautiful bodycon dress that fell just above her knees, its deep blue shade giving it an elegant and refined appearance. Fortunately, she already had a pair of earrings that matched the color perfectly.

Once she slipped into it, the dress hugged her figure comfortably, fitting her far better than she had expected. The thin shoulder straps left her shoulders bare, while the simple design gave the entire outfit an understated elegance.

She applied a little lipstick and gathered her hair into a neat high bun.

Then she stood before the mirror.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Each time, she found herself making some tiny adjustment before finally stepping back and taking a deep breath.

"I feel nervous."

There was no denying it.

But beneath the nervousness was a strange excitement that made her heart beat a little faster.

She checked on Elara one last time. The little girl was still sound asleep, completely unaware of anything happening around her.

Jean placed the baby monitor beside the bed and finally stepped out of the room.

"Ah..."

Her eyes lit up the moment she entered the living area.

She had not expected this.

The entire room had been transformed. The lights had been dimmed, leaving the space bathed in a soft, intimate glow. Slow music played quietly in the background, while scented candles had been placed at various spots around the room, filling the air with a delicate fragrance and giving the entire place an elegant warmth.

At the center stood a round dining table.

And beside it was Kai.

He was dressed in a handsome dark blue suit with a crisp white shirt underneath. The moment he saw her, a smile appeared on his face.

Jean simply stood there.

She had never seen him dressed formally before, and the sight was proving rather dangerous for her heart.

The saying is true... men in formal clothes really are lethal.

She was only able to regain her composure when she heard his voice.

"This dress suits you, just as I thought."

Kai stepped toward her.

Jean’s breath caught in her throat.

He extended his hand, and after a brief hesitation, she quietly placed hers in his.

His palm was warm, and the subtle scent of his cologne immediately filled her senses.

Then she remembered something.

She wasn’t wearing any perfume.

She hadn’t even bothered to change her usual sandals.

She was still wearing her comfortable slippers.

"What happened?" Kai asked when he noticed her hesitation.

Jean looked down at herself before murmuring, "I feel like I should have paid more attention to my preparations."

Kai chuckled softly.

"You look stunning. You already took my breath away. Don’t add anything else, or I might end up staring at you the entire evening."

Jean’s cheeks warmed.

She gave him a meek nod, unable to hide the smile forming on her lips, and allowed him to lead her toward the table.

When they reached it, Kai pulled out a chair for her.

Jean sat down, still feeling as though she had stepped into a dream.

Kai brought two glasses and a bottle of wine to the table.

He poured the red liquid into one of the glasses and extended it toward her.

Jean accepted it with a smile. "When did you prepare all this?"

"This afternoon. I arranged everything earlier and asked the courier to leave it in the backyard."

Jean nodded in understanding. That explained why she had never noticed anything when they returned.

Kai joined her at the table, and they each took their first sip.

Both of them immediately winced.

"Not... very used to this," Kai admitted.

"Same." Jean nodded as she placed her glass back on the table.

They exchanged a glance before laughing softly.

Jean rarely drank alcohol, while Kai’s palate was far more accustomed to milder flavors. Apparently, neither of them had developed much of a taste for wine.

"Well, I thought it would suit the occasion, but..." Kai glanced at his glass before getting up. "This isn’t exactly what I had in mind."

He went into the kitchen and returned with two cans of beer from the refrigerator.

He offered one to Jean.

She giggled as she accepted it. "You came prepared, huh?"

"This wasn’t part of the preparation. I just never expected wine to be this harsh." Kai raised his can. "Anyway, cheers?"

Jean nodded and tapped her can against his.

They both took a sip.

This time, neither of them winced.

Instead, they sighed in relief.

"Much better."

As they settled back into their seats, Kai looked at Jean with a small smile.

"Today was quite a fun day."

Jean nodded. "All thanks to you. I can’t even remember the last time I celebrated my birthday with so many people."

During her time with the elderly residents, she had usually been too busy with work to spare much thought for her birthday. Even they had only learned when was her birthday shortly before she left.

"What about your parents?" Kai asked, his voice becoming slightly more cautious. "Didn’t they celebrate it with you?"

Jean did not appear saddened by the question. She simply took another sip before answering.

"They did. But it was usually more of a gathering for potential business partners or people my family wanted to impress or belittle. I never got along particularly well with my cousins, either, so they would formally wish me a happy birthday and then return to their own conversations."

She turned toward Kai.

"Truthfully, this is the first time I’ve actually smiled and enjoyed my birthday."

Kai leaned forward slightly.

"There are a lot more to come."

Jean fell silent.

Her heart began beating faster at those words, and she lowered her gaze toward the can in her hands.

After a moment, she quietly asked, "Kai... why does it feel like you never want me to leave?"

Kai went silent.

Usually, he would have joked about it or come up with some excuse to convince her to stay by their side.

But right now, he did not feel like lying.

"Because..." He paused, searching for the right words. "I don’t want you to go."

His voice grew softer.

"Not today. Not tomorrow... not ever."

Jean’s fingers tightened slightly around her can.

"You know what that means, right?"

Kai remained silent for several moments before leaning back in his chair.

"It means exactly what you think it means, Jean."

He looked straight into her eyes.

"I..."

"Waaaa...!"

The sudden cry from the baby monitor shattered the quiet atmosphere.

Elara had apparently woken up for some reason.

Jean’s heart was already pounding against her chest, but now her entire face felt unbearably hot. She immediately pushed herself up from her chair.

"I’ll go check..."

She barely took a step before Kai gently caught her wrist.

"I love you, Jean."

She froze.

Completely still.

Her eyes widened as she stared straight ahead, the words sinking into her mind one by one.

Kai gently pulled her back toward the chair and made her sit down.

"I’ll go check on her."

Jean could only nod.

For the moment, she really needed the time to gather her thoughts.

What...just happened?