Gideon hadn't anticipated that the fire, which should have been aimed at Joe, would somehow find its way to him.
Usually composed and unflappable, he felt a hint of embarrassment creeping in.
Quickly, he approached the door, lowered his voice, and said, "Lena, please open the door."
Lena suddenly swung the door wide open, pulling Gideon to the side, and the others began to tease and make noise.
Joe merely cast a fleeting glance at them and hurried to the last door.
Lena looked at him with a meaningful smile and asked, "Are you avoiding me?"
Gideon, somewhat flustered, averted his eyes. "No."
"Oh really?" Lena's smile deepened. "I thought you didn't want to see me anymore."
"Of course not!" Gideon hurriedly explained, but seeing the mischievous glint in Lena's eyes, he realized he had been played.
Gideon, who was used to controlling people's emotions, had never been in such a predicament before.
He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well... today is Charlotte's big day. Let's talk about our matters tomorrow."
With that, he hastily made his exit, leaving Lena behind, smiling faintly.
Joe arrived at the last door and knocked firmly.
Inside, Zoe, suppressing a chuckle, said, "You answered the habits question so smoothly. My question probably won't stump you either."
Originally, she had prepared the popular "Hundred Questions to Chase Your Lover" from the internet. However, since Joe had observed so many details, these questions seemed like child's play to him.
Facing the woman he loved, he was nervous yet earnestly conveying his true feelings.
But at this moment, he left the deepest impression on everyone's hearts.
Joe continued, "I want to thank you for bringing two children into this world and raising them healthy and safe, even when you were utterly disappointed in me."
"Thank you for giving me another chance after going through so much, allowing me to make up for the past."
"Most importantly, I'm thankful that you never gave up on yourself and transformed into the shining and remarkable person you are today."
"No matter the future, I will always be by your side, never leaving or forsaking you. You don't need to be anyone's wife or mother; just continue being yourself."
As he finished speaking, the door in front of him clicked open.
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