The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 324

Leon's eyes lit up the moment I gave my answer.

His voice was as gentle as ever. "You need to be happy, Dr. Hayes. I want you to be happy."

Looking at his handsome face illuminated by the warm interior lights, his smile radiating comfort, my heart skipped a beat. I smiled back and softly promised, "I will."

Satisfied, Leon waved goodbye and drove off.

I watched his taillights vanish into the vast night before turning around to cross the street toward Eden Gardens.

However, the moment I turned around, before I could even take a single step, a mocking scoff echoed in my ear. "Hah."

It was late, and this street was usually deserted. At this hour, there was hardly a soul around, just a few silently parked cars. The sudden noise made me jump in sheer fright.

I instinctively hugged my arms, my guard going up. Suddenly, the headlights of a car parked along the curb flared to life. I squinted against the glare, my anxiety halving as the half-lowered window revealed a man's chiseled features.

It was Ferris.

Why was his car parked here?

And from the looks of it, he had been waiting here for quite some time.

But he had just delivered a romantic dinner to his sweetheart tonight. Shouldn't he be on a sweet date, heading back to their love nest to spend a wonderful night together?

Under the dim streetlights, his face was cast in a soft, hazy glow, dulling his usual sharp edges. He emanated a rare, gentle aura, identical to the exact moment I had first fallen in love with him.

Mesmerized by that face, I was involuntarily drawn in and took a step closer.

He had gone to such extremes, yet he still had the audacity to mock me, accusing me of seducing and manipulating every man in sight.

Who gave him the right, Ferris? Just because I once loved you, does that give you a free pass to hurt me so recklessly?

But then again, the only people who could hurt you were the ones you loved deeply. If you didn't care, you wouldn't have expectations, and you wouldn't get hurt.

My nails dug into my palms as I gritted my teeth, struggling to control the tremble in my voice. "I'm still leagues behind you, Dr. Sterling. You shower her with blatant favoritism and bring her back to your love nest. Treating her like the apple of your eye, the poor girl must be in entirely too deep by now."

The mocking sneer on Ferris's face instantly vanished.

I curled my lips into a smirk and added, "Combine that with today's performance—risking everything to protect her, surprising her with dinner—I bet she's convinced she won't marry anyone but you. Truth be told, you're the real master here. Calling you an absolute menace wouldn't be an exaggeration. I really should take notes from you."