Watching You Burn In Regret novel Chapter 183

Duskwood sat at nearly two thousand feet above sea level—not particularly high, yet not exactly low either.

After dinner, the five of them started the hike toward the summit.

Nadine and her friends had learned their lesson by now. The three of them walked ahead, deliberately leaving Seren and Lennon to bring up the rear.

Let's be honest: there's only so much of that lovey-dovey couple stuff a single person can take.

Seren strolled along at the back, taking her time to enjoy the scenery. For her, reaching the top and visiting the old Duskwood Chapel wasn't the real point of the climb; soaking in the shifting views along the way was what truly made the hike worthwhile.

As they went on, more and more hikers joined the trail. The path grew steeper the higher they climbed, and the pace inevitably slowed.

With the stone steps getting increasingly steep, Lennon slipped his hand into hers. He didn't let go.

An hour later, they arrived at the chapel.

Inside, they soon found themselves drawn with the crowd to an ancient ginkgo tree—a living relic, said to be a thousand years old.

It was late autumn. Back in the city, the ginkgo leaves were still more green than gold, but up here in the mountains, the air was much colder. Most of the leaves had already fallen, leaving the branches bare against the sky, and a thick golden carpet covered the ground.

Seren and Lennon walked across the fallen leaves, their footsteps making a crisp, rustling sound.

She glanced down at their interlaced fingers, a quiet warmth settling in her chest.

Someone once told her that being in love tasted sweet. Seren figured this must be what they meant. She couldn't help thinking even the air around them felt tinged with sugar.

"Seren, over here!" Nadine's excited voice snapped her out of her reverie.

Seren looked up.

Not far from the ginkgo stood a majestic stone building. A sign above the entrance read Eternal Vows Chapel in bold letters.

Incense smoke curled from a great brazier at the door, while a steady stream of people came and went.

Nadine, Jasper, and Michael were waiting for her in an open patch of ground just in front of the chapel.

Once Seren steadied herself and turned around, she finally saw who'd bumped into her: a young couple emerging from the chapel.

The woman wore a pastel pink knit dress under a white faux-fur wrap, her makeup flawless, delicate features glowing with charm. The man beside her—tall, fair-skinned, dressed in a crisp white shirt and light gray blazer—was strikingly handsome, a luxury watch on his wrist catching the light. The two held hands, clearly very close.

Seren recognized them immediately.

It was Carla—and Edwin, the younger heir of the Montgomery Group.

Back in college, Seren had seen them together more than once. She never expected to run into them here, of all places.

If life's a stage, fate has a wicked sense of humor.

Carla had been too caught up in conversation with her date to watch where she was going. When she finally looked up after the collision, her face twisted in annoyance. "Watch wh—" she started, but stopped short when she saw who she'd run into, the rest of her retort dying on her lips.

She awkwardly released Edwin's hand, her expression suddenly sheepish.

Running into Seren and Nadine here was the last thing Carla had imagined. She'd figured Duskwood was remote enough to avoid familiar faces—a perfect spot for a quiet date with Edwin.