Chapter 2
1095 Words
At seven o'clock the next day, his biological clock woke Declan Kane on time.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Charlotte Monroe adjusting her shirt in front of the mirror.
Her sleep schedule had always been erratic, so waking up so early was, in Declan Kane's memory, a first.
Hearing footsteps, she turned around and saw him, asking, "Does sister look beautiful in this outfit today?"
She was a natural clothes hanger. Even a simple black shirt looked great on her on ordinary days, but today, after putting in some extra effort, she was stunning beyond words. A single lazy glance from her could captivate a crowd of young men.
He didn’t know why she had suddenly started paying so much attention to her appearance. In the past, he would have been so mesmerized that his heart would skip a beat, but now he just nodded calmly, "Yes, very beautiful."
Charlotte Monroe didn't notice his unusual behavior and smiled slightly, "I have a gathering today. Be good at home, and I'll bring you some dessert when I return."
After saying that, she turned and left.
After watching her figure disappear, Declan Kane wanted to pour himself a glass of water but noticed her phone left on the table.
As he picked it up, he accidentally pressed the power button.
The screen lit up, revealing a new message.
From someone with the note "Finn."
"Charlotte, it's been eight years since we last met. I'm really looking forward to today's gathering. How about you?"
After seeing the message, Declan Kane's footsteps halted.
So, my first love is returning to the country today.
No wonder I woke up so early and dressed up so meticulously, with joy evident in the corners of my eyes and brows.
The next second, the door was pushed open.
Charlotte Monroe, who had turned back halfway, suddenly returned to grab her phone. Before leaving, she glanced at the content on the screen, her steps faltering slightly, and couldn't help but take a look at Declan Kane, who was having his meal.
“Did you just look at my phone?”
Declan Kane slightly raised his eyes, his gaze calm, “No, why?”
She then smiled, as if relieved, said it was nothing, and turned to leave.
It was the first time Declan Kane suddenly felt he couldn't quite understand her.
Her heart was filled with her first love, and all the boyfriends she found were substitutes for Finn Wilder. Logically, she shouldn’t care about him at all, so why was she concerned about whether he had discovered the truth?
Could it be that she was afraid of losing him?
Declan Kane didn’t want to be presumptuous, and moreover, he knew that loss was already a foregone conclusion.
After finishing breakfast, Declan Kane sat down in front of his computer and opened the drawing software.
He is a manga artist, and after returning home, he will be busy with wedding preparations, so he probably won’t be able to work for a long time.
While he still has some free time, he plans to finish up the remaining drafts.
After working all morning, he packed up the results of his half-day effort and sent them to his editor, then had lunch.
In the afternoon, taking advantage of the nice weather, he cleared out a lot of things.
Couple-style water bottles, keychains, scarves, jackets...
These were all things he had bought over the years, filling up a large box.
Every time he saw these, he remembered the helpless look in Charlotte Monroe's eyes when he insisted she try them on after they arrived.
"These are all things cute little girls like. Do you really want your big sister to go out wearing them and get laughed at by her friends?"
Thinking of those words, Declan Kane grabbed the box and went downstairs, throwing both the contents and the box into the trash.
Now it's fine, no one will laugh anymore.
After handling it decisively, Declan Kane was about to go back when he turned around and bumped into a soft embrace.
Charlotte Monroe, who had returned at some point, wrapped one arm around his shoulder while using the other to brush aside his sweat-drenched bangs.
"What did you lose? Why are you sweating so much?"
"Useless trash."
Declan Kane found an excuse without changing his expression, and Charlotte Monroe didn't suspect anything, pulling him upstairs.
The moment the elevator doors opened, the sanitation truck happened to pass by, rumbling loudly.
Watching the box of items being driven away, Declan Kane finally withdrew his gaze.
Trash, how could there be so much trash?
In fact, just a glance would have revealed the anomaly, but she didn't ask anything.
It was simply because she didn't care.
A trace of self-mockery flashed in Declan Kane's eyes, and as his gaze swept over the smile that never left her face, he was momentarily stunned.
Charlotte Monroe had a pair of captivating peach blossom eyes; when she smiled, it was impossible to look away.
Perhaps aware of this, most of the time, she wore a smile on her face.
Others thought she had a good temper, but only Declan Kane knew that her smile was merely superficial, never reaching her eyes.
But today, every time she smiled, there was genuine joy in her eyes.
She must be really happy to have seen Finn Wilder.
As soon as she stepped inside, Charlotte Monroe noticed that the house felt much emptier.
She looked around, her face showing a surprised expression.
“Did a thief break into the house? It feels like a lot of things are missing. Where’s the water cup? And the throw pillow is gone too?”
Just as Declan Kane was about to answer, Charlotte Monroe’s phone dinged several times.
She glanced at the messages, quickly put the matter aside, and walked to the study on her own. Before closing the door, she left a reminder.
“Declan, I have something to do. Go to sleep first, don’t wait for me.”
Declan Kane didn't ask anything and went back to the bedroom alone.
The clock on the wall passed twelve, and her phone under the pillow started vibrating wildly.
"Declan, happy birthday!"
"Happy 23rd birthday, Baby Declan! Remember to eat cake!"
Scrolling through, all I saw were birthday wishes.
Dad, mom, sister, friends, classmates, even those thousands of miles away sent their blessings.
Only my girlfriend, who was right beside me, seemed to have forgotten about it.
Because she had more important things to do.
- Writer
