StartNovelChapter 849
The holiday bash was really just a gimmick to draw people in. What kept guests coming back were the hotel's
top-tier services.
Sarah had made sure the Emotions Room would stay open around the clock. Even celebrities were welcome-after
all, their stress levels were often far worse than the average person's. If they had a good experience here,
maybe they'd becregulars. That kind of word-of-mouth would be the best PR money couldn't buy.
All the staff and workers had been pushing hard, staying late to finish up the final touches. It was already past 11
p.m. when Sarah did her last walk-through. Satisfied that everything looked perfect, she waved everyone off,
telling them to head hand promising double bonuses. That perked everyone up instantly. The fatigue melted
off their faces as they left with bright smiles and renewed energy.
Once the last worker was gone, Sarah stood alone, staring at the glowing hotel against the night sky like a jewel
in the dark. A quiet sense of pride filled her chest.
Still wrapped in a coat, she shivered. It was close to midnight, and the open-air plaza was freezing. The wind was
sharp, and her cheeks were red from the cold.
She lowered her head and walked further into the light, her shadow trailing beside her. Absentmindedly, she
started stepping on it as she walked—something that felt oddly familiar.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThat's right. She'd done this before.
She kept stepping on her own shadow, slowly moving down the path, completely unaware of the black Cayenne
parked on the roadside.
Zachary sat inside, momentarily dazed as he watched her.
"Zachary! Look—I'm walking on your shadow. That means you'll always be under my feet," a younger Sarah had
once teased, her voice full of playful charm.
Back then, Zachary had simply followed behind her, letting her stomp on his shadow with a helpless smile.
"Slow down, it's snowing. Aren't you afraid you'll slip?"
Sarah had stopped in her tracks and stomped her foot hard. "No way! And even if | did, you'd catchright?"
Zachary had ruffled her hair with a sigh, then firmly slipped on the gloves she'd refused to wear earlier. "It's too
cold. Be good."
Sarah had pouted but didn't take the gloves off.
They walked through the snow for what felt like forever. She was full of life, so much like Mia, always moving,
never still. Naturally, she ended up slipping. Just like Zachary had warned.
He caught her before she hit the
ground. She fell right into his arms, surrounded by the crisp scent of pine and snow. Blushing she mumbled, "You
did that on purpose s
Zachary raised an eyebrow. "Did what on purpose?"
"You wanted to-" She never
finished His face had already leaned in, and his lips brushed hers cold and soft. s
Back in the present, Zachary snapped out of the memory just in tto see Sarah walking away.
He glanced at the clock, then grabbed something from the seat beside him and jumped out of the car.
"Sarah!"
His voice rose slightly over the wind. She stopped and turned.
The breeze whipped her hair across
her face, and she squinted into the night before her expression shifted in recognition. s
"You?" she asked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Hold out your hand," Zachary said as he walked over.
"What?"
She stared at him, confused. He repeated it, more gently this time, and she slowly held out her hand.
He placed something cool and round in her palm.
It was an apple.
"I'm the first one to give you an apple on Christmas Eve," he said quietly, with surprising seriousness.
Sarah glanced down at her watch. Midnight sharp.
December 24th.
Christmas Eve.
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