Divorced

Aveline didn’t want to engage with him, so she quickened her pace. But catching up with her was effortless for Lucas,

He maintained a two–step distance behind her. “Aveline, are you going to invite me or not, hmm?”

Aveline replied curtly, “No.”

Lucas sighed dramatically. “You’re really heartless, aren’t you? I brought you hiking and showed you beautiful scenery, but you won’t even invite. me over for dinner.”

Aveline was speechless.

“And,” Lucas continued his relentless chatter, “I even stayed with you all night, got up early to make you breakfast, and you just eat and forget all about me. I never imagined you could be this kind of woman.”

His constant complaints from behind began to wear on Aveline’s nerves. But then she realized that no matter what she said, he would ignore it and keep doing whatever he wanted. So why should she care?

With that thought, Aveline’s mood instantly calmed. No matter how much Lucas rambled, her expression remained unchanged.

Since it wasn’t the weekend, the trail wasn’t crowded, though they passed a few hikers here and there. An older man eventually caught up. to Aveline, huffing as he reached her. “Young lady, your husband’s been chatting nonstop, and you’re just tuning him out? If it’s not bothering you, it sure is bothering us.”

Aveline was speechless.

A faint blush of embarrassment crept onto her face.

Lucas, with a smirk, stepped forward and tugged at her sleeve. “Honey,

are you going to invite me?” NôvelDrama.Org: owner of this content.

“Honey?”

“Honey, honey?”

“Enough!”

Aveline turned to face him, her cheeks even redder than before, though.

it was hard to tell if it was due to the old man’s comment or Lucas’s

behavior that had embarrassed her more.

“Lucas, do you ever stop?”

Lucas raised an eyebrow, his expression calm and steady. “I just want to eat your cooking. Is that too much to ask?”

Aveline responded, “Yes, it is too much. You don’t deserve to eat anything I make.”

That was a serious blow.

Without waiting for his reaction, she continued her climb, not sparing him a glance.

The smile on Lucas‘ lips faded slightly, surprised that Aveline would say something like that. After all, she hadn’t lost her temper despite his relentless teasing.

He lowered his gaze, hiding the emotions in his eyes.

So, playing the rogue wasn’t working anymore?

It looked like he would have to go back to his old ways with her. Aveline was the type who reacted better to firmness than to gentleness.

By the time they reached the mountain peak, it was nearing noon. Aveline was drenched in sweat and wanted to take off her jacket, but

Lucas placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. “Don’t take it off. The wind is strong up here.”

Aveline shrugged off his hand but decided not to remove her jacket. She certainly didn’t want to catch a cold.

Walking to the edge of the cliff, Aveline gazed out at the distant view, and her mood shifted once again.

Indeed, the scenery at the summit was different from that at the base.

It felt as if the barriers in her heart had been shattered, and those moments of despair and pain she once thought insurmountable were slowly fading away.

Taking a deep breath, Aveline placed her hands around her mouth and shouted at the top of her lungs, “Ahhh!!”

Lucas stood behind her, startled by the raw emotion in her scream. In that instant, he saw the intense pain and fragility in her, her slender figure teetering as if she might collapse at any moment.

Almost instinctively, Lucas reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

Her scream was abruptly cut off, and Aveline was left disoriented.

“Lucas, what’s wrong with you now?” Aveline struggled to push him away, but his grip was unyielding.