Chapter 846
After Thomas left, Sharon sat alone on the stone bench, gazing at the scenery around her.
To be honest, the garden was breathtakingly beautiful, tinged with a faint air of romance. Even sitting here by herself, she didn’t feel the least bit bored.
Resting one hand on the stone table, she found the stillness and quiet seeping into her bones, making her drowsy. She had been busy and exhausted lately, and before she knew it, her head sank onto her arms.
She actually drifted off for a while.
A cool breeze stirred, snapping her awake.
Checking the time, she was startled to see that twenty minutes had already passed.
The garden wasn’t far from the banquet hall. It would take ten minutes at most for a round trip. Could
something have happened?
Unease prickled at her. She pulled out her phone and dialed Thomas’s number. The call rang endlessly with no
answer. She started to worry.
Biting her lip, Sharon slipped off her shoes, intending to go look for him.
Just then, footsteps sounded behind her. Relief rushed through her-he must be back.
She turned, her lips parting. “Thomas-
But when her eyes landed on the man’s face, she froze.
“Xavier? What are you doing here?”
His handsome features appeared half-shadowed beneath the lamplight, every gesture carrying an effortless
elegance and noble grace. His bold brows hinted at a streak of defiance, and those dazzling eyes glimmered with
a seductive, shifting light.
At that moment, his gaze lingered on her, the night casting an illusion of tenderness.
He walked toward her slowly. “I just got off a flight. Originally, I wanted to surprise you at your studio, but you weren’t there. I asked Wendy and learned you were attending this music exchange, so I came here instead.”
It had been some time since Sharon last saw Xavier. The sudden encounter did stir a flicker of genuine delight.
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uued. “Yes. Thomas went to fetch another pair, but he hasn’t come back for a while. I was about to go
check if something happened.”
Xavier sat across from her, lips curving into a knowing smile. “Thomas? I saw him just now. But if you ask me, it’s better not to disturb him. He seems rather preoccupied.”
Sharon blinked, puzzled. “Preoccupied with what?”
“Playing the hero. Saving none other than Johanna, the eldest daughter of the Walton family.”
As he spoke, Xavier’s eyes rested on her, observing. “He and the Walton heiress… are they close?” Sharon recalled how easily the two had talked the last time they met. After a pause, she murmured, “They seemed to get along.”
Xavier’s tone carried an edge of meaning. “Well, well… looks like he’s not without his charms.”
Now that she knew Thomas was unharmed, Sharon felt less anxious.
Instead, she shifted the subject with a smile. “A few days ago, Matty mentioned that today is your birthday.”
Her voice, soft and lilting under the night sky, held a quiet warmth. “Xavier, happy birthday.”
His gaze softened unconsciously. “Thank you.’
Sharon reached into her bag and pulled out a neatly wrapped box. “I prepared a gift for you. I was planning to give it to Matty to pass along, but since you’re here, I can hand it to you directly.”
He opened it to find a delicate keychain. The item itself was simple, but the chibi-style caricatures engraved on it lifted his lips into a smile.
“This is me and Matty, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “Mhm. I made it myself for both of you.”
Her artistic skill was undeniable; sketching out chibi portraits of Matty and Xavier had been effortless, yet the
result brimmed with charm.
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