When fate plays its hand

Chapter 0540

On Saturday, the skies finally cleared after two full days of continuous rain.

With the arrival of winter, the temperature in Jandersville dropped drastically. The heat of the scorching summer was gone, leaving behind the biting cold and fierce winds.

Miranda bundled herself in a thick down coat, hat, and scarf when she stepped out, wrapping herself tightly against the chill. Hansel was already waiting downstairs.

Despite the cold, he parked his car across the street at the side of the road and chose to wait by the entrance of her apartment building.

The passersby couldn’t help but steal glances at him, but he remained indifferent. His eyes were solely fixed on the entrance, his focus almost reverent.

At that moment, Paul stepped out to go to the lab. He noticed Hansel as soon as he exited the lab. Naturally, Hansel spotted him as well. Their gazes met, and their eyes were filled with hostility.

Paul had a poor impression of Hansel. It was far worse than his impression of Sam in comparison.

He recalled the incident of what Hansel did to Miranda when they went to the mansion to pick up her books, and his gaze darkened. “Mr. Johnson, did you just arrive this morning? Or have you been here since last night?”

Hansel scoffed. “Dr. Jefferson, you must have been studying too much. You seem to have a tendency to overcomplicate things. Whether I just got here or stayed the night doesn’t matter. What matters is…”

He smirked and spoke deliberately, “Mimi agreed to go on a date with me. We’re going to go out today.”

Paul’s first reaction was disbelief, but then he thought about how Miranda had been busy dealing with the issues regarding the lab lately. Could there be… some connection between them?

He suppressed his emotions and kept his expression nonchalant. “If Miranda agreed to meet you, she must have her reasons to do so.”

Paul subtly swapped the word “date” into a neutral word, “meeting“. Whoever said that professors weren’t slick with their words?

He added, “This is just a reminder from me to you. As a man, it’s fine to be poor or unattractive, but it’s unacceptable to be ungentlemanly.”

Hansel frowned. “What are you implying?”

“Respecting women and not forcing them into anything against their will are basic principle

decent man. You should keep that in mind.”

of being a

With that, Paul walked past Hansel and headed toward the mouth of the alley. His steps were steady, and his retreating figure appeared calm.

Nonetheless, he clenched his fists slowly when he knew he was out of sight, veins bulging on the back of his hand.

1/7/2

+25 BONUS

Chapter 0540

Miranda was taken aback the moment she came downstairs and saw Hansel. He wasn’t dressed in his usual suit today. Rather, he was dressed in dark blue jeans and a gray–striped winter jacket.

His soft hair fell naturally over his brow, making him appear less frivolous. Instead, it made him look more youthful and lively.

For a moment, she saw Hansel from the past. At that time, he was still an ambitious young man with clear eyes and a passionate gaze.

Whenever he looked at her, his gaze was so intense that Miranda once believed that their love would endure forever, that it would never change.

However, reality had taught her differently. Nothing would stay the same forever. Feelings could change, and so could people.

“What are we going to do?” she asked. Her tone was devoid of excitement or happiness. She spoke in a businesslike tone, as if this was a task she had to fulfill..

A trace of sadness flickered in Hansel’s eyes, but he quickly masked it with a smile. “Let’s get in the car first.”

They crossed the street together, and Hansel personally opened the passenger door for her. “Watch your head.”

Miranda bent down and got in. He walked around to the driver’s seat and sat down before starting the engine.

“Do you remember our first date?” Hansel asked.

Miranda remained silent.

A nostalgic look appeared in Hansel’s eyes as he reminisced aloud, “It was at that café around the corner. I bought flowers and cake. We planned to meet at 2:00 pm, but you still hadn’t shown up by 3:00 pm. You didn’t answer your phone, either…”

Miranda had only arrived when it was 4:00 pm. She had apologized vehemently, still in her white lab coat.” I’m so sorry! I was in the lab and couldn’t bring my phone. I completely forgot about our date…”