, , Hansel froze. He subconsciously pulled his arm out of Ingrid’s hold. , Caught off–guard, Ingrid couldn’t help but frown. She followed his gaze and found Miranda standing not too far away. , Hansel wrinkled his brow. “Did you Invite Miranda?” he asked Sam. , “I did. We’re friends, after all,” Sam said with a harmless smile. , “Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?” , Sam shrugged. “I was busy and forgot. Still, it’s fine even if I don’t tell you, right?” , Meanwhile, Miranda had also spotted Hansel, but she simply averted her , hare. , When she came to the manor, her plan was to wish Sam a happy birthday and then leave. She was busy with her research, so she couldn’t waste her time at parties like , this, With that thought, she walked up to Sam and handed him a gift. “Happy birthday. I hope you have a great year. I got you a gift. It’s nothing expensive, but I hope you’ll like it.” , Sam took it and chuckled. “Thank you.” , He was the birthday boy and the star of the party. He had already been toasted a few times, so he was already a little intoxicated. , A waiter walked past, and Sam picked up a glass of red wine from his tray. “Since today is a happy day, why don’t we drink to that? I’ll have one first.” , He gulped the entire glass down in one shot. Naturally, Miranda couldn’t refuse to drink now. After she finished one glass, she glanced at the clock and told Sam she was about to leave. , Sam raised an eyebrow. “It’s still early, and the party has just started. Are you sure you want to leave?, Seeing Miranda looking conflicted, he proposed, “How about this? You stay a little longer. After we cut the cake, you can go.” , “Alright,” Miranda agreed. , The full glass of wine had hit her rather strongly. The heating inside the manor was , נד , #26 BONUS , also turned up too high. After standing around for a bit, the room began to feel rather stuffy. , , , , Sam was in the midst of talking to other guests, so she asked the waiter where the door was. Walking through the arched entrance, she headed toward the garden. , Hansel’s expression darkened as he watched Miranda’s retreating figure. Earliershe hadn’t even given him a proper look. Now, she was leaving without so much as a glance. , He wanted to go after her, but Ingrid grabbed his hand. “Dear, I don’t feel too well all a sudden. I want to find somewhere to rest. Can you take me there?” she asked in a feeble voice. She gently leaned against Hansel’s arm, looking weak. , In that split second, Miranda had disappeared. , Hansel could only retract his gaze and stop in his tracks. “Let’s go then,” he said in a slightly irritated tone. , The path from the living room to the garden wasn’t very long. The route was adorned with greenery, and the greenhouse was filled with all sorts of fresh flowers. , There were also some precious species that Miranda had only seen in magazines. They required a lot of care to survive, and some even cost up to six figures. However, this garden was nearly packed with such trees. , As the scent of wood blew toward her in the breeze, she felt the heaviness in her chest ease greatly. , Just as she was about to go on a walk, a warm pair of arms wrapped around her from the back. She could feel a man’s alcohol–scented breath fan against the back of her neck. Thinking it was Hansel, she tried to escape his grip. That was when she heard him chuckle quietly. , Instantly, she was rooted to the spot. Her eyes widened in shock. , It was Sam! , His palms rested on her waist. The unfamiliar heat of his hands made goosebumps break out on her skin. Without a second thought, she immediately broke free from his grip and took a couple of steps back. , “Y–You’re drunk. I’m not one of your women.” , Sam looked at her alarmed expression and round eyes that were reminiscent of a , startied bind. , #25 BONUS , 25 , , , , , Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.