Chapter 216 Chapter 216
“That’s not necessary,” she countered coolly, glaring at him through her sunglasses. “Please leave me alone.”
He raised his eyebrows at her cold answer, getting the wrong idea. “Wow, you’re playing hard to get?”
“No. I’m just not interested.”
“Why not? We could spend the rest of the day together. It would be fun, I promise,” he said flirtily.
She rolled her eyes and showed him the pretty ring she wore on her finger. “See this? I’m married. And now you should leave.”
“As if. You’re not married,” he immediately said. “You’re way too young for that.”
“Who are you to judge?” she groaned. “That’s it, I’m leaving.”
She walked past him, but he still didn’t get the message, catching her wrist. Halting, she turned her head to him, already opening her mouth to yell at him, but that wasn’t necessary anymore.
“Are you asking for trouble, human?” Maxwell snapped from behind her. “Should I teach you a lesson?”
She wasn’t surprised he appeared since he must have felt her growing irritation and figured that something was wrong. It wasn’t unusual for him to get worked up over the situation, either. He couldn’t stand it when someone tried to flirt with her. The guy looked taken aback at his sudden appearance and immediately took a step back, and another when Maxwell’s eyes gleamed red.
“The fuck is wrong with your eyes?” he muttered. Fortunately, he seemed to have lost his confidence and changed his mind. He moved past them, walking so quickly it was obvious he was scared.
“Who does he think he is?” Maxwell grumbled. “He can’t just flirt with you. I didn’t pay attention for five minutes and see what happened. Humans are shameless.”
“I’m surprised you noticed.”
“Of course I noticed,” he said with narrowed eyes. “I notice everything about you. And it was obvious you wouldn’t get so angry over nothing.”
“He was annoying. I don’t even know why he talked to me,” she shrugged, glad to be rid of him without having to make use of her magic.
He shot her a long look, heaving a sigh. “You can’t be that dense, sugar. You’re very pretty, so it’s to be expected.”
“Thanks,” she smiled.
“I knew you’d love hearing that,” he chuckled and took her hand, interlacing their fingers. “Let’s get some ice cream, I’ve been waiting for that.”
“Still a demon with a sweet tooth,” she teased. “Some things never change, Maxwell.”
“Do not even think about it!” he complained, but she decided to overhear it.
“But Maxwell. You’re so cute,” she giggled, shooting him sly glances as he began to sulk.
“No, I’m not. Damn it, Valerie, stop making fun of me for no reason.”
“Why should I?” she countered, leaning closer to him to study his expression. “Wait, are you pouting?”
“I am not.”
“Sure,” she grinned victoriously. “I want to pinch your cheeks when you do that.”
He pierced her with a death glare, and she erupted in laughter, doubling over and holding her stomach. “Ah, you’re hilarious.”
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Hours later, after dinner at the hotel’s restaurant had passed and the sun had set, Valerie impatiently sat on the bed in their shared hotel room. She gazed at the night sky through the window, wondering why Maxwell left her waiting for so long. He had disappeared somewhere right after dinner, telling her he would be back soon, but…
“Where is he?” she sighed. “I thought we wanted to spend the night together.”
Just when she had ended that sentence, her phone lit up, showing a new message. He had sent it, and he told her he was waiting at the beach, at the same place where they had spent the afternoon. What he wanted there was a mystery to her.
“Does he seriously want to go swimming at night?” she said, but discarded the thought. He would have told her to bring her bikini if that was the case. So he probably planned something else, and she was hellbent on finding out what it was. Grabbing her purse and a light jacket, she slipped on her sneakers and left the hotel room in a hurry.
She took the elevator to the lobby, leaving the building behind as she made her way to the beach. The path she took was deserted and so dark she could hardly see where she was going. It was a bit scary, too, so she used her magic to create a small light that hovered over the path and showed her where she needed to go.
Soon, she heard the beautiful sounds of the waves, and when she had reached the beach, she searchingly looked around, hoping to spot him. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found. She saw some empty beach chairs and a forgotten volleyball nearby, but that was all.
Just when she was about to send him another text, something unexpected happened. Right in front of her, a glimmering light appeared. It caught her attention as she recognized the familiar magic that had created it. Another tiny light appeared behind it, and another and another. They hovered in midair and seemed to lead her in a certain direction.
“So you’re playing games again, huh?” she grinned. “Interesting.”
Valerie followed the trail of lights. They appeared like fireflies, just a bit bigger and easier to spot. The way they lit up the night was breathtaking. Like small stars, they flickered softly and exuded a pleasant warmth. She touched one with the tip of her finger and watched in awe when it shot off like a firework, exploding in a hail of sparkles.
The tiny lights led her over the beach and to the rocky cliffs that rose in front of her. Still, she could not see Maxwell anywhere, but he had to be close. Smiling excitedly, she walked over the stony ground and further up the cliff.
The lights brightened, showing her the way, and then she finally laid eyes on him. He stood near the edge of the cliff and watched the reflection of the moon in the water down below. When she got closer, he turned around.