Chapter 62 The Irreplaceable Her
After all her shopping, Caroline ended up with thirteen pieces of silver jewelry—souvenirs for herself plus the gifts she'd picked for Erica. Flynn had given her a hefty discount; Leopold knew these pieces would cost much more at regular retail prices, which was why he transferred the full market value despite Flynn's generosity.
When Flynn tried to return the extra money, Leopold firmly declined.
Knowing these were gifts, Flynn had wrapped each piece in elegant packaging. Before they left, Leopold had subtly hinted to Flynn to wrap an extra bracelet just for him.
The walk back painted an entirely different picture than their journey there. The setting sun cast a gentle glow across everything, its warmth impossibly tender. They held hands the entire way, their shadows stretching long and slender behind them.
"When are you heading back?" Leopold asked.
"Tomorrow. I need to be at work by January seventh," Caroline replied. "What about you?"
"I'm leaving tomorrow too."
"Back to Seaside City?"
They hadn't even parted yet, but he already felt the ache of missing her.
He squeezed her hand and shook his head slightly. "Not yet. I need to visit several hotels for inspections."
A sudden hollowness settled in Caroline's chest as she responded with a soft "Oh."
When they reached the heart-shaped tree again, they both stared at it before speaking in perfect unison, "Let's take a picture."
"We should get a photo together."
They laughed at their synchronized thoughts.
Caroline pulled out her camera and asked a woman passing by to take their picture. Just as the shutter clicked, Leopold wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and Caroline naturally leaned her head toward him.
That moment of happiness, perfectly captured.
"Thank you," Caroline said as she took the camera back.
"No problem," the woman replied with a smile.
Looking at the photo, Caroline beamed. "It turned out really well."
Leopold gazed at her, his eyes filled with adoration. "Beautiful people make beautiful photos."
Catching his intense gaze, a flush crept up Caroline's cheeks. She pretended to fiddle with her camera to hide her reaction, but Leopold caught her wrist and fastened a silver bracelet around it. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"When did you get this?"
Leopold secured the clasp, then interlaced their fingers as they continued walking. "I had my eye on it while you were picking out your friend's gifts."
Caroline examined the bracelet repeatedly. The craftsmanship was exquisite—intricate yet not overly ornate. The design was unique yet simple, perfectly matching Caroline's style. She loved it.
"Thank you."
"So 'thank you' means you like it?" Leopold asked.
Her cheeks grew warmer as she nodded. "I love it."
Leopold squeezed her hand. "I'm glad."
For Leopold, beautiful things and people were rare treasures in this world. But today, he'd witnessed the gentle breeze, a romantic sunset, and her—utterly irreplaceable.
Wasn't this what made life worth living? These moments that tugged at our heartstrings.
If someday the universe reclaimed everything he possessed, he hoped it would at least leave her by his side.
Caroline spotted the hidden sadness behind Leopold's calm expression. She didn't know what troubled him so deeply that he couldn't share, but she hoped the day would come soon when they could be completely honest with each other.
Leopold drove them back to the hotel, stopping at a coconut grove to buy two fresh coconuts.
Caroline hugged the massive coconut to her chest, sipping through a straw. The juice was refreshing. She held it up toward Leopold.
"It has this subtle coconut flavor. Try some."
With only one straw, drinking would be like an indirect kiss.
Leopold looked down at the coconut thoughtfully, then back into her eyes. "Really?"
She cradled the coconut in both hands. "Just taste it and see."
Leopold tilted her chin upward and ran his tongue lightly across her lips, just for an instant. In that moment, he tasted the sweetest thing this world had to offer.
The sunset painted the sea and sky a fiery orange, as intense as the atmosphere between them.
"Caroline," he said.
Her heart raced wildly as Leopold gazed at her with such soul-stirring intensity that her hands trembled around the coconut. She sensed his next words would be pure poetry, so powerful she could almost hear his heartbeat.
"I'm serious about you. I want to walk a very long path with you."
Caroline understood his meaning, but she knew that how far two people could go together depended on more than just passion. It required testing human nature and mutual adjustment.
When it came to human nature, everyone had their breaking point. The future remained uncertain; they needed to take it one step at a time, only knowing how far they could go by actually walking the path.
"You're still on probation, remember?" Caroline reminded him.
Leopold smiled and nodded. "Fair enough. I'll keep working to impress you, Ms. Tudor."
This time, Caroline took the initiative, rising on her tiptoes to place a light kiss on his lips. "Keep up the good work, Mr. Wipere."
Somehow, these formal titles felt even more playful than using first names.
Erica had once asked what kind of man Caroline liked. Caroline never had a specific type—for her, attraction wasn't about categories but feelings.
If Erica asked again, her answer would remain the same, except now Leopold's image would be part of that feeling.
The car pulled up at the hotel entrance. Through the glass doors, the lobby manager watched Leopold exit the vehicle, set his backpack aside, say something to the woman in the passenger seat, then drive away.
"Is that the guest in the presidential suite?" The manager asked the receptionist.
One glance was all it took for confirmation. "That's her."
The lobby manager nodded with sudden understanding. "No wonder Mr. Wipere dropped her off. Strange though—he never mentioned bringing a girlfriend."
"Ms. Tudor arrived with another guest, Ms. Morris," the receptionist clarified. "She didn't check in with Mr. Wipere."
The lobby manager frowned and shook his head. "Curious."
Caroline followed Leopold to his office. "Have a seat while I check when they'll be back."
With their departure scheduled for tomorrow, Leopold had arranged for them all to have dinner together tonight.
As soon as the call connected, he could hear howling wind in the background. "Not finished yet?" Leopold asked.
Maddox, standing on the hillside, was packing up his paragliding gear. "Just wrapped up. Getting our stuff together now."
"They're heading back to Seaside City tomorrow. Let's have dinner tonight."
"Perfect. I'll hurry. We can make it back in an hour."
"I'll make reservations and text you the details."
"Got it."
After hanging up, Leopold turned to Caroline. "They'll be back in about an hour."
Caroline picked up her bag. "I'll take my things to my room and change clothes. I'll come find you afterward."
Leopold embraced her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "What do you want for dinner?"
Still adjusting to the local food, she didn't have much appetite. "Whatever you choose is fine."
"Your 'whatever' gives me a headache," he teased.
As he turned his head, her slender neck caught his attention. His warm breath tickled the curve where her neck met her shoulder, making Caroline shiver involuntarily.
"Behave yourself," she murmured, slipping from his embrace as he released her.
It was nearly seven when Maddox and Erica arrived at the hotel. Seeing them enter the restaurant, Leopold signaled the server that they could start bringing out the food.
Caroline sat beside Leopold, with Maddox and Erica taking their seats across from them. From the moment they sat down, the conversation centered around the paragliding adventure from earlier that day. Watching them chat so animatedly, Caroline couldn't help but feel they all seemed like old friends who had known each other forever.