Chapter 98 Chapter 98

Chapter 98 Chapter 98
Vince laughed mockingly. "Tony, I think you really have talent. You're good at sports and literature, but now..."

Thinking he was being complimented, Tony’s face lit up. "We’re talking about you. Why are you praising me? Good at sports and literature? Am I that talented?"

"Of course," Vince retorted sarcastically. "You play basketball with your left hand and write novels with your right hand very well."

"I don't even know how to write novels."

Vince slammed his hand on the desk. "Really? You just made up the story about Serenity and me doing that at the hotel, didn't you? If you don't know how to write novels, how did you make up such a convincing story? I’ll repeat it one more time: We didn't do anything. Are you deaf?"

Tony looked confused. "Nothing at all? Are you telling the truth?"

"The 601st time: We didn't do anything."

Tony clutched his head, looking incredulous. "Impossible. This is hard to believe. You don't show any sign of being a gentle person."

"Hey," Vince shouted.

"You were in a hotel, and you didn't do it? Unbelievable. You are supposed to be the Great Demon King, didn't you have any progress? No 'entering the restricted zone'?"

Vince looked at Tony, then suddenly lowered his voice, a hint of hidden meaning flashing in his eyes. "Actually, I think we did, my relationship had some progress, and I did 'enter the restricted zone' but..."

Tony lunged forward, his eyes gleaming as if he had struck gold. "Really? Tell me about it, quickly."

Vince smirked, deliberately leaving his sentence hanging, letting Tony's dark thoughts run wild.

While the two men were busy with idle gossip about their "conquests," in another corner of the house, the truth about that "restricted zone" manifested in a much purer and more sacred way.

After the storms at the hotel and the tense confrontation with their family, Serenity could finally shed the heavy burden in her heart. She sat on the bed, her eyes glistening with a newfound happiness.

Adele looked at her friend, both happy and teasing. "You said your relationship with Vince had finally made some progress. Your mother and father already know and have accepted it."

Serenity nodded, taking her friend's hand with gratitude. "Yes, I’ve made you worry this whole time. I'm sorry, Adele."

Adele waved her hand, her usual radiant smile returning. "Hey, you don't need to be formal with me. But seeing you two so happy is truly wonderful. So from now on, you don't need to hide anymore; I’m really happy for you. Love that has to hide in the shadows is miserable; now you can just proudly hold hands in front of the whole world."

"Thank you." Serenity smiled, then she suddenly noticed a fleeting, distant sadness in Adele's eyes.

Adele’s voice sank. "Serenity, I envy you two. Tony and I... are about to break up."

Serenity widened her eyes and squeezed her friend’s hand tighter. "What, break up? But why? You two are doing so well."

Adele bowed her head. "Because of my father's job, my whole family is about to move abroad to settle down. He and I probably can't continue anymore. Geographical distance is not as scary as knowing in advance that our future will no longer share the same sky."

Seeing her friend sad, Serenity couldn't be happy either. Her lips quivered, but she couldn't find the words. She never thought that a love as passionate and vibrant as Adele and Tony’s could stand on the brink of collapse just because of a decision made by adults.

Adele kept her head down, hot tears falling down her cheeks. She loved Tony; she loved the way he clumsily comforted her whenever she was angry, and she loved the times they argued over trivial things. But she also understood that once an ocean stood between them, promises would become as fragile as mist. She would rather choose to suffer once so he could find a new happiness than force him to wait for someone who she herself didn't know when, if ever, would return.

Leaving Vince’s house, Tony and Adele walked together, their fingers intertwined lovingly. They walked slowly, very slowly, as if wanting to prolong every precious second to confirm to the whole world that they were the happiest couple.

Tony looked at the flow of people, then turned to Adele, bringing up their friends’ situation. "Serenity and Vince have received their parents' permission. That’s great, don't you think?"

Adele tried to hide the pain in her heart and nodded. "Of course, you can tell just by looking at Serenity’s smile. Their final obstacle was Vince’s grandmother's permission."

"I think Vince will persevere to the end. Once that guy sets his mind on someone, he won't let go even in death," Tony joked.

Adele suddenly stopped and asked. "Tony, what if something like that happened to us? Would you also persevere to the end?"

Tony replied immediately, without a second's hesitation. "Of course, don't you trust me?"

Adele shook her head and smiled bitterly. "No, don't react so quickly. I am asking you seriously."

Tony placed both hands on her shoulders. "I am being very serious. And you seem to have been acting very strange today."

Adele looked away, trying to hold back her tears. "Perhaps we’ve been busy helping Serenity and Mr. Blake lately. I feel like we haven't gone on a proper date in a long time."
Tony gently stroked her hair. "Since we have plenty of time together, sharing a little with our friends isn't a problem."

"Then dedicate today to me," Adele pleaded.

"Alright. And tomorrow, the day after, two days later, three days later, January, February, March, April, May..."

Adele’s laughter rang out on the crowded street, but that laughter contained a heart-wrenching sadness. She cut him off. "Alright, alright. If you keep counting, we won't finish by the New Year. I don't care about tomorrow; regardless, from this moment on, you are mine. So we should do things that a couple in love should do. And let’s do it as if we only get to do it once, so we must put our hearts into it."

Adele’s words left Tony stunned. He sensed an unusual intensity mixed with desperation in his girlfriend's words. "What do you mean by that? I don't understand."