Chapter 1745
One handled the photography, while the other queued up the perfect romantic playlist.
After what felt like ages, a dazzling display of fireworks suddenly erupted in the night sky. Winona looked up, her eyes wide with delight.
“You even arranged fireworks p>
Standing next to her, Keaton couldn’t take his eyes off her radiant smile. The
corners of his lips quirked upward.
“Yeah. Do you like them p>
She nodded eagerly. “They’re stunning p>
She excitedly held up her phone to capture the vibrant bursts of color.
Keaton casually pulled out his own phone, pretending to photograph the sky, but every single shot was perfectly framed around her silhouette.
She captured the fireworks; he captured her.
The pyrotechnics illuminated the beach for over half an hour. Gently resting a hand on her stomach, Winona whispered,
“This is the baby’s very first time seeing fireworks p>
A profound sense of satisfaction washed over Keaton. The grand romantic gesture might have looked like it was for Shane and Linda, but in reality, every detail had been curated for Winona.
He was simply using their reunion as the perfect excuse to spoil her.
As the grand finale crackled in the sky, he leaned in close.
“Let’s head out. No need to keep playing third wheel for those two p>
Winona agreed softly. “Okay p>
They strolled side by side along the illuminated path lined with rose petals, making their way back toward the restaurant.
Noticing her shivering slightly in the ocean breeze, Keaton slipped off his tailored jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
Before she could protest, he cut her off.
“Your immune system is vulnerable right now. Catching a cold would be terrible for
the baby. Just wear it. Do it for the baby’s sake p>
Winona hesitated. Aren’t you going to freeze p>
He shook his head dismissively. “I’m fine. Are you hungry p>
“Does this place serve anything good besides seafood?” she asked.
“Not really,” he replied. “But I can take you somewhere else. What are you craving p>
She pondered for a moment. “I’m kind of in the mood for street food. Could we hit up the night market p>
Keaton shot the idea down instantly. “Absolutely not. The hygiene standards there are non-existent. You can’t eat that while pregnant p>
“A little junk food once in a while won’t hurt,” she muttered.
“Don’t put a target on my back,” he shot back. “If Elysia or your parents find out I
took you to a dirty food stall, they’ll skin me alive p>
She couldn’t help but laugh at his dramatic reaction.
“You’re being ridiculous. As long as I don’t overdo it, it’s fine. I’m just pregnant, not made of glass p>
But he held firm. “I’m taking you somewhere safe p>
In his eyes, she was currently more delicate and precious than a national treasure.
While she slipped away to the
restroom, Keaton fired off a flurry of intense phone calls, demanding to know which high-end establishment could perfectly replicate street food flavors.
The ingredients had to be impeccably sourced, organic, and perfectly safe for a pregnant woman.
But the taste had to be gritty and authentic!
The problem was, street food relies
heavily on intense spices and
grease things pregnant women
were supposed to avoid. None of the top tier restaurants wanted to take the risk.
Left with no options, Keaton brought the hammer down on Jinpeach Restaurant.
Tossing an astronomical sum of money on the table, he aggressively strong-armed their executive kitchen into immediately whipping up a bespoke menu.
Thankfully, the culinary team at Jinpeach was world-class, and they somehow managed to pull off the impossible.
Whether it perfectly matched the greasy authenticity of a night market stall was debatable, but Winona was absolutely thrilled with the results.
Watching her eat with such delight made Keaton’s night completely worthwhile.
By the time they left, the tip he dropped was large enough to bring the entire kitchen staff to tears of gratitude.
After dinner, Keaton wanted nothing
more than to stretch the evening
Qut, but mindful of beasily
pregnancy fatigue could set in, he drove her straight home.
Before stepping out of the SUV, she turned to him. “Thank you for today. I had a really wonderful time p>
He played it effortlessly cool. “Don’t mention it. Shane is definitely having a much better night than you p>
She laughed. “He’s probably crying tears of joy right now. Just wait, he’s going to insist on buying you a massive dinner to make up for everything p>
“I’ll hold him to it,” Keaton smirked. “And if he bails, I’m coming after you for that meal p>
“Deal! If he flakes, dinner is on me p>
“Perfect. It’s a date p>
“Mhm p>
They lingered by the gates of The Newsom Estate for another minute before she finally opened the door and stepped out.
Watching her walk away, a heavy wave of disappointment washed over him, and his charming smile began to fracture.
Suddenly, she glanced back over her shoulder and waved. “Drive safe p>
He instantly plastered the grin back onto his face, looking entirely relaxed. “Will do. Goodnight p>
He shifted into drive and slowly rolled away down the quiet street.
Keeping his eyes glued to the rearview mirror until her silhouette completely
vanished into the shadows, his mood plummeted straight off a cliff.
They had been apart for all of five seconds, and he was already missing her like crazy.