Chapter 1469
Hazel stared at the bowl of panna cotta, her eyes shining like falling stars.
The soft vanilla bean dessert jiggled delightfully as she tapped it with her spoon.
It was drizzled with golden honey, radiating a fresh, sweet scent that wasn’t overpowering in the slightest.
She scooped a spoonful and popped it into her mouth.
She practically melted into a puddle of pure joy. “Mmm, so good! So good p>
She mumbled through the sweetness, “Julian, this panna cotta is absolute perfection p>
The cool, refreshing dessert melted on her tongue, carrying the rich taste of cream and the floral sweetness of honey. It was so soft and delicate that it completely untangled all the tension in her body.
Squinting happily, she scooped up another massive bite.
Julian sat across from her, his features calm and elegant.
The warm yellow light washed over him, making his classically handsome face appear even softer.
He didn’t rush to speak.
Instead, he poured her a glass of warm water and nudged it toward her hand. “Take
your time. No one is going to snatch it away p>
Hazel had her mouth full, giving him a half-hearted nod.
But the spoon in her hand never stopped moving.
All that guilt, the secrecy, the vow that she couldn’t be bought with food?
It was completely wiped from her memory.
Because honestly, who could say no to Julian’s homemade pasta and dessert?
No one.
Absolutely no one.
Julian watched her eat with obvious satisfaction, his smile growing richer. “When you and my sister were out there before, did you have to constantly fight for food? Were you always getting dragged out on sudden missions p>
Hazel kept her spoon clamped between her teeth and nodded. “Oh, totally p>
She spoke through a mouthful of cream. “The Gray Zone is a total mess. Midnight ops were just a normal Tuesday for us p>
She took another hefty scoop. “Plus, Serena wasn’t just running the Ghost Alliance, she was juggling a million other top-tier identities. She was way busier than me p>
“Sometimes she’d finish one mission, and the next disaster would already be waiting at the door p>
Julian’s fingers twitched.
It felt like a physical weight had just settled over his chest.
He had always known that Serena’s life away from them had been brutally hard.
But hearing Hazel mention it with such casual indifference made it feel entirely different.
His sister was supposed to have grown up surrounded by the Lancaster family’s unwavering protection.
She was supposed to be cherished by their parents, spoiled relentlessly by her brothers, allowed to be carefree and happily arrogant.
Instead, hidden entirely from their view, she had been forced to forge herself into an indestructible weapon.
Julian lowered his gaze. A faint, quiet thread of guilt wove its way into his expression. If we had found her sooner, she wouldn’t have had to suffer through all of that p>
Hazel paused and looked at him.
The man’s eyes were lowered, and
those usually smiling eyes were shadowed with deep remorse and heartache.
his voice was complete t
Hazel licked the spoon clean. She thought for a moment, then gave a soft smile. “You can’t really look at it like that p>
Julian met her gaze.
Leaning back in her chair, Hazel’s tone turned unusually sincere. “It’s just how the cards fell p>
“You don’t need to beat yourself up over it, Julian p>
“If Serena hadn’t gone through that gauntlet, she wouldn’t be the Serena we know today p>
“The hell she went through became her armor. And now that you guys found her, you’re the light guiding her back p>
“One made her unstoppable, and the other gave her a place to finally rest p>
Hazel dug into the panna cotta again.
It was just too good. Between bites, she smiled until her eyes were
crescent moons. “Honestly.ne
think
Serena is exactly where she’s meant to be right now p>
She spoke casually.
It didn’t sound like deliberate comfort.
Yet, those few simple words felt like a warm breeze, gently blowing away the heavy
gloom pressing down on Julian’s chest.