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Lynn didn’t ask. She simply let him hold her hand, waiting in silence for Ian Sterling to say whatever was on his mind.

“Lynn, when I went back, I cornered my cousin and forced the truth out of him. To be honest, he orchestrated the whole thing.”

Ian Sterling glanced at Lynn. When she didn’t react, he continued, “Our breakup, and… that dream I had later. He was behind all of it.”

Lynn hummed in acknowledgment and only asked, “What was your dream about?”

Ian Sterling wasn’t surprised. He chuckled and began to recount it like a story. “I dreamed that after we broke up, you came to Veridia to find me and get back together. We did, and after I proposed, something happened on the day of our engagement party.”

“What happened?” Lynn stopped in her tracks and looked at him intently.

Ian Sterling gave a wry smile but decided to be honest. “You… you died because of my cousin.”

“And what about you?” Lynn asked with a light laugh, her lips curving into a smile.

“Me?” Ian Sterling scoffed playfully, a hint of pride in his voice. “Naturally, I couldn’t let you be lonely. I went with you, of course.”

Since it was just a false dream, he spoke of it without much inhibition.

Lynn burst into laughter, even doubling over. Ian Sterling stood before her, just watching, until she finally straightened up, her eyes glistening and red.

“I’ve dreamed about it before,” she said, raising a hand to wipe the corner of her eye. “Vaguely, after I saw you again. But I always forgot when I woke up. If you hadn’t said anything, I might never have remembered it at all.”

Her laughter slowly subsided, and a ripple of emotion crossed her eyes. “Ian Sterling,” she said, “I really thought it was my fault, that I was the bad guy for dumping you. Now that I know the truth, I don’t feel so guilty.”

Ian Sterling took a step closer. “So,” he asked softly, “are you willing to be with me again?”

Lynn met his gaze for a long moment before turning her head away with a soft huff. “You think it’s that easy to get me back? Dream on.”

Suddenly, a series of bangs echoed from nearby, one after another. Lynn whipped her head around.

One after another, brilliant fireworks burst across the sky. While Lynn was still in a daze, Ian Sterling wrapped his arms around her from behind.

“Do you like it?” He tilted his head and kissed the tip of her ear, whispering, “It’s not that different from when I proposed. We just don’t have our family and friends here to witness it.”

No girl could dislike a scene like this, and Lynn was no exception. She stared, mesmerized, at the fireworks.

When the fireworks ended, Ian Sterling led Lynn toward the restaurant.

The restaurant was in a rooftop garden, completely empty at the moment. The path to their table was lined on both sides with bouquets of magenta flowers.

Twinkling lights illuminated them from the sides. Lynn stopped, hesitant to walk any further.

“What exactly are you up to?”

Ian Sterling blinked. “Confessing my love, of course. What else?”

He was so direct. Lynn’s face was already red. She shot him a glare, walked around him to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down, crossing her legs. “I’m telling you, you’re not going to make me blush. It’s impossible. When have you ever seen me get embarrassed?”

Her bold posturing amused Ian Sterling. He laughed and leaned in, bracing his hands on her chair, getting closer… and closer…

Lynn guessed what he was thinking. She lifted her chin and planted a kiss on the corner of his lips.

Ian Sterling’s eyes lit up at her action. Raising a hand, he cupped the back of her head, lifted her into his arms, and deepened the kiss.

The kiss continued until Lynn’s legs went weak and she was leaning limply in his arms. Ian Sterling chuckled, finally letting her go.

He helped her back into the chair, then knelt beside her. “Are we good now?” he asked softly.

Lynn’s lips were swollen and red, her eyes equally flushed. She bit her lip but nodded anyway.

Ian Sterling broke into a wide grin, but he couldn’t stop himself from laughing until tears welled up in his eyes.

Lynn looked down at him, reaching out to wipe away his tears. “What are you crying for?” she asked softly.

“They’re happy tears. Of course I’m happy you said yes.” Ian Sterling nuzzled her palm. “So, can I tell my parents? And my brother and sisters? Oh, and Jasper Jennings and the guys? They were making fun of me just a couple of days ago, saying I’d never be able to win you back.”

Lynn laughed at his childishness but nodded anyway, giving him permission to gloat.

Ian Sterling wasn’t in a rush to do it just yet. He got up and sat across from Lynn, just as someone arrived with their wine and dinner.

Ian Sterling wasn’t hungry. He simply rested his chin on his hand and gazed at Lynn.

Lynn, on the other hand, was genuinely starving. She had rushed back to Winslow Manor at noon without getting a chance to eat, and after being thoroughly “tormented” by Ian Sterling just now, her hunger was very real.

Even with him staring, Lynn felt completely at ease. A wave of relief washed over her, an indescribable sense of comfort, and she found herself eating much more than usual.

“Eat up.”

Lynn glanced up at him and asked with a grin, “Why? Do you have something else planned for tonight?”

Ian Sterling said nothing, just gave her a meaningful smile.

‘How could she not understand? There was no way this guy would let her off that easily. Judging by the fervor with which he had ‘tormented’ her just a moment ago, it was clear Ian Sterling had no intention of letting her go so easily tonight.’

Seeing that she understood, Ian Sterling laid his arms on the table and continued to watch her quietly.

When Lynn looked about finished with her meal, he finally spoke, his voice soft. “I really, really missed you. When I woke up and found myself back here, in the present, I was so grateful I could see you again, but I was also terrified that Jared Sterling would pull some trick to make you forget me completely.”

Lynn gently set down her knife and fork. Pursing her lips into a small smile, she said, “Well, you don’t have to panic anymore.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m not panicked anymore. As long as you’re with me, I’ll never be panicked again.”

After dinner, Lynn stood and looked around, taking a deep breath that filled her senses with the fragrance of the flowers.

She wasn’t in any hurry to leave, but Ian Sterling was practically vibrating with impatience. He coaxed and wheedled, pulling Lynn downstairs with him.

He had booked a room one floor down, purely out of eagerness. He couldn’t even bear to let her go for a shower, keeping a firm grip on her as he pulled her along.

They were at it until the early hours of the morning, by which point Lynn felt like she was on the verge of expiring.

She was breathing in short, sharp gasps. She gave Ian Sterling a weak glare and said, “You really missed me, didn’t you? You were practically trying to kill me.”

Ian Sterling let out a low, muffled laugh before bending down to scoop Lynn into his arms and carry her into the bathroom.

The plan was just to have a simple shower, but Lynn’s legs were so weak she couldn’t stand firm. In her panic, she threw a hand out to steady herself against his chest, which was enough to make Ian Sterling’s eyes turn red with desire all over again.

Lynn didn’t even have time to protest.

She passed out. When she next awoke, the room was filled with bright daylight. A glance at the clock told her it was already afternoon, and Ian Sterling was sleeping peacefully beside her.

Lynn’s entire body ached. She sighed and tried to shift into a more comfortable position, accidentally waking Ian Sterling in the process.

Still half-asleep, Ian Sterling pulled her closer, murmuring, “Where are you going? Let’s sleep a little longer.”

He had gone to bed much later than Lynn. Taking advantage of the fact that it was daytime back in Veridia, he had called his parents, his siblings, and Jasper Jennings’s group one by one to thoroughly gloat about getting back together with Lynn.

By the time he finally went to sleep, the sky was already beginning to lighten.