Chapter 25
Zara nestled in Julian’s arms, her lips curving into a small, almost teasing smile. “We’re leaving soon, and trust me, you’re going to regret this for the rest of your life.”
Julian barely spared her words a second thought.
Looking down at his adorable woman, clinging to his arms, he chuckled softly. “We should probably get moving. If we don’t leave soon, we’ll miss our flight.”
Zara stretched out, her playful tone never faltering. “Alright, alright. Let’s go explore over there, then. Why not?”
Their flight was set for midnight, and if it got delayed any longer, they’d be flying at the crack of dawn instead.
Julian gave a light–hearted chuckle. “Come on, you’re so lazy, babe,” he teased with a grin. Meanwhile, Landon watched them from a distance, a knot of frustration tightening in his
chest.
Seeing Zara so happy with Julian stung in a way he hadn’t expected. It hit him hard just how much things had changed.
In the past, Zara had always worn a cold, almost distant expression. She had seemed aloof–so much so that he once convinced himself that she simply didn’t like him. Her face was always frozen in that impassive mask of indifference.
Cassidy, on the other hand, had always been proud and confident but in a different way. She knew how to flirt, how to turn on the charm, and how to play the game.
He had always thought Zara was just incapable of that… but he’d been wrong. It wasn’t that she couldn’t she just didn’t care.
But now, watching her beside Julian, the woman he once knew seemed to have completely transformed.
Zara was soft, affectionate, and even playful–she knew how to be sweet and spoiled in a way he never imagined.
At that moment, Landon realized that all the longing and fantasies he’d harbored about Zara were nothing more than illusions. The woman he saw now had already moved on.
Zara and Julian boarded the plane, and as the plane took off, the gentle hum of the engines made her drowsy.
“Julian quit messing around,” she murmured, her voice thick with sleepiness. “I need to rest for a bit.”
“You’re killing me, you know that?” Julian said, his voice full of playful mockery. “You wouldn’t let me sleep yesterday, and now you’re stealing my nap time too? You really are something else.”
Zara shot him a half–annoyed, half–amused look. “Oh, please! You started it. You seduced me yesterday, remember?”
Julian grinned, leaning in close and whispering in her ear, “Let’s be real, babe–if you hadn’t seduced me, I would’ve been able to sleep.”
“Zara, you’re the one who got me all worked up,” he added with a wink.
Zara rolled her eyes but didn’t respond. Instead, she closed her eyes and let herself drift off, pretending not to notice his teasing.
But Julian was relentless.
He kept whispering to her, every word filled with mischief. He brushed a kiss against her cheek, his laughter ringing through the quiet cabin.
“Zara,” he murmured, “when we land, can I steal a kiss from you?”
Zara raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk. “What, you possessed by some pervy demon or something?” she teased.
By the time they disembarked, they had arrived in Willow Town.
For anyone from the north, the southern regions of the Southern Vale were nothing short of magical.
But Willow Town? It was an obsession.
As soon as they stepped off the plane, Zara’s transformation into a full–on foodie began. After all, someone else was footing the bill. Julian’s ATM was always open. She grabbed everything that looked good, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and Julian had no choice but to pick up the tab.
Willow Town, as always, was warm and inviting.
The river that had been frozen all winter had finally melted, and tiny boats drifted gently along the water. Fresh green lotus flowers were beginning to bloom, their tender buds poking up from the surface.
The black–and–white traditional courtyards stood weathered and old, but still charming.
A drizzle from the plum rain softly misted the air, painting a picture–perfect scene across Willowbrook Lake.
Zara’s arms were stacked with snacks–chocolate cakes, cinnamon rolls, sweet potato fries, brisket sliders, cornbread, gumbo, and their famous smoked ribs.
She was in food heaven.
Julian shook his head, half–amused, half–exasperated. “Come on, let’s head back home. You’ve bought half the town.”
He sighed, watching as she continued to chow down. “How many stomachs do you have? How are you going to eat all this?”
He wasn’t disgusted by her love of food. Far from it, actually.
But eating this much, especially this late at night wasn’t great for her gut.
Zara grinned and gave him a teasing look, clearly enjoying the game. “If you want me to stop, you can carry me back because I’m not moving.”
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Julian grinned back, shaking his head with a soft “mm.”
Without hesitation, he scooped her up onto his back, carrying her effortlessly as if it were
nothing.
As the evening settled in and the sky began to darken, the two of them made their way back. The warm glow of dusk stretched long shadows across the ground as they strolled along, the sunset casting golden light across the mountains in the distance.
Finally, they found themselves on a small boat, floating lazily on the waters of Willow
Town.
Julian, with his eyes fixed on the horizon, smiled contentedly, his pride evident as he looked at Zara.
“Baby,” Zara said with a playful grin, “take a picture of me. I want to remember this
moment.”
