Chapter 141: Chapter 141: The Surprise by the Shore
~ Zayn’s POV ~
I lifted my head, still shaken, my heart beating unevenly. "What surprise?" I asked, my voice barely steady.
Nuala leaned close, her breath brushing my ear as she whispered, "Just wait for it."
Then she straightened, her smile wide as she turned to face everyone at the table. "Hi, everyone! My name is Nuala, and I’m here to surprise this handsome birthday man sitting right here."
A ripple of murmurs swept across the table. I could hear people whispering... "Who is she?" "Is that Zayn’s girlfriend?" The gossip spread quickly, but Nuala carried on confidently.
"Surprise number one," she announced, "is twenty-six boxes filled with gifts."
Nuala lifted her voice so everyone could hear. "These twenty-six boxes aren’t just ordinary gifts. Each one represents a year of Zayn’s life, from his very first birthday to the one he’s celebrating today. Inside every box is something chosen carefully, something meant to honor each stage of his journey. Twenty-six years, twenty-six gifts."
Gasps and soft murmurs rippled through the crowd as heads turned toward the stack of boxes being carried in.
I turned to her, confused. "Nuala, what’s going on?"
She leaned down again, whispering just for me. "I know you and Evric aren’t in good terms right now. But this whole arrangement was already planned. He asked me to deliver it no matter what. So please, just relax and let me finish. Maybe after this, you’ll know how to talk to him."
I swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay..."
She straightened again, her voice carrying. "Now, I know some of you might be wondering who I am. I’m Nuala, like I said earlier. Zayn’s partner’s sibling. I was sent here today to make sure everything goes as planned and to deliver every surprise prepared for him."
The chatter grew louder. My chest pulled taut as I checked the sky, the sun was already sinking, the sunset spreading warm colors across the resort.
Nuala raised her voice just enough for everyone to hear. Her smile was dazzling, her confidence pulling every eye toward her.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she began, "thank you for being here this evening to celebrate someone so special to all of us." She glanced at me before continuing, "Earlier, you all saw the twenty-six boxes, one for each year of Zayn’s life. But those were only the beginning. The true surprise has been prepared outside, near the water."
She paused, letting the words hang in the air like a secret waiting to be revealed. Then she added warmly, "So, I would like to ask you all, in honor of our birthday man, to rise and join me as we take this walk together. This evening is not just about gifts, it’s about memories."
The guests pushed back their chairs, murmuring with excitement as they stood. Laughter and whispers filled the air, speculation bouncing from one person to the next.
I was still hesitant, but before I could think too much, a waiter stepped forward and handed me a small envelope, sealed with gold. My name was written across it in Evric’s handwriting.
The crowd grew silent for a beat as I held it, my fingers trembling. Carefully, I broke the seal and opened it. Inside was a simple card with neat, deliberate words:
"This is only the first step, Zayn. Keep walking, and you’ll find me in every surprise."
My chest shrank, emotions threatening to spill over. I didn’t know if I should cry, laugh, or both.
Meanwhile, Nuala’s voice rang out again, cheerful but commanding. "Now, everyone, let’s take our birthday man to the beach."
The group began to move, the last colors of the sunset painting the sky in shades of gold and rose.
Along the resort’s path, paper lanterns stood unlit, waiting for nightfall, while strings of fairy lights above caught the fading sunlight, glimmering faintly like threads of fire. Each step toward the shoreline carried a sense of anticipation, the evening wrapping itself around us like a promise.
But me? I stayed frozen for a moment. Reluctance tugged at me. What’s the point? The man who had gone through all this trouble for me... refused to even speak to me today. My heart twisted painfully.
Still, I walk slowly. Even if he’s angry, even if he won’t talk to me... I need to see this. I need to see how much he planned for me, before everything went wrong.
Dean leaned closer as we walked, his voice low so only I could hear. "He’s so thoughtful, Zayn. At least he planned all this for you ahead of time. That says a lot about how much he cares."
I scoffed under my breath. Care, my foot. If he truly cared, no matter what had happened, he could have let today slide. Just for me. Just for this one day.
Dean sighed, watching me. "I’ll tell you this," he said carefully. "If after all of this, you try to talk to him and he still doesn’t respond... then book a ticket tonight. Fly out tomorrow and go see him. I know him, if he sees you standing right in front of him, he won’t be able to stay mad at you anymore."
I turned to Dean, my voice steady but my chest taut. "Dean, after tonight, if I try to talk to Evric and he still won’t answer me, I won’t book any ticket. I won’t even push anymore.
I’ll just pack my things and go back home. Because think about it, if I fly to him now to settle things, then every time he’s away and we have a misunderstanding, I’ll have to be flying to him again just to fix it. So is that how it’s supposed to be? Every argument, I keep chasing after him? That’s nonsense. I don’t settle for that."
Dean’s brows furrowed. "So what are you saying?"
I let out a slow breath. "If he won’t talk to me tonight, I won’t press him anymore. I’ll wait until he decides he wants to talk. If he never does, then so be it. I can’t force him to love me."
Dean gave a short laugh and shook his head. "You’re only saying that out of frustration. I know you... you won’t just leave him. You’ll give in eventually, because you love him."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "The fact that you know I love him doesn’t mean I should go flying after him. Don’t expect me to beg where I’m not wanted."
Dean studied me for a moment, then smiled faintly, then added, "All I’ll advise you now is this, find a way to settle things. Don’t even let separation cross your mind. Your relationship is still new for that."
I nodded slowly, my chest heavy. "Thank you, Dean. I appreciate it. And you’re right, I don’t want to separate from him. Not at all. But what hurts me most is that he’s not giving me the chance to apologize. I don’t care if I’m wrong or right, I just want to say sorry and bring him back close to me."
Dean patted my shoulder. "It’s okay... I know the two of you will work it out."
We walked on in silence for a moment, until suddenly Dean stopped in his tracks. His eyes went wide. "Oh my God... Zayn, stop. Look at this."
I turned, confused, still half-staring at him, then I looked forward.
And my breath caught.
It wasn’t just a surprise. It was the surprise. A sight so stunning that not only I, but every single person standing there, froze with their mouths open, unable to close them.