When fate plays its hand

Chapter 0782

MAYAN

Paul lowered his eyes, staring intently at the empty beer can as if it were adorned with flowers. His tone seemed casual as he asked, “Did you have fun at the Garrisons today?”

Miranda nodded and replied honestly, “Grandma prepared a table full of delicious dishes for lunch, followed by all sorts of desserts and snacks in the afternoon. After eating, we went fishing and picked mulberries from the orchard, Originally, we even planned to visit an art exhibition…”

Paul’s expression didn’t change as he probed further. “Sam was with you too?”

“Yeah.” Miranda nodded again.

Paul’s lips tightened, and at some point, his hand under the table had clenched into a fist. After a moment, his voice, which was hoarse with strain, broke the silence again. “And what do you think of… Sam?”

Miranda thought for a moment before replying, “I didn’t have a good impression of him before, but now… I think he’s actually pretty good.”

If nothing else, his attentiveness and care toward their grandparents even surpassed his own mother, Nelly.

Paul’s breath hitched. A dull ache gripped his chest, and for a moment, he felt as though he couldn’t breathe. His reddened eyes betrayed his turmoil as he prepared to ask the question he dreaded. Had she decided to accept him?

But Miranda interrupted his spiraling thoughts with an additional comment, “He’s also a pretty decent cousin.”

“C–Cousin?” Paul froze, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“Yeah, he’s my cousin! Wait. Didn’t I tell you?” Miranda’s tone was casual, but Paul was too stunned to respond.

He shook his head numbly.

“See, that’s on me. I’ve been so busy with the competition project lately, and I didn’t get a chance to share the good news…”

Miranda briefly explained how her mother, Mindy, had reconnected with the Garrison family. “So yeah, Sam turned out to be my cousin.”

Paul worked hard to process this new information, but the shock lingered. “He’s… your cousin?”

“Yes.” Miranda chuckled. “Why, is there a problem?”

Paul shook his head again. She might not have a problem, but he certainly did. He was the

+25 BONUS

Chapter 0782

one who didn’t ask her clearly.

As the truth unraveled, the calm light in his eyes suddenly burned bright, tinged with a barely hidden joy.

“Dr. Jefferson, are you happy?” Miranda asked,

your

“Of course I’m happy! Your mom found her biological parents, you reunited with grandparents, and now you’ve got a decent cousin too. Isn’t that something to celebrate?” Miranda nodded while smiling. “I guess it is something to celebrate.”

Still, she couldn’t help but notice Paul’s earlier melancholy had been replaced with sudden exuberance. The change was so abrupt it left her puzzled.

Was he this happy for her? How strange.

But she decided it wasn’t worth overthinking. What mattered was that Paul then asked her for another can of beer.

“Dr. Jefferson, what are you…” Miranda asked in confusion.

“Nothing much. I’m just happy and thought I’d have another drink.”

“But there’s no beer left in the fridge.”

“No problem. I’ll skip it then. I’ll clean up the table instead.”

With that, he collected his plate and cutlery and headed to the kitchen. Even his retreating figure seemed unusually lighthearted.

Miranda was left baffled. She just couldn’t make sense of it.

Paul then efficiently washed the dishes, tidied the kitchen, and dried his hands. Returning to the living room with a satisfied grin, he said, “‘Let’s go for a night run. What do you think?”

Miranda was in the middle of drinking water, and she nearly choked. She glanced at the clock on the wall, which clearly showed 11:40 pm, before looking back at the inexplicably energetic Paul.

“At this hour? Are you…

sure?”