Chapter 31

A staff member's voice announced from the entrance, "The route malfunction has been fixed. Please stop pushing and proceed to the exit in an orderly manner." With someone managing the crowd, the chaos quickly subsided.

Miranda left without another glance at Hansel. Hansel freed his arm and followed her. Ingrid gritted her teeth. "Hans, wait for me!"

Winter, who had already left, waited by the ticket gates. A malfunction in one of the routes had nearly caused a fire. Worried that Miranda hadn't emerged, she'd wanted to go back inside, but someone stopped her. Fortunately, Miranda emerged unharmed less than half an hour later.

Winter rushed over. "Are you hurt? I was so scared when I heard the fire alarm!"

"I'm right here, perfectly fine. Let's go," Miranda replied. She was exhausted after the day's outing.

Winter nodded. "Okay, let's—wait, isn't that Hansel?" Before she finished speaking, she saw Hansel exit, followed by Ingrid.

"How did we run into that unlucky guy?" she muttered.

Miranda glanced over, then quickly looked away. "Don't be mad. It was a coincidence. Let's go."

On the way back, Winter grew angrier. She pulled over and detoured.

Miranda was surprised. "I thought we were going home."

"We're not going home yet. He's just one man. There are plenty of fish in the sea. Come on, let me show you the world!"

Miranda was speechless.

By 8:00 p.m., the nightlife was in full swing. Miranda, feeling like a puppet, was pulled into a noisy bar by Winter.

The pungent smell of cigarettes mingled with perfume. Strobe lights flashed green and red, and the bar was crowded. In her casual clothes, she stood out. On stage, a female singer performed a sentimental song.

Winter dragged Miranda to a private room upstairs and ordered a bottle of whiskey. Miranda found the whiskey too strong, so she requested a cocktail with a lower alcohol content. Nevertheless, her face flushed after a single sip.

She rubbed her heated cheeks. "Winter, I'm going to the bathroom."

Winter waved. "Okay, hurry back!"

Leaving the bathroom, Miranda ran into Sam. Of Hansel's friends, she was closest to Calvin; she didn't know Sam well. She greeted him politely. "What a coincidence."

Sam had only intended to have a few drinks with his friends. He hadn't expected this unexpected encounter.

"Are you here alone?" he asked, recognizing her.

"No, I'm with a friend."

"Hans?"

Miranda's smile faltered. "No. Have fun. I should go."

"Mimi," Sam called out.

The nickname made Miranda uncomfortable, but she forced a smile. "What is it?"

"Did you and Hans really break up this time?"

"Is there such a thing as a fake breakup?" Miranda retorted.

Sam's gaze darkened. After a pause, he nodded. "Okay, I understand."

As Miranda turned to leave, he took a photo of her back and sent it to their shared WhatsApp group.

"Check out who I ran into," he typed.

Calvin: "Damn, is that Miranda? Is this real?"

Zach: "Is that a bar?"

Calvin: "Seriously? It's the one we always go to."

Sam: "Hans, you're not saying anything?"

(End of Chapter)