When fate plays its hand
hand 465

Chapter 0465

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Miranda pushed the door open and stepped out. She called out to the man tentatively, “Jack?”

He turned, and a second later, his eyes lit up with surprise. “Mimi?”

It really was Jack! He was Leonard and Rena’s only son.

Jack didn’t have an umbrella, so his T–shirt was half–soaked, with water dripping from the ends of his hair. Miranda quickly took out a tissue and handed it to him. “Here, dry yourself off. Although it’s still summer, getting your hair wet can make you catch a cold.”

“Thank you.” Jack accepted the tissue. As he wiped his hair, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “You’re still as thoughtful and considerate as you were when you were little.”

The bookstore was connected to a neighboring mall. Since they ran into each other and it was raining outside, it only made sense for the two of them to grab a meal together.

Miranda called Mindy to let her know that she wouldn’t be coming home for lunch. Mindy only asked a few questions and hung up without saying much.

The soothing rhythm of soft music at the restaurant made the gloomy, rainy day feel more lively. Their seats were by the window. The large glass panes blocked out the sound of rain, leaving only a picturesque view of the downpour.

Miranda chose a few signature dishes based on the waiter’s recommendation. She turned to look out the window while waiting for the food to arrive. There were few pedestrians and cars passed by intermittently.

When she turned her head back, her gaze met with Jack’s unexpectedly. Miranda froze for a moment and then smiled shyly. She and Jack were quite close when they were younger. There was only a three–year age gap between them, so they got along easily.

During middle and high school, they kept in touch frequently. Miranda vividly remembered that Jack would always bring her delicious food whenever he visited her at Earnest High. Sometimes it was fruit bread, sometimes it was cookies, and occasionally he brought her snacks..

Those were some of the happiest moments in her monotonous study life.

However, Miranda got busy with her studies and relationship in college, while Jack became preoccupied with his work and internships. They gradually stopped calling as often,

After graduating, Miranda’s focus was entirely on supporting Hansel. She helped him through the early struggles of his business and took care of his daily necessities.

Meanwhile, Jack left his job and decided to start a business with some friends. He was so busy that he barely had time to rest.

Slowly, they drifted apart.

Occasionally, Miranda would think about calling to catch up, but she hesitated as it felt awkward to reach out after being silent for so long. Both of them had the same thoughts. As time went on, they stopped contacting each other.

Friendships were like that sometimes. People drift apart without realizing it. Fortunately, in their case, they were connected by blood. Seeing Jack again, Miranda didn’t feel any distance between them,

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Chapter 0465

“Mimi, you haven’t changed a bit,” Jack said. She was still the same girl he remembered. Introverted, beautiful, and with eyes that constantly sparkled.

“Really?” Miranda was genuinely happy about it. Those six years had left her exhausted. Looking back now, she sometimes felt as if she had been possessed during that time.

She had gone through the darkest period in her life and thought she was ruined for good. Thankfully, she eventually broke free. However, despite bouncing back after experiencing so much in life, she could never be the person she once was.

Yet, Jack was telling her that she hadn’t changed at all! That made Miranda truly happy.

“Jack, you’ve changed,” she said.

Jack raised his hand and rubbed his chin. “I’ve gotten older, haven’t I?”

“No, you’ve grown tallas

In her memory, Jack was only five foot half. But now, he seemed to be at least six feet. His pearly whites shone brightly when he smiled, contrasted against his tanned, healthy skin tone.

Despite all the struggles he had been through, Jack still maintained the same boyish charm from his youth