Chapter 7

Although they had escaped from the haunted house, Georgina remained shaken. She continuously patted her chest as her mind uncontrollably replayed the terrifying scenes from earlier. When she recalled the kiss, her face flushed with embarrassment. She shot Julian an annoyed glance. "Julian, you were too impulsive. Even if you were worried about me, you shouldn't have done that in front of your girlfriend. She's going to overthink it." Having left in a hurry, Julian wasn't sure how Saoirse had reacted to what she saw. He chose not to respond to Georgina's comment. Glancing at the closed door, Georgina continued to murmur, "That task was so tough. How is Saoirse supposed to complete it alone? She wouldn't just grab someone and kiss them, would she?" Julian shook his head. "She wouldn't." Surprised by his certainty, Georgina looked at him curiously. "How are you so sure?" "She likes me a lot. She wouldn't have eyes for anyone else." Saoirse happened to reach the door when she heard this. A bitter smile appeared on her lips. So, Julian knew everything. He knew how hopelessly she liked him. Was that why he could so recklessly hurt her? She straightened her hair, which was damp with cold sweat, and pushed open the door. Seeing her come out, Georgina quickly stepped forward, grabbing her hand with a concerned expression. "Saoirse, how did you get out?" Saoirse took a few steps to the side, distancing herself from Georgina, and replied coolly, "It's simple. Just forfeit, and the scare actors will let you out." Georgina's eyes widened in surprise at those nonchalant words. She turned to Julian. "We could forfeit the game? Then why did we—" Julian interrupted her before she could finish. "I was too worried about you. I'm sorry." Georgina's blush hadn't faded as she glanced at Saoirse. She tentatively commented, "I'm fine with it as long as you don't mind, Saoirse. Julian and I used to play house and kiss each other a lot when we were kids. We only play around; it's nothing serious." Seeing the two of them echoing each other, Saoirse silently walked toward the exit. After the scare, both of them were exhausted. Georgina automatically said goodbye and headed home alone. Once her car was out of sight, Julian finally turned his attention to Saoirse. "You must be tired. Let's go out for dinner. How about Western food?" Noting his unusual initiative today, Saoirse guessed he might be feeling guilty about the kiss and was trying to make it up to her. By now, she didn't care much about these unimportant matters. She agreed, pretending nothing had happened. They went to the nearby Flencan restaurant, where Julian had specifically booked a private room on the second floor. Even with the beautiful night view outside the window and the romantic candlelit dinner in front of her, Saoirse showed little emotion as she stared blankly at the yellow roses in the vase. Julian was about to find a topic to discuss when a WhatsApp message popped up. After quickly reading the message, he stood up almost instantly. "I have something to take care of. Saoirse, would you mind eating alone?" Saoirse glanced at him but didn't inquire about the situation. She gave a small nod. Seeing this, Julian hurriedly grabbed his coat and rushed downstairs. The waiter soon brought the dishes to the table. Saoirse didn't say anything when the waiter glanced around in surprise. She only picked up her knife and fork and started enjoying her meal. It was exactly 7:00 pm by the time she finished. After booking a ride online, she aimlessly scrolled through her social media feed. As she refreshed the page with a gentle swipe of her finger, Georgina's latest post came into view. The photo showed Georgina in the hospital, with her lower leg wrapped in layers of bandages. There was a trance of blood. "Bummer! How did I end up in a multi-vehicle collision while out having fun? I just got back to the country, and now I'm in the hospital!"