CHAPTER 29 Smithereens

The night descended upon them like a velvet curtain, the sky ablaze with a thousand stars twinkling like diamonds scattered across a dark canvas. She sat alone with Alexander on the old wooden bench overlooking the tranquil lake, the gentle breeze carrying the scent of jasmine and pine. As he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him, she felt a warmth spread through her chest, a sense of belonging she had never known before. "I've never seen anything so beautiful," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath in the stillness of the night. Alexander turned to her, his eyes alight with a soft glow in the moonlight. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he said, his voice low and tender. She felt her cheeks flush with warmth as she met his gaze, the intensity of his stare sending shivers down her spine. "Do you mean that?" she asked, her heart fluttering in her chest. "Of course I do," he replied, his hand reaching up to gently brush a lock of hair away