Chapter 168
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The vibrant colors of the world disappeared as Ashton’s hands gently covered my eyes, leaving me in utter darkness. Yet, I wasn’t afraid.
He was right there, his warmth more comforting than any light could ever be.
“Make a wish,” Ashton’s deep voice whispered near my ear, rich and resonant like the notes of a cello. “From now on, with me by your side, your wishes will come true.”
The soft music in the observation cabin wrapped around us, and my heart gradually began to relax, letting go of its tension.
He wanted me to make a wish, but I hesitated, unsure of what to wish for.
Since my parents passed away, I hadn’t really thought about wishes. Back when I was with Logan, my only wish had been for us to last forever. But that was a silent, unspoken wish, one I never voiced aloud.
And now? What did I want?
I thought of my parents and their deaths. Slowly, I murmured, “I hope to find out the truth behind my parents‘ accident.”
“I’ll help with that,” Ashton said immediately, his voice steady and reassuring.
I couldn’t help but smile as I gently pulled his hands away from my eyes. “Then why bother making a wish when I could just tell you directly?”
“You wasted a perfectly good opportunity,” Ashton teased, tapping me lightly on the head.
I smirked. “I stopped believing in this kind of thing a long time ago.”
Turning toward the dazzling lights outside, I added softly, “Since my parents died, I’ve stopped believing in divine protection.”
Ashton’s hand returned to my head, but this time, instead of a tap, he rubbed it gently. “From now on, believe in me.”
I knew what he meant–he wanted to be my guardian, the one to protect me.
But he didn’t know that I had long since learned to rely only on myself for protection.
Outside, the lights brightened again, illuminating the night sky like a canvas painted with vibrant colors. The lights in the amusement park were constantly changing, never repeating the same pattern twice.
It was mesmerizing.
The investment in the park’s lighting project had accounted for nearly one–third of the total budget, and it was worth every penny.
“This design, the Heart of the Ocean, is one of my favorites,” I said, openly expressing my delight. “There’s an even better one coming up,” Ashton replied with his usual quiet confidence.
As if on cue, the lights shifted into an even more dazzling display. I was completely captivated, so
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absorbed in the beauty that I didn’t even notice Ashton’s arms wrapping around me from behind.
I had forgotten about Logan in the opposing observation cabin entirely,
It wasn’t until I turned around, brimming with excitement to share my joy with Ashton, that I noticed
Logan.
He was standing in the cabin across from us, watching.
Although I couldn’t make out his expression clearly through the glass, there was something eerily calm about the way he looked at me.
That calmness sent a chill down my spine.
In that moment, my nerves went rigid.
Even though I had moved on from Logan, he had been a part of my life for ten years. I couldn’t just erase that, no matter how much I wanted to. Seeing him like this made me feel as though I had deeply hurt him.
Ashton seemed to notice my unease. Without a word, he held me tighter, pulling me firmly into his chest. Then, in a low voice, he whispered, “There’s a special light display just for you.”
“Huh?” I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts.
Ashton pulled out his phone and tapped a few buttons.
Suddenly, all the lights in the amusement park went out.
The vibrant, colorful park was plunged into darkness. Unlike when Ashton had covered my eyes earlier, this darkness felt vast and endless, like falling into an abyss.
Instinctively, I reached out and grabbed onto Ashton.
Before I could say anything, the darkness was replaced by light once again.
But this time, the lights were different. The entire park was bathed in a deep sea blue. The colors shifted and swirled like rolling ocean waves, creating the illusion that we were floating in an underwater world.
I stared in awe.
This dynamic, three–dimensional effect hadn’t been part of the original concept designs I had seen.
“Is this a new addition? Did it go through…” I began to ask, but my words trailed off as the lights changed again.
Within the sea of blue, a four–dimensional silhouette began to form.
The lights grew denser and brighter, and slowly, the shape took on more detail.
It was a young girl.
Her hair was styled in a neat bun, and she wore a flowing princess dress.
The sight took my breath away.
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