Just a few steps away from the temple, Mikayla suddenly darted away from Cayden like a startled bird.
Cayden looked at her, puzzled, just as a familiar voice called out, "Mikayla!"
Annie bounced over to Mikayla, "What a coincidence! You're here too." In the next second, her joyful expression turned into one of horror, "Mr ……Mr. Novak?"
It was like a dramatic face change. Mikayla quickly recovered, "Ah… yes, what a coincidence, so surprising, haha…" She forced a couple of awkward laughs, wishing she could disappear into thin air.
Cayden coughed into his fist, "Yes, quite a coincidence."
"Did you come together?"
"Of course not! I just ran into Mr. Novak at the wishing tree." Mikayla silently prayed that Annie wouldn't notice anything suspicious.
"I… I haven't been sleeping well lately, so I came to get a blessing," Mikayla quickly made up a reason, pulling Annie a little further away. "Did you come alone?"
Annie's face turned red, and she stuttered, just as Zion came running over with a candle.
"Mr. Novak?! Miss… Miss. Mclean." Zion was equally shocked to see them.
"Oh~ are you two together?" Mikayla whispered teasingly in Mikayla's ear.
"Shh! Don't say anything at the office!" Annie urgently pleaded for her secrecy.
Mikayla assured her with a miming gesture of locking her lips, "Don't worry, my lips are sealed."
"You two enjoy your date. I have something to do, so I'll leave now." Mikayla waved goodbye to them and quickly left the Carthedral.
Annie and Zion turned to Cayden. He calmly said, "My family is waiting for me in the back courtyard. Enjoy yourselves."
After sending off the big boss, Annie let out a sigh of relief, "I didn't expect Mr. Novak to be so family-oriented. I wonder what his wife looks like."
Zion silently thought: You see her every day at the office. He took Annie's hand and led her towards the Cathedral, "Let's go make a wish."
Soon after, Cayden received a message from Mikayla: "I'm heading down the mountain. I will wait for You,Mom and Dad down there."
Cayden chuckled and replied, "Okay, be safe."
Mikayla huffed and puffed her way down the mountain and bought an ice pop from a nearby convenience store. Sitting under a tree, she enjoyed a brief moment of rest. The midday sun was scorching, and she fanned herself with her hand, growing impatient.
When Cayden finally descended, he hurried towards her. Mikayla felt a tap on the back of her head and turned around to see him.
She still had the ice pop in her mouth and mumbled, "You're here."
"These ice pops are really good! Pineapple flavor! Want one?" "We're about to have lunch." He pulled Mikayla to her feet.
"Mikayla." Daisy and Kenyon were walking slowly behind them, accompanied by a beautiful woman.
As Mikayla approached, she saw that the woman was tall, graceful, with a face like a lotus blossom and eyebrows like willow leaves. Her captivating eyes were framed by silky black hair, making her stunningly beautiful.
"Oh my god! That is gorgeous!" Mikayla was mesmerized, finding her even more beautiful than many celebrities she had seen on the TV.
Mikayla, with her simple high ponytail, looked youthful but somewhat overshadowed by this beauty. Realizing her lipstick had probably worn off from the ice pop, she started regretting not asking the beauty for a photo.
"Hello, sister-in-law." The sweet voice reached her ears.
"Mikayla, come meet Cayden's cousin."
Before Mikayla could recover from her excitement, the beauty hugged her. "Haha, sister-in-law, you're so cute!"
"Hello…" Mikayla awkwardly returned the hug, noticing the faint, pleasant scent of the woman's perfume.
"I'm Elliana. You can call me Elli."
"You're so beautiful," Mikayla said, unable to take her eyes off her. Elliana smiled gracefully, taking Mikayla's hand. "Let's go. You can ride in my car. Don't hang out with my boring cousin."
Cayden resigned himself to being his parents' chauffeur, while Mikayla happily settled into Elliana's passenger seat.
"I always thought my cousin would be a bachelor forever. Turns out he likes sweet girls."
"How did you end up with him? Isn't it boring to be married to him?"
In another car, Cayden sneezed and turned up the air conditioning.
"Hmm… it's okay." Mikayla smiled and asked, "What do you do?"
"I'm a pianist. Just got back from a tour abroad."
"A pianist! That's amazing!" Mikayla exclaimed, knowing Elliana was quite famous both at home and abroad.
Elliana laughed heartily, her confidence and brightness shining through. "I'll give you two tickets to my next concert."
"How did you end up here?"
"Oh, I came to make a wish and ran into Mrs. Novak."
"What kind of music do you like?"
"I listen to a bit of everything, mostly rock music, haha…"
The two girls chatted happily, with Elliana sharing funny stories about Cayden, like the time she asked him to sign her failed test, only for them both to get caught and scolded by their parents. Mikayla laughed heartily at these tales.
Elliana chose a high-end restaurant, taking the menu confidently. "Order anything. My cousin is paying."
"Mikayla, don't hesitate to make him spend."
Cayden cleaned Mikayla's utensils with hot water and looked up at Elliana. "Every time you come back, you make me treat you."
"How long are you staying this time, Elli?" Daisy asked, smiling at the three of them.
"Not sure. Depends on my mood. I'm also here to see my boyfriend."
Daisy conveniently ignored the last part, clearly used to it. "You've been working hard on your tour. Take some rest."
"Got it, Auntie. I've heard this a million times."
"Which boyfriend this time?"
"The one from the Oneill family."
