Dakota's spine suddenly stiffened for a moment.
For some reason, she felt a bit guilty.
Although everyone had prepared gifts for Curtis, perhaps due to the hidden layer of their secret marriage, she always felt that her special preparation of a birthday gift wasn't quite proper...
So she turned around with the box, not quite convincingly, "Mind your own business!!"
She sounded strong.
It only served to cover up her guilt more obviously.
As his words hung in the air, Dakota walked briskly with the box, disappearing from Noe's view as she headed towards the hotel.
"Tsk." Noe felt confused, raising his thumb sideways like Jerry, "Got flustered."
Jasiah didn't bother with this dimwit at all.
He just stared at him, offering a word of advice, "I can only hope that when you find out the truth, you'll be able to stay calm."
Noe: ?
He looked at Jasiah in confusion.
"What truth?"
Noe didn't understand what Jasiah meant.
At this moment, he didn't understand the double impact he would experience visually and emotionally in the near future.
After Dakota and Lailah dropped off their luggage, they came out.
The gift was left at the hotel.
Jasiah and Noe had basically set up the canopy and were now moving tables and chairs under it, preparing to set up a stargazing tent and get the grill ready.
Dakota and Lailah went over to help with the birthday decorations.
Curtis didn't like anything too flashy.
But Noe loved these kinds of fancy setups, having prepared all sorts of balloons, ribbons, and even a large banner wishing Curtis a happy 26th birthday.
Dakota and Lailah were decorating as they talked.
Lailah, meanwhile, leaned in mysteriously and asked, "Dakota, what gift did you prepare for Curtis?"
"I can't say." Dakota raised her chin slightly.
She seemed quite pleased with her masterpiece, "Wouldn't it ruin the surprise if I told you now?"
"Tsk." Lailah pursed her lips, "Being so secretive, anyone would think you two have a secret affair, preparing gifts behind our backs."
Dakota's expression turned incredulous.
She flung the ribbon onto Lailah's hair, "What nonsense are you spouting, Lailah!"
"All right, all right! I won't say anything!"
Lailah raised her hands in surrender but didn't let up verbally, "I just think there's something odd about the two of you..."
Dakota nervously gripped the ribbon in her hand.
She lowered her eyes, avoiding Lailah's gaze, feeling guilty yet also frustrated.
Dakota, get a grip!
It's just a sham marriage!
There's no real secret relationship!
What are you getting so worked up about!
Dakota took a deep breath, readjusted herself, and continued to stand on tiptoes to hang the balloons, but just as she straightened her legs to reach higher—
she didn't expect that the stool beneath her feet would suddenly shift to the side due to the soft sand.
"Ahhh!!!"
Dakota's panic-stricken scream echoed.
The balloons in her hand suddenly slipped away, flying wildly into the air after losing their grip.
When Lailah heard the sound, she turned around.
Seeing Dakota fall, her pupils contracted, and she quickly reached out to grab her, "Dakota!!!"
Noe and Jasiah also looked over upon hearing the commotion.
They saw Dakota's stool tilting to the side, and when Lailah tried to catch her, she missed.
Dakota closed her eyes in panic and confusion.
Suddenly, the sensation of weightlessness and being airborne made her heart leap, and she was about to crash onto the sand, bracing herself for the inevitable embarrassment.
Right then, she was wrapped in a fresh, earthy scent of vetiver.
Instead of the pain from the sand scraping against her skin, Dakota found herself cradled in a warm, passionate embrace, filled with the heady aroma of pheromones.
Curtis had just arrived at N City not long ago.
He parked his car and almost instantly caught sight of a charming figure in bright yellow amidst the crowd.
Today, Dakota was wearing a vacation-style maxi dress.
She was standing on tiptoe on a stool, struggling to hang heart-shaped balloons inscribed with the words "Happy Birthday."
The neckline was a halter design.
It perfectly framed Dakota's fair shoulders and slender back.
And the half-exposed back, with its wing-like shoulder blades, was partially hidden by her long, wavy hair cascading down her shoulders, creating an allure he couldn't tear his eyes away from.
Curtis curled his lips into a light laugh.
"Buzz—"
At that moment, his phone vibrated, signaling a message from the shop where he had ordered a pink-purple fondant castle cake for Dakota.
Curtis stared intently at Dakota.
Hesitant to look away, he approached her like a possessive husband, pulling out his phone.
After an internal struggle, he finally reluctantly decided to take a couple of seconds to glance at his phone.
But he didn't expect what happened next—the bright yellow figure stumbled over a stool, making Curtis's eyes widen as he rushed over in an instant, catching Dakota in his arms.
Lailah missed catching her.
Jasiah and Noe were too slow to react.
In the next second, they saw Dakota falling into Curtis's arms, being held in a princess carry.
"Wow, oh..."
Noe watched the scene unfold with wide eyes, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Lailah was still a bit rattled, "Dakota, are you okay?"
Meanwhile, Dakota had her eyes closed.
She didn't feel any pain and guessed that it was Curtis who had caught her from the scent that invaded her senses.
He moved quickly, like a gust of ocean wind heading straight for her. The scent of his cologne hit her senses, and she could feel the warmth of his chest against the bare skin of her back.
SOS!
Dakota hardly dared to open her eyes.
She'd rather have fallen or been caught by Lailah than be caught in a princess carry in front of these three friends.
She had racked her brains and exhausted herself trying to keep this fake marriage a secret from everyone, especially her husband Curtis.
Dakota felt despair.
And yet, Curtis didn't seem willing to let go. He had rushed over, and the hems of his neatly pressed suit pants and shiny Oxford shoes were now speckled with sand.
"Are you hurt?"
Curtis's voice was tight, his tone low and hoarse.
Dakota's heart skipped a beat.
She was worried about the truth being revealed.
She hadn't expected that Curtis would be most concerned about this...
She slowly opened her eyes and finally lifted her gaze to meet Curtis's under the sea breeze.
His hair was a bit disheveled from the wind, and his narrowed gaze made his already striking eyes appear even more sharp and elongated.
Even, there was a hint of redness at the corners of his eyes, a sign of his concern that Dakota might have hurt herself.
Curtis still didn't put Dakota down but instead walked over to a nearby chair, sat down, and then clasped Dakota's waist, pressing her onto his lap.
One arm firmly supported her lower back, and then he bent down to grasp her ankle, "Let me see."
