Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Chapter 782

Grace looked over the menu with a decisive gleam in her eye. "Alright, I'm going all in!"

Murray nodded, a silent spectator to her enthusiasm.

"Hey, Sally!" Grace called out to the owner, who was bustling behind the counter.

She rattled off a list of orders with the ease of a regular. "Trust me, these are to die for! Better than any fancy restaurant!"

Grace's eyes sparkled with excitement as she made her recommendations. Murray, however, was less than enthusiastic. The smoky aroma of the barbecue in the air made his throat itch, and the constant hustle and bustle around them only added to his discomfort. The plates of grilled food that arrived at their table barely held his attention before he lost all appetite.

He reminisced about the early days with Roseanne when they'd happily devoured street food together. How things had changed. Now, it all felt wrong.

Grace picked up a skewer, smiling as she offered it to him. "Try this one. It's my favorite."

Murray didn't reach for it.

Grace hesitated. "You're not into this, are you? I'm sorry, I should've thought it through," she said quickly, setting the skewer down with an awkward flush. "We can go somewhere else if you want. You pick."

Murray replied. "My stomach's been acting up. I can't eat much lately. You

I ordered so

patience was wearing thin. "If you

managed a few skewers before giving up.

came over to clear the table, casting a regretful glance at the

folks shouldn't

Money or not, it's

Grace back to school, Murray's

he

at conversation dwindled as the silence grew more

in her own thoughts, until they passed

leading Grace into a bar called "The Labyrinth Whiskey

greeted him with the enthusiasm of a loyal pup. “The usual? A bottle of brandy

opted for a bottle

with a knowing smile as

year since he last came, right? I heard he was