The Dark Side of Fate

Chapter 346

The Picnic

~Liam~

Josephine appeared mildly taken aback by my gesture, and I could empathise with her reaction. Going from a nervous and somewhat distant demeanour to intertwining our fingers was a stark contrast. Even I would have questioned my own behaviour. However, I wanted her to understand that I was perfectly fine, just trying to sort out my thoughts.

Gracefully, she withdrew her hand from mine, which brought a small chuckle to Alex. The way she did it was rather endearing, and it brought a smile to my face. Looking ahead, I noticed that Elaine and Oliver were giving me curious looks, as if sensing something was amiss.

Oliver couldn’t resist asking, “What’s going on between you and Joe?” I was at a loss for words, unsure of how to explain the situation to him.

“Why do you want to know?” I replied, and he averted his gaze. Glancing over to where the triplets were seated, I caught Jewels smiling at me, as though she had some insight. I hoped she hadn’t figured anything out, as she was the least likely to keep things to herself among the sisters.

Upon arriving at the venue, I overheard Noah and Sebastien making phone calls to their friends from Mountain, inviting them to join us. I had hoped that our picnic would be more private, but judging by the setup, it appeared to be anything but that. Harper took on the role of the DJ, and as I watched her prepare, it became evident that the music would be quite loud. The triplets and Lilly were in charge of refreshments, while others teamed up to help with the setup. I decided to partner with Josephine and assist her with the mats.

Noticing that Josephine seemed a bit uncomfortable around me, I thought it would be a good idea to strike up a conversation with her.

“May I speak with you, Joe?” I asked, and she looked at me with an expressionless face before nodding, indicating it was okay.

“I am really sorry about my attitude lately. It’s just that I have been dealing with a lot mentally,” I said, and she nodded in understanding.

“I know. We all know. Hopefully, we will be successful and find Sophia, so you can get back to your serious and playful self,” she replied, still maintaining her poker face. I couldn’t quite read her emotions, unsure if she had truly forgiven me for my behaviour or if she was being sarcastic.

we are cool?” I asked curiously,

with that, the conversation ended. Her responses were concise and to

I set up the mats, appearing as though we were being reluctantly forced to interact while everyone else laughed, joked, and formed pairs. Eventually, we ended up sitting separately, much to Alex’s dismay.

looking back now, I realise how foolish and insensitive those remarks were. If we had refrained from discussing Josephine at all, she wouldn’t be feeling uncomfortable and distant

join us, leaving me with no one to talk to as everyone else

guests my cousins invited arrived – four guys and a girl who appeared to be siblings, all with brown hair and brown eyes. They seemed delighted to be hanging out with our group, which was understandable since everyone

be polite and not outright ask her to leave me alone. Charlotte

linked me, voicing the very question that had been on my mind. We shared a laugh at that

confused. Unfortunately, I hadn’t heard a word she had said, and my laugh mistakenly made it seem like I found her joke amusing. All evening, my gaze had been directed towards Josephine, and now, Kelcy’s other brother, Rob, was talking to her. Alex,

again, and she never finds out who we are?” Alex said, and I couldn’t help but find it the most paranoid thing I’ve ever heard

However, she looked away and focused on Rob, who was clearly annoying her, but she maintained her polite demeanour. Meanwhile, Noah and Sebastien were hanging out with their friends Roger and Saul, who happened to be Kelcy’s siblings too. Observing the situation, I realised that Rob, Josh, and Kelcy had likely tagged along to hang out with us because we were royalty. It wasn’t uncommon for people to bring their relatives along to be part

step too far. She smiled and

word with you?” I asked, and she frowned, looking at me.

away from the picnic party. She seemed surprised, but she followed me. At that moment, I couldn’t care less about everyone else watching us; Rob had clearly crossed the line, and I needed

came to a stop, and she looked

she asked, sounding a bit

hair,” I replied, the words coming out thanks to Alex. He was becoming increasingly difficult to control,

verbally, I reached out to her. Though she flinched initially, she allowed me to touch her

sorry for whatever nonsense we spewed two years ago,” I said,