Charlotte Thompson looked at Justin Battleson’s actions, her gaze turning towards the center of the restaurant with a hint of confusion.
Upon discerning the scene inside, she slightly froze, her pupils filled with astonishment.
Colored lamps hung around the restaurant, flickering within the room where the curtains had been drawn, like multicolored stars.
The surrounding vacant tables had been removed. The empty space was filled with roses, and even the vases on the counter contained bunches of roses, blooming perfectly and looking enticingly red.
In the center was a table with a single picture frame on it. Inside was a bright and clear photo.
Charlotte couldn’t believe it as she covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock.
The photo was of her from five years ago, with Sophie Allen’s radiant smile.
The woman wore a beige long dress, her hair floating with the gentle breeze. Her sparkling clear eyes seemed to reflect an inverted image.
Justin Battleson gave her a reassuring smile, gently saying, "Happy Birthday."
He had meticulously prepared for this for a long time, guessing that Charlotte would absolutely refuse to go out with him at night. So, he decided to celebrate in the afternoon instead.
Charlotte looked blankly at the scene, her eyes becoming somewhat moist. It finally dawned on her that today was indeed her birthday.
During each of her birthdays in Ashton, when she consistently felt oddly irritated, many business people used her birthday party as a stepping stone to get close to the Thompson family.
Upon discovering this, Mr. Thompson canceled the banquet and turned her birthday celebration into a family dinner instead.
She didn’t expect that someone other than her elder brother and her grandfather would remember her birthday.
Even when she herself had forgotten.
Justin Battleson led her inside, and smiling, said, "Why are you standing there stunned? Sit down."
Charlotte forced a smile, carefully looking around. It seemed like every detail had been given careful attention.
She blinked her eyes, glanced at the man in front of her, and softly said, "Thank you."
Hearing this, the man shook his head, saying, "I didn’t do all this just to hear ’thank you.’"
He lowered his gaze at her, his eyes intense. "I hope you are safe and happy."
The table was small, intentionally set up by the restaurant such that, even when the two of them sat opposite each other, they weren’t very far apart.
The man’s serious and ardent gaze made Charlotte unconsciously hold her breath. She squinted her eyes and clenched her hands resting on her lap a little tighter.
She couldn’t quite figure out what she was nervous about.
Not long after, a waiter brought the birthday cake over while singing a birthday song and carefully placed it on the table.
Justin Battleson smiled and said, "Make a wish."
As soon as his words fell, all the waiters left. Before leaving, they tightly closed all the curtains and doors.
The room was incredibly dark, with only the candle on the cake glowing prominently.
The golden candlelight fell on Charlotte’s face, inexplicably adding a bit of warmth to her soft cheeks.
She obediently closed her eyes, brought her hands together, and solemnly made a wish.
At the same time, the man’s gaze was transfixed on her and never strayed.
A few seconds later, Charlotte finished uttering her wish in her mind, then opened her eyes and blew out the candle.
The man playfully scraped some cream onto her nose with his finger, which was slightly cold.
Charlotte paused momentarily, smiled when she saw the dollop of white cream on her nose, and unexpectedly took the opportunity to smear some cream onto Justin’s cheek while he was off guard.
Seemingly unprepared, the man retaliated by smearing cream all over Charlotte’s face after he realized what she’d done.
Under the dim lights, Charlotte laughed as she stood up and dodged Justin’s cream-coated hand.