Independence

It was around 6:00 pm. Miranda had been busy all day and hadn’t eaten anything. She had some bread and fresh vegetables in the fridge, along with some mushrooms. Since it was getting late, she decided to make a quick meal of sandwiches and some simple cream of mushroom soup.

When she went to return the ladder, she thought about it for a while before wrapping up a few sandwiches and putting a serving of mushroom soup into a container.

Paul was still going through the research data for his thesis when he heard a few knocks on his apartment door. He left his study and went to answer the door.

“Thanks for the ladder. Also, this is just a simple dinner I made. If you don’t mind, perhaps you might like to have some?”

Miranda’s eyes were rather bright and shining under the light. Paul was stunned for a bit. He then reached out and took the food from her with a ”This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org - ©.

thank you.”

He returned to his study and continued with his work, comparing his current data with the previous research data. By the time he was done editing, it was close to 8:00 pm.

He felt hungry. His stomach was growling loudly in protest.

On instinct, he took out his phone and tapped on the food delivery

application, planning to order some takeout. Then, he suddenly caught sight of the wrapped package he’d left on his kitchen table.

He went to open the package and saw that there was an insulated bag inside, which meant the sandwiches and soup were still warm.

He took a sandwich and ate it. He was immediately taken aback.

There were bacon strips, crisp lettuce, and a nicely–done egg in the sandwich. All the flavors melded together perfectly in his mouth, making him hungry for more.

and was once again pleasantly surprised by the rich flavor and wonderful

aroma.

It was better than the soups he used to order outside. He felt his stomach starting to warm up after a few hearty mouthfuls of soup.

Paul’s eyebrows shot up. People close to him would know that this was a sign of him thoroughly enjoying himself.

Miranda sure knew how to cook.

A few minutes later, Paul had completely devoured the sandwich and the soup, with not a single drop left behind.

Later, at about 10:00 pm, Paul was on his way home from his night run when he bumped into Miranda.

She’d changed into some casual clothes and pulled her hair up into a bun. However, she still stood out among the rest of the people out and about.

“Out for a stroll?”

“Night run?”

They asked each other at the same time.

Miranda responded first with a nod. “Yes, I came out for a stroll. I was also fetching my parcel.”

Paul slowed down his steps and quickly adjusted his breathing. He walked side by side with her. “Thanks for dinner just now. Your cooking is quite delicious.

Miranda replied, “I should be the one thanking you. You’re the one who helped me twice.”

There was a children’s playground a few lanes down. The sound of the children playing was quite loud and clear.

“It’s pretty lively here.” Hansel’s mansion had always been so eerily quiet that it had often given her the chills.

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Paul followed her gaze and looked over at the playground. Although he’d been living here for two months, he’d never noticed any of these things. He was then reminded of the news he’d received just before he’d left for his run.

He said faintly, “I asked one of my juniors just now, and he said that Dr. Young is now resting at home while recovering. I’m planning to visit her tomorrow morning around 10:00 am. Is that fine with you?”

“10:00 am tomorrow?”

Wasn’t that too fast? Miranda hesitated. She suddenly felt anxious thinking about Christine, whom she hadn’t seen in six years.

“Is there something wrong with the timing?”

“No.”

Paul glanced at Miranda’s side profile. He could tell that her mood had shifted, but he didn’t press further. He didn’t like poking his nose into other people’s private matters.

They bade each other goodbye at their own front doors. Miranda took a

shower, still feeling anxious all over. She then went to bed and tried to go to sleep.

It started drizzling sometime in the middle of the night. Miranda flipped over in bed, not quite able to go to sleep.

She got up early in the morning, had her breakfast, and waited for Paul to get ready.

At 10:00 am sharp, she heard a loud knock at her door and went over to answer it. She was all dressed and ready to go.

Paul was stunned momentarily. “Let’s g

go.”

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