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“You can score based on appearance—no need to taste!”
The absurd scene ended with the host’s coaxing.The final tally was unanimous:I won with nine votes;Claire got zero.
Nathan, now impatient,snapped at the host:
“It’s over,right?Can I take Mara now?”
The host nodded frantically,all smiles. “Yes,sure,go ahead!”
Nathan strode to me,grabbed my hand,and started leading me offstage.Claire rushed to block us.
“Nathan,Mara’s got a sugar daddy backstage.They showered her with gifts.”
Nathan gave her a cold smile:
“You mean SweetMara?That’s me.”
“And stop all your nonsense now.”
He pulled me away,leaving Claire stunned.
Behind us,the screen exploded:
[What’s going on?Nathan and Mara are the real couple?]
[So Claire’s what?She didn’t even know Nathan avoids mushrooms,yet she’s been flaunting their “romance.”]
[Who’s Mara anyways?I’ve never seen her with Nathan before.]
[True love stays hidden.But Mara showed up embarrass Claire.]
[I get it—Nathan’s the one behind all these,that’s why Claire was humiliated.]
[Nothing about Claire’s true.I’m done with her.]
Nathan brought me to his mansion.I was still dazed.
A tan Labrador bounded out,circling Nathan.
He petted it,chuckling, “Good girl,Mara.I’m too busy to play with you today.”
I flared up,yanking my hand free.
“Nathan Sterling,what’s that supposed to mean?Naming your dog after me?”
Nathan grinned,showing perfect teeth. “Mara,I missed you so much.”
I froze,unsure which game he was playing now.
He led me to the backyard,and I gasped.
It was a replica of my tribes landscape.Sitting on the grass with Nathan,it felt like we were back to that day—he eighteen,me thirteen.
Nathan explained he had taken over his family’s empire faster than expected,in less than ten years.
He never forgot our promise,returning to the tribe multiple times to find me,but he couldn’t locate the entrance despite how hard he tried.
His assistant told him Appalachian women valued fidelity as the dearest thing.If their partner cheated,they would track them down for revenge,no matter the how far the geographic distance between them.
“So you stirred up scandals and flirted around,waiting for me to come to you?”I huffed.
Nathan’s eyes sparkled,pulling me into his gaze.
“Those were media exaggerations—my assistant fanned the flames a bit.But my heart has always been yours.”
His face drew closer until his warm lips met mine.
My mind blanked,left with only one thought:My potion didn’t fail.
After that show,Claire’s career was basically ruined.
Fans watched the episode and turned on her,her persona of a “fiancee of a handsome elite” was gone.
Many brands stopped cooperating with her.
Nathan’s assistant lost three months’bonus for upsetting me with his bad ideas but got three months’paid leave for helping Nathan find me.
The show’s director,host,and anyone who had crossed me faced consequences—fines or suspensions.Ten years later,Nathan was no longer that shy teen who blushed—he and me were sure much alike when it comes to being vengeful.
His Labrador adored me,treating me like its owner.
At my insistence,we renamed it “Sterling”.
One day,with Nathan away,the dog led me to a hidden basement.
Opening the door,I was absolutely floored.
The room was filled with my portraits.
Each bore Nathan’s signature and date,spanning ten years.
The earliest,of thirteen-year-old me,was identical to my younger self.Over the years,he had imagined my growth,painting me up to now,at twenty-three,with a striking resemblance.
I realized why the dog warmed to me so fast—Nathan must’ve painted here with it by his side.
One lingering question nagged me.I hesitated for a long time finally asked:
“Why did Claire assume you liked cream of mushroom soup?”
Nathan grinned boyishly.
“At a party,a server unknowingly gave me a bowl.To avoid waste,I passed it to Claire,saying it was good.”
So that was where it all came from. I burst out laughing,clutching my stomach.
Nathan was still mine.
One quiet night,after a passionate moment,he was covered in sweat, and panting, whispered in my ear:
“Mara,did I ever tell you I didn’t eat the sticky rice cake when I wandered into your tribe?”
Half-asleep,I jolted awake,my voice jumping:
“What?”
Nathan’ smile was radiant.
“I hid the cake in my jacket when you showed up,thinking I had eaten your potion.”
“Survival training taught me to save food for the last moment,so I didn’t eat it.”
“Then why make a ten-year promise?”
In the dark,his eyes gleamed so beautifully.
“Guess.”
Before I could answer,his lips pressed onto mine.
The night was still young.I realized I didn’t need a potion to keep this man.
