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Novel Catalog
Chapter 97: Birthday
Manuel exhaled a sigh of relief as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Maybe Kaitlin thinks we’re having an affair,” he mused, “and wants to use that photo to ruin our relationship.”
Ainsley lowered her eyes, lost in thought. “It seems that every time I get close to someone, she thinks I have bad intentions. But it’s just a misunderstanding. Don’t worry about it.”
Manuel suddenly approached her, his warm breath brushing her forehead as he asked softly, “Is it really just a misunderstanding?”
Ainsley’s heart raced, and she turned her face away, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. “Yes!” she stammered, quickening her pace as she walked away.
Manuel smiled to himself, watching her nervous expression. It seemed that he had misunderstood everything because of his own emotions. It was clear now that Ainsley couldn’t be that close to Cason—after all, she hated him too much.
He couldn’t help but feel a little relieved, a smile tugging at his lips as he chased after her.
The air in the apartment garden was thick with mosquitoes, and Ainsley was soon swarmed. She slapped at her leg, feeling a sting.
“You still need to go to the Gage’s house, don’t you?” she asked, glancing at him.
Manuel looked down at her red, swollen skin and nodded. “I’ll go in a minute.”
As he got into the car, Ainsley said her goodbyes, her hand resting lightly on the door. The car lights flashed twice as it pulled away, and Ainsley turned to walk back into the building.
Just then, her phone rang, and she checked the screen. It was Manuel.
“Hello?” she answered, a little surprised.
“Don’t you like that bracelet?” Manuel’s voice was gentle.
Ainsley blinked at the question, surprised. She had left the bracelet in the drawer earlier that day. “Yes, I like it very much. I just forgot to wear it today.”
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to wear it,” Manuel said, his tone soft.
Ainsley paused, her heart racing. “No, I like it,” she said quickly, a shy smile tugging at her lips.
As she entered the elevator, she felt the warmth of the bracelet resting on her wrist. She wasn’t sure why, but today felt different. Maybe it was because she now understood why Manuel had been acting strangely due to the photo. She couldn’t help but feel her heart race whenever she thought of him.
By the time she reached her apartment, she was blushing furiously, still thinking about the way Manuel had spoken to her. She hurriedly took the bracelet out of the drawer and put it on. Compared to how she had felt a few days ago, her shyness was now overwhelming.
She paused for a moment, her hand resting on her cheek, feeling the heat. Suddenly, the familiar scent of cedar filled her senses. It’s him… she thought, her heart skipping a beat. She had forgotten to return his coat!
Frantically, she ran to the window and looked down, but Manuel was nowhere to be seen. The street was empty. She sighed, looking up at the stars in the sky, and smiled to herself before heading back to her room.
Days passed as usual, but one thing had changed: Manuel now always brought a cake when he came to pick up Serina. Ainsley noticed it, but it didn’t bother her as much as it might have before.
Kaitlin, on the other hand, was furious. Seeing that Ainsley wasn’t affected by her attempts to stir things up, she decided it was time to teach her a lesson.
“My family received an invitation to Mr. Gage’s birthday!” Kaitlin announced triumphantly, hoping to get a rise out of Ainsley.
“What?” Ainsley feigned surprise. “I didn’t even know about it! Is it for my idol’s birthday?”
“Yes! It’s for Manuel’s birthday!” Kaitlin smiled maliciously. “I wonder who will receive the invitation this year. Unfortunately, our family isn’t important enough to be invited.”
Ainsley’s heart skipped a beat. She tried to hide her surprise, but inside, she couldn’t stop thinking about Manuel’s birthday. He invited Kaitlin’s family?
Kaitlin’s expression faltered when she went home to ask her mother about the invitation, only to get a disappointing response.
“How is that possible? Our family may not be as powerful as the Gages, but we’re still one of the noble families in Seattle. Why didn’t we get an invite?” Kaitlin demanded.
Lindsay’s face twisted with frustration. “It’s that Ainsley, isn’t it? Last time the Gages invited us to their banquet, but this time, they didn’t. Ainsley must have said something bad about us to Manuel. She’s always going against us.”
Kaitlin frowned but didn’t respond, knowing that her mother was likely right.
As they continued to complain, Cason came home from work. He overheard their conversation and his expression darkened. “It’s because of you! You framed Serina last time, so how can we expect an invitation now?”
Kaitlin, still unwilling to admit any fault, shot back, “But we’re the Baldry family! We should be respected!”
“Enough!” Cason snapped. “In front of the Gages, we’re nothing. After everything you did to his sister, he’s been kind enough not to go after us. Do you have any idea how many companies wanted to cut ties with us because of you? It’s been hard enough to fix that mess, so don’t cause me more trouble!”
Kaitlin shrank back, pale with shock. She hadn’t realized how much damage she had done.
Meanwhile, Ainsley and Serina were at the University of Washington, leaving the counseling room together. Serina handed her an elegant invitation card sealed with gold.
“Ainsley, it’s Manuel’s birthday the day after tomorrow,” Serina said with a smile. “I want to invite you to his birthday party.”
Ainsley froze for a moment, her thoughts swirling. “Manuel’s birthday?” she repeated, a little stunned. “I didn’t even know about it.”
Serina smiled warmly. “Yes. I only invited you.”
Ainsley glanced at the card again, her fingers brushing over the embossed seal. “Does he know about this?”
“I didn’t tell him it was for you, but he definitely wants you to come,” Serina assured her.
Ainsley slipped the invitation into her bag, her mind racing with thoughts of what to get Manuel for his birthday. “Serina, what does Manuel like?” she asked, turning to her friend.
Serina grinned. “Do you want to prepare a gift for him? We can go shopping for it tomorrow. We also need to pick out a dress. Let’s go together!”
Ainsley smiled, the thought of picking out a gift for Manuel filling her with excitement. “Okay, let’s go together.”
Later that day, as the summer rains continued to fall, the counseling room filled with more and more visitors. Some came seeking comfort, others dealing with difficult breakups.
When the last client left, Ainsley sat at her desk, exhausted. Suddenly, a familiar face entered the room—a student who had her head down, barely looking up.
Ainsley raised an eyebrow. “Hello, how can I help you?”
The girl finally lifted her head, revealing it was Jenny. Ainsley’s heart skipped, her earlier kindness to Jenny now clouded by memories of the past.
“What are you here for, Jenny?” Ainsley asked, her voice cold but calm.
Jenny visibly trembled, her voice barely a whisper. “Kaitlin… Serina…” She couldn’t seem to get the words out.
Ainsley frowned, her concern growing. “What happened to Serina?”
Jenny took a deep breath. “Kaitlin… went to find Serina,” she murmured.
Ainsley’s eyes widened with alarm. “Where are they?”
“The equipment room,” Jenny replied in a near whisper.
Without thinking, Ainsley stood up, her heart racing. She knew something was wrong. What was Kaitlin planning? Had she seen through Serina’s recent behavior?
Ainsley rushed out of the room, her thoughts filled with dread. She had to stop Kaitlin—whatever she was doing.
The equipment room was on the second floor of another building, and by the time Ainsley arrived, she could hear Kaitlin’s harsh voice inside.
“Are you a fool now, Serina? I didn’t expect you to become so pathetic! I heard you were sick. Are you really that sick? I’m curious how you ended up like this,” Kaitlin’s voice dripped with contempt.
Ainsley’s heart clenched with anger, but she stopped short when she heard Serina’s voice from within.
