Chapter 17 288 Vouchers In Mario's private wine cellar, crystal glasses refracted amber light. He had already drunk half a bottle of Macallan, but still felt a bitter taste in his throat. The memories that alcohol couldn't numb became even clearer. "Idiot. Mario muttered to the air, unsure if he was referring to Eloise from his past life or his own repeated mistakes in this life." When the wine glass was empty again, he suddenly chuckled softly. How ironic it is that in this life, he had originally planned to continue silently guarding her, waiting for the day when she would turn around and look back at him. Fate played its hand, and she did indeed turn back. But he carried the guilt from his past life. "Mario, you haven't improved at all." He tilted his head back and downed the last glass of wine, the bottom of the glass hitting heavily on the marble countertop. A cold hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. Mario turned around, and Eloise was standing behind him, though he didn't know when she had arrived. She didn't wear shoes, standing barefoot on the cold ground, just looking at herself quietly. At the moment when the two of them locked eyes, Eloise's pupils suddenly contracted. She had never seen Mario like this before. The collar of his shirt was wide open, his usually meticulously combed hair was messy and hanging in front of his forehead, and his eyes were bloodshot. You... Her voice choked up. "How did you get in? His voice was so hoarse it didn't sound like him." Chapter 17 288 Voucher, Eloise shook the keys in her hand. "Won them in a bet." Mario just remembered that the spare key had actually been kept by her all along. Mario turned his face away and said, "Do you want to hear my joke?" Eloise snatched the wine glass from his hand and tilted her head back, finishing off the remaining liquid in one gulp. The burning sensation of alcohol in her throat made her furrow her brow, but she still stubbornly spoke, "I came to tell you..." "I didn't choose Ronald, not because he betrayed me." "I chose you, not out of guilt." Her fingertips touched the old scar on his brow, a reminder of the fight they had when they were fifteen: "It's in this lifetime that I finally see who is worth it." The wine cellar fell into silence, with only the faint sounds of two people breathing, coming and going. Mario's Adam's apple bobbed up and down. He wanted to push her away, but his fingers involuntarily closed around her delicate wrist. "Eloise, he said in a low voice, "do you know why I never attend your birthday parties?" She shook her head. "Because at the age of twenty-two, his thumb rubbed against the pulse beating on her wrist, "I watched you walk towards Ronald and told myself - if this is what you want, if this will make you happy, I am willing to let go." Eloise's tears suddenly fell, landing on the back of his hand. Mario jerked up as if he had been burned, but Eloise grabbed hold of his sleeve. "Mario, she asked with a sob, "What would you do if in this lifetime I still choose Ronald?" His jawline tightened, and it took a while for him to squeeze out a sentence from between his teeth: "...keep watching." "Until I died in front of you again?" Chapter 17 : 298 iVouchers This sentence pierced through the final barrier between the two like a sharp sword. Mario suddenly bent down and picked her up horizontally, striding towards the stairs. Eloise struggled in his arms, saying, "Put me down!" "Shut up, he said as he kicked open the bedroom door, but his action of throwing her onto the bed was gentle. "Your feet are covered in blood." Eloise then realized that she had indeed stepped on a piece of glass in the wine cellar. Mario came back and knelt down, using tweezers to carefully pick out the shards from her foot. When the alcohol swab touched the wound, she winced in pain. "Deserved it, he muttered, but his grip loosened." After the bandaging was done, Mario got up to leave, but he was hugged from behind by Eloise. "On the first day of my rebirth, her face pressed against his back, her voice muffled, "I went to buy a ticket to Switzerland." Mario stood frozen in place. "I waited at the airport for the whole day, but due to the weather, the flight was delayed and then canceled, she tightened her arms, "At that moment, I thought, then I will wait for you to come back. In this lifetime, I must hold onto you no matter what." The moonlight shone through the gauze curtain, casting intertwined shadows on the floor. Mario slowly turned around and lifted her face. His thumb brushed against her wet eye corner, his eyes filled with complexity. "Eloise, he asked in a low voice, "Aren't you afraid that we will still repeat the same mistakes in this lifetime?" She tiptoed and kissed him on the corner of his lips: "Then see you in the next life." This kiss was very gentle, but it completely broke down Mario's defenses. He deepened the kiss by holding the back of her head, and the scent of agarwood mixed with whiskey overwhelmed Eloise's senses. When they finally parted ways, Eloise realized that her hand had been intertwined with his fingers at some point. Chapter 17 :0 288 Pouchwers And Mario's palm was burning hot. When the first light of dawn broke, Eloise woke up in Mario's arms. He slept deeply, and the furrow on his forehead finally smoothed out. She quietly traced his outline with her fingers, from the sharp brow bone to the high bridge of his nose. The phone suddenly vibrated, and a news notification popped up on the screen. Breaking news! The Kobeck Group is suspected of financial fraud, causing its stock price to plummet by 50%. Chapter 18 : Title: Committed In CrushReel's ongoing novel "Committed," a man, grappling with the pressure to propose to his girlfriend, finds himself at a crossroads when he unexpectedly encounters a runaway bride. Seeking an escape from his relationship's demands, he embarks on a journey to Greece where he crosses paths with the enigmatic former... Exploring themes of love, commitment, and serendipity, this modern romance delves into the complexities of relationships and the unexpected turns life can take. As the protagonist navigates between duty and desire, readers are drawn into a tale of opposites attracting amidst picturesque Greek landscapes. What sets "Committed" apart is its heartfelt portrayal of emotional conflict and the pursuit of true connection. Dive into this sweet romance that promises twists of fate and heartfelt revelations. Available to read online at CrushReel for those seeking a story that resonates with the beauty of unexpected encounters.