Zelda nearly dropped her whisk when Leopold came crashing down onto the cobblestone path with a thud.

"Blimey, Leopold, that's flagstone, you absolute brute!" She exclaimed, still half-focused on perfecting her cake recipe. Jasper could not help but chuckle at the scene. "Alright, alright, enough with the dramatics. Get up," he said with a grin.

Leopold rose, shaking his head with a laugh and holding a gift box. "Well, Sir, these are some of your favorite things. I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I just grabbed a bit of everything." Jasper's smile widened. "You're quite the character, kid. No wonder that Martinez girl fancies you so much. Speaking of which, aren't you going to come out?"

Hearing this, Leopold froze, his feet suddenly as heavy as lead.

His heart stopped for a moment as if encased in ice.

Vivienne and Percival exchanged glances that did not need words; it was clear Leopold was in the dark.

Percival just shrugged. If he knew, would he have even shown up?

Thomas muttered under his breath, "Percival's as ruthless as ever."

Zelda, putting aside her baking tools, dragged Griffin out from the shadows. "No use hiding now, love. It's not like you're being dragged to the altar."

Griffin Martinez stood at the threshold, her eyes cast down, her feet rooted to the spot.

Both of them were wracked with unspeakable thoughts and mutual guilt.

Vivienne nudged Leopold forward with a swift kick. "Snap out of it, will ya?"

Leopold stumbled into Griffin's space, and she looked up, her eyes rimmed with unshed tears, at a loss for words.

Zelda snickered and finally remembered to turn off the oven while she, along with Natalia and Yasmine, quietly exited the kitchen.

Percival and Vivienne ushered Jasper to the back garden, leaving the two frozen figures alone in their awkward silence.

chill breeze caused Griffin to

took off his jacket and draped it over Griffin's

you were

her arms around Leopold, her

aback, was not sure how to

back slightly, sniffling. "Couldn't you try

had always been the woman who was either forcing him to marry her, chasing after him on a motorbike,

a little, he blinked in surprise.

breath and kicked him in the shin, annoyed. All the tears she had shed for him when he was captured, and he

Leopold yelped, rubbing his

anger melted away as she saw Leopold's comical attempt to stand on one leg, and she could not help but

see her smile

vowed never to make

he took her hand in

as she held his

innocence, and she was glad her unwavering

burying her face in the curve of his

hands, hesitating before wrapping

them around

spot, Vivienne rolled

seems pretty hopeless. Our dad's way better at this. He always hugs

bedtime, he never lets us sleep in

before they could reveal any more

a laugh at the young

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