Chapter 679

Chapter 679:
No one spoke, and the only sound came from the leaves rustling in the wind.
It was a calm, still silence.
Time slipped by without anyone noticing.
Beep beep.
The sharp honk of a car shattered the stillness, and Millie lifted her eyes to see Myron’s vehicle stopped nearby.
He stepped out and started walking toward them.
Millie raised her hand in a small wave.
Myron picked up his pace, reaching them and instinctively gathering Ari into his arms.
Ari leaned against his chest, half-asleep.
A frown formed on Myron’s face as his eyes moved to the person dressed in a bear costume.
“They’re doing street surveys,” Millie explained.
Myron gave a small nod and spoke in a low voice to Millie. “Come on. I’ll take you home. Ari looks tired.”
“Alright,” Millie answered with a gentle smile as she rose to her feet. Remembering something, she turned back toward the bear and gave a nod to signal she was leaving.
The bear returned the nod but stayed rooted to the same spot.
She climbed into the car beside Myron, and together they pulled away from the curb.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror showed the bear still standing there.
Something about that bear felt unusual.
Once the car made the turn, the bear vanished from sight. Just then, Millie spotted a bunch of balloons drifting upward into the night sky outside her window.
They looked like the very same balloons the bear had been holding earlier. Millie turned her gaze away, gave her head a small shake to clear her mind, and pulled the sleeping Ari closer in her arms.
𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘁 gⱯ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⫽𝖼𝗈𝗺
Elsewhere, the person in the bear costume stood still, watching as the Bentley faded into the distance.
Only when it rounded the corner did he lift the costume head away.
Beneath it was Brandon’s face.
He stayed in place, staring toward the direction where Millie had gone. Beads of sweat slid down his forehead, dampening his hair and streaking his cheeks.
Snapping back to awareness, he reached for the balloons, only to watch them slip away and scatter into the dark sky.
Time crawled forward with agonizing persistence.
This night had been destined by fate to offer anything but tranquility. Countless voices erupted in furious demands for refunds, their anger reverberating through the darkness as Brandon retreated to the sanctuary of his car. The bear costume he had just shed lay crumpled across the passenger seat, like a discarded mask.
He couldn’t decipher the emotions swirling within him.
All he recognized was the hollow ache that had carved itself into his chest.
A persistent buzzing invaded his consciousness.
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