His Final Betrayal Was My First Move Chapter 17

His Final Betrayal Was My First Move Chapter 17

To shake the thoughts out of her head, Amelia patted her cheeks and decided to go for a walk. The Maine air was clean and carried a faint saltiness. She was headed to get the area’s most famous lobster roll.

However, after only two blocks, a familiar figure walked toward her.

It was Julian.

Amelia’s heart skipped a beat. The person who had been circling her thoughts all morning was now standing right in front of her. She felt her cheeks start to heat up again.

“What a coincidence,” Julian said first, his voice carrying just the right amount of surprise, as if this were truly an unexpected encounter.

“What a coincidence,” Amelia replied instinctively, her mind blank. “You’re… also getting breakfast?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she wanted to bite her tongue. It was the stupidest question she had ever asked. In this tiny town with few tourists, where else would he be going? She smiled awkwardly, hoping he hadn’t noticed her embarrassment.

Julian didn’t seem to mind. He just gave a soft “mm,” the smile in his eyes gentle and harmless.

…

This “chance meeting” was only the beginning.

At the lobster roll stand, at the Blue Bottle Coffee on the corner, at a small gallery by the pier in the afternoon—Julian’s figure would always appear at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

Each time, he would open with that gentle “what a coincidence,” his eyes so sincere that she couldn’t find a single flaw.

At first, Amelia thought it was just a strange twist of fate. But the tenth time, when she saw that familiar figure walking toward her again on the empty seaside path at dusk, she found it funny.

She stopped and watched him slowly approach, even starting a silent countdown in her head.

Three.

Two.

One.

“What a coincidence.”

Julian’s voice arrived right on schedule, accompanied by the rhythm of the waves.

Amelia finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Not a coincidence.” She met his eyes, a trace of slyness in her own. “This is the tenth time we’ve run into each other today.”

“…”

The expression on Julian’s face froze. He seemed completely unprepared to be called out so directly. A suspicious red flush quickly spread from his neck to his ears. He stood there awkwardly, at a total loss.

Seeing his stunned expression, Amelia found him terribly endearing. That carefully planned yet clumsy approach was a sharp contrast to Griffin’s effortless control. Hidden in this clumsiness was a cautious sincerity she had never felt before.

The softest part of her heart seemed to be gently tapped.

She took a step forward, breaking his embarrassment.

“How about,” she said, her voice especially clear in the sea breeze, “we walk by the sea together?”

Julian lifted his head abruptly, a disbelieving light flashing in his eyes.

“Sure,” he answered almost immediately, as if afraid she might take it back.

Having achieved his goal, Julian silently applauded himself. His late-night Reddit search for “how to naturally approach your crush” had not been a waste after all. Though the process had been a little foolish, the result was good.

Shy and innocent, with little schemes that could be seen through at a glance. This clumsy persona seemed to be working.

He encouraged himself secretly. As long as he could spend more time with her, it was worth being clumsy.