When fate plays its hand

Once Miranda returned home, she immediately started arranging her books. She was drenched in sweat after she finished placing them neatly on the shelves.

Walking into the living room after her shower, Miranda noticed the ointment she’d left on the coffee table. She picked it up and unscrewed the cap. Then, she carefully applied the ointment on the bruises on her chest and waist with a cotton swab.

The cooling sensation and minty fragrance of the ointment quickly alleviated her pain.

She’d planned to do some reading since it was still early. However, her head was throbbing severely after an exhausting day. She decided to go to bed early and soon fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, Miranda had a nightmare. In her dream, Hansel pounced on her like a ravenous demon. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake him off.

The fear and terror she felt was so real that she clutched the collar of her shirt desperately. Suddenly, she woke up abruptly, gasping for air.

She didn’t dare to go back to sleep even though it was still late at night.

Miranda grabbed her phone and called Winter immediately, but no one answered. She tightened her grip on the phone. When she got up, she realized the light was still on in the adjacent balcony.

After some hesitation, Miranda messaged Paul on WhatsApp. “Are your asleep?”

Although some time had passed, she didn’t get a reply. Miranda waited so long that her eyelids were about to close when the phone buzzed in her hand.

“Yes.”

Another message came in just as Miranda sluggishly looked at her phone. “Look out the window.”

She raised her head and looked out. Amidst the quiet of the night, the dark sky was filled with clusters of twinkling stars, shining brilliantly like. diamonds.

Miranda’s phone buzzed continuously with the barrage of messages.” Do you see the shape that looks like a corner straight ahead? That’s the

Gemini constellation.

“In ancient Romenia, it was said that the Gemini brothers were born from a golden egg. When the elder brother was born, he brought war and floods to the kingdom. He was a symbol of disaster and calamity.

“On the other hand, the younger brother was considered the protector of humanity after being blessed with a kiss by the goddess of love.

“The elder brother was jealous of his younger brother and tried to kill him several times. The younger brother understood the older one and volunteered to sacrifice his life when the need arose.

“The younger brother’s sacrifice made the older brother realize his mistakes, and he fought bravely for the kingdom.

“After their deaths, he and his brother were blessed by the gods and became one of the twelve astrological signs, the Gemini constellation.

“Because of this, the Gemini sign is the only constellation with twelve -stars connected. It’s famous for being the most beautiful constellation

and the hardest one to find. Do you feel better now that you’ve caught a glimpse of a rare sighting?”

Miranda couldn’t help but smile. Paul probably didn’t type much. It took him nearly ten minutes to write such a long message.

Just as he’d said, the joy of a rare discovery reinvigorated her and alleviated the unease she felt in her heart.

She took out her phone and replied, “Thank you. I’m feeling much better.

On the other end, Paul saw her message appear on WhatsApp and smiled as well. Just as he was about to continue writing his report, hist phone buzzed once more.

“I’m so glad to be watching the stars with you under this starry sky. Good night.”

Under the same night sky, the light in the mansion’s study was still lit. Hansel stared at the empty bookshelf and recalled how Miranda had leaned into Paul’s embrace earlier that day.

Angrily, he smashed the cup in his hand.

At that moment, he received a notification from WhatsApp. It was a message from Ingrid. “Dear, are you still busy? I haven’t seen you for many days. I miss you terribly… I’ve made a lot of plans. How about we go on a date next week?”

Hansel scrolled through the messages and saw the last one. “Can I come over to see you now?”

He hesitated for a moment. Since Miranda had said that she wanted a clean break and a fresh start, there was no need for him to hold back. After all, Ingrid was already his girlfriend.

Today’s Honus Offer