Chapter 258 The Wish and the Withering Roots

    Lucas’s gaze was soft, a tender smile ying at his lips. “Yeah. I was short on time, so the sketch’s a little rough.”

    Only then did Sloane realize–he had drawn the image himself.

    A rush of emotion welled up in her chest, her eyes stinging. She felt the sudden urge to cry.

    No one–aside from her master–had ever done something so thoughtful for her.

    Lucas handed her a pen. “Go ahead, write your wish.”

    Sloane took the pen and carefully wrote a few lines on the slip of paper. When she finished, she looked up at him. “What about you? Aren’t you going to write one too?”

    Lucas chuckled, picked up anotherntern, and quickly scribbled something down. “Let’s release them together.”

    They stood at thekeside, lighting the candles inside thenterns. The warm mes slowly lifted, and theirnterns floated gently into the night sky. Sloane gazed up at hers, watching her wish rise into the darkness, her eyes sparkling with joy.

    She turned to Lucas, curiosity in her voice. “What did you wish for?”

    Lucas smiled slightly, his tone a little mysterious. “If I say it out loud, it won’te true.”

    Sloane pouted yfully. “Fine, keep your secrets.”

    Lucas’s heart softened at her expression. He looked up at the sky, where more and morenterns were drifting upward, and silently whispered: iSloane/ii, /iiI /iihope /iievery /iiNew /iiYear’s Eve /iifrom /inow ion/ii, /iiI’ll /ibe istanding /iibeside /iyoui, /ireleasing a intern/ii, /iimaking /iia /iwish.

    The sky above them glowed with floating lights, like starse down to earth. The garden shimmered in the soft, golden glow, and their silhouettes glowed under thentern light, wrapped in warmth, as if the entire world had shrunk to just the two of them.

    Inside, Madam bTessa /bughed when she heard about Lucas’s surprise from the butler. “That boy always acts so cold and distant, but he really knows how to make a girl feel special.”

    The butler nodded with a chuckle. “Yes, ma’am. Mr. Lucas put a lot of care into this. He even made Ms. Sloane’sntern himself–and painted her portrait on it.”

    Lucas had nned a whole series of activities for the days ahead. But early on the first day of the New Year, a phone call changed everything.

    Sloane received a call from Commander Cui, informing her that something had gone wrong at the medicinal herb cultivation base./She was needed there in person.

    “Got it. I’ll head over right iaway/i,” she said, hanging up. She quickly exined the situation to Lucas.

    Lucas immediately instructed Molly to pack her things. “I’ll drive you there.”

    b12:07 /bbWed/bb, /bb10 /bbSept /b

    Chapter 258 The Wish and the Withering Roots

    “Okay.” Sloane hurried off to gather the rest.

    The herb base was located inside a militarypound, so Lucas couldn’t go in.

    “Take care of yourself,” he told her. “Call me if anythinges up.”

    Sloane waved, her smile steady and reassuring. “Don’t worry, I will. Drive safe.”

    b+5 /bFree Coins

    Lucas gave a small nod and stood watching until her figure disappeared before turning to leave.

    Sloane walked briskly into the base, where the instructor was already waiting. His expression was grim.

    “Ms. Sloane, the situation’s urgent. Several rare herbs we’ve been cultivating have suddenly started to wither. Our technicians can’t figure out why. You’re the only one we could turn to.”

    Sloane nodded calmly. “I understand. Take me to see them.”

    The instructor led her to the cultivation room, where a group of technicians were crowded around a row of withering nts, their faces tense. As soon as they saw her, they stepped aside, eyes full of hope.

    “Ms. Sloane, please take a look. These herbs started wilting out of nowhere. We’ve tried everything, but nothing’s worked.”

    O

    b12:07 /b

    Chapter 259 Roots and Restraints