Two Hundred and Fourty

CHAPTER 240

"Peter seems to be in shock about this, Nick." Noel watched Peter leave through the rearview mirror.

Nicholas turned the car around, he took another route to drop Noel off. While looking at Peter through the rearview mirror at his side, Nicholas mumbled in agreement. "Um, you're right. He's in shock. Is this the first time he's been betrayed? Has Peter never been betrayed by his first love?"

Noel laughed, then patted Nicholas on the shoulder. "You talk about women like you're a master of romance, huh? You're even dating a girl much younger than you now!"

"Hey, but we're both adults now!"

"Tsk, adults? You don't even know how to kiss, do you?"

Nicholas rolled his eyes lazily. "You think I'm a pervert? Alicia and I are committed to marriage, our relationship is deep and serious. We don't spend the night just for one-night stands. Ah, why do we have to discuss this? I'll drop you off and go home to meet Alicia. I promised her to take her on vacation, but I have to deal with all these problems."

Noel laughed again. "Cops like us don't have a day off. It sucks."

After Nicholas drove Noel to his house, Nicholas turned the car in the opposite direction. He intended to go to Alicia's flat to celebrate New Year's Eve together, after all, it was already outside of working hours, it was okay to take a short break to make their brains fresh again.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The door opened and revealed Alicia standing with pancakes in her hands. "Hey, are you done? I thought you were going to slumber."

Nicholas shrugged his shoulders up. He then smiled and took the pancake from Alicia's hand. "I want to take you out to dinner to celebrate the new year. Would you like that?"

Alicia squinted, then saw her pancakes being eaten by Nicholas. "You ate my dinner, Nick."

"This?" Nicholas lifted the pancake in his hand, which was left over, and grinned mischievously. "Sorry, this probably means you have to eat dinner with me outside. Any restaurants you want to go to?"

"I don't know, I haven't thought of anything since this morning."

Nicholas rolled his eyes lazily, then swallowed the remaining pancake in his hand. Patting his hands together to clear them of cake flakes, Nicholas said, "You can shower and get ready. I'll be waiting in the living room."

"Okay. Do we have a dress code?"

"Ah, no. Just wear your best dress. Whatever you wear, everything suits you."

As Nicholas waited in the living room, Alicia appeared wearing an elegant scarlet dress that accentuated her features. Her eyes sparkled with a mixture of curiosity and excitement. Nicholas couldn't help but admire her, realizing how lucky he was to have Alicia in his life.

The evening unfolded with laughter and sharing of stories as they dined at a quaint little bistro. Nicholas, who is a storyteller, told stories of his adventures in the police force, while Alicia shared her dreams and aspirations. The atmosphere was light, and the connection between them deepened with each passing moment.

"I don't want to go straight home, how about a walk downtown? See the lights or fireworks?"

Alicia looked at the clock on her left hand, "But it's still too long to get to midnight, Nick."

"There's no such thing as 'too long' when I'm spending time with you."

After dinner, they took a stroll through the city streets decorated with festive lights. As they approached a park, Nicholas noticed a small crowd gathered around a street musician. His music tugged at their heartstrings, and wordlessly, they joined the crowd.

Unexpectedly, the street musician stopped playing, and Nicholas found himself pulled into the spotlight. Alicia's eyes widened as she took the guitar that was thrust at her reluctantly. With a shy smile, Nicholas strummed a few chords, surprising everyone with his hidden musical talent.

Alicia, mesmerized by this surprise, joined him in a spontaneous dance under the twinkling stars. The audience cheered, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.

As the night wore on, they found themselves on a quiet rooftop overlooking the city. The skyline shimmered with a myriad of lights, mirroring the sparkle in Alicia's eyes. Nicholas reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

Alicia gasped, not expecting what was about to be revealed. Nicholas opened the box and revealed a delicate necklace, with a shimmering jewel dangling from it. "Alicia, this is a symbol of us, the unexpected moments that make life beautiful. Will you be my dance partner forever?"

Alicia looked at Nicholas in confusion. "When did you buy this?"

"Actually, it was a gift from Emma. She wanted me to give it to you. But the timing was always off. I didn't find the best time for this, I'm sorry. I love you so much. I started to worry about all the murder puzzles, my mind was filled with my worries about Ace who was always after you. It's... it's getting suffocating."

Nicholas shed tears without realizing it. He felt his chest tighten for no reason. And seeing that, Alicia immediately accepted the gift from Nicholas and said, "I accept your offer, Nick. I will be your dance partner forever."

Nicholas' cry broke out, and Alicia hugged Nicholas there. The clock on Alicia's left hand was pointing to twelve, and the fireworks that were set off could be heard filling both of their ears.

It was a New Year's Eve atmosphere that was hard to put into words. All the emotions came together. And Nicholas, for the first time, could no longer stop himself from crying in front of Alicia. Alicia could only hug him, and let the new year bring them real new hopes.

Hope that all the cases will soon be solved and Nicholas can have a good love life with Alicia in the city.

"You'll be fine, Nick. We'll both be fine."

Nicholas tightened his embrace and they spent New Year's Eve together.