Dear Ex-wife Marry Me (Maja and Ian) novel Chapter 1754

Maja flashed a bright smile at Shirley. "Come on in, saved you a seat."

Shirley unwrapped the lightweight cashmere scarf from her neck and immediately spotted Abner, dressed in black.

Abner sat ramrod straight, not looking her way.

A twinge of inexplicable sourness hit Shirley's heart as she followed Maja into the private dining room.

Maja pulled out a chair for her, and she murmured a "Thanks."

Just moments ago, Abner had been sarcastic with Ian, but now he was as still as a statue, utterly silent.

Shirley took the initiative to break the ice.

“Abner, long time no see.”

Abner's posture stiffened even more, and it took him a few seconds to grunt out a response. "Yeah."

Regret crept into Shirley's mind for coming here; her presence seemed to have stirred an awkward tension in the air.

Maja handed her some silverware, and she thanked her again.

The atmosphere in the private room was indeed delicate. After a long pause, Abner mustered up the courage to speak.

“It’s been a while.”

Ian thought Abner was quite the actor, probably had been keeping tabs on Shirley for some time.

Rumors painted Abner as a madman, merciless when dealing with rivals, even capable of going to extremes when provoked.

Now he seemed lost, staring into his plate, clearly uncomfortable.

Shirley had always looked out for Abner, the epitome of a caring elder sister, so instinctively, she wanted to pour him a cup of tea.

But before she could act, Abner had already poured one for her.

She offered a wry smile.

“I almost forgot, you’ve grown up now.”

Her voice carried a hint of melancholy. Sometimes, in the blink of an eye, years pass by.

Abner's hand froze, unsure of what to say.

Maja suddenly felt that she and Ian should excuse themselves, but there was no easy way out.

She coughed softly, pushing the house specialty towards Shirley.

"Shirley, this is what you ordered. Dig in."

Almost reflexively, he looked at Shirley, who was also looking his way. Their eyes met, and he recoiled as if burned.

"Shut up!"

Ian served Maja a helping of food, continuing to tease, "What's the matter, shy? At your age, you should be having a passionate romance, not just holed up with your guns and boats."

Abner's chest heaved with irritation.

Shirley was surprised, "Guns?"

The room fell silent.

Maja quickly deflected, "It's a survival game the guys like to play – it involves guns, boats."

"So, Abner, you play video games?"

It was as if she'd discovered a new side of him. "That's good, keeps you connected with your peers."

Abner retorted, "You make it sound like you're old or something."

Maja cringed inwardly, giving Ian a fierce pinch.

Ian's face contorted in pain, but he had to swallow it silently.