Why would Lizetta be disappointed? It wasn't like she wanted to string Jerome along...

Ugh, no.

She had never, ever viewed Jerome as a backup plan or a safety net.

"I'm incredibly relieved that he's finally letting go, and I'm genuinely happy about it. I've always believed Jerome didn't actually have romantic feelings for me; it was just a mix of guilt and a sense of duty. We're together now, so if Jerome is willing to step back, I couldn't be happier. But yes, I am a little surprised. What made him suddenly see the light?"

Because Jerome had been so relentlessly stubborn before, Lizetta suspected Remington might have had another 'talk' with him while she was asleep.

But Remington looked completely innocent. "I didn't say a single word to your precious Jerome. Maybe he witnessed the sheer intensity of my devotion to you, felt inadequate in comparison, and decided to gracefully bow out."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Or maybe Jerome has his own situation going on. Maybe he's finally met his match?"

Lizetta could tell he wasn't just throwing out hypotheticals. She grabbed

Remington's hand and demanded answers.

"What do you mean? What do you know?"

Remington nodded without saying a word. After Lizetta gave him a shove, he finally dragged out the suspense.

"Want to know?"

Lizetta urged him. "Of course I do! Just tell me! Who is it? Do I know her?"

She was already running through a list of potential candidates in her head.

Jerome was striking, highly capable, and possessed an impeccable temperament and character.

Men like him were honestly far more popular than aloof, unapproachable men like Remington.

Back in Tranquil Meadows, plenty of wealthy heiresses had relentlessly pursued Jerome.

Even at the dance company, several beautiful girls had crushed on him.

Two or three of them were exceptionally talented and gorgeous, but Jerome had always maintained a polite, gentlemanly distance never showing special favor to anyone.

Lizetta racked her brain but couldn't pin down a single suspect.

She stared at Remington with mounting anticipation. Remington sighed helplessly.

"How would I know who it is? I don't

know her either. I just happened to see Jerome having dinner with a beautiful young woman in a highly exclusive private dining room the day of your accident. And from the looks of it, it wasn't a business meeting."

Intrigued, Lizetta asked, "What did she look like? Describe her to me."

She was genuinely dying to know. If they were having a private dinner date, something was definitely brewing.

Plus, if a man with standards as impossibly high as Remington's called her beautiful, she had to be utterly drop-dead gorgeous.

Lizetta's curiosity peaked.

She completely failed to notice that Remington's expression was growing incredibly

sour.

As Remington stared at Lizetta, his eyes darkened heavily. That was when Lizetta finally realized something was wrong.

"What is it?" she blinked, confused.

In the next second, Remington grabbed the back of her neck, flipped her over, and pinned her to the hospital bed.

Their noses brushed. His voice dropped to a gravelly rasp.

།

"Girlfriend, you've been focusing your attention on other men for way too long. And on top of that, I just praised another woman's beauty, and youre not even the least bit jealous..."

He rubbed his nose against hers, then suddenly lifted his head and lightly bit her

lower lip.

"Tell me, do you not love me?"