The more Nelson thought about it, the angrier he got. How long had Lizetta even been in Zion City? How did that bastard from the Dashiell family manage to sink his claws back into her so quickly?

Nelson's tone was incredibly hostile. As far as he was concerned, Remington was just a calculating opportunist.

He didn't genuinely want to save Lizetta; he was just using this to manipulate his gullible granddaughter into taking him back.

"I understand. Please rest assured, Mr. Madden, I have no such intentions."

Surprisingly, Remington displayed an incredibly rare streak of good temper. The old man had been throwing warnings and thinly veiled insults at him for minutes, making no secret of his total disdain and resentment.

Had literally anyone else spoken to him like this, Remington would have launched them straight into outer space by now.

But the man in front of him was Lizetta's closest relative, an elder who genuinely protected and cherished her.

Because of that, Remington couldn't summon a single ounce of anger toward him. Honestly, Nelson even reminded him a bit of his own late grandfather.

Yet, even his profound humility failed to win him a shred of leniency from Nelson.

The old man scoffed coldly.

"Remember what you just said! Given the horrific trauma you inflicted on Liz in the past, don't you ever dream of the day I'll accept you! Don't think for a second that just because Liz is sweet-tempered and easy to appease, you're in the clear once you coax her back. My granddaughter is a Madden, and when push comes to shove between you and us, she will always choose us!"

The more he spoke, the more infuriated Nelson became. To think he had only let Liz go to Zion City for a short while, and this absolute parasite from the Dashiell family had already found an opportunity to entangle himself with her again.

It was utterly despicable!

A sudden rush of furious blood to Nelson's head caused his vision to go black, and his body swayed dangerously.

"Grandpa!"

Lizetta cried out, her face instantly pale with panic.

"Careful, Grandpa." Jerome immediately steadied the old man, gently urging him to lie down and rest.

Mrs. Bernice Madden was startled, but somehow seemed to grasp that Remington was the reason her husband was so upset.

Glaring at Remington through the screen, she scolded, "You! No! My precious Liz, we won't play with him anymore, okay?"

Lizetta nodded vigorously. Reaching out, she physically shoved Remington right out of the camera's view.

"Okay, okay, I won't play with him. Please don't be angry, Grandma. While Grandpa isn't home, you need to take good care of yourself. And remember, you absolutely cannot tell anyone about our daily secret calls, okay?"

The old woman always listened to her. Hearing this, she instantly bobbed her head.

"I know, I know! It's our secret. We can't let anyone else know, right?"

Lizetta smiled brightly. "Exactly! Remember, Grandma, no one can know. Otherwise, the bad guys will steal our secret."

"Okay, okay, okay! I won't tell a soul!"

The old woman made a solemn promise, even slapping her hands over her mouth to emphasize the point.

The adorable gesture filled Lizetta's eyes with warmth and amusement. She gently coaxed both her grandparents to hang up and get some much-needed rest.

The moment t she set her phone

Pet

down, the lingering smile still on her face, she caught sight of the man she had just shoved away. He was standing there with his arms

crossed over his chest, visibly engulfed in a dark cloud of gloom.

Lizetta suddenly felt a wave of guilt. She quickly slipped off the bed, walked over to

him, and stood on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Are you mad?"

Remington just stared down at her, completely silent.

Honestly, she was terrified of his silence. She had been terrified of it ever since they were kids.

Whenever he got quiet and angry, panic would bubble up inside her, making her desperately want to apologize or shower him with sweet words to coax him back into a good mood.

"Are you really mad?"

Lizetta blinked up at him innocently, briefly replaying her actions in her head. Was what she did really that bad?

She didn't think so. Remington was a grown man; he shouldn't be this fragile. He already knew her family despised him, so he should have been mentally prepared for this.

The man stared down at the woman who still didn't seem to think her actions were a big deal. Finally, his thin lips parted, and he spoke in a low, crestfallen voice.

"You despise me..."

Lizetta was just about to protest when he cut her off, his tone dipping into even deeper despair.

"Your whole family despises me."

Lizetta, "..."

Okay, fine, maybe that was true. But she couldn't exactly blame her grandfather for that.

After all, back when the old man was in Zion City, Remington hadn't exactly done a single thing to earn his approval.

But seeing how genuinely dejected

her man fooked, Lizetta decided not to bring that up. Instead, she tightened her hold on his neck

gently pulling him doneckel.

level.

closer

her

Her delicate fingers lightly traced the sharp, handsome contours of his face as she murmured softly.

"My man is so incredibly handsome,

so gentle, and takes such good care

of me. You even descended from the heavens to rescue me when was in danger. Where else in the world could I find such a perfect and Grandege will man? Grandpa and Grandma will see all of that eventually, and they'll love you just as much as I do."