Chapter 73

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“Don’t you already know?” Jeffrey answered with infuriating calm.

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He draped an arm over the chairback, and his eyes locked with hers unflinchingly. Neither would yield.

Ultimately, Rebecca broke first.

“Save yourself the trouble right now.” She hated his righteous nonchalance. Why should she be the only one affected? “Even if you’re not with Andrea anymore, we’re through.”

She’d remember every poisonous word he said forever.

“As long as she doesn’t ask me to leave, I’ll take care of her for the rest of my life,” Jeffrey said slowly.

Rebecca genuinely wanted to smack him. She wasn’t stupid. This comment was clearly meant for her ears.

“Are you tired?” Jeffrey asked her.

Since the last incident, he’d rarely opened up like this. He knew exactly how her days went: daytime job, noon hospital visits, evenings spent cooking, nights burning the midnight oil with freelance art projects–a never- ending whirlwind.

Even the Hanson family’s housekeeper didn’t work half as hard as she did.

Rebecca froze and thought, ‘Tired? Oh yes, bone–deep exhaustion.’

Every day looked the same: up at dawn to cook, squeezing in freelance work until 3 AM after Samuel was asleep, juggling endless chores between shifts.

She’d never experienced this kind of relentless grind in her entire privileged life.

Jeffrey had watched her fraying nerves and hollow eyes. Seeing his carefully nurtured “flower” wilt like this pained him. “Answer me properly. Are you tired?”

“Yeah,” Rebecca admitted. “But that’s adult life. No one gets through it unscathed.”

“You have options,” Jeffrey reminded her. This level of leniency was something he’d never granted anyone else -not even Samuel.

Rebecca looked at him, her expression momentarily blank. “You want me to be Mrs. Hanson again?”

Though anticipating her rejection, he answered, “Yes.”

“Jeffrey, do you have no self–respect?” Rebecca understood this was his concession, but she couldn’t accept his entanglement with Andrea or forget his recent words and actions.

sever his hopes and her own

stopped asking,” Rebecca kept

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Chapter 73

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or do you actually believe being Mrs.

every bridge. She knew this provocation would

still unconscious, Rebecca feared prolonged stress might break her resolve, knowing emotional collapse often breeds poor decisions. She decided to end

eyes chilled as he watched

uncharacteristic gravity, his voice roughened, “you’re lucky I understand you enough

gaze, her

into a thin line before relenting. He stood abruptly, seizing her

an embrace.

struggled fiercely

Jeffrey hissed, clamping

Her resistance only intensified.

turmoil softened his tone. “I know you’re exhausted. You’ve been suffering from stress and emotional strain these

in

exhaled heavily. “Hush

unexpected tenderness

pent–up fury. When mere blows proved insufficient, she sank her teeth

Jeffrey didn’t even flinch.

shattered state, for a fleeting moment, he wondered if destroying his bond

he abandoned his conviction, that’d prove his parents

finally stopped her

warm tone.

nose prickling with

betrayer she despised, yet the man who knew her

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Chapter 73

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her cheeks with his thumb.

gem.

had shattered the day he’d chosen Andrea. It was a fracture no glue

“Jeffrey,” Rebecca called out.

voice softened, warm and

difficult for me?” Rebecca felt utterly exhausted. The cheerful facade she maintained daily was

her tears. “I haven’t caused you trouble

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