"You misheard me. I didn''t say anything."


    "You did! I heard it! You said you missed me."


    "Oh... so you did hear me clearly."


    Jonathan paused, amused by her clever response.


    He chuckled softly, and Anneliese smiled in response.


    "You missed me? Should Ie find you?"


    "No! We agreed just once a week!" she insisted, trying to maintain appearances for Grandma.


    He sighed, feeling helpless.


    Trying to change the topic, she asked, "Have you returned to Halden?"


    "No, still in Oceaton. I''ll go back tonight and let you know my schedule."


    He reported his movements to reassure her, making Anneliese smile faintly. "Okay, I''ll hang up now."


    The thrill of sneaking a call like this made her heart race.


    It was ridiculous. She felt like they were running a secret undercover operation.


    Jonathan murmured, "Baby... I missed you, too."


    She hung up, his voice lingering in her ears.


    She rubbed her tingling ears and looked down, then deleted the contact name "Hubby" from her phone.


    Suddenly, a scene from many years ago shed through her mind.


    At her parents'' memorial, he had gone to pay his respects. She led him to the back


    of the hall and had him offer a bouquet of flowers.


    At that time, she had also been full of anger and resentment toward Jonathan.


    If it weren''t for saving him, she wouldn''t have lost her parents and her younger brother.


    Mr. Belmort, her father''s colleague and closest friend—a firefighter-put an arm around her and said, "Anne, your father was a hero. That boy was someone your father saved with his life. If your father''s spirit is watching, do you think he would want that young man to live a full life, or remain trapped in shadows?"


    Jonathan wasn''t the only person her father had saved. He had saved many lives, always giving everything he had.


    Every time her father rescued someone, even if he was bleeding or injured, he would be so happy he could hardly contain himself.


    Anne knew her father would never me Jonathan. Of course, her father wanted that young man to live well!


    That was why she brought Jonathan to the memorial, had him offer the flowers, and told him, "You must live, no matter what."


    Anneliese remembered she had only seen Jonathan two or three times before, and only on this asion had she been kind to him.


    Could it be that just because of that small act of kindness, I became unforgettable?


    If so, he really is too easy to deceive.


    Wait-what am I even thinking?


    What nonsense-so narcissistic of me.


    Back then even if Jonathan had


    wanted to take her into the Fullbuster family to care for her it


    would have been only to repaVAS


    debt of gratitude.


    Anneliese shook her head to stop her wild thoughts, but her fingers moved on their own changing Jonathan''s contact name to "Big Brother" and unpinning him from the top of her contacts. ''


    Meanwhile, Jonathan put away his phone, his mood uplifted.


    He felt that perhaps his grandmother''s opposition wasn''t so bad after all.


    She had never been this openly eager before. Maybe her grandmother did provoke her rebellious streak.


    Still... Some emotions only grow stronger the more they''re suppressed, restrained, or blocked-they be impossible to control.


    "Congrattions, Mr. Fullbuster! Mrs. Fullbuster has broken through all obstacles to firmly be with you, which proves she truly loves you!"


    Zion, seeing his boss struggle to hide his smile, felt as if he had gone from the Arctic to the tropics in minutes.


    Jonathan looked at him. "Isn''t that obvious? Why do you need to say it?"


    I''ve known all along my girl truly loves me!


    Zion was speechless. Earlier, seeing that she had blocked him, he had pounded his seat in anxiety and insecurity.


    The car slowly stopped in front of a club. Zion said, "Mr. Fullbuster, we''ve arrived."


    The small smile on Jonathan''s face vanished, reced by a cold, fierce look.


    He got out of the car and strode into the club.


    ...


    The manager came forward, led him ahead, and pushed open the door to a heavy private room.


    Jonathan stepped in. Four ck-d bodyguards stood around the room.


    Seated directly opposite the door was a single figure.


    It was Zacharias.


    His suit and shirt were a bit disheveled. Rather than being invited by the bodyguards, it seemed he had been forcibly brought here without a word.