Anneliese nodded and threw her arms around him.


    "I can''t believe it was her! How could she do something that awful? My mom treated her like family. How could she turn into such a snake?"


    Years ago, she and her grandmother had searched for the person who told her mother about her adoptive father''s death.


    They''d asked so many people and found nothing. They''d assumed her mother had overheard someone talking.


    But now, it was clear. Melody had gone there on purpose, full of spite.


    And when her mother had fallen, bleeding and gasping for life, Melody had just stood there, watching her die.


    Anneliese''s chest rose and fell sharply. Hatred burned in her throat, but shame burned deeper.


    "How could I have been that blind? All these years, and I didn''t see it! I even called that woman my mother-inw for two years. That''s no different from loving my mother''s murderer. My parents must be furious with me for being this stupid."


    The thought of those years with Zacharias made her stomach twist. She had served Melody like a dutiful daughter-inw,pletely unaware of the monster behind the mask.


    She clenched her fist and lifted it toward her chest, but Jonathan caught her wrist. He guided her hand to his chest instead, his voice calm and warm.


    "This isn''t on you, baby.


    "There are just people out there who are cruel to the core. You, your grandma, your parents—you''re all kind. You couldn''t have known someone like Melody could be that venomous."


    "If anyone''s to me, it''s me. If I''d dug deeper back then, maybe she wouldn''t have gotten away with it for so long."


    Jonathan''s regret cut deep.


    If he had just pushed harder back then, maybe he could''ve exposed Melody years ago.


    If that had happened, Anneliese wouldn''t have been fooled by Zacharias. Her grandmother might''ve agreed to let him take little Anneliese back to the Fullbuster family. He would''ve protected her, raised his little rose with his own hands.


    But life didn''t give second chances.


    Hearing the guilt and sorrow in his voice, Anneliese forgot her own pain. She threw her arms around his neck and brushed her cheek against his shoulder.


    "That''s not true. You were just a kid. How could you have known? You didn''t even know who Melody was or what kind of person she''d be."


    Jonathan smiled faintly and stroked her hair. "You were even younger than me, so stop ming yourself."


    Anneliese lifted her head from his chest. Her eyes, red and glistening, locked on his. "Jonathan, how are you always this nice to me?"


    He always caught her right before she broke, never letting her drown in her sadness.


    "Your face softened, a spark


    "You''re only realizing that now?" His


    yfulness flickering iniis eyes the moment she praised him. >


    Anneliese cupped his face and nodded with a bright grin.


    "You''re perfect. Handsome, strong, smart, rich, from a great


    family each one''s a win on its own, but you''ve got all of them. And you still give me emotional stability too Seriously, I hit the jackpot!


    Her tone was half-teasing, half-sincere as she squeezed his face in her hands.


    Jonathan''s lips twitched. A little praise he could take, but too much made him uneasy.


    He tilted his head and muttered softly, "You''re starting to scare me when you talk like that."


    Anneliese held his face tighter. Watching someone usually soposed act shy in her palms sent a rush of heat up her arms.


    Her pulse jumped. She was sure he was doing it on purpose, trying to charm her by pretending to be bashful.


    It wasn''t fair.


    She pulled her hands back and rubbed her flushed cheeks, ring at him in mock annoyance.


    "Then get used to it, because I''m not stopping anytime soon!"


    Jonathan turned his head away,ughing quietly under his breath.


    God, she was too cute for her own good.


    Anneliese caught his smile and couldn''t help smiling too.


    Just then, her phone rang. She grabbed it without looking, her mind still half on him,


    and answered right away.


    She didn''t expect the voice that came through.


    "Anneliese! How can you be so cruel? You really want my mother dead? What happened to you?"


    It was Zacharias.


    Anneliese froze for a beat, her mood turning dark.


    Her tone turned icy. "Zacharias, is


    your brain full of trash? Your mother''s a murderer. If you still want to defend her, fine, that''s your problem. But don''t expect the test of usto treat her like she''s some saint."