"What are you nning?" Cassius asked nonchntly, spraying antiseptic on his chest.


    Remington''s eyes narrowed slightly, his voice steady and firm. "If you''re going to pursue Ynda, do it right, with marriage in mind. If you''re only in it for a thrill, back off now and stop bothering her."


    Cassius paused in his movements, looking up at Remington in disbelief. "Remi, what are you even talking about? Don''t tell me you still have feelings for Ynda..."


    But the dark look in Remington''s eyes made Cassius realize his mistake. Remington was devoted to Lizetta; he wouldn''t be interested in another woman, especially not Lizetta''s best friend.


    Feeling the intensity of Remington''s gaze, Cassius gave a nervous chuckle. "Come on, Remi, you know how your words can be misleading sometimes."


    He could feel the cold sweat forming on his back. The thought of bing romantic rivals with Remington was terrifying-he''d stand no chance.


    "Just remember what I said," Remington reiterated, ignoring Cassius''s silly assumptions. This was as close to a warning as he was willing to give.


    Cassius''s expression soured, his brow furrowing. "Remi, I''m your buddy, right? And here you are warning me over some woman who isn''t even rted to you? Besides, how am I not pursuing her properly?"


    "If I weren''t serious, who knows what might have happened to Yndast night when she got


    drunk? She''s just being dramati


    overreacting with her temper. Its not like did anything wrong; she''s the one who threw money in my face and called it quits. It''s been days and she still hasn''t calmed down!"


    Cassius couldn''t understand why Remington was siding with Ynda over him. It


    felt like Remington was putting a woman before their friendship.


    "Really, if you were there, why did Ynda end up drinking so much? Wasn''t it you who dragged her into the booth in the first ce?" Remington questioned coldly.


    Cassius felt a pang of guilt. He had tried reaching out to Ynda for days, but she had blocked him on every social tform. Even when he orchestrated ''chance'' encounters, she ignored himpletely. Today, she had even set up a blind date!


    Out of frustration, he had made


    things difficult for her in front of their friends, all of whom held higher


    social status than Ynda. They followed his lead, making it hard for her to escape. He thought forcing her to bow her head would make her see reason.


    But Ynda had downed every drink on the table, red and white, without giving him a second nce. Cassius felt a mix of anger and regret, recalling how she had been sick and crying in the car afterward, her face pate after being pulled from the water.


    "Remi, just focus on your own rtionship. Stay out of ours," Cassius said stubbornly.


    Remington looked at Cassius, realizing that no amount of talking would change his friend''s mind.