Thaddeus Gardenia didn''t see this as a minor issue. Afraid that his sister wasn''t taking it seriously, his tone grew even sterner.


    Lizetta was speechless. She wanted to exin that Jerome Madden was family, but saying that would unravel a whole string of secrets. Though Thaddeus was recovering decently, he had only recently woken up from a longa, and his body was still recuperating. The doctors had warned against subjecting him to any major shocks. For now, Liz decided it was best to keep her true parentage and the messy affairs of Hans and Jolin Gardenia hidden from him.


    "I understand, Thaddeus. I know what I''m doing," she finally replied, offering no real exnation.


    However, her vague answer only made Thaddeus more concerned. He continued to nag, "As long as you know your limits. A marriage can be strong, but it''s also incredibly fragile when faced with suspicion and boundary-crossing. That Mr. Madden... just don''t get too close to him."


    Thaddeus still believed Liz was his biological sister. Having been in aa for two years, his memory of her was still that of a twenty-year-old girl. Knowing that her marriage was built on an unequal footing and that Remington Dashiell''s temper wasn''t easy to deal with, he couldn''t help but offer extra advice.


    "I know, Thaddeus," Liz nodded, bracing herself.


    Suddenly, azy, amused voice drifted from behind her. "I think your brother makes a great point. Honey, you really should listen to him."


    Remington had walked back into the room at some point and clearly overheard Thaddeus''s warning. As he chimed in, Liz shot him a fierce re. She couldn''t fathom how his acting skills were so impable. He had only put on a couple of acts in Thaddeus''s hospital room, yet somehow he hadpletely won her brother over. He knew exactly what the real situation was, yet he had the audacity to join in and poke fun at her.


    Seeing that Remington had


    overheard, Thaddeus quickly spoke up to prevent any


    misunderstandings. "Please don''t overthink this Mr. Dashiell. Evejust been in the hospital too long and my immobility gives me too much time to let my imagination runwild. You know Liz''s character better than I do-she''s not the kind of girl to mess around..."


    Thaddeus looked regretful, feeling he hadplicated things. If his words made


    Remington suspicious, wouldn''t he be harming his sister?


    Remington walked over, wrapped an


    arm around Liz''s waist, and ced his hand over hers on the phone. With a gentle, calm expression, he said, "You''re too polite, Thaddeus. Just call me Remington was only joking with Liz just now. I know Jerome too; he and Liz are just regr friends. I trust her


    Remington rarely showed such patience and amicability, even to his own elders. On the other end of the screen, Thaddeus was so shocked he seemed to freeze for a moment.


    When he finally recovered, a bright smile spread across his face. "Good, good. Then I won''t bother you two anymore... Have a good night, my brother-inw, and Liz."


    Thaddeus still didn''t dare address


    Remington directly by his first name,


    but calling him "brother-inw"


    visibly softened the look in


    Remington''s eyes. It seemed the


    Gardenia family still had one


    sensible, tactful member.


    After ending the video call, Remington smiled and looked down at her. "Your brother


    told us to rest early, Liz. How about we take a bath together?"


    Liz gave him a fake smile. "If Thaddeus knew the truth, he wouldn''t be so warm and friendly to you, let alone think you''re the perfect man. Have you no shame?"


    Thaddeus merely assumed that during his two-yeara, Remington had taken excellent care of Liz and even managed his own medical care. That was why he believed Remington to be an incredibly reliable man.