"Remington, what do you mean by that..." Martin started.


    "You said you wanted to thank me properly. What kind of proper thankses without a substantial gesture?"


    "I just thought you weren''t the type to demand a reward for a good deed," Martin replied, his brow furrowing as his tone deepened. "Given your rtionship with Quinn and your ties to Ste, you should genuinely care for and love Ron, rather than seeking something else..."


    Watching Martin, Liz finally understood who Ste had inherited her shameless, two-faced hypocrisy from. A sarcastic smirk curled on her lips. "Mr. West, you were the one who came here iming to offer sincere thanks. Yet, not only are you refusing to show any actual sincerity, but you''re also acting as if asking for a reward means having an ulterior motive? If that''s how you think, then why have you spent all these years guilt-tripping the Dashiell family, practically using past favors to extort them into serving the West family?"


    Liz was referring to the long-standing situation with Ste. Strictly speaking, Ste hadn''t really done Remington any massive life-saving favor. In a life-or-death crisis, it''s every man for himself; no one is obligated to stay behind and die with someone else. Yet, despite this, the West family had weaponized Remington''s lingering guilt to emotionally ckmail him for nearly twenty years. When it came to being shameless, Liz truly had to hand it to the Wests.


    Martin''s frown deepened, and he red at Liz with thinly veiled anger. "Lizetta, I watched you grow up. How did you be so uneducated and ill-mannered?"


    Under his condemning gaze, Liz remembered her baby Joy, whose death sheid firmly at this man''s feet. Respect this old bastard? She only wished a bolt of lightning would strike Martin down where he stood.


    "Watch your words, Mr. West," Remington interjected before Liz could respond. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her protectively into his embrace. gesture was clear and


    The


    upromising. "Trespassing into my Oakridge Heights at night to call my girlfriend uneducated and ill-mannered? I wouldn''t call your behavior polite or cultured, either."


    Martin''s face instantly darkened. Ste took a step forward, but before she could speak, Martin sternly ordered, "Ste, mind your manners. We mustn''t forget that we came here to express our gratitude."


    Ste bit her lip and obediently retreated to his side, though her eyes shot daggers of resentment at Remington.


    "Remington, if that''s how you feel, I have nothing more to say," Martin said, his expression turning sorrowful, as if his back hunched slightly under an unbearable blow. "But are you unwilling to even call me your godfather now?"


    Remington''s expression remained indifferent. "We never formally went through the rites of god-kinship. I only used to call you that for fun alongside Quinn. Now that Quinn is gone, if I keep using that title it


    might only make you sad by


    reminding you of her. That would be


    inconsiderate of me."


    It was true that Remington had never formally knelt or offered the traditional gifts to


    acknowledge the West parents as godparents. Now that he refused to use the title, Martin had no grounds to argue.


    Martin''s breathing grew heavy.


    "Remington, you are being too harsh, and your misunderstanding of the West family is too deep fine. Regardless of anything else, still must thank you for Ron. Name your price. If I can provide it, I will. After all, Ron is the only bloodline of the West family."