?Chapter 448:


    “Of course.”


    “Then why did Farrah bring up Jocelyn right outside the hospital and look at you like you didn’t have a clue?” Kristian pressed.


    That wiped the smirk off Felipe’s face.


    Kristian really couldn’t help himself—he always knew how to push just the right button.


    He hadn’t intended to say more, but after a brief pause, he added, “If you can trust other women but not Farrah, she won’t forgive you for it.”


    “You’re not her. How would you know?” Felipe shot back, a flicker of panic surfacing before he quickly covered it up.


    Kristian’s eyes darkened, distant and cold. “Maybe I’ve just learned from past mistakes.”


    Felipe secretly rolled his eyes.


    Done with the conversation, he didn’t bother replying and drove off.


    As for Kristian, the thoughts circling in his mind made his expression harden for a moment. He tamped down the emotions stirring inside him and headed toward the house.


    He had barely made it a few steps when he spotted his parents standing nearby.


    He stopped in his tracks, whatever emotion had lingered in his eyes vanishingpletely.


    “Kristian, you’ve finallye around,” Melinda said with a face full of relief, as though her son had just grown up overnight.


    Isaac’s gaze twinkled with amusement.


    Kristian’s hands hung loosely at his sides as he paused briefly before walking toward them with practiced calm. “What are you doing here?”


    “Just taking a stroll after dinner,” Melinda answered cheerfully, reaching out to hold his hand. Her voice softened. “Failing once isn’t the end of the world. What matters is learning from it and not repeating the same mistake.”


    For a second, Kristian couldn’t find the right words.


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    Keeping hisposure, he said simply, “I was only teasing Felipe.”


    “I get it,” Melinda replied, clearly pleased.


    Kristian was momentarily silent again, but years of learning to keep a straight face helped him stay collected.


    Isaac gave his shoulder a firm pat. “Owning up to your past is a sign you’re growing.”


    “I’ve got something to take care of. I’ll head inside,” Kristian said, eager to escape the weight of his father’s words. “You two enjoy your walk.”


    With that, he turned and made his way into the house.


    Melinda blinked, puzzled. “What could he possibly have to do thiste? Isn’t Lionel already asleep?”


    “He’s just embarrassed. We struck a nerve, and now he needs an excuse to duck out,” Isaac replied, serious but with a chuckle in his tone.


    Melinda nodded knowingly. “Makes sense.”


    “He’s a grown man now. We should give him space.”


    “True.”


    Their conversation faded behind him, but Kristian, overhearing it, felt a mix of emotions rise inside.


    A pang of regret slipped in as he thought about how he’d once helped his father win his mother back.


    Once in his room, he showered, slipped into his pajamas, andy down on the bed.


    Staying at the family home always brought him a kind of peace he never found in the city.


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