?Chapter 1086:


    A flicker of joy danced briefly in his eyes, but he suppressed it quickly, slipping back into that yfully pitiful tone. “Can I?” he asked, his voice low and hopeful.


    Linsey was momentarily taken aback by this softer, more endearing side of Collin.


    She couldn’t help but wonder when he had learned to be so… disarming. With anyone else, this performance might have seemed contrived or ridiculous. Buting from him—the man she loved—it waspletely disarming.


    “You’re already the father of my children,” she said with a teasing smile. “What more could you want? Getting married? That’s just a formality. Between us, it hardly matters.”


    Collin’s expression faltered for a heartbeat, but he quickly recovered, his gaze dropping as he gave a quiet nod. “Alright.”


    Linsey tilted her head, amused by the subtle shadow that crossed his features. He was trying to hide it, but she saw it—the brief, unmistakable flicker of disappointment. And somehow, it made her love him even more.


    “Collin, why are you more fixated on getting married than I am?” Linsey teased, giving his cheek a yful pinch. Her tone was light. “You’re the powerhouse of Grester’s business world. If we register our marriage, aren’t you the one getting the raw deal here?”


    “I’d dly let you take advantage of me,” Collin responded, his grin returning with ease. “It’s exactly because I’m wealthy that I worry. What if you don’t even care about the money? Sometimes I wish you enjoyed the creatureforts in life. At least then I’d know how to keep you close forever.”


    He paused for a beat before adding with quiet sincerity, “You’re younger than me—and brilliant too. Anyone would say marrying me would be settling for less.”


    He leaned into her touch, brushing his cheek against her palm with a tender smile. “You’re twenty-seven, and you’ve already had two kids because of me. Whether we get married or not, I won’t let your future be defined by motherhood. Chase your dreams. I’ll be here, backing you all the way. Whatever you want, I’ll make it yours.”


    Linsey’s eyes sharpened, an eyebrow lifting as she locked eyes with him. “Remember, you said that.”


    Seeing the shift in her expression, Collin straightened, seizing the moment. “I swear, every word I said came straight from the heart—no holding back. I’ll keep working harder, so money’s something you’ll never have to stress over.”


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    Augh slipped from Linsey’s lips as she leaned in and nted a kiss on his cheek. “Sure, money’s great. But honestly? It’s your looks, your body, the whole package—you’re exactly my type. There’s no way I’m letting go of a man like that,” she said.


    Collin finally exhaled, a smile softening his face.


    He made a mental note right then: stay in shape no matter what. But Linsey’s tone shifted as she pulled back slightly. “Collin, there’s onest thing—and it matters most of all.”


    Collin met her eyes head-on, now serious. “Tell me.”


    With her gaze steady, she pressed her lips together and said slowly, “Don’t ever lie to me again. That’s my non-negotiable.”


    Hearing that, Collin couldn’t help but think back to what had happened four years ago.


    Back then, there was a single truth he hadn’t had the courage to share, and it cost him four precious years with Linsey.


    This time, he swore to himself he wouldn’t make the same mistake again.


    “Alright,” Collin said, his voice steady and full of conviction.


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