?Chapter 569:


    “That sounds rather harsh.”


    “Rest, thene pick me upter.” Her tone softened as she added, “We’ll have dinner together tonight.”


    Before stepping into the elevator, she reached up and lightly brushed her fingers across his cheek, mimicking his usual gesture.


    “Listen to me, alright?”


    A quiet chuckle rumbled in Nate’s chest as he watched her walk away.


    Inside the elevator, Jacob’s gaze flickered once more to the ring on Corrine’s finger. He remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.


    “Miss Hond, is there a wedding in the works?”


    Corrine hesitated, caught off guard. She offered a small smile after a beat.


    “It is not certain yet.”


    But deep down, she knew it was inevitable.


    Jacob picked up on the underlying certainty in her tone. He lowered his eyes slightly, masking theplex emotions stirring beneath the surface.


    Then, as if recalling something, Corrine turned to him.


    “Jacob, has my grandfather ever mentioned my marriage arrangement to you?” Jacob had been by her side for years, guiding and protecting her after her grandfather brought her back into the Ford family. Even after he left when she turned eighteen, their bond had only strengthened. If there was something to know about her marriage arrangement, Jacob might have the answer.


    “I have heard your grandfather mention it,” Jacob admitted.


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    “But…”


    “But what?” Corrine pressed, curiosity sparking in her eyes.


    Jacob lifted his gaze, his expressionposed, but a weight lingered in his voice.


    “Are you truly willing to go through with an arrangement that should never have existed? Do you even know Mr. Hopkins? Have you ever heard the rumors about him?”


    An arrangement that should never have existed… Was there a hidden truth behind this arrangement?


    A flicker of surprise crossed Corrine’s face before she quickly masked it.


    “It sounds as though you do not want me to be with him, Jacob.”


    “I do not,” Jacob stated without hesitation, his gaze darkening with quiet intensity.


    “All I want is for you to be safe and at peace.”


    His blunt honesty left Corrine momentarily at a loss for words.


    Just then, the elevator doors slid open. Jacob stepped aside, his demeanor shifting back to its usualposed politeness. He gestured toward the exit.


    “After you, Miss Hond.”


    It was as if the conversation they had just shared had been nothing more than a passing illusion.


    Corrine snapped out of her thoughts as the elevator doors slid open. She stepped out, her pace steady as she made her way toward the hospital room.


    “Jacob, do you know how my marriage arrangement came to be?”


    Jacob nced at her, his voice even.


    “What truly matters is not how it started, but whether you intend to keep it.”


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