"You..." Annie was speechless with frustration. She shot Rowan a withering glare. "I know Mr. Blackwood. Even if I don't reach out, he'll come see me on his own." Rowan frowned slightly. Ugh, she's so good at playing the goody-two-shoes. Their standoff was interrupted as the hospital room door opened again. Two police officers entered. "Excuse me. Which one of you is Annie?" Annie stared, bewildered. "I am. Who are you?" The officers showed their badges. "We're investigating a reported traffic incident from last night. There are some inconsistencies. We need you to cooperate with our inquiries." Rowan stepped forward smoothly. "My boss is the one who filed the report. He has delegated all related matters to me. Let me brief you on the situation." Annie, propped against her pillows, felt the blood drain from her face. Her body went rigid with shock, then a wave of white-hot fury crashed over her. He doubts me?! After all these years, he still questions my character. Jethro, you're something else. Her eyes burned with furious tears, her chest heaving. Fine. You're not the only clever one, Jethro. My game is well-planned. You'll come around eventually. After breakfast, Darcy headed downstairs. The morning heat was already oppressive. She was sweating within minutes as she walked toward the parking garage. Suddenly, she saw a familiar figure leaning against her car. Despite the sweltering summer air, the man was dressed in an immaculate suit, standing quietly by her driver's side door. Darcy hurried over. "It's scorching! Why didn't you wait inside the car?" Jethro saw her, and the emptiness in his eyes melted into something soft. "I was afraid I'd miss you." "Miss me? So what? You could have just—" Before she could finish, he gently placed a hand behind her head and captured her lips in a deep, intense kiss. When he finally released her, Darcy leaned against his chest, breathless. "I... hadn't finished talking," she managed, her voice soft. Jethro held her close. "I don't want to miss you. I won't. I'm so sorry about last night. I thought about it all morning, and I had to see you, to explain in person." He told her everything—driving out of the garage, the sudden impact, finding Annie, taking her to the hospital. The dead phone was an unlucky coincidence; he would never have made her wait like that intentionally. "It's my fault. I'm sorry." Darcy blinked up at him. "I believe you. If you couldn't make it, you had a good reason. But Jethro, answer me this—do you know Annie?" Jethro was taken aback. "Why do you ask?" Darcy tilted her head. "Just answer." "Yes. I know her." "And who is she to you?" "She's... my ex. But that was a long time ago. We haven't been in contact for years. I had no idea she was back in the country until last night. To me, she's no different from a stranger." Given the strange coincidence, he feared she might doubt him and swore his words were true. Darcy reached up and placed a finger over his lips. "I believe you. But I have something to show you, too." She pulled out her phone, unlocked it, and handed it to him, showing him the text messages. "Two days ago, she came to me. Told me all about you two and that first love that fizzled out. She wanted me to let you go so you could be with her. She said you didn't break up because you fell out of love, but because you were forced apart." Jethro frowned as he read the messages, then promptly blocked Annie's number on Darcy's phone. "Don't believe a word she says from now on. If she contacts you again, just block her." Darcy nodded, but curiosity won. "So... back then. Were you forced apart?" Being torn away at the height of love always left a scar, a lingering "what if." That kind of regret could last a lifetime, surfacing in quiet moments with thoughts of how things might have been different. Darcy could accept that he had a past. But what if that past wasn't really past? Seeing her bite her lip and fall silent, Jethro's heart clenched with panic. "It wasn't like that. Please, don't give up on me. Darcy, don't just... walk away. Please?" He sounded like a wounded animal, his voice low and strained with vulnerability.Darcy wrapped her arms around his waist. "I won't. I promise. Can you tell me about what happened between you two? I want to hear it." Jethro had witnessed the worst of her history with Zane firsthand. But his own past—Darcy only had the outline, a blur.