Jackson quickly relaxed. “But if we’re going to spend the rest of our lives in the UK, we need to adapt to the local customs,” he said. “And boots are definitely a must! My grandmother always said, ‘Girls shouldn’t let their feet get cold; it’ll cause problems later on.’” Emily raised an eyebrow. “Your grandmother actually told you that?” “Yeah, she’s been worrying about her two grandsons, both single and in their thirties. Now that I’m in the UK, she’s focused on my brother instead. I just hope he gets things sorted with Olivia soon; if he puts his mind to it, it should be a piece of cake.” “They’ve been dragging their feet for a while, huh?” “Yep,” Jackson replied, a hint of discomfort on his face. “Olivia mentioned she wouldn’t even consider marriage for three years after… well, after you know what happened. My brother’s just stuck waiting. It’s pitiful; he’s thirty-five and still single. If he gets married now, it’ll be years before he even becomes a dad. By the time his kid is off to college, he’ll be retired!” Today he brought up a lot of familiar names for Emily. “Jackson, can I ask you something?” “Sure, go ahead.” “...Three years ago, did he... really not care at all about saving me?” Jackson’s expression stiffened. “Who put that in your head?” “No one,” Emily said quickly. “I just suddenly remembered it and can’t make sense of it. He treated me so well, but then he just gave up on me and the baby.” Jackson looked down, his voice subdued. “Your dad treated your mom well too, maybe even better than he treated you. And look how that turned out.” “But Logan wanted my mom’s talent. What did Satan want from me?” Emily sighed. “I had nothing to offer; I was a divorced woman. I don’t get why he was nice to me and then suddenly changed his mind about us.” Jackson continued to warm her feet with his hands, his emotions clearly restrained. “So, you’re starting to think about him again?” “No, I just…” “Emily, when are you going to realize that I’m your boyfriend now? When you talk about him, have you considered how that makes me feel?” Emily felt a rush of guilt and quickly pulled her feet away, stuffing them back into her shoes. “I’m sorry, Jackson! I just—” “Forget it, don’t explain,” Jackson said as he stood up. “You don’t believe me, do you? If you want proof, why not just call Vincent and ask him yourself?” He was genuinely upset. Emily felt lost. “Please don’t be mad. I promise I won’t bring it up again, okay?” Jackson held her shoulders, locking eyes with her. “Emily, can you please move on from the past? I’ve been waiting for nearly four years. I don’t know how much longer I can keep pulling you away from it. We’re going to live in the UK, so let’s cut ties with the past. Why does it matter so much? The day you had your accident, I saw him with Penelope, and she looked so much like you that I almost mistook her for you. Don’t you get what that means?” “I…” “Maybe he did care about you once, but he also treated Penelope well. Are you sure it’s you who resembles her, or is it the other way around? He helped her with debts, sent her to school, gave her everything he could. You can ask my brother; he knows more than I do. What did he give you? Not even a house—just stuck you in a hotel room. If it weren’t for your constant questioning, would he have ever revealed his true self?” Jackson’s barrage of questions caught Emily off guard. He was right; some answers were lost in the past, and she didn’t want to step back into that mud. The truth didn’t seem to matter anymore. But… “Jackson, I think I need to go back to America for a while.” Jackson looked shocked. “You’re going back to find him?” “No, no! It’s work,” Emily quickly clarified. “The company is expanding in America, and since I’m a New Yourker, they decided to send me and a few designers over.” Jackson’s face darkened as he asked coldly, “When are you leaving?” “Next Wednesday.” “That soon?” “Yeah, I just got the notice today. I guess the project is urgent.” Jackson ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Are you serious?” “What’s wrong? Do you have plans? You don’t have to come with me; you can stay in the UK.”He shot her an incredulous look. “No way! I just got a girlfriend; I’m not doing long-distance. I need to be there for you.” Emily tugged on his sleeve. “I’m just Miranday now. I barely know anyone here; as long as I avoid certain people, I’ll be fine.” Jackson huffed, “Fine, fine! Wherever you go, I’ll follow you. Wait, how long are you going for?” “I don’t know; it depends on what the company arranges.” Jackson began to bargain. “Well, this weekend, you have to come over and cook for me—that’s what you promised.” That was easy enough. Emily nodded. “Okay, I’ll come over on Saturday.” At that, Jackson brightened up, wrapping her in a tight embrace and resting his chin on her shoulder. “Man, I really feel for myself right now.” Emily couldn’t help but laugh. Early Saturday morning, Emily rose early to buy ingredients at a nearby supermarket to take over to Jackson’s place. To her surprise, Jackson was already downstairs waiting for her. Just as she was brushing her teeth, he called to say he was downstairs. Hastily finishing up, she got dressed and grabbed her keys. Just then, her phone rang. It was Adam. “Hello?” “Miranda, I’m really sorry to bother you so early, but can you come to the airport? The representatives from the Great Wall Group are here, and they came out of nowhere. We’re unprepared. Please help us…”