Chapter 2033


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    ric stepped forward, slinging an arm around Hertha''s shoulders with a smirk ying at the corners of his mouth. "I gotta say, I didn''t expect you to be such a sly fox, coaxing the truth out of Georgia with just a few words."


    The scene that had just unfolded was a real eye-opener for ric, showcasing Hertha''s cunning.


    On the surface, she appeared easy-going and unbothered, the type who could speak her mind in front of a crowd. Yet, every word she uttered wasced with her shrewdness.


    He thought about it - the receptionist at the hotel hadn''t detailed Georgia''s visit to the room as precisely as Hertha had. In Hertha''s recount, she remembered every specific moment.


    It was all to expose Georgia.


    Hertha shot him a nce. "Spending too much time with Georgia has dulled your brains, hasn''t it?" she quipped, turning to head into the boutique. ric was about to defend his intelligence when he suddenly caught the deeper meaning in Hertha''s words.


    He hurried after her, rifying, "What''s this about spending too much time with Georgia?"


    He could handle being called foolish, but he couldn''t stand the thought that Hertha believed he was too close to Georgia.


    It sounded suspiciously like jealousy.


    ric couldn''t let Hertha continue believing there was something between him and Georgia.


    "You and she were engaged for three years, isn''t that long enough?" Hertha retorted without breaking stride.


    "That engagement was something my family pushed on me. I never epted it, and Georgia and I barely spent time together," ric exined, almost pleadingly, as he matched her pace.


    "But that doesn''t change the fact you were engaged to Georgia for three years. Do you know what people say?" Hertha didn''t even turn to look at him, quickening her pace. "They say you and Georgia are a match made in heaven, a perfect pair."


    "That''s people talking, not me," ric''s tone was tinged with fear, the biggest barrier between him and Hertha now seemingly removed.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Having aired out the misunderstanding, he''d thought Hertha would be overjoyed, ready to fully open her heart to him.


    But she still held a grudge.


    He had indeed missed out on being there for Hertha during those three years.


    How could he make up for lost time?


    "But I took it to heart," Hertha said.


    Now ric was even more anxious, stepping in front of her to exin, "Please don''t—"


    Expecting to see anger, he was surprised to find her struggling to hold backughter. Upon making eye contact, she couldn''t contain it any longer and burst outughing, finding ric''s worried expression hrious.


    Herughter was infectious, and ric, momentarily dumbfounded, soon realized Hertha had been messing with him.


    His tension melted away, reced


    by a mix of relief and yfulnesszas he grasped Hertha''s shoulders, shaking her gently. "Oh, you got me, Hertha. You''re getting naughtier by the day."


    Though he feignedint, his smile was genuine.


    It had been a while since he''d seen Herthaugh so freely and joyously.


    It felt like they were back to their carefree days, where love was all that mattered.


    Unbeknownst to ric, the man who


    once prided himself on his


    the


    indifference towards women, he had be utterly smitten. The idea of him, a man who once scoffed at t notion of falling for a woman, nowpletely head over heels, was something he would have never imagined.