"Wh-who are you? Why do you look so weird!?"

Be could not recognize the reflection of her face in the mirror in front of her. The person in the mirror’s hair looked untidy and messy, while her cheeks were rosy and red as if she were wearing a heavy blusher.

She shook her head and turned on the tap, sshing her still-hot face with cold water.

After finishing her cleaning routine, Be quickly walked to her walk-in closet to change clothes.

...

Later,

Be paused in front of the mirror to check her appearance. She smiled, pleased with her choice of dress. The knee-length dark blue dress makes her skin look brighter.

However, upon seeing her hair, she could only shake her head and scold herself.

"I can’t believe it, Be! Why are you exposing your long neck like that? Are you trying to make him turn on?" She reached up to undo her bun but then hesitated. "I wonder how he’ll respond to this!" A mischievous grin yed on her lips as she imagined Tristan’s surprise.

Be immediately left the walk-in closet and joined Tristan on the couch. However, she did not see him there; he stood by the window with his back facing her.

She suddenly stopped in her tracks when she realized that he had taken off his coat and was now only wearing a ck shirt. He had rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, revealing the well-defined muscles in his arms. His hands were tucked inside the pockets of his khaki pants.

As she looked at his broad shoulders, her heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath and silently approached him. She was curious to know what had captured his attention so much that he hadn’t even noticed her by his side.

Upon following his line of sight, Be’s smile gradually widened as she saw Dax ying on white sand with Noora and Geoffrey, building a sand castle with pure joy beaming on his face.

"I’ve never seen him this happy," Be spoke softly, surprising Tristan.

Tristan looked at her and shuddered as he saw she styled her hair to expose her smooth neck.

"Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize you were done dressing..." he said, his throat suddenly dry as his mind tortured him with sultry thoughts.

"Hmmm..."

Be answers him without shifting her gaze from Dax. "Gosh! Dax is such a hardworking little baby. He’s already finished his martial arts training this hour," she said faintly.

Tristan knew Be was feeling sad again as she thought about their son being exhausted from physical training.

He tried to distract Be. He ced his hand on her shoulder and turned her body towards the couch. He jokingly said, "Okay, ma’am... let’s sit down and chat."

Be did not refuse. She smiled faintly at his joke and followed him to the seating area. They sat down on a two-seater sofa, facing each other.

"I still need to hear your answer, Be," Tristan said softly.

As Be looked into his beamed blue eyes, she felt her nerves getting the best of her. She wanted to express that the icy wall guarding her heart had finally melted away, but she found herself unable to move her lips to speak.

Annoyed at losing her words, Be cupped her hands on her thighs and turned away from him.

Tristan could sense the anxiety and doubt in Be’s eyes, and he couldn’t stop himself from asking again. "Be, can you please tell me what’s making you hesitate to ept me back? Don’t you believe my feelings for you?" His voice sounded despair.

Hearing his words, she immediately looked back at him while shaking her head.

Tristan furrowed his brow as he noticed her reaction. After a moment, he asked, "Are you still worried about my parents interfering with our rtionship?"

Be shook her head again. That wasn’t what he was worried about. Tristan and Grandpa Lewis promised they would protect her and Dax if she returned to Tristan, and she would try to believe them.

Tristan’s brows furrowed even more.

"Please tell me where I amcking so I know what I should do to make myself better for you. Or, at least, can you please share your worries with me, Be? I will listen to you."

Be opened her mouth several times, but no words came out, and she didn’t know why. Feeling frustrated and confused about how to begin, her hands clenched into tight fists, annoyed with herself. She lowered her gaze, looking at her hands while secretly taking a deep breath.

However, when she saw Tristan’s hand holding hers, Be was taken aback. She looked up at him with a frown. But as soon as she saw his calm and gentle smile, her confusion faded, and she could think more clearly.

"Share your worries with me, Be... Let’s untangle your worries and solve them together. Would you like to do that with me?"

"Tristan," she finally spoke after a few seconds of silence. "When west spoke about what happened between us five years ago, I promised to bury the memories of you and my love for you deep in the deepest part of my heart.

However,tely, asyer byyer of what happened in the past has been exposed, and with your sincere approach towards me, the wall I built around my heart in the past has started to crack..."

Be paused when she felt Tristan’s grip tighten but continued when she saw his curious gaze.

"Every day, I allowed you to prove your words and actions to me and Dax. And you know what, Tristan? You seeded in ttering me..." She smiles bitterly, remembering how this man shattered her walls with his sweet, gentle actions.

She continued, "No matter how much I wanted to deny my feelings for you, I couldn’t. My heart couldn’t ignore you, Tristan..."

Tristan’s happy smile widened, clearly visible in his eyes, as he couldn’t contain his joy upon hearing Be’s words.

"However, there’s something that makes me hesitant to open up to you again, Tristan," Be said, her heart racing as she watched his smile fade and his face grow tense with fear.

"W-Why? What makes you reluctant?"