Chapter 643

Warm steam filled the room, rising in soft curls from the gently rippling water. Daylight streamed through the wide glass windows, spilling across the surface of the jacuzzi that overlooked the heart of Berlin. The contrast between the cold outside and the warmth within made the atmosphere feel… almost too inviting to resist.

Lydia stood a few steps away, still hesitant.

In the water, Cale leaned back with effortless ease, one arm resting along the edge. His gaze stayed fixed on her, his expression

far too calm.

“You’re just going to stand there?” he asked lightly. “I already offered to come get you.”

Lydia crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m still considering.”

“Considering what?”

“Whether this is a trap.”

Cale let out a quiet chuckle. “If it is, you’re a little late to realize it.”

Lydia narrowed her eyes, though the corner of her lips lifted faintly. Finally, she stepped in-slowly-feeling the warmth of the water wrap around her skin. The tension in her body began to melt as she settled on the opposite side.

“Much better,” she murmured.

Cale didn’t respond. He simply shifted closer, unhurried, as though the space between them had never truly existed.

“Still mad?” he asked softly.

Lydia huffed. “I’m just disappointed.”

“Because of the dessert?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

A faint smile touched his lips. “Alright. Because of me.”

“Yes. Because of you.”

Silence followed-but not the strained kind from the night before. This one felt softer. Easier.

Cale reached out, drawing Lydia closer with a gentle pull. Not forceful, just enough that she moved without much resistance. The water rippled quietly around them.

“I’ll make it up to you,” he said, his voice lower now.

“With what?” Lydia raised a brow.

“A proper dinner.”

“Sounds like an empty promise.”

“You can judge that later.”

Lydia studied him for a few seconds, then exhaled softly. “Fine. I’ll hold you to it.”

Cale gave a small nod. His fingers brushed against her wrist, a light, almost absent touch-like he needed to make sure she was really there. Then his hand slid down, lacing through her fingers.

Holding her. Firmly.

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Chapter 642

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The atmosphere settled again-warm, intimate, almost romantic-until Lydia spoke once more.

“Cale.”

“Hmm?”

She hesitated, but this time she didn’t hold herself back. “About that girl…”

Cale’s grip tightened slightly. The calm between them shifted, something heavier creeping in.

“Naomi,” Lydia added quietly.

Cale glanced at her-just briefly-before looking away.

Not because he couldn’t answer.

But because he didn’t want to.

And that alone was enough for Lydia to understand-she had stepped into something he’d rather avoid.

“I’m not hiding anything from you,” Cale said at last, his voice flatter than before.

Lydia looked at him steadily. “I know. You’ve already told me a lot.”

“More than I’ve ever told anyone.”

His tone was calm, but there was weight behind it-something firm, unyielding.

Lydia gave a small nod. “That’s why I want to know what you’re going to do next.”

Cale withdrew his hand from hers, leaning back slightly. The softness in his gaze faded. “That’s not something you need to concern yourself with.”

Lydia frowned. “I’m just asking.”

“And I’ve already answered.”

“No, you haven’t,” Lydia said quietly. “You told me about your past. Not your decision now.”

Cale held her gaze, and this time there was no trace of a smile. “I’ll handle it.” His voice shifted-firmer, colder.

Lydia fell silent for a moment. “Handle it… how?”

“That’s not important for you to know.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

The answer came without hesitation-and that only made the unease in her chest tighten.

“Cale, she-”

“Lydia.”

Just her name. But it was enough to stop her.

He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for a brief second before opening them again. This time, his gaze was steadier… though there was still something in it that made Lydia uneasy.

“I’ve told you what you need to know,” he said quietly. “And that wasn’t easy for me.”

Lydia didn’t respond right away. She knew that was true. She knew how heavy the story he’d shared last night had been.

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Chapter 643

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“But what I do next,” Cale continued, his voice lower now, “is not something you get involved in.”

“Why?” Lydia asked, her voice softer.

Cale didn’t answer immediately. He just looked at her-for a long moment. “Because I don’t want you dragged into it.”

“Cale-”

“And I want you to respect that.”

He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. The firmness in his tone drew a clear line-one Lydia wasn’t meant to cross.

She held her breath.

There was so much she wanted to say. Too many questions are still unanswered.

But the way Cale looked at her-She understood. This wasn’t just a request.

It was a boundary.

“I just want to help,” she murmured softly.

“I know.”

“And I don’t like not knowing anything.”

“I know that too.” Cale moved closer again, slower this time. His hand found her once more, drawing her back into the warmth of his embrace the one that had slipped away earlier. “That’s why… I told you,” he whispered.

Lydia closed her eyes for a moment.

“I won’t hide anything from you anymore,” Cale continued. “But this… this is different.”

He paused, just for a second. “Let me handle it.”

Silence settled between them. Lydia didn’t speak, she simply looked at him, her gaze uncertain, caught somewhere between trust and hesitation. In the end, she let it sink in, letting the weight of his words settle.

“Alright,” she said at last, quietly.

Cale didn’t react immediately.

“As long as we’re in Berlin,” Lydia went on, her voice lighter now, though a trace of doubt still lingered, “all I need to do is enjoy our honeymoon, right?”

A faint smile touched Cale’s lips. “That’s what I want.”

Lydia exhaled, then gave a small shake of her head. “You’re really insufferable.”

Cale pressed a brief kiss on her forehead before pulling back just enough to look at her. “You do trust me… don’t you?”