Regardless, her answer would have been the same for both.

Her response made Cristian’s smile broaden. He straightened up and casually asked, “What exactly are you satisfied with?”

Fernanda deflected the question, replying, “I’m just responding to whatever you were asking about.”

Cristian chuckled lightly, his tone calm. “Actually, I was talking about myself.”

Without missing a beat, Fernanda said, “I’m quite pleased with your appearance.”

“Do you really think so?” he asked.

“I certainly do,” Fernanda answered honestly.

Leaning back, Cristian’s smile grew even wider, and his laughter echoed softly. “I’ll take that as a high compliment. Thank you for your kind words.”

With a playful lift of her brow, Fernanda responded, “You’re welcome.”

Unable to contain himself, Cristian burst into laughter. He found their conversations delightfully entertaining.

Fernanda’s innocence in romantic matters added an endearing quality to their exchanges.

Deciding to ease off the teasing, Cristian shifted the conversation. “Anything interesting come up in those newspapers?”

“Yes, I found something,” Fernanda replied.

Cristian set his laptop aside, giving her his full attention as he clasped his hands in his lap.

“Robert started working at my grandfather’s factory after college. It was there that he met my mother. He wooed her persistently with affectionate words and gestures.”

According to the newspapers, Robert was diligent, intelligent, and skilled, making him a perfect match for Gracie. Their relationship was quite public, their deep affection clear whenever they were seen together.

Their love story only became newsworthy because of the conflict it sparked — Gracie’s parents strongly opposed their relationship.

Efforts by her parents to separate the couple led to a heated argument between Gracie and her father at the factory, significantly damaging their relationship. In an act of defiance, her father dismissed Robert, forcing him to establish his own business manufacturing household items.

In their small town, Robert and Gracie’s love story was often mocked as trivial gossip.

Rumors spread that Gracie had financed Robert’s venture with stolen money from her own family, gaining traction when her father publicly confirmed it.

Gracie’s father accused her of taking $200,000 from their family savings to support Robert, nearly causing the collapse of the family business.

Furious, her father disowned her after a violent confrontation, claiming he no longer recognized her as his daughter due to the disgrace she had brought upon them. Gracie defiantly renounced her father, opting to change her name to Lacie.

Initially, she wanted to drop the “Cooper” surname altogether, but Robert urged her to maintain some connection to her heritage, suggesting she keep the surname.

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