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nA smile appeared on Jack's handsome face when he heard Anne's words. He slowly smoothed Anne's hair which covered her pretty face which looked a little pale with puffy eyes.

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"Sorry, I was wrong. I will not repeat it,

" said Jack softly, stroking Anne's hair many times.

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"Watch out if you dare to talk like that again,

" said Anne coldly, half threateningly.

nJack nodded his head slowly hearing Anne's words as he pulled his hand down from Anne's head. Because Anne was calmer, he then grabbed the glass filled with water on the table and immediately drank it quickly. After feeling relieved, Jack then put his glass back on the table and returned to focus on Anne, who had been looking at him without blinking.

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"Do you want to tell me now or tomorrow?

" asked Jack quietly.

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"Am I going crazy, Jack? Hearing someone discuss a little thing related to what I've been through in the past makes me unable to control myself, Jack,

" said Anne softly.

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"If anyone has to be crazy in this world, there are only two people who deserve it, namely Leonardo Ganke and your ex-friend who has become his wife, Steffani,

" Jack said quickly.

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"Don't call that woman my best friend, Jack, I don't ...

"

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"Hey, hey, hey ... listen to me. You can't get rid of that fact. Steffani who is now the lion's wife was your best friend, you can't erase that fact, Anne ,

" said Jack, quickly interrupting Anne's words.

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"Lion?

"

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"Leon is not a lion?

" Jack asked guiltlessly with an innocent expression.

nAnne burst out laughing when she heard Jack changed Leon's name to lion. She laughed until her eyes burst into tears. Jack, who felt that there was nothing funny about his words, was initially confused when he saw Anne laugh like that. But realizing that Anne liked what he said, he smiled too, even though he still didn't know what Anne was laughing at.

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"I didn't know if you were this funny, Jack,

" said Anne quietly, trying to hold back her laughter.

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"Funny? What's so funny?

" asked Jack, confused.

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"Leon, you called him a lion, that's so funny. Why didn't I realize that he was a lion?

" said Anne, chuckling again.

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"Wait, so you're laughing because I called Leon lion?

" Jack asked back.

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"Yes,

" Anne answered briefly while holding her cheeks which hurt from laughter.

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"What's so funny? Isn't Leo a lion? You're weird, Anne,

" Jack said quietly, as he got up from the sofa and walked toward the pantry because the microwave he had set to warm the food had gone off.

nJack apparently was warming Anne's almond cookies that he found in the refrigerator. He carefully moved the cookies into a larger plate. After successfully moving everything, Jack then took the plate slowly to the sofa where Anne was still sitting and staring at him without blinking.

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"Take it, don't hesitate,

" Jack said quietly to Anne when he just put the plate of cookies on the table.

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"I should have spoken to you like that,

" said Anne curtly.

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"No, no, I am the one who deserves to say that to you because I made these cookies fit to eat again,

" Jack replied quickly as he took a bite of the cookie he had just taken from the plate.

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"Never mind, I can never win in an argument with you,

" said Anne briefly ending the debate with Jack. Seeing Jack really enjoyed the cookie, Anne grabbed one and ate it after she dipped it in almond milk.

nSeeing Anne eating made Jack happy. He then followed Anne's way of eating by dipping the cookies into Anne's almond milk. Anne, who was enjoying her cookies, would protest when she saw Jack dipping his cookie into her almond milk, but because Jack seemed to really enjoy his cookies, she finally let him did it. For almost two minutes, there was no conversation between the two of them, other than the crunching sound from the mouths of Anne and Jack, which was heard with occasional laughter as the two scrambled to dip their cookies into the almond milk.

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"I'm full,

" said Anne quietly as she put the third piece of cookies on the plate.

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"Okay, then I'll finish it,

" Jack asked softly.

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"Finish it,

" replied Anne shortly.

nHaving obtained her permission, without hesitation Jack ate all the remaining cookies. It had been a long time since he had eaten Anne's cookies. Anne herself chose to drink some mineral water because the glass containing her almond milk was now taken over by Jack, and soon all the cookies on the plate had moved to Jack's stomach.

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"Full?

" asked Anne softly. She was amazed to see Jack quickly finish the remaining cookies.

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"Honestly, no. My stomach can still hold a bowl of your homemade ramen,

" Jack replied briefly.

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"Jack ...

"

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"Hahahaha ... just kidding, Anne, I'm full,

" Jack said, quickly cutting off Anne's words.

nAnne was only silent hearing Jack's words. She slowly wiped the remaining tears in the corner of her eye. Seeing Anne wiped her tears made Jack moved. He then grabbed a tissue and gave it to Anne.

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"Tell me, what really happened? Didn't you promise yesterday to forget everything that happened in your past? Then why are you like this now?

" Jack asked quietly in seriousness.

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"Earlier a bride and groom came to the shop. They were looking for a hand bouquet for the wedding tomorrow morning. At first, everything was normal, but when someone talked about marriage and the altar, everything Leon did to me came back in my mind, Jack. All the scolding and the insults, and even the sound of the whiskey bottle that he broke sounded very clearly in my ears. I have indeed forgiven myself for being too weak and trying to be strong. But when someone talked about something related to it all, the memories returned and destroyed the fortress that I made to protect myself, Jack,

" answered Anne honestly.

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"Your way is wrong, Anne. Didn't I tell you to forget everything? If I say forget it all, it means you have to completely forget all your memories with Leon, from the first time you met him until the last time you met that bastard lion. Don't make a fortress as a protector, Anne, because if you take cover behind the fortress, then you will continue to experience the same things like this, Anne,

" said Jack in a rising voice, who thought that Anne had done what he ordered before.

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"I-I did, Jack, I did what you said,

" Anne stammered defensively.

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"No, Anne. If you did what I ordered yesterday, you wouldn't have experienced this. You're still hurt and sad like this because you still have all the wounds inside of you. Didn't I tell you before? Forget all the mistakes they did to you, assume that everything never happened. If you are like this, you will never be able to get up, Anne. Let me ask you now. If you are like this, who is the one who loses and suffers, while they are enjoying their domestic life with joy? So that's why I tell you to forget everything and if you have done that, then you can pay them back. Three years is enough to suffer the pain caused by the pair of despicable humans who had hurt you. Show me the new Anne who is not the same the Anne three years ago,

" said Jack at length.

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"Pay them back?

" asked Anne softly with sad eyes staring unblinkingly at Jack.

nTo be Continued

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