“Besides, the most important thing is that your parents don’t approve of us. No matter what we talk about next, it’s all meaningless.”

Joseph had no comeback for that. Her words hit their mark.

All he could do was plead, “Judy, I really do care about you. Just give me a chance, will you?”

She sighed. “You still don’t get it.”

After all this time, Joseph still acted like a boy – naive, idealistic, refusing to face reality. It made her feel a flicker of guilt.

Had she made him this way?

No. It wasn’t her.

It was that privileged identity he held so dear – the one that blinded him to the world outside his bubble, made him look down on anyone without the same name or pedigree.

What he didn’t realize was that without people like her, the so-called elites would have no one to profit off.

But Joseph still didn’t grasp her meaning. “Judy, what are you saying?”

“Maybe I don’t understand, but you could just tell me. Don’t keep shutting me out. Don’t hide things from me.”

Judy raised an eyebrow. It was the first time she’d seen Joseph like this – so stripped of pride, so utterly humbled.

The man who usually held himself above everyone else, who barely gave her or anyone the time of day, now stood before her with nothing left of that superiority.

Even when they were together, he always kept his distance and maintained his image.

Now, she almost laughed seeing him like this.

So, this was it? This was the man she once thought untouchable?

It turned out, he was never that unreachable – she’d simply let herself believe he was.

When she looked at him through a clearer lens, she could see he wasn’t all that impressive.

Most of the time, he was just borrowing power that didn’t belong to him.

“You should go,” she said, turning her head away. “There’s no need for us to talk this much anymore. Some things are better left unsaid."

“You know that saying – some things are meant to be felt, not spoken? You’re not a child, Joseph. I can’t be your dictionary forever.”

Joseph’s heart sank.

His voice trembled. “Judy… are you saying you don’t want to be with me anymore?”

“Of course I want to be with you!” she snapped.

Judy gritted her teeth as she spoke, putting on a show of grievance.

But deep down, she felt sick.

Joseph had nothing left, not even financial independence.

He was relying on the money from her bank account.

The more she thought about it, the more suffocated she felt.

How had she ended up choosing a man like this?

Still, he did have one thing left: his identity as the only heir of the Hunt family.

That alone made him worth keeping for now.

“Joseph, don’t overthink it,” she said, softening her tone.

“I was only able to start this studio because of you. I’m not the kind of person who forgets the ones who helped me. Of course, I remember the good you’ve done.”

Joseph practically lit up at her words.

She’d played the card perfectly – stroking his pride just where it mattered most.

He believed her instantly.

After all, if she was saying things like that, how could she possibly be planning to leave him?

Encouraged, he began spilling everything, like a dam had burst.

He told her all about what he’d been doing these past few days, every little effort, every plan.

“Thank you for understanding me, Judy.”

His voice was earnest, full of hope. “I promise, I’ll give us the best life possible. I’m working hard for it, I really am.”

Judy raised an eyebrow, surprised. “You’re working hard? Doing what exactly?”

She was genuinely curious.

A pampered heir like Joseph, thinking about their future?