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Chapter 83: Chapter 83: You Changed My Profile Picture?

"It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault."

Ian Sterling’s heart ached so much he felt close to fainting. He carefully gathered her into his arms.

Lynn Winslow clung to him tightly, crying so hard her body convulsed. "I had no choice. It wasn’t up to me..."

"I know. I know everything."

It took an immense amount of effort to finally coax the endlessly sobbing Lynn back to sleep. By the time he succeeded, Ian was completely drenched in sweat.

Zoe Sterling hadn’t stayed long; she had slipped away silently while the two of them were holding each other.

Walking out of the hospital, she found Nigel Abbott waiting not far away. Upon seeing her, he strode forward and pulled her into a comforting embrace.

Zoe sighed and said softly, "Maybe I shouldn’t have told Lynn about this."

"Like you said, if she never knew what Finn went through for her, she would have always held onto her inner reservations and would never fully commit to him. By telling her, at least she’ll seriously consider a future with Finn."

"Are we being too selfish?" Zoe clutched his shirt tightly, her voice hoarse.

Nigel rubbed her back with his large hand, murmuring, "I don’t know. Perhaps."

`「Later.」`

Ian cast his eyes down to gaze at Lynn’s sleeping face. Her small face was pale and luminous, her eyelids red and swollen with tear stains still lingering at the corners of her eyes. Even in her dreams, she refused to let go, clinging tightly to his hand.

He even thought selfishly, "Now that she knows I attempted suicide for her, she’ll finally be with me for good, won’t she?"

Ian let out a soft breath, lying down beside Lynn and pulling her close.

He was now certain of Lynn’s feelings for him, but he hadn’t anticipated that she would completely brush off her crying fit after waking up.

Right now, Lynn was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at him with a half-smile. "Did you change my profile picture?"

Ian instinctively avoided her gaze, letting out a muffled sound of acknowledgment.

Lynn was so exasperated she laughed. She hadn’t even noticed the change; it wasn’t until Chloe Clayton messaged on WhatsApp to ask her out and casually mentioned it that Lynn realized her picture had been swapped.

She recalled his guilty expression from a couple of days ago when she had bumped into him coming out of the bathroom after they had dyed their hair.

Lynn raised an eyebrow. "Did you change it the day we met your sister?"

"I just wanted us to have matching ones," Ian mumbled, pouting and turning his head away to avoid looking at her.

Lynn lunged forward straight into his arms. Reaching up, she forced his face toward her and, stifling a smile, put on a stern voice. "How could you change my profile picture without my permission?"

Ian didn’t struggle. He simply wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him, and asked in a low voice, "It’s not too late to ask now. Can I change it?"

"I refuse to use that picture." Lynn tilted her chin up slightly, her gaze affectionate and teasing. Ian’s eyes darkened, and, no longer restraining himself, he dipped his head and captured her lips.

He had never been one to shortchange himself. As the kiss deepened, he began maneuvering Lynn toward the bed.

"Stop messing around, I need to go out." Lynn turned her head to dodge his kiss, but Ian paid her no heed. Denied her lips, he resorted to nipping playfully at her earlobe.

Pressing both hands against his chest, Lynn frowned. "I really need to leave now."

Ian propped his arms on either side of her head, his voice husky. "Where are you going?"

"To pick someone up." Lynn had no intention of hiding it from him. "Zane Lancaster is in Quartos."

"..." Ian was momentarily stunned. "Who did you say?"

"Zane Lancaster. For some unknown reason, his dad suspended him from all his positions. Since he has nothing else to do, he decided to visit Quartos. He had Joel send me his flight number so I could pick him up."

Ian fell silent for a long time, deeply regretting that he had been so ruthless in his previous actions. Now look what had happened—instead of causing Zane trouble, he had only managed to give himself a massive dose of silent jealousy.

"How old is he that he still needs you to pick him up? Can’t you just not go?" Ian asked darkly. "Can’t he just take himself to a hotel?"

Lynn blinked. She made a show of sniffing the air before looking at him in confusion. "Do you smell something strange?"

"What?" Ian lifted his head and took a sniff. He could only smell the faint, familiar fragrance that always lingered in Lynn’s room. What strange smell was she talking about?

Lynn’s lips curved into a smile. She pulled him down, sucked lightly on his lower lip, and laughed. "The sour smell of jealousy. It’s practically suffocating me."

Before Ian could retort, Lynn pushed him away and sat up, playfully scolding, "No more fooling around. I’m really going to be late."

Yielding to her push, Ian lay down on his side and watched as she went into the bathroom and then into the walk-in closet. When she finally emerged, taking one look at her outfit made him feel as if he were soaking in a giant vat of aged vinegar, while Lynn stood right next to it, continuously squeezing fresh lemons into the mix.

"Why are you dressing up so nicely just to pick him up!"

His reaction was so dramatic that Lynn glanced down at her outfit in bewilderment. "Isn’t this what I usually wear?"

"Absolutely not." Ian quickly scrambled up, rummaged through the closet for a moment, and eventually pulled out a simple short-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of jeans. He shoved them toward her and huffed, "Wear this."

"..." Lynn stared down at the overly plain and casual clothes. Taking a deep breath, she decided to just endure it.

By the time she finished changing, Ian had also gotten dressed, and they stepped out of the guest bedroom together. Lynn frowned. "Why did you change?"

"I’m coming with you. I’ve never met him, so this is the perfect chance." Ian lifted his chin self-righteously. Throwing an arm over Lynn’s shoulders to draw her close, he beamed. "You’ve met my friends, so it’s only fair I meet yours. Is that a problem?"

Lynn was being squeezed so tightly she could barely breathe, especially since he was leaning most of his body weight onto her. "Even if you don’t want me to pick him up, you don’t have to crush me to death," she grumbled in annoyance.

Ian immediately wrapped his arms around her from behind and acted like a shameless rogue. "Give me a piggyback ride."

"???" Lynn was utterly baffled. "Say that again, I dare you."

She reached back and unceremoniously pinched his arm, giving the flesh a vicious twist.

Ian hissed in pain and obediently stood up straight. Grabbing Lynn’s hand, he offered a fawning smile. "I’m just joking! Let’s go, let’s go. I’ll drive."

Lynn let out an amused snort and intertwined her fingers with his.

When they arrived at the airport, Zane’s flight hadn’t landed yet, so Lynn and Ian waited in the car for a while. Ian helped recline her seat, letting Lynn lie back so she could be more comfortable.

"When we see him later, you’re not allowed to snap at him. He’s only here to hang out for a few days. Once his father reinstates his positions, he’ll leave." Lynn grabbed Ian’s hand and gave it a light bite, carefully warning him, "And you’re not allowed to trip him up on purpose, either."

Ian gave a cold snort and didn’t answer, prompting Lynn to bite him again. "Did you hear me?"

"I heard you!" Ian snapped, sounding disgruntled.

Lynn didn’t mind his attitude. She ruffled his hair—which was dyed the exact same color as hers—and found herself liking it more and more the longer she looked at it.

"Baby," she called out to him softly.

Ian’s expression shifted from overcast to sunny at breakneck speed. He took her hand and kissed it, showering her with one affectionate little gesture after another.

Just then, Lynn’s phone chimed a few times. She looked down and saw that it was a text message from Zane.

Ever since Zane had blocked her on WhatsApp last time, he hadn’t unblocked her. He didn’t make phone calls either; nowadays, he only communicated via text.

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