Aurora Walton and Lucas Carter novel Chapter 1692

“But I trust you,” Kenneth said firmly. “We’re already together. I have no reason to believe anyone else.”

Judy’s heart softened. She’d thought she was fighting her battles alone in a foreign country. When she first came here with Kenneth, it was just to expand her studio, nothing more.

She had always believed what they had was merely transactional.

But now, it didn’t feel that way. He’d been genuine from the start, always caring about her, always mindful of her feelings.

If she couldn’t appreciate that, then maybe the fault was hers.

As he spoke, Kenneth’s gaze never left her face. Seeing the shimmer of tears in her eyes, a pang of tenderness washed over him.

“What’s wrong? Did she upset you just now?”

He lifted a hand to gently wipe away the tears at the corner of her eyes.

Judy shook her head, her voice trembling. “I just… I feel bad that you and Wendy ended up fighting because of me.”

She deliberately shifted the topic.

The last thing she wanted was to appear fragile.

She wanted her own footing—to live by her own strength, not rely on a man’s support.

Back then, she’d stayed by Joseph’s side for too long, letting him mistake dependency for love.

But things were different now. Even while living abroad with Kenneth, she had her own studio, her own rhythm, her own life.

She wasn’t beholden to anyone anymore.

It was that independence that gave her confidence, the kind Joseph never saw coming.

Judy feigned a reluctant sigh. “Alright, just make sure you two talk things out. I don’t want to be the reason your relationship gets strained.”

“Don’t worry, it won’t,” Kenneth assured her. “We’ve been like this all our lives. I know exactly what kind of person she is. But just be careful, alright? Don’t give her any reason to twist things against you.”

His tone carried a subtle warning that made Judy’s eyes flicker.

She understood perfectly what he meant.

“I promise you, there’s nothing between me and Joseph anymore,” Judy said seriously, lifting a hand as if swearing an oath.

“He showed up out of nowhere today and started clinging to me. I don’t even know where he came from.”

Hearing that, Kenneth’s expression turned grim.