Chapter 888 Establishing New Foundations
Halle asked, “Why are you sighing?”
“I just didn’t expect that after all my hard work, I’d still look
s unreliable in your eyes.”
Halle’s childhood had made her crave a lot of security. If she was going to take a relationship seriously, she needed to ask, again and again, whether the other person was sincere.
If she were only fooling around with James, she wouldn’t bother.
But something in her had changed.
She wanted to move forward. She
a casual
And the fact that she was seriously consideri game anymore. She wanted something real.
worked.
a future with James was, in itself, proof that his efforts ha
had
If James hadn’t kept sending those daily check-ins, sharing the small details of his life and building trust little by little, Halle would still be keeping him at a careful distance.
Halle was slow to warm up. She needed a “slow and steady wins the race” approach, where consistent daily check-ins could gradually build a foundation of trust.
As it turned out, James had stumbled into the perfect strategy without even
She said, “Exactly. You still have plenty of work to do.”
James said, “Then, you have to give me chances to prove myself.”
“I’ve been giving you chances. Otherwise, I would’ve blocked you ages ago.”
James heard exactly what he wanted to hear and brightened instantly. “I felt that.”
“You’re
very
confident.”
“Well, look at what I’m bringing to the table. If you choose me, I won’t embarrass you. I’ll make you look good. And you’re smart. If you don’t choose me, what, are you going to fall for someone like Edgar? I believe in your judgment. Honestly, it’s hard not to be confident.”
Halle said, “Stop using him as your comparison.”
James asked, “Feeling sorry for him?”
Halle said, “No. You and he aren’t even in the same category. There’s no comparison.”
“Fine. I won’t compare myself to him. It only drags me down anyway.”
Truthfully, James was still jealous. He knew Halle and Edgar had grown up together. Even if they now couldn’t stand each other, even if they had long stopped walking the same road, Edgar still carried weight in her heart-weight James, as the latecomer, could not match yet.
Of course, once he had been in Halle’s life longer than Edgar had, Edgar would become irrelevant.
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Chapter 888 Establishing New Foundations
James had Halle’s future. He wasn’t worried.
Halle only smiled.
James glanced at the navigation as he drove. “So, you’re planning to keep testing me-and actually give us a real chance, right?”
Halle admitted it. “Yes.”
James smiled, genuinely this time. “Look, since you’re officially back on the market, how about promoting me to boyfriend status? We can make it official, and you can put me on probation every single day for the rest of our lives.”
“What, skip the dating and go straight to the commitment? In your dreams.”
“Then, when do I get promoted? I honestly can’t think of a reason for you to reject me.”
“If you can’t think of one, take your time.”
James refused to fall for that. “Ms. Kinsman, if you want something real with me, then in my mind, we’re already together. I’m confident in myself. I’ll become everything you want.”
He said it with such solemn conviction.
And somehow, it made people believe him.
Halle didn’t answer, but her heart had already tilted toward him.
After driving across almost the entire city, James finally parked.
The moment he got out, he naturally took Halle’s hand and led
Then, very deliberately, he told the staff they were a couple.
Corinto the
As if he were trying to plant the idea more firmly: they were already together.
Still, Halle had her principles. She would only say yes when she truly felt safe with James, when she truly believed he was reliable.
James was patient enough to wait beside her while she opened up.
Every now and then, he acted a little wounded, but he never rushed her.
That made Halle comfortable.
The biggest difference was that Halle could genuinely feel James wanting her to become better and better. When she was happy, he was sincerely happy for her.
When she wanted to push her career further, James encouraged her from the heart.
And whenever he could help, he lifted her up with everything he had.
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Chapter 388 Establishing New Foundations
Wasn’t that exactly what Halle wanted?
After spending this time testing him and getting to know him, Halle understood James better. She realized he wasn’t at all like the persona he projected to the world. Beneath that polished exterior, he was a family man through and through. He was incredibly grounded, the kind of guy who knew how to make a house feel like a home. With him around, the whole vibe of the place just felt right.
Halle had already begun to feel safe with him. She decided she would choose a meaningful, ceremonial moment to make them official.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Halle never imagined her father would suddenly die.
Her father, Benjamin Kinsman, had been a spoiled rich kid in his youth, and age had not improved Kim much. He spent his life eating, drinking, playing, and chasing pleasure. He was overweight and had the usual issues with high blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. Before his sudden death, he had downed nearly a pound of hard liquor.
It was sudden. Completely unexpected. He had only just passed 50. By any measure, that was an early death
Halle had gone through a lot of awful things growing up, but most of them were emotional wounds. She had never really faced the kind of brutal disaster that left someone dead or crippled, like a car crash.
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Divorce and Freedom: No More Homemaker for Him
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.

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