Losing to My Substitute (Katerina and Joshu)
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Chapter

22

With that, Duke took Jean's hand and left.

Duke walked quickly, his strides long, and Jean struggled to keep up.

Having been with Duke for so long, she had learned his habits and knew she should go along with him now.

She squeezed Duke's hand and teased, "What's wrong? Are you feeling insecure because of what he

said?"

Duke remained silent, prompting Jean to continue joking, "No way! The usually composed Duke Austin is actually feeling anxious?" Duke pulled Jean into his embrace.

"What security do I have? The person you've loved for so long isn't me, and the one who nearly lost his life for you isn't me either.

I'm truly afraid that one day, you'll soften your heart and be swayed back to him!"

Jean hugged Duke back, softening her tone and tilting her head.

"But the person I love now is you. I don't care about the silly things I did before. If you're so concerned about the past, should I also risk my life for you?"

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop saying such unlucky things!"

Duke felt relieved and took Jean home, but his mind was calculating another matter.

The two of them spent some more time in the country without worries. Duke's friends, who were

previously in Y City, met Jean one by one.

Even Duke's parents made time to meet Jean.

Jean had been nervous all night before the meeting, knowing Duke's background. Even though she had made a name for herself, it was still far from being a perfect match. However, the meeting turned out to be much better than she had imagined.

Duke's parents, both from political backgrounds, were very accommodating. Losing to My Substitute

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Chapter 22

Besides Duke, they had an older brother and sister, both married with children.

Duke was the only one uninterested in politics, so they had no high expectations for him-just as long

as he didn't cause trouble, since they were well-off for life.

Thus, when Duke proposed the meeting, they were relieved, finally feeling someone could rein in

their son and make him more stable.

Seeing that Jean had lost her parents early but was humble and independent, they had no objections, neither rushing her into marriage nor childbirth.

They simply treated her as an additional daughter.

Duke knew that Jean's parents' death was always a knot in her heart, but if he wanted to marry her, he still needed to pay his respects.

He also wanted to see the place where Jean had lived.

Jean took Duke to the cemetery, where he asked about her parents' preferences. He brought flowers and wine, making a promise to Jean in front of their graves.

For a while afterward, Jean felt something was off. Duke was so busy that she hardly saw him.

There were many strange occurrences: the snow at the entrance of their home was always cleared on snowy nights, warm porridge waiting in a thermos after late-night events, and footsteps following her on dark roads... The day of the proposal finally arrived.

On the day of the autumn mountain racing competition, Duke and his friends were set to compete.

Jean watched from the sidelines, cheering Duke on.

She understood; she had previously accompanied Berton in racing. Back then, Berton had pursued thrills at the cost of his life, dragging Jean along with him.

Duke's friends were particularly enthusiastic, curious about her but keeping their distance, continuously calling her "sister-in-law."

Before the race began, Duke confidently declared that he would win a championship for Jean.

Jean didn't mind; she was there to support him. But when the registration information appeared, that familiar name came up-Berton Snow. 94.2%

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Dressed in racing gear, Berton was glaring at them, eager for a showdown with Duke.

Berton had learned through connections that the two had already met each other's parents. Duke

intended to win today's championship and propose to Jean.

If he didn't act soon, it would be too late.

Duke, undeterred, guessed Berton's intentions and remained confident. "Today, I want both the championship and the girl."

"Then let's see if you have what it takes!"

The race was about to start, with narrow, winding tracks that tested their skills.