Cynthia put the remote control down, appearing indifferent. "Fine, I don't want it." Joshua was confused. "When you're desperate to give Jayleen a legitimate status, you'll offer me a higher price to leave," Cynthia said in a dead serious manner. Joshua's demeanor turned icy. No one had ever threatened him like this before; Cynthia was the first. "Do you really think I can't do anything to you?" "Of course not," Cynthia replied, switching to another reality show. She continued earnestly, "You can freeze the cards you gave me, limit my spending and freedom, lock me away in a remote place, and even..." As her suggestions grew increasingly outrageous, Joshua's anger strangely dissipated. He suddenly found himself wanting to know. How was it possible for someone, who could now infuriate him with just a casual remark, to have been gentle for two whole years? "But this way, Jayleen can only remain a hidden lover. You probably don't want her to be the subject of gossip," Cynthia
After replying to the messages, Cynthia tried to call Mitchell but could not get through. Knowing that she had to go to the old villa tonight and not wanting any surprises, she sent him a message. "Text me when you arrive in Jiverton. We'll meet tomorrow." If Mitchell came looking for her on his own, she would be at a disadvantage. It would be better for her to take the initiative to talk to him. She sighed inwardly. She could have refused more easily if it were old man Yates, but it had to be Mitchell... Time passed quickly. By the time she got dressed and was ready to leave, it was almost six o'clock. After receiving a call from Mr. Walters, she quickly left the house. When she got into the car, she saw Joshua was there as well. He was still wearing the same suit from earlier that day. His disheveled hair framed his cool, indifferent face, giving him an air of disarrayed beauty. Cynthia did not start a conversation with him, and the car smoothly headed toward the old villa. As
Resigned, Joshua placed the fruit in front of Cynthia and sat down next to her. Before he could remind Cynthia to discuss their divorce, Old Man Neal spoke again, "Don't you see that Cynthia is too shy to eat? You're not very attentive as a husband." "Am I adopted?" Joshua finally asked. Mrs. Neal replied, "No." Neal Senior joked, "You came as a free gift for our credit card." Cynthia sensed the time was right and broached the subject. "Mother-in-law, Father-in-law, Grandpa, actually, we came here today to discuss something important with you." "Are you pregnant?" "How many months?" "When did this happen?" Mrs. Neal Senior and Old Man Neal fired off their questions, one after the other. Seeing the hope and happiness in their eyes, Cynthia found it difficult to break the news, but she finally said, "I'm planning to divorce Joshua." As soon as the words left her mouth, the atmosphere turned cold. Mrs. Neal Senior's hand froze mid-air while reaching for fruit, Old Man Ne
"Joshua, come with me," Old Man Neal said, standing up with his cane in hand. Joshua glanced at Cynthia before following his grandfather out of the room and into the adjacent study to discuss matters. Mrs. Neal stayed with Cynthia, chatting about family matters. She mentioned that if Cynthia ever found Joshua to be a worthy lifelong partner, their family would always welcome her back. Cynthia felt warmth in this family. It was like the cozy days she had experienced before her mother passed away. Half an hour later, Joshua returned from his conversation with Old Man Neal. Joshua appeared unchanged, but Old Man Neal looked somber and visibly unhappy. Old Man Neal snapped and his emotions were crumbling, "Get out of here! Don't make a scene. You have one month left to take good care of Cynthia. If she suffers any grievances, I'll give all your money to her!" With his exceptional demeanor, Joshua replied, "Understood." As the two were about to leave, Mrs. Neal Senior suddenly s
"Okay," Cynthia agreed before hanging up the call and sending him the time and place via WhatsApp. Just as she finished sending the message, there was a knock at the door, accompanied by Joshua's voice. "Open up. I need to talk to you." Cynthia tossed her phone on the bed, walked over to open the door, and spoke without the gentleness she once had, only displaying indifference and detachment. "What is it?" Joshua handed her his phone. "Grandpa wants to talk to you. He said he couldn't reach you because you were on a call." Cynthia paused, guessing it might be because she had just been on the phone with Mitchell. She took Joshua's phone, and her voice softened, "Grandpa." "I hope I'm not disturbing you by calling so late," he said. "No, not at all." "I just remembered that I forgot to tell you when you left earlier that the unfinished chess game you left for me last time, I still haven't solved it..." The two of them chatted on the phone. Joshua did not bother listenin
"Alright," Mitchell agreed, always ready to fulfill Cynthia's requests. Cynthia continued eating but could not help thinking about what was Joshua doing here? On the other side, Joshua was pondering the same question. After joining Chyler and Yiordan in their private dining room, his mind was filled with the scene he had witnessed when he opened the door. Why were they sitting so close at such a large table? "What are you thinking about?" Chyler Young asked playfully, his eyes never losing their amusement. "You said you had something to discuss with us, so why are you so quiet now?" "It's nothing," Joshua replied without elaborating. Chyler and Yiordan exchanged glances. The former was always eager to stir up trouble. "I heard that Mitchell has been a virtuous man for the past twenty-eight years, never getting too close to any woman. It seems the rumors might be false after all." "Hmm." Yiordan casually sipped his wine. Joshua felt annoyed every time he heard Mitchell
He had wanted to agree. Cynthia did not want him to interfere in her divorce, but seeing her being bullied, he had to help her as her friend. Moreover, Mr. Yates had sent him here to let Joshua know that Cynthia had someone supporting her. "Anything is fine with me." Cynthia misunderstood the look in Mitchell's eyes for the first time, thinking he was on Chyler's side. "Alright," Mitchell agreed. Chyler's eyes became even more amused and then left after exchanging some pleasantries. Only after the door closed did Cynthia speak to Mitchell, as rational as ever, "Just interact with them as you usually do, don't worry about me being there." "Okay." Mitchell did not bother explaining. That worked out well. When they met with Joshua later, he would not have to be overly polite. Chyler returned with a grin, standing outside the private room door, and raised an eyebrow at Joshua. "He declined to share a table, not wanting us to disturb their meal." Joshua's eyes deepened, and
"It seems that Mitchell and Cynthia have a good relationship," Chyler observed, trying to probe further. "Yes, we've known each other for a long time. Our relationship has always been very good," Mitchell admitted, not hiding the truth. Chyler whispered something into Joshua's ear, so softly it was barely audible. "It seems they're just friends. They would have been together long ago if there were any feelings between them. Why wait until now?" "Get lost," Joshua muttered, irritated. Cynthia was never one to suffer alone; she would make sure whoever wronged her felt uncomfortable too. She turned her gaze to the usually quiet Yiordan, greeted him, and then said, "Yiordan, I think you're a man with a strong moral compass, someone worth entrusting my life to." Everyone present had no idea what she was doing. "What do you mean?" Yiordan instinctively looked toward Joshua, who did not look too pleased. Cynthia brought up the past, insinuating something. "I watched the realit