His reason was simple. That was, before Jayleen returned, he needed someone to help him deal with his family's elders. Cynthia was well-liked by his parents and grandfather, which made her the perfect candidate. Sometimes, she wanted to ask him a question. Did she look like a fool? Otherwise, why would Joshua assume she would be willing to help him and his elders conceal his affair? Now that he had suddenly brought up divorce, her chest felt tight. Even after half a year of mental preparation and knowing he was a scumbag, she still could not help feeling emotional. She exhaled, walked over to the sofa, sat down, and took out her phone. Cynthia opened WhatsApp and found a contact saved as 'Little Jerry'. She opened the chat that she had not used in two years and typed a message. [Look into whether Neal Group has been facing any difficulties recently, and Joshua…does he have a terminal illness?] Immediately after sending the message, she received a reply. [Little Jerry: !!!!][L

Seeing this, Mr. Cheyne quickly came over, took the keys, and assumed the driver's role. Cynthia opened the passenger door and sat down, not looking at Joshua again for the entire journey. Mr. Cheyne was apprehensive, fearing that Cynthia might blurt out something shocking later. He hesitated. "Mrs. Neal, you..." "Drive." Cynthia's voice was light but cold. Mr. Cheyne glanced at the rearview mirror, and seeing that Mr. Neal had no reaction, he drove out of the parking lot in silence. The atmosphere inside the car was so heavy that Mr. Cheyne felt as if he were being suffocated. Neither Mr. Neal nor Mrs. Neal seemed inclined to speak, and an icy chill emanated from both of them. While he understood Mr. Neal's temperament, Mr. Cheyne could not figure out why Mrs. Neal, who had been in a good mood just moments before, was now so cold. He kept his concerns to himself. Joshua sat in the back seat, his gaze uncontrollably drawn to the silent Cynthia in the passenger seat. He

"Well, poor me. My husband doesn't even know my true character after two years of marriage," Cynthia blurted out. Joshua was speechless yet again. Was she really not satisfied unless she provoked him? "Let's go home." He loosened his tie, grabbed her purse, and held her wrist as he walked out. Cynthia hesitated. Joshua paused as well. Both of their gazes landed simultaneously on the purse in Joshua's hand. Did he mistake her for Jayleen? That was Cynthia's first thought. Without further explanation, Joshua strode out quickly. This scene was witnessed by Jayleen, who was in the hospital room. The gentleness on her face vanished, and she did not even care about the red marks her nails left on her palms as her hands gripped each other hard. In a moment, the door to the hospital room opened. Jayleen's friend walked in, voicing her confusion, "Didn't Cynthia hire someone to hit you? Why is Mr. Neal still..." "It wasn't her." Jayleen furrowed her brows. At first, she

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

"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