Chapter 131
Across the plaza, Shermaine sank lazily into a chair, one leg crossed over the other, head bowed slightly as she scrolled through her phone. There was a casual, unbothered air about her.
Nearby, Janice was dancing with a group of women around her age. She’d taken to dancing recently, and having learned some basics when she was younger, she picked it up with ease.
Meanwhile, at Granatano.
Joshua had just wrapped up business. Checking the time in Basterel, he figured Shermaine was probably done with dinner by now.
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It had been a week since they last saw each other, and he missed her deeply. For a man who’d never experienced this kind of emotion before, it was shocking how restless he’d become.
Maybe hearing her voice would help take the edge off.
Back in his hotel suite, Joshua logged onto the Wi–Fi, opened WhatsApp, and saw a missed call. Shermaine had tried to voice call him half an hour earlier. He must have missed it due to poor signal.
Joshua initially tapped the voice call option, but switched to video at the last moment. After a few rings, Shermaine answered, only for the screen to show Janice dancing with a group of elderly people, before it abruptly cut to black.
“Your grandma looks lively,” Joshua said first.
Shermaine had her Bluetooth earpiece in. Joshua’s deep, magnetic voice came through with perfect clarity. Her ears flushed with warmth. “Yeah. She’s really gotten into dancing lately.”
“Is it cold outside? Did you wear an extra layer?” Joshua asked.
“The weather’s warmed up in Basterel. Not too cold.” Besides, her school uniform was quite thick. She leaned back slightly in her chair. “Bradley came by this afternoon. The poisonous worm they found in Wendelyn has been traced. Has he updated you?”
“No,” Joshua replied.
“It came from Xenhall in Mysonna. The buyer purchased it from Bianca. According to Bradley, she never leaks customers‘ information. The people he sent couldn’t get a single word out of her. So I plan to head there myself over winter break.”
Whoever had sent that worm had clearly been aiming for her from the beginning. Shermaine had no intention of sitting this one out. The sooner she handled it, the better.
Given Joshua had been involved in the case–and considering the nature of their relationship–she felt it was only right to inform him. Whether he approved or not didn’t matter to her.
Fortunately, Joshua knew her well. Upon hearing she was heading to Mysonna, his first response wasn’t to object. “I’ll go with you,” he said.
Shermaine declined calmly, “No need. I can handle it myself.”
Joshua sounded perfectly reasonable. “Shermaine, you have to consider that the one behind this might already know your movements. They could be laying a trap. You’re Ross‘ little sister and my grandfather’s favorite. If anything happened to you, I wouldn’t be able to explain.”
What he didn’t say was that he simply couldn’t bear the idea of something happening to her.
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6:36 pm
Chapter 131
Shermaine might be capable, but that didn’t stop Joshua from worrying non–stop.
The cold detachment he showed the rest of the world no longer existed when it came to her.
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Shermaine had wanted to tell him it wouldn’t happen. That with her abilities, anyone trying to hurt her would most likely fail.
But Joshua’s reasoning was sound. And more importantly, she wasn’t alone anymore. She had a brother, a grandmother- people who would be devastated if she got hurt. So she relented. “Fine. You can come.”
Joshua’s eyes softened. “Good. My flight lands the morning after tomorrow.” He then said in a lower voice, “Happy New Year, Shermaine.”
Shermaine smiled faintly. “You too.”
After they hung up, she turned back to her phone, scrolling through a catalog for an upcoming auction. It was time to return the favor: to get Joshua a proper gift.
Coincidentally, the auction would take place the evening he returned, at 9 p.m. in Purple Pavilion. One item had caught her eye: a wristwatch.
The watch was rare and encrusted with precious stones. The starting price was three million. If the bidding got heated, it might fetch over hundreds of millions.
There was one flaw, though–the timekeeping was off. The internal mechanics were too complex for most watchmakers to fix.
If Shermaine could repair it, the value would skyrocket. Collectors would kill for it.
The day Joshua returned, Bradley picked Shermaine up first, then drove straight to the airport. Technically, it meant she was picking him up.
After they retrieved Joshua, Shermaine had planned to grab dinner before heading to the auction.
But she hadn’t expected to run into Kingston.
Their cars happened to stop on the same stretch of curb.
What a damn coincidence.
Bradley greeted Kingston politely.
Kingston explained that he was picking up his cousin, who’d just flown in from abroad.
But ever since Ross hinted that Kingston might swing the other way–and possibly had a thing for Joshua–Shermaine had started paying more attention. And she noticed something.
Wherever Joshua was, Kingston always seemed to appear. It didn’t take a genius to see how hard he was trying to stay close. The guy clearly hadn’t given up, no matter how cold Joshua was.
But Joshua was as indifferent to men as he was to women. Completely ascetic.
She rolled up the window and chose to ignore Kingston entirely.
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6:36 pm D&D D
Chapter 131
Not long after, Joshua came out of the terminal.
Soon, someone tapped on the window.
Reluctantly, Shermaine sighed and rolled it down.
Joshua stood there, wrapped in a gray plaid scarf. His lips were pale, his features impossibly refined–handsome in a way that made people stare.
It had been nearly ten days since they last saw each other. Shermaine was just about to speak when she noticed Kingston approaching, and Joshua spotted him too.
Without hesitation, he leaned down, reached through the car window, and gently cupped the nape of Shermaine’s neck, pulling her closer. In a voice so low only she could hear, he murmured, “Shermaine, do me a favor.”
Then his lips brushed her forehead. As if it wasn’t enough, they slowly moved lower, pressing gently against hers, his mouth barely moving.
Her lips were just as soft and sweet as always.
Joshua swallowed slightly. He wanted more.
Shermaine’s eyelashes fluttered.
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