SWNOVELS Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Before Joshua could say anything, Cynthia spoke up, “Mr. Neal, please don’t let your eyes wander on my body.”
Joshua quickly changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on his guilty conscience. “I need to talk to you. I have something to discuss.”
Cynthia continued to dry her hair, opening the door slightly. “If it’s about Jayleen and Mitchell, there’s no need. We have nothing to discuss.”
“It’s not,” Joshua replied patiently, despite his dislike of her attitude.
He needed to find out what kind of person Cynthia truly was.
Cynthia had calmed down considerably after her shower. She put down her towel and asked, What is it?”
“I’d like to visit your family. My grandfather was right. In the two years from our marriage to our divorce, I never visited your parents. That’s not proper etiquette,” Joshua said solemnly, looking serious.
“No need,” Cynthia refused.
“I just want to apologize to your parents; I won’t cause any trouble.” Joshua’s gaze deepened, his voice low and slow.
Cynthia maintained her earlier attitude. “Really, there’s no need.”
‘Are you so against it because there’s some secret in your family?” Joshua recalled what Yoel had said earlier.
“Yes, my family is too rich. I’m afraid you’ll visit, decide you want my fortune, refuse to divorce me, and use my money to support your villas in Sovereign Heights,” Cynthia said seriously, her eyes giving nothing away.
Joshua did not believe a word of that, but he played along and asked, “I know of the wealthy families and corporations, but which one is yours?”
“The Yates Group,” Cynthia blurted out.
She was not afraid of her identity being exposed.
Everyone in their circle knew the Yates Group had a daughter, but the one publicly known was her sister.
Cynthia had never liked interacting with people since she was young, so very few knew she was the daughter of the Yates family, save for her friends and relatives.
“You’re not fooling anyone.” Joshua did not buy it for a second, feeling more and more perplexed by her. “I’ve seen the Yates Group’s heiress, and she doesn’t look like you.”
“Oh,” Cynthia replied indifferently.
She and her sister were indeed two entirely different people.
She preferred minimalism, while her sister was fond of elegance, dressing like a fairy that had escaped from a castle, beautiful, lively, and adorable.
Chapter 16
“I’ll only be there for half a day. I won’t waste your parents‘ time,” Joshua tried again.
Cynthia said casually, “Why go when we’re divorcing if you didn’t go when we got married? People might think you’re deliberately trying to provoke them.”
“Exactly because I didn’t go before…”
“What were you doing before if you really wanted to visit them?” Cynthia interrupted him, acting impolitely for the first time. “I’ll say it one last time: there’s no need.”
Joshua could see her resistance.
The more she resisted, the more curious he became about her upbringing.
He had checked her ID, which listed an ordinary residential area in Nexuria. Nothing about it seemed special.
“Why are you so against me going?” Joshua asked directly.
“Because I don’t want certain people to laugh at me. If you tell him about our two–year marriage and divorce, how would he and his new partner look at me?” Cynthia replied casually, her tone devoid of any emotion.
With that simple statement, Joshua’s thoughts returned to the previous night.
Cynthia had mentioned her strained relationship with her family and that her father had found someone new.
“I could visit your mother,” Joshua changed the topic.
Cynthia hesitated, her hand paused while reaching for the toner. Her eyes lost focus for a moment. Joshua noticed her unusual reaction. Just as he was about to continue persuading her, Cynthia collected herself, picked up the toner, and said emotionlessly, “My mother has passed away.”
The simple statement struck Joshua’s heart. He had considered countless possibilities, but he never expected this one.
“You…” Joshua did not know what to say.
“If there’s nothing else, let’s end the conversation here.” Cynthia put the bottle back. ” Tomorrow morning, we still have to apply for a divorce.”
Joshua’s eyes darkened, and the words he wanted to say turned into a simple sentence. “Get some rest early.”
“I will,” Cynthia replied indifferently.
Joshua did not disturb her any further. As he left the room and closed the door, his tall, imposing figure made the room seem even smaller. Cynthia carried on with her usual routine.
That night, neither of them slept well. Joshua tossed and turned in bed, feeling uneasy about the upcoming divorce. What frustrated him even more was his lack of understanding of Cynthia; he did not even know her mother had died.
Cynthia, on the other hand, had one nightmare after another. At the end of each nightmare, her gentle, loving mother would hold her and gently pat her back, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Cyn, Mom is here.”
Chapter 16
Then, the dream would shatter, and her mother would disappear. She tried to hold on but could only watch helplessly as her mother’s hand slipped from hers.
“Mom! Mom!” Both her younger and older self chased after her mother, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not catch up with her fading figure.
Cynthia jolted awake, her forehead covered in cold sweat. She lay in bed for a while before sitting up with a heavy heart, leaning against the headboard to calm herself. She had not had this kind of dream in a long time.
Glancing at the clock, she saw it was only three in the morning. Wanting to drink some water, she realized the glass by her bed was empty, so she got up and went downstairs to get some.
She did not turn on the lights. She felt safer in the darkness than during the day. In the pitch- black environment, there were no visible boundaries, just an endless void.
She filled a glass with water, her mind still preoccupied with the dream. Over the past two years, she had tried to avoid thinking about her mother, afraid that her mother would worry about her well–being. However, tonight, her longing for her mother was unstoppable, crashing through her thoughts uncontrollably.
Crash!
Unintentionally, she bumped into Joshua, who had also come down for a drink. The glass of water splashed partly on him, and she got a little wet as well. Before she could say anything, Joshua’s voice, deep and heavy from just waking up, sounded above her, “Why didn’t you turn on the light?”
“I didn’t think there was a need for that,” Cynthia replied casually.
Joshua walked over and switched on the light, filling the room with brightness. The sudden glare made Cynthia squint, and she closed her eyes for a moment before slowly opening them. As her eyes adjusted to the light, her gaze fell upon Joshua not too far away.