Torn Between Love and Hate

Chapter 188 His Face Turns Pale

Ashton was completely taken by surprise, never expecting to hear Joseph's voice on the other end.

The sound of Joseph's voice coming through the phone was accompanied by the noise of the mall's public address

system.

Just like the broadcast sound in the shopping mall where Ashton is currently, it was the same.

It's clear that Joseph, on the other end of the phone, is also in this shopping mall.

Ashton felt embarrassed, instinctively wanting to hang up the phone and leave immediately.

Upon further thought, Deborah had indeed sent him a message, asking him to come over, saying that she had something to talk to him about,

She wouldn't deliberately deceive him to come over. If she said there was something important and asked him to come, then there must be something important. Ashton reached out to tap the hang-up button on his phone screen, but couldn't help himself from continuing to listen to the voice on the other end.

Joseph doesn't know what's going on, but Deborah should know, right?

It was she who called him over.

Over there, Joseph's voice sounded somewhat surprised, "Invited a friend? Debby, did you invite a friend over?"

Deborah was picking out yogurt for Alyssa from the refrigerator when she casually glanced at her phone upon hearing

a notification.

"No, why would I call someone else to come here?"

The screen displayed an unfamiliar phone number. Deborah gently reminded, "Hang up, it's probably an

advertisement or a scam."

Joseph let out an "Oh" and was about to hang up the phone.

Over there, the security guard didn't seem too bright. Upon hearing Deborah's words, he became somewhat annoyed.

"What do you mean, an advertising scam? I'm the security guard of this mall, and I'm with your friend at the main entrance right now. Your friend has been waiting for quite a while. Did you invite them and then forget about it?"

Deborah paused her movements and exchanged glances with Joseph for two seconds.

She suddenly thought of something and put down what she was holding in her hand.

"Suddenly, remembered that we left Evelyn at Moxley Manor. Could it be that she came over?"

Joseph looked even more puzzled, "She wouldn't have come all this way to find this place. Anyway, let's go to the door

and see who it is."

Deborah nodded and left the supermarket with him.

At the entrance of the shopping mall downstairs, the security guard was sitting there, with no other people in sight.

Joseph approached and asked, "Hello, did you just call us, saying that we have friends waiting for us here?"

The security guard was also puzzled and replied apologetically, "Yes. But after that gentleman hung up the phone, he said he had dialed the wrong number. Then he mentioned that he had something urgent to attend to and hurriedly

Chapter 185km ace Turns Pale

left."

Deborah hurriedly jogged over, her face now full of confusion.

The security guard repeatedly apologized, "I'm very sorry for taking up both of your time. But the fact is, it's really like this,"

There's no point in saying more, as there's no one here anymore.

Joseph and Deborah had no choice but to leave and head to the supermarket upstairs to pay for and take away the items they had chosen.

This matter is definitely not as simple as dialing the wrong number.

The other party came here looking for someone, but dialed the wrong number. It's impossible that they just happened to call someone else in this mall. When Joseph and Deborah left the mall, they still felt uneasy.

"I don't know who the other party is, but it's not safe for you and Alyssa to live alone out here. Is the house you rented reliable?"

Deborah didn't seem too concerned. "What could possibly go wrong? I specifically chose a neighborhood with good security, outsiders can't even get in. I've also carefully reviewed the house information and rental contract, everything seems reliable."

Joseph was still worried, "Are you sure you've checked carefully? I remember last time when you took a design order, you sent the payment code to the client when collecting the money, and almost ended up paying them a large sum."

Deborah, feeling awkward, said, "Let's not bring up the past anymore."

As two people stepped out of the shopping mall, snow began to fall outside, and the cold wind blew fiercely.

Joseph draped a coat over her shoulders, then suddenly changed the subject, "Would you still forgive me for the things I've done in the past?"

The relaxed expression on Deborah's face faded as she took off the coat she was wearing and handed it back to him.

"I should go back, Alyssa might have woken up.

The items that were just bought at the shopping mall are now being carried in Joseph's hands.

Deborah reached out to grab it, but as Joseph let go, he suddenly grasped her wrist.

"Debby, I'm sorry. Can you give me a chance to make it up to you?"

He had once forgotten her; in his eyes, everyone was merely a pawn.

In order to achieve his goal, he could scheme and exploit anyone.

Later on, he remembered Deborah, and it was the warm and peaceful days spent with her over the past three years. that made him never want to return to that cold, dark, and calculating life again. Deborah reached out to push him away, lowering her gaze to avoid his eyes.

"I really need to go back, Alyssa is still waiting for me at home."

Joseph had always been obedient and accommodating to her, but this time, he didn't let go.

"Let me take you home, I've brought some home-cooked food with me. I'll go get it from the car. Alyssa is still

growing, you can't always rely on takeout."

Deborah couldn't push him away, and there were people walking outside the mall, occasionally glancing over in their

direction.

Her face turned red, "No need, Alyssa can taste the difference in the food you cook. She doesn't like you, so you can't come back with me."

Joseph looked down at her and asked, "If Alyssa never accepts me, will we always be like this?"

Deborah didn't want to lie, so she could only respond truthfully.

"I've owed Alyssa so much in the past, and from now on, I want to put her first in everything. To be honest, if I had to choose, I would give up anything for her." Joseph's body had become somewhat stiff.

He had actually anticipated such a response, but hearing it directly from Deborah still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He couldn't help but feel a bit wronged. "Debby, this isn't very fair to me."

Deborah looked up at him, slowly pushing his hand away. Her expression was calm and sincere.

"Sorry, Alyssa is really important to ine, and I don't want her to make any more compromises or sacrifices in any

matter."

After she finished speaking, she turned around and left, heading towards the residential area across the street. Joseph stood still, and out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar car parked among the others in the square.

Ashton sat in the driver's seat, not wanting to leave and too afraid to get out of the car.

He gazed through the car window, somewhat absent-mindedly, watching Deborah and Joseph together.

It wasn't until Joseph suddenly looked in his direction that his expression froze, and he instinctively wanted to hide.

Upon recalling that one cannot see inside the car from the outside, Joseph wouldn't be able to see him.

Joseph watched as Ashton's car pulled up, and suddenly he knew who the security guard was talking about earlier when he mentioned that Deborah had a friend waiting for her at the entrance.

How could Ashton possibly know that Deborah is here now, if she didn't tell him herself?

Joseph's face darkened, and he couldn't understand why. Every time he saw Ashton getting close to Deborah, he felt uneasy in his heart

Adrian pursued Deborah, while Zayne secretly admired her. For Joseph, all of this seemed like child's play.

He minded, but not nearly as much as one might think.

As for Ashton, there was a deep concern hidden in his subconscious.

Joseph glanced back and quickly caught up with Deborah, who was already walking towards the other side. He reached out and grabbed her arm from behind.

Deborah was startled and turned around to see him, her face puzzled, "What's the matter? Is there anything else?"

Joseph appeared calm and said, "Morton got me an extra phone number for this side of Richmond. Give me your phone, let me save it, so you don't accidentally block me as an unknown number."

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Deborah let out an "Oh," and handed him her phone.

She didn't go to watch, waiting for Joseph to finish.

Joseph knew that her phone's screen lock was her birthday.

Joseph saved the number in his contacts and quickly opened his phone's messages and WhatsApp.

Soon, he saw the message that Deborah had accidentally sent to Ashton in their WhatsApp chat history.

No wonder, Ashton was originally still in the hospital, so he shouldn't have come over.

Deborah stood in front of him and asked, "Are you okay?"

Joseph casually deleted the chat history, exited WhatsApp, and handed the phone back to her.

"Alright then."

Deborah reached out to take it, and just as she was about to leave, Joseph suddenly reached out and pulled her into his embrace.

"Debby, even if Alyssa can never accept me, I still won't let go."

Deborah was startled and exclaimed, "What are you doing? We're outside!".

She reached out to push him away, but Joseph swiftly caught the back of her head with his palm, leaning in to silence her voice.

This was the second time he genuinely kissed her. The first time had been in a hotel, when he had too much to drink and was caught by Alyssa,

He used to be a restrained person, but now he's inexplicably strange.

Deborah's face turned beet red as she tried to push him away, but he refused to let go no matter what she said.

Ashton looked over through the car window, his face gradually turning pale.