What Separates Me and You

Avery promptly grabbed Quintin's collar. "Are you telling me that scum killed Josephine?"

Quintin was a bit out of breath as his collar tightened around his neck, but that didn't stop him from being astonished at what Avery said. "Were you talking about Josephine Vance?" "Do you know Josephine too?"

They stared at each other for several seconds. The flashlight was cast aside, and its beam pierced through the woods, lighting up the fallen leaves and withered branches scattered everywhere. Quintin's pursuers saw the light and headed in their direction.

"Shit! They're coming." Quintin quickly clambered up from the ground. He looked left and right before remembering he had lost his bearings. He asked Avery, "Hey, do you know the way out?" "I do. Who are those people?"

"I'm not sure, but they could be the people Lewis sent after me. Come on, show me the way out, and then we'll talk!"

Avery shot Quintin another glance upon hearing that. She bent and picked up her backpack. "Come with me!"

She held Quintin's hand and headed in another direction, walking briskly. Quintin felt nothing but admiration toward her. How could she have walked so quickly with such a massive bag on her back? She was nothing like an average woman.

Avery led him through multiple twists and turns, so much so that Quintin felt dizzy. They ran for approximately half an hour before stopping.

Quintin asked, "Why are we stopping?"

"To take a break." Avery released his hand and placed her backpack on the ground. She pulled out a water bottle for Quintin and another for herself before sitting on her backpack.

Quintin was now hungry and thirsty. He also sat and finished the entire bottle of water.

After several seconds, Avery asked, "You mentioned Josephine just now. Is she really dead?"

Quintin choked and spluttered. He coughed violently and patted his chest to soothe the coughing. "No, she's not. She's alive, but her condition doesn't seem too good." "Why's that? Hurry up and tell me!"

Quintin glanced at her. "It's going to take longer than a few mere sentences. Do you have food?"

Frowning, Avery found a few packets of crackers in her backpack and thrust them at him.

"Your backpack carries a lot, doesn't it?" Quintin tore open the packaging as he spoke and started gobbling the biscuits down.

Avery silently waited for him to finish.

After satisfying his hunger and thirst, Quintin felt invigorated again.

Avery urged, "C'mon, get on with the story!"

"Uhm, Josephine is now my wife."

Avery was flabbergasted. Endless questions filled her mind as she turned her confused gaze on Quintin, sincerely doubting the truth in his words. Quintin stood and told her, "Lead me out first. I'll tell you everything on the way. Besides, Josephine's not on the mountain; she's outside." "Can I trust you?"

Quintin said huffily, "Why can't you? I won't benefit from lying in your face, will I?"

Avery thought he had a point and said, "Alright. Let's keep going. We're reaching the starting point."

Quintin followed her. He thought about it and was unsure where to start, so he told Avery about how he first met Josephine. He first met her at the entrance to Styx Mansion. She was on the ground, crying with despair. Quintin had no idea what she had been through then, but her weeping face captivated him instantly. Since then, he would frequently remember those eyes of hers. He didn't expect to meet her again during his father's banquet and even rescued her. That was how they got to know each other.

Avery listened to him and silently exclaimed how much Josephine had been through when she was away for only six months. She felt upset, particularly when she realized Josephine might not even recognize her now, and her hatred toward Lewis intensified. Suddenly, she asked, "Then what about her baby?"

Quintin halted. "What baby?"

"Wasn't she pregnant? You didn't know?"

"Of course not. No one told me Josephine was pregnant, and she didn't look like she intended to have a baby too!"

Avery's fury grew at an alarming speed. There was only one possibility as to why Quintin never knew about Josephine's pregnancy-the baby was aborted. Josephine had truly looked forward to having her own baby; she would absolutely not abort him, or her, out of her own free will!

The perpetrator could only be Lewis, that bastard. He must've forced her to do it!

Avery couldn't even imagine how desperate Josephine must have felt right after the abortion. Josephine had to endure the pain on her own as Avery wasn't there at that time.

It was already morning by then. Quintin could see Avery's eyes, blazing with fury, even without the flashlight. He could more or less figure out what happened.

How heartless could one be to abort his own flesh and blood? The facts had spoken-Lewis was merciless, indeed.

After escaping the mountain and coming to the foot of it, Quintin pulled out his phone that only had one percent battery left and phoned his brother to send someone to pick him up. Avery called her brother too. After learning about Josephine's condition, she dropped her intention of meeting up with Josephine lest she startled her. Warren and Tyler reached one after another.

Warren saw Quintin's disheveled appearance once he got out of the car and sighed with resignment. "You little brat. We were worried sick about you." Quintin scratched his head. "Well, I didn't call for that to happen. You were very close to being unable to see me ever again."

"Let's talk in the car."

Tyler was checking on Avery too. "You never inform us you're coming back. What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story."

Tyler's and Warren's gazes met as they exchanged words with their respective siblings.

They smiled and reached out for a handshake. They were all from Herdstone City and knew about each other, even though they were involved in different industries. "What a coincidence, Mr. Warren."

Warren grabbed Tyler's hand and smiled. "Indeed. I didn't expect to see you here, Mr. Tyler."

"Let's go. Here is not a good place to talk."

Warren nodded. All four got into their cars and headed for the city.

The pursuers saw the cars driving off and made a phone call. "Sir, he's gone. Warren came and picked him up."

Kiran wasn't angry at all on the other end of the receiver. "Let him be. Warren seems to be shrewd."

His original motive was to test them, not go after Quintin's life. If he couldn't cause a rift between the Fowler family and Lewis, he would get the short end of the stick by killing Quintin.

Seth clicked his tongue. "I told you not to do it. How silly can those involved in politics be? Now you've just landed yourself on the wrong side of the Fowler family. They may not take action against you, but you've still wronged them."

It didn't bother Kiran. "Warren's title is useless to me. I don't need him for trivial matters, and he can't assist me in significant ones either. It doesn't matter if I wrong him."

"No one would stay in the same position forever."

"Who knows what will happen in the future?"

Seth didn't argue. However, Warren wouldn't intervene if he wanted to climb higher up the corporate ladder, so there was no need to worry about him.

Josephine stayed the night in Lewis' ward. She woke up to realize she was sleeping on his bed, whereas he was gone.

Mrs. Larson was preparing breakfast. Josephine smelled the delicious aroma, and all signs of sleepiness disappeared. Getting out from under the sheets, she went to the dining table and asked Mrs. Larson, "Where's Lewis?"