Chapter 223

He looked at her, his decision firm, like a man who had lost everything and was throwing away his last hope. He was betting that Sienna, deep down, held a place for him in her heart. He left Sienna with no choice. She nodded, rising onto her tiptoes. "I will—"

Her soft, warm lips brushed his in a quick, light kiss. Yet, that tiny spark held the potential to ignite a large flame. Josiah swiftly pulled her close, holding her tightly as if to absorb her completely. Then, he opened his mouth.

It wasn't just a kiss; it was a bite. Sienna winced and frowned. "Josiah, that hurts!"

Josiah gripped the back of her head, releasing her as he gasped for air. Seeing her swollen lips, he felt a pang of regret. He lifted his hand, gently stroking her lips. "Sorry."

He had lost control. His forehead pressed against hers, his hands cradling her cheeks, his voice low and slightly threatening. "You kissed me, and now you can't leave me?"

He kissed her again. "I gave you the chance to leave, but you didn't take it. Now, you can't regret it."

Sienna leaned against him, shaking her head. "I don't want to regret…"

Those words alone made Josiah feel he had won far more than he had lost. His heart, which had been withering from disappointment, blossomed with renewed hope.

His hands caressed her face, acknowledging her stubbornness. "Alright, since you're sincere, I'll forgive what happened tonight."

Sienna smiled softly. "Thank you, ah!"

He suddenly lifted her, her feet barely touching the ground. She clung to his shoulder as he adopted a serious expression. "Get serious."

"Oh," Sienna mimicked his serious expression, still holding onto his shoulder.

Josiah raised an eyebrow, pleased. "I let you go, but you chose to stay with me this time. This isn't a case of me forcing you; you're choosing to stay voluntarily. Is that right?"

Sienna could only nod in agreement. Josiah's mood lifted further. He thought, To be honest, she wasn't entirely forced to stay, right? She had the perfect chance tonight—why didn't she leave? She must have feelings for me. But maybe they aren't strong enough; even her roommate could take her away from me!

Wait. I'm a man—why should I be petty with my own girlfriend?

"Sienna," he said, holding her as he looked into her eyes, "I'll make you love me even more. Will you believe me?"

Josiah's eyes were clear, as if he could see into her soul. Sienna felt a moment of panic but managed a smile. "I'll wait and see." Not quite an answer, but a response nonetheless. They shared a night full of passion.

The next day, Sienna woke around eleven o'clock. She pushed Josiah's arm from around her waist and got out of bed to shower. When she emerged, Josiah was already awake.

As she brushed her hair before the mirror, he came from the bathroom after his shower. "Oh, I almost forgot," he said, going out to retrieve something.

Sienna was puzzled. Josiah went to the garage; he had left a gift for her in the car the previous day when he was angry. He returned with a small box and placed it on the dresser before Sienna.

"Open it and take a look," he said.

"What is it?" Sienna put down the brush and opened the box. Inside was a watch; it looked familiar, as if she had seen it before.

"Isn't it familiar?" Josiah smiled, taking the watch from the box and placing it on Sienna's wrist. "Mm, it suits you perfectly. Your wrists are slim, the strap is just the right length, and your skin really makes it pop."

Despite the compliment, Sienna frowned, hesitant to accept it. "It's too expensive."

"Too expensive! It's just a watch," Josiah said nonchalantly. "It's a pair with mine." Sienna realized Josiah's watch was similar, but larger—a men's watch.

Josiah smiled. "I didn't expect it to be made so soon, but since they had mine as a template, they just had to copy it exactly. They got the only two identical custom-made Patek Philippe watches in the world."

Suddenly, Sienna felt the watch was too much to handle. "Maybe I should just put it away. It's so valuable—if it gets scratched or lost, wouldn't that be such a waste!"

"I'm not worried," Josiah said, pressing her hand to stop her. "If it gets scratched or damaged, it can be fixed. As for losing it? That's impossible. Every watch has its own serial number, just like DNA. As long as the number's there, it can't be lost. Just wear it."

He lifted her hand and brought it to her ear, smiling as he looked at her. "Listen to that—wearing the same watch means we're always together." Sienna's heart skipped a beat. How sweet those words!

They finished getting ready and went downstairs for breakfast. While eating, Josiah received a call from Miranda. "Yes, okay… I remember," he said, hanging up and looking at Sienna's plate. He ate the uneaten egg yolk. "I'm going to visit Grandma this afternoon. Howard's marriage needs to be discussed," he told her.

"I'm going with you," Sienna replied.

After breakfast, Josiah drove, but they didn't go straight to the Flynn residence. He explained they needed to stop at the hospital first because Miranda's medication was almost finished, and he needed to pick some up.

They went to the hospital. The car stopped in the parking lot, and Josiah asked, "Are you coming with me?"

"No," Sienna replied firmly, shaking her head. Joyce was at that hospital, too. She couldn't see them together. She added, "I'll wait for you in the car."

"Alright," Josiah said. "I'll be quick."

After closing the car door, Josiah quickly headed to the pharmacy. Everything was ready, so he grabbed the medicine and was about to leave. Holding the bag, he walked through the busy lobby. Suddenly, a clear voice called out, "Josiah!" Josiah instinctively turned and saw a familiar little face. "Joyce!"

Joyce wasn't alone; she was with Tara. She jumped down from Tara and ran to Josiah. "Josiah!"

"Hey!" Josiah bent and picked her up.

"Josiah," Joyce said, her brow furrowed, looking a little upset. "I am not happy."