Joshua gazed intently at Shermaine. “Feed me, Sheary.”

Shermaine scooped a spoonful of ice cream and brought it to his lips. Joshua had gone out of his way to bring her snacks. She was willing to indulge him.

Just then, another WhatsApp notification chimed. She glanced down but didn’t check it immediately. The message was from the person tailing Madeline, delivering the daily report.

Joshua reached up, brushing away a smudge of chocolate at the corner of her mouth. “Ross came to drink with me yesterday.”

“He was in a bad mood?” Shermaine asked casually.

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Probably because of Danielle.” Though Ross hadn’t said a word, nothing escaped Joshua’s notice.

A soft warmth flickered in Shermaine’s eyes. “So, there might still be a chance for Ross and Danielle.”

She had always believed Ross needed someone like Danielle by his side. Danielle was such a warm person. Once Ross experienced that, he wouldn’t want to let her go.

Even after returning to the Jean family, Shermaine had maintained a close relationship with Ross. He doted on her, and naturally, she cared about him. Still, he needed someone who would love him wholeheartedly.

Ross was reserved by nature, but he was starved for affection and lonelier than she was.

Joshua smiled but didn’t elaborate. Once Shermaine had finished eating, he pulled her onto his lap and leaned in to kiss her.

The spot was secluded and rarely frequented by others, so Shermaine didn’t worry about being seen and allowed it.

Two days without intimacy, and Joshua missed her kiss so much.

Shermaine wore a loose T-shirt, and now one shoulder was bare. Joshua nuzzled against her neck, kissing and nipping lightly, tempted to leave his mark.

Shermaine immediately warned, “No marks.” The weather was too hot, and she still had orientation. If she sweated, the concealer would smudge.

Joshua paused, then tugged her collar down slightly and sucked hard, leaving a hidden but clear hickey.

Shermaine let out a soft gasp.

After returning to the Jean residence, Madeline was consumed by despair over Jasper’s words at the airport, unable to shake off her gloom. Jasper had blocked her number. It seemed he truly meant to cut all ties with her.

She missed him, yet she wasn’t willing to give up her status in the Jean family.

Lost in thought, she was caught off guard when Jameson, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, stormed into the room in a rage and slapped her hard. He roared, “You bitch! How dare you cheat on me?”

The slap left Madeline dizzy, but she quickly regained her composure. Lifting her chin, she sneered, “Oh? You’re out there keeping a mistress and fathering an illegitimate child, but I can’t date another man? And you have the nerve to slap me?”

Still resentful over being pushed down the stairs last time, she stood up and slapped Jameson hard.

This enraged Jameson further. He was the kind of man who believed he could have mistresses, but Ruth, as his wife, had to be loyal to him.

Furious that she dared to slap him, he grabbed her by the hair. “You think just because you’ve patched things up with Shermaine, I won’t touch you? You filthy bitch! I’ll teach you a real lesson today.”

Janice, hearing the violent commotion upstairs, rushed to the scene and nearly fainted from shock.

Madeline, being a woman, was no match for Jameson’s brute strength. By the time the beating stopped, she lay battered and bruised on the bed, barely breathing.

Horrified that Jameson had resorted to domestic violence, Janice raised her cane and thrashed him.

By ten that night, Ross had taken Madeline to the hospital.

Weeping pitifully, Madeline tried to win his sympathy, hoping he would seek justice for her.

When she clutched his sleeve, Ross frowned in disgust. He yanked his sleeve back, his usual gentle demeanor replaced by obvious disdain. “I don’t have a mother like you.”

Madeline sobbed, “Ross, I’m your mother. How can you stand by and watch me get beaten like that?”

“I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

“You bastard! How could you be so heartless?”

“Get some rest.” With that, Ross strode out of the hospital room. The usually refined young man now carried an unshakable air of fury. Jameson was despicable, but the woman before him disgusted him just as much.

At Basterel University, Shermaine had already learned about Madeline being beaten by Jameson. Her eyes were cold, but she remained silent. She had no sympathy for that despicable woman.

Yet Jameson’s actions disgusted Shermaine to the core. If her mother were still alive and knew how vile he was, Shermaine couldn’t even imagine how she would react.

“The dorm closes in ten minutes. I should head back,” Shermaine said, slipping her phone into her pocket.

Joshua ruffled her hair. “Zack is back in Basterel.”

“Have they caught him yet?”

“He’s still at large. I’ll bring him to you within days.”

“Mm.”

Shermaine hadn’t extracted any useful information from Madeline, but Zack might know something about what had happened back then.

After being beaten by Janice, Jameson spent the night at Natalie’s place.

Natalie’s gentle, doting care instantly made him feel she was far better than Ruth. He couldn’t wait to marry Natalie and bring her home.

Natalie was a master at turning the tables. The next day, news of “Mrs. Jean’s Secret Affair” trended online, with netizens marveling at the drama of high-society scandals.

Ruth was livid, thinking, ‘That damn bitch! Here I am, lying alone in the hospital with no one visiting me, not even Shermaine, and her phone is still unreachable.’

At that moment, she desperately wished Jasper would come for her.

Richard had tracked down Maple Leaf Ville’s location through various leads, but his first impression upon arriving was that he must have come to the wrong place.

Rumor had it that this was a poor, remote village, yet every household lived in cozy villas, and cutting-edge robots were everywhere.

Richard soon met Jay Gill, the mayor of Maple Leaf Ville. He pulled out a photograph and asked, “Sir, have you seen this little girl before?”

Jay studied the photo and blinked in surprise. “Isn’t this Sheary?”

Richard explained his purpose, “I’m a relative of hers. Could you tell me where she is now?”

Jay eyed him carefully. The man carried an air of integrity and didn’t seem like trouble. After a brief hesitation, he replied, “Sheary has already been reunited with her family. Are you sure you’ve got the right person?”

A sinking feeling settled in Richard’s gut. “Who claimed to be her family?”

Jay answered plainly, “The Jean family from Basterel.”