Chapter 3
Shermaine said casually, “I only said I’d forgive Ronnie. I never said I’d have the video deleted.” She smiled at Joshua, “Mr. York, the police will be here soon. Let’s hand the footage over to them.”
Joshua gave a slight nod.
“You’ve gone too far, Shermaine,” Amira was seething.
Shermaine ignored her. With her fiancé backing her up, she could just quietly play the part of the delicate damsel.
“How exactly is she going too far?” Joshua shot back.
“…” Amira faltered, nearly having a heart attack from the stress.
“Mrs. Leeds, I suggest you choose your words carefully when speaking to my fiancée,” Joshua remarked calmly. Then he turned to Bradley and ordered, “Leave someone behind to wait for the police.”
Bradley responded and went to make the arrangements.
Amira was furious but could only swallow it. Joshua was someone she couldn’t afford to cross. And now that Shermaine had climbed up the social ladder by getting engaged to Joshua, Amira had to tread even more carefully.
Inside the elevator, silence fell.
Shermaine spoke up, “Mr. York.”
Joshua looked down at her.
Shermaine said, “Thanks for tonight.”
Joshua replied lightly, “You don’t need to thank me.”
She shook her head. “But I should.”
He remarked steadily, “You’ll be my wife one day. Since you’re going to be part of the York family, no one gets to push you around.”
Shermaine stayed quiet for a moment and thought, ‘Is Joshua really going to marry me? Just because of some verbal engagement made by the older generation?’
She was still young and honestly didn’t want to start thinking about marriage so soon. Besides, they’d only just met and they were basically strangers. To her, talking about tying the knot was just downright crazy.
So Shermaine said softly, “Mr. York, maybe you should think twice about marrying me.”
Hearing that, Bradley glanced over at Shermaine in surprise and thought, ‘There’s actually a woman out there who doesn’t want to marry Mr. York? Ms. Shue really knows how to shock people.’
Joshua looked down and realized Shermaine was, without a doubt, beautiful. She was a ten out of ten.
Her beauty had an edge to it, like a bold, seductive black rose – mysterious and elegant, alluring and stunning. Yet, in her features lingered a trace of bold sharpness. Every movement she made carried an air of confidence and command.
Shermaine wasn’t at all like the rumors said – rough and unruly. Even when she hit Ronnie, she had done it with clean, sharp precision and a kind of effortless swagger.
There was nothing wrong with her character and she was absolutely gorgeous. Joshua figured marrying Shermaine would not only fulfill his grandfather’s wishes but also serve as a proper decision for himself.
“No need to think it over. Unless something unexpected happens, you’ll be marrying me.” Joshua’s tone was calm, as if they weren’t talking about something as major as marriage, but something trivial.
Shermaine pondered, ‘The problem is I don’t really want to get married.’
She didn’t dare say it out loud. She went on thinking, ‘He just helped me out. I’d feel bad turning around and rejecting him. What if I piss him off?’
But then Shermaine thought about it again. Marrying someone like Joshua—a powerful man with good character—would mean latching onto a solid backer and finally cutting ties with the Jean family. That didn’t sound too bad.
However, Shermaine felt that she was capable enough on her own. Whether she had a backer or not didn’t make much difference.
Following Joshua out of the hospital, Shermaine was hit by a sharp autumn breeze and her arms felt cold. Her dress was too thin. On a night like this, with the fall air sinking deep into her bones, she was freezing.
Then suddenly, a suit jacket landed on her shoulders, instantly cutting off the cold. It was Joshua’s. The fabric carried a faint cedar scent.
Shermaine thought, ‘He’s polite to a fault. He knows exactly how to act without making people uncomfortable. But that’s all it is—politeness. He may seem easygoing, but deep down, he keeps everyone at arm’s length. He’ll take care of me, sure, but there’ll be no love. If I weren’t his fiancée, I’d never get this kind of treatment.’
Joshua checked the time. “Should I take you back to the Jean residence?”
Shermaine raised an eyebrow. “I’m not going back.”
Just thinking about facing Ruth and Wendelyn gave her a headache. It was late, and she just wanted a peaceful night’s sleep.
Shermaine gave a faint smile. “I’ve got another place in Basterel, Mr. York. Please take me there.”
“Alright,” Joshua said.
They got in the car. As the heater kicked on, Shermaine moved to return the suit jacket to Joshua.
Joshua didn’t take it. “Keep it on.”
“Okay,” Shermaine replied.
The cedar scent from the jacket felt stronger now. Shermaine had already been drowsy, and now her head felt heavier, making her even sleepier.
Outside the window, shadows and lights slid past. Shermaine closed her eyes. In no time, she was fast asleep.
Soft music played in the car. Joshua had been looking over some documents. As the car swayed gently, Shermaine’s head leaned against his shoulder. Her breathing was steady. She didn’t stir.
“Turn off the music,” Joshua ordered.
Bradley did as told. He glanced back from the corner of his eye and couldn’t help thinking, ‘Mr. York is surprisingly tolerant with Ms. Shue. He’s actually letting her sleep on his shoulder. In Basterel, so many women throw themselves at him and he never even spares them a glance – let alone lets them get this close. If only Mr. York took this engagement seriously. But that’s probably impossible. He’s always been cold and detached, not the type to love anyone.”
With that thought, Bradley felt a little sorry for Shermaine.
About thirty minutes later, the car pulled up to the address Shermaine had given – Emerald Heights.
Just seeing where she lived made it clear: even without the Jean family, Shermaine was doing perfectly fine on her own.
Joshua gently woke Shermaine. She opened her eyes slowly, still drowsy, and there was a soft allure in her gaze.
“We’ve arrived already?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Joshua replied. “Which building? I’ll have the driver pull in.”
“Building 2, Section B.”
“Guide us.”
About three minutes later, the Maybach stopped in front of Building 2.
Shermaine handed the suit jacket back and stepped out of the car. She bent slightly at the waist and said to Joshua, who was in the car, “Bye, Mr. York.”
“Bye,” Joshua replied.
Shermaine lived on the 21st floor—the top floor. She entered the passcode, returned to her apartment, took a relaxing hot shower, and finally felt a lot more refreshed.
She pulled out a bottle of whiskey and curled up on the couch, sipping it slowly.
Meanwhile, back at the Jean residence, Jameson Jean walked out of the study and saw Ruth and Wendelyn downstairs enjoying some soup. But Shermaine wasn’t in the house.
He frowned and asked, “Where’s Shermaine?”
Ruth set down her spoon. “I didn’t bring her back.”
Jameson looked at her, confused.
Ruth explained, “She’s way too defiant. If she doesn’t learn her lesson, she’ll never understand how to behave, and she’ll just keep bringing trouble to our family.”
Hearing that explanation, Jameson didn’t respond. After giving birth to Shermaine, Ruth had poured all her care into raising her. But when Shermaine was five years old, an accident had left her lost and adrift.
Back then, Ruth had been so devastated that she had fallen into depression. Her mental state had remained unstable for a long time, and it wasn’t until they had adopted Wendelyn that she had finally begun to recover.
Now that her biological daughter Shermaine had returned, Ruth’s attitude toward her had long since lost the tenderness and protectiveness she had shown before Shermaine turned five.
Jameson wondered, ‘Is it because Shermaine didn’t grow up by Ruth’s side that the bond just faded away? Maybe. After all, they were separated for so many years.’
Over those years, Ruth had poured nearly all her affection onto Wendelyn. By the time Shermaine returned, there wasn’t a scrap left for her. As for Jameson, Shermaine’s father, he was even worse.
If it hadn’t been for Jameson back then, Shermaine wouldn’t have been kidnapped and gone missing. Jameson felt a deep sense of guilt toward her.
He said, “Even if Shermaine refuses to behave, she’s still the heiress of the Jean family. As her mother, shouldn’t you at least try to consider what’s best for her instead of washing your hands of her like that?”
“I’ve tried, but there’s nothing more I can do,” Ruth replied expressionlessly.
“She’s still at the hospital?”
“She’s probably handed over to the police by Mrs. Leeds.”
Jameson’s anger flared. “This is outrageous. Don’t you care about our family’s reputation at all?”
“Ever since she came back, haven’t we been losing face nonstop? One more incident won’t change a thing,” Ruth said almost heartlessly.
Wendelyn gently interjected, her tone soft. “Dad, Mom, don’t fight. It’s really not worth it.”
To outsiders, the CEO of Jean Group and his wife looked like the perfect couple. In truth, their marriage had been hollow for years.
Jameson didn’t say another word. He turned and went upstairs to his study, ready to call someone to check on Shermaine’s situation.
A few minutes later, he got an update and it left him genuinely stunned. Not long after Ruth left, Joshua had shown up and taken Shermaine from the hospital.
Jameson thought, If Shermaine didn’t come home, does that mean she’s at Joshua’s place? Does that mean their engagement is still on the table?”