Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Shermaine said casually , " I only said I'd forgive Ronnie . I never said I'd have the video deleted . " She smiled at Joshus , " Mr. York , the police will be her soon . Let's hand the footage over to them . " Joshua gave a slight ned . " 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 - fough 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 . 1/4 Chapter 3 " 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 y 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 i 414 But then Shermaine thought about it again . Marrying someone like Joshua a powerful man with good character would mean lariding a solid hacker 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 , 16 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 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 . a to love anyone . " 20:34 Fri , 30 May MG Chapter 3 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 dépression . 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 ? " 20:34 Fri , 30 May ▲ G Chapter 3 " 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 . 4 號 97 % 雄 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 ? "