Chapter 424
Shermaine hadn’t planned on going to the hospital for an ultrasound that morning. There was no rush. She could easily wait until they were back in Horington. So she let herself sleep in.
When she finally stirred awake, the first thing she saw was Joshua lying beside her, gently playing with her hand.
Her arm was sore, badly so. She moved slightly but quickly gave up.
Last night had taken a toll. Pleasing Joshua had cost her no small effort.
Not long after, Bradley showed up.
He brought news about the auction. It was supposed to take place in two days, but there’d been a setback. The president of the auction house had been in a minor car accident the day before. It would have to be pushed to next Friday.
Shermaine didn’t mind. “That works. I’ll just come back for it.”
“Really appreciate it.”
“It’s no trouble.”
“Well, I’ll get going then. Hope you two enjoy the day.” He gave a tired smile, the kind that belonged to a man with no weekends, only work and a decent paycheck, if that was any consolation.
After breakfast, Shermaine and Joshua headed to Peach Mountain Villa, a place frequented only by the rich and well-connected.
It was Shermaine’s first time.
Winter in the mountains brought with it a biting crispness. The air was clean, sharp with the scent of pine and frost.
She wore a fisherman hat pulled low over her eyes, shielding her face from the wind.
Her outfit was simple and casual as she was planning to go horseback riding. The sleek white cat followed close behind as she stepped out of the car.
Roy spotted them and raised an eyebrow. “You brought the cat?”
“It insisted on tagging along,” Shermaine said.
“Clingy, huh?”
“Very.”
Roy blinked. “Does Momo’s husky act like that too?”
“Not even a little.”
“Good,” he said with a little exhale.
Shermaine gave a short laugh.
“I mean, the last thing I need is to compete with a dog for attention.”
“Well, I wasn’t finished,” Shermaine added.
“Actually, speaking of dogs, Molly’s husky isn’t clingy, but it is overprotective. Every guy who tries to get close to her gets chased down. Her ex-fiancé?
Heard the dog went after him for like three blocks.”
Mally didn’t like men getting too close. She’d trained the dog to bite anyone who did. After enough repetition, it took the command to heart.
Roy scoffed. “And for the record, that idiot wasn’t Momo’s boyfriend. She never even acknowledged him.” Then with a slightly smug edge, he added, “Shermaine, I’m serious about Momo, I’m not giving up. You and Joshua go on ahead. Henry and the others aren’t here yet.”
“Alright.”
The villa grounds were stunning. An artificial lake had been built right in the middle. Word was, it had cost millions to construct. The main guest villa alone was worth over a hundred million.
It was the weekend, and the place was buzzing with young elites, heirs, heiresses, influencers, and old money dressed like new.
The white cat looked around with keen interest, clearly itching to explore.
But beneath the surface, it was conflicted. It wasn’t here to play. It had come to protect Joshua and his family.
Yesterday, it had slipped out alone. With its unique sensitivity, it could sense the presence of those from the Kingdom of Xyperia. It had discovered that Judy and her people were holed up in a villa not far from Riverswood.
It had gone there, hoping to reason with them. But Judy called her people in and told them to catch the cat like some stray.
If the cat had been at full strength, it would’ve flattened them with ease. But with energy reserves running low, it had barely escaped, wounded and limping.
Shermaine, watching the cat now, seemed to read its mood. “If you want to wander, go ahead. Just don’t stray too far.”
With a soft meow, the cat took off down the path.
Shermaine and Joshua strolled by the lake, where the water shimmered in pale blue under the morning sun.
The white cat was having a blast, darting around with uncontained joy. But as a creature unusually attuned to people from the Kingdom of Xyperia, it instantly picked up on Judy’s presence nearby.