Chapter 429

There was no denying the last three arrows had gone completely off track. The cheating was subtle, clever, even. No one had noticed anything unusual. If Joshua hadn’t spoken up, they’d have chalked Shermaine’s repeated misses up to a lapse in concentration or poor form.

Tiffany and the others were outraged when they heard it. “She seriously cheated? That’s so low. If you can’t handle losing, don’t play in the first place.”

“Right? She was the one who insisted on a challenge!”

Shermaine finished her water and looked up. “You actually saw it happen?”

“I did.” Joshua’s condition made him unusually perceptive. Judy’s little tricks hadn’t slipped past him.

Shermaine gave him a calm, almost amused nod. “You’ve got a good eye.”

“Do your hands hurt?” He took her hand, turning it gently in his.

She’d pushed herself hard last night, and again today with archery on horseback. He examined her palm carefully, warm to the touch and faintly red.

Shermaine shook her head. It wasn’t her hands that bothered her, but the lingering soreness along her inner thighs from the relentless jolt of the saddle. Earlier, a faint cramp stirred in her lower abdomen, brief and passing, yet enough to leave her uneasy.

“Have some strawberries and cake.”

She didn’t protest as she was a little hungry. She sat down and started eating.

Just then, a staff member returned, carrying the white cat. But something was clearly wrong. The cat squirmed in his arms, visibly distressed by the unfamiliar surroundings, its eyes wide with fear. It was the same cat Joshua had brought home, but its temperament had completely changed.

The girls' hearts melted at the sight. They all loved cats, and this one looked so scared it was impossible not to feel sorry for it.

“That’s weird. It was so calm before. What happened?”

“Yeah, when I held it, it was rubbing its head on my hand. So sweet!”

The staff member explained, “Mr. York, your cat.”

Joshua reached for it, but the cat flinched and swiped at his face with its claws. He dodged just in time.

The others were stunned. Just a little while ago, the cat had seemed perfectly content around him. Now it acted like he was a threat. They couldn’t make sense of it, but Joshua already had a pretty good idea.

So did Shermaine. The situation was all too familiar. It was just like what had happened with Stephen.

Joshua glanced down at the cat, then gave a quiet order. “Find a driver. Send it back to Riverswood Villa.”

Chapter 129

“Yes, Mr. York.”

The cat was promptly taken away.

Roy looked over. “What’s with that cat, Joshua? Is it sick or something?”

Joshua didn’t answer directly. “Go ahead and take everyone horseback riding.”

That was, after all, the whole point of the outing. Tiffany and the others had come for the experience.

“Sure.” Roy hadn’t been riding in a while, and after seeing Shermaine pull off that stunning backward shot on horseback, the whole group was itching to give it a try.

Once they left, Joshua stayed behind with Shermaine, continuing to feed her bites of strawberry and cake.

Shermaine spoke up. “That cat is in the same state your father was in.”

Joshua gave a quiet nod.

They were both convinced now. The cat that had been living with them wasn’t just a cat. Someone or something had been inside it all along. They still had no idea what exactly it was, only that it could possess both people and animals.

The question was, after being exposed like this, would it dare show itself again?

When she’d eaten her fill, Shermaine pushed the plate away. “That’s enough. I want to save room for lunch.”

Joshua leaned in slightly. “Any plans for this afternoon?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Nope. I’m going to the hospital.”

His gaze sharpened. “Are you feeling alright?”

“My stomach felt a bit off while I was riding,” she said slowly. “I thought I’d go to the hospital. See if there might be a baby.”

The words landed like a thunderclap on a clear day.

Joshua had never cared much about the idea of having a child, but hearing her say it struck a chord he hadn’t expected. A strange stillness came over him, a weightless, solemn pull that felt almost sacred. It was new. And it scared him.

His mother had never recovered after giving birth to him. The complications lingered, and soon after, she was gone.

Joshua’s whole body tensed. His eyes darkened. “Sheary… you thought you might be pregnant, and you still went horseback riding and shooting arrows?”