Chapter 98
Roy added with a grin: "If you lose, you have to add me on WhatsApp and give me your phone number. And when I reach out, you can’t just ignore me."
Shermaine shot back: "Fine, but if you lose, just stop bothering me."
Roy snorted smugly to himself, "No way I could lose! Milady, you’re doomed to fall right into my grasp."
Jeshua’s gaze darkened. "Shermaine, take your time with the cherries. I’m leaving."
Shermaine nodded without even looking at him.
After stepping outside, Joshua turned grim, an inexplicable tightness filling his chest. It was hard to describe his feelings now.
Around 11 am, Johnson–who had booked a medical appointment for his father at yesterday’s engagement party–arrived for the consultation.
Johnson arrived with his father, who was slumped in a wheelchair, unconscious.
A while ago, he started coughing up blood and even fainted twice in a short period, which greatly worried his family. After regaining consciousness, he gradually began showing signs of dementia.
They took him to the hospital for a thorough checkup, but the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong. So he turned to traditional medicine practitioners, hoping to find the cause and a solution.
“Mr. Smith, we charge a consultation fee for new patients,” Shermaine said as she served them water.
“Money’s not an issue,” Johnson replied urgently. “But my father’s condition… Can you cure him?”
Shermaine gestured for Vincent Smith to place his hand on the pulse cushion. His pulse was irregular, and his bodily functions were weakened. After examining his mouth and eyes, she confirmed there were signs of chronic poisoning.
Shermaine released his hand and asked, “Is there serious strife in your family?”
Johnson paused, wondering why she’d ask such a question out of the blue. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Actually, it’s quite serious. My father intended to hand over full control of our family business to me, but my eldest brother objected.”
Shermaine nodded, picked up her pen, and began writing the prescription. She explained calmly, “Your father has been poisoned with a slow-acting neurotoxin, which has left him in a prolonged comatose state."
“While the toxin could be detected within 24 hours of administration, it becomes nearly impossible to trace after that. Only someone with close access to him would have had the opportunity to do this.”
After hearing this, Johnson’s face darkened instantly. Was his eldest brother really trying to kill their father in secret? Then he demanded urgently. “Then how can my father wake up?”
Shermaine handed over the completed prescription. “One million. Transfer it to my account,” she said.
Johnson accepted it gratefully. “Of course, Ms. Shue," he said. He had complete faith in Shermaine’s abilities because he’d already witnessed them at the engagement party.
As for who had poisoned his father, he was determined to get to the bottom of it and make sure justice was served.
It is nearly noon. With no housekeeper around, Joshua was in the kitchen preparing lunch himself.
After seeing Johnson off, Shermaine peeked into the kitchen.
A rich aroma filled the kitchen as Joshua simmered soup.
On the countertop lay freshly washed but uncut raw meat and vegetables.
Joshua was clearly a bit of a neat freak–everything was lined up perfectly, not a single thing out of place.
Shermaine paused for a moment, “Let me give you a hand,” she offered.
Joshua replied without hesitation, “No need. In our family, women never have to cook. That’s our tradition.”
“Okay,” Shermaine replied.
The men of the York family were the real deal–strong, dependable, and good at all kinds of housework.
With such an exemplary grandfather guiding them, it was no surprise Owen’s grandchildren all turned out so well.
Shermaine said, “Then I’ll clear the table and do the dishes here.”
It was a perfect division of labor.
Joshua initially wanted to refuse, but seeing how insistent Shermaine was, he gave in. With an apron tied around his waist, the usually refined man now looked a bit more domestic.
He scooped up a spoonful of soup and brought it to Shermaine’s lips. “Here, try it," he offered gently.
Shermaine took the spoon and sipped. The soup was rich and flavorful. “Delicious,” she remarked.
Joshua hummed in response, then scooped up another spoonful and tasted it himself. Finding the seasoning perfect, he turned off the heat.
Shermaine noticed his actions, her expression shifting almost imperceptibly. “Did sharing that yogurt cure his permaphobia?” she wondered, but kept silent and pretended not to notice. Maybe Joshua thought this was the least he could do to show courtesy to his fiancée.
And just like that, the morning was over.
Shermaine had originally planned to visit the hot spring that afternoon, but she wasn’t in the mood, so she stayed at Riverswood Villa instead.
For now, she had no intention of taking on new tasks from the tech forum because she still had plenty on her plate: the skincare product development and the surveillance footage analysis.
Both were progressing smoothly, and with a bit more time and effort, she’d have them wrapped up soon.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, night descended.
Joshua once again prepared dinner that evening.
As they ate together, Joshua said, “I’ll be heading out later too.”
He then whispered inwardly, “See you at nine, Shermaine!"
Shermaine nodded and said, “Fine.”
A little after seven, Shermaine heard the engine roar. She glanced outside just in time to see a black McLaren drive off, its silhouette soon vanishing under the streetlights.
By eight o’clock, she had changed out of her pajamas and headed out.
It was the middle of winter. She couldn’t possibly go out in a dress.
Soon, she put on a black trench coat, black skinny jeans, and black combat boots.
Dressed all in black, with her delicate skin and crimson lips, Shermaine cut a striking figure, radiating both effortless cool and irresistible allure.
Chapter 98
Her car pulled out of the garage, quickly melting into the night.
Meanwhile, at the Galaxy Club
Joshua, who had left early, arrived at the Galaxy Club’s Room 001. As he pushed open the door, he saw Roy flamboyantly dressed. Spotting him, Roy struck a pose and grinned, “Joshua, how do I look tonight? Pretty stylish, right?”
Joshua wore a black turtleneck under a light overcoat, a simple outfit made effortlessly elegant.
Joshua eyed him and asked pointedly, “What’s with the getup?”
“I finally got Milady to agree to a date!” Roy said, his grin was both shy and a little smug. “We made a bet–just the two of us, one-on-one in Heroic Epic. If she loses, I’ll have the right to pursue her openly."
“See? I even went out of my way to prepare two bouquets for her.” He pointed at the table, where one bouquet was baby’s breath and the other a bunch of fiery red roses.
Roses? Joshua couldn’t help but sneer. “You won’t get the chance to give them.”
Roy pouted. “Joshua, since you’ve already got your fiancée, stop trying to compete with me for Milady. By the way, where is she?”
“She’ll be here any minute,” Joshua replied coldly.
Nearby, Henry sensed that Joshua was seething with barely contained anger tonight. He shot Roy a pitying look, thinking, ‘Dumbass, you’re so screwed.’
At nearly nine, Shermaine’s car pulled up outside the Galaxy Club. Stepping inside, she curtly told an attendant, “Take me to Room 001.”