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Xylia squinted at Joshua, as if something had just urred to her. “It suddenly urred to me at that designer exchangepetition in Jupiton, you didn’t tamper with the ranking I received, did you?”
Joshua frowned at her and said, “Do you think I am such a person who cannot distinguish between public and private matters?<b>” </b>
It was not to that extent.
Xylia dispelled her doubts.
What he said meant that she truly earned the 300 thousand reward through her own ability at that time.
She felt happy again. T’m going back to tell Josie. After I have arranged the studio matters, I will begin the
surgery.
Joshua gazed at her with indulgent affection. “Do you need me to take you back?”
Xylia shook her head. “If you’re busy, go ahead with your business. I’ll take an Uber.”
Joshua was momentarily stunned, not knowing how she knew he was busy.
Xylia noticed his confusion and exined, “Normally, you don’t ask if I need a ride–you just push me into the car. The fact that you’re asking now means something’s up.
The <b>smile </b>at the corner of Joshua’s lips grew wider.
After Xylia finished cing an Uber order, the two stood side by side at the roadside in silence, yet there was not the slightest sense of awkwardness.
The weather was cool and overcast. Wind, carrying warm <b>air</b>, swept by and lifted the mist–like hem of Xylia’s skirt.
She pressed her lips together. Only when the Uber <b>was </b>about to arrive did she turn to look at Joshua. “Joshua, thank you.”
Joshua was dumbfounded by her sudden expression of gratitude.
He gave a slight smile and, referring again to his earlier joke, said, “I will remember every ‘thank you‘ you say. One day, you will return all the favors.”
As he spoke, he leaned in toward Xylia and said, “It would be best if you married me.”
Xylia’s face flushed slightly. <b>This </b>time, she did not avoid him.
<b>“</b>Joshua.” Her voice conveyed a measure of seriousness.
The gaze directed at Joshua became noticeably more serious.
<b>8:13 </b>Thu, <b>Sep </b>18 <b>W </b>
Joshua couldn’t help but feel nervous and on edge.
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He blinked his eyes and stood obediently, listening to her. “You are three years younger than I am. You are not that old. When ites to matters of emotion, I hope you will consider carefully.
“Indeed, I did save you once when we were abroad. If you feel grateful to me for that, then with all the times you have helped me recently, any debt of gratitude has long since been repaid.
<b>“</b>Affection is not an emotional obligation. Please think it over carefully again: do you truly love me, or is what you feel merely sympathy distorted by a sense of indebtedness?”
After hearing what Xylia said, Joshua’s brows furrowed slightly. “Are you doubting <b>me</b>?”
Xylia said seriously. “I am not doubting you; rather. I hope you can gain a clear understanding of yourself. I need time to find the courage to enter a new rtionship, <b>and </b>I do not wish to hold you back.”
Joshua’s expression grew increasingly grim.
Xylia’s smile remained unchanged. “Joshua, I promise you <b>that </b>once you have made up your mind, no matter what your answer is, I will give it serious consideration.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the Uber had already arrived in front of her.
Xylia got into the car.
Joshua remained <b>standing</b>, watching as the rear of the car carrying Xylia gradually disappeared along the <b>road</b>.
After a long while, he finallyughed out <b>loud</b><b>. </b>
He had deliberated for nearly a decade and long ago reached the utmost rity in his considerations.
The person who truly needed to consider it was Xylia<b>. </b>
Those who had been deeply hurt by marriage, even if they epted kindness from the opposite sex, would still <b>put </b>upyers of armor to protect themselves.
“What a coward.” With that thought, Joshua smiled helplessly, turned around, and returned to his car.
The car departed in the opposite direction.
A few secondster, a light, pitter–patter rain began to fall from the sky.
Muffled thunder expanded from the horizon <b>toward </b>the center. After the deafening sound, lightning streaked across the sky.
It was a night of torrential rain.
At midnight, lightning shed, brilliantly illuminating the warehouse on the outskirts of the city.
8:13 Thu, Sep 18 N
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Joshua was standing at the warehouse entrance in a ck trench coat, facing outside and looking at the bodyguard holding an umbre. “Are they here?”
The bodyguard without an umbre huddled under the umbre held by his colleague, while the people he was restraining were left exposed to the pouring rain, already soaked like a drowned rat.
Joshua turned around and entered the warehouse, then sat down on a soft chair.
The bodyguards threw the individuals to the <b>ground </b>and lifted them up by pulling their <b>hair</b>.
All the exposed heads were exclusively foreign faces.
Some had blue eyes and blond hair, while others had green eyes and ck hair. All of them were muscr <b>and </b>physically robust.
At this moment, all of them were tied up and trampled to the ground, their bodies soaked, faces bruised and swollen, with fresh blood streaming down their faces and bodies, looking utterly miserable.
“Tell me, who’s the person behind the scenes?” Joshua’snguid voice descended from above, its low timbre inexplicably tinged with a chilling undertone.
However, the ones lying on the ground remains unafraid.
They kept their mouths tightly closed and did <b>not </b>speak.
Joshua raised an eyebrow. “Not talking? Then I’ll send you to the underground detention center in the west.
There was no legal constraint there, and life received no legal protection.
For those who went there, whether they lived or died, no one knew; and whether they became human or animals, no one could say for sure.
The foreigners lying face down on the ground, whose faces were already pale, turned even paler after hearing Joshua’s worde
One of them raised his head and looked toward <b>Joshua</b>.
Joshua lowered his gaze, casting a cold, sideways nce at him.
Yet the man suddenly smiled. Anger surged within his blue eyes.
“We will not betray our leader!” As he spoke, his lips moved hesitantly.
Joshua’s eyes widened. He hurriedly said, “Stop them!”
The bodyguards had already responded swiftly <b>to </b>intervene.
However, these foreigners all crushed the poison concealed in their teeth and died almost instantly.
A mad gleam shed in Joshua’s eyes.
<b>8:13 </b><b>Thu</b>, Sep 18 H
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He realized that these people were professional assassins, just like that group of people he met abroad back
then!
At that time, he assumed that Aaron had offended someone, and as a <b>result</b><b>, </b>Joshua became implicated.
Contrary to expectations, the situation was entirely different.
Although he discovered over the years that these individuals were connected to Burke of Kregonia, there was still another person behind Burke.
Up to now, Joshua still had no clues.
One of the bodyguards asked, “Mr. Garcia, how should we handle these people?”
Joshua said gloomily, “Send them back to where they came <b>from</b><b>!</b>”
Joshua stood up with a cold expression, his gaze falling on several people on the ground. “Since they have already taken action, it is impossible that only these few individuals are involved. Keep a close watch on Burke Sterling.”
The bodyguards nodded. “Understood, Mr. Garcia.”
Xylia did not draw any <b>designs </b>tonight.
After she discussed the surgical procedure with Josie in the afternoon, Josic strongly agreed.
Josie also <b>took </b>over all of Xylia’s orders during this period, patted her chest, and promised confidently, “I have already recruited a designer. If we can’t fulfill orders on time, we can always outsource. Please focus on your treatment and rest assured–I will definitely take good care of the studio for you!”
Xylia was deeply touched.
Josie also took the opportunity to overcharge her for several limited–edition handbags.
Lying in bed, Xylia was rarely not thinking about the surgery.
Instead, the image of Joshua kept surfacing in her mind.
Today, she asked Joshua to truly think about his feelings.
In fact, she was the one who most needed to engage in serious reflection.
She did not dare to ept Joshua’s affection because she <b>had </b>only recently withdrawn from a previous rtionship and was unable to devote herself wholeheartedly to a new one.
If she said yes rashly, it would be <b>unfair </b>to Joshua.
She sighed, turned over, and closed her eyes.
8:14 Thu, Sep 18 N
Somehow, in her dream, various events that had urred abroad in those years appeared.