Chapter 8
Julia looked at Joseph in bewilderment. She was baffled as Joseph had never made such gestures toward her. They had been married for over a year and hadn’t even held hands.
Joseph’s gaze landed on her face. The innocent look in her eyes and moist, rosy lips made his throat feel dry suddenly, and he swallowed hard.
After Julia snapped out of her confusion, she moved her hand and realized Joseph had a firm grip on her wrist, sending a hot sensation through her. She blinked in surprise. ‘What does this mean?‘ she wondered, looking as if she had three big question marks hanging over her head, which made Joseph’s eyebrows twitch. He suddenly released her hand and took a step back.
With his back to Julia, Joseph loosened his tie and furrowed his brow in annoyance. After a while, he asked indifferently, “Are you afraid I’ll do something to you?”
Julia, still leaning against the wall, didn’t move. She made a sound of bewilderment and then thought to herself, ‘How could he possibly do anything to me?‘
“I’m afraid you might feel it’s beneath your dignity, and Miss Hamilton might not be pleased,” Julia walked over to him, gesturing with both hands, explaining to him in earnesty.
Joseph pulled off his tie and casually tossed it on the sofa, snorting coldly. “Have we not slept in the same bed before?”
Julia could count on one hand how many times they had slept together. “That’s doesn’t matter anymore. We’re divorced now,” she said.
Joseph glanced at her and suddenly felt displeased. “You seem quite happy, don’t you?” He paused in his sentence as he thought, ‘Well, of course. After the divorce, she could be with that guy… His expression darkened, and his gaze turned cold.
Julia was speechless as she didn’t know how to continue the conversation. She gestured toward the bathroom. “Well, I’m going to take a shower.”
Joseph grunted in response.
After Julia finished her shower, she heard Joseph’s phone buzz incessantly.
She glanced over and saw the caller ID was Joseph’s assistant, Joel. She hurried to knock on the bathroom door. “Joseph, it’s Joel on the phone.”
A few seconds later, Joseph opened the door, wearing a bathrobe. He had a towel in one hand, drying his hair while he took the ringing phone with the other, holding it to his ear. “Hello?”
The bathrobe was slightly open at the collar, and water droplets trickled down his neck, disappearing into his chest. Julia instinctively looked away, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.
Joseph hung up the phone, his expression serious. “There’s some business at the company. I have to leave.”
Julia wanted to nod, but she noticed his wet hair was still dripping, so she stopped him. “Wait. Dry your hair before you go. It’s windy at night, and you will get a headache like this.” With that, she ran into the bathroom, took out the hairdryer, plugged it in, and handed it to him in one smooth move. “Dry your hair while I’ll find your clothes.”
Just as Julia had done a few times before when he returned home, she would prepare his clothes neatly and wait for him. Joseph held the hairdryer but kept watching Julia’s busy figure, his eyes dark and deep.
Julia took his clothes from the closet and picked out cufflinks and a watch. When she turned around, she found Joseph hadn’t even started drying his hair. The hairdryer was working, but he was watching her.
At this moment, Julia no longer had any expectations for Joseph. She just looked away and took the hairdryer from his hand. “Let me help you with that.”
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2:56 PM
Chapter 8
Joseph felt her slender fingers weaving through his hair while the hairdryer’s hot air blew at the back of his head, his lips curling into a faint smile. He hadn’t paid attention to Julia before, but she was indeed a good wife.
Julia, do you have any regrets about the divorce?” he asked, his voice low.
Julia felt him speaking, but the noise from the hairdryer was too loud, and she didn’t hear a word he said, so she turned off the hairdryer. “What did you say?”
Joseph stood up, turned around, and looked at her thoughtfully. Then, he said indifferently, “Never mind. I have to go.” He put on the clothes Julia picked for him and went downstairs. He hurried but stopped in the kitchen. He reached out and lightly tapped on the kitchen door.
The nanny, who was preparing fruit then, heard the sound and hurried over. “Mr. Mullins.”
Take a cup of warm milk to my wife. She has trouble sleeping.”
th
Joseph didn’t notice that he still referred to Julia as “his wife,” nor did he realize the softened tone in his voice when he said. those words. He only remembered that whenever he returned home, there was a cup of warm milk at Julia’s bedside. It must be her habit.
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