What Separates Me and You

Chapter 141 A Balancing Act

Josephine looked up with tears in her eyes, Seth’s mocking laughter echoing in her ears.

“You can’t still be waiting for him to swoop in and rescue you, can you?”

She flinched.

Seth crouched in front of her, shattering her fantasies mercilessly. “Do you understand why things have come to this point now?”

Josephine inhaled sharply, her eyes fixed on his face.

“Do you really not know? The last time you disappeared for three days…Do you think he didn’t

find you then?”

He leaned closer, his voice soft as he said, “No, he knew where you’d been all along. He just didn’t choose to save you. He had been trying to set a trap for me.”

Seth continued, laughing and playing with her hair. “Oh, you poor, poor mute. He’s the one who caused all this. You’re here now because of him.”

Tears fell from her cheeks like broken beads, trickling down her chin and dripping into her plate.

“Guess what he’s doing right now?”

He paused, seemingly deep in thought. “Maybe he’s busy preparing for the shareholders’ meeting in two days. Maybe he’s scheming to eliminate his father from the game at long last. Or maybe, he’s busy getting rid of his sister-as for you; you’ll probably have to wait a long, long time for your turn to come.”

Josephine held her plate in a death grip, her chest heaving.

“Provided, if he still wants to have anything to do with you, he has to go through me and deal. with

my terms. But of course, he knows, deep down, that he could never afford to give me what I want.”

“So,” Seth assumed an inferring air as he spoke, “he might as well ignore you altogether, and in doing so, he is directly refusing the opportunity to negotiate with me.”

“But then,” he continued, “I suppose it’s understandable. What is the use of women in the face of profits and income? He might like you, but he would never sacrifice everything he has now for you, would he?”

She knew she shouldn’t believe his words, yet, they still found a way into her subconscious regardless-eating away at her. The pain was like millions of needles piercing her heart.

Josephine lowered her head and wolfed down her dinner. The food was bland, but she continued shoveling them into her mouth.

Seth crouched beside her as she ate, watching her polish the plate clean.

Moments later, Josephine sniffled and placed her plate back onto the ground. She raised her head, and her eyes were red as she looked at him.

The sky outside darkened. In the dimly lit room, Seth caressed her cheeks tenderly, wiping away the residual tears at the corners of her eyes with a gentle hand.

Suddenly, Josephine remembered how Lewis used to do the same thing to her. She couldn’t help but fall for him a bit more every time.

Now that she compared it with what Seth was doing to her, she realized how cheap and self- righteous Lewis’ actions had been.

camouflage. No matter how deeply they despised someone, they

of those.

It was simply a matter of moving

else, the outcome of their decision was the only accurate representation of

Seth stood up

sparing her another glance, his food untouched on the table.

tears with her sleeve before standing up and clearing away the

foot of the mountain, or more precisely, in Styx Mansion, Conrad stared at the burning light in the study as he paced the length of the hallway.

Lewis was reading a stack of documents as he spoke without lifting his head to acknowledge his assistant.

the shareholders have been. contacted. Everything should be in order.”

“Alright.”

mouth, debating if he should speak more.

before raising his head. “Is there anything

going to continue looking for her

movements stilled, and he fell silent.

spoke again.

regarding her whereabouts, I’m afraid it would take more than months- years even

the document he had been reading earlier. He fixed his

leave now.”

“But, Seth-”

with coldness so terrifying that

mouth and retreated out of the room.

president had been so calm throughout the series of calamities that struck them. In a

Josephine’s whereabouts, he would have inevitably delayed everything else he had going

be even

shares for her safety under Seth’s threats?

drive Seth up a wall until he was

reached that point, the president would

did.

Conrad thought about it, the colder his heart turned and the more respect he felt for the president. His ability to weigh the pros and cons

admirable.

would never be held back by his emotions.

making the best

Night fell.

was clad in a dark men’s jacket made from wool. The jacket seemed to be

she was squatting while Seth sat on an armchair nearby.

that encircled her ankles

for her to

the only sound that could

the fire’s glow illuminated his face as he read, softening his

for an extended period. Noiselessly, she sat down and shifted into

glanced at her but

stared at the brazier, the reflection of the flames dancing in her eyes. Her long eyelashes

she squatted on the ground beneath his feet was reminiscent of a dog-a docile one