What Separates Me and You

Chapter 216 Rowdy Is Good “Madam, are you awake?” Josephine stared at the ceiling in confusion for a moment before turning to look at the person who spoke. Phineas forced a smile and asked, “Are your wounds causing you pain?” As if in a strange twist of fate, a surge of excruciating pain coursed through Josephine’s legs, coinciding precisely with the moment Phineas finished his inquiry. The intensity of the pain was unbearable, contorting her face into a grimace of agony. Beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead, a testament to the torment she was enduring. She did not dare to move, not even her toes, for the slightest twitch could send waves of unbearable pain cascading through her body, potentially causing her to lose consciousness. Phineas saw her in extreme pain and quickly went to fetch the doctor. Josephine clutched tightly onto the bedsheets, and veins bulged on her forehead as beads of cold sweat trickled down her face. Haunting images of her distressing dream lingered in her mind, with the chilling visage of Lewis appearing before her eyes. Overwhelmed by the escalating pain, Josephine closed her eyes. Phineas called the doctor to check the injury on her calf. Although wrapped with gauze, blood was still slightly oozing out. “Give her some painkillers or something. Why is she hurting so badly?” Phineas was bitten by the dogs before. There was a time when they almost chewed through his pulmonary artery, and blood spewed like a fountain. But even then, it did not hurt like how Josephine was hurting right now. The doctor explained, “Her tendon was injured. Of course, it would be painful. Plus, she received several immunoglobulin injections, which are exacerbating the pain.” “What should we do now?” “There’s not much we can do. She can only take some painkillers to help alleviate the pain. It should improve once a scab forms on the wound,” said the doctor. He retrieved a box of painkillers from his medical case and handed two tablets to Josephine, adding, “Miss, please take these. They will help ease the pain.” Josephine was soaked in sweat. She took the pills without hesitation and popped them in her mouth. Phineas hurriedly gave Josephine a cup of water, which she drank from, washing the painkillers down her throat. However, even this simple action exacerbated her agony so much that she felt she was at death’s door. After taking the painkillers, she slumped onto the bed powerlessly. Phineas wanted to say something, but seeing Josephine in this state, he swallowed the words. Instead, he merely said, “Get some rest. If you need anything, just use the phone beside your bed to call for assistance.” After speaking, Phineas mindfully left. He stood outside, pacing back and forth with his phone in hand. Phineas was torn, unsure whether to call Lewis and disclose the truth. He understood that revealing the truth might lead to trouble for himself, but if he kept silent and Lewis discovered the truth independently, the consequences could be even worse. Before Phineas could reach a decision regarding whether to call Lewis, his phone suddenly rang, startling him to the point where he almost dropped it. He took a deep breath, composed himself, and glanced back at the room. Moving away from the vicinity, he nervously answered the call, his voice quivering, “Sir.” “Is Josephine still upstairs?” Phineas’s expression changed, and he replied nervously, “Yes. She fell asleep. You asked me to pick a dog for Madam, but I haven’t decided which one.” “Are there not two golden retrievers?” “Golden retrievers? The ones that you asked me to buy previously? I’ll go and take a look tomorrow. But they are still puppies and not well trained. I’m afraid that they would be too rowdy,” Phineas said with sudden realization. Lewis remained silent and said, “Rowdy is good. Just make sure they don’t bite.” The meaning behind his words was unclear, and Phineas was clueless about what he meant. But hearing the word “bite” made him feel anxious. He pretended to be calm and replied, “I understand. They most likely would not bite. I’ll take them to Madam tomorrow and let her choose one.” “Give her both.” “Okay,” Phineas responded, feeling a sense of clarity wash over him. Now he understood the purpose behind Lewis’s request to bring back the two golden retrievers. It appeared that Lewis intended to gift them to Josephine. Phineas couldn’t help but find Lewis’s actions rather peculiar. He could have just explained his intentions from the beginning. Why did he lock her in with the dogs to torture her? Lewis added, “Send her down with the dogs tomorrow.” “Okay, sir. Do you not plan to come tomorrow?” “I don’t have time tomorrow.” “Okay, I understand.” The call ended, and Phineas let out a sigh of relief. He was relieved to hear that Lewis would not be here tomorrow. However, the severity of Josephine’s injuries weighed heavily on him, and it would be hard for him to hide this. Anxiety consumed Phineas as he found himself trapped in a difficult predicament. Neither speaking up nor remaining silent appeared to offer a satisfactory solution. Feeling overwhelmed, he gave up thinking about it and decided to leave it in God’s hands. Lewis was smoking in the car outside the club. Halfway through the cigarette, he threw it away. Tyler knocked on his car window. He lowered the window and heard Tyler say, “You’re not going to go in?” Lewis felt irritated and loosened his tie. He answered, “No. Go meet Xavier on my behalf.” Tyler was stunned. He asked in confusion, “What’s wrong? Why do you look so distracted?” Lewis did not answer him and stepped out of the car. Tyler remembered something and asked, “How’s Josephine lately?” Lewis paused for a moment and tilted his head to look at Tyler. “When did you start to care so much about her?” Tyler got even more confused and questioned, “You still don’t know?” He counted the days, and it had been almost three months. Even if Josephine’s stomach was. not showing, he should have noticed when they engaged in intimate activities. Could it be that they had not slept with each other since then? “Know about what?” Lewis asked. Tyler instinctively shut his mouth. Looking at Lewis’ reaction, he was sure that Lewis had no knowledge about the situation. Upon realizing he had unintentionally revealed something, Tyler tried to cover his slip-up, quickly replying, “Oh, it’s nothing.” However, Lewis was not fooled by his reply. He stared at Tyler with blazing eyes, and it sent a shiver down Tyler’s spine. “Tyler, do you know something about Josephine that I don’t?” Lewis’ words carried a tone that could be interpreted as a threat or a warning. Tyler’s expression became complex as the idea of him possessing information that Lewis was unaware of seemed highly unlikely, especially when he was merely an outsider, whereas Lewis was directly involved. Tyler said hesitantly, “It’s just that matter with Avery. Josephine was close with Avery. Now that Avery has left, has she gotten mad at you?” Lewis questioned coldly, “This is what you wanted to say?” “Yes, this is exactly what I wanted to say.’ “You think I would believe this?” Tyler grimaced and said, “It’s fine if you don’t believe me.” He had promised Josephine, so he had no intention of spilling the tea, even if Lewis forced him to. Lewis stared at him for some time and did not pursue further. He slammed the car door shut and turned to walk toward the club. Tyler felt the coldness emanating from Lewis. Tyler slightly pulled his collar up with a sigh and followed him. The person they were about to meet was Mr. Walter’s cousin, who happened to be one of the stakeholders of Newgate Corporation. Newgate Corporation was a family business that had been running smoothly in the past. However, at present, the company was entangled in a state of disarray, plagued by power struggles and corruption that had led to its decline. With Mr. Walter’s passing, his cousin naturally seized the opportunity. The news of Mr. Walter’s death quickly spread across the internet, gaining increasing attention and becoming increasingly sensationalized as time went on. If Xavier Walter did not approach Lewis in a timely manner, this chapter might have come to an abrupt conclusion, resulting in the potential loss of his opportunity. Xavier was scrolling through the images on the internet in the private room. There were many ridiculous images photoshopped and posted by anonymous individuals. They depicted gruesome scenes, with depictions of Mr. Walter being strangled, his intestines exposed, his body being devoured by wolves, images of him hanging himself, burning himself, and even being slain by a prostitute with a throat slit. The most outlandish one portrayed him strangled by a female ghost. These various images fueled widespread speculation and led people to question which, if any, were the actual cause of his death. As the speculation and guessing continued, even internet users themselves began creating parodies, using photoshopped images to depict the most unexpected scenarios, such as being killed by aliens or transforming into a dinosaur after being consumed by one. Xavier harbored a suspicion that someone was orchestrating the chaos behind the scenes. He suspected that it was most likely Alvarez Corp, the very company that they were planning to partner with. Xavier swiftly pocketed his phone and turned his attention toward the door when he heard it opening