Chapter 380
The thought seemed impossible. How many men in the world could possess such allure? Even though he was no longer the epitome of manliness he once was, women would still fall at his feet in droves.
"Enough..." She averted her gaze, her dark lashes casting shadows on her cheeks. "Joseph, you must be weary from pushing yourself so hard. I beg you, don't make yourself ill in the bathroom later."
"It's of no consequence. I have a lifetime to prove my worth to you," he replied.
Joseph planted a tender kiss on her forehead. "Lucas mentioned that you can't consume solid foods at the moment; your stomach can't handle the digestion. Allow me to warm up some milk for you."
With that, he rose to his feet and made his way to the kitchen.
Suddenly, the bedroom door swung open with a bang, and Laura Miller stormed in. "Cassie, I heard from Joseph that you were in the hospital..." Her voice trailed off into a horrified gasp as she took in Cassie's appearance. "What on earth happened to your face...?""Yeah, it's been ruined," Cassie replied with a faint smile.
"What happened? I've been trying to reach you for days, I even contacted the police." Laura's distress spilled over into tears. "Why would this happen to you? You were so beautiful, the most sought-after girl in college. Men would always be vying for your attention..."
"That’s enough," Joseph interjected, his voice icy as he returned with the milk. "I didn't bring you here to exacerbate her pain by dredging up the past."
The moment Laura Miller's gaze fell upon him, her blood seemed to boil, her eyes practically shooting flames. "Don't even try to deny it; her condition is clearly your doing. And to think you're some hotshot from Madison Avenue. You're nothing more than a failure who can't even protect a woman. What kind of man are you? You should just live out your pathetic life alone."
"Laura..." Cassie tried to intervene, her voice laced with anxiety. While she found Laura's tirade satisfying, she feared it might provoke his wrath.
"You..." This was the first time Joseph had been subjected to such a verbal lashing from any woman other than Cassie. He was seething with rage but found himself at a loss for words.
"What ‘you’? Am I wrong?" Laura Miller spat, her eyes burning with fury. "Oh, the Hernandezes think they're so superior with their wealth and influence. Cassie's beauty is unparalleled in New York; dare I say the very best. She deserved a man who would cherish and protect her, not destroy her."
"She won't be destroyed. I'll marry her," Joseph declared.
"Oh, really? Marry her then discard her a few years later, forcing her to endure another divorce? You think I’d believe a scoundrel like you would love her forever after what you've done?" Laura Miller had no faith in him. She was convinced Joseph was acting out of guilt, merely trying to assuage his conscience.
"Hey, Laura Miller, do you have a death wish or something, hurling insults at Joseph like that? You're way out of line," a man's irate voice suddenly echoed from the doorway.
Laura spun around to see two young men at the entrance—one being Noah Collins, and the other, clad in a pink floral shirt, with handsome features and mischievous, peach-blossom eyes, was the one who had just spoken.
"Oh, it's you." Laura finally recognized him from a previous visit to the harbor while searching for Joseph. They had been engaged in a card game then. She hadn't realized how irritating he could be back then.
Michael scoffed and was about to retort when Laura suddenly snapped, "Just shut up! You're all the same, birds of a feather."
"What did you say?" Michael was fuming. "Dumb woman, do you even know who I am?"
"Who's the dumb one? You're the one who looks like an idiot to me. Yeah, I know who you are—a pile of crap," Laura shot back. Anyone associated with Joseph was now on her bad side.
"Laura..." Cassie's concern grew; she knew the truth about Michael. "He's..."
"Cassie, stop. I get it, okay? He's probably some New York elite, but I'm not scared. If worst comes to worst, I'll just end up disfigured like you. It's my fault anyway. If I hadn't mistaken his identity, you wouldn't have crossed paths with Joseph in the first place."
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