Chapter 7 Shall We

• The door to Nadia's room was locked, but it had a digital lock. Joseph tried a few times and surprisingly, he managed to unlock it.
• At the moment, Nadia was deeply engulfed in a nightmare.
• The strikingly handsome middle-aged man, with a frosty expression, steadily approached. “Apologize!” he demanded.
• “No!”
• With tears welling up in her eyes, Nadia defiantly responded in a loud voice.
• The man said, “Leave if you're not going to apologize, and never come back!”
• “Never come back!”
• “Never come back!”
• Nadia wept profoundly in her dreams.
• As soon as Joseph stepped into the house, he heard the faint sound of sobbing. His dark and brooding eyes narrowed, and with a sense of curiosity, he made his way up to the second floor.
• Upon arriving, he saw a pale blue comforter bunched up into a mound on the bed. Underneath it, Nadia was crying, her body trembling with each sob.
• Joseph walked over, pinched the corner of the blanket, and lifted it, “Nadia?”
• What's going on? Why is she crying like this in broad daylight?
• Nadia opened her eyes, her gaze filled with unshed tears, looking at him in a somewhat dazed manner. Although she had been roused from her sleep, her senses hadn't fully returned. The figure before her seemed to transform into the person from three years ago.
• She was in the midst of a tense standoff with that person when Joseph walked in.
• He wasn't a god, yet he resembled salvation.
• A frown tugged at Nadia's lips as she rose, throwing herself into Joseph's arms, clinging to his waist. “Joseph,” she sobbed, “I have nowhere to go... I have nowhere to go...”
• A sudden pang struck Joseph's heart, abruptly reminding him of that scene from three years ago.
• He had gone to Jeahron for business. Obeying his mother's orders, he made a detour to pick up Nadia and bring her to the Lawson residence for the summer vacation.
• In the grand and imposing hall of the Xander residence, tensions were running high.
• A towering, rigid figure stood in confrontation with a tall, slender silhouette. The man bore a cold and furious expression, while the girl stood before him in resolute defiance.
• Neither the father nor the daughter were willing to back down.
• In the end, the man snapped, “Don't bother coming back if you're not going to apologize!”
• The girl clenched her fists. “Fine. I'm not coming back anymore.”
• She turned to leave, her aloof silhouette radiating an aura of pride.
• The affairs concerning the Xander family had been mentioned by Joseph's mother before. The woman, being an archaeology professor, was often busy with her career. Her successful husband, unwilling to be alone, had kept a mistress and even fathered a daughter with her.
• The woman, heartbroken, proposed a divorce. However, the man refused.
• Aside from her annual visit to see her daughter, the woman never returned home.
• The mistress who was involved with the man intentionally provoked Nadia by confronting her. In the heat of the moment, Nadia accidentally pushed her down the stairs.
• The mistress subsequently suffered a miscarriage.
• The man, swayed by the one-sided story of his mistress, demanded Nadia apologize, but the latter was adamant in her refusal.
• The father and daughter relationship thus became strained.
• “You have me...” As the memories flooded back, Joseph held Nadia close, his large hand gently patting her back.
• In that moment, all his hostility abruptly vanished.
• A child who was neglected by both her father and mother is pitiful enough. If I were to treat her poorly as well, how would she manage?
• Nadia finally sensed that something was amiss; her crying abruptly ceased. When Joseph felt the body in his arms stiffen, he subtly curled his lips.
• When Nadia realized that this was not a dream and she was actually holding Joseph, her eyes widened in shock and she immediately pulled back.
• “How... How did you get in?” she asked in anger.
• At the same time, she didn't forget to pull the quilt up to her chest. Even though she was in her pajamas, underneath them, she wore nothing.
• Joseph looked at her, amused. “How else would I have come in, if not by walking?”
• Haven't I seen every inch of her body before? Yet, she still insists on covering herself.
• Visibly upset, Nadia demanded, “How did you know the password?”
• Joseph was at a loss for words. “Lady, even a kid knows not to use their birthday as a password!”
• Nadia sharply caught the first word he uttered. “You're the lady!”
• Joseph was dumbfounded.
• Forget it, I'll let it slide.
• Recalling her appearance just now, Joseph felt his heart waver.
• He rose to his feet, his hands leisurely tucked into his pockets as he descended the stairs.
• The confined space of the room made him feel incredibly stifled.
• He turned around, his voice filled with disbelief as he asked, “Did I not treat you well? I've given you so many houses, yet you choose to live in this pigeonhole?”
• Nadia was stumped by the question.
• “Mister, this is my own house!” Regardless of how many houses he had given her, this one was bought with her own hard-earned money.
• He had just called her “lady,” to which she retorted with “mister,” just to rile him up.
• Just as Joseph was stumped, his cell phone rang, and he answered the call.
• It was Victor who had invited him to bring Nadia to the mansion for a meal.
• After finishing the call, Joseph said to Nadia, “Grandpa has invited us to go over.”
• After he finished speaking, he pulled open the door and left.
• Nadia would never decline an invitation from Victor, so Joseph was not worried.
• He sat in the car, waiting for her.
• Nadia descended quickly, sporting a pair of overalls. Her hair was casually tied up in a bun at the back of her head. She was without makeup and had a canvas bag slung over her shoulder. No matter how one looked at her, she didn't resemble a lady from a wealthy family. Instead, she seemed more like a female university student off on spring break.
• Joseph honked, expecting her to come over. Unexpectedly, Nadia seemed not to hear it at all. Instead, she walked straight toward the white Volkswagen nearby, which was her ride.
• Back when they got married, he had given her enough money to buy a sports car, but she had chosen to buy the Volkswagen instead.
• She stashed the balance into her own pocket. What a money-grubber!
• Joseph was fuming inside.
• Two vehicles departed from the residential complex one after the other, and by the time they arrived at the Lawson residence, dusk was nearly upon them.
• Nadia stepped out of the car just as Joseph was passing by. With an inscrutable tone, he remarked, “Your driving isn't great, maybe you should avoid doing so next time.”
• Throughout the journey, his frustration flared up twice, for the speed of her car was as slow as a crawl.
• It had him trailing behind like a snail, nearly causing him to burst a vessel.
• Nadia didn't know what to say.
• “That's still better than being kicked out of your car halfway through the journey!”
• In the dining room, only Victor was seated. Both Rebecca and Tyler were absent.
• Joseph found it somewhat surprising.
• Victor chuckled and said, “Those two have gone to your granddad's place, leaving me all alone here. So, I asked you both to come and keep me company. Lily, bring out the treasure quickly!”
• Lily placed a plate of golden delicacies on the table, exclaiming, “Coming right up!”
• It turned out to be a plate of chicken pot pies.
• Nadia and Joseph didn't know what to say.
• “These pies evoke feelings of warmth, home, and nostalgia! Joseph, Naddy, give them a try!”
• Victor handed one out to everyone.
• Nadia had quite a fondness for the pies, as she had tasted them before at a farmhouse.
• However, the flavor of the pies that day was a bit unusual, and she couldn't discern what ingredients were used.
• After eating one and a half, Nadia couldn't eat any more.
• The other half was taken by Joseph, who had consumed two and a half.
• After finishing his meal, Victor had his butler accompany him for a walk to aid digestion.
• Right then, Nadia felt an overwhelming warmth spreading through her body.
• She made her way upstairs to the bedroom she shared with Joseph, which boasted a standalone air conditioning system.
• Before the air conditioning was even turned on, the door behind was pushed open and Joseph barged in.
• His face was flushed, his breathing somewhat unsteady. As soon as he entered the room, he uttered, “There's something in the food!”
• Then, he quickly strode into the bathroom.
• Nadia didn't understand what he meant by his words. Seeing him enter the bathroom, she too felt like taking a bath. So, she pulled open the bathroom door and followed him in.
• “You should wait outside. I'll shower first!”
• Joseph had already removed his shirt and was about to unfasten his trousers when he turned his gaze toward her with an unusual look in his eyes.
• Nadia simply wanted to immediately alleviate the burning heat that enveloped her body.
• She had forgotten that they were supposed to get a divorce and there shouldn't be any further intimacy.
• She clumsily removed her clothes and walked straight under the showerhead.
• As the gentle streams of water cascaded down, Nadia closed her eyes in relief, letting out a soft moan.
• However, the sound was enough for Joseph's defenses to crumble. He took a step forward, cornering her. “Do you want it?”
• He initially intended to take a cold shower to ease his desire, not wanting to force himself on her. But at that moment, he could no longer hold back.
• Nadia's eyes, when she opened them, held an irresistible charm. Her hands found their way around his neck, pulling him into a kiss...
• Outside, Adam accompanied Victor as they strolled around the garden. “Victor,” he cheerfully exclaimed, “you're going to be a grandfather now!”
• Victor grumbled, “I can't wait to have a grandson soon!”
• Adam laughed. “Absolutely!”