âDonât go. Have a talk with me,â Ethan called out to her all of a sudden. Josephine turned around and demanded, âI charge a fee if you want to talk to me.â âIs that so? How much do you charge per minute?â
15,000. Josephine was trying to intimidate him. âDeal.â The man agreed to it. Hearing that, Josephine was stunned. Is he that wealthy?
She was just trying to deter him. Now that he had agreed to it, she didnât want to do that. She frowned and said, âForget it. Iâm not interested in talking to you.â
âHave I ever offended you in any way?â Ethan was frustrated. âMr. Quarles, if you want the company of women, there are a lot of ladies over there. I suppose Miss Aguirre is still around as well,â Josephine said.
âI only want to talk to you.â Ethan arched his brow. His dark gaze looked inscrutable. âIâll pass.â With that, Josephine turned around and went up the steps. Since it was nighttime, she was unable to see clearly. Hence, she quickly lost her footing.
âAh!â she exclaimed and fell to her knees. Much to her chagrin, her knees were wounded and started bleeding. âIt hurts!â She gasped as her knees were swollen. It was too late for Ethan to save her. He went over and squatted. âLet me take a look.â
âYouâre such a jinx! Bad things happen to me whenever I bump into you! Stay away from me!â
Josephine held her knees and glared at him with teary eyes.
âHow could you blame it on me when you were not careful while going up the steps?â Ethan felt wronged. âItâs all your fault!â Josephine just wanted to be unreasonable at that moment.
âAlright, consider it my fault. Do you need my help now, Miss Jacobson?â Ethan asked. It wouldnât be easy for her to walk, after all.
Josephine wasnât a frail woman, and she always considered herself to be tough. She grabbed the railing and said, âI donât need your help. Go away. I can go back on my own.â âWhy are you acting tough when youâre injured?â
Ethan found her rather stubborn. If she pleaded with him, he was willing to carry her to her villa. âStop being nosy, Mr. Quarles. If you have nothing better to do, go home and sleep!â Josephine retorted.
âForget it. I wonât settle the score with you,â Ethan said from behind. While Josephine was plodding up the steps, he approached her and lifted her off her feet all of a sudden.
âHey! Put me down, Ethan!â Josephine didnât need his help, nor did she want to be carried in such a way. Apart from her father, no other men had ever carried her like this before.
âStop moving if you donât want to fall. Stay still,â Ethan warned. Just then, Luke arrived at the place as he had decided to run after them earlier.
*Joey! Joey! Where are you?â Lukeâs voice was getting closer. Eventually, he arrived at the steps where Josephine had fallen. When he saw two people on the walkway, he quickly raced after them.
Soon enough, he saw a towering man carrying a woman in his arms under the lamplights. Although he couldnât make out the womanâs face, he recognized her slender legs and dress. It was apparent to him that the woman was Josephine.
âPut her down!â Luke rushed over in a fury. Dang it! How dare this b*stard snatch my girlfriend from me? He has crossed the line!
When Luke reached the two of them, he didnât dare to snatch the woman from Ethan. Therefore, he raised his hand and demanded, âPut Joey down.â
Josephine didnât expect Luke to come. At that moment, she felt bashful. She had to acknowledge that Ethan had a pair of strong arms. While in his embrace, she felt safe and comfortable.
Since her knees were injured, she couldnât walk back to the villa. Therefore, if Luke didnât come, she wouldâve let Ethan send her back. Now that Luke was there, the situation was rather awkward. âSheâs injured,â Ethan said coldly. âIâm sending her back.â