Chapter 27

Chapter 27

“The most important thing is not to mention that you have an older sister. Discuss this with Old Man

Yates in advance and make sure you don’t slip up,” Cynthia instructed,

Shirley agreed to all of it. She had heard many stories about Joshua’s business successes, his flawless

decision–making, and his status as a legend in their industry, She had seen him at business banquets

before but never imagined he would be her brother–in–law.

Not long after Cynthia finished briefing, Shirley, she received a call from Mr. Cheyne, He asked her

where she was, offered to pick her up, and informed her that the meeting place had been changed to

the hospital where Shirley was staying. Cynthia told him she would wait for him at Nexuria’s First

People’s Hospital and hung up the phone.

When she left Nexuria’s First People’s Hospital, she withdrew some cash. At half–past five in the

afternoon, Mr. Cheyne and Joshua arrived at Nexuria’s First People’s Hospital on time, meeting up with

Cynthia. Joshua was dressed in a dark gray suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow

waist, though the cold aura he exuded was even more pronounced,

“Mrs. Neal,” Mr. Cheyne greeted her with a slight smile.

“Please, just call me Cynthia,” she corrected.

Mr. Cheyne and Joshua both seemed taken aback by her request.

“Are your family members staying at this hospital?” Joshua asked, his deep, anfathomable eyes

scanning the surroundings, addressing the critical question.

“No,” Cynthia replied.

“Do you think I would believe that?” he challenged.

“Whether you believe me or not has nothing to do with me,” Cynthia shot back. Ever since. Jayleen’s

accident, she knew Joshua’s trust in her was non–existent.

Mr. Cheyne did not dare say a word, fearing the couple would start arguing again.

“Why is your Google Fit step count only around two hundred if your family isn’t here?” Joshua asked,

pulling out his phone to check her activity, not giving her any slack. His tone was cold as he thought

about the fleeting figure he had seen outside Shirley’s hospital room when he visited Yosef the day

before. It looked just like the woman standing before him.

“Would that be the case if you came from somewhere else? You should have walked more steps,”

Joshua inquired, his gaze scrutinizing her and adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

Cynthia retorted, “I used not to believe that people in love had zero intelligence, but now, I do.

11

Joshua and Mr. Cheyne were both speechless.

“There’s a mode of transportation called a taxi,” Cynthia informed him. Riding in a vehicle did not count

toward her steps, a fact both Joshua and Mr. Cheyne were aware of. Mr. Cheyne glanced at his boss,

thinking for the umpteenth time that his mind was not as sharp as Cynthia’s.

Joshua’s heart sank. While Cynthia’s words were indisputable, she did not seem like someone who

had rushed over from somewhere else.

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Chapter 27

“Boss, we should go in. After visiting the Yates Group’s heiress, we still have a meeting with Chairman

Yates,” Mr. Cheyne interjected, feeling the tension in the air.

Joshua’s probing gaze lingered on Cynthia for a moment before he started walking toward the inpatient

department. Cynthia, feeling somewhat relieved, patted the cash in her pocket and followed him. She

had withdrawn some cash in case Joshua asked her to show the payment record for her taxi ride, as

she had no such records on her phone. If he asked, she could claim she took a taxi and paid with cash.

He did not ask, so she did not have to worry about saying too much and making a mistake. From the

hospital entrance to Shirley’s room, the distance was not very long, but Joshua deliberately slowed his

pace. He was testing Cynthia to see if she genuinely did not know or was just pretending.

Chapter 28

When they reached a fork in the road, Mr. Cheyne went in the correct direction, while Joshua

deliberately went the wrong way. He wanted to see how Cynthia would choose. In truth, Cynthia would

not choose at all. Regardless of whether she knew or not, between Joshua and Mr. Cheyne, she would

unhesitatingly choose Mr. Cheyne. This was what Joshua had taught her.

“Boss…” Yoel noticed his boss going the wrong way and stopped, calling out, “Mrs. Neal’s room is this

way; you’ve gone the wrong way.” Joshua turned back, and the three continued walking. Joshua

focused on Cynthia, who had been calm from the beginning. “How did you know this was the right

way?”

“Because Mr. Cheyne is leading,” Cynthia replied, silencing all of his suspicions.

Joshua fell silent while a panicked Mr. Cheyne worried that his boss might suspect something improper

between him and Mrs. Neal. After all, he was the one who accompanied her shopping, made dinner

reservations, and picked her up when she went out. What if his boss imagined something else? He

anxiously waited for a response.

Frustrated, Joshua quickened his pace toward Shirley’s room. He could always send someone to

investigate their collaboration later.

Meanwhile, in Shirley’s room, Mr. Yates adjusted his clothes and asked Shirley to check if there were

any issues before asking, “Do I have an imposing presence like this?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Really!”

“Can it suppress Joshua?”

“Well, that’s hard to say…” Shirley told the truth. In her memory, no one had ever intimidated Joshua, it

was always the other way around.

Mr. Yates knew this as well, and his expression grew somber as he contemplated how to intimidate

Joshua. He needed to teach him a lesson for bullying his daughter.

As he thought this, the secretary, dressed in a suit, opened the door and announced in a professional

tone, “Chairman Yates, Mr. Neal from the Neal Group is here.”

“Let him in.”

“Yes.”

The secretary immediately invited the guest into the room. Both Joshua and Chairman Yates were

experiencing their first business meeting in a hospital ward. Joshua brought Cynthia with him, greeted

Chairman Yates, and observed Mr. Yates and Shirley’s reactions throughout the process. However, he

did not gain any clues.

Both Chairman Yates and Shirley maintained a calm demeanor when Cynthia entered the room as if

she were just an unrelated person. They exchanged pleasantries, and after Joshua expressed his

concern for Shirley and wished her a speedy recovery, the conversation between him and Mr. Yates

finally turned to business.