Chapter 616

Chapter 616

Joshua had paid the price by saving her. Compared to settling old scores, Cynthia felt as if she still

owed him. As Joshua felt her warm hand, his sobbing gradually subsided, yet his desire to possess

Cynthia intensified.

“However…” He raised his head from her embrace, looking at her with a self–blaming expression

“what is it?”

“There’s another thing I lied to you about. This one’s about me,” Joshua admitted, his gaze falling

He had thought it through. Rather than having Yoel and Matthew expose him, he figured it was better to

tell another lie half- truthfully. That way, even if Cynthia later found out the truth from Matthew or Yoel,

her reaction wouldn’t be too severe.

Cynthia calmly accepted this. “Go ahead.”

“Once I reveal this, you’ll definitely be angry, and you might even ignore me. Can you promise me, no

matter what i reveal later, you won’t abandon me?” Joshua gauged his tone perfectly, and his acting

was top–notch

“Alright,” Cynthia agreed. Just like any other child, Joshua needed care and guidance. As long as he

could acknowledge and correct his mistakes, that was a good thing.

Joshua was somewhat uncertain. This matter was somewhat risky, after all. Matthew had said that

Cynthia disliked being lied to. He was not sure that after revealing this, Cynthia would be angry with

him or give him the silent treatment. He would be forced to choose a more extreme course of action if

she ignored him.

“Why aren’t you speaking?” Cynthia asked.

“I’m afraid you’ll be angry and I’m scared you’ll abandon me, you won’t want me anymore.” Joshua

acted out his internal struggle with believable skill

“I always follow through on my promises. Since I promised I wouldn’t abandon you, I won’t.” Cynthia

looked at him seriously

without a hint of blame.

Joshua pretended to struggle. After a moment, he pressed his lips together, and after a careful pause,

he slowly said, “I’m not really five years old.”

The moment the words left his mouth, surprise flickered in Cynthia’s eyes. However, it dissipated

almost as quickly as it appeared. It seemed her previous conjecture was right: Joshua’s mental age

had indeed progressed.

“Do you know by how much?” Cynthia probed further.

Seventeen. When I visited Sean’s medical base yesterday, he assessed me. He said my mental age is

around seventeen,” Joshua blurted out, crafting a fib on the fly.

“Really?” There was a slight rise in Cynthia’s voice, her surprise more pronounced.

Joshua did not find any signs of disgust or distaste in Cynthia’s gaze. He hesitated before he asked,

“Cynthia, aren’t you angry? 1 had recovered yet still deceived you.”

“No, I am not angry.” A sense of relief washed over Cynthia. Although she had always trusted Sean’s

decisions and judgments, looking at Joshua at the mental age of only five had complicated her feelings.

She had wondered whether Joshua could ever recover while being around her. Fortunately, he had

recovered, at least partially.

“What about your memory? How much of your memory has returned?” Cynthia asked, targeting the

crux of the matter.

Joshua hesitated for a moment before speaking the truth, “None.”

“Not at all?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Did you learn about your mental growth at Sean’s, or did you low before you visited him?” Cynthia

questioned again, alming to identify the key to Joshua’s recovery to aid him in complete restoration.