What Separates Me and You

Chapter 49 You Won’t Let Me Embrace You Anymore?

As they spoke, Josephine saw that Lewis and Conrad had walked into the room.

Lewis was dressed in a sharp and elegant brown suit. The end of his coat reached his knees, and it

made him look very handsome. He stared at Josephine, then turned to look at Avery, who was seated

next to her.

Josephine lowered her head guiltily. Her neat ponytail had come loose, and messy strands of hair

framed her face. She was the furthest thing from neat and elegant right now.

On the other hand, Avery pursed her lips and remained silent. From past experiences, she knew not to

provoke Lewis unnecessarily. After all, he hadn’t said anything to her.

The atmosphere was tense. Suddenly, Tyler ran over to them. His facial expression shifted slightly

when he saw Lewis and Josephine. Tyler quickly walked over to Avery and whispered, “Avery! Haven’t

you caused enough trouble for us? You’re coming home with me!”

Avery didn’t say anything to resist him. She had neither the intention nor the energy to bother anymore.

Tyler grabbed Avery and walked out of the room as fast as he could, but Avery managed to shoot

Josephine a worried look before she left.

After Tyler and Avery had left, Lewis finally opened his mouth. “Were you planning on spending the

night here?”

Josephine was startled, and she looked up at Lewis immediately. His face was blank and devoid of any

emotion. Hesitantly, she forced herself to stand up and face him. Lewis turned and left the room, his

outer coat fluttering behind him as he walked.

An unfamiliar scent wafted by, and Josephine could smell it. Josephine followed behind him silently.

Conrad was standing next to the car. Lewis spoke just as Conrad opened the car door for them, “You

can go ahead first.”

Conrad nodded and closed the car door before walking away from them. Josephine sat in the car

without a word. Nobody spoke, and it felt like it was freezing in the car. She fidgeted with her fingers

nervously.

After they arrived at the Styx Mansion, Lewis stepped out of the car and removed his coat. Mrs. Jinkins

limped out of the kitchen to greet them, her eyes filled with warmth.

Mrs. Jinkins wiped her hands on her apron apprehensively before reaching out to take Lewis’ coat.

“Oh, Josie. I was just about to ask you what time both of you would

return, dear. I was just about to prepare dinner.”

Lewis stared at the elderly woman for a second before glancing at her leg. He asked, ” Are you the

maid that Josephine has hired?”

His bluntness made Mrs. Jinkins freeze on the spot, and she looked to Josephine for help. Mrs. Jinkins

smiled awkwardly and replied, “Y-Yes, that’s right. Please rest assured that I’ll carry out my tasks

diligently.”

Josephine bit her lip in guilt and lowered her head as she tugged on his sleeve. She hoped that he

wouldn’t say anything that would upset Mrs. Jinkins. However, Lewis ignored her and said, “You can’t

even walk properly; why bother to work? Our house isn’t a charity. You’ve come to the wrong place.”

After he said that, Lewis took no note of the pale expression on Mrs. Jinkins’s face. He walked past her

and went upstairs. Josephine wrung her hands and looked at Mrs. Jinkins apologetically. Mrs. Jinkins

was startled, but she understood what he meant. After all, she had already lived for so long.

When she came back to her senses, Mrs. Jinkins wiped away the tears in her eyes and spoke to

Josephine with a smile, “Josie, dear. I suppose I won’t be cooking dinner for you any longer then.”

Josephine’s breath hitched as she shook her head and held onto Mrs. Jinkins’ hand. She signed, “Wait

for me.”

Mrs. Jinkins sighed. “It’s alright. I’m quite used to living in that shoddy little shack of mine. I don’t mind

going back to it.”

Tears welled up in Josephine’s eyes, and she signed again, “Wait for me.”

Was she really that weak and useless? She couldn’t even protect the ones that she held dear?

She hoped that the heavens would take pity on her and stand by her side once more. Josephine ran up

the stairs and knocked on the door to Lewis’ study. The door wasn’t shut tight, so it opened easily when

she knocked on it twice.

Lewis was on the phone from his position next to the window. It was dark and cloudy outside, and the

light that fell on his face cast a desolate look on his face. “If you aren’t qualified for this position, just

resign and leave.”

After he said that, Lewis hung up the phone and turned to look at Josephine. He didn’t say anything.

Lewis kept his eyes on Josephine, as though he were waiting for her to speak. Josephine struggled to

find the right words. Finally, she signed, “Won’t you allow Mrs. Jinkins to stay?”

“This was what you wanted to discuss?”

Josephine lowered her head, her hair covering her face. She continued to sign, “Have you forgotten

her?”

Lewis stared at her indifferently and spoke in a calm manner, “So what if I did, and so what if I didn’t?

Am I supposed to care for each and every staff member until their death?”

His words were ruthless, and they stabbed Josephine’s heart mercilessly. Slowly, Josephine raised her

head and met his cold gaze. For the first time in her life, she began to suspect that perhaps Lewis

didn’t have a heart at all.

Lewis walked over to her, then leaned in close as he said, “You can keep her, sure. On the condition

that you promise to never see Avery again.”

Josephine was startled.

He smiled cruelly, and his gaze was very cold as he said, “So, between Mrs. Jinkins and Avery, pick

one.”

It was no wonder that Lewis didn’t say anything in the car. He was waiting for this. moment. Lewis had

given her a difficult decision, where neither of the options would make her happy. He stared directly into

her eyes and waited for her answer.

Time passed as they locked eyes with each other. Josephine signed, “Do you treat Sierra like this as

well?”

Lewis looked at her fingers, and his face fell. Then he looked at her face again. “Are you questioning

me?”

Josephine pursed her lips, a rare indignant expression on her face. She signed, “I’ve never asked you

for anything! Won’t you help me, just this once?”

Lewis reached out to hold her hands and stop her from signing. His voice was cold as he said, “No.”

After a pause, he added, “Just not this time.”

The corners of Josephine’s mouth twitched as she grimaced. This was the only time she wanted him to

help!

“You can’t be greedy and expect to have everything.” Lewis held onto her hands tightly to prevent her

from expressing herself. He continued, “Since you can’t seem to choose, why don’t I help you?”

Her eyes widened as she tried to break free from Lewis’ grip. However, it only made Lewis grip her

hands even tighter, to the point where it began to hurt. In desperation, Josephine opened her mouth to

say something, but no sound fell from her lips.

Lewis’ eyes were cold as he grabbed both of her hands and pushed her against the desk. The desk hit

her waist, and a familiar pain struck her lower abdomen. The only thing that Josephine could do at this

moment was bite him with her teeth.

But Lewis quickly placed a hand around her jaw and pressed her whole body onto the desk. He pinned

both of her hands down with one hand, using the other to hitch up her legs. Lewis’s body weight was

entirely on top of Josephine’s now. “You won’t let me embrace you?”

They were so close to each other, and Josephine could feel his breath on her face. Josephine’s

abdomen really hurt. It felt like all of her organs were squashed against each other.

Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, and her mouth kept opening and closing. She mouthed,

“Please don’t…”

However, he paid it no heed as he removed her pants.