Chapter 238
The cameraman following Joseph was caught off guard, but Joseph reacted quickly, grabbing onto a rock on the slope before he could fall. If he had not, the drop would have been dangerous if not life–threatening. The bodyguards rushed to pull Joseph back up. “Are you okay, Joseph?”
“I’m fine.” Joseph hissed in pain and winced as his clothes, now torn, revealed a large gash on his arm, blood mixing with dirt and sand. A bodyguard immediately pulled out a first aid kit, disinfecting and bandaging the wound.
Unlike the base of the mountain, the peak had no medical stations, and the descent would take too long. To prevent unnecessary injuries, the staff responsible for safety handled the situation on–site.
Selina and Trevon noticed the commotion above. She glanced up but then turned away, resuming her conversation with Trevon, showing no concern for the fact that Joseph had just narrowly avoided a severe accident. Her indifference caused a sharp pain in Joseph’s heart.
He thought, ‘Selina, how could you be so cold, so heartless, that you don’t even care about my safety? Even if you’ve severed ties with the Harvey family, I’m still your biological brother. I’ve never wronged you. So why must I bear the brunt of your anger and coldness every time we cross paths in Sokovis?‘
Joseph felt wronged. He thought back and realized he had done nothing to deserve this treatment from Selina. If anything, he had always been the one isolated and bullied.
“He keeps looking at you,” Trevon said, his eyes narrowing with a dangerous, icy gleam. He was tempted to gouge out Joseph’s eyes for daring to covet what was his. All the unknown sufferings Selina had endured were caused by the Harvey family. Thus, Trevon could not understand what right Joseph had to look at Selina with such a victimized expression.
“Darling, I’ve told you, the Harvey family is full of crazies. They get more arrogant when you give them attention. But it’s funny, isn’t it? I used to be so humbled, always trying to please them, hoping for a sliver of their attention. They ignored me then, but now the tables have turned. It’s just laughable,” Selina murmured in a voice only the two of them could hear.
It was not just Manuel and Lloyd, Joseph had changed too. Perhaps the Harvey family had this twisted belief that what they could not have was the best, while what was easy to get was worthless. Fortunately, Selina had not inherited that disgusting trait. Trevon raised an eyebrow. “Did you just call me ‘darling‘?”
“Why? You’re my husband, after all,” Selina said.
“How about we make it official then?” Trevon suggested.
“Too soon. I still want to have some fun,” Selina replied.
“You’re getting bold, Honey. I’m tempted to announce it, reveal my true identity, and watch all those who dare covet you disappear,” Trevon said. The two of them leaned in close, speaking in whispers with their faces hidden from view. This kind of intimate, tantalizing exchange drove the viewers wild. No one would believe there wasn’t something more going on between them.
When Joseph returned to the camp, his mood was already sour. Seeing how well Ashley and Edwin were getting along only made his face darken further. The unexpected chemistry between them had caught everyone off guard. However, their interactions on the live stream with Edwin’s gentlemanly demeanor and Ashley’s sweet, caring nature had attracted quite a few fans.
They were a perfect match as both were from top–tier families in Sokovis, and a feast for the eyes when together. No one would hate them together. The only ones who did were the fangirls shipping Charley with Edwin. They refused to believe Edwin could ever betray Charley for another woman and believed the two men were the real deal.
Hence, Joseph’s already foul mood only worsened when he saw Ashley engrossed in her interaction with Edwin, not even noticing his arrival. It wasn’t until Lance pointed out that Joseph seemed injured that Ashley snapped out of her daze and rushed to his side. “Joseph, are you okay? What happened to your hand?”
“It’s nothing,” Joseph replied.
“Nothing? Your hand’s all bandaged up! Show me,” Ashley insisted.
“I said it’s nothing! Didn’t you hear me?” Joseph’s sudden outburst left Ashley stunned. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she lowered her head, a soft “okay” escaping her lips. In the past, Joseph would have regretted raising his voice at Ashley and apologized immediately. However this time, the expected apology never came.
Instead, Joseph simply handed over the ingredients he had gathered to Ashley and told her to prepare dinner. He then retreated to the tent to rest, too weary to care any further.
In the past, he had thought of Ashley as gentle, soft–spoken, someone who needed her brothers‘ protection. However, her tendency to cry at the slightest provocation grated on his nerves now. He found it annoying, even repulsive.
Especially now, with his mood in shambles, Joseph had no patience left to spare. Yet, despite his warnings, Ashley continued to interact with Edwin. She had not always been this stubborn, this tearful. He wondered when she had become so aggravating.
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Chapter 238
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The tension and the shift in the siblings‘ relationship did not go unnoticed by the viewers, sparking a flurry of speculation: [Is it just me, or has Mr. Harvey’s attitude toward Ashley changed?]
[It’s not just you. If you’d told me earlier that Mr. Harvey would snap at Ashley like that, I wouldn’t have believed it.]
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