A Man with Nerves of Steel (Joseph Hart) novel Chapter 535

Chapter 535

Belinda had never expected Joseph to set his sights on her. She smiled faintly before tugging her skirt slightly higher, revealing more of her long legs.

At that moment, she truly was as kind as Joseph said.

When Joseph’s gaze was drawn toward her, she smiled indifferently and said, “You’ve got quite the nerve, setting your sights on me. Even if I took pity on you, would you even dare accept it?”

Pretending to swallow nervously, Joseph replied, “I read an old saying that tells us we must have the freedom and courage to be ourselves.”

A

“Just a moment ago, you were saying that you’re too ugly to deserve a woman’s affection. Did you gain so much confidence while talking to me? Why don’t you take a look in the mirror and figure out where that confidence is coming from?” Belinda’s tone grew colder with every word.

Joseph knew that this was as far as he could push. If he pushed Belinda any further, she would turn hostile.

He immediately slapped himself across the face and looked regretful. “Ms. Towne, you’re absolutely right. I got carried away just now.”

“A man should know his place. Since you were quick to reflect on your mistakes and your attitude isn’t bad, I’m satisfied. You said you’ve never been with a woman before. Come to my nightclub tonight, and I’ll arrange a girl for you.” After giving him her warning, Belinda tried to tempt him with something else.

Joseph replied, “Thank you, but putting aside the fact that I’m a doctor and shouldn’t be frequenting places like that, I’m poor enough as it is. If I start spending money recklessly, I’ll only become poorer.

“More importantly, and I don’t mean to discriminate, my profession has made it so that all I can think about is disease. Girls who work at nightclubs are simply too dirty for my tastes.”

“You really are ugly in both looks and temperament,” Belinda said, feeling oddly insulted by his response.

“If there’s nothing else, then I’ll be heading back upstairs,” Joseph said.

Belinda instructed him to pay extra attention and inform her immediately if he learned anything about Joseph’s whereabouts.

Watching Belinda leave, Joseph thought about Cora and the others and realized they were all gradually targeting him.

He said to himself, “Cora, do you really think that I would have no choice but to show myself if you make it impossible for me to remain in Jenton?

“If this had happened in the past, I would’ve immediately come forward to clear my name. But now, I have this identity as a cover, so I’m in no hurry.

“If Joseph is ‘dead,’ what’s wrong with continuing to live as Henry? Living as someone else isn’t so bad after all. Whatever Joseph did has nothing to do with Henry, and vice versa.”

With that thought in mind, Joseph returned to his department and began paying attention to Kaya’s daily routine. At this point, all it would take was a little manufactured suspicion for her to shoulder the blame completely.

But Joseph didn’t want to hurt innocent people.

In the end, he decided to wait and see. The only person he truly intended to kill with his own hands was Skylar.

1/2

+15 Bonus

For now, Skylar was half-dead and suffering. Joseph’s priority was ensuring his own safety. Skylar remained the center of attention in the department, so whoever stood out now would be the first to die.

Gemma still trusted Joseph and continued allowing him access to Skylar’s room. It meant that Joseph was able to keep himself fully informed of Skylar’s condition. Of course, hospital policy and the Zahn family forbade anyone from entering alone, so Joseph simply paired himself with whoever was available.

That evening, when Joseph returned to his dormitory, he discovered that it had been searched. After reporting the matter to hospital security, he learned that the hospital and the police had conducted a joint inspection to identify whoever had harmed Skylar.

Everyone in the department was considered a suspect.

Joseph had always been extremely cautious, however, and had left behind no clues whatsoever connecting his current identity to Joseph.

The night passed uneventfully.

The following day, Joseph entered Reuben’s hospital room. Under the pretense of taking his temperature and performing other routine tasks, Joseph quietly examined the old man’s condition and quickly came to understand what was wrong.

2/2

+158gnus