A Man with Nerves of Steel (Joseph Hart) novel Chapter 557

Chapter 557

Gamma couldn’t help but laugh at Joseph’s pitiful and foolish demeanor. Wiping a tear from her eye, she teased, You’re a grown man, yet a few words are enough to break your heart. Look at you crying. You sure are sensitive.”

Joseph wiped his eyes. “I’m genuinely heartbroken here, and instead of comforting me, you’re laughing. I’m such a failure.”

If they hadn’t been in the office, he might have actually started sobbing.

It was hard to articulate just how much he had suffered these past few days. People always said that real men shed no tears, but that was only because they’d never experienced true heartbreak.

“You poor baby. You’re so miserable. Fine, I won’t tease you anymore. Come here, let me give you a hug. Be a good boy and stop crying.” Taking the opportunity, Gemma pulled Joseph into her arms, comforting his wounded soul with an affectionate embrace.

After a moment, however, she suddenly tightened her arms around him, her breathing quickening. Something felt off. Biting her lip, she hastily released Joseph and stepped back.

She was startled by her own reaction. That man was undeniably ugly, so how could she be so strongly drawn to him? If she stayed alone with him any longer, she might lose control.

Brushing back her bangs, she cupped her cheeks, feeling the heat radiating from her face. She took a sip of water to compose herself. “Where were we with Jenna’s tests just now?”

Joseph had noticed the shift in Gemma’s behavior too. She was acting very strangely-looking innocent, yet incredibly sensual at the same time.

“Right,” he said. “You mentioned Jenna has to save her virginity for the Zahn men, but you also said she hasn’t slept with any of them yet. Isn’t that a contradiction?”

“There’s no contradiction,” Gemma replied. “She hasn’t slept with anyone yet, but she’ll have to if she wants to marry you. There’s a very real chance she’ll end up carrying a child for the Zahn family.

“If that happens, everything you’re worried about will become reality. You’d merely hold the legal title of her husband. You might occasionally have access to her body, but ultimately, nothing you build together would truly belong to just the two of you.”

Joseph exclaimed, “How does that make any sense?”

“It makes perfect sense because they are the Zahn family,” Gemma said calmly.

“Is there really nothing we can do?” Joseph asked.

Gemma shook her head. “No.”

Suppressing his anger and frustration, Joseph buried his face in his hands. “Damn it! Why am I always so unlucky?

11

“That’s just how fate works,” Gemma replied evenly. “Nothing is ever truly in our control.”

As she watched his reaction, the corners of her lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. He was so emotional and easy to manipulate. As long as she treated him sweetly enough, he’d do whatever she wanted.

“No wonder I felt like Jenna changed after she came back from Emerald Mountain,” Joseph muttered. “She was preparing to do something so twisted.”

1

1/2

+15 8çnus

Gemma sighed. “Of course she changed. Once you officially join the medical sect, you’ll meet some of its older members. There’s one old witch in particular who’s far too skilled at manipulating matters between men and women. Jenna won’t be able to escape her clutches so easily.”

Gemma seemed to recall something, her gaze growing distant. What that woman had done to manipulate them was something she could barely bear to remember. She had been both a beneficiary and a victim.

But regardless of the past, she now had a chance to forge a better fate. Her history only left her with regret, and

even hatred.

Gemma’s silence only made Joseph more anxious. He pressed, “How did she manipulate Jenna?”

“Go ask Jenna. Have her tell you that herself.” Finishing her sentence, Gemma turned to leave, but Joseph suddenly wrapped his arms around her from behind.

If a third person had walked into the room, their position would have easily invited misunderstandings.

“Gemma, don’t leave me hanging,” he pleaded. “You’ve been so good to me; just tell me everything.”

Unable to resist him, Gemma finally relented. “The old witch prepared a bathing pool. Then, she slipped Jenna and her chosen man a little medicine and left them alone in the water. What do you think happens when a man and a woman bathe together in the same pool under those circumstances?”

“But Jenna still has that innocent demeanor about her,” Joseph argued. “She’s still a virgin.”

“You can tell?” Panic flashed across Gemma’s face as she tried to pull free, but Joseph held on tightly, leaving her struggling to escape.

Comments

Support

Share

2/2