Lewis stopped in his tracks at that. He turned to look at her. He seemed to consider her question for a while before he replied warmly, "If you don't want me there, then I won't go."
Josephine studied his expression. He looked gentle and genuine.
Lewis continued, "About Yona …"
Josephine cut him off before he could continue and said, "Don't worry about that. I'll handle it myself."
Lewis raised a brow at that and asked, "You really don't need me to settle it?"
Josephine's expression was serious as she replied, "You don't have to do anything for me. I can't possibly rely on the help of others for the rest of my life. If I can't even settle my own problems, what's the point of me even going to work?"
Lewis waited for her to finish. His expression was complex by the end of her reasoning. In the end, he said, "If that's the case, then I won't get involved."
From his tone, she couldn't tell if he was exasperated, resigned, or both. To be honest, Josephine was also quite surprised that he would agree to her terms so readily.
"You really won't get involved?" Josephine asked suspiciously.
Lewis reached out to caress her face, saying, "How can I say no to anything you ask from me?"
Josephine jolted in shock and then hastily dodged his hand.
Her actions today were to slowly distance herself from him. If she could manage her life without him now, she wouldn't need him in her life in the future.
Lewis studied her for a while before retracting his hand. "Let's eat."
Josephine let out a sigh of relief at that and followed him to the dining room. The duo ate their meals in silence. Besides the clanking of cutlery against their plates, the dining room was completely silent.
After the meal, Josephine returned to her room to take a shower. Now that the weather had gotten warmer, she no longer needed to wear thick pajamas to bed.
Still, she automatically grabbed her thick pajamas and put them on after taking a shower.
She lay on her bed after her shower and stared at her bedroom door. After about two hours of staring, when she was finally sure Lewis wouldn't enter, she closed her eyes to sleep.
She was usually in bed resting at home before returning to work.
She hadn't had a chance to rest since she started working today. As such, she was exhausted. She fell into a deep slumber not long later.
However, she was plagued with grotesque nightmares the entire night. Her past floated in her mind, and she dreamt of her parents as well as the entirety of the Vance family.
Their accusatory and disappointed expressions were like a knife to her heart. In her dreams, they were all blaming her, asking her why she was still by Lewis' side.
Until now, she still couldn't reach out to touch her parents. Her parents faded in and out of her view in her dreams. Never leaving her side, but also never getting close.
To Josephine, being able to see them but not touch them was pure torture.
In the end, she was jolted awake from her dreams by the sound of birds chirping outside her window. Even though she was already awake, her nightmare still loomed over her, leaving her breathless.
Josephine stared blankly at the ceiling before she got out of bed and went to the bathroom to get refreshed.
She changed her clothes and left her room to go to the dining room. Even before she entered, the pungent smell of her herbal concoction hit her nose.
The scent of this herbal concoction seemed to linger in every corner of this mansion. Unsurprisingly, a bowl of herbal concoction was waiting for her when she entered the dining room.
Mrs. Larson walked out and greeted Josephine with a smile, "Madam, come have some food!"
Josephine nodded and sat at the dining table. Her eyes unconsciously flitted to Lewis' spot at the table, which was now empty.
Mrs. Larson noticed Josephine's gaze and explained, "I don't think Mr. Alvarez is awake yet. Shall I go wake him up?"
"No!" Josephine exclaimed almost immediately, then realized that she had overreacted. As such, she composed herself before she added, "Let him sleep for a while longer."
If he slept in, she wouldn't have to see him today.
Mrs. Larson didn't know that that was what Josephine was really thinking. She assumed Josephine was just worried for Lewis, so she flashed her a gentle smile.
"Alright. Then, Madam, you should have your breakfast first."
Josephine hummed in acknowledgment. She ate some snacks before gulping down her herbal concoction.
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