"Then why do you keep acting recklessly?" Cynthia could not understand why he was doing it.Joshua did not answer her question. He stubbornly asked, "If I had been killed by that person just now, would you have felt sorry for me?"Cynthia hesitated, unsure why he suddenly asked such a question. "I would never let anything happen to you while I'm around. If I couldn't defuse the danger, I would at least stabilize the situation," she replied, avoiding a direct answer.Her silence told Joshua that she was confident in dealing with those people. Frustration began to well up in his eyes.Not noticing his emotional turmoil, Cynthia discarded the rope and looked at him."I found you, so come back with me.""The game isn't over yet," Joshua said in a deeper voice.Confused, Cynthia asked, "What game?"Joshua stood up, acting somewhat unpredictably. "You have to choose between agreeing to date me or taking my life. Until you make your choice, the game isn't over.""Why?" Cynthia aske
"I know I deceived and lied to you, and I admit that. But I did all that because I was terrified of losing you, afraid that I wouldn't have your attention and care." Joshua let down his guard, allowing Cynthia to understand him fully.Out of fear, he had acted desperately, putting on a performance just to please her. He would pretend to be whoever she liked, fearing that she might reject him. He dreaded her dismissing the present him because of the past Joshua. He feared others intruding into her world, causing her to ignore him completely."Cynthia, make a choice." Joshua smiled gently,He acknowledged his weakness. Before being rejected, he believed that he had a chance as long as he tried hard enough, just like Matthew next door. However, after receiving such an unequivocal and instant rejection, he became fearful and understood that he had two choices: force her to be with him at the risk of his own life or let her drift further away from him, perhaps leaving him forever.Cyn
"My name is Josiah Neal, and it rhymes with your name, Cynthia," Joshua introduced himself to Cynthia, changing his name.Cynthia was taken aback.Joshua had intended to stop there, but he could not hold back. He walked over and embraced Cynthia, leaning his chin on her shoulder. "If you don't remember me, then no one will know I ever existed in this world."Cynthia hesitated, but eventually, she slowly embraced him.Feeling his body tense, she reassured him, "I will remember. Josiah rhymes with Cynthia."Joshua's heart was filled with warmth, and all those extreme thoughts and behaviors disappeared at that moment. He used to think that he wanted all of Cynthia to belong to him, but now he realized that as long as she remembered him, he only needed one embrace, a hug exclusively for him."Come back with me." Cynthia released him from the embrace. "I'll take you out and show you beautiful places and fun things.""No need. To me, you're the most beautiful scenery in this world and
Joshua struggled, holding his increasingly painful chest. They stood at the warehouse door when he said to her, "I'll die. When Sean treats me again, that's when I'll disappear."Joshua did not know how much time he had left, but he was confident he would not live forever. If Cynthia agreed to be with him, he would never accept Sean's treatment again and just be with Cynthia for the rest of his life. However, Cynthia did not like him; in that case, he saw no need to fight. He could not bear to watch Cynthia be with someone else, and he definitely could not live after she rejected him.Suddenly, Joshua froze."Or are you trying so hard to save me because you don't want him to die?"A whirlwind of emotions stirred within Joshua at the thought of this possibility."I want both of you to be safe. I don't want either of you to die, and I don't want anything bad to happen to either of you," Cynthia answered sincerely. Josiah had never done anything to harm her, and even his actions
"Yes." Cynthia did not hide it from him.Joshua remained silent, knowing where he belonged. However, he could not help feeling reluctant.Reluctant to leave Cynthia.Reluctant to disappear.Reluctant to let go.During the rest of the journey, neither Joshua nor Cynthia spoke. The bodyguard took them to the hospital as quickly as possible.While Joshua received medical treatment, Cynthia received a message from Matthew asking where she was, to which she told him the whole story.Half an hour later, Matthew arrived at the hospital. Cynthia was waiting for Joshua in the corridor when she saw him. "Captain..."Matthew quickly approached her, glancing at the closed door. He asked concernedly, "Why are you at the hospital?"Cynthia explained the whole situation. She was not one to rely on others, but she did not know what to do. Josiah was innocent, and so was Joshua. Ultimately, only one persona could control their shared body."He probably isn't a new persona," Matthew said
If Cynthia were unaware of his feelings, his chance would be very slim."In that case, I'll return it to you. I shouldn't be using her stuff," Cynthia said, feeling a bit guilty.Matthew smiled, amused. "There's nothing wrong with that. She said you can use her things freely, including her future boyfriend."Cynthia was at a loss for words.Matthew's smile deepened, and he even wanted to reach out and pinch her face.After a while, the door opened, and the doctor came out to tell them, "The wound has been dressed. Remember to change the dressing every day and keep it dry.""Okay, thank you," Cynthia politely replied. Joshua also came out. His wound had been stitched up, and he seemed fine apart from looking a bit pale. He was initially happy to see Cynthia, but he noticed the scarf around her neck. After taking a couple more steps, he saw Matthew.All the joy in Joshua's eyes faded away as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water. Did Cynthia call him here?The d
During the drive back home, Matthew could not stop thinking about it. He had driven this car many times before, mostly other sedans, and there were only a few occasions when Cynthia was present. What could make her care so much about this car? That thought led Matthew to recall the incident at the Tanz mansion...One hour later, Matthew brought them home and took the folder of documents with him. Considering that Joshua had not eaten lunch, Cynthia insisted he eat before resting.At half past three in the afternoon, Joshua reluctantly went to sleep at Cynthia's urging while she went to the study to discuss Joshua's condition with Matthew. She knew that Sean might not have told her the whole truth, as he could use anything against her with Joshua's agreement. Hence, she hoped Matthew's information would be more reliable.After closing the door, Cynthia asked, "Matthew, what did you mean when you said Joshua isn't a new personality?"Matthew responded calmly, "Let's not rush int
"I'll help you.""Captain…""Hmm?" Cynthia wanted to agree to Matthew's proposal, but Cynthia did not know how to say them. No one had confessed to her so formally before, and she did not know how to respond. Seeing her struggle to find the right words, Matthew decided to lighten the mood. "If you don't answer now, I'll take it as a yes. From this moment on, you're officially my girlfriend.""Huh?" Cynthia seemed a little dazed."Hmm?" Matthew's smile grew wider, and he playfully flicked her forehead. "Do you feel like you're at a disadvantage?"Cynthia's eyes flickered, and she replied with a straight face, "Maybe a little.""Hmm?""Other people get flowers or something during a confession.""And don't you have them?" Matthew asked.Cynthia was confused as she certainly did not.Matthew calmly looked at her and said, "Well, you said I don't look old for my age, and men aged like fine wine. So, I'm your gift."Cynthia had fallen into his trap again, and she quickly