Chapter 617


    Chapter 617


    That way, she could return a healthy Joshua to Old Man Neal and Daphne sooner. With these


    thoughts, Cynthia’s mood eased at


    bit.


    “When Yoel was discussing the past with me, I felt as if my mental age had shifted a bit. That’s why I


    lied about going to fetch the cufflinks,” Joshua confided, now that he knew she did not despise him.


    “So you lied to see Sean?” Cynthia frowned, seemingly confused about his approach. ording to


    their earlier n, she would have taken him to see Sean for a check–up that day anyway. Why would


    he lie and go alone?


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    “Mm–hmm.” Joshua nodded, cautiously testing Cynthia’s boundaries and ming Sean in the process,


    “Sean had told me earlier to seek him out if I felt ufortable in any way.”


    Cynthia knitted her brows. Why had Scan not informed her?


    “Cynthia, are you angry?” Joshua was unsure of her reaction.


    “No.” Cynthia decided she would have a serious talk with Sean, but before that, she needed to clear up


    something. “Why didn’t you wait for me to apany you?”


    “I was scared.” Joshua spoke the truth, albeit with an added hint of vulnerability.


    “Scared? Scared of what?” Cynthia was baffled..


    “I didn’t know to what extent my mental age had recovered. If I had fully recovered, you certainly


    wouldn’t need me anymore. I didn’t want that.” Joshua’s words held a measure of truth and deception.


    A wave ofplexity washed over Cynthia. Captain was right. Joshua’s dependency on her had grown


    too deep.


    “In the future, you need to inform me promptly about such matters. Understand?” Cynthia instructed


    him.


    Joshua nodded, then asked, “Mmhmm! Cynthia, you aren’t mad about what I just said, are you?”


    “No, I am not. Cynthia held no resentment, still mulling over the progression of his mental age


    “Thank you, sister.”


    As Joshua rushed over to envelop her in an embrace, Cynthia’s body stiffened slightly. His touch


    elicited feelings within her that were tooplex to articte. As she gently established some distance


    between them, before she could articte her thoughts, Joshua spoke again with an almost pitiful tone,


    “Cynthia, do you… do you despise me?”


    “No. You are a man, and I am a woman. We shouldn’t embrace so casually,” Cynthia responded with


    calmness, trying to make her point.


    “But we’re on good terms. Even though Yoel told me we used to be married, I have no memory of our


    past. All I know is that we are nice to each other,” Joshua replied with an innocence befitting a


    seventeen–year–old boy.


    Cynthia wanted to exin further, but Joshua cast his eyes down, muttering, “Or is it because you


    remember our past… you


    resent me.‘


    “I can be your sister, and care for you as if you were my younger brother. However, you can’t just hug


    or hold hands whenever you please, alright?” Cynthia decided to rify things for him.


    “Oh.”


    “I’ll take you to Sean again tomorrow.”


    “Why?”


    Cynthia, still focused on his quick recovery, proposed, “To ask if your mental recovery has anything to


    do with the past. If it does, I’ll think of ways to speed up your recovery.”


    Seeing Cynthia’s sincere concern, Joshua agreed, “Okay.”


    After their discussion, Joshua seemed much more at ease. Now that he had revealed his lies himself,


    he felt secure that Matthew could do no damage.