Just as Irish expected, though Joseph was not surprised by Leo's arrival, he was extremely displeased by his appearance. He put aside the portfolio and said indifferently. "If you were the person who knows me best, then you wouldn't have lost so bitterly in this competition. I had warned you at the gambling table that you'd better retreat early before losing."
She remembered this. It was in Cape Town, and she thought it was just the comfort of Joseph, but she never thought he had advanced gradually and entrenched himself at every step. Perhaps it was even earlier than she expected.
"In fact, I didn't lose a single penny."
"But in fact, you didn't make any money." Joseph argued directly and added, "You wasted a lot of time and energy, so in this competition, you lost indeed."
Irish noticed the change in Leo's expression, and there was a trace of coldness in his smile. Hearing this, he sneered and said, "Joseph, don't burn the bridge after crossing it. Without my blood, do you think you could walk into the diamond mine alive?"
"Do you really want me to extend my appreciation?"
"It's unnecessary because she will give me the best gift." Leo pointed to Irish suddenly with a faint smile hanging on his face, and a meaningful look had replaced the coldness.
Joseph frowned and turned to Irish while she was confused and looked at Joseph blankly. But soon, her heart trembled, and she looked at Leo. "What kind of gift can I give you?" She was confused by Leo since she was just a bystander.
Leo leisurely stepped forward with a smile, but before he could get close to Irish, Joseph suddenly blocked his way to Irish. Joseph soon frowned and looked very unpleasant while Leo still smiled leisurely. Finally, he simply asked Irish, though Joseph was standing between them, "Irish, do you still remember what you promised me?"
Irish could only see Joseph's broad back, and she was even more confused when she heard this, but she had perceived Joseph's irritation, so she chose to keep silent.
However, Leo didn't intend to give up and said to Joseph directly this time, "She promised me that as long as I rescued you, she would be my girlfriend."
Irish saw clearly that Joseph's back had turned rigid, and she couldn't help trembling as well. He turned back to her while she looked up at him, and she trembled again. His handsome face still looked calm, but he frowned tightly with his lips twisted which made him look very severe. Joseph just gazed at her motionlessly. But she had said this to Leo just to save him. She thought it was noble behavior, but somehow she felt guilty as if she had done a rotten thing.
After a long while, Joseph said in a slow but solemn voice, "Did you promise this to him?"
Irish licked her lips. When she was about to draw back her gaze, she heard him again, "Tell me."
Though he didn't even raise his voice, it still sounded grave.
"Yes." She replied briefly with an extremely low voice and clenched her fingers. She knew it was unnecessary to tell anything else to him, and he must understand why she would make such a promise.
Hearing this, Joseph frowned more tightly. It was the second time that she had seen him with such a cold look. The first time was when she came to rescue the hostage at the airport. In the next second, she heard Joseph say unpleasantly, "Nonsense!"
He turned back to her but didn't lose his temper, but Irish felt sore and aggrieved when she heard this from him.
But soon, she heard Leo say in jest, "What are you doing? Why do you speak in such a tone to my girlfriend?" But before she could warn him not to speak carelessly, Joseph said again calmly, "Leo, you don't have to take it seriously since anyone would promise anything in an emergency. You must understand that since you are an experienced man."
Leo was amused by his words and turned aside to Irish behind him and said with a casual tone, "Irish, you are different from other women, so you have to keep your promise."
After hearing this, her grievance turned to anger, and when she was about to accost Leo harshly, Joseph suddenly turned to her again and fondled her face with his slender fingers. There was even a big smile on his face, which looked totally different from his somber look just a moment before. His voice turned soft, "Isabel, I told you many times not to make any promise if you can't keep it. It is easy to make a promise but difficult to fulfill. Do you understand?"
"Ah?" Irish was shocked slightly, and soon she saw his deep eyes, so she nodded unconsciously.
"Get in the room. You are exhausted today. Go to sleep first, you don't have to wait for me." Joseph held her head so that she could get closer to him while, in the next second, he kissed her abruptly.
Her face turned rosy, and he smiled and loosened her.
Irish rushed to the bedroom and heard Leo shouting behind her. "Irish, look at you! What a coward! You will tumble someday if you keep being entranced by him!"
Yes, she was a coward. She had to admit that because she was in love with Joseph. Any girl would be intoxicated with him.
The atmosphere in the study room regained.
"After flirting with my girlfriend, now it's time to come back to our story." Though he was a gate-crasher, Joseph still did the honors and poured tea for him. After that, he lit a cigarette.
Leo took a sip of the tea and frowned. Obviously, he was not interested in the tea he served. "Can you give me something else, such as wine or whiskey?" After finishing his words and before Joseph could reply to him, he suddenly patted his head and added, "Oh, forgot that you rarely drink." He put down the tea and also put a cigarette into his mouth.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l