Chapter 15
Somehow, she felt like she was having an affair with Joaquin.
Leaning against the chair, Joaquin looked away after she did.
He pulled out a faint smile.
Then he said in a devil-may-care manner, “There’s a feisty
kitten under the desk.”
Hearing this, Romina swallowed nervously.
She was impressed by how fast Joaquin’s mind worked.
“A kitten?” Kashton’s eyes lit up. “Uncle Joaquin, you’ve got a
kitten?”
“Yes!”‘ Joaquin nodded slightly. “I picked her up today.””
“Really? Can I take a look? I love kittens. But Daddy and
Mommy won’t let me have one…”
“Not today, I’m afraid.” Joaquin’s voice was tinged with a faint
trace of indulgence. “She’s still having a hard time adjusting to
the environment and is a bit fierce. You may get hurt.”
Kashton asked tentatively, “How about the next time?”
Joaquin nodded but didn’t say another word.
Sensing his displeasure, Jericho took Kashton’s hand and was
about to leave. “It’s getting late. Joaquin, I’ll take Kash home
now. When you’re free, I’ll treat you to a proper meal.”
“Alright,” Joaquin said flatly while watching as they left.
After their footsteps vanished, Romina slowly looked up.
“You may get out, kitten.”
As Joaquin’s deep, mellow voice reached her ears, she paused
for a second.
In her memory, he was a man with formidable power,
connections, and resources, treated with respect by every
business elite in town.
And he always carried an air of frosted elegance whenever he
appeared in public.
And therefore, this side of him truly surprised her.
As he moved his chair away, she immediately crawled out from
under the desk.
His protective gesture-covering the desk’s edge-didn’t escape
her.
“Mr. Bowman, thanks for today!”
She bowed slightly, curving her lips into a smile.
“Don’t mention it,” he said, his expression settling back into its
usual aloofness. “We’re family, aren’t we?”
“Not for long,” she said firmly, the resolution in her eyes palpable. “I’m serious about divorcing Jericho.”
He furrowed his eyebrows slightly. After a few seconds, he said flatly, “Jericho said you had served time in person. Is that true?”
She nodded truthfully. “Yes!”
He leaned forward slightly, clasped his hands, and placed them on the desk. Then, with his black-ringed finger, he tapped lightly against his left index finger, staring at her quietly.
After a few seconds, he asked, “I presume you know the road
ahead won’t be easy. Why divorce him now?”
His voice was utterly light, revealing no emotion.
She lowered her head, meeting his gaze.
His eyes were so dark and fathomless, reminding her of a
winter sea.
She said word by word, “I was stupid before, putting love above
everything else. But now that I’ve seen the truth, I refuse to be
blind anymore. Leaving him is the right choice. My time in
prison is already in the past, and it cannot chain my future. And
of course, I won’t let marriage become my shackles.”
Joaquin instinctively stopped tapping the desk.
His gaze falling upon Romina was tinged with a faint smile.
He was wrong about her-instead of a pampered flower, she
turned out to be a tenacious wild grass standing against the
storm.
She was … surprisingly ambitious.
He admitted she had piqued his interest.
Of course, Romina keenly noticed the change in his expression.
Every word she had said was true.
Things had changed. She’d stop at nothing to escape the abyss
and climb back up-even at the cost of using anyone as a
stepping stone.
“Ms. Sandoval, you’re much more ambitious than I expected.”
Joaquin slowly stood up, braced his hands against the desk’s edge, and met her gaze. “Jericho must be devastated to lose you.”
She smiled coldly.
Nadine was the love of Jericho’s life. Chances were, he was
counting down the days until their divorce.
Devastated? Joaquin clearly knew nothing about their pathetic
marriage.
