Chapter 996 - 518: Gave Her Freedom, Yet Delivered Himself into the Inferno (Part 3)

The anguish made him lower his head, his hands stained with blood and tears intertwined in his thick hair. On his handsome face, tears blurred its sharp contours, falling drop by drop onto the carpet. The moonlight outside the window gently cloaked all in the world in a mysterious white veil, yet it could not penetrate inside. His heart had shut its doors, letting no glimmer of light enter; despair and sorrow, like tides, had already drowned his world.

He drank the strongest of liquors, and the entire study was suffused with the overwhelming scent of alcohol. Despite having drunk so much, he could not numb himself; every sensation was so vividly real, such unbearable pain. Just by closing his eyes, he would envision Avery Jane’s frail body stumbling in her escape, taking nothing with her. In these few days, she had not used a single penny from her card. How was she living, where was she staying, what was she eating? Did she have sleepless nights shivering in cold? The more he drank, the more lucid he became. Was there anyone stupider in this world than him, wanting to risk doing everything yet forcing her memories to surface? Collapsing in decadence on the ground, he wondered how much more pain he could endure.......

His head throbbed as if about to split when the door of the study opened, and he could barely keep his eyes open.

"Boss, Hughes Clan has enough news already; no need to pin your obituary to boost popularity." Julian Carter was nearing insanity; in this lifetime, he’d signed a life-agreement with this neurotic man. Because of one woman, he was reduced to a nondescript existence. He no longer resembled Joshua Hughes, the calculating, decisive, and ruthless Joshua Hughes that inspired dread.

"Shut up." The voice was hoarse, rough as sandpaper.

His throat felt as though ablaze, speaking caused such pain he could barely open his mouth. A cup of mild tea was handed to him; Joshua Hughes drank it all at once. The warm tea slid down his throat into his stomach, causing a twitch, stabbing with pain.

"I can’t shut up; if my boss could spare me some worry, naturally I wouldn’t speak. Now Luis Hughes and Conny Hughes are madly cavorting around the company, saying you’ve gone insane, become neurotic, turned into a drunkard through constant drinking. They’ve decided to hold a revote. Boss, if the initiative falls into someone else’s hands, all actions we wish to take will become impossible. This plan has been a decade in the making; for this plan, how much preparation has been done? Yet at the crucial moment, Joshua Hughes has turned into such a ghostly state."

"How did Miss Jane find out about this? There must be someone stirring trouble, and this person surely is an insider from your family. Boss, this month, continue acting; once you have performed throughout this month of red, you’ll have a lifetime to slowly explain to Miss Jane. With sincerity comes affection; although I’m an outsider, even I can see Miss Jane has some feelings for you." Julian Carter pondered how to make his words sound more moving as he felt repulsed, never before having uttered such consoling words; it was unthinkable. Once this ordeal passed, he deserved a raise.

She does have feelings for him; this sentence cut through his dark world like a beam of light. Even a dullard like Julian Carter could see Avery Jane liked him? She likely truly cared for him, but was there still a chance? His once-dead heart seemed striving to beat again because of this sentence.

"Miss Jane likes mature men." Julian Carter recalled Avery Jane had said so when Joshua Hughes encountered trouble in Las Vegas, when she called. She expressed belief that despite Joshua Hughes’s detention, he was a mature man, trusting he’d protect himself until his lawyer arrived.

"She said that?" The low voice seemed to have lost its past magnetism, dry and raspy.

"Boss, I’ve never lied in my life." Julian Carter gazed at Joshua Hughes defiantly; this was no lie, he did not deceive.

His muddled gaze gradually sharpened, even in disarray emanating an imposing power. He’s owed her so much; drinking himself to death wouldn’t make her life any better, would it? At least for now they shared the same sky; once he cleared these nauseating blemishes, he would protect her. Even if they couldn’t be together, couldn’t possess each other, at least he could become her guardian, ensuring her life is safe and happy.

This month is the most perilous month; Conny Hughes, the old man, might conjure unforeseen tricks. Perhaps her departure is beneficial for her, as all danger should be aimed at him.......