A Replacement Bride

Chapter 66

"Joe?" Beatrice asked bewilderedly as she had waited for a long time, but Joaquin's next move never came. As such, she couldn't help sneaking a peek at him.

On the other hand, the man in question had already released her, and he looked as gentle as ever. "I've frightened you, haven't I? Sorry."

Beatrice was originally apprehensive, for she thought the way he looked at her was somewhat off. Seeing that he was still the gentle man she knew, she heaved a sigh of relief and gently tugged on his hand, whining, "You know me, Joe. I don't mind if you want to."

Joaquin kept his profound gaze at her, his head lowered, finally speaking after a long while. "I still have something to do. Where are you heading off to? I'll give you a ride."

"Joe…" Anxious, Beatrice took an unconscious step forward.

How could she miss this rare opportunity? Joaquin was already this close to kissing her!

Alas, the man had always been one to do whatever he said. Just like that, he grabbed her hand and led her out the door, not giving her a chance to speak up.

Beatrice's eyes turned slightly red, feeling disheartened. She followed behind Joaquin with a lowered head. Because his strides were wide, she had a hard time catching up to him.

"Joe, you… You don't like me anymore, do you?"

He had never treated her like this. Even when he kept his distance in the past, he was never like this.

It was still the same gentle gaze, smile, and tone, but her instincts told her that everything had changed.

Did Joaquin find out what actually went down five years ago? How is that possible, though?

There hadn't been any surveillance cameras there at all, and she had disguised it perfectly after that. There was absolutely no way there would be a mishap.

He can't possibly know!

Beatrice followed Joaquin apprehensively. The pair arrived in front of the elevator pretty quickly, and Joaquin only turned to look at her after pressing the button. His gaze was filled with compassion as ever. "A penny for your thoughts? I've said that I won't do anything to you before marrying you. It's for your own good too."

Beatrice lowered her head and couldn't help shedding a tear. "B-But we've been together for five years, Joe, and you won't even kiss me. If you really have feelings for me, w-would you do this? You're now engaged to Katherine. She's pretty and smart, I…"

She expressed her fear and anxiety to the fullest.

She was indeed absolutely fearful and anxious right then, worried about her gains and losses.

Joaquin narrowed his eyes upon hearing Katherine's name. His gaze had turned colder, and his fathomless eyes were laced with a hit of malice. "This has nothing to do with her." NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

Beatrice's heart leaped a beat upon hearing his words, and she reflexively looked up at the man.

"Don't get ideas in your head. My status is not of the ordinary, and you'll only be in more danger if you stay by my side. Cornell is just a decoy. You should know that," Joaquin explained to her in detail with

rare patience, reassuring her a little. At that, she clutched his hand and pleaded, "You have to swear that you'll never fall in love with her, okay?"

Joaquin felt somewhat guilty at seeing the gorgeous girl filled with apprehension and severe insecurity.

He had hurt her five years ago, after all. However, she never minded it and even stayed by his side all these years, never having done anything out of line.

He was the one who had crossed the line. To think he'd snub her because of Katherine.

As the thought crossed his mind, he patted Beatrice's head gently. "Alright, I swear if I ever fall in love with Katherine, I will never be able to marry the woman I love and live the rest of my life alone. How about that?"

"Don't jinx yourself like that! I-I don't want you to swear anymore." Beatrice reached her hands out in a panic to cover his mouth. But right as she got close, the smell of her sweet perfume followed, and Joaquin nearly reflexively took a step back, avoiding her touch.

Beatrice was visibly disappointed. Joaquin's resistance toward her was too obvious. Even with what happened five years ago acting as a precondition, his body would still very honestly reject her.

At that, she subconsciously clenched her fists while pursing her lips. "I'm sorry, Joe."

Right as Joaquin wanted to speak, the elevator door opened with a ping. With that, he pulled her inside, but neither said a word, and the air in the car turned somewhat silent and depressed.

As the elevator traveled down, several people came in from other levels, and upon seeing the mask on Joaquin's face, they would subconsciously move away. Their gaze at him would even be one with judgment.

Though Joaquin was unaffected by it, Beatrice couldn't stand it.

In particular, she heard two young women next to her discussing if Joaquin was so ugly that he couldn't show his face to the public and that he looked like a bad guy wearing a mask in broad daylight.

"What are you two smoking?! How dare you talk about Joe like that! Apologize to him this instant!"

Beatrice, who was already seething with anger, lunged angrily at the nearest young woman, reaching her hands out to scratch the latter's face.

Right then, the young woman before her eyes was Katherine, that ever-present Katherine who chased after them from Fontan all the way back to Cechirus!

I can never feel safe as long as that woman is still by Joaquin's side! That woman cannot live! I have to kill Cornell! I must! Beatrice's eyes turned bloodshot with deep malice.

Joaquin watched as the two young women grappled with each other, and the young girl's friend jumped in and helped to fight Beatrice. Nonetheless, Beatrice was a coddled daughter of an affluent family, so there was no way she could win the fight with the two young women. Very quickly, she was pinned to the floor and bullied.

At that, Joaquin went forward and pulled the two young women away with one in each hand, saving Beatrice from them.

The woman's hair and clothes had become disheveled at this point, and her face was also covered with scratch marks, looking exceptionally miserable.

Standing next to Joaquin, she wiped her tears away while bawling, "Joe's not some troll! He's not! None of you have the right to call him names!"

Joaquin lowered his head to look at Beatrice's pitiful look. Even at this time, she was still defending him wholeheartedly. However, look at what the heck he had done to her just now!

At that, he pulled her into his arms and looked toward the two young women with a piercing gaze. "Apologize to her."

"Who are you yelling at?! There are cameras in the elevator. Why should we apologize when she started it?! Do you think you can bully women just because you're a man?!" The two young women retorted, not to be outdone, leading Joaquin's gaze to turn colder by the second.

Just then, the elevator door opened. Katherine looked somewhat annoyed, and behind her, a frivolous young man sauntered in. As the two were really good-looking, they attracted a lot of attention.

On the other side of the elevator, the second the door pulled apart, Katherine looked at the situation inside the car with bafflement. She glanced at Beatrice before shifting her gaze to the two valiant and gallant young women.