Torn Between Love and Hate

215

Chapter 215 Forget It All

Joseph looked at him and continued, word by word, “Chandler, da mn it, he deserved to die. If he were

still alive now, I would definitely make sure he’s dead.”

Gerald looked at him incredulously, “That’s your brother, your own flesh and blood! How can you let

past grudges and conflicts, all because of a woman, blind you like this, unable to distinguish what’s

truly important?”

Chandler had passed away, and the members of the Black family should at least thoroughly investigate

and delve into the truth behind it.

The truth could never be determined solely based on the brief exchanges between Deborah and

Ashton!

Moreover, at this point, Deborah hadn’t even explained a single thing to Joseph!

She didn’t offer any excuses. Regarding Chandler’s death at her and Ashton’s hands, she hadn’t said a

word.

How could Joseph just assume that she did nothing wrong?

Gerald was eager to say something, but Joseph spoke first, “My stance is clear. If the Black family

refuses to accept Deborah because of this, then I will no longer accept the Black family.

Even if Chandler was killed by her on purpose, I would still find the best lawyer to defend her and prove

her innocence.”

Gerald’s eyes were filled with fury. “What are you talking about!”

Joseph looked at the agitated person in front of him, his face calm and indifferent.

“I said, you all can leave now.”

If it weren’t for Deborah, he would never have set foot in Black Manor again after leaving three years

ago.

Jane was crying her heart out, and Joseph looked at the two bodyguards who had followed them in.

“Since Officer Lamb can’t take action, why don’t you two escort her out?”

The bodyguard took action immediately, escorting Jane and Gerald out politely.

In the corridor outside, Jane’s sharp cries still echoed.

The sound was quite piercing, causing Deborah’s heart to constrict a little as she listened.

The image was still etched in her mind, as she watched with her own eyes Ashton taking action,

causing Chandler and

Brandon to fall off the steep cliff.

Two lives vanished before her eyes in an instant.

Thinking back on it, she still got goosebumps all over her body and her scalp tingled.

Thinking of Ashton, she recalled what she had just heard that he was now in the emergency room, and

his condition wasn’t good.

It was hard to say what was going on now.

Joseph held her hand tighter, feeling the warmth of her palm.

“Take a nap, you need to rest now. Don’t worry about anything else. If the police want to talk to you, I’ll

cover for you first.”

Deborah gathered her thoughts and nodded. “Alright.”

Joseph glanced sideways, taking a look at Evelyn who was beside him.

As a secretary who had been by his side for many years, Evelyn instinctively wanted to stand at

attention with her legs together and present a document with both hands whenever their eyes met.

The fear she felt towards her boss, Joseph, was just like how she felt in middle school when facing her

homeroom teacher.

So, what she admired most about Deborah was her ability to win Joseph’s heart and maintain a relaxed

and enjoyable intimate relationship with him.

Evelyn’s thoughts drifted away for a moment, but she quickly snapped back to reality, understanding

the meaning behind Joseph’s gaze.

She immediately called out to Adrian and Alyssa, “Let’s go out first and let Deborah rest for a while. We

shouldn’t disturb her here.”

Alyssa was very cooperative. Seeing that Deborah was not seriously injured and that there were

medical staff taking care of her in the hospital, she immediately wanted to follow Evelyn out.

Adrian was no longer happy, standing still like a stone sculpture, not moving from his spot.

“You guys go ahead, I’ll stay here and take care of Deborah. We need to have someone here anyway.”

Throughout the conversation, he treated Joseph as if he were invisible.

Joseph replied directly, “No worries, I’ll take care of it here. It’s a good opportunity for me to chat with

Deborah.”

Adrian’s hostility towards Joseph was intense. “Why on earth is it…”

Before he could finish speaking, Evelyn impatiently grabbed his arm and said, “Alright, alright, let’s all

leave so Deborah can get some rest.”

Adrian didn’t want to leave yet, but Alyssa grabbed his hand and said, “Adrian, my performance is

being delayed. Please go outside and call the person in charge for me.”

Adrian’s mind was completely focused on Deborah, and only now did he remember this matter.

He hesitated for a moment, but eventually followed Alyssa outside.

In the hospital room, there were no other people left, just Deborah and Joseph.

Joseph reached out and touched her forehead gently, “Relax, it’s all over now. Get some good rest and

sleep, and when you wake up, everything will be as if nothing happened.”

With no one else around, especially after Alyssa left, Deborah finally allowed herself to show her

vulnerable emotions.

Her eyes reddened, and after a long pause, she finally spoke, “Your father is right. I am partly

responsible for

Chandler’s/death.”

Joseph tucked her in and said softly, “Don’t think about these things anymore; it’s all in the past. This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

Chandler and Brandon brought it upon themselves; they have only themselves to blame.”

Deborah looked at him, recalling the scene from that time.

“Chandler stood at the edge of the cliff, pointing a gun at me. Ashton intervened, sna tching the

weapon from his grasp. Now seated in a wheelchair and without a gun, Chandler was left powerless to

fight back.

If only I could have said something back then, or pulled Ashton aside to calm him down, he wouldn’t

have pushed. Chandler off the cliff.”

Even if Ashton really pushed, if he pushed in the opposite direction, Chandler would only fall on the

mountain, not off

the cliff.

If the police had been present at that time, Ashton’s actions would likely have been deemed excessive

self-defense.

Joseph gently caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, comforting her, “It’s all in the past now,

these things don’t matter anymore.”

Deborah struggled internally, but eventually spoke the truth, “Actually, at that time, I tried, I could have

spoken up to stop Ashton.

In that moment, I thought, Chandler is like a half-brother to you after all. If he really died, the Black

family would hate me, and maybe you would hate me too. I wanted to stop it, but at that moment,

suddenly, I wanted him dead.”

With Chandler’s death, he could no longer scheme to sabotage Joseph time and time again, nor could

he sow discord within the Black family.

She no longer needed to worry about this man’s revenge.

So at that moment, it wasn’t that she couldn’t stop herself, but in that instant, she couldn’t help but be

tempted to

seize the opportunity to let Chandler die.

Deborah knew that perhaps saying these things would surprise Joseph, even make him feel

disappointed in her, or

resentful towards her.

But she didn’t want to hide anything. Facing him, she wanted to express everything.

Joseph looked at her and quickly spoke softly, “I told you, it’s all in the past, it’s fine, it doesn’t matter

anymore. Don’t mention what we just talked about to anyone else, other than me, understand?”

Deborah looked at him with a dazed expression in her eyes, “Am I also very malicious, indirectly

causing someone’s death?”

Joseph leaned in close to her, looking at her calmly, “If the police ask you about it later, just say that

you and Ashton had no choice at the time.

Chandler threatened your lives with a gun, and in order to protect yourselves, you accidentally pushed

him down. Now, let’s put all that behind us. We still have a long way to go, and everything will be fine in

the future.”

Deborah’s shoulders trembled uneasily, and Joseph leaned down to embrace her. “Don’t be afraid,” he

said. “He deserved to die. From now on, I’ll be by your side, and you’ll never have to experience

something like that again.”

Deborah cried softly, gradually calming down.

Soon, she remembered something and couldn’t help but speak up again, “Ashton has no idea right

now…”