Torn Between Love and Hate

Chapter 196

Chapter 196 Getting Closer

Deborah looked down at him condescendingly, not giving a response.

Joseph felt quite uneasy. Although he really wanted to know the answer, he didn’t dare to ask again.

He picked up his clothes and obediently went into the bathroom.

Deborah sat on the couch, hesitating in her mind, wondering whether or not to go back to Moxley

Manor.

Alyssa was still asleep, and it was already past midnight. There was no telling if she would wake up

later.

She took out her phone and sent a message to Evelyn: [Are you asleep yet? Is Alyssa sleeping well?]

It was already so late, and Deborah thought that Evelyn must have gone to bed early, so she probably

wouldn’t reply.

But the response came almost instantly: [Alyssa is sleeping soundly, so don’t worry about her. Don’t

come back tonight, the Moxley family has locked the door and it won’t be opened until tomorrow

morning.]

After a while, another message came through: [I won’t help you open the door either, I’m already

sleeping with Alyssa.]

Deborah sent a message back, but then they stopped responding to her.

I tried calling, but the line was completely unreachable.

Deborah couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time, so she could only put her phone down.

She turned around to look towards the bathroom. The person inside had been in there for quite a while,

but she hadn’t seen them come out or heard any noise.

Could they have gotten so drunk that they might have drowned in the bathtub?

After giving it some thought, Deborah felt a bit uneasy. She got up, walked over, and knocked on the

bedroom door.

“Are you feeling better? Don’t take too long in the shower; it’s easy to become oxygen-deprived when

you’re drunk.”

A voice came from inside right away. “Debby, I’m feeling a bit dizzy. Can you come in and help me?”

Deborah’s face stiffened, and her cheeks quickly flushed a deep red.

“What help? Wash yourself, and hurry out once you’re done.”

Suddenly, the sound of a door handle being twisted came from inside. Deborah was startled and

immediately pressed against the door from the outside.

“Don’t open the door recklessly! Put on your clothes properly before coming out!”

Reluctantly letting out an acknowledgment from inside, Deborah worried that he might open the door

again, so she decided to leave the bedroom first.

After all the fuss, she was starting to feel a bit hungry.

Just now in the kitchen, while making honey water, I saw that there was still hot food in the pot.

The steaming hot and fragrant aroma is so tempting that it makes one involuntarily swallow their

saliva.

My stomach let out a couple of growls, indicating that I was genuinely getting hungry.

Deborah’s feet seemed to have a mind of their own as she headed straight for the kitchen and

emerged with plates of food in hand.

Fried pork ribs, steamed fish fillets, and simmered mushroom soup – the delicious aroma is enough to

make anyone’s

appetite soar.

When she was at Moxley Manor, after all, she wasn’t very familiar with them, so she had to be a bit

more polite.

During dinner, Adrian couldn’t take his eyes off her. Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

So she didn’t eat much for dinner, and now it’s already late at night, she’s been hungry for a while.

Deborah placed all the dishes onto plates, scooped some rice, and carried everything upstairs to enjoy

her meal.

She wasn’t sure if Joseph would slip in the bathroom, so she had to go check on him.

The delicious aroma of the meal filled the bedroom as soon as the dishes were brought in.

Once upon a time, Joseph had a cleanliness obsession.

He couldn’t bear the presence of any food, including sweet beverages, in his bedroom or study.

But in these three years, he has completely changed because of Deborah.

What a neat freak! Now, even if a meal is served in bed, he wouldn’t bat an eye.

Deborah placed the food on the coffee table and sat on the couch, eating happily. Finally, the bathroom

door behind her opened.

Joseph was still on edge, anxiously waiting for Deborah to scold him again.

As soon as I stepped out, I saw her sitting on the couch eating, her mood clearly improved.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief, walked over, and mustered up the courage to sit next to Deborah.

“Is it good?”

Deborah was munching on pork ribs without lifting her head, and said, “Mmm, delicious.”

Joseph’s bathrobe was loosely tied, with beads of water from his damp hair streaming down his

forehead, past his eyes and jaw, disappearing into the collar of his robe.

He has been working out for a long time, and his chest and abdominal muscles can be faintly seen

through the collar of his bathrobe.

Originally, he wanted to seduce Deborah a bit, but now he has given up on that idea.

Once Deborah had food, she wouldn’t have eyes for him anymore.

Joseph handed her a tissue and said, “Take your time eating, I’ve already had dinner tonight, and no

one’s going to take it away from you.”

Deborah was almost full and felt a bit guilty. She said, “You should eat some too, after all, this was

made for you.”

Joseph was about to get up and leave, as he had drunk too much and his head was aching. After

taking a shower, the pain only seemed to get worse.

After drying my hair, I went to lie down on the bed.

Listening to Deborah speak, he sat back down, casting a sidelong glance at her.

Deborah felt a bit guilty for eating so much, so she took a small bowl and served him some mushroom

soup. “The soup is very flavorful and nourishing, give it a try…”

As soon as she finished speaking, her hand holding the spoon was suddenly grasped.

Deborah reacted as if she had been scalded, immediately trying to pull her hand away.

She thought Joseph was reaching out to take the soup, accidentally touching her hand in the process.

The hand gripping her wrist, however, did not loosen its grip.

Deborah suddenly realized something, her face quickly turning red with embarrassment. In a fluster,

she tried to pull

her hand back

Joseph seemed to have really drunk too much, his gaze somewhat unfocused. Suddenly, he leaned in

aggressively, not giving her a chance to react, and bit her lip corner.

As if an electric current had passed through Deborah’s mind, she was about to spring up from the

couch when Joseph held her shoulder, preventing her from getting up.

Deborah’s ears were burning hot, and she looked at him with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.

“What are you doing all of a sudden?”

Joseph savored the lingering taste of the soup on her lips, “It’s really delicious.”

Deborah was so angry that her eyes turned red.

He’s changed!

N

Joseph happily ate his meal and also finished the small bowl of soup that she had served him.

He then reached out and gently patted her head, comforting her, “Debby, I drank too much.”

*

Deborah couldn’t take it anymore and jumped up, “Are you drunk or something? What you’re doing is

clearly…”

Joseph reached out and gently pulled her back to sit on the couch.

He leaned in, burying his face in her hair, “I just want to kiss you.”

Deborah’s body stiffened, unable to move.

Joseph’s voice sounded lonely and wronged. “Debby, it’s been a long time since you came to see me. I

thought you had made up your mind and didn’t want me anymore.”

Deborah shuddered as his warm breath sent tingles throughout her body.

As she explained, her voice couldn’t help but tremble. “Alyssa doesn’t really like you, and I don’t want

to upset her.”

Joseph reached out and embraced her tightly.

“But I can be sad too, flove you, and I have for so many years.”

Deborah couldn’t tell if he was genuinely drunk or just pretending to be.

He brushed his cheek against her neck, caressing her gently, until his lips found their way to her neck,

his breath heavy.

Over the years, they had always exercised restraint in their relationship.

Deborah can endure, but Joseph can endure even more.

But after being distant for a while, he suddenly felt that he couldn’t bear it any longer.

As Deborah was struggling intensely within herself, her phone happened to ring.

It was nearly one o’clock, and receiving a phone call at this hour was quite strange.

But when she saw the caller ID clearly, she didn’t find it strange anymore.

Adrian was the one who called, but Deborah hesitated for a moment and didn’t pick up.

If it’s about Alyssa, Evelyn would give her a call.

But over there, she was incredibly stubborn. If she didn’t answer, he would just keep calling.

The phone kept ringing, and Joseph reached out to answer the call.

Adrian’s voice came through immediately. “Debby, where are you? It’s so late, and you haven’t come

back to accompany Alyssa. Do you want me to pick you up?”

Joseph interrupted the conversation gently, “Mr. Moxley, please go to bed early tonight and try not to

disturb others.”

Over there, Adrian was struck like a bolt of lightning. “Joseph, it’s you! Did you bully Debby? I’m

warning you…’

Joseph didn’t let him finish speaking and hung up the phone.