Chapter 435 Enjoying the Process of Dating

That night, Kathy saw Joseph bring a bag in, and reach for it curiously. “What did you bring me?”

“Formal attire.” At her baffled look, he elaborated, “You can leave the hospital tomorrow. That night
you’ll accompany me to a banquet, hmm?”

“What banquet?”

“For Mathew’s new company.”

Kathy furrowed her brow and blurted out, “You’re not going to sabotage him, are you?”

Joseph laughed. “Do you want to see me ruin things so badly?”

Kathy bit her lip. She knew Joseph better than anybody. She knew that beneath his urbane exterior
lurked anger and violence. But she liked him so much. “Of course I do,” she nodded, though she was
only kidding.

“Tomorrow I can leave the hospital,” she went on, “and soon my break will be over. I’ll miss it,” she
admitted as she unwrapped her gown. Here she ate well, lived well, slept well. It was first-class
treatment. If not for a few things, she’d consider it the finest living indeed.

He smirked. “What, you want to stay sick here?”

Immediately she shook her head. “No, no. I want to get better soon.” She still had many things she
needed to do—she couldn’t fritter away all her time in the hospital. “I’ll go try on my clothes,” she said,
getting out of bed to go to the restroom.

But Joseph stopped her, shutting the door and the curtains. “Try them on here.”



Kathy stared. To get dressed where he could see… to have him watch… It was unacceptable. She
didn’t listen to him, hurried to the bathroom—but slipped in her haste, nearly fell. Joseph caught her up
against him, murmuring against her hair, “Kathy, if you don’t stop this, when you get out the hospital I’ll
take you home and not let you leave.”

Kathy was once again struck speechless. Joseph took the opportunity to crouch down and help her fix
her shoe. “Get dressed here. If you don’t want me to look, I won’t look.” That said, he went to the
balcony, closed that door too.

Kathy, watching him, couldn’t help but smile. The dress fit just right—it was pale pink, and showed off
her shoulders and her slim waist. When Joseph turned around, he was struck dumb, his eyes glowing.
“Does it look all right?” Kathy laughed, enjoying his uncharacteristic speechlessness.

“Of course my wife looks beautiful.” He approached, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and
nudging her onto the balcony. His eyes full of lust, he murmured in her ear, “You really are trying to
seduce me.”

Kathy smiled. The hospital room had no mirror, she’d no idea what she looked like. She made to reply,
but he didn’t give her the chance, instead kissing her hungrily, to the point she could scarcely breathe.
He was always this fierce, this commanding.

His hand was on the small of her back, but it moved up slowly. Everywhere he touched was electric;
everywhere he touched, she went soft and weak. But when he released her, she shoved him away.
“That… That was uncalled for!”

Something dangerous sparked in his gaze. “Was it?”

Kathy knew that look. She ran to the bed, pouting, “I’m still in the hospital, I’m still a patient, how can
you bully me?”



He pursed his lips. “I’ve not even begun to bully you yet.”

Kathy flushed…

…

When she was released the next day, Jennifer and Zofia both came. Joseph had finished examining
her, yet she was still in his office. She’d refused to return home with him… could he still be angry?

“Kathy, time to go,” Zofia prompted when her friend spaced out.

“Okay.” Kathy got in the car and stuck her tongue out at the hospital disappearing in the rearview
mirror. Only when it disappeared did she retract her gaze.

“Missing Joseph?” Zofia guessed.

“No.” But Kathy didn’t mean it.

“I feel like you two are in a cold war again,” Zofia noted. Otherwise it should have been her boyfriend
driving her home from the hospital.

Kathy didn’t reply. It seemed Zofia could sense that Joseph was treating her more coldly now. It wasn’t
like how close they’d been when they’d first gotten together. Now it was like they’d drifted apart. She
just tried hard to overlook that.

“Are you going back to the Booth house? I thought you were living with Joseph.”

“I turned him down.”

“What? Why?”



“Isn’t it better for couples to have space? And we’re not husband and wife anymore, anyway.”

Zofia furrowed her brow. Kathy had a point. “But Joseph’s face… you could look at it a hundred times
and not get sick of it.”

Kathy smiled. How could anyone ever not want to see his face? But she wanted to enjoy the dating
process with him—slowly.

When she got home, she received a phone call form him—he’d come pick her up soon. It would be
time to go to the banquet. Jennifer was in the living room, and when she saw Kathy preparing to leave,
she asked, “Going out this late?”

“I’ve got something to do. I’ll be back soon.”

“Will you be with Joseph?” When Kathy nodded, Jennifer said, “Take good care of yourself.” Lately
she’d been in a bad mood. Seeing Kathy, she always wanted to tell her the truth. But she couldn’t bear
it.

Outside, a black Lamborghini stopped at the gates. When Kathy got in, she saw Joseph was wearing a
tailored black suit. He looked incredible. As soon as she was seated, he helped her don a jacket. “It will
be a bit chilly later.”

Kathy hugged herself, enjoying the moment.

The banquet was being held in the city’s only seven-star hotel. Though it was not open to the public,
many reporters were outside waiting. Joseph did not like being interviewed, and instructed the driver to
enter the underground parking lot.

In the backyard garden, everything had been beautifully decorated, and all the guests were the city’s
most elite. Kathy wasn’t quite used to such a spectacle, and held on to Joseph’s waist. Her feet,



wedged into high heels, began to hurt after a while.

Though many people were keen, Joseph had no intention of joining them for drinks. He took Kathy
straight to the tables. But of course, the people one most wanted to avoid always must show up.

Not far off, Julian was with a group of men in suits. He came over, stopping before Joseph. He sneered
and said, “My little brother must be quite nostalgic, to take his ex-wife everywhere.”

Kathy frowned, disgusted. Then she smiled. “That’s right. Compared to you, Joseph has actually got
human feelings.”


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