Chapter 5 Promise

• Maverick narrowed his eyes and strode up to Josephine. “Weren't you acting like a daredevil earlier? What's the matter? Are you scared now?”
• “I-I have a request,” she muttered with her head lowered.
• “If you're planning on discussing school, forget it.” Maverick could never imagine Jasmine going to school, figuring that was just her excuse to go out and have fun.
• Josephine stood frozen on the spot. I can't go to school anymore? I have two more years until graduation. Am I supposed to give up now?
• Sensing her silence, Maverick spun on his heels to enter the bathroom. When he stepped out of the shower, he noticed Josephine was still rooted stubbornly at the doorway.
• Josephine pursed her lips, turned around, and was about to head downstairs.
• “Wait,” Maverick piped up.
• Josephine whirled around and looked at him, seated on the couch and puffing on a cigarette. His nonchalant demeanor was causing her to have a false perception as if he hadn't spoken at all.
• Neither of them had uttered a word until he finished his cigarette. Josephine stared at him with a slight fear and terror churning within her. What happened last night was like a nightmare to her, and she was ready to flee.
• “Is that the limit of your patience?” The moment she turned around, he spoke casually, prompting her to halt in her tracks.
• Josephine approached him. “Are you agreeing to my request?”
• Maverick got to his feet and walked up to her, reaching out to lift her chin and forcing her to meet his gaze. “How many men are waiting for you outside to make you so eager to go out, huh?” he enunciated frostily in a questioning tone.
• “No, that's not it! I genuinely wish to attend school. I swear!” She had to try, no matter how unconvincing her explanations and promises were to him.
• Josephine was familiar with Jasmine's style. She was helping Jasmine to marry the man before her to help secure the Quillen family and her adoptive father, Cliff. Everything I'm doing now is out of gratitude, but I can't lose myself in the process.
• “You know I hate being lied to.” Maverick stated his condition.
• Josephine nodded solemnly. She wouldn't lie to him.
• “If I find out you're lying to me, you should know the price you'll have to pay!” He was interested to learn what Jasmine was up to and curious about what she was planning.
• “Okay. I'll only go to school and nowhere else,” she assured him. However, as she couldn't continue her part-time job, her tuition fee would become an issue in the future.
• Maverick gazed at her. “Go downstairs first.” He didn't like having a filthy woman like her taint the second floor.
• Josephine nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Lambert.” She kept her distance and remained indifferent, not inclined to cross boundaries.
• There was no difference between living in the Quillen and Lambert residences. Having been abandoned by her parents, she was destined to be alone for the rest of her life, relying only on herself to achieve her dreams.
• Maverick didn't reply and merely glanced at her emotionlessly, watching her figure disappear through the doorway.
• Josephine was assigned a small room on the first floor. It wasn't big and was furnished with only a bed and a desk. Still, the room faced south and had good lighting. She was also fond of the large windows. The place was much better than the Quillen residence, but she had lost her freedom.
• “Ms. Quillen, Mr. Lambert instructed that without his orders, you should stay in your room. If you need anything, please come to me,” Rosa said to her.
• “Thank you, Rosa.” Josephine spaced out inside the room. My things are still at the Quillen residence while some are at school. I need to buy some things, but I can't go out.
• Not long after. Rosa brought over some daily necessities for her. Josephine was relieved to see those items. Am I going to settle down in this mansion from now on?
• Josephine took the initiative to help in the kitchen, which impressed Rosa. The latter mused. Initially, I heard Mr. Lambert was about to marry a spoiled and arrogant young lady, but the girl in front of me is nothing like that. Aside from her graceful temperament that resembles a young lady from a wealthy family, she isn't pampered or behaves haughtily and unreasonably.
• Noticing how skillfully Josephine washed and chopped the vegetables, Rosa asked, “Ms. Quillen, you know how to cook?”
• “Yes, but I only know how to prepare a few simple home-cooked dishes.” Josephine had to do all the household chores in the Quillen residence, so she learned some cooking recipes from the housekeepers.
• “Why don't you prepare Mr. Lambert's lunch, then?” Rosa turned to look at her. Although when Rosa first met Josephine, she assumed the latter was just a rich young lady who was untrained to do anything aside from throwing tantrums, Josephine was proving herself to be otherwise with her actions.
• Josephine paused in her actions of washing the vegetables. “Will Mr. Lambert get mad?” She was afraid of him and, at the same time, didn't want her cooking to ruin his agreement to let her go to school.
• “He won't. Mr. Lambert is a taciturn person and might seem fierce, but he's actually easy to get along with. He's not picky with food either,” Rosa reassured her, having worked in the mansion for many years and already had a good grasp on her employer's temperament.
• Josephine thought, He's not fierce? But I tremble uncontrollably whenever I look at him, and I've never found him easy to get along with. He's so cold, capable of sending chills down my spine with a single glance. However, as long as he doesn't deliberately give me a hard time, I'll stay here obediently and comply with his orders dutifully. After all, I'm the wife he purchased with money.