“You!”
The implication was that she still had to yield to him in the end.
“Are you threatening me?”
“Indeed,” he responded calmly.
“You monster.”
Dexter did not let her go. With desire welling up within him, he forcefully suppressed it. “Weigh your options. Do you want to fight against me, or against Arnold?”
“Both of you are monsters!”
Dexter took two steps back before giving her a lingering glance, signaling her to think things through carefully.
Listening to the sound of Dexter’s footsteps as he descended the stairs, Josie fiercely wiped her lips, wanting to erase his warmth. Halfway through her action, she suddenly stopped. What is going on? Is Dexter jealous?
Just then, Dexter descended the last flight of stairs. Standing before him was Grape, clutching a doll and looking pitiful.
The servant hurriedly explained, “Grape refuses to sleep, insisting on finding you.”
Grape’s voice was hoarse. “I want to sleep with Daddy.”
Upon hearing the commotion, Josie immediately came out, directly refusing on the stairs, “No, Grape. Sleep by yourself!”
The grape looked even more pitiful now, her eyes brimming with tears, while her mouth creased into a pout. “You’re mean, Mommy.”
Before long, tears began to fall, drop by drop.
Dexter furrowed his brows, feeling as if his heart was about to shatter. He crouched down and cradled Grape in his arms. “Don’t cry. I’ll sleep with you.”
“Dexter!” Josie quickly descended the stairs, cradling the child back into his arms. “This is my daughter. Who do you think you are?”
Dexter lost his composure. “Why not? She’s just a child. It’s not safe for her to sleep alone!”
“Someone watches over her, so nothing will go wrong. Besides, she had been sleeping alone for over a year. Why would it be a problem now?”
Ever since Grape was born, Josie had been consciously and unconsciously nurturing her independence, even encouraging her to be brave enough to sleep alone. This was because most of the time, she didn’t have ample time to accompany Grape and she needed the latter to adapt to her lifestyle.
Grape listened to the quarrels among the adults, and even though she felt distressed by it, she didn’t cry out. This sight was enough to break Dexter’s heart.
However, he also understood Josie’s concerns, and it only made his heart ache more. “You’re not alone anymore. You have servants, friends, and me. Grape shouldn’t be left to continue feeling insecure anymore.”
Josie didn’t see it that way. She said sarcastically, “This is my daughter, no one knows her better than I do. Dexter, you’ve only played the role of her father for a few days, yet you act as if you understand her very well.”
However, she was oblivious to the tears streaming down Grape’s face.
“Josie.” Dexter put his hand to his forehead. “Don’t be stubborn with me. Just think about it. A child over a year old who has never even cried loudly, do you think your way of parenting is reasonable?”
Josie furrowed her brows, following his hand to look at the Grape. She was already feeling so distraught that she couldn’t find the words to speak.
“Don’t you think it’s cruel for her to be keeping everything to herself and not daring to speak to anyone at this age?” Dexter’s words struck a nerve. After he finished speaking, he reached out and carried Grape over. “She will sleep with me tonight and no one can stop it!”
He was filled with anger, and the servants, together with Justin, didn’t dare utter a single word.
“Why are you so stubborn?” Josie didn’t understand.
“If you don’t mind, we can all sleep together.”
Dexter turned around, ready to enter the room. However, he paused mid-step, his back facing Josie as he said, “Do you remember? I’ve been like this since I was a child. I know what it feels like to be Grape, so we need to provide her with a greater sense of security, isn’t that right?”
