Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

Chapter 523

While Frank was preparing milk in the kitchen, Ava had already shared with Rose that her brother had found

happiness. Ava smiled joyfully throughout the conversation, even recounting their first encounter during the first

lunar month.

After hearing the story, both Rose and Edward were taken by surprise.

It was Christina. This revelation was unexpected.

Edward remained composed, but Rose was bubbling with excitement.

Still in shock, Rose whispered, “What a fate-defying coincidence. It’s Christina. But how did they meet? One is in

Sapphire City, and the other is in Athana. There’s a vast difference between the two places. How peculiar.”

“Is Joseph already with Christina?”

Rose bombarded herself with questions, trying to connect the dots, but the exact point of their meeting eluded her.

Ava recalled the photos of Ethan she had sent the previous night and nodded, “They should be together.” They

were both wrapped in blankets.

She was cautious not to reveal that her future sister-in-law was wrapped in a blanket.

Instead, she shared her happiness with Rose, knowing that Rose would also be delighted for her brother.

“Wow, that’s great! Auntie will be overjoyed. Our family has been having continuous good news. But let me tell you,

Christina’s mom will be a hundred times happier than Auntie. Suppose Mrs. Yamin finds out Christina is chosen. In

that case, she’ll be thrilled and joyful to contain her happiness and celebrate energetically for an extended period.”

Rose exclaimed with exaggerated excitement, practically dancing with joy.

Hearing this, Ava was dumbfounded. She even forgot to close her mouth, displaying genuine surprise. Christina was

undeniably beautiful, and Ava wondered why she hadn’t considered her as an option. Perhaps she had set her

expectations too high.

Beside her, Frank playfully helped Ava close her mouth and urged her, “Finish your drink first.”

“A true gentleman,” Rose teased, nudging Edward and leaning closer to whisper, “Do you think my brother is

possessed by something? Aren’t you amazed to see this side of him?”

Edward glanced at Frank, who was facing Ava but always kept his gaze on her. He nodded subconsciously, still

astonished.

Frank doted on Ava as if no one else were around. After she finished her milk, he carefully wiped the glass with a

tissue, showing meticulous care.

After lunch at the Roberts’ residence, Rose decided to nap and insisted on staying until dinner before heading

home. Edward always stayed close to wherever Rose was.

He didn’t mind the ambiance at the Roberts’ residence. He found it delightful and relaxing. As a result, he spent the

afternoon with Frank, feeling at ease, while Rose settled into Frank’s room.

Because Ava had a sense of decorum, Rose used to sleep alone in the past, and she could get into Rose’s bed

whenever she pleased. However, Edward was now sleeping in Rose’s room, so she needed to be mindful. She

guided Rose to her and Frank’s room.

Rose, who carried a sword with him, became much bolder. As soon as he entered, he complained to his brother,

“How lazy is my brother? He doesn’t even fold the blanket after waking up. He’s too lazy.”

Ava smiled and led her to the balcony to sit. The sun was splendid that day, casting its warm glow across every

corner of the balcony.

She sat on the chair, feeling so relaxed that she could almost doze off. She took out the snacks that her brother had

bought for Ava the last time, and there were plenty.

“My brother is pretty good. He knows how to feed. Ava, do you feel happy? Do you want to join our family’s

household register immediately?” Rose continued to rummage through the snack bag in her hand, enticing while

speaking, deliberately curling her tongue.

“Did my brother prepare these for me? Plums, walnuts, pine nuts, cashew nuts, dried fruits, mangoes, kiwis, and

more.” Rose took them out one by one, narrating with excitement.

Looking at the table full of snacks, Rose gazed at Ava in amazement and asked again, “Did my brother buy all of

these for

me? He loves me.”

Meeting Rose’s excited gaze, Ava was too embarrassed to explain. However, she wasn’t good at lying and acted like

an honest child. “My brother bought this bag, and your brother bought that bag. However, the things you took out

were indeed bought by my brother for you.”

Rose once again rummaged through another bag of snacks, only to find that inside, there was a can of preserved

plums and crackers; everything else was things she couldn’t eat, which could be described as all Ava’s favorites.

Rose pouted and said sourly, “My brother is about to lose his adorable sister. But I realize that Joseph is a caring

man. He’s comparable to Edward. He’ll enjoy life from now on with Christina.”

“Sherri, do they know about this?”

Ava glanced at her parents in the distance below and said, “They probably don’t know, right? We just found out

ourselves, so you could say we were early to the gossip.”

In the spirit of sharing is caring, Rose swiftly opened a bag of nuts, guided by the idea that it’s better to enjoy

something with others. Each bag contained individually packaged fruit pieces. There was no need to peel them by

hand. Joseph was amazing. She quickly typed, “Big news, the annual heavyweight big news,” in the Fairy Fortress

group chat.

Here’s another one, just like the village megaphone announcements from decades ago. [Ladies and gentlemen, get

ready with your peanuts in hand, and if possible, have some popcorn and milkshakes ready. Let’s get started.]

Ava looked at Rose, who was beaming with infectious laughter across from her and couldn’t help but burst into

laughter herself. She glanced at the messages in the group, trying to stifle her amusement by covering her mouth.

Indeed, when Sherri heard there was some juicy gossip, she couldn’t contain her excitement. She quickly

responded. [I’m all set, let’s spill the beans.]

Natalie was unaware of what was happening but quickly responded. [I’m eagerly waiting to hear more.]

Rose replied. [Natalie, you’ve adopted Trevon’s communication style, becoming more succinct in your expressions.]

Natalie texted. [There’s a lot of milk. I’m breastfeeding.]

Sherri immediately reacted. [Fuck, I don’t have enough milk.]

Ava laughed and reminded all. [It’s just a sharing. We’ve gone off-topic.]

Meeting her gaze, Rose nodded and promptly chimed in on the group chat. [The stars are on the verge of igniting.

The joy of a new couple is approaching. Can you guess who they might be?]

Natalie humorously stated. [I graduated from primary school. Please use more straightforward language.]

In the end, Rose straightforwardly told them Joseph was in a relationship with Christina. She briefly recounted the

sequence

of events through a voice message, mainly because typing and eating simultaneously was too tiring.

After listening to all the voice messages, Sherri expressed her bewilderment.[What’s happening? Why didn’t I hear

anything about this before we got together?]

Rose reassured. [Don’t feel down. I only found out today when I visited my parents.]

Natalie responded with a laughing emoji. [Congratulations to my brother.]

Natalie knew the news and thought Rose had something else to share, but this revelation surprised her. After Frank

reviewed the surveillance footage, Trevon shared it with her.

However, whether it was Frank or Trevon, neither knew the connection between Joseph and Christina. This

remained a puzzle they had yet to unravel.

Inside the coffee room.

Frank sat at the head of the table and made coffee for Edward. “Try the coffee that Dad brews.”

Edward picked up the cup and took a sip. It tasted delicious. A fragrance wafted over, rich and mellow. “It’s quite

good.”

“No, William doesn’t even want it.” After saying that, he picked up the cup and took a sip. It was indeed quite good.

Putting down the cup, Frank instructed, “Rose has a more jumpy personality. She doesn’t act according to common

sense. Watch out for the first three months.”

Edward nodded Despite his tough exterior, he had long realized Frank was concerned about Rose. He said, “Rose is

quite sensible. I will take care of her.”

“Things she shouldn’t eat make her avoid them, and if anything happens to Rose, you’ll be the first person I come

to,” Frank warned and threatened Edward, all out of concern for his sister during her pregnancy.

Edward was not angry. He chuckled and said, “I won’t let you look for me.” The entire family observed her.

After that, Frank didn’t say anything else. It was fine as long as he had given him some pointers.

Christina, who was far away in Sapphire City, had no idea that people in Athana, were gossiping about her and

Joseph.

She was still fast asleep in bed, sleeping soundly and sweetly. Her position had shifted from being embraced face to

face the previous night to being held from behind by Joseph.

Joseph rested his chin on Christina’s smooth shoulder and gently placed his hand on her stomach. Her entire body

was pressed against his chest.

Christina, who was only slightly awake, turned to face him and instinctively wrapped her arms around Joseph’s

waist. She

murmured, “What time is it?”

Joseph felt the comforting warmth of her embrace and decided to open his eyes. “Huh? Are you feeling hungry?”

“Can I be completely honest with you?” Christina, who rarely engaged in physical activities beyond self-defense,

was utterly exhausted. Her back ached, and her legs were cramping, as if she had been through a grueling military

training session the night before. Discomfort seemed to be lurking in every part of her body.

It felt as though she had been dragged through a grueling military training session the previous night, leaving her

discomforted throughout her entire body.

Joseph cherished the sensation of holding her close, savoring the genuine possession of her presence. He tightened

his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. He had no intention of letting her go, and his voice,

tinged with the morning’s hoarseness, was tender as he said, “Tell me. I’m listening.”

A weary voice came from his embrace, “In the future, can you reduce your time in this sport and be a bit more

moderate?”

Indeed, she had recently undergone an ordeal akin to an intense military training session, leaving her in need of

some respite. Subjecting herself to repeated grueling military training sessions, as she did yesterday, had become

overwhelming, and she found herself unable to cope with the demands.

A soft chuckle emanated from above her, and he relaxed his hold slightly, casting his gaze downward toward her.

“Christina, I apologize. I’ll exercise more caution in the future. I’ll guide you gently to ensure you can match the

pace.”

Christina found herself at a loss for words. She had never felt this drained at work before. Joseph’s authoritative

demeanor was truly overwhelming.

With no sign of him relenting, Christina, infuriated, abandoned her usual composure, and sank her teeth into

Joseph’s chest, leaving a noticeable mark.

To Joseph, this kind of insignificant action was a disguised teasing. Instead, his smile gradually deepened. He let go

of his hand hanging at Christina’s waist and touched the teeth marks on his chest. Then, he looked at the angry

little woman. She was charming. “Christina, you’ll make me think you want to do it in the morning.”

Joseph’s pleasant voice dragged out the last word. It was full of mockery.

Christina was also filled with evil intentions. She stretched out her finger and pulled on his teats. This time, it was

excruciating. Joseph frowned.

In the next second, the room was filled with laughter. There were Joseph’s deliberate warnings and Christina’s loud

laughter. In the end, it was Christina who begged for mercy. In terms of the disparity in strength between men and

women, Christina was the one who lost. However, Joseph would not use force on her. With just a light

imprisonment, Christina could not

move.

“I won’t touch you anymore. Let go of me first. I was wrong, okay?” Christina kept begging for mercy and shouting

at the top of his voice. Joseph looked at her with deep interest. He was in an excellent mood.

Suddenly, Joseph kissed her and smiled, “Ms. Yamin, are you considering another collaboration? Be Mrs. Turner

Christina, who was still making a scene, fell silent. He looked at the man who was holding his hands and wrapping

one leg around his waist for a few seconds and smiled. “Mr. Turner, why are you in such a hurry?”

“Ms. Yamin, don’t tell me you’re trying to be a hooligan. You’re being a hooligan if you don’t have the intention of

getting married.” His smile was beautiful and a little bewitching.

After last night, Christina had set aside her hesitations and inner conflicts. She was now determined to give it a try

with Joseph. Although she tried to maintain a tough exterior, she said, “Well, for long-term cooperation, we may

need approval from the shareholders. I wonder if Mr. Turner can wait. At the very least, let me schedule a

shareholders’ meeting.”

Joseph responded, “Yes, Ms. Yamin is enough. At least I won’t be abandoned.”

Christina was a person who was committed to her relationships. Joseph’s behavior and the tone of his conversations

had raised some concerns for Christina. She had noticed a subtle but persistent undercurrent of hurt in his words

and actions. It was as if he carried with him an expectation of abandonment, a lurking fear that she might walk

away from him at any moment. This left Christina with a nagging sense of confusion and a strong desire to

understand the source of Joseph’s thinking.

She was perplexed because Joseph seemed to have forgotten who made the first move and initiated it.