Chapter 239 Unwilling to Sleep in the Same Bed

Chapter 239 Unwilling to Sleep in the Same Bed

Whatever Justin said was exactly what Joanna meant.

He even understood what she wanted him to do.

But Justin's gaze—ambiguous yet indulgent—made Joanna extremely uncomfortable.

"You'd better keep your word."

Ever since Justin had confessed his feelings, he'd been acting quite different from the image she had of him.

At the very least, he had never looked at her the way he just had.

She wasn't used to it.

Joanna turned her face away and continued walking forward, her steps slightly unsteady.

Justin's deep gaze lingered on Joanna's retreating figure. The curve of his lips deepened as he followed her at a measured distance.

Back in the hospital room, Joanna lay on her side with her back to Justin, texting Cathy to briefly explain the decision she'd just made.

Cathy replied instantly: [She's not faking it to guilt-trip you, is she? You didn't act impulsively, did you?]

Joanna stared at her phone screen, gently biting her lower lip.

Whether Elizabeth was faking or not, she wouldn't speculate.

But it was indeed an impulsive decision.

She replied: [A little.]

Cathy asked again: [Now that you've calmed down, do you regret it?]

Joanna: [No.]

Joanna: [But I feel uneasy.]

Cathy: [Because you don't know how to face Justin next?]

Joanna didn't respond.

Cathy continued on her own: [If you don't regret it, it doesn't matter. You don't need to figure out how to face him. Do whatever you want—he's the one who should be figuring out how to face you.]

She didn't need to change anything—it was just a question of whether Justin could accept it?

Joanna rolled onto her back, instinctively searching for Justin. The moment she looked up, she met his gaze at close range.

At some point, Justin had moved to stand beside her bed, staring down at her.

Joanna turned off her phone screen. "What are you doing?"

Justin touched his forehead, looking innocent. "If I said I didn't mean to see your conversation, would you believe me?"

Joanna's eyes widened. "Then what were you doing standing behind me?"

Her retort was immediate. Then, recalling their chat, she wondered which part he'd seen—or had he read everything?

Even though she hadn't written anything incriminating, she still felt uncomfortable.

She sat up, frowning.

Justin's tall frame suddenly leaned closer. He sat on the edge of her bed, extending his long arm to brace his hand beside her. His magnetic voice murmured near her ear, "I wanted to ask—what do you want me to do next?"

Justin leaned forward even closer, adding, "Do you have any requirements for me?"

"I require you to back off right now."

Joanna spoke without hesitation.

Justin was too close—so close that when he spoke, his breath brushed against her face, making her cheeks feel warm.

"Alright."

Justin showed no disappointment. Instead, the smile on his face deepened.

He truly removed his hand from beside her and straightened his shoulders.

Still, the way he looked at Joanna remained filled with deep affection.

Joanna lowered her gaze to the white blanket, gripping her phone tightly.

She wondered whether Justin had intended to ask this question all along, or if he'd only thought of it after seeing her messages.

But she quickly realized it didn't matter.

This was actually a good opportunity to set things straight.

Having made up her mind, Joanna squared her shoulders and spoke slowly. "I need my own room. I can't accept living together with you right now."

"Also, I have the freedom to work and socialize as I please. You can't interfere."

At this point, Joanna paused and looked at Justin.

She wanted to add that she wouldn't accept him having ambiguous, boundary-less relationships with other women.

But saying something like that felt pointless, so she swallowed the words.

"That's all for now. I'm done."

Justin nodded. "So what you're saying is, you're not willing to sleep in the same bed with me for the time being, and you won't let me interfere with your normal social interactions with other men?"

He rephrased it in his own words—blunt words that made Joanna feel something was off, though she couldn't refute them.

Because while Justin's summary wasn't comprehensive, it clearly highlighted what mattered most to him.

"You could put it that way."

Joanna stared at him, waiting for his response.

"Alright, I agree."

Justin continued to smile at her, showing no sign of displeasure or even a hint of hesitation.

Joanna was somewhat surprised, looking at him with suspicion.

Seeing this, Justin chuckled softly, tilting his head and gazing at her with indulgence. "I told you—as long as you're willing to come back, I won't force you to do anything."

He would wait.

Wait until the day Joanna was willing.

Certain that Justin wasn't lying, Joanna felt relieved.

She lowered her eyes and nodded lightly.

As long as he could keep his word, moving back to the estate wouldn't be so stressful for Joanna.

As for the future...

She wouldn't think about the future yet.

Joanna's tense body relaxed.

Having settled the main issue, she thought of Elizabeth.

"I wonder how long it'll be before Grandma can be discharged."

Joanna thought for a moment, then asked, "Have you asked the doctor?"

"I have."

"What did they say?"

Joanna looked at Justin, her eyes now less guarded, her tone conversational.

Noticing the change in Joanna's attitude toward him, Justin's gaze clung to her face. His Adam's apple bobbed before he spoke. "She has a heart ailment. Now that you've cured her heart ailment, of course she'll be discharged soon."

Hm?

Joanna suddenly recalled Cathy asking whether Elizabeth was faking her illness.

But the thought only flickered through her mind for an instant before she dismissed it.

At dinner, Karen came to deliver their meal, with Hazel tagging along.

Karen wouldn't let Joanna lift a finger, so Joanna sat at her designated table, quietly waiting.

Justin was nearby too, waiting to eat whatever dishes Joanna didn't finish.

Hazel glanced at Joanna, then at Justin, and smiled.

She directed her words at Joanna. "Joanna, I'm hungry. I don't want to wait until I get home to eat dinner. Can I eat with you guys?"

Karen quickly said, "This was prepared for them. There's nothing for you."

"But they never finish everything. I don't eat much—I won't leave them hungry."

Hazel spoke in a coaxing tone, then pointed to the only large table and looked at Joanna again. "Joanna, let's put the food over there and eat together, okay?"

Joanna glanced at Justin, roughly understanding Hazel's intention.

She pretended not to notice and nodded.

"Sure."

They were going to be living under the same roof anyway—there was no point in making a fuss over sharing a table.

"Thank you, Joanna!" Hazel raised her eyebrows at Justin. "Justin! Come on over."

Justin gave Hazel a subtle look of approval.

Joanna pretended not to see and stood up to move to the other table.

Karen set out the dishes one by one on the table, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

She was overjoyed. "Joanna, your grandmother said that in three days, she'll be discharged with you. She's not comfortable staying in the hospital, so she's decided to go home and recuperate there."

Elizabeth was accustomed to luxury and comfort—of course she wasn't used to the hospital. It made sense she'd be eager to leave.

Joanna didn't think much of it. "That's fine."