The Dark Side Of Fate Chapter 881

"Sorry," she said, withdrawing her hand to her lap. I felt like a jerk, aware of how my actions must have seemed to her. If only she knew the turmoil I was going through at the moment, she wouldn't be upset.

"No, it's not what you think," I tried to explain, feeling guilty for my behaviour. "It's just that I'm not in a good frame of mind," I added, which was genuinely true. She nodded, gazing ahead.

"I know you don't want me on the team, Li," she unexpectedly said, leaving me stunned. How did she reach that conclusion?

"Well, that's not..." I began to respond, but she shook her head and locked her eyes on mine.

I found myself drawn into a trance, noticing her features more closely than ever before. I had often wondered why she wore contact lenses. In truth, she had Aunt Amelia's stunning eyes, and perhaps transparent lenses would have been a better option.

"You have your reasons for not liking me, and I understand that. I might come off as arrogant and difficult, and my sense of style might be unconventional. Nevertheless, rest assured that it won't impede my investigative skills. I know how much Sophia means to you, and I'm willing to put in the effort to help you solve the mystery and save her. But I want to plead with you, Liam, to give me a chance and make my work a bit easier. We can't function effectively as a team if you harbour such strong dislike towards me," Josephine spoke with a serious expression, and I shook my head in response.

"I do not dislike you, Joe," I said, hoping to clear any misunderstanding, and she smiled faintly, looking away.

"Maybe not to my face," she replied, catching me off guard. I couldn't fathom where that notion came from.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked, seeking clarification, and she chuckled before meeting my gaze.

"Two years ago, during the summer gathering at the Volkov Mansion, I overheard you and your cousins talking about me. You were laughing at my fashion sense, my appearance, my makeup, and my attitude. I was the subject of your jokes," she revealed, and I racked my brain, trying to recall the conversation she referred to.

As I struggled to remember, she continued, "So you see, I know exactly what you all think. I only came to tell you to set aside your feelings so we can work together effectively. I don't expect everyone to like me, but I promise to always give my best."

Her words left me utterly speechless. Josephine stated her piece and stood up, walking away before I could respond. I sat there, dumbfounded, on the living room couch.

I tried to recall the conversation from two years ago, and while we may have discussed Josephine, it was never meant to be malicious. We might have shared opinions, and perhaps there was a hint of jealousy toward her intelligence, but it was all harmless. I could only assume she had overheard a fragment of that conversation and misconstrued our feelings towards her.

A week went by, and there was still no news about Mike. It felt as if he had vanished from the face of the earth. Max and Kyle joined our group, bringing along their wives and young children.

Max's oldest child was Celia, an eight-year-old girl, and his son Jacob was five years old. Meanwhile, Kyle had two adopted sons named Luke and Ashton. Max's mate, Ingrid, was a lovely brunette, and Josephine, Elaine, and Luis seemed to have a great fondness for her. Considering Max was also their uncle on their mother's side, it made sense that they were close. The story of how their families became connected was quite amusing and bizarre. It was hard to believe that Lord Alexei had cheated Max during an Alpha challenge and ended up taking over his pack. Our parents would occasionally joke about it, particularly Uncle Leo, who loved to recount how Max had sought his help after facing a Stepanov.

No one would have guessed that Max would eventually forgive his cousin Alia and accept Alexei as his in-law. It spoke volumes about their big hearts and the strength of their friendships and bonds that had endured for so long.