Chapter 118
Lorelei lifted her chin, her face showing a desperate resolve. "You'll find out soon enough. Then you'll understand who truly loves you."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Gideon watched her retreating figure, his brow furrowed. He knew Lorelei wouldn't let this go easily, but couldn't immediately figure out what she might do.
What a crazy woman!
Halfway through the gala, the lights suddenly brightened. The host walked onto the stage, announcing that the charity auction was about to begin.
Cedric returned to Josephine's side. Without asking what she and Gideon had discussed, he merely glanced briefly at Gideon before calmly looking away. "If you see anything you like, just say so."
"Thank you." But Josephine didn't plan to buy anything. "I don't need anything."
"Consider it payment for accompanying me."
With such a generous boss, Josephine didn't refuse further.
The auction began, with exquisite items displayed one by one. True to his word, whenever Josephine looked at something a few times, Cedric raised his paddle.
"Ten million dollars."
"Twelve million dollars."
"Fifteen million dollars."
Item after item was purchased by Cedric at high prices. The venue buzzed with speculation about why Cedric was being so extravagant tonight.
Only Josephine knew that half those items were things she'd merely glanced at a few times.
"That's enough." She whispered. "You don't need to do this."
"It's for charity. Donating more is a good thing." Cedric's expression remained calm, as if those astronomical figures were just meaningless numbers.
Josephine sighed inwardly—rich capitalists!
Midway through the auction, the host suddenly announced, "Next, we have some special guests who want to take this opportunity to clarify certain rumors circulating in our circles to all the entrepreneurs and media friends present."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd below.
Josephine leaned toward Cedric, whispering, "What's this about?"
Cedric also lowered his voice. "Not sure. Probably added last minute."
Not far behind them sat Gideon. Watching them lean close together, even knowing it was just ordinary conversation appropriate for a public setting with nothing inappropriate, he still crushed the wine glass in his hand.
Glass shards pierced his palm. The pain instantly cleared his mind.
Three people dressed as reporters walked onto the stage. One holding a microphone scanned the crowd.
"Good evening, honored guests. We're reporters from Financial Weekly and City Daily. Today, invited by the organizers, we have the opportunity to interview several guests here."
The event organizer immediately stepped forward to explain. "This... this is our traditional segment, combining charity with media interaction..."
But everyone below could tell this obviously wasn't a planned segment.
The reporter holding the microphone suddenly fixed their gaze on Josephine. "Excuse me, is that Ms. Josephine Kennedy? Mr. Gideon Getty's wife?"
Instantly, all eyes focused on Josephine.
Cedric's brow furrowed. Just as he was about to speak, Josephine narrowed her eyes and stood, facing the spotlight and hundreds of gazes with a calm expression. "That's me."
The reporter immediately pressed on. "Ms. Kennedy, there have been persistent rumors that your marriage to Getty Group President Mr. Gideon Getty is in trouble. If I may ask—is it because you had an affair?"
The moment the words fell, the venue erupted.
Gideon shot to his feet. "Who gave you permission to ask such questions?"
But the reporter acted as if they hadn't heard, continuing to press. "Informed sources revealed that during your marriage, Ms. Kennedy maintained inappropriate relationships with multiple men, including..."
"Including whom?" Josephine suddenly interrupted, her voice crisp with a hint of amusement. "Why don't you name names?"
The reporter froze, not expecting such composure.
Josephine wore a calm smile, as if she too was quite interested. "Since you're going to expose something, be thorough about it. Being coy only makes people doubt your credibility. Go ahead—who's on your list?"
This was the reporter's first encounter with someone who didn't play by the rules. Anyone else would immediately explain or deny. Her response caught them off guard. Before they could speak, a colleague quickly picked up.
"According to our information, Ms. Kennedy has close ties with a gentleman surnamed Brooks. They frequently meet privately. This person also told us that since rumors of marital problems began, Ms. Kennedy stopped contacting him. Could it be that Ms. Kennedy had a change of heart?"
Just then, a man emerged from the crowd.
He appeared to be in his thirties, wearing a dark blue suit, reasonably good-looking but with shifty eyes and somewhat sleazy air about him.
He walked onto the stage, taking the microphone from the reporter.
"Hello everyone, I'm Paxton Brooks."
Josephine narrowed her eyes. She didn't know this man.
Paxton looked at her, his gaze deeply emotional and mournful. "Josephine, I know you're still angry with me. I know you blame me for pushing too hard... But I truly love you. Even if you won't divorce, even if you want to stay in the Getty family, I'm willing to wait."
This statement was loaded with implications. The crowd below immediately erupted.
"Oh my God, this is really..."
"Isn't this just a third party? And he dares to admit it publicly?"
"Mrs. Getty is really..."
Various unsavory whispers spread through the crowd.
Cedric's expression darkened. Just as he was about to step forward, photos appeared on the large screen—pictures of Paxton and Josephine together.
But Josephine was certain she'd never taken such photos.
Pure fabrication and framing.
Yet what was obvious to discerning eyes seemed invisible to the reporters present, who embellished and pressed with question after question.
"Ms. Kennedy, do you have any explanation?"
"You've been hiding your identity all along. No one knew you were Mr. Getty's wife. Mr. Getty has been so devoted to you—how could you have an affair?"
"Exactly! If this hadn't been exposed today, we'd still be in the dark."
"Ms. Kennedy, you owe the public an explanation."
Josephine's identity had always been mysterious. Whether regarding her marriage or divorce, the information had never been disclosed to outsiders. How did these reporters know?
Her gaze swept the room. Besides other guests watching the spectacle, the people most likely to leak such information seemed limited to just a few.
Cedric—impossible. Gideon—unnecessary.
That left only...
Josephine met Lorelei's gaze. Lorelei immediately smiled at her slightly, with an unmistakable air of provocation.
It seemed this accusation couldn't be washed away. They'd come prepared. But for Josephine, wasn't this also an opportunity?
She looked at Paxton on stage, her lips slowly curving upward. "You say you love me?"
Paxton nodded emphatically. "Yes. No matter what others think of you, in my heart, you'll always be perfect."
"Since you claim to love me," Josephine walked slowly toward the stage, her heels clicking crisply on the floor, the sound exceptionally clear in the silent ballroom, like beats striking Paxton's heart. "You should know me very well."
Paxton nodded without hesitation. "Of course. Your favorite color is purple, you love strawberry cake, you like reading on rainy days, you hate..."
"All of that can be learned from others." Josephine had reached the stage's edge, looking up at him with a bright smile. "Since we supposedly had such an intimate relationship, you should know about a very distinctive birthmark on my body, right?"
The room fell completely silent.
Such a private question...
Paxton clearly hadn't expected this question. His eyes flickered before he steeled himself. "Of course I know... It's, it's on your back..."
"Where on my back?"
"On your back... in the middle..."
Josephine raised an eyebrow. "Be more specific. Where in the middle of my back? Shoulder? Waist? Or the small of my back?"