Chapter 205
Only Briana and Lorelei remained in the living room. The two women looked at each other. Briana murmured, "What did he mean by that? He looks down on you?"
Lorelei's expression wasn't great either. "Probably... After all, when Gid and I got together, he was still married to Josephine."
"No, that's not the reason..." Briana frowned. She knew Bentley too well. This man never had any concept of marital fidelity. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten involved with her while his wife was pregnant and fathered Gideon.
Even now, he still had mistresses on the side.
So why would he look down on Lorelei? Briana frowned as she studied her.
She was pretty and delicate, with a vulnerable quality that could arouse a man's protective instincts.
She couldn't figure it out.
Meanwhile, in the study.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, scattering spots of light across the floor.
The entire study seemed quiet and warm.
But the atmosphere was far from harmonious.
David sat behind the massive desk. Josephine stood not far in front of him. Since entering, David had been watching her with a calm gaze.
To be fair, this look was extremely oppressive.
Even Getty family juniors couldn't necessarily withstand it. Most would lower their heads and avoid eye contact.
But Josephine met his gaze without submission or arrogance.
Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy, David suddenly chuckled softly, instantly breaking the tension. "Seems I misjudged you."
He was talking about the old Josephine—whenever she came to Getty Manor, she'd stay by Gideon's side, rarely speaking. Even when Briana deliberately made things difficult for her, she never resisted or spoke out.
Always appearing docile and silent.
David's eyes gleamed shrewdly. "I just don't know if you were acting too well, or if I'm getting old—I never saw through it."
Josephine smiled slightly. "When someone's in a weak position, there's no point being sharp. That only invites trouble."
"Seems marrying into the Getty family really buried your talents." Whether it was her courage or her acting ability, David genuinely admired both. Then his tone shifted. "From this perspective, divorce was a good thing for you."
"Perhaps."
"So you agree with me." David stood and walked around the desk, slowly approaching Josephine. His cane tapped against the floor, inexplicably making hearts race with pressure. "You understand Gid's temperament well. Without someone pushing him, he won't take that step. He's stubborn, rarely willing to give up anything—especially you."
"I'm already divorced from him." Josephine felt his affairs had nothing to do with her anymore.
But David chuckled softly, walking past her to the floor-to-ceiling windows. His gaze passed through the glass to the courtyard, where Gideon and Lorelei stood face-to-face in conversation.
Even without hearing the content, it was clear only Lorelei was talking, while Gideon... was perhaps listening.
Josephine also walked over, looking at the scene. "So what do you want me to do?"
"Make him give up."
Josephine remained expressionless. "I'm afraid I can't do that."
"No. You can." David looked at Josephine with certainty. "If there's only one person in this world who can do it, it's you."
"Isn't that a bit unfair?" Josephine asked with a smile.
Like a junior complaining to an elder.
David wasn't angry. "Getty Group is recently developing a plot of land in the old district."
The old district—where Josephine's parents lived.
"I haven't received any demolition notice." Josephine's face showed no expression, but her hands behind her back clenched quietly, palms sweating.
"After all, it's company confidential information. If the news leaked that easily, those people below wouldn't need to keep their jobs."
Meeting David's aged yet shrewd eyes, Josephine took a deep breath. "I need to think about it."
"Fine. But you don't have much time. The development project starts in three days."
After speaking, David coughed softly a few times, his aged face showing some fatigue.
"I really am getting old. Just talking tires me out. If you don't want to go back, stay the night. If you want to leave, ask the butler for a car. He'll arrange a driver."
With that, he turned and entered the rest room.
Josephine watched his retreating figure, her eyes dim. After a long while, she finally left the study.
Downstairs, Josephine immediately found the butler and requested to leave.
She didn't want to stay a second longer.
But just as Josephine opened the car door, another person slipped inside ahead of her.
Josephine looked at the person in the car. "Don't you have a car?"
Gideon looked up. "Mine's in the shop."
He glanced at the old mansion, then at the still-hesitating Josephine. "Are you sure you want to keep stalling?"
Between getting out to find another car or getting in quickly to leave, Josephine hesitated for three seconds before finally choosing to get in.
The butler stood there, watching them leave, then returned to the study and found David in the rest room.
David stood before a painting, his fingers gently stroking his cane, his gaze appreciating the artwork. Hearing the door open, he said without turning, "They've left?"
"They have." The butler respectfully stood behind David, hesitating before speaking. "Will Ms. Kennedy really do as you asked?"
"She's a filial child." David sighed softly. "Kind-hearted people always have weaknesses. Once someone seizes them, they lose the ability to resist."
"But what will Ms. Kennedy do?"
"She's a smart child. She'll find a way." Just like when she wanted a divorce—though the process was complicated, she ultimately achieved her goal.
This time would be the same.
The butler didn't understand. "Don't you rather like her?"
Why would he do something so coercive? After all, David didn't like Lorelei—everyone in the Getty family knew that. Otherwise, with David's methods, forcing Gideon to marry Lorelei wouldn't be difficult at all.
He'd even thought at one point that David didn't really want Gideon and Josephine to divorce.
But now he couldn't read David's attitude anymore.
This time David was silent for a long while, his aged fingers gently tracing the painting's outline. "I like dealing with smart people, but that doesn't mean I like keeping them close."
Smart people were easy to communicate with, but keeping them too close made their intelligence a potential threat.
Moreover, Gideon cared so much about Josephine—even after divorce, remarriage was possible.
"My Getty descendants can't be entangled in romantic feelings." David murmured, turning to sit in his chair. His cane tapped the floor lightly, but he was still uneasy. "Keep an eye on them. I don't want to see any further entanglement between those two."
The butler responded, "Yes."