Chapter 216
Josephine watched Briana get shut down and felt like laughing, but a quick glance at Cedric made her swallow it.
Briana was the type who'd push her advantage relentlessly, and when she had no ground to stand on, she'd still stir up trouble out of thin air. But her shrew-like temper had an upside: most people couldn't be bothered dealing with her. It was beneath them.
Even David didn't like her, though he was too lazy to actually waste energy putting her in her place. That trick worked for her everywhere—except with Cedric.
David shot Briana a look, one laced with warning. Reluctantly, she lowered her head and shut up.
Only then did David speak. "Does it taste good?"
Cedric smiled faintly. "Not bad at all. You should try some."
He actually served David a piece. Josephine's eyes widened slightly. She half-expected David, given his temper, to hurl the meat and the plate straight out the door.
But David didn't. He even ate it.
That left everyone else on edge, utterly baffled.
David's temper was legendary—whether in the Getty family or outside, his word was law. No one dared cross him. He'd clearly come here today looking for trouble.
So why was he being so… agreeable?
Briana didn't get it, and she didn't like it. Was David playing favorites with Cedric again?
"Mr. David Getty," she said, "shouldn't we get to the point?"
Gideon frowned.
Sometimes he really thought his mother talked too much, and always at the worst possible moments. She never knew when to keep her mouth shut.
Her reminder only irritated David. He was still chewing that piece of meat, but his eyes cut coldly toward Briana. "Are you trying to tell me what to do?"
Briana rushed to explain. "You misunderstood. I wouldn't dare."
David finally looked away. But instead of reprimanding Cedric and Josephine as everyone expected, he calmly finished the meal in silence.
Cedric remained perfectly composed, as if he hadn't noticed the strange atmosphere at all.
Gideon's gaze was unreadable, his thoughts hidden.
Lorelei sat beside him without a word, though she was quietly panicking. Things weren't going the way she'd imagined.
Briana was equally anxious but didn't dare speak. She'd already said too much today and offended David. Even an idiot would know to shut up now.
Watching David and Cedric chat while eating, Josephine almost felt like she was invisible. She'd nearly forgotten—she'd invited Cedric to dinner to apologize.
But with Gideon here, she couldn't say that.
The bizarre meal finally ended, and everyone silently breathed a sigh of relief.
David, however, showed no sign of leaving. He even had the waiter bring tea and kept checking his phone.
Cedric poured him a cup. "Who are you waiting for?"
David chuckled. "You're sharp. Figured me out right away."
Cedric offered a faint smile. "I grew up at your side. You know me, and I know you just as well."
"That's true." A complicated expression crossed David's face. His aged voice carried a note of wistfulness. "Your father was a mess. Found all those women, spent his nights in their beds instead of coming home. He neglected your mother. She was quiet, reserved—when something like that happened, she didn't cry, didn't shout, didn't make a scene. Just bottled it all up until it made her sick."
Right in front of the other woman, Briana, and the illegitimate son, Gideon, David laid it all out without caring about their feelings or dignity.
Cedric lifted his teacup slowly. "I was lucky you took me in back then. Raised and educated me yourself. Everyone said you did a good job."
"Do you think I did a good job?" David asked abruptly.
Cedric's expression didn't change. "Of course you did. You handle everything with precision. No one can compare to you."
"So you approve of my arrangements and methods?"
Cedric paused slightly. There was a trap in that question. But at this point, he couldn't say no—that would be slapping David in the face.
"Naturally."
David finally smiled, his face relaxing. "Good. As long as you understand my intentions. Your brother got married, divorced, and now has a child on the way. You don't even have a wife yet. I can't rest easy."
Cedric could probably guess what David was about to say.
Across from him, Josephine kept her eyes lowered, playing invisible. Pretending she hadn't heard a thing.
Inside, her mind was racing. Things had escalated to this point. The situation was getting hard to salvage.
David, oblivious to the thoughts swirling in the younger people's minds, continued on his own. "Come home in a few days. I'll arrange a party for you. Invite plenty of good young women. Pick one you like, spend time with her. You're not getting any younger. It's time to settle down."
David spoke earnestly. Cedric listened in silence, neither agreeing nor refusing.
Gideon suddenly spoke up. "Grandfather still dotes on Cedric. Even worrying about his marriage. If you ask me, you're getting on in years and your health isn't great. Even if Cedric himself isn't thinking about marriage, he should settle down soon just to spare you the stress."
No one noticed that as he said this, his eyes were fixed directly on Josephine across the table.
Josephine stayed silent.
Cedric's tone was cold. "Marriage isn't a task to check off. The wife I'm looking for is someone who'll spend her life with me. Of course I'll pick someone I like and can actually get along with. I don't want to get married and then divorced. One divorce scandal in the Getty family is enough."
Gideon's expression darkened. He pulled his lips into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Cedric's right. I feel the same way. Actually, getting married at your age has its advantages. You've thought things through. You won't be like me—young, hotheaded, making mistakes. Losing something before realizing you regret it. But being young has one advantage."
He glanced at Josephine, his tone turning pointed. "There's plenty of time. To regret. To fix things."
Josephine closed her eyes.
This was bad.
Last time she'd barely managed to get Gideon to back off for a few days with that act. David's move today had just reset everything to square one.
David glanced at Gideon, but he didn't have the energy to deal with him right now. Compared to that, Cedric was more important. "It's settled, then. Come home in a few days. I'll handpick the best candidates. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
If it hadn't been for that night, maybe Cedric would've gone along with David's selection.
Who he married didn't really matter, did it?
But unfortunately…
He checked the time. "We'll see. I have things to do. We need to get back to the office. Do you need me to arrange a driver for you?"
Not a refusal. But not an agreement either.
Gideon stood. "Cedric, don't use that kind of talk to brush Grandfather off. Yes means yes, no means no. Give him a straight answer."