Chapter 221
So he'd already seen right through her...
Josephine felt a headache coming on. That was the most annoying thing about dealing with smart people.
They saw through everything way too easily.
"I was just asking."
She knew if she kept talking, Cedric would probably piece together the whole situation. As for Sloane...
Since David had arranged it, she might as well let Cedric handle it himself.
Josephine hurried downstairs.
In the lobby lounge, Sloane sat on the sofa, holding a cup of coffee, flipping through a magazine with elegant poise.
Seeing Josephine, she set down the magazine and stood, a bright smile spreading across her face. "Ms. Kennedy."
"Come with me," Josephine turned toward the elevator. "I'll take you to my office first."
She led Sloane to her office and gestured for her to sit on the sofa, pouring her a glass of water. "Wait here for a bit. I still have some work to finish, then I'll show you around."
Sloane nodded obediently. "Sure, I'm not in a rush."
Josephine looked at her, feeling somewhat conflicted. Just then, someone from the research department came to report a data issue. Josephine hastily settled Sloane and rushed off to handle it.
She spent over half an hour dealing with the problem before returning to her office.
The moment she pushed the door open, she froze at the scene inside.
Cedric sat behind her desk, head lowered, studying a document in his hands.
Sloane stood in front of the desk, leaning forward slightly, staring intently at Cedric, lost in thought.
At the sound of the door opening, both looked up simultaneously.
Cedric's gaze landed on Josephine's face, a barely perceptible shadow flickering through his deep eyes.
He set down the document and leaned back in the chair, hands folded on his lap, studying the woman in the doorway with unhurried interest.
"Ms. Kennedy," he said, his voice steady yet carrying a certain meaningful undertone. "Ms. Medici here says you brought her in and wants to join the assistant team. Funny, I don't recall you mentioning you were arranging a new assistant for me."
In the office, three pairs of eyes met.
The air seemed to freeze.
Josephine took a deep breath, her mind racing. "Actually, I was planning to come find you. Ms. Medici was arranged by Mr. David Getty. He said she's here to assist you and lighten your workload. What do you think? How should we handle this?"
She tossed the ball straight into Cedric's court.
How to arrange things, whether to let Sloane work here—it was all up to Cedric now.
Cedric turned the question back on her. "What do you think?"
Josephine wasn't biting. "I'll follow your lead."
Cunning.
Cedric smiled faintly. "Then let her stay."
Sloane watched the exchange in silence. Only after Cedric agreed did she follow Josephine out.
Josephine led her to the assistant's office.
"This is where you'll work. That's your desk. For everything else, check with Noah. He manages things around here. If you have questions or need assignments, go to him."
"Thank you so much." Sloane smiled.
Josephine turned and met her smiling face, returning a small smile of her own. "The work here isn't difficult. You'll pick it up quickly."
"You and Cedric are pretty close, aren't you?" Sloane said suddenly.
"...He's my boss."
"No, no, not that kind of close!" Sloane scratched her cheek, struggling to explain. "It's like... a familiarity no one else can break into."
She'd thought Cedric was into men before, but watching them interact seemed different somehow.
Could he swing both ways?
Sloane felt thoroughly confused.
That evening, as quitting time arrived, Josephine was packing up when a soft knock came at her office door.
The butler stood in the doorway, expression respectful. "Ms. Kennedy, Mr. David Getty asked me to relay a message."
Josephine's hand paused mid-motion, still gripping her pen. "What message?"
"Mr. David Getty wants you to invite Mr. Getty to dinner at that new place, Blue Moon Diner." The butler spoke with lowered eyes, impeccably polite, but his tone left no room for negotiation.
Josephine frowned. "Why?"
"I'm simply conveying his instructions." The butler's tone remained flat. "He didn't provide a reason."
Josephine found it absurd.
Had David lost his mind? Wasn't he the one who hated her having anything to do with Cedric?
What was this now? Playing matchmaker?
...She couldn't tell if David had gone crazy or if she had.
The butler added, "Mr. David Getty also asked me to tell you he plans to attend tomorrow's meeting about the old district redevelopment project."
Josephine's eyes narrowed sharply. "He'll vote against it?"
"That depends on you."
Josephine lowered her gaze, considering. One dinner in exchange for her parents' peace of mind seemed worth it. "Understood."
The butler bowed slightly. "Then I'll take my leave, Ms. Kennedy."
After the butler left, Josephine sat at her desk, fingers absently tracing the edge of a folder. Outside the window, darkness was falling. She was alone in the office.
She pulled out her phone, found Cedric's number, hesitated, then made the call.
He picked up quickly, his deep voice coming through. "Ms. Kennedy, what's up?"
"Mr. Getty," Josephine chose her words carefully, "I heard there's a new restaurant that just opened, Blue Moon Diner. Supposed to be really good. I was wondering if you'd... be interested in trying it together?"
Long silence on the other end.
Josephine could hear her own heartbeat, unusually loud in the quiet space.
She didn't know why she felt nervous. It was just an invitation.
"Is this really Ms. Kennedy?"
Josephine paused. "...It is."
Cedric drawled, "I thought someone stole your phone."
Josephine sighed. "Is it really that shocking?"
She'd invited Cedric to meals before!
"Send me the address. I'll go." Cedric agreed.
Josephine felt relief wash over her. She'd genuinely worried he'd ask why she was inviting him. "Is seven-thirty okay?"
"Works for me. See you then."
After hanging up, Josephine leaned back in her chair and exhaled slowly. She wasn't sure why she'd been so nervous, or why she'd agreed to David's bizarre arrangement.
Perhaps because she vaguely sensed that things were developing in a direction beyond her control.
At seven o'clock that evening, Josephine arrived early at Blue Moon Diner.
The restaurant was elegantly decorated, with soft lighting and the faint scent of aromatics mingling with delicious food. A server led her to a window seat.
Five minutes later, Cedric arrived right on time.
He wore a navy suit today, no tie, with two buttons undone at the collar. He looked less severe than usual, more casually relaxed.
"Have you been waiting long?" He sat across from her.
"No, I just got here." Josephine pushed the menu toward him. "See what you'd like."
After ordering, a silence settled between them.
Josephine could feel Cedric's gaze occasionally landing on her, but whenever she looked up, he'd already looked away.
The restaurant's soft lighting fell across his profile, highlighting the clean line of his jaw.
Her heartbeat quickened for no reason.
She picked up her water glass and took a sip, using it to mask her discomfort.
Cedric asked, "Why the sudden dinner invitation?"
Josephine swirled her glass. "What's so strange about inviting you to dinner? You've helped me so much. I'm grateful. Wanting to treat you to a meal is perfectly normal, isn't it?"
"That's all?"
"Yes."
Cedric fell silent.
Maybe it was her imagination, but Josephine thought he seemed almost disappointed.
Just then, her phone vibrated.
She glanced down. A text from an unsaved number—but she recognized it.
The butler.
[Ms. Kennedy, please find an excuse to leave the restaurant in ten minutes.]