Liam and Stuart had a terrible relationship, and it was just as bad with Robin.
Seeing Robin's annoying smile, Liam's face turned cold. "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for someone," Robin said, checking his watch. "What brings you to this dump?"
"You’re not waiting for Josephine, are you?" Liam sneered. "Still causing trouble, I see."
Back in elementary school, their groups weren't so hostile. Robin used to wait outside Josephine's house to walk to school together. He had a sharp tongue, often getting scolded by Josephine before leaving dejectedly. Josephine lived with her grandparents, who were kind to Robin, so they had some friendly moments. But when Robin confessed he liked one of her friends and the love letter incident happened, they fell out completely. Before that, Robin often used visiting the grandparents as an excuse to go to Josephine's house.
So, Liam's words weren't without reason.
A flash of jealousy crossed Robin's eyes. Compared to Stuart, he was more jealous of Liam. Liam's place in Josephine's heart was unmatched.
Robin said, "Josephine's here? She came back after going abroad? With her limited skills, she can't do much at the research institute."
Josephine's cold voice came from behind, "Even if I'm just cleaning at the research institute, it's none of your business, Mr. Bailey."
Robin's heart skipped a beat. He was used to badmouthing Josephine behind her back. Now that she heard it herself, he panicked a little.
"I was just joking," he quickly said. "Didn't expect you to be here too. Since we're familiars, how about a meal together?"
Liam walked over to Josephine, glanced at Robin, and said, "You're waiting for someone, Mr. Bailey. With your skills, we don't deserve to dine with you."
Then he put his arm around Josephine. "Shall we go?"
Josephine nodded and followed him without looking back at Robin.
Robin gritted his teeth, glaring at their backs, wishing he could burn holes into Liam's back. Watching them get into the car, he made a call. "Come out!"
Soon, someone from the research institute came out and said, "You told me not to come out, and now you call me. I'm busy."
Robin gave him an impatient look. "Your attitude is so poor. Do you not want to treat your mother's illness?"
The salary at the research institute wasn't low, but it wasn't enough to cover high medical bills. Robin easily found someone to be a mole around Josephine. After giving some instructions, he left.
Liam had come to take Josephine out for a meal. At the table, Liam opened the desserts he bought and asked her, "Hungry? Have a snack first."
Josephine nodded and casually picked one up. Liam stopped her. Only then did Josephine notice she had picked a coconut-flavored one. She didn't like coconut much; Liam did. She handed it over directly. "You have it."
Liam took it and handed her a coffee-flavored one. "What's wrong? You seem distracted. Did Robin affect your mood?"
Josephine shook her head. "Liam, there's something I need to tell you."
Liam asked, "What is it?"
Josephine smiled. "I'll be very busy for a while. You should go back to the States."
"You do your thing," Liam said. "I won't interfere with your work. When you're done, we can grab a meal."
"Go to the capital for ten days," Josephine suggested. "There's not much to do here. You'll get bored. Don't worry about me; I'll eat well."
"I know," Liam smiled. "I'm not worried about you. This place may not be famous, but it's got a slower pace. Perfect for a vacation."
Josephine frowned. "Why don't you listen?"
"Alright," Liam said, pouring her a glass of water. "You do your thing. Don't worry about me."
Josephine hesitated, then finally spoke up. "I might have to go on a business trip."
Liam was stunned. "Where to?"
The research institute was said to collaborate with hospitals and other units, but it was actually independently funded by Liam. He was one of the investors. Although he didn't participate in the research, he could share the profits if there were any. So, while he didn't need to make decisions for the institute, if he asked, someone would definitely tell him. By then, it would be impossible to hide it from him.
After hearing Josephine's words, Liam was dumbfounded. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke in a low voice, "I don't agree."
Josephine said, "It's not dangerous."
"I don't agree!" Liam's attitude was firm. "There are so many people at the institute. Why send you? Others can do it too!"
"I'm mainly involved in this project," Josephine explained. "You know I've been interested in this for a long time."
Most prosthetics nowadays were just for decoration. However, the one Josephine and her team were developing could not only complete the human body but also use materials more suitable for the human body, mimicking human nerves to control the prosthetic for simple operations. For example, fingers could grasp and even perform more delicate actions. Robotics had already advanced to a certain extent, but prosthetics still had a lot of room for development. This time, the research institute was collaborating with the government to go to the border, where there were injured soldiers. It was a good opportunity to test the prosthetics' practicality and perfect the data.
The border of this country was constantly at war. Liam certainly couldn't let Josephine go.
"I want to go," Josephine said. "Partly because of the project, and also, you know, I applied for Doctors Without Borders."
"I don't agree!" Liam was furious. "Stop talking. I'm calling the institute right now."
"Liam!" Josephine was also angry. "This is my life. I can make my own decisions. Don't interfere, okay?"
Liam shouted, "Yes, this is your life, but I can't just stand by and watch you put yourself in danger!"
Josephine explained, "I'm just helping from the rear, at most performing a surgery. I'm not going to the front lines!"
"That's still not okay!" Liam said. "Do you know how dangerous that place is? There are refugees and bandits."
"I want to go," Josephine looked at him. "Liam, you know, a few years ago, there were many things I wanted to do but couldn't because of Stuart. Now, I'm free. Don't stop me, okay?"
Liam looked at her. Josephine's eyes were clear, gentle yet determined.
After a long while, Liam nodded. "Okay, I won't stop you. But, I'm going with you!"
"No way!" Josephine refused outright. "You go back to the States right now!"