After hearing Laura out, Josephine found it somewhat helpful.
Laura had always lived life on her own terms, and to be honest, she could be pretty heartless sometimes. But as she put it, that was just fine because it meant no one could hurt her.
When Josephine called, Laura got worried and ditched Steven to go find her so they could grab dinner together.
Claudia had just gotten back to the country and had a ton of stuff to deal with, so she couldn't make it.
So, it was just the two of them.
At the dinner table, Laura dished out more advice to Josephine.
According to Laura, regardless of Josephine's actions, Stuart had no grounds to criticize. He was the one who made the initial mistake and had no right to make such demands.
Hearing her words, Josephine smiled.
Laura always supported her, even if she was wrong.
After talking about her and Stuart, Josephine asked, "What about you? When are you getting married?"
"I've mentioned it before, no plans on the horizon."
"Listen, Steven is a catch. If you don't hold on to him, someone else might snatch him away."
"If he can be snatched away, then he wasn't meant to be mine. So be it."
Josephine tried to convince Laura for a long time, but she wouldn't budge. Finally, Laura got annoyed. "You should get married first. You haven't even gotten married, and you're pushing me?"
Josephine said, "How can that be the same? I have Jeffery."
"Jeffery is my godson. What's the difference between him and my own child?" Laura shot back.
Josephine couldn't argue with that. Her phone buzzed, and she saw a message from Stuart.
He said he had a work thing and might not be able to drop off Jeffery until around nine.
Josephine replied: [Then I'll pick him up myself. You go ahead and work.]
Seeing Josephine's reply, Stuart excused himself from the table and went out to make a call.
He said, "I have a project with the government, and I'm hosting them for dinner tonight. I really can't leave. I'll try to be early, but it might still be around 8:30. Don't go pick him up; I'll drop him off."
Josephine said, "It's fine. I'm with Laura, and she'll go with me to pick him up. You can drop him off tomorrow; it's the same."
Stuart said, "Dropping off Jeffery is also an excuse to see you. If you go pick him up, I won't get to see you tonight."
Josephine felt a bit touched by this.
She said, "Then you go ahead. I'm still having dinner, so I might not go over right away."
"Okay, wait for my message." Stuart finished the call and went back to the room.
"Hey Clarence, it's not often we get to have a meal together. I should stay the whole time, but I might have to leave a bit early due to some family matters." Stuart raised his glass and toasted the man at the head of the table.
The man also raised his glass; it was Gerald. He said, "Mr. Haustia, you are successful in your career and take good care of your family. You are truly a role model for us."
"Not at all," Stuart said. "I've only come to understand in recent years that family is more important than anything else."
Gerald agreed, "That's right. We've almost finished eating anyway. To be honest, I have a kid at home who has an exam coming up, so I need to leave early too."
Noticing the friendly vibe, someone nearby chimed in, "Hey Haustia, are you still flying solo?" They knew about Stuart's divorce.
Hearing this, Gerald also looked over. He was privy to the Campbell Family situation but hadn't delved into the specifics, only knowing it involved a woman.
With someone bringing up this topic, he also looked over. To be honest, he really admired Stuart. Plus, a lot of government projects depended on the support of these companies, and Stuart was a big player in that scene.
Stuart said, "I'm not single anymore."
He didn't go into details, but everyone got the hint.
The person smiled and said, "I thought Mr. Haustia was single. I have a relative who would be a great match and was thinking of introducing her to you."
"Thanks," Stuart said. "But I already have a partner."
He used the word "partner," not girlfriend or wife. Gerald respected that. He'd seen too many guys with wives at home and mistresses on the side. He'd heard that Stuart, on the other hand, didn't have any mistresses and was pretty principled.
At eight, the banquet wrapped up. Stuart personally walked Gerald to his car and said, "Mr. Clarence, I look forward to our future cooperation."
Gerald shook his hand. "Looking forward to it."
On the way back to Haustia Manor, Stuart got a call from Angela. "I told you, if you have any issues, contact the project manager directly," he said. He had given Angela the project manager's contact info.
Angela asked straight up, "I heard you're pulling out of this project?"
Stuart said, "Don't worry. The project looks promising. I'm stepping back for personal reasons."
"Why? The prospects are so good. Why are you pulling out? You've invested so much in the early stages. The loss will be huge!"
"That's not on your plate. Your aim was to bring the Lopez Family on board, and I've accomplished that.."
"You," Angela took a deep breath, "are you pulling out to avoid suspicion because of me?"
Stuart said, "Since you know, don't call me again."
Angela said, "You're making this decision for her. Will the board agree?"
"That's none of your business," Stuart didn't want to say more. "Don't call me again. Goodbye."
He hung up and immediately blocked her number. Then he told the driver, "Drive faster."
He was worried Josephine would go pick up Jeffery, so he wanted to get back sooner.
At the same time, Laura was driving Josephine to Haustia Manor.
They were chatting, and Josephine said, "Watch the road and focus on driving!"
Laura said, "With my skills..." Before she could finish, the car in front suddenly braked hard, and she quickly hit the brakes.
But because they were going fast and the distance was short, even though she slammed the brakes, they still hit the car in front.
Luckily, the collision wasn't too bad, but they both felt the jolt.
Josephine, still shaken, asked, "Laura, are you okay?"
Laura was also scared but said, "I'm fine. You stay in the car and don't get out!"
She angrily got out of the car. The driver of the car in front also got out.
"How are you driving!" Laura immediately questioned, "Why did you brake suddenly on a clear road!"
Josephine was worried and afraid Laura would start a fight, so she got out too.
The driver, a man in his forties or fifties, smiled and explained, "Sorry, a cat suddenly ran out, so I had to brake. We'll cover all the costs. Can you give me your contact information?"
Normally, in a rear-end collision, the car behind is usually at fault. Hearing this, Laura's anger cooled a bit.
Josephine also pulled her back, afraid she would say more.
Laura took out her phone, "Alright, but be more careful when you drive."
The man was very polite. They quickly reached an agreement and drove off.
The man got back in the car and said, "Mr. Clarence, it's taken care of."
Gerald opened his eyes. He felt a bit uncomfortable from the alcohol and looked outside, only to see a slender figure getting into the passenger seat of the car behind.
He said, "Let's go."