Chapter 109
Cedric paused at the words, his dark gaze falling on Kenneth's face with scrutiny, creating inexplicable pressure.
Kenneth clenched his hands into tight fists, meeting his stare without backing down.
"Am I wrong?"
Cedric turned, leaning against the wall, his shadowed eyes locked on him, tone ice-cold. "Tell me then—how are she and I not suited?"
Kenneth bit down on his back teeth. Thinking of Josephine's face filled him with courage. "Your personality and your family background make you unsuitable for Josephine. Gideon is the perfect example."
She'd just left Gideon. Being with Cedric would mean stepping right back into the Getty family quagmire. What would be the point of divorce then?
"If you get together with Josephine, she'll still have to face the Getty family. You know perfectly well that Gideon is exactly who Josephine most wants to escape."
Cedric listened quietly, finally nodding after a long moment. "You have a point. But aren't you overlooking something crucial?"
"What?"
Kenneth believed he'd considered everything imaginable for Josephine's sake. He'd thought completely from her perspective.
Cedric's lips curved without warmth reaching his eyes. "You've ignored Josephine's personal wishes. All of this is you projecting from what you think is her angle. How can you be certain Josephine would be afraid?"
Kenneth was struck speechless.
He'd never considered that angle.
Cedric lowered his gaze, uninterested. Having such a person as his rival... hardly worth consideration.
He stood, brushing dust from his clothes.
"Rather than running to talk to me, you'd be better off doing your work well. That's how you'd impress Josephine."
It would be best if Kenneth got so busy with work that he had no time for romantic thoughts. Looking at it that way... he still had too much free time.
He'd increase Kenneth's workload when he got back.
Having decided this, Cedric smiled slightly, saying good-naturedly to Kenneth, "I know you mean well for Josephine. I won't hold your attitude against you. When you go back, enjoy your drinks and food. Don't spoil everyone's mood."
Kenneth nodded dumbly.
He suddenly began reflecting—had his words been too harsh? Maybe Cedric really was different from Gideon.
At least he was a good boss.
...
Josephine noticed Cedric and Kenneth entering the private room one after the other, strange expressions on both their faces—mainly Kenneth's.
Cedric's face always looked the same. Handsome, but perpetually expressionless, making his thoughts impossible to read.
But Kenneth was different. Too transparent.
Josephine approached, handing him a drink. Kenneth accepted and took a sip.
"Thanks, Josephine."
Josephine tilted her head slightly, studying him for several seconds. "What happened to you? You look like life just beat you up."
Kenneth had a thousand things he wanted to tell her, but even with alcohol in him, he couldn't speak. He was frustrated by his own cowardice.
He normally wasn't this tongue-tied—only around Josephine...
Josephine saw his pitiful look and consoled him. "If you don't want to talk, don't. I'm not forcing you. Just drink."
She stood and walked away.
Taking with her a lingering fragrance. Kenneth sniffed, breathing in the faint scent remaining in the air—Josephine's scent.
It captivated him.
But he never dared say so, always breathing carefully when near her.
After several rounds, both Aiden and Emma were drunk. Josephine supported one while Kenneth took the other. Cedric went to get the car.
The others waited at the restaurant entrance.
Aiden was thoroughly wasted, treating everyone like his best friend, draping arms around shoulders. Kenneth couldn't restrain him.
Aiden hooked one arm around Josephine and the other around Emma, reeking of alcohol, slurring. "I'm so happy today... so happy! I..."
A burp escaped, making Josephine want to kick him away.
If not for seeing that he could barely stand, Josephine really wouldn't bother with him!
Not far off, a car stopped. Briana stormed out furiously. She'd been watching from the car for a while now. Seeing Josephine embracing men, her anger had been building.
She walked up to Josephine, raising her hand to slap her. Josephine hadn't even seen clearly—just saw a dark shape coming with no way to dodge.
But the anticipated pain never came. Cedric had just driven up, honking once. Briana was startled by the sudden sound, her movement naturally stopping. She turned to look but was blinded by the headlights.
"Who's that? So rude!"
The car door opened. Cedric stepped out, walking through the shadows cast by the headlights until he stood before Briana.
"It's me."
Briana froze. Her hand, still raised midair, slowly lowered. She studied Cedric cautiously, then Josephine.
"Why are you two together?"
Cedric's tone was ice-cold. "I brought my company employees out for dinner. Does Ms. Hughes have a problem with that?"
He still refused to call her Mrs. Getty—because in his heart, only his mother Anissa was the true Getty family lady.
Briana didn't dare voice objections. She clearly remembered when she and Gideon's father were most affectionate, he'd proposed marrying her.
Then she and Bentley had returned to Getty Manor.
David and Cedric, then—one old, one young—had stared at her with identical cold eyes, full of scrutiny and indifference.
The teenage Cedric had said just one sentence. "I don't approve of this woman entering Getty Manor."
David, who doted on him enormously, had simply said, "Alright."
So Bentley hadn't even been allowed to voice opposition, hadn't dared ask why. He'd just taken Briana and slunk away from Getty Manor.
That scene remained a nightmare for Briana years later.
She looked between Cedric and Josephine, as if suddenly understanding. "You two... are together?"
Josephine immediately frowned. "Watch your words. Don't make wild speculations. Our relationship isn't as sordid as you're imagining."
"Is it my imagination that's sordid, or your actions?" Briana didn't dare unleash on Cedric, so she fixed her gaze on Josephine. "You haven't even divorced my son yet, and you're already climbing to a higher branch—even latching onto your own brother-in-law. Aren't you afraid people will laugh?"
Thinking about how outsiders would gossip about her son—saying he'd been cuckolded, was incompetent, couldn't keep his wife...
And worse things they'd say.
Briana's teeth itched with hatred. "Are all the men in the world dead? Can't you find anyone else? Why must you desperately seduce the Getty family men! When you proposed divorce so decisively, I thought you had backbone. Turns out you'd already lined up your next target!"
Briana's words grew increasingly outrageous.
Josephine was at her limit, about to speak, when Cedric suddenly took her hand, gently yet firmly pulling her to his side.
Josephine looked at him in shock.
Cedric lowered his gaze, voice warm. "Ms. Hughes's words are quite timely. Grandfather keeps urging me to find a girlfriend and get married. I haven't met anyone suitable, but now it seems Ms. Kennedy would be perfect."
He studied Josephine, his gaze full of appreciation and warmth, without any impropriety or discomfort.
"Ms. Kennedy is intelligent, capable, and knows right from wrong... Such an excellent woman would be hard for anyone not to fall for."