Chapter 138
Josephine spread her hands innocently. "Not my fault. I didn't do anything, didn't say anything."
Hestia glared at her, ready to commit murder. "If not for you, Mr. Fields wouldn't be throwing me out!"
Her voice was shrill. Daryl, head aching from the noise and wanting no more incidents at his exhibition, said coldly, "Will you leave on your own, or shall I have someone escort you out?"
Hestia's face went deathly pale. Not daring to make more trouble, she could only turn to Lorelei for help.
But Lorelei had no ability to keep her there. In front of everyone, she also found Hestia embarrassing, so she grabbed her wrist and said in a low voice, "Stop making a scene. Just go."
Hearing this, Hestia felt disbelief. Being thrown out in front of everyone, all face would be lost.
She wasn't afraid of embarrassment for herself, but she couldn't disgrace the Sharp family. "You're saying this now? Who did I end up like this for?"
The moment those words left her mouth, the surroundings fell silent.
Various gazes landed on Lorelei.
"What are you babbling about? I know you're upset right now, but today is Mr. Fields's exhibition. Whatever needs to be said can wait until after." Lorelei's face was stiff as she tried to appear gentle, cursing Hestia to death in her heart.
This idiot!
Hestia wasn't buying it. She was going crazy—thinking about being thrown out today, about becoming the biggest joke in this circle.
While Lorelei wanted to escape unscathed? Absolutely not!
"I did all this for you! If you hadn't asked me to..."
Before she could finish, Lorelei viciously pinched her arm.
Hestia's face went white with pain. "You..."
Lorelei pulled her around, their backs to everyone, her voice incredibly gentle. "Hestia, I know you're upset. Because of today's misunderstanding, I'm also to blame. I should have steadied you in time. Don't be angry with me. Mr. Fields needs to run his exhibition—let's be understanding. I'll take you home first."
These words sounded so sincere, like coaxing a child.
But only Hestia could see how ugly and twisted her expression was. This was the first time she'd seen Lorelei like this—it was frightening.
Lorelei hastily said goodbye to Daryl and pulled Hestia out of the exhibition, but at the door, Josephine blocked their path.
Lorelei gritted her back teeth. "Ms. Kennedy, is there something else?"
"I feel Ms. Sharp didn't finish what she was saying. Before leaving, shouldn't she finish?" Josephine's gaze moved past Lorelei to Hestia. "Ms. Sharp, are you really leaving like this?"
Hestia, with Lorelei gripping her hand, showed no good mood toward Josephine either. "What do you want?"
"I noticed you seemed to have something left unsaid." Josephine helpfully reminded her. "Actually, you could finish. Mr. Fields is asking you to leave because your behavior was reckless. This is an exhibition after all—every painting is precious. Just now, only one fake was damaged, but the other paintings aren't fake. Mr. Fields has this concern, which is why he's throwing you out. So you need to prove you're not reckless."
For instance, why she suddenly fell.
Hestia clenched her teeth. Honestly, in that instant, she'd felt an impulse.
She wanted to speak out.
But Lorelei held her tightly, nails nearly digging into her flesh. It hurt and inexplicably frightened her, the words stuck in her throat.
Josephine stared at her for a long moment, then suddenly stepped aside, clearing the doorway. "Goodbye."
Her easy surrender made Lorelei almost suspect some conspiracy, but she didn't dare ask more. The urgent matter was leaving first.
Cedric walked to Josephine's side, his gaze also following those two figures outside, darkness in his eyes. "Just letting them go like that?"
Josephine said flatly, "What else?"
Though she knew there was something fishy between those two, she couldn't exactly torture them. If they refused to talk, forcing them further would only backfire.
Cedric caught her implication. "Getting them to tell the truth isn't difficult."
Josephine turned to look at him, lips curving slightly. She turned toward the exhibition hall, her clear voice carrying back. "If you acted, of course, you could. But wouldn't that be overkill?"
Cedric followed at a leisurely pace behind her. "But you're the victim in this."
His gaze swept over Josephine's injured arm and knee. Though medicine had been applied and the bleeding stopped, the wounds remained, needing time to heal.
Josephine didn't care at all. "Compared to that, I think the current outcome is pretty good."
"So easily satisfied?"
"The current outcome is—I'm staying at the exhibition, and I've gained Mr. Fields's friendship." While Lorelei and Hestia fled in defeat, essentially thrown out.
Josephine felt that, despite minor injuries, it was worth it.
Just as she mentioned Mr. Fields, Daryl walked toward them.
"Ms. Kennedy, how are your injuries?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Seeing Josephine's light smile, genuinely not taking the incident to heart, Daryl felt both chagrin and guilt.
"Earlier, I misjudged. I really thought those two were good people." Thinking back, they'd just been adding fuel to the fire.
Hateful that in his anger, he hadn't seen through such obvious tactics, nearly being used as their weapon. "Ms. Kennedy, I'm very sorry."
"It's a small matter—no need to apologize." Josephine waved it off, not particularly concerned. "Besides, I really did destroy one of your paintings. Though it was fake, you still paid for it."
If the painting hadn't broken, no one would know it was fake. Daryl would never have known he'd spent thirty-eight million dollars on a forgery. But the truth was exposed, and in front of everyone.
Daryl looked at the empty wall, suddenly feeling heartache. "It's not about the money—I just think the painting was a pity."
A pity he hadn't bought the real one.
He'd truly loved that painting.
Josephine thought for a moment, an idea forming, but uncertain now, she didn't speak.
After the exhibition ended, Daryl saw off the guests but kept Cedric and Josephine behind.
Gideon was naturally among those sent away. He stood outside the gate for a moment. In the night, his cigarette flickered with crimson light.
He'd quit smoking once—Josephine didn't like it. But recently he'd picked it back up.
The living room.
Daryl had someone specially prepare a lavish dinner to host Josephine and Cedric.
Daryl earnestly apologized at the dining table, making Josephine feel overwhelmed. She quickly said it was nothing, then couldn't help leaning toward Cedric.
She asked quietly, "What's with him?"
Was this small matter worth repeated apologies?
"He likes apologizing to people." Cedric similarly lowered his voice, unobtrusively taking away the wine glass by her hand.
"What?"
What kind of strange quirk was that?
Little did they know their quiet whispering was all observed by Daryl. Unable to be certain, when Josephine went to the restroom, he grabbed Cedric. "Are you for real?"
Cedric looked up. "What?"
Daryl gave him a sidelong glance. "We've known each other for years. I think I understand you pretty well. Don't lie—you like that girl, don't you?"
In the distance, Josephine's footsteps had just entered.