Chapter 141
Night.
Josephine lay in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Thinking of their earlier conversation, she still felt utterly mortified.
Especially when Cedric said, "Currently, my thoughts align with yours—I'm also not planning to consider romantic matters."
Josephine had fled in defeat.
She'd been so foolish. She'd only heard Daryl ask that question, but Cedric hadn't answered.
How had she so rashly assumed Cedric was interested in her! And narcissistically thought about what excuse would both avoid offending Cedric while rejecting him.
Too embarrassing!
She grabbed a pillow to cover her face, wishing for a crack to crawl into. Standing by the car earlier, she'd been so embarrassed that goosebumps covered her entire body.
Her phone suddenly buzzed.
She looked through her messy hair. A message popped up on the screen.
Cedric: [Sleep early. Meeting tomorrow morning.]
How did he know she wasn't asleep?
Josephine: [Okay, boss.]
After putting down the phone, Josephine lay completely flat. Never be narcissistic again. Even if Cedric personally said he liked her, he must be drunk and talking nonsense!
The Getty Villa, study.
Gideon sat at his desk processing documents when someone suddenly knocked. Before he could respond, Lorelei pushed the door open directly.
Meeting Gideon's cold gaze, Lorelei felt a pang of bitterness. "Ms. Hughes asked me to bring you milk."
Gideon said flatly, "I don't drink milk."
"Milk is good for your health." Lorelei shuffled closer in slippers, placing the milk beside his hand, saying quietly, "Mr. Getty, can you please not be so cold to me?"
It wasn't like this before. She vividly remembered those six months, their passionate entanglement, him venting his desires freely in her bed.
She'd always believed he had some feelings for her, too.
"I'm busy. Please leave." Gideon showed no response to her words, his cold expression enough to keep people at arm's length.
Lorelei bit her lip, fingers gently stroking her swollen belly. "Are you still blaming me for what happened at the exhibition?"
Gideon frowned slightly, somewhat impatient. "You should be very clear—by my intention, you couldn't possibly be staying here tonight."
It was Briana who forcibly kept her. Gideon had been busy with work, mentally and physically exhausted, really not wanting to argue with Briana at this time, which is why he'd tacitly allowed her to stay.
Lorelei lowered her head, feeling deeply humiliated, and hurriedly left the study.
Gideon indifferently withdrew his gaze.
He worked until midnight. The entire villa had fallen into nighttime silence before Gideon finally stood, returning to the bedroom carrying exhaustion.
He took a shower and got into bed without turning on the lights.
But when his hand reached out, it touched soft skin.
Instantly, Gideon's expression turned extremely dark. He yanked back the covers and turned on the room light. Lorelei, on the bed, immediately hugged him from behind. "Don't push me away..."
Gideon's face was iron-cold. "Let go."
Lorelei refused, her cheek pressed against his back, even able to hear his heartbeat. "During those six months, weren't we happy together? Josephine wanting to leave you isn't my fault. I didn't expose our relationship. I don't know how she found out. Her wanting to divorce you was her own choice... why are you blaming me?"
Gideon could bear no more. He forcibly pried off her hands and threw her onto the bed. He stepped back, looking at Lorelei with extremely cold eyes. "How many times must I say it? I don't like you."
He was too cold, not giving Lorelei even a shred of hope, even though Lorelei, before him, was carrying his child.
"The person I love has always been Josephine. This will never change. Why we got together—don't you know?" Gideon rubbed his temples, saying coldly, "If I'd known making this deal with you would have such consequences, I never would have let you appear before me."
He regretted it.
Every moment, he regretted it.
He'd considered himself capable and shrewd, repeatedly victorious in business, which had made him lose himself. Even when making that decision, his subconscious had told him it was wrong.
He still firmly believed he could handle it. He firmly believed he could deceive Josephine.
The truth was—What’s done in the dark will come to light.
Lorelei's heart ached. She cried aggrievedly, "But I really like you. Give me a chance, give the child a chance. I won't disappoint you. I'll definitely love you more than Josephine."
"Do I care about your love?" Facing her deep affection, Gideon showed not the slightest emotion. Those eyes held only indifference and distance. Looking closely, one could even find a trace of disgust.
Lorelei had specially worn a sexy nightgown today. She thought perhaps reliving those six months' old dreams could awaken this man's tenderness.
Even if only a desire, she wanted to try.
But now it felt like a slap across her face. Lorelei felt both humiliated and unwilling, speaking without thinking. "You like Josephine so much, but she still doesn't want you! Why can't you look at me! How am I worse than her? At the exhibition, she just did her homework beforehand, which is why she performed like that. If it were me..."
Gideon's response was to directly grab her. He didn't even want to hold her—he gripped her arm, forcibly dragging her outside the room.
Before closing the door, Lorelei's last impression was his cold eyes. "Even if you did homework, you couldn't compare to her."
The door slammed shut. Lorelei bit her lip. She refused to believe it!
Her trembling fingers pulled out her phone. "That artist you mentioned before—give me his contact information."
"What for? Didn't the exhibition already pass?"
"I want to try again."
This technology would definitely be too late, but Daryl was a genius. Building rapport with him wasn't a bad thing.
Most importantly, Lorelei just wanted to prove she wasn't worse than Josephine!
When Josephine received her father, Preston Kennedy's call, she was biting into bread while modifying data. She didn't even look at who was calling before answering.
"Jojo."
Only upon hearing Preston's voice did Josephine react. The data in her mind flew away, leaving only Preston's voice. "...Dad."
"How long has it been since you came home?" Preston asked. "After marriage, you don't want your parents anymore?"
How long...
At least nearly a year.
Josephine removed the bread from her mouth, saying softly, "I've been busy with work lately, so..."
"Such a big thing as divorce, and you don't need to come home and tell your parents?"
Josephine's heart dropped. Sure enough, the news of her and Gideon's impending divorce had spread everywhere. Her parents had found out after all.
"No, it's just that I've been busy lately..." Her fingers unconsciously scratched at the desk. However composed and calm she was outside, before her father, she inevitably felt a bit weak.
"No matter what's happening, come home first to talk."
"...Okay."
After hanging up, Josephine slumped in her chair, looking up at the ceiling with a deep sigh.
Sure enough, what must be faced still must be faced.