Chapter 159
Josephine came back to Evercrest Manor for the first time since she had decided to get a divorce. Looking at the house now, it felt oddly foreign.
She pressed the code on the lock. The door opened.
The password was still her birthday.
Josephine pushed the door open and stepped inside. The living room was empty—even the housekeeper was absent. She went straight upstairs, bypassing her own bedroom and heading to the study.
Gideon's study was strictly off‑limits to everyone. The housekeepers always skipped it when cleaning, since it held confidential company papers.
Previously, Josephine had been free to enter whenever she wished.
No one else was allowed in. Whenever Gideon was gone, he made sure it was locked.
She pushed the door open. The study's decor was intimately familiar. When they first got married, the entire house had been decorated according to Josephine's preferences.
She knew every part of the room, the layout, the shelves, the desk, even the safe hidden at the bottom of the bookcase.
She wasn't going to touch the safe. That would leave fingerprints. If anything went missing, she'd look like a thief. She wasn't about to give anyone that kind of leverage over her.
She went straight to the desk. There were several documents on it, along with a computer that was turned off.
The computer, that was her target.
Gideon was meticulous by nature. He never kept important things on paper, everything was stored digitally.
Josephine powered it on and actually found a file on a hidden drive.
Starlight Group's financial statements.
The report was packed with tiny print, the kind that would give anyone not used to accounting an instant headache. But Josephine had once handled his financial affairs.
When the company was just getting started, there weren't enough capable people to go around. Gideon, being someone who didn't easily trust others, had relied on Josephine for many things.
Like the bookkeeping.
She caught an irregularity in the financial records right away, an expense line that was completely one‑way. Money flowing out, with nothing coming back in.
She photographed the report with her phone. Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door.
Gideon pushed the door open and immediately spotted Josephine standing by the window.
He paused. "Why are you back?"
"Can't I be here?" Josephine asked.
"You know that's not what I meant." Not only could she come—Gideon wished she'd come back and never leave again. But he caught something in her phrasing.
She hadn't said "come back". She'd said "come".
"This is your home," Gideon said, his voice low.
"It was. It isn't anymore. It won't be in the future either." Josephine's fingertips unconsciously touched the phone in her pocket. "I came to look for a tool. The toolbox I took wasn't complete—something got left behind."
Gideon immediately said, "What tool? Do you remember where you left it? I'll help you look."
"I remember the last time I used it was here, but I left before I had a chance to look." Josephine scanned the room. "Besides, you have sensitive materials in here. I didn't want to go through things on my own."
Gideon sighed, tugging at his tie and exhaling slowly. "Jojo, we don't need to be strangers with each other. You know I have no secrets from you."
Josephine smiled—a smile that carried a hint of mockery.
Did even he believe what he was saying? His biggest secret had already been exposed long ago.
Gideon perhaps recognized how hollow those words sounded. He lowered his head, then said gently, "Nothing in the study has been moved. Feel free to look around."
Josephine didn't stand on ceremony. Right in front of him, she went through the bookshelf and finally found the small tool in the lower left corner.
After finding it, she turned to leave without a backward glance. But she stopped at the doorway, her gaze settling on Gideon, who had been watching her in silence.
"Since you're back, why don't I call Mr. Williams and we can discuss the divorce? I've thought it over—if you insist on giving me nothing, I won't ask for anything. All I want is the divorce certificate."
Gideon looked at her with a complicated expression. "You want to divorce me that badly? You'd even give up the settlement."
"I married you when you had nothing. If I'd been after your money, I never would have married you in the first place."
Gideon had nothing to say to that.
Because he knew every word she said was true.
He found it hard to breathe. He yanked open the top two buttons of his collar, his voice heavy. "I've told you before, I won't divorce you. You can bring whatever lawyer you want, but I will never negotiate with them."
Josephine looked at him, feeling colder inside with every passing second. This man had cheated on her, made a fool of her, yet refused to set her free. "You'll agree."
Gideon frowned. "You're that certain?"
"Gideon, you will agree." With that, Josephine turned and left.
Gideon stood rooted to the spot, unsettled in a way he couldn't quite name.
Why was she so sure?
After leaving Evercrest Manor, Josephine went straight to Clearwater Ridge, where Darren had been waiting for some time. "Any luck?"
Josephine nodded and held out her phone.
On the screen was the financial report. Darren took one look and spotted the issue. "Someone's been embezzling. The question is who, and whether Gideon has already noticed."
"There are only two possibilities." Josephine knew Gideon too well. "First, Gideon embezzled it himself. Second, someone else did, and he hasn't reviewed the statements yet."
Darren considered this for a moment. "The second seems more likely."
"That's my read too." Josephine settled onto the sofa and poured herself a glass of water. As the water flowed, she said, "Gideon has his principles, especially when it comes to the company. He wouldn't embezzle his own funds. More likely he's been too preoccupied lately to review the statements, or... something's been pulling his attention away."
Darren smiled slightly. "Then he's far too overconfident. he's so sure his company couldn't have any problems that he doesn't even bother checking."
Josephine curved her lips in a cold smile. "He's always been that way."
Confident to the point of arrogance.
She could already guess his thinking, anything that lands on my desk has already been taken care of. Even if I don't look at it, nothing will go wrong.
"Ms. Kennedy, this is more than enough to make him agree to the divorce." Darren looked at her, and out of caution, asked one more question. "Are you sure you want to do this? It would mean burning the bridge completely. The divorce will go through, but it might also create a real enemy."
He knew something of Gideon's character. The man was ruthless. Even in the business world, people went out of their way not to cross him—because he'd do absolutely anything to win.
Josephine took a sip of water. The warmth spread down her throat, and for a moment her whole body felt warmer. Her fingertips traced the rim of the cup. "As long as I can get out of this situation, I'm willing to do whatever it takes."
Darren stood. "Wait for good news."
He left Clearwater Ridge, got into his car, and drove straight to the Getty Group.
He entered Cedric's office. Cedric was in the middle of a video meeting, but seeing Darren, he paused it immediately. "How did it go?"
Darren gave a full account. "...That's the situation. The divorce can be done, but Gideon's retaliation will certainly be severe."
Cedric raised an eyebrow, a faint smile touching the corner of his mouth. "Nothing to be afraid of. The sky won't fall."
Gideon was ruthless and would stop at nothing. Anyone with half a brain avoided going head-to-head with him. Who wanted to tangle with a mad dog? Once he locked his jaws on you, it was nearly impossible to break free.
But then again, there was Cedric.
Darren sometimes couldn't help but marvel,it truly was a case of one thing existing to counter another.
Before leaving, he paused at the door and looked back.
"Mr. Getty, if you like someone, you should go after them without delay. Don't wait until someone else has already won their heart. By then, it'll be too late."