Chapter 163
"Josephine, how did it go? Did you do it?"
"Did you successfully get the divorce paper?"
"Come on, let me see!"
The moment Josephine and Cedric returned to the research lab, the other employees swarmed around them.
Everyone knew Josephine had gone to finalize her divorce today, and they'd been eagerly awaiting the good news.
Josephine felt somewhat helpless.
Seeing how excited they were, anyone who didn't know better would think she'd gotten married today.
Josephine pulled the divorce certificate from her bag and waved it in front of everyone.
No words were needed—the crowd immediately erupted in cheers.
Kenneth also smiled. "Congratulations."
She was finally single again and could embrace new happiness.
Josephine's eyes crinkled with her smile. For the first time, she found the divorce certificate quite pleasing to look at. "To celebrate my successful escape from misery today, dinner's on me tonight."
"Josephine is amazing!"
"You're my goddess!"
"Does that mean I can drink tonight?"
Josephine glanced at Cedric. "That's not my call to make."
If they drank tonight and got completely wasted, there'd be no way they could work tomorrow.
Everyone turned to look at Cedric.
Actually, everyone knew it was a long shot. Cedric valued efficiency above all else. Though he was fair with rewards and punishments, he was also a man of principle.
This kind of thing—celebrating at the expense of work—had never happened under his watch.
"You may." As soon as Cedric spoke, the lab went silent for a moment, then erupted in even louder cheers.
Josephine covered her ears, unable to stand it. She turned to meet Cedric's gaze and smiled slightly. "Thank you so much for today."
"What should I say? That I'll be there, or..."
"Whatever."
Cedric's gaze settled on Josephine's profile. With sunlight streaming down, her smile was exceptionally warm and radiant. The melancholy that had always lingered between her brows dispersed like clouds clearing away.
The corners of his lips curved upward slightly as he looked at the employees who were currently cheering like a bunch of monkeys. "Spend however you like tonight. It's on me."
The cheers rose another decibel.
Outside the department, other colleagues passing by the door peeked curiously into the research lab. Unfortunately, the door was only open a crack. They could vaguely see everyone looking happy but had no idea why.
Evening.
As soon as work ended, everyone couldn't wait to pack up and rush out. Josephine and Cedric fell a step behind. Cedric's gaze landed on Josephine's back.
She was carrying an enormous bag, packed with who knows what, bulging and looking heavy.
"What are you carrying?"
Josephine replied and said, "My laptop and some materials."
Cedric raised an eyebrow. "Planning to work while eating?"
"Of course not. I'm not that dedicated." Josephine planned to take this work home to do.
But even so, it was enough to make Cedric fall silent.
The other employees gradually got into cars. Josephine had initially wanted to ride with everyone else, but discovered there were no seats left.
Noah walked over. "Ms. Kennedy, you should ride in Mr. Getty's car."
"Alright." It seemed she didn't have much choice anyway.
Noah got into the passenger seat, which meant Josephine could only get in the back seat with Cedric.
The car moved forward smoothly.
Josephine pulled out her laptop from her bag. Cedric, beside her, watched in silence for a moment.
Noah noticed and was momentarily speechless.
Usually, he was the only one watching Cedric work in the car. Today, he was actually witnessing someone who was an even bigger workaholic than Cedric.
...That was rare indeed.
They remained silent the entire ride, with only the sound of the keyboard clicking filling the car.
Noah had thought he might witness some exciting drama, especially since Josephine was now divorced. But who knew this show would turn out to be so boring.
Even when the car stopped at the restaurant entrance, the two in the back hadn't exchanged a single word.
Noah promptly got out of the car.
Josephine was still staring at her computer when a large hand suddenly reached over and blocked the screen.
There was a hint of helplessness in Cedric's eyes. "We're here."
Josephine looked up, startled.
Sure enough, the car had already stopped at the restaurant entrance.
Josephine blinked, as if waking from a dream. "Sorry, I was too absorbed..."
"Today is for entertainment." Cedric glanced at the computer screen, made sure all the code and files were saved, and closed the laptop. "No work talk."
The boss had spoken. Josephine finally pulled herself out of work mode. "Got it."
Only then did Cedric withdraw his hand. But when he turned back, he saw Josephine still wanted to take the laptop out of the car, so he simply took the computer and left it in the vehicle.
Before Josephine could refuse, he grasped her hand. "Let's go."
They walked in holding hands like that. Josephine's heartbeat never slowed down, and she stared blankly at their clasped hands.
His hand was large, his palm broad and warm. Holding hands like this felt very comforting.
But...
They entered the private room where the other colleagues had already eagerly taken their seats. Some had even turned on the sound system, ready to belt out a song before dinner.
Emma was holding the microphone. "So..."
She had just started singing when she saw the two people walking in holding hands. Her voice immediately went off-key, saliva went down the wrong pipe, and she erupted in earth-shattering coughs.
The sound transmitted through the microphone throughout the entire room.
Josephine and Cedric instantly became the center of attention.
Josephine immediately withdrew her hand. Actually, she'd wanted to pull away earlier outside, but hadn't succeeded.
Cedric maintained his composure. "Have you ordered?"
Kenneth witnessed everything, his expression darkening somewhat. "We have."
Cedric glanced at him.
When their eyes met, sparks practically flew, invisible sharp edges crisscrossing through the air.
Josephine saw this and felt a headache coming on.
She didn't care. After all, these two were grown men. Surely they wouldn't start fighting in front of everyone. Their business was theirs to resolve.
Emma abandoned her song, dropped the microphone, and squeezed in next to Josephine, insisting on sharing her seat. "What's going on with you two?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb." Emma lowered her voice and sneakily glanced at Cedric. "Actually, he's really handsome."
"Being handsome can't fill your stomach." Josephine was dismissive. There were plenty of handsome men in this world—should she consider every single one?
Emma disagreed. "Being handsome can't fill your stomach, but it can help you get fed."
After saying this, she paused, feeling like something wasn't quite right with that phrasing. "I mean, having a handsome face is like having heaven give you a meal ticket."
Finally explained clearly, Emma sneakily observed Cedric.
He bore some resemblance to Gideon, but only a few features between the brows. His eyes and other facial features were completely different.
Moreover, their temperaments and heights were also slightly different.
In short, if the two stood together, no one would think they were biological brothers. Gideon had a cold aura, always giving people a strong sense of aggression.
Cedric was more low-key, but every time he spoke, he could make people listen quietly. He had a calm, trustworthy presence.
"I think he's pretty good—good-looking, good family background, and good to you."
"How can you tell he's good to me?" Josephine suddenly asked this question.
Emma looked at her in disbelief. "No way, you really never noticed?"