Chapter 164
"Notice what?"
Josephine's expression remained perfectly calm.
Emma stared at her for a long moment, finally confirming that the woman before her wasn't pretending.
She genuinely hadn't noticed!
Was she really that oblivious, or just completely uninterested?
Emma scratched her cheek, unable to resist the urge to play matchmaker. But just as the words were about to leave her mouth, she suddenly felt someone's gaze on her.
She followed that look and met Cedric's eyes.
Calm and unreadable, yet somehow carrying a warning.
Emma swallowed hard. The words that had been on the tip of her tongue circled back down her throat as she awkwardly changed the subject. "Someone's calling me. I'll go check."
With that, she stood up and fled.
Josephine frowned slightly. Something in her heart had seemed ready to surface, just waiting for Emma to provide the answer.
Unfortunately, Emma was gone.
At first, everyone felt a bit awkward. They couldn't quite let loose in front of Cedric, worried that playing too hard or getting too wild might anger their boss.
Emma broke the ice.
She was a sweet, adorable girl with excellent rapport at the office. Several colleagues were even pursuing her.
But no one expected that she couldn't carry a tune.
Her first notes shocked everyone.
What's more, Emma herself seemed oblivious to it. Instead, she sang with increasing passion as twisted, bizarre notes filled the entire private room.
Someone murmured, "Is this even the same song I know..."
"It's like she's composing on the spot..."
If not for the lyrics remaining the same, no one would believe it was the same song.
Emma finished with complete satisfaction while everyone else covered their faces in agony.
Then the second person took the stage.
Aiden.
His singing was actually decent. While he couldn't compare to A-list singers, he was miles better than the previous tone-deaf disaster who'd been off-key from start to finish.
With those two as openers, everyone else relaxed. Some ate, some sang, some drank.
The atmosphere in the room grew warm and harmonious.
Midway through, someone suggested something more exciting.
"We're all colleagues, so we should know each other better. How about we play cards, and whoever loses has to draw a slip from this bamboo tube and answer the question on it?"
The game wasn't novel, but it was a staple at gatherings.
"Count me in!"
"Me too!"
Hands shot up one after another. Only a few who weren't good at these games or were naturally shy declined to participate.
Everyone gathered around. The first round went quickly, and the loser was Cedric.
This caught everyone completely off guard.
This was Cedric—the seemingly omnipotent CEO who appeared capable of anything. How could he lose at such a simple card game?
Cedric himself remained composed as he drew a slip from the bamboo tube. The tube and slips had been prepared by the restaurant specifically for this game.
The questions were all pre-written. No one knew what they said, which only added to the thrill.
Cedric glanced at the slip's contents and chuckled softly. "Seems my luck isn't great?"
He placed the slip on the coffee table, finally revealing its contents to everyone.
Question: What are you thinking about right now?
All eyes fell on Cedric. This question clearly carried romantic undertones.
This wasn't about missing friends or family.
Even Josephine looked at him.
Cedric said calmly, "Thinking about someone."
"Who?" Aiden asked.
Cedric leaned back into the sofa, his dark eyes carrying a rare hint of amusement. "That would be a second question."
Aiden was speechless.
The game rules only required the loser to draw a slip and answer one question. There was no rule about answering a second, so naturally, he had the right to refuse.
"Fine, let's continue then."
In truth, Aiden wasn't the only disappointed one. Others were equally let down that this question hadn't received a clear answer.
Pure gossip mentality.
They were genuinely curious—Cedric sitting among the crowd while secretly thinking of someone.
That contrast...
Aiden rubbed his hands together, psyching himself up, hoping the next round would be Cedric losing again.
"Come on, friends! Don't you want to know who Mr. Getty is thinking about?"
That single sentence energized everyone like an injection of adrenaline.
Second round—Cedric barely won.
Aiden groaned in disappointment. "So close! We were this close to winning! Kenneth, what were you thinking? Why didn't you play that card?"
Kenneth pressed his thin lips together tightly and tossed his cards onto the pile. "Sorry, my mistake."
This time, the loser was him.
Following protocol, he drew a slip from the bamboo tube. This question was equally explosive.
Question: When did you first experience romantic feelings?
"My God, these questions keep getting more intense." Aiden grinned. "I love it."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Kenneth didn't act coy. He thought seriously before saying, "The first time I experienced romantic feelings was in college."
If he had to pinpoint the exact location, it would definitely be that debate competition where he met Josephine. Unfortunately, they weren't close back then.
Kenneth didn't consider his racing heart and excitement to be love at the time. Perhaps it was more admiration. Real affection came after discovering they'd gotten into the same university.
That joy of unexpected reunion lingered for a long time.
Even now, Kenneth couldn't forget that moment.
"So it was college. I thought we might catch our deputy manager having an early romance." Someone cracked a joke.
Kenneth's expression turned serious. "At every stage of life, one should do what's appropriate for that stage. Middle and high school are for studying, not early romance."
The person who was joking fell silent for a long moment.
Emma stepped in. "Kenneth is definitely our deputy manager—even his romantic history is exemplary."
Josephine sat in her corner of the sofa, holding a drink and sipping slowly, her gaze drifting toward Kenneth from time to time.
Aiden looked at Josephine. "Ms. Kennedy's luck is impressive. You haven't lost a single round."
"Just luck," Josephine said lightly.
The next round began.
As everyone drew their cards, all eyes were on the table—except Cedric, who said in a voice only Josephine could hear, "Think I'll lose this round?"
Josephine paused, drawing a card. "I don't think so."
"That much faith in me?"
"Something like that."
Hearing Josephine's words, Cedric raised an eyebrow slightly. Though his expression remained neutral, his eyes visibly brightened.
Josephine glanced at her cards. The previous two hands had been strong, allowing her to win easily, but this hand was mediocre.
She didn't actually have that much faith in Cedric. It was just that over these few rounds, while the first game showed him somewhat rusty—seemingly unfamiliar with the game—by the third and fourth rounds, he'd clearly adapted, his plays growing increasingly sharp.
But reality defied expectations. This round, Cedric lost again.
Everyone else cheered.
By now they'd lost all fear of Cedric. Alcohol emboldened the timid.
Aiden rubbed his hands together. "Mr. Getty, draw your slip."
Cedric drew one and looked at its contents for a long time without speaking.
The others were dying of curiosity but didn't dare lean in to look.
Josephine sat beside Cedric. With a slight lift of her eyes, she saw the slip's contents.
Question: Is there someone you like nearby?