Chapter 171
Lorelei looked completely bewildered. "What do you mean? Why should I apologize to you?"
Josephine looked at Aiden. "Tell us exactly what happened, from start to finish."
Aiden answered truthfully. "We were here checking the data when Ms. Kelly came in, saying she wanted to bring everyone afternoon tea..."
Actually, up to this point, even though they'd been former members of the Starlight Group team and disliked Marshall and Lorelei, they wouldn't have deliberately started trouble.
But then they overheard Lorelei's conversation with someone else.
"It was that woman." Aiden pointed at a heavily made-up woman named Opal not far away. She'd been shadowing Lorelei like a dedicated sycophant.
"She had a filthy mouth. Said Mr. Getty made the right decision divorcing, that the company is thriving now because Mr. Getty escaped from misery and got away from a disaster magnet. She also said the problem with the project data was because we're unprofessional—that it's all our fault."
Actually, he was being quite diplomatic about it.
What Opal had actually said was far worse.
Calling Josephine a cursed star, a demon incarnate, someone who brought misfortune to her husband, herself, and her relatives—casting her as a harbinger of doom.
Aiden had a good temper and a big heart, but he wasn't a pushover. Especially when the person being slandered behind their back was the supervisor he respected most. "I just couldn't stand her! Two women gossiping behind someone's back—what kind of skill is that? Would they dare say it to our faces?"
Opal hadn't expected her behind-the-scenes gossip to be completely exposed. Her face flushed red, and she went all-in with defiance. "So what if I said it? You did it—can't people talk about it? Which part of what I said was wrong? Isn't the divorce a fact? Wasn't this project data problem caused by people from your company?"
She glared viciously at Aiden. "I was just gossiping behind your backs, but you—you pointed your finger at a pregnant woman and cursed her out. Where are your manners? Do you even count as a man?"
Aiden was discovering the lethal potency of a vitriolic tongue—one capable of inciting a fatal rage. "Nonsense! Twisting the facts!"
Josephine walked toward Opal.
Opal jumped, thinking she might get physical. Even Lorelei tensed up, making a show of blocking Opal. "Ms. Kennedy, she's just blunt and spoke some truths. She wasn't deliberately gossiping about you. Please don't be angry with her."
The other colleagues, seeing the situation deteriorate, rushed to smooth things over.
"Right, right, she didn't mean any harm."
"Her mouth just runs away from her—she likes to gossip, but she wouldn't actually do anything bad. Everyone at our company knows that."
"The priority is rectifying the data corruption. Let's not derail the project with petty arguments."
Aiden's anger flared. In that moment, it became clear who was really on whose side. No matter how friendly they'd seemed earlier, they ultimately weren't from the same company and could never be one team.
When push came to shove, they pretended to mediate while clearly taking sides.
Emma couldn't stand it anymore. "All of you, shut up. Easy for you to talk when you're not the ones being gossiped about and slandered."
Josephine ignored everyone else's words, looking only at Opal. "Everything Aiden said is true. You won't deny that, will you?"
She was so incredibly calm that the office involuntarily fell silent.
Opal instinctively nodded. "I did say those things, but I wasn't deliberately targeting you. I was just speaking the truth."
With Lorelei protecting her, Gideon present, and other colleagues taking sides, Opal felt emboldened. Her eyes even carried a hint of provocation.
As if saying: So what if I said it? What can you do about it?
Josephine nodded slowly. "Since you've admitted it, that makes things easier. Gossiping about someone behind their back violates my right to reputation. I have the right to sue and demand compensation for damage to my reputation."
Opal's eyes widened in shock. "On what grounds? I just said a few things behind your back! I didn't cause you any actual harm!"
Josephine said expressionlessly, "I'm giving you two choices now. First, apologize to us immediately and take back everything you said. From now on, keep your mouth shut."
Opal's expression darkened.
Josephine continued. "Second, I report this to the police and sue you for violating my right to reputation. You compensate me according to the law and issue a public apology."
Any fool would know which to choose. Opal instinctively wanted to pick the first option, but then felt something was off. Why should she have to choose? "Our two companies are cooperating. The Getty Group caused the data problem and left a mess that Starlight Group is still cleaning up. If word gets out, I'm afraid that would be quite the scandal for the Getty Group, too."
Josephine narrowed her eyes. "You're threatening me."
Opal lifted her chin. "Just speaking the truth."
"I’ve never been allergic to scandal." A deep voice resonated from the doorway. The room stilled as Cedric stepped into view.
Behind him stood Noah, wearing glasses and smiling, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. There was even a trace of mockery. "The Getty Group is a major corporation. What haven't we encountered? These are just some rumors. We don't care. If this young lady wants to make this public, we welcome it anytime. Would you like me to arrange a press conference for you?"
Opal was instantly dumbfounded. In her experience, no company didn't protect its reputation. So why was Cedric doing the complete opposite?
"I'll count to three. If you don't choose, I'll choose for you." Josephine spoke up.
Opal inexplicably felt a sense of urgency.
"Three."
"Two."
At this point, Opal's mind went blank. Looking at the formidable Josephine and Cedric, watching as that "one" was about to leave Josephine's mouth...
"I choose one! I'll apologize to you!"
Josephine beckoned to Aiden. He stepped forward. Opal gritted her teeth and reluctantly mumbled an apology. "I'm sorry. I was wrong."
She spoke especially quickly, as if afraid others might hear clearly.
But the office area was extremely quiet now. Everyone could hear perfectly. Josephine glanced at Opal. "Learn to be smarter in the future. Don't let yourself be used as someone's weapon without even realizing it."
Opal felt too ashamed to stay. After speaking, she covered her face and ran off.
Josephine looked around and led her group over to Cedric's side. "Let's go."
From start to finish, she didn't look at Gideon once, even though he'd been staring at her the entire time.
The instant they brushed past each other, Gideon grabbed Josephine's slender wrist. The moment skin touched skin, his fingertips trembled slightly.
Those sealed memories surged forth again. The intimacy and sweetness they'd once shared had now transformed into poison.
"Jojo..."
This intimate form of address hadn't even left his mouth when he met Josephine's cool gaze. That familiar name rolled around on his lips before he swallowed it back down.
Gideon took a deep breath. "Ms. Kennedy, I just received a call from the volunteer. I'm going to see her. Would you like to come along?"