Chapter 199
In the hospital's ground-floor garden, the plants had all withered. Only bare branches remained. Late autumn was nearly over, and winter was closing in.
The weather grew colder by the day. Josephine pulled her coat tighter as she and Gideon walked along the garden path.
Neither spoke for a long while.
Finally, Gideon broke the silence. "I'll handle my mother. You don't need to worry. I won't let her actually press charges."
He watched Josephine's profile, watched the wind lift strands of her hair. His fingers twitched instinctively, wanting to brush them away for her. But in the end, he didn't move.
"Do you believe me?" Josephine didn't look at him, simply asked that single question.
Gideon was silent for a few seconds. "I do."
Josephine raised an eyebrow slightly and stopped walking. "Gideon, do you actually believe me, or is it because you found evidence?"
Gideon shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Josephine looked at him, a hint of mockery in her eyes. "To delete surveillance footage in such a short time without anyone noticing—besides you, I can't think of a second person capable of that."
Briana? She didn't have the skill or the brains.
As for Lorelei…
Gideon chuckled softly. "Why assume it was me? Couldn't it have been Lorelei? You and I both know exactly what kind of person she is."
So Lorelei's act hadn't fooled him after all.
Josephine slipped her hands into her pockets, speaking quietly. "My visit to this hospital was spontaneous. Before this, I had no idea Lorelei was staying here. She couldn't possibly have known I'd be here either."
What preparations could be made for a spur-of-the-moment setup? Lorelei couldn't have thought to delete the surveillance footage. Even if she had, she lacked the ability and authority.
The only person who could do it quietly, without anyone discovering or suspecting—that was Gideon.
Gideon was silent for a long time. Then suddenly, he laughed. He hadn't laughed this freely in ages. He was genuinely pleased. "Only you really understand me."
"That's nothing to celebrate." Josephine looked at him expressionlessly. She couldn't smile at all. "You understand me too. I'm someone who settles every score."
Leaving grudges unpaid made her uncomfortable. If someone schemed against her, naturally she'd return it in kind.
"She's already learned her lesson." Gideon's smile faded, his voice dropping. "Jojo, she's pregnant. Falling down those stairs—she nearly died…"
"So that's why you got the footage." Destroying evidence for Lorelei—Josephine found it ironic. "She's pregnant, but she came after me first."
Gideon frowned slightly, feeling the beginnings of a headache. He knew Josephine's temperament all too well.
She loved and hated fiercely. She did what she said she'd do.
He said quietly, "For my sake, can you let this go just this once?"
"No."
Gideon's expression cooled. "But you have no proof. You can't do anything to her. If they insist on suing you, it'll be trouble for you too."
"There's your true face. Why were you putting on that devoted act earlier?" Josephine said mockingly. "Thank God I'm not as naive as I used to be. I almost believed you."
Gideon laughed under his breath. "You're upset. Say whatever you want about me. But one thing—today's incident ends here. I'll keep an eye on her. I promise, this is the last time."
"Your promises aren't worth much." Josephine tossed out that line and turned to leave.
Gideon started to follow, but heard her say, "Don't follow me. I don't want to see you."
Gideon could only stop, watching her walk farther and farther away.
Inside the hospital room.
Briana complained, "You're really something. You tried to frame someone else and ended up falling down the stairs yourself, nearly losing the baby!"
Lorelei lay in bed, turning her face away without responding.
The caretaker spoke up for her. "Ms. Hughes, don't be angry. Ms. Kelly had no choice. Mr. Getty hasn't been coming to see her lately. Ms. Kelly's been alone at home every day. It's rather pitiful."
"Fine, I don't want to deal with your mess." Briana stood up, grabbing her phone and bag. "But your scheme was too clumsy. You probably can't fool Gid. If he comes to interrogate you, you're on your own. I can't help you."
With that, she headed for the door. But the moment she pulled it open, she found Gideon standing right outside.
Briana jumped, clutching her chest as her heart raced. "How long have you been standing there without saying anything? You nearly scared me to death!"
Gideon didn't answer.
Unease crept through Briana. She asked tentatively, "How long were you out here?"
"You should head home," Gideon said.
He didn't answer Briana's question. Though her heart fluttered with anxiety, she didn't dare press further. This matter didn't really involve her anyway. She quickly made her escape.
Once she left, only the caretaker and Lorelei remained. The caretaker also felt the pressure mounting and found an excuse to slip away.
The room fell quiet.
Lorelei yawned, squinting. "I don't need anyone to look after me. Your work is demanding. You should go back. I'm planning to rest anyway…"
Gideon walked to the bedside, looking down at her. "Don't do anything pointless like that again. And don't provoke her."
Hearing those words, fury flared in Lorelei's heart. She asked bitterly, "Is Josephine all you care about? Do the baby and I mean nothing to you at all?"
"What do you think?" Gideon's tone was flat as he turned the question back on her.
Lorelei's heart ached. Jealousy coiled around it like a venomous snake. She bit out, "Even if you don't care about me, don't you care about this child? I just came out of surgery, and you're saying these things. If something really happens to the baby, won't you regret it?"
Her neck was stiff, her emotions running high.
Gideon remained calm. "If you truly cared about this child, you wouldn't have put him at risk. And you certainly wouldn't have used him as a tool to frame someone else."
At those words, Lorelei's face went white.
Because he'd hit the truth.
"You don't like this child much either, do you?" Gideon looked at her mockingly. He braced his hands on either side of the bed, speaking slowly and deliberately. "Too bad he's in your belly. If he were Jojo's child…"
He smiled, the ice in his eyes melting into warmth. "Maybe I'd look forward to it more."
Lorelei stared at him in disbelief. "So… you don't actually care whether the child survives…"
"Who said I don't care?" On the contrary, Gideon cared very much.
Lorelei was confused. She truly couldn't figure out what this man was thinking. "Then why…"
Gideon gripped her chin, gently lifting her face. His cold gaze studied her. "This child must be born safely. Understood?"
Lorelei nodded dazedly.
Gideon released her and adjusted his cuffs. "Stay here and rest. Take care of yourself. I don't want to see anything like today happen again."
Lorelei stared at him blankly.
"Did you hear me?" Gideon lightly touched her hair, but his fingers were ice-cold, without warmth.
Lorelei shivered. "I heard…"
Gideon smiled with satisfaction. "Be good. Don't irritate me."
With that, he left the room.
Outside the hospital, his assistant had been waiting. Seeing Gideon emerge, he immediately approached. "Mr. Getty, what should we do with that surveillance footage?"
"Destroy it. I don't want a third person to see it."
"What about Ms. Kennedy…"
Gideon lowered his eyes. "Do you not understand me?"
"I understand. I'll take care of it right away."
The assistant didn't dare ask further. He quickly left.