Chapter 241
Josephine blinked. "I don't know."
She hadn't personally told Cedric—she'd asked Noah to relay the message. But Cedric hadn't shown up, so he probably wasn't coming.
That was fine. She didn't want to see him right now. More precisely, she didn't know how to face him.
After all, she'd just rejected his request to go public yesterday.
The others didn't know what Josephine was thinking. Emma walked over with a glass. "You need to drink more today. You're the hero."
Josephine smiled helplessly and downed a few more glasses, clearly showing signs of intoxication.
A commotion arose at the entrance.
"Mr. Getty's here."
Josephine instinctively looked up.
In that moment, everything around her seemed to blur into the background. Only Cedric's figure came into sharp focus.
The man stood tall and upright, his gaze sweeping across the room before landing on Josephine. Seeing the flush on her face, his eyes paused for an instant.
The entire room fell silent for a few seconds.
Mr. Getty's usual authority was simply too strong, and he never attended employee celebrations like this.
Though someone had asked earlier, it had only been out of politeness.
Who actually wanted to eat with the boss?
Only Josephine stood up. Having drunk a bit, she was somewhat slow and hadn't noticed the strange atmosphere.
Her tone was naturally familiar.
"Why did you come?"
To pick you up.
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Cedric said instead, "You've had quite a bit to drink."
As he spoke, he walked to Josephine's side. Emma froze, then tactfully stood to give up her seat.
Everyone exchanged glances. At first they were reserved, but after a few rounds of drinks, they discovered Cedric was unusually affable today. Not only did he not put on airs, he even proactively toasted the project team several times. The atmosphere gradually warmed up.
But soon, everyone noticed that Cedric's attention... didn't seem to be on them at all.
He kept speaking quietly with Josephine.
No one knew what they were talking about, but their dynamic was especially natural, radiating a familiarity others couldn't penetrate.
Midway through, when someone mustered the courage to toast Cedric, he didn't refuse—a departure from his usual aloofness.
"Mr. Getty is much more approachable than I imagined," Emma whispered in Josephine's ear.
Josephine smiled. "He's always been good."
Emma didn't catch that. "What?"
Josephine shook her head.
After a few more rounds, Josephine felt her stomach churning and got up to use the restroom.
The hallway outside the restroom was quiet. As soon as she walked in, she saw a familiar figure.
Gideon leaned against the wall, as if waiting specifically for her.
"Jojo."
Josephine stopped in her tracks, her expression cooling. "What are you doing here?"
"To congratulate you." Gideon's voice was hoarse. "The project was very successful. I saw the news."
He'd seen it at the hospital and accidentally knocked over a glass.
He was happy for her, but also afraid.
The distance between them kept growing. Would there come a day when she'd be beyond his reach?
"Thanks." Josephine moved to walk past him.
Gideon panicked and grabbed her wrist. Under her icy gaze, his tone lowered. "Lorelei and my mother... don't worry, I won't let them bother you again."
Josephine's smile didn't reach her eyes. "You think they'll listen to you?"
"I know you didn't push Lorelei." Gideon's gaze fell on her face, tinged with bitterness and more urgently, a hope that she'd believe him. "I believe you. You wouldn't do something like that."
Josephine laughed lightly, though her eyes held no warmth. "Should I thank you for that?"
"Jojo, you know that's not what I meant..." The last thing he wanted from her was thanks. Between them, those words were unnecessary.
He'd do anything for her willingly.
"The innocent need no defense." Josephine slowly withdrew her hand, her gaze indifferent. "Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter. I have a clear conscience."
Gideon watched her retreating figure, emotions churning in his eyes. He opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.
He turned and left, dejected.
In the shadows at the stairwell corner, Cedric slowly withdrew his gaze. His fingertips lightly traced the rim of his glass, his expression inscrutable.
Josephine emerged from the restroom and had just turned the corner when she collided with a warm body.
She looked up. Cedric stood there—she didn't know when he'd arrived—very close, close enough that she could smell the faint scent of alcohol on him.
"Cedric..."
Cedric gazed at her. The overhead light shone down from above, and his eyes looked different than usual—soaked in alcohol, covered with a hazy darkness.
Instinctively, Josephine sensed something was wrong. She reflexively stepped back, but her back hit the wall. "What's... what's wrong?"
Was he drunk?
Cedric stepped forward, one hand braced beside her ear, trapping her between himself and the wall.
"Mrs. Getty." His voice was low and husky, like a feather brushing past her ear. "Sometimes, I have to admit... I'm only human."
Not a god.
Josephine didn't understand why he'd say that. She just looked at him quietly.
Cedric lowered his head.
His kiss landed on her lips, very lightly, just resting there quietly, as if afraid of startling her, or perhaps giving her a chance to refuse.
Three seconds passed. She didn't push him away. So Cedric stopped holding back, wrapped his arm around her slender waist and pulled her close, the kiss deepening.
Josephine's mind went blank.
She didn't know why she hadn't dodged in that moment—she was quickly swept up in the dizzying kiss.
His kiss was like him—methodical, unhurried.
Yet it carried an undeniable, irresistible intensity.
Just then, a gasp came from the end of the hallway.
"Holy shit!"
Emma stood not far away with a glass, staring at the scene in stunned disbelief, nearly dropping her drink.
Josephine snapped back to reality and shoved Cedric away.
Pushed back, Cedric wasn't upset. He just watched her flustered state, a very soft laugh escaping his throat.
"I... I didn't see anything!" Emma turned and ran, her steps so chaotic she nearly tripped over herself.
Josephine stood frozen, her cheeks hot enough to fry an egg.
She glared at Cedric, her voice low. "You're drunk!"
Cedric leaned against the wall, watching her embarrassed anger, the amusement in his eyes deepening. "Maybe."
Josephine fled in disarray.
Cedric touched the corner of his lips, where her scent still lingered.
A sigh escaped his throat.
Precisely because he wasn't a god, he'd discovered with surprise that seeing those two standing together had made him jealous.
Overwhelmed with jealousy, he'd kissed her almost impulsively.
But he didn't regret it. Her kiss, like her, always made him lose his prized composure.