Chapter 28
"If she hadn't been involved, this farce wouldn't have happened and our family dinner wouldn't have been disrupted," David said firmly. "That deserves punishment."
"Grandpa, that's not fair!" As David's favorite granddaughter, Olivia didn't hold back.
David's voice turned thunderous. "How dare you speak to me that way! Have you forgotten your place?"
"But it's obviously—"
Josephine squeezed Olivia's hand, giving her a small smile that silently urged her to stop. Antagonizing David now wouldn't help either of them. In his world, there was no right or wrong—only consequences.
"You're right, Grandfather. I'll go now." The family memorial hall wasn't exactly new territory for Josephine. Whenever David was angry, this was his go-to punishment. She knew the route by heart.
Olivia watched helplessly as Josephine disappeared into the dark memorial hall, which gaped like some monster's mouth. She bit her lip, turned, and ran—with Aaron silently following.
At the front door, he caught her arm. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Let go of me!" Olivia tried to shake him off.
"Going to tattle to Cedric?" In this family, only one person besides the late Vanessa could change David's mind. "Cedric didn't say a word to help Josephine back there. Can't you take a hint? He doesn't want to get involved."
Aaron tightened his grip, blocking her path. "Listen to me. Josephine's problems aren't yours. If you don't want to cause trouble for your father, stay out of it."
"Have you no humanity? She's our sister-in-law!"
Olivia was so frustrated she wanted to kick him, but lacking the strength, she could only glare daggers.
Aaron smirked. "She's no sister-in-law of mine. Never has been."
---
The family memorial hall was dim and damp. Though regularly cleaned, it maintained an eerie atmosphere, with even the air feeling cold and unwelcoming. Josephine found a cushion and sat down, familiar with the routine.
"Weren't you told to kneel?"
The voice behind her made her jump. Turning, she saw Aaron and her expression immediately hardened. "Did Grandfather punish you too?"
"Of course not." Aaron raised an eyebrow, smiling. "I haven't done anything wrong." He walked in and closed the door behind him, plunging the already dim room into near darkness.
Josephine reached for the light switch, but it didn't work. Aaron moved silently closer, his warm breath falling on the back of her neck. "Afraid of the dark?"
Goosebumps rose on her pale skin. Without hesitation, she struck backward with her elbow—a move Gideon had taught her that never failed. Aaron took the hit to his ribs, grunting in pain. Josephine used the moment to escape, turning on her phone's flashlight to find Aaron's eyes gleaming with excitement.
What a creep.
"That was quite a hit. Would you hit my cousin that hard?"
She'd hit Gideon harder.
"This situation is inappropriate. Please leave," she said coldly.
"Don't be so cold. I was worried you might be scared, so I came to keep you company." He pouted with mock hurt.
Josephine felt nauseous. "I swear I'll hit you again."
To her disgust, Aaron looked even more excited. "Go ahead. Hit me however you want. I'm all yours." He spread his arms as if inviting an embrace.
Aaron moved closer. "You know I've always had feelings for you. All these years, so many women have come and gone, but I can't get over you." What had started as mere lust—wanting what belonged to Gideon, whom he despised—had become an obsession.
Josephine backed away warily. "Aaron, remember where we are. If Grandfather finds out, you'll definitely be punished."
"Who's going to tell? The secrecy makes it more exciting." Aaron lunged at her with open arms.
Josephine dodged sideways and stuck out her foot, tripping him. Caught off guard, Aaron stumbled headfirst toward the door—which suddenly opened.
Josephine's eyes widened, and she quickly covered them. The sight was a bit...jarring.
Aaron felt something strange against his forehead—something warm and hard. He slowly looked up to see a familiar face that filled him with dread. Hoping it was a hallucination, he closed his eyes and opened them again. The person was still there, gazing down at him coldly.
"...Cedric." Aaron stiffly straightened up, the red mark on his forehead making him look ridiculous.
"What are you doing here?" Cedric asked flatly.
"I was just...checking on Josephine..." In Cedric's presence, Aaron transformed into an obedient cousin, suddenly well-behaved.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
Cedric stared at Aaron for so long that Aaron's scalp began to tingle before finally stepping aside. Sunlight streamed in from outside—to Aaron, it looked like salvation itself. He practically bolted out the door.
After Aaron left, Cedric remained at the doorway, eyeing Josephine. "Are you a magnet for trouble?" Wherever she went, problems seemed to follow.
The "thank you" Josephine had planned to say died in her throat. He really did dislike her. "You give me too much credit."
Cedric entered the memorial hall and closed the door behind him. Learning from her previous encounter, Josephine tensed immediately as he approached, watching him warily.
Cedric paused. "You don't actually think I'm interested in you, do you?"
Josephine just stared at him.
Cedric stepped forward, and just as Josephine braced herself, he stopped and pulled out a document from his bag, tossing it to her. She fumbled to catch it.
The project title read: Neonatal Genetic Risk Assessment System (NGRAS).
Josephine knew about this project. The Getty Group's medical AI research lab had been struggling with it for some time, facing numerous challenges.
"Why give this to me?" She'd been at the company less than three days. Did Cedric already trust her that much?
"The Getty research labs are full of talented people. Surely you're not so desperate you can't find someone else."
Cedric spoke calmly. "The hospitals just returned three similar research projects after healthy babies were misdiagnosed with Down syndrome..." He looked her directly in the eyes. "Are you brave enough to take it on?"