Chapter 34
Josephine slept soundly.
Cedric leaned over the bed, his gaze scanning her face. "Josephine?"
"Answer my question—are you hungry?"
Josephine stirred slightly but was too drunk to open her eyes. "Not hungry..."
"Want some water?"
"No..."
"Want to sleep?"
"Yes..."
For someone drunk, the most blissful thing right now would be to sleep peacefully. Instead, there was this voice buzzing in her ear like an annoying fly. She couldn't really sleep, yet she was desperately tired. She wanted to open her eyes to see who this annoying fly was, but her eyelids felt glued shut.
"Have you ever been to Paper Moon Bar?"
"No..."
Cedric slowly straightened up. People always give the most honest answers when drunk or half-asleep. He pulled the blanket up, covering Josephine, then stepped out of the room.
As the door closed quietly, the room fell dark except for moonlight streaming through the window. Josephine slowly opened her eyes, completely alert.
That was close.
---
That night, Josephine slept well, probably because she'd dodged a major bullet.
In the morning, she opened her phone to find countless missed calls from Gideon. She considered calling back but remembered she'd be returning home tomorrow. Better to avoid him for now. Whenever she saw him, all those ugly memories came flooding back. Since she was already abroad, why not hide a little longer?
She sent Gideon a text instead: [I'm traveling on business. Back tomorrow.]
Gideon replied instantly: [Which city are you in? Who went with you? Did you go alone?]
Lorelei was picking out baby clothes, noticing how distracted he seemed today. She playfully snatched his phone. "Put that away. It's rare for you to come shopping for baby clothes with me..."
"Give it back." Gideon's cold stare made her freeze.
Lorelei hesitated, hurt but not daring to refuse. "I just hoped you'd help pick out some clothes for the baby. After the baby's born, I won't have you by my side..."
She sadly caressed her still-flat stomach. She hadn't started showing yet, but all those supplements had definitely added to her weight.
Gideon immediately checked his messages, saw Josephine hadn't replied, then finally looked at Lorelei. His eyes swept over her flat stomach, his tone softening slightly. "I have things to do. Stay here and rest."
He paused, remembering their arrangement, and added, "After the baby is born, you'll get everything I promised. I'll send you abroad to study."
He'd given Lorelei plenty already. Beyond the two properties in her name, her monthly allowance was a staggering $1 million. Since her pregnancy, he'd hired nutritionists and housekeepers. All for the child.
"I know in your heart, only Ms. Kennedy is your wife," Lorelei said with a bitter smile. "Don't worry, I won't ask much of you. Just one thing."
She took Gideon's hand, and he didn't pull away. Lorelei felt a secret thrill. "Before the baby is born, spend more time with me." She tilted her head up, revealing eyes that seemed washed by rain. "Let the baby know both parents love it."
At this, Gideon pulled his hand away. "I'm the father. Josephine is the mother."
The smile slowly faded from Lorelei's face.
Gideon never bothered comforting her. Even seeing her upset, he didn't care to investigate. His mind was on his silent phone. "I'm leaving. Take care of yourself."
He left without looking back.
Lorelei gritted her teeth in anger. "Josephine, as long as you're alive, Gideon will never give up on you."
If only she didn't exist. She loved Gideon so much. Since first seeing him at that cocktail party, he'd been imprinted on her heart. She would have Gideon, no matter what.
---
Gideon got into his car, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Did you find out what I asked?"
His assistant replied, "Mr. Cedric Getty and Mrs. Josephine Getty were on the same flight."
Gideon felt immediate alarm. "Book me a ticket. Now."
"But sir, you have an important meeting tomorrow—"
"I said book a ticket."
The assistant didn't dare argue further.
Gideon checked his phone again. The chat still showed only his last message; Josephine hadn't replied. Frustrated, he kicked the back of the seat. "Can't this car go any faster? Are we out of gas?"
He couldn't help imagining whether Cedric and Josephine had met on the plane. Were they together now? Why else wouldn't she answer his calls or messages? Had they spent last night together?
The more Gideon thought about it, the more agitated he became. He wanted to fly to Josephine's side immediately and stake his claim. In his life, he could tolerate anything except Josephine betraying him.
"Book a flight for today."
The assistant had already found a flight for noon tomorrow and was about to purchase it when he heard this. His hand trembled as he quickly canceled the selection. A moment later, he put down his phone. "There's a flight at 2:00 PM today."
"Reschedule everything. All business gets pushed back."
Gideon gave the order with his eyes closed.
The assistant responded, "Yes, sir."
But just as he was preparing to leave, Gideon received a call from Lorelei. "Mr. Getty, my... my stomach hurts so badly..."
"What's wrong with your stomach?"
Before he got an answer, the call abruptly ended. Gideon frowned as the boarding announcement sounded. He had no idea what was happening with Lorelei on the other end.
His assistant stood silently beside him.
While he hesitated, Briana called, immediately launching into a tirade: "Lorelei isn't feeling well. I've had her taken to the hospital. Where are you? Get to the hospital immediately! I don't care what you're doing—drop everything right now!"
"Mom, I have something important."
"What could be more important? I know you bought a plane ticket. You're going after Josephine, aren't you? Listen to me, Gideon. The baby in Lorelei's womb is more important than anything right now. Don't forget why you wanted this child in the first place! This isn't just for you—it's for Josephine too. Don't let everything be ruined by a moment of impulse!"
Briana angrily hung up.
Gideon stood frozen, his expression shifting between emotions as the boarding announcements continued around him, mingling with the echo of Briana's scolding.
He took a deep breath and turned around. "To the hospital."