Chapter 41
"Just send them all. You think I'm gonna do something weird with your photos?"
"Well, no." Josephine wasn't that full of herself.
Whatever. If he wanted them, fine.
After receiving the photos, Cedric nodded slightly. "Not bad shots."
"My teacher's really good with a camera. He used to love sneaking around taking pictures of us." Though Josephine didn't understand what was so interesting about it, Oscar never got tired of it.
These photos were the first Oscar had taken in six months. Josephine felt a mix of emotions, mostly happiness. She vaguely sensed herself reclaiming that old feeling of throwing herself into research without reservation.
A fulfilling career was what she should be pursuing.
Night.
Josephine quietly made her way to the study and pushed open the door. Gideon wasn't there—he'd gone to shower. This was the perfect opportunity.
Over the past two days, she'd searched nearly every possible hiding place in the house. When hiding something, you either put it in the most inconspicuous place or the most important one.
So Josephine had set her sights on the study. Even if she couldn't file for divorce now, she still wanted to steal the marriage certificate first. She didn't want to finally be able to divorce later only to discover she couldn't find it.
She carefully searched through the desk drawers and bookshelves. Nothing.
She had to give up and prepare to leave. But the moment she opened the door, she came face to face with Gideon.
Josephine nearly jumped out of her skin, her heart skipping a beat.
Gideon stepped forward. Josephine immediately backed up. He blocked the doorway.
"Looking for something? First you were rifling through the bedroom, now my study... You're looking for the marriage certificate, aren't you?"
"You want it that badly? You don't need it to start at the company, and you have no other use for it... Tell me, what else would require you to find it?"
Josephine answered calmly, "I just want to find it. The more you hide it, the more I want to look."
Gideon froze, then laughed. The oppressive atmosphere around him gradually dissipated. "How old are you? Still in your rebellious phase?"
Josephine turned her head away. "If you didn't hide it, I wouldn't look. But you insist on hiding it, and I don't like it."
She was being outrageously willful. And Gideon totally fell for it.
"Be good. The marriage certificate is such an important document. You said yourself that if we lose it, replacing it would be a huge hassle, so it's safer to keep it locked up."
He glanced at the cabinet beneath the bookshelf. "I might as well tell you—the marriage certificate is in that cabinet, in a safe."
The certificate was locked up tight. Without his key, password, and fingerprint, there was no way to open the triple-locked safe. And if any of the three locks were tampered with incorrectly, the safe would lock permanently.
Josephine stared at the cabinet, cursing internally. Damn you!
Gideon hugged her from behind. She couldn't stand it for even a second and quickly broke free, though she didn't push back hard. She'd always been flexible—tough when she needed to be, soft when required. Especially when dealing with Gideon.
"I'm pretty tired from working all day. I'm going to rest. Don't stay up too late either, get some sleep."
Long after she left, Gideon was still savoring the moment. His wife's concern, after so long.
He couldn't sleep.
...
Today was the weekend—a day off. Gideon got up early, sent Ava away, and personally cooked Josephine a meal.
During the meal, he extended an invitation. "Let's go see a movie this afternoon. It's been forever since we went together."
"About six months, yeah."
Gideon casually served her food. "Something like that. I've been so busy lately, I've been neglecting you. You're not mad at me, are you?"
"Of course not." She'd long since stopped wasting emotions on him. Anger and hate were even more exhausting than love.
"Then let's go to the movies."
"Can't. I have plans today."
"It's the weekend. Where are you going?"
Josephine set down her utensils and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. "I obviously have my own things to do. I'm leaving."
She left without looking back.
Gideon sat in his chair, mood plummeting. In the past, whenever he suggested going out together, Josephine would be the most excited, preparing well in advance. But she'd become increasingly cold.
Could it be...
Just then, someone rang the doorbell. Ava had been sent home to rest, so Gideon had to answer it himself.
Lorelei stood at the door, wringing her hands. "Your mother said you haven't been eating well lately. I made you some food—all light, easy dishes."
Gideon glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then pulled Lorelei inside. "I told you not to come here."
"But I was worried about you..."
"You were worried about me." Gideon found it absurd. "What right do you have to worry about me? Who are you to me? Don't forget what we have is a transaction. You're carrying what I want in your belly, and I've got what you want in my pocket. Got it?"
They'd been tangled up countless nights, and Gideon had repeatedly said he wanted her to have his child. After hearing it so many times, Lorelei had almost convinced herself that Gideon had feelings for her. Maybe just the most insignificant desire, but she firmly believed that emotion would transform into love.
Lorelei's expression soured, her eyes dropping. "I really didn't mean anything by it. I was just concerned about your health. If you don't like it, I won't do it again."
"You better not." Gideon stepped back, putting distance between them. "Remember your place. Don't overstep."
"...Yes." Lorelei submitted meekly, agreeing obediently.
She turned and left Evercrest Manor, her expression suddenly darkening.
---
Josephine went to a car dealership, planning to buy a vehicle. After all, she'd be commuting to work, and taking the bus all the time wasn't convenient. Plus, if she worked late, the bus wouldn't be safe.
But she had limited cash on hand, and she didn't want to use Gideon's money for this car. She knew if she asked, he'd give it to her. But she didn't want to.
This car was like a milestone marking her new life, a signal of a fresh start. It couldn't be tainted by people or things from the past.
After browsing for a while, Josephine settled on a car for $200,000. Not expensive, but attractive, and based on the research she'd done last night, it had decent performance too.
"Any discounts? Can I get a deal if I pay in full?"
"Miss, this car is only $200,000." Only $200,000 and she wanted a discount? Cheapskate.
The sales consultant didn't say it out loud, but Josephine could see it in their eyes. A person's eyes can't hide contempt.
"So what if it's $200,000? I'm careful with money. Even if I'm buying $20 worth of groceries, I'll ask if there's a discount. You think that's embarrassing?"
The consultant had used this tactic to provoke many customers before. When people lost their cool, they were most likely to impulse buy. This was the first time they'd encountered a customer who called them out so directly.
"Miss, you misunderstood. I meant that $200,000 cars are our cheapest, so the discount isn't much. There are no deals or promotions."
The consultant quickly adjusted, forcing a smile.
Josephine pulled out a card. "I'll take this one."
"Financing, miss?"
"Full payment."
The consultant's expression shifted. Even for a $200,000 car, being able to pay in full proved the customer had serious assets. Their commission wouldn't be small.
"Alright, I'll process your payment now."
"I'm buying this car." Aaron slapped a card on the counter.
Hearing that voice felt like a nightmare descending on Josephine.
She kept her face neutral. "Please hurry and process my card. I have other things to do."
"What card? I'm buying it for you, Josephine."
It was a perfectly normal way to address her, but coming from Aaron's mouth, it sounded strange. Full of innuendo and flirtation.
Repulsive.