Chapter 55
When Gideon got home, he heard faint sounds coming from upstairs. His expression darkened as he grabbed the baseball bat from the hallway cabinet and climbed the stairs slowly.
Reaching the second floor, he realized the noise was coming from Josephine's study.
Was Josephine back?
He set the baseball bat against the wall and pushed open the door.
Josephine sat at the desk, fiddling with that ancient computer she'd bought years ago.
"Why bother with that dinosaur? If you need a computer, I'll buy you a new one."
"No need."
Her tone was cold and dismissive.
She was still mad at him.
Gideon rubbed his nose and placed his hands on her shoulders placatingly. "It's such a small thing—is it really worth staying this angry? I wasn't taking sides or saying I don't believe you, but you need evidence for everything. Running to the office to confront someone without proof—what would people think if they overheard? They'd just gossip about how you were being unreasonable, throwing your weight around..."
"I don't need you lecturing me."
Josephine shrugged off his hands and closed the non-functional old computer, placing it in her bag. After a quick scan around the study to make sure she hadn't missed anything, she headed for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"None of your business."
She pulled the door open, but Gideon slammed it shut with his palm, leaning close to her ear from behind. "You're still angry? What do I have to do for you to forgive me?"
"Nothing you do will make me forgive you."
That statement left no room for compromise. Gideon's expression hardened. "Can't you try to understand my position?"
"What position?"
"The company's in a growth phase right now. You know how rare an opportunity to collaborate with Prof. Carter is." Gideon rubbed his temples. "This chance is critical. Lorelei won't give it up, and neither will I. The Getty Group has a legacy, and Cedric has his grandfather's backing and countless connections. He doesn't need this collaboration with Prof. Carter as badly as we do."
Suddenly, Josephine understood—maybe he had noticed Lorelei's suspicious behavior all along. He was just pretending not to see it.
"You're unbelievable."
She took a step back, no longer masking the contempt on her face.
"Then may the best team win."
She turned and left.
Gideon sank wearily onto the couch and pulled out his phone to call his assistant. "Tell the department to accelerate the timeline. We need to push forward with the Prof. Carter collaboration."
……
Josephine took the computer to a repair shop, but the technician told her it was extremely old—a model from years ago. Fixing it would require both specialized skills and time.
"I can't promise I'll be able to repair it, but I'll do my best."
At least there was hope. Josephine said, "Please try your hardest. Money's not an issue."
"Don't worry. Two days at most, whether it works or not, I'll call you."
When Josephine stepped outside, she saw the Rolls-Royce parked at the curb.
Noah opened the car door.
"Mrs. Getty, please get in."
"But my car..."
"I'll have someone drive it back for you later."
After Josephine got in, Noah was about to follow when he met Cedric's gaze. Something seemed to occur to him, and he stepped back down. "Could I trouble Mrs. Getty to drive Mr. Getty home? I'll take Mrs. Getty's car back to Clearwater Ridge. Would that work?"
"That would be great, thanks."
Once Noah left, only Josephine and Cedric remained in the car. She belatedly felt awkward and quickly addressed business. "I went to see Lorelei today. That project idea they presented—it was mine from when I resigned. I left it in my office by accident."
She was kicking herself now.
If she'd known Gideon would be idiotic enough to give that office to Lorelei, she would've taken everything when she quit—down to the last tissue.
"Stealing ideas is on brand for her."
"You know her that well?"
Cedric's voice was coolly detached. "Someone who'd steal another woman's husband wouldn't think twice about stealing ideas."
Josephine fell silent.
Sharp-tongued as ever.
But somehow, his words lifted her spirits considerably.
"Just do your best. Don't stress too much." His demeanor remained untroubled as always.
Josephine was curious. "You're not worried?"
"What's there to worry about? It's just one project." The Getty Group was a behemoth with a century of history—countless projects, endless connections.
Cedric had high hopes for this project and had been courting Prof. Carter aggressively.
Success would be icing on the cake. Failure wouldn't matter much.
The stakes weren't that high for him.
Watching him, Josephine felt genuine admiration and envy. This was the confidence that came from having real power and backing.
If she hadn't given up six months ago...
A fierce surge of determination rose within her.
"Consider this my first test since joining your company." Life was full of challenges—Josephine's fighting spirit ignited. She'd never been one to back down. "I won't make you regret choosing me."
But Cedric said, "Crisis also means opportunity."
Josephine paused.
He lowered the window. A breeze drifted in, and he narrowed his eyes slightly. "A dead end isn't always a dead end."
At first, it sounded like a meaningless platitude.
Josephine frowned with worry. "But if the computer can't be fixed, I won't be able to prove I created this."
"What kind of person do you think Frank is?"
Cedric abruptly changed topics, bringing up Frank.
"He's... proud, aloof. Very talented." Josephine offered a brief assessment based on their few meetings and his file.
"I heard he was the one who developed this project single-handedly."
"You mean..."
Josephine wasn't certain, but his reasoning made sense. "I'll give it a shot."
Someone that proud and particular—if he discovered the project he'd poured himself into was actually built on stolen ideas, he probably wouldn't be able to stomach it.
Having someone on the inside would make this much easier.
Cedric handed her a slip of paper with an address written on it.
Josephine smiled wryly. "So you've already arranged everything for me."
"This isn't for you—it's for the company." His expression remained deadpan serious.
"Understood. Can I borrow Mr. Getty's car?"
"Take it."
Josephine drove to the address on the paper and spotted Frank sitting in the restaurant.
Frank occupied a window seat, his fingers absently tracing the rim of his coffee cup. The aroma of coffee lingered in the air, but it didn't smell as rich as usual.
"Mr. Baldwin, let's talk."
Josephine sat down across from Frank.
Frank's fingers stilled. "Don't tell me—you're going to claim Lorelei plagiarized the project?"
"Looks like Mr. Getty already filled you in when he asked you here." Josephine clasped her hands on the table, her expression serious. "But I need to tell you—it's not plagiarism. It's theft of intellectual property."