Chapter 6
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Josephine's abdomen. Alarmed, she immediately hailed a taxi and rushed to the hospital. Though she hadn't decided whether to keep this baby, she was already worrying about it. Not a good sign.
At the hospital, Sophia examined her and spoke sternly: "Your health is already fragile, yet you're running around everywhere. Even if you don't care about the baby, at least think about yourself."
"I..." Josephine had indeed been frantically busy all day, not even stopping to eat. No wonder the baby was protesting.
Sophia led her to her private rest area and brought her food and clothes. "The weather's getting cold. Don't wander around, and remember to wear a coat when you go out. If you get sick, you can't even take medication now," Sophia warned.
"I've brought your favorite foods. Eat something and rest here—nobody comes in here. I have surgery scheduled, but I'll be back soon."
As quickly as she'd arrived, Sophia was gone again. Josephine took a few bites, then felt uncomfortably sticky. She wanted a shower, and fortunately, Sophia had thought of everything—clothes, pants, underwear, all complete. She gathered them and headed to the bathroom.
After her shower, Josephine discovered her white bra was missing, probably fallen somewhere on the floor. She was debating whether to put on her shirt without it or venture out to search when she heard the door open.
"Sophie?" she called through the bathroom door.
The footsteps outside paused.
Feeling cold, Josephine said, "Sophie, could you hand me my bra? I just showered and can't find it."
After a moment of silence, the footsteps approached.
"Thanks," she said as a hand passed the white bra through the narrowly opened door. She quickly grabbed it and put it on.
As she fastened the clasp, she suddenly froze. Something wasn't right! That hand had long, elegant fingers with a healthy skin tone, perfectly manicured nails, and impeccable veins across the back—like a professional hand model's. But it was noticeably larger than Sophie's!
The bathroom door opened, and Josephine, her hair still dripping, found herself staring directly at Cedric. He stood in the doorway, his polished shoes firmly planted on the tile, maintaining his distance. Tall and dignified, with refined features and deep amber eyes.
If Gideon was a volcano—domineering, passionate, and impulsive—then Cedric was the perpetually frozen mountaintop: cool, profound, seemingly without weakness, never defeated by difficulties, forever maintaining absolute rationality.
"...Cedric."
Whenever she saw him, Josephine felt a strange disconnect. This was the man with whom she'd had a one-night stand.
Seven years ago. It had been a chaotic night. Josephine's family background was neither poor nor wealthy—just average. Her parents had worked hard to give her the best life possible, and she'd understood the value of self-sufficiency from a young age. Throughout high school and university, she'd worked various part-time jobs to earn money.
Convenience stores, retail, shopping malls, coffee shops, bars... she'd worked everywhere. That night was her last shift at the bar, and something had gone wrong. A coworker made a mistake, and she'd stepped in to help, only to be pressured into drinking several shots of hard liquor by persistent customers. She became completely intoxicated.
Somehow, she'd stumbled into a room. She couldn't remember much about that night. She only recalled waking up the next morning, completely naked, her body covered in kiss marks, her waist and back aching as if she'd been beaten. Beside her lay a man with a bare chest covered in scratch marks, his handsome, composed face peaceful in sleep.
Clearly, they'd both had an "exhausting" night. Josephine hadn't dared to look too closely. She vaguely remembered being drunk and possibly... flirting with him. In her twenty-some years, she'd always been well-behaved, following rules, never drinking, never worrying her parents. That was her first time discovering how poor her alcohol tolerance was!
She'd fled in embarrassment. As for what happened to the man afterward... she truly hadn't given it much thought. At least he hadn't lost out—it had been her first time.
She quickly put the incident behind her, until she met Gideon, fell in love, and finally met Cedric for the first time. She'd been completely stunned. She never imagined he would be her future husband's older brother!
Fortunately, Cedric seemed not to remember the incident. His gaze toward her was full of scrutiny and distance. He didn't even approve of her relationship with Gideon. He probably saw her as a gold digger.
Emerging from her memories, Josephine instinctively looked at his hands. Indeed, they were long and elegant.
The awkwardness was so extreme that she found herself oddly calm. "Cedric, what brings you here?"
Cedric's gaze swept across her pale face. Her wet hair was still dripping, quickly dampening the thin fabric covering her chest. Though she was covered, it was hardly decent. He casually picked up a jacket from the sofa and tossed it to her.
Josephine's vision went momentarily dark before she pulled the jacket down, only to notice her embarrassing state. She pressed her lips together uncomfortably.
"Are you ill?" Cedric asked.
It was strange—though he wasn't much older than them, he possessed a cold, solemn authority that made it difficult to contradict him. Lying to him would be challenging, so Josephine chose honesty. "Yes, I'm feeling a bit unwell."
"Where's Gideon?"
For a moment, Josephine felt as if he could see through the secret she was desperately concealing. After a pause, she awkwardly looked away. "He's busy."
"Too busy to take care of his wife?"
His words carried a hint of sarcasm, though his expression remained unchanged. Josephine wasn't sure if he was mocking Gideon or her former self-confident, love-struck persona. Unable to decipher his meaning and unwilling to waste mental energy trying, she forced a smile. "Why are you at the hospital? Are you feeling unwell too?"
Cedric stared at her steadily, making her inexplicably uncomfortable. "You don't have to smile. It looks terrible."
Josephine's smile froze. She lowered her head, then raised it with a more genuine smile. "You misunderstand"
Cedric looked away, seemingly unwilling to witness her fake smile.
His assistant rushed in. "Mr. Getty, Ms. Parker is on the roof threatening to jump with her unborn child unless your father takes responsibility."
Cedric's expression remained impassive. "Tell her it's better not to do it here. Don't dirty other people's property. If you can't stop her, handle the aftermath."
The assistant, apparently accustomed to such instructions, simply replied, "Yes, sir."
Josephine lowered her head, pursing her lips. Cedric's father, Bentley Getty, was notorious for his womanizing. He kept countless mistresses, and this Ms. Parker was just one of many. Gideon's mother had been another.
Only Cedric's mother was the legitimate lady of the Getty family. But what good had that done her? She was just another woman betrayed by a man.
Gideon had probably inherited Bentley's traits. What genuine feelings could he have? His so-called promises had lasted only seven years.
"You think I'm heartless?" Cedric's sharp question startled Josephine.
She looked up, meeting his penetrating gaze. "No," she quickly replied.
"He's slept with thousands of women," Cedric said coolly. "If he took responsibility for each one, our family castle wouldn't have enough rooms."
Josephine remained silent, unwilling to pass judgment. Cedric had always disliked his father's illegitimate children. Previously, with her rose-colored glasses on, Josephine had thought Gideon innocent. Now she realized Cedric was probably the truly innocent one.
According to rumors, unlike his womanizing father, Cedric had never been seen with women. His assistants were all men, and even his dogs were male. There was only one rumored first love, whom he was supposedly still searching for relentlessly.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't curious. Josephine genuinely wondered what kind of woman could capture such a man's heart.