Chapter 73
Cedric glanced at her and suddenly pressed a piece of cake into her hand.
Josephine blinked at him, confused.
He looked completely uninterested in the press conference. "Pretty sweet. Try it."
Josephine took a bite of the cake just as Gideon's voice reached her ears. His voice carried through the microphone, filling the entire venue.
"We've identified the person who stole the manuscript, and they're willing to come forward to admit their mistake and accept responsibility."
The moment Gideon finished speaking, a middle-aged man walked out from backstage. He looked weathered and exhausted, his face covered in stubble he hadn't bothered to shave.
Reporters swarmed him with questions.
"What was your purpose in stealing the manuscript? Do you actually understand AI projects?"
"Based on your clothes, you look like a construction worker. Are you really knowledgeable in this field?"
"Did someone put you up to this?"
"Did you really do this? Or are you just taking the fall?"
The reporters weren't holding back. The man glanced up briefly, then quickly dropped his head again. He clearly wasn't used to being surrounded by so many people. His voice came out barely above a whisper.
"It was all me... I stole those manuscripts during the renovation..."
"Why would you do that?"
"I... I wanted to sell them for money..."
"So you sold them to Starlight Group?"
"Yes, I sold them to Ms. Kelly."
Josephine laughed. This whole conversation was riddled with holes. How stupid would Lorelei have to be to buy manuscripts from some random person? From a construction worker, no less!
The reporters clearly had their doubts, too. But no matter how hard they pressed, the middle-aged man stuck to his story.
Gideon stepped in front of him just in time. "I sincerely apologize. Due to inadequate oversight on our part, this scandal occurred. But today, I'm here to give everyone an explanation. While the original manuscript wasn't ours, we've poured tremendous effort into this project. As everyone's seen, the manuscript was just a preliminary outline. All the subsequent details and framework were developed by our company's employees."
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Josephine murmured.
Gideon continued: "So as long as the Getty Group agrees, we're prepared to develop this jointly with the Getty Group."
At that, every eye in the room and every spotlight swung toward Cedric and Josephine.
Cedric lifted his gaze.
Gideon smiled. "What do you say, Mr. Getty? After all, we've invested considerable resources into this project, and we currently hold the execution rights. If we drag this through litigation, it won't benefit either of our companies. Why not collaborate instead?"
He paused, his gaze shifting to Josephine.
"Besides, I've always admired your company's employees. When it comes to exceptional talent, I've never turned anyone away."
Josephine instinctively looked at Cedric. Actually, this proposal was the best solution. Otherwise, even if they got the manuscript back, there was no way the other side would hand over all the framework and details they'd developed. That would mean starting from scratch.
But with the project already in development, anything they created would essentially be a second version. Unless they could make it exponentially better than the first version, otherwise, if it merely matched or fell short of the original, they'd face criticism for lacking capability.
The optimal solution was to accept Gideon's proposal. After all, both the Getty Group and Starlight Group were run by people with the Getty name.
But...
She lowered her head. If the two companies partnered now, as an employee of the Getty Group—even for the sake of the company—she absolutely couldn't let a divorce scandal with Gideon break at this moment.
The reporters had obviously reached the same conclusion and began offering congratulations to both companies.
"A partnership between these two powerhouse companies—this project is bound to become world-renowned."
"You two are both competitors and cousins. This collaboration should create quite the spark, shouldn't it?"
No one thought Cedric would refuse.
But Cedric did exactly that.
"Sorry. I'm not interested in this project."
Every reporter fell silent. Gideon understood—what did 'interest' have to do with projects? Making money was the whole point.
"You really don't want it, Mr. Getty?"
A ready-made opportunity laid out right in front of him—he was even offering to cut Cedric in on the deal.
And Cedric was saying no!
"No."
Everyone finally realized Cedric was serious.
Josephine stared at him in surprise.
Cedric glanced at her. "This project was my employee's idea. The rights belong to her. We'll get the manuscript back and do it ourselves."
Gideon's face turned a sickly shade of pale. Who the hell would deliberately shoot themselves in the foot like this?
He gritted his teeth. "Cedric, we're family. Why say things you don't mean? Of course, I can hand it over, but you'd be starting from scratch while my company's project stalls out. What's the point? Let's work together—everyone wins."
"I won't repeat myself." Cedric's response was final.
Gideon's jaw clenched so hard it ached. He'd never met anyone this damn stubborn!
"I can guarantee you—if we collaborate, we split profits fifty-fifty, and the rights go to Josephine." This was his final concession.
"Sixty-forty split."
Cedric wasn't budging.
Gideon frowned. "All the upfront investment came from my company. You've got to at least let me break even, Cedric."
For Cedric to swoop in and take sixty percent of the profits on a ready-made project—it was outright greedy.
"Forget it then."
Cedric wasn't pushing. If the answer was no, he'd walk. His movements were crisp and decisive. He turned without hesitation, leaving zero room for negotiation.
Gideon watched helplessly as he and Josephine reached the door, about to walk out. Once they left, there'd be nothing left to negotiate.
Left with no choice, he called out: "Wait!"
The moment those words left his mouth, Josephine knew—they had a deal.
So in front of a room full of reporters, the three of them signed a new contract. In the blink of an eye, Starlight Group had given away sixty percent of their profits and lost all rights to the property.
After the press conference ended, he had someone escort the reporters out, then grabbed Josephine's wrist. "Come back with me. I need to talk to you."
He shot Cedric a look—basically telling him to get lost.
But Cedric didn't budge. He looked at Josephine instead, as if asking for her opinion.
Josephine pulled her hand free, not wanting Gideon touching her. "Whatever you have to say, say it here."
Gideon wanted to speak, but Cedric was standing right there watching. He wasn't saying anything, but his presence was impossible to ignore. It made it damn near impossible for Gideon to say what he needed to say.
How the hell was he supposed to sweet-talk his wife with Cedric standing right there? He was about to lose it.
"If you've got nothing to say, we're leaving."
Before Gideon could figure out the right words, Josephine was already walking away.
At the door, she spotted Frank. The moment Frank saw the two of them, he turned to leave.
Josephine called out: "Hold on!"
Frank stopped.
Josephine asked him: "Do you remember what you aspired to when you first joined the research institute?"