Chapter 78
Josephine calmly pressed the record button.
Evidence delivered right to her doorstep—she'd be crazy not to take it. This could all help build a winning case for their eventual divorce.
However, after recording for nearly a minute, the phone went silent.
The next second, the call was disconnected.
Josephine frowned slightly.
Had Gideon discovered something?
At that moment, the situation in the car was completely different from what she imagined. Gideon had grabbed Lorelei's wrist, stopping her advance. She was stuck in an awkward position, draped over him but unable to make any intimate moves.
She bit her lip in confusion. "Mr. Getty?"
"You're pregnant. You should behave accordingly."
Gideon didn't deny that Lorelei could arouse his desire—she was incredibly seductive, and during those first weeks of their affair, he'd been somewhat addicted.
But he could distinguish between lust and love.
Lust could be indulged, but he couldn't stay lost in it forever. He couldn't lose Josephine.
He lifted Lorelei's chin. "Your most important job right now is to safely deliver this baby, then take your payment and disappear. Don't show up in front of me again."
Lorelei's face turned ashen.
"Mr. Getty... have you forgotten how happy we were together? Can you really bear to let me go?"
Gideon pushed her away with decisive force, then pulled out a tissue to wipe his fingers.
"I don't want to repeat myself."
Lorelei gritted her teeth and backed away. In her haste, she'd accidentally ended the call in her pocket.
Thank goodness the call had ended early—if Josephine had heard those words...
She forced a smile. "I understand. Don't worry, I absolutely won't do anything I shouldn't."
It seemed she couldn't rush things... she'd have to take it slow.
……
That morning, Oscar taught his regular class but announced at the end that there would be a monthly exam that day.
Everyone was excited and nervous.
Rebecca kept taking deep breaths. "Josephine, do you think Prof. Carter might accept me as a student?"
Josephine shook her head. "I'm not sure, but you're already Prof. Carter's student—everyone here is."
"Not that kind of student. Prof. Carter has taught so many courses, his students are everywhere. I mean, could I become his final and most important disciple?"
That was probably every research student's dream.
This question... Josephine couldn't answer it because she'd seen Rebecca's grades.
Rebecca was actually quite talented, but in Oscar's eyes, it probably wasn't enough.
Most importantly, Oscar had never mentioned taking anyone as his final and most important disciple. Years ago, he'd publicly stated that he only taught knowledge and wouldn't take on any more apprentices.
But not wanting to dampen Rebecca's enthusiasm, she chose a gentler response.
"Whether Prof. Carter is willing to take you as a disciple or not, you're excellent and outstanding."
Rebecca grinned. "Thanks, Josephine."
Not far away, Lorelei watched the two of them thoughtfully.
The monthly exam was scheduled for the afternoon. During the morning study session, Lorelei secretly followed Rebecca out.
Rebecca was washing her hands in the restroom when Lorelei tapped her shoulder from behind, startling her.
"What's up, Lorelei?"
Lorelei smiled slightly. "Nothing, I just think you look like one of my friends."
"Really? What friend?"
Rebecca was curious—her parents had never mentioned having twin sisters.
"Look at this."
Lorelei pulled out a photograph.
Rebecca looked down and gasped. "I do look kind of similar! But... he's a man."
Lorelei said, "That's what makes it even stranger."
Rebecca shrugged it off. "Probably just a coincidence. There are quite a few people in the world who look alike."
She dried her hands and left the restroom.
But Lorelei didn't think so.
This was definitely not a coincidence.
……
Rebecca returned to the classroom to find Oscar distributing test papers. Josephine shot her a look, signaling her to sit down quickly.
The moment she settled into her seat, the exam began.
Time crawled by. Two hours later, when the exam finally ended, everyone looked completely drained.
Oscar collected everyone's papers. "You've all worked hard lately. Take three days off and get some rest."
Cheers erupted instantly.
Oscar suddenly walked over to Lorelei, exam paper in hand.
"This yours?"
Lorelei nodded. "Yes, Prof. Carter."
Oscar studied her for a long moment. "Not bad. Go home and review properly."
Eager to check the papers, he left as soon as he finished speaking.
This sparked immediate speculation among the class.
"Oh my God, Lorelei, you're the first person Prof. Carter asked about—and the only one!"
"Looks like Prof. Carter was really impressed with your exam."
"I think Prof. Carter's intentions are pretty obvious. When you become his student, don't forget about us little people."
Lorelei feigned modesty. "Prof. Carter hasn't announced anything yet. He might've just been asking casually."
"Stop being so modest."
Rebecca watched as Lorelei basked in the attention like the center of the universe, then leaned close to Josephine and whispered, "Josephine, something feels off about this... Prof. Carter wouldn't actually..."
Before Rebecca could finish, Josephine flicked her forehead.
She clutched her forehead, wincing. "Josephine, what was that for..."
"Mind your own business and focus on yourself."
Rebecca rubbed her forehead. Seeing Josephine so calm helped her settle down, too. "Oh, right, Lorelei came to find me earlier and showed me a photo. She said..."
"Ms. Kennedy, Rebecca."
Lorelei's voice cut her off from behind.
Josephine looked up.
Lorelei smiled, a hint of smugness creeping through. "Looks like Ms. Kennedy is about to lose."
"One compliment and you've already lost the plot?"
Josephine's retort left Lorelei momentarily speechless.
But she was in too good a mood to bother arguing. "Whatever. When the results come out, you'll see. People need to learn to accept reality."
Josephine's involvement with Oscar had damaged Starlight Group's reputation, causing their stock to plummet. Gideon had been working overtime, constantly trying to fix the mess.
Lorelei knew that once she became Oscar's student, inviting him to help Starlight Group would be perfectly natural.
As they passed each other, Lorelei lowered her voice. "I can help him. You... you'll only cause him trouble."
Josephine couldn't care less. If she wanted to help that scumbag, who was going to stop her?
...
Gideon's villa.
The moment Gideon pushed open the door, he heard Briana and Lorelei's voices chattering away. The sound alone grated on his nerves.
Briana was singing Lorelei's praises, making her sound like she'd hung the moon. Not satisfied with praising her herself, she had to drag Gideon into listening too.
"Look how amazing Lorelei is! She's never studied this before, but she worked so hard to learn. Her exam results today were exceptional—Oscar Carter even singled her out!"
Gideon paused, eyeing Lorelei with skepticism.
"You sure Oscar wasn't chewing you out?"
That old guy—even from their few interactions, Gideon knew exactly what kind of person he was. Serious, rigid, demanding to an almost psychotic degree.
Lorelei brimmed with confidence. "Of course not. After the exam today, he specifically asked about my paper—only mine. He even said I was impressive. Even though I'd never studied this before, I worked hard to memorize everything. He quizzes me all the time. I'm his star student."
Everything except the part about him asking about her paper was complete fiction, but it wasn't like they'd actually go verify it with Oscar. She could say whatever she wanted.
Briana grabbed Lorelei's hand, practically glowing with joy. "Once you become Oscar's student, he'll be able to help Starlight Group!"
She'd been having a rough time lately. Gideon's father had been giving her the cold shoulder over the fake bracelet incident, feeling she'd embarrassed him. He hadn't visited her in ages.
Gideon was Briana's last remaining source of security.
"If you become Oscar's student, I'll officially accept you as my only daughter-in-law."
Lorelei's eyes lit up.
Gideon, standing nearby, was less than pleased. He fixed both excited women with an icy stare. "Mom, I don't want to hear that again. And you—"
He glanced at Lorelei, whose face had gone pale.
"I told you not to come to my house."
Briana protested, "Don't be so cold to Lorelei! Be nicer!"
"If you like her so much, you marry her."
With that cold retort, Gideon turned and strode away.