Last night, Josephine's lips were practically swollen from all the kissing with Stuart. It had been ages since they got this close, and Stuart finally let her go, though he felt like he might burst.
After spending the night apart, when they met again today, there was this shy, heart-fluttering vibe between them.
Before Stuart came over this morning, he tried on like a dozen outfits, totally clueless about which one was the best.
After changing a bunch of times, he finally decided the first outfit was the winner.
When he left, the maid responsible for cleaning up was shocked. Did Stuart turn the place upside down looking for something? Clothes were everywhere!
Josephine had no idea Stuart was so stressed about what to wear just to see her. But the Stuart she saw stood tall, dressed to the nines, oozing elegance and charm.
Upon returning from abroad, she was taken aback by Stuart's worn and gaunt appearance. It seemed he had gained weight since then. Today, he appeared even more enthusiastic and hopeful.
His eyes were glued to Josephine.
Josephine lowered her gaze, not daring to meet his intense stare. It brought back memories of Stuart's intense kiss the previous night, like a ravenous wolf after centuries of hunger, yearning to consume her.
"Josephine," Stuart said, looking at her without blinking. Upon seeing her, he longed to embrace her, needing the reassurance that yesterday's events were indeed real and not mere fantasy.
Josephine said, "You don't have to go through the trouble of bringing me food anymore. The cafeteria has food too. It's too far for you to make a trip."
He was now at the Haustia Manor, and it took an hour to come and go.
Stuart said, "You're so busy now, you need to eat well, or your body won't be able to handle it."
"What about you?" Josephine took the breakfast he handed her and asked, "When are you going to the hospital for a check-up?"
Concerned about his drinking the previous night, Josephine had requested him to schedule a check-up.
"I'm fine," Stuart said. "I just won't drink anymore."
"Oh."
Stuart held back and then couldn't help but ask, "Josephine, do the things you said last night still count?"
Josephine looked at him. "Of course! What did you think? That I was playing games with you?"
"No," Stuart quickly said. "I'm just so happy. It feels like a dream. When I woke up this morning, I thought I was still dreaming."
Josephine laughed, "I don't know what to say to you."
Stuart felt a bit embarrassed. "Well, you should go upstairs and have breakfast. If you have time at noon, take a rest."
Josephine said, "Okay."
Stuart stood still.
Josephine asked, "Aren't you leaving?"
"I'll go once I see you head upstairs."
Josephine turned and walked a few steps, then looked back at him. "I'll be done with my work in a couple of days."
Stuart nodded. "Okay."
Josephine turned and walked a few more steps, then stopped.
Stuart watched her, unwilling to blink.
Josephine made a sudden turn, rushed towards him, embraced, tiptoed, kissed his lips' corner, then hurried ran away.
Stuart stood there in a daze, then touched the corner of his lips and smiled.
A woman walked by, then came back and asked, "Who are you to Josephine?"
Seeing her in a work uniform, Stuart said, "I'm her boyfriend."
When he said this, Stuart felt nothing but joy. This feeling was really wonderful.
The woman nodded. "I see. So Josephine has a boyfriend. No wonder she refused when I tried to set her up with someone."
Stuart was taken aback. He quickly said, "Thank you, but there's no need to worry about our Josephine."
The woman, in her fifties, smiled kindly. "Well, take good care of each other. Josephine is a good girl."
"I will," Stuart said.
Even after getting in the car, he couldn't stop smiling.
Back at the Haustia Manor, the family was having breakfast.
Stuart greeted them and then sat next to Jeffery, taking care of him.
Jeffery said, "I can do it myself. Mommy says I should do my own things."
"Jeffery is so good," Andrew laughed. "Your mommy has taught you well."
"My mommy is the best mommy in the world!"
Stuart patted his head and smiled.
Elbert spoke up. "By the way, Carol and I have decided to go back to work in a few days."
Andrew said, "How's Carol's health? Shouldn't she rest a few more days?"
Carol said, "Dad, I'm fine. There's a lot of work waiting for me at the research institute."
Andrew said, "Take care of yourselves and don't overwork."
Elbert quickly said, "Dad, don't worry. I'll take good care of Carol. We'll live together from now on, so we can look out for each other."
Carol glared at him, and Elbert laughed.
Andrew glared at Stuart, "You should hurry up and bring Josephine home."
Stuart tried to contain his joy and appear calm. "Actually, Josephine agreed to be my girlfriend."
Andrew was shocked, "What? Really?"
Elbert and Carol were also pleasantly surprised, "Really?"
Only Jeffery remained calm. He said, "You're too slow. I've been waiting impatiently."
Stuart laughed and patted his head again. "Alright, I'll speed up."
Stuart added, "Of course it's true. Why would I lie about something like this?"
Andrew said, "That's great! Our family can finally be together!"
Carol said, "Stuart, bring Josephine over one day. If we're not here, call us, and we'll come back to have a meal together."
"Okay."
Following that, Stuart returned to the office. The atmosphere had long been not just gloomy, but icy and severe, with numerous employees unable to tolerate Stuart's somber demeanor, likening him to a walking refrigerator.
Fortunately, he usually dealt with shareholders and executives. Otherwise, if regular employees had more contact with him, they might have quit.
But today, everyone noticed Stuart's lightheartedness and joy. Even the receptionist, who greeted him as usual, was surprised when he warmly replied, "Good morning."
This incident quickly spread like wildfire in the company chat groups. Many people wondered if Stuart had been possessed.
Something was off. The typically aloof and disinterested Stuart appeared unusually cheerful today. While not beaming foolishly, the hint of a smile on his lips was undeniable.
While the employees were discussing what had happened to Stuart, suddenly, he sent out a lot of benefits in the company group chat.
Stuart, as the company boss, was exceptionally generous, providing the industry's highest salaries. But it was the first time he had given out such large benefits so frequently.