Josie trembled all over, struggling to hold back her urge to curse. Yet, she had no choice but to accept the medicine.
Arnold leaned in close to her ear. “My dear Ms. Warren, you always have a way, don’t you?”
After he finished speaking, he bypassed Josie and left directly, leaving her continuously shivering.
Inside the mansion, Paul was seated on the sofa, watching Grape frolic about. The two seemed to have become quite familiar with each other. However, every day when Paul woke up, he would always ask about the identity of the child.
Josie poured some water and walked up to Paul. “Dad, it’s time to take your medicine.”
Paul, in a daze, swallowed the pill. He experienced a brief discomfort but quickly began to feel better.
Justin then carried him away.
Dexter handed a piece of the building block to Grape before saying, “We can’t rush this matter. Otherwise, Arnold won’t easily believe it.”
Josie slumped down, asking despondently, “What should we do, then?”
“In a couple of days, Charles will attend a meeting in Rivodia. He will have half a day to himself. It has been two years, and he’s missed you dearly,” Dexter uttered nonchalantly, toying with the building blocks in his hands, his voice pleasing to the ear.
Charles was a man Henry had introduced to her from before.
“Is he still the mayor of Wavery?”
“After another year, we’ll know whether he’s moving up or falling behind.” Dexter had been looking down for so long that his neck was starting to ache. He set the building blocks aside with a clatter. “Now, it’s up to you.”
From that angle, the man was somewhat backlit. Josie said composedly, “You’ve gathered so much information these past few years. Hasn’t anyone raised objections?”
After all, he was a businessman, and crossing the line too often would inevitably lead to sanctions.
Dexter seemed utterly unconcerned, even managing a relaxed smile. “So you see, I don’t really manage Russell Group anymore. Being a wealthy idler suits me just fine.”
Though it sounded easy, Josie felt the inherent risks were far from simple.
Seeing her brows furrowed in concern, Dexter added nonchalantly, “What I have in my control is enough to balance several forces. If there comes a day of backlash, I have enough resources to remedy the situation.”
That was why he was so confident.
Josie trusted his decisions. Although he often came across as opinionated, she had to admit that his choices always played a pivotal role. It was only his excessively ruthless decisions that ended up hurting her heart.
Dexter, who seemed confident, always had a touch of sorrow in his eyes, as if he was on the verge of being mentally and physically exhausted.
It’s tiring being him, isn’t it? Regaining her senses, Josie realized what she had been thinking and wished she could slap herself. What am I doing, empathizing with Dexter? This is truly madness.
Just then, Dexter suddenly turned around and looked at her. “From the information you have now, are you withholding anything from me?”
“Arnold? No.” That was the truth.
He nodded in response. “Then you can rest assured.”
Upon arriving in Rivodia, Charles spent an entire day in meetings. It was only in the evening that he found some free time. The place he chose for dinner was quite modest.
Josie stood at the restaurant entrance while Arnold was seated in a car not far away, sending her a message with his head bowed. The message read: Old Mr. Russell indeed treated you well, even managing to connect you with Charles.
Josie didn’t want to pay attention to his passive aggressive behavior.
An MPV was approaching from a distance, its license plate bearing the letter J, followed by eight eights, exuding a strong presence.
A few people descended from within, and finally, there was Charles. He was dressed in a suit. Upon seeing Josie, he quickly approached, extremely delighted. “Is it really you, Jo? It’s been such a long time!”
With a face full of remorse, Josie shook his hand. “It’s been two years since we last met in Wavery. I apologize, Mr. Zimmerman.”