Dexter’s attitude had a wealth of warmth inexplicably suffusing Josie.
When the footsteps outside had faded into the distance, Dexter took her hand and led her out of the interlayer. He then swiftly climbed to the top of the ship’s cabin before reaching out and pulling Josie up. They stood together at the elevated point, the wind whistling around them, causing their hair to flutter wildly.
They could see Arnold on the deck, his expression dark as he reprimanded his men. “Apart from the bodyguards on warehouse duty, why is there one person short?”
The bodyguards couldn’t find Josie. All gathered together at that moment, they exchanged glances and realized that one person was indeed missing from their group.
Someone exclaimed, “It’s Joshua! Joshua is missing! I was just on patrol with him. How strange.”
Arnold’s face grew increasingly darker. With a swift flick of his hand, the whip he held whizzed menacingly through the air. “Where is he?”
“I’ll go and look for him right away!”
“Hold it!” Arnold barked, having realized something. “There’s no need to search anymore. Conduct a carpet search. Once you find those two people, kill them immediately.”
His aura was akin to that of the Grim Reaper. At the side, Josephine was terrified. She went weak but tried her best to maintain her composure. Nonetheless, it was clear to her that he held little affection for Josie.
She let out a sigh of relief.
Having received their orders, the bodyguards dispersed in all directions.
Dexter and Josie sat side by side at the topmost point, watching as Arnold approached Josephine. His tone gradually softened as he asked, “Did I frighten you?”
Josephine’s lips curved into a smile, and she shook her head.
“The first time I met you, you were just as fierce. How could I possibly be frightened? Did that woman… ruin your plan?”
“She’s just a woman who thinks too highly of herself.”
Arnold’s lips also curved up, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He gazed out at the seemingly endless expanse of sea, his expression unreadable.
By then, several boats had already sailed out of the river to the sea.
Josie opened the map on her phone. In just two more hours, they would arrive in Wavery.
However, there was no signal.
Dexter took out a locator, checked the coordinates, and synced it. His voice was somewhat muffled in the wind. “If I were to notify the Russell family in Wavery now, they might be able to make it in time.”
“What is this?”
“Anything belonging to the Russell family is not to be used lightly. Once used, they will rush over as quickly as possible.”
Dexter didn’t tell her that once this device was activated, it signified that the head of the Russell family was in danger, thus triggering a level-one response.
Josie’s brows furrowed. “Why don’t you notify Mr. Ziegler?”
“It’s too late, and the scale of this operation is too large. There are traitors in Wavery, so the moment they make a move, Rivodia will be alerted immediately.”
Therefore, the Russell family is safer.
Dexter added, “The air in the warehouse is insufficient, so they switch shifts every half an hour. We only have these three minutes during the shift change to sneak in.”
It wasn’t time yet.
Her heart racing, Josie gave a slight nod.
The sea was pitch black, the only light coming from the distant lighthouse and the ship itself.
The wind howled around her as she hugged her knees, in an emotional turmoil. She said, “It’s nine o’clock. Grape should be asleep by now. I wonder if Justin managed to coax her.”
Dexter crouched and sat down with her, gazing into the distance. “Grape is very well-behaved. You raised her well, and she’s not the type to make a fuss. You can rest easy.”
Josie glanced at him, a sudden realization striking her. “Sometimes, I think her obedience wasn’t inherited from me, but you.”
That remark had Dexter cast her a sidelong glance.
He chuckled. “There’s some truth to that. You’ve been a handful since young.”
