Dexter had a wound on his leg, a ghastly scar that looked like it had been treated before. Josie recalled the time Dexter had saved Summer in the factory when the bodyguard had hit him with a wooden stick without mercy. Her eyes darkened with worry as she asked, “Are you having any trouble walking?”
“No, Dexter said, pulling on his pants to cover the scar. “It’ll be better in a few days.” Josie didn’t believe him. He had suffered a severe injury that had required him to stay in bed for several days before he could even walk normally again..
“Dexter,” she said, her voice firm. “What were you thinking during the ten minutes it took you to save Summer?”
Dexter stopped putting on his clothes and stood still, his mind racing back to the moment of the attack. After a moment, he said, “She had to survive.” “Why?”
“Josie, she’s part of the Olsen family.” Ivy’s last words before she died still echoed in his mind. She had told him that choosing Summer would benefit him.
Dexter only cared about his profits, not Summer. Josie’s eyes were fixed on his silhouette as the truth dawned on her. She felt strangely at peace, as if she had expected him to act this way all along. What was there to be upset about?
Summer waited patiently downstairs. Mrs. Carroll had brought her a bowl of soup to help her recover from her hangover. “Ms. Olsen, please let me know if you need anything else.”
Summer smiled warmly at Mrs. Carroll. “You’ve been a great help,” she said. “You don’t have to treat me as a guest, as I’ll be here more often.”
Mrs. Carroll was taken aback by what Summer said. She nodded her head awkwardly and walked away without answering. “You’re awake,” Dexter called from the second floor. He buttoned his cuffs as he walked down the stairs.
Summer glanced behind him and smiled coyly when she saw he was alone. “Dex,” she said, “I’m sorry for bothering you last night. You could have called the Olsens. They would have sent someone to get me.”
Dexter pulled out a chair and sat down. “You must know that your parents despise me very much, he responded.
Summer chuckled at his remark. “No, that’s not true. They often compliment you in front of me, and I know they appreciate your work.”
Dexter shook his head. “An elite student from London working as a researcher in a small company? Don’t you feel like you deserve better?”
“I don’t mind the work here,” Summer said, slicing her egg with the practiced elegance of a young lady born into wealth. “I’m happy to be here, and I’m learning a lot. Besides, I got to work with the Russell Group on my first project. It’s like we were fated to meet again, Dex.”
The easy rapport between the two people left the other young woman in the Mason Garden speechless. Summer and Dexter were both from wealthy. families, and they had both been raised in a refined and sophisticated environment.
They moved with an easy grace that was both elegant and natural. Josie watched Summer and Dexter from the third-floor corridor, her eyes filled with despair.
Summer returning to Wavery was like a scene out of a movie where the elite daughter of an affluent family returns to claim what was hers. And Josie would have to give up her place eventually.
“What are you thinking about?” Anderson asked, coming up behind her. He placed his hands on the railing to see what she had been looking at.
Josie forced a smile. “Nothing,” she said. “Dr. Monte, would you mind if I went out later this afternoon? I’d like to meet a friend.”
She was not fully recovered, and couldn’t go too far, so Anderson brought a wheelchair to bring along for the ride. Anderson spoke to Dexter about Josie’s request, and Dexter gave his approval. “Take her,” he commanded.
