After a moment of contemplation, Paul said, “Actually, whether one has parents or not isn’t important. What’s truly important is whether there is love.”
Some parents gave birth to children, only to let them suffer in this world.
Josie’s smile was somewhat strained. She didn’t know why, but even though she hadn’t seen how Dexter had spoken those words to Xanthe, she could imagine his feelings at that time.
Paul held her hand, rambling on and on with his words. Finally, unable to hold on any longer, he fell asleep.
Josie tucked him in, then she opened the drawer. The medicine Arnold had given her was now down to just three pills.
She closed her eyes, clutching the transparent bag tightly, and returned it to its original place.
The study’s light was still on, showing no signs of being turned off.
By now, Josie’s legs had regained enough strength to climb up and down the stairs, albeit slowly. As a result, her footsteps were quite soft. She approached the study, the door was ajar. As soon as she stepped in, she heard the sound of a telephone ringing from within.
“Mr. Russell, my company is on the verge of defaulting on its loan. We need funds to keep the projects running. Bank of Wavery is pressuring us relentlessly. If things continue this way, I might just jump off a building. You can’t just stand by and watch me perish!”
Dexter sat in the shadows, a glass of whiskey by his side, its potent aroma wafting through the air.
He heard a sound and looked toward her.
Josie pursed her lips, signaling him to first deal with the matter at hand.
Dexter was still looking at her as he said into the phone, “I’ll talk to Zachariah.”
A sigh of relief was immediately heard over the phone. “Thank you, Mr. Russell. Once the company overcomes this crisis, I will work tirelessly to repay you!”
Dexter hung up and gently tossed his phone onto the table.
Only then did Josie say, “With just one sentence, you’re placing a lot of pressure on Zachariah. Is the other party’s position that significant?”
Dexter slid his chair, facing her, “The middleman who monopolized most of the projects in Wavery, has some connections with the local government. We can’t ignore that.”
“I heard that you’ve taken over Rivodia-Wavery border. Did it not affect Mr. Dalton and the others?”
She had heard this piece of news today at the dining table, mentioned by those higher-ups. At that time, Arnold’s expression looked extremely unpleasant.
“If they can’t win using legitimate tactics, then they would inevitably resort to underhanded methods sooner or later. Whether it would have any impact or not is a matter for the future.”
Dexter wore a faint expression, with only the strong scent of alcohol permeating the air.
Josie hesitated slightly, recalling the scene at the dinner table. After the higher-ups had finished speaking, Arnold immediately raised his glass to clink with Josie’s. His tone was peculiarly sarcastic as he said, “Mr. Russell, you’ve truly made a grand gesture out of anger for your beloved. Quite the magnanimous act.”
Josie couldn’t be bothered to pay him any attention.
Dexter stared at her, seemingly perceiving her hesitation, and responded directly, “It’s because of you.”
Josie raised an eyebrow in response.
“But you needn’t feel burdened. Those who hurt me must pay the price. Don’t think that I’m trying to please you or anything.” He paused for a moment to choose his words carefully. He simply decided to do something because someone had hurt her.
He wasn’t sure if Josie had understood him, but she nodded anyway. A brief silence fell between the two.
After Dexter had a drink, a hint of redness appeared in the corners of his eyes. As he looked up at her, he strangely resembled a puppy, which made Josie want to reach out and pat his head.
Realizing this thought, Josie quickly changed the subject and said, “The police’s end-of-the- month operation against Vipera has already been exposed. There’s a high chance it could be a trap.”
Upon hearing this, Dexter furrowed his brows and rose to his feet. “Who told you this?”
“At the dining table, the higher-up of Rivodia said it himself, with Arnold right beside him.”
