Dexter was watching her.
In the end, Josie came clean, “What Arnold meant was he will no longer provide me with medicine if you make a move.”
Upon understanding, Dexter slightly bowed his body, filling up the glass with wine as he asked, “Knowing I would make a move, why did you still tell me?”
Even Josie herself didn’t know how to respond. Indeed, she could act as a double agent, secretly serving Arnold while keeping Dexter in the dark. This way, the chances of obtaining the medicine would have been greater.
“Those goods are likely to devastate countless families. I didn’t want to see that happen. If Paul were awake, he wouldn’t have let me do this either,” Josie responded earnestly.
It was not so much about being noble. Since her family had fallen apart, she simply felt that she shouldn’t ignore someone in need for her own benefit.
There was admiration in Dexter’s tone as he asked, “Have you ever thought about why those higher-ups would reveal their plans in front of Arnold? Haven’t they ever doubted this apparent ‘Robyn’?”
Upon hearing this, Josie was taken aback. It was indeed strange. Wavery held Arnold in high regard, so it was impossible that they hadn’t given him a heads up in advance.
“Why? Are you suggesting that there are moles among the higher-ups, deliberately leaking information about Vipera, to put it on alert?”
Dexter took a sip of his wine and said, “It’s too early to draw conclusions now.”
“Would you take action, then?”
In fact, the dilemma had now fallen squarely on Dexter. Once he made a move, Josie would be exposed, and Arnold’s probing would succeed.
“Do you want to make a move?” he asked all of a sudden, his eyes bright after having a drink, as he looked at her.
Josie furrowed her brows, momentarily at a loss. “Of course.”
“The answer is right here.”
Josie was puzzled, and as their eyes met, she realized what he meant. “I’ll go.”
He tilted his head back to finish his drink, gently placing the empty glass on the table as he said, “The specifics need to be discussed with Scott and others. You need not worry. This matter will be resolved to the greatest extent possible.”
Josie withdrew her gaze, deciding that the conversation should end here. However, as she turned to leave, she suddenly stopped and asked, “Does it hurt?”
Dexter’s action of pouring the wine also came to a halt, as if he didn’t comprehend the meaning behind her words.
“Does it hurt, having personally sent your own birth mother to her death?”
As she asked this question, Josie’s eyes were filled with heartache and sympathy. The veins on the back of his hand, clutching the cup, bulged out as he asked, “How did you know?”
“Arnold saw you and insisted that we go in to find out what was happening,” Josie answered truthfully.
Josie was completely face to face with him as she continued, “I’ve said it before, you really didn’t have to go to such lengths for me. But since things have already been set in stone, I figured you probably had your own difficulties too. Dexter, I should say thank you, and I’m sorry, we can’t go back anymore.”
This was indeed a barefaced answer. Josie had originally planned to discuss it after the contract ended in a hundred days, but now she had no choice but to speak up.
Dexter’s eyes turned a rapid crimson, his concern deepening at her latter words. “Why bring this up all of a sudden?”
“I felt that you’ve misunderstood our relationship, thinking we could reconcile, but we can’t anymore.”
No sooner had the words left her lips, than Dexter abruptly reached out, pulling her into his embrace. He forced her to tilt her head back and meet his gaze, his teeth gritted in frustration as he asked, “What exactly did Arnold tell you?”
Josie took a deep breath and replied, “He didn’t. The main point is-”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Dexter interrupted her directly.
Josie remained silent, unable to utter a word.
After a long silence, Dexter asked with a hoarse voice, “Why can’t we reconcile? From the beginning to the end, there has never been anyone else in my heart, let alone physically. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Mr. Peeple or even Moses-”
Josie felt that he was becoming somewhat morbid, so she interrupted him by saying, “It’s not because of that.”
“Then why?” His grip on her arm tightened.
