Dexter’s voice was hoarse, and his gaze on Josie was practically burning.
Only then did Josie let her gaze fall upon him. He wanted to appear nonchalant, but it only came off as forced. “I wasn’t here long. I didn’t see anything. You don’t have to be nervous,” she said.
She attempted to get up from the bed. However, Dexter had already reached out, firmly holding her slender ankle. Leaning in slightly, he asked, “How did you come to know Juliette?”
His question was so suggestive that anyone unaware might have mistaken them for the whispered sweet nothings between lovers.
Josie brushed aside the large hand resting on her cheek. “What? Have I crossed the line for incidentally knowing your friend, Mr. Russell?”
Her hostility was too intense, almost like a defensive hedgehog raising its spines.
Dexter’s eyes lifted at the corners, and he suddenly let out a soft chuckle. “Jealous, are we?”
It was a rhetorical question.
This flirtatious remark made Josie’s cheeks burn. She suddenly felt uncomfortable all over, avoiding his touch. “Who’s jealous? I just don’t appreciate your interrogation. I came here for Grape, not to spy intentionally.”
The more she tried to explain, and the quicker she did so, the more it seemed like she was trying to cover something up.
In the end, she realized it herself. She chose to give up and fell silent, no longer bothering to speak.
Dexter had always been a dominant man. He reached out and lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him under the glaring light. Keeping his voice low so as not to wake the child, he asked, “Do you still remember Mr. Harrison?”
It was such a random question.
Josie was slightly taken aback. “He’s the director who wanted to take over Russell Group.”
“A year ago, during an inspection in Nusridge, he maliciously tampered with my vehicle. Mr. Peeple and I nearly lost our lives. It was Juliette who happened to pass by and saved us.”
Dexter recounted his story nonchalantly, explaining how he came to know Juliette and the circumstances that followed.
Josie hadn’t expected him to say that, and she was taken aback for a moment. “Who cares-“
He interrupted, “Due to the severity of our injuries, we had to recuperate in the Witherspoon residence for over a month. It was their protection that allowed me to plan properly and finally bring down Mr. Harrison.”
Thus, Juliette saved him at a most critical time.
The string of rosary beads on Dexter’s wrist appeared exceptionally glaring under the illumination of the lamp light.
Josie could comprehend everything, yet for some inexplicable reason, she felt a sudden tightness in her chest, causing her to turn her head away.
Dexter continued, “Because of our personalities and shared profession, we became friends on good terms.”
Oh.
“A disheartened man sharing a tale of cliffside sunsets, the kind of romance you’d usually reserve for a dear friend. It was my first time listening to that story too,” Josie said bitterly. “Are you trying to use me to gain her sympathy?”
She couldn’t hold back.
The subtle undertone in her words made Dexter chuckle lightly. “She once asked me about the unique attractions in Wavery. You know, I’m usually not interested in those things, but the view that day was truly unforgettable.”
Hmm.
“From the bottom of my heart, I hope your friendship lasts forever.”
She wondered, how could this be? Juliette was an admirable woman, someone worthy of respect. Even if she had feelings for Dexter, it was only natural. Why am I so upset about this?
“Hmm.”
Suddenly, Dexter closed the distance between them, and their lips nearly touched. He whispered, “Are you still jealous?”
Annoyed and embarrassed, Josie retorted, “I said no.”
At such close proximity, Dexter exerted great effort to control himself, gripping her hand so tightly that the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
“Someone’s quick to deny.”
Josie wished she could bite him, as she reprimanded him under her breath, “I’m not jealous. Stop being so unreasonable!”
Dexter feigned ignorance, and his voice softened. “Kiss me.”
