Blind date turned proposal (Josie and Dexter)

Josie promptly put away the documents, then headed out. "I'm here, come in."

Laura held a bowl in her hands, standing under the corridor light with a radiant smile. "The autumn air was dry, so I had the kitchen prepare spiced poached pear to nourish the lungs. I brought you a bowl for a late-night snack."

Josie's gaze fell as she accepted the item. "I feel bad for having you go through the trouble of delivering this. I'm really sorry."

Leaning against the door, Laura spoke softly. "I owe you an apology. The people who showed up that day were my subordinates. It's only natural for anyone to have suspicions, so when Mark punished me, I had no objections. However, I didn't expect you to speak up for me, which made me feel even more embarrassed."

Josie's motion of stirring paused slightly. She hadn't expected Laura to express those things voluntarily. "So that's how it is. Now that you mention it, it does indeed raise some suspicions."

Josie's expression was bright and clear. Laura met her gaze. "Indeed."

"Did you have a hand in this?"

"No."

After a moment of silence, the air was steeped in the subtle fragrance of magnolias.

Josie looked at Laura, her smile slowly widening. "Well, that's settled then. By the way, with Mark punishing so many people, your resources must have taken quite a hit. That's not a problem, is it?" Laura's smile faltered momentarily, but she quickly regained her composure. "To say it doesn't matter would be a lie, but as long as you're okay, that's all that matters to me. The development of the Olsen family is what's truly important."

Josie scooped a spoonful into her mouth. Indeed, it was refreshingly sweet and soothing to her lungs.

Then, she lifted her gaze. "If that's what you believe, then I'm at ease."

The door closed, and Josie, cradling a bowl in her arms, made a beeline for the bathroom. She crouched down and lifted the toilet lid, pausing for a moment.

At that point, she found it quite challenging to distinguish how much truth lay in Laura's words. If what she said was a lie, then why did she take Claudia to the vicinity that night? It was too risky, completely against her usual way of doing things. If what she claimed was indeed true, her actions were rife with attempts to hide the truth, making things even more conspicuous. Not to mention, there surely were people guiding her from behind the scenes. Since my return to Wavery, it's been more than once that I found myself in such a difficult situation. Laura was also present at the previous designer's banquet. When coincidences become too frequent, they're no longer coincidences.

The spiced poached pear was poured into the toilet and quickly flushed away while Josie was in a daze.

She returned to work on Monday, it was as if nothing had ever happened.

Juliette had been busy all day and only managed to return by evening. "I promised to take you to express our gratitude to Mr. Russell. Let's go."

Josie gave an awkward smile. "How about this? I'll purchase a generous gift. Could you deliver it to Mr. Russell for me and just say it's a thank you from me? Would that be all right?"

Juliette spoke seriously. "What are you talking about? If it weren't for Dexter that day, you wouldn't have been able to get away unscathed. No matter what, you should be there in person. What's the point of jus sending a gift? Quickly change your clothes and come with me."

Josie found herself in a predicament, stuck in a difficult situation.

Dexter had tactfully declined the meals offered by Juliette several times. She was well aware that without a valid reason, he would not easily entertain guests. At that moment, Josie presented the perfect opportunity.

"A daughter of an elite family you are indeed. You don't even regard Dexter with any shred of importance. If he knew, he'd definitely see you in a different light." Inside the car, Juliette teased on purpose, noticing Josie's unease. "Why are you so nervous? You couldn't possibly have feelings for him, could you?"

Josie's heart skipped a beat. "Juliette, stop making fun of me."

Juliette propped her face up with her hand and chuckled, "So, I misunderstood then. However, even if you are interested in him, you shouldn't, okay?"