SWNOVELS Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Edith stepped on the gas all the way to drop Gideon off at his home.
She slammed the medicine on the table with a loud thud and said indifferently, “There, you 1g, call Ray. Don’t bother me.” can rest now. If you need anything, call Ray. Don’t bother me.”
Edith then attempted to leave, but Gideon’s tall figure blocked her.
In the narrow, entryway, they stood extremely close to each other.
back
Smelling the familiar scent of his cologne, Edith felt her breath catch and wanted to escape
even more.
She reached out to push Gideon away, but he swiftly grasped her wrist and pinned it against the cold wall.
With a chilling air, Gideon leaned in close, his eyes deep and inscrutable. “Why are you being so difficu
This question ignited Edith’s
anger.
She pondered in annoyance, She pondered in annoyance, ‘What right does he have to say such a thing?‘
Edith pulled away from Gideon and retorted, “Our relationship now is strictly professional, nothing more. What reason do I have to be difficult? Don’t overestimate your importance to me!”
Gideon felt even more frustrated after seeing her defensive demeanor.
He spoke softly. “You don’t even want to give me an explanation?”
If not for the fleeting shadow of
If not for the fleeting shadow of anger in his eyes, Edith would have hardly noticed his suppressed rage.
Edith pressed her lips together and said, “I have nothing to explain to you.”
She mused, ‘I know what I just said is not enough. If Gideon starts to become suspicious of something, he won’t stop until he gets to the bottom of it. I can’t let him find out about the kids‘ true identity. I have to be more firm.
Edith looked up, defiantly meeting Gideon’s gaze, and took a deep breath, saying, “What’s the point in digging up the past? I have children now, and you have your own family. Can’t we just leave each other with some dignity?
“Joyce is very attached to you, and Danika is very gentle. Don’t you think what you’re doing now makes you look like an indecisive jerk?”
She deliberately emphasized the word “jerk” as a reminder of Gideon’s status and to warn him not to overstep boundaries.
Suddenly, the sound of the door opening echoed in the entryway.
The light then shone in, interrupting their conversation, followed by a voice filled with confusion.
“What about Joyce and Danika? What’s
wrong with them?”
The person who had just spoken was Teresa. She had come to pick up something and had overheard their argument
12:31
Chapter 28
The light stung Edith’s eyes, and she instinctively lowered her head to compose her expression.
“Nothing,” Gideon replied, his face expressionless, but the air around him felt more oppressive.
Teresa was very perceptive. Even without hearing the entire conversation, she could roughly guess what it was about.
She glanced at her son, who was as quiet as a clam, and took Edith’s hand, saying, “Edith, have you misunderstood something? Danika is just…”
Teresa intended to explain that Danika was just the girlfriend of Gideon’s good friend and that there was nothing between her and Gideon!
However, Gideon shot her a warning look and interrupted, “Mom! Edith has things to do. Let her go.”
This was exactly what Edith had wanted.
She quickly smoothed over her messy hair and said in a subdued voice, “Mrs. Peterson, I’ll get going.”
As the door closed once more, the entryway was again shrouded in dim light.
Frustrated, Teresa said, “Why don’t you clarify things with Edith? No wonder she’s still angry with you!”
“It’s not because of that,” Gideon sighed and walked toward the living room sofa.
He thought, ‘What difference would explaining things make? Edith already has children, and our relationship wasn’t that deep to begin with! I’m just upset that Edith left the divorce papers and disappeared without a word.
Teresa casually draped her shawl over the sofa and sat down as well.
“Okay, let’s not talk about Edith for now. You should sort out the matter with Danika and her daughter soon, Giddy. You can’t let Joyce continue living under the Peterson family’s name like this. I won’t acknowledge them as part of the family.”
Gideon massaged his throbbing temples and spoke wearily. “Mom…”
“Okay, okay, I just came to pick something up. I’ll leave soon and won’t disturb you,” Teresa replied. Seeing that her words weren’t getting through, she turned and went upstairs.
She mused, ‘Some things, no matter how much I say, won’t make a difference.’
Feeling frustrated and restless, Gideon unlocked his phone to check the financial news.
However, the webpage suddenly displayed a jumble of gibberish that he couldn’t exit.
Gideon was at a loss for words, feeling like he had been targeted lately.
He tried to force shut down his phone, but it remained unresponsive.
The gibberish continued for three minutes, followed by an image of a pink pig appearing
on the screen.
Gideon’s eyes widened in realization, thinking, ‘It’s him again! What is he up to this time?‘
He waited patiently, and then the pink pig, like an inflating balloon, grew to fill the entire
Chapter 28
screen, and a line of text appeared below.
[Disturbing someone’s sleep is very rude!]
Gideon frowned, wondering, ‘When did I ever disturb anyone’s sleep? Could this person actually be delusional?‘
The text then changed.
[Bossing people around is even ruder! Back off! Back off! Back off!]
Before Gideon could grasp the meaning of the message, the words disappeared, and his phone started playing a song.
“I am a big silly pig, I am a big silly pig, a big silly pig…”
This bizarre song repeated five times before stopping.
His phone then returned to normal, and the browser worked again.
Gideon stared blankly at the screen.
Last time, it happened to his computer. This time, his phone was hacked.
Rather than getting angry, Gideon felt more curiosity and admiration as such advanced talents were rare.
He thought resolutely, ‘I must find this person out!‘
A glint then appeared in Gideon’s eyes, reminiscent of a wolf eyeing its prey. He pondered, ‘It would be even better, if I could make this person work for me!‘
Meanwhile, Edith returned to the research institute in a gloomy mood.
The new intern, Charlie Davis, placed a cup of coffee in front of her and cautiously asked, “Edith, you don’t look well. Are you sick?”
Charlie, who was studying at Edith’s alma mater and shared the same research interest, had always shown great respect for her and frequently sought her professional advice since he started working in the lab.
“It’s nothing.” Edith rubbed her face, managing a faint smile. “I just didn’t sleep well. Do you need something?”
Charlie pushed the coffee a bit closer, replying, “Mr. Myers bought coffee for us, and he specifically saved this for you. Also, the new nitrogen machine has arrived, so now we can continue with the artifact excavation work.”
Although Shane wasn’t a member of the project team, his modest fame in the academic field and his humorous and amiable personality made him popular among the team. After a few academic exchanges, he had become well-acquainted with the team members.
Shane took good care of everyone, often ordering coffee and providing late–night snacks during overtime.
Everyone knew who he was doing these for, except for Edith.
“A new one? Did the Peterson Group really approve such a large expense?” Edith recalled her
report, which
which suggested that Gideon expedite the delivery of spare parts from an
3/4
12:32
Gyver 28
overseas factory
Charlie’s eyes sparkled as he nodded. “Mr. Peterson thought the repair time was too long, so he just decided to buy a new one. The seniors are installing it right now.”
So extravagant, just buying a new nitrogen machine like that!‘ Edith thought.
After internally grumbling, Edith nodded. “Okay, I got it.”
She pondered. Regardless, as long as it doesn’t delay the artifact excavation work, it’s fine. Gideon may be unreliable in relationship, but he’s very efficient in handling work issues.
The new nitrogen machine was a timely solution for the laboratory’s urgent need.
Once the nitrogen machine was set up, Edith revised her report data and submitted it to her superior.
The project team began their work methodically.
Edith’s task was to authenticate the excavated artifacts and to repair any flawed or broken pieces to the best of her ability.
She immersed herself in her work, soon pushing all her worries to the back of her mind.