When Love Breaks (Josephine)

"No, I..." Josephine started, feeling guilty and a little helpless. "You don't have to make it sound like I'm doing you a favor. Honestly, I am a bit of a picky eater. It's not your fault. I'll come down and eat right now."

Even if there were fiddlehead ferns and asparagus on the table, she'd force herself to eat everything. But surprisingly, the nutritionist had made something she really liked this time-maple-glazed Brussels sprouts, grilled eggplants, beef brisket, and a plate of pumpkin hand pies.

"Wow, thank you. These look amazing! I can tell they weren't easy to make-you really went all out, huh?"

Josephine was genuinely hungry too. Once she sat down, she didn't hold back and ate with gusto, clearing a good portion of the spread. The nutritionist stayed with her the whole time, visibly relieved to see her enjoying the meal. "I'm so sorry about earlier. I misjudged your preferences-I saw your height, weight, and medical records and assumed you preferred light flavors. I didn't expect you to have such a sweet tooth."

Josephine paused mid-bite. "Wait... My records? How do you have those?"

"Mr. Dane provided them," she explained with an easy smile. "But please don't get the wrong idea-he's not a creep. He got them from your medical files. He even told me that if you asked, I should be upfront about it."

So, that was how it was. Ethan really went the extra mile when it came to looking after her. Josephine wondered if he was prepared for tomorrow's interview. If he messed it up, no amount of care or kindness could make her cover for him.

After dinner, she returned to her room, debated for a moment, and decided to give Ethan a call-not only to remind him about the interview but also to thank him for everything he'd done. Plus, she wanted to talk about George.

The moment she brought up George, though, Ethan chuckled. "I already know. He confessed he accepted your money and didn't dare to hide it."

"Don't punish him-it was my idea."

Ethan sounded amused. "Punish him? Why would I? He did a great job. In fact, besides your ten thousand dollars, I gave him another ten grand as a bonus. He's over the moon right now."

"A... bonus? I get the compensation part, but a bonus? For what?" she wondered. Josephine thought about it for a second. Was it for his heroic stance at the villa? But Zayn wouldn't have actually hurt her.

Before she could figure it out, Ethan changed the subject. "By the way, Josephine, do you think having only Mason as your personal assistant is enough?"

"Honestly, no, not really," she responded. Mason had been swamped lately, and she felt guilty asking him for more. So, she'd been handling most things on her own.

"Then, how about having George stay with you? He's a retired special forces operative-solid in a fight, great driver. He could double as your bodyguard and chauffeur. Plus he already knows your situation, so if Zayn ever bothers you again, he can step in."

"Is he sure? Won't that be... poaching his men?" she wondered. "If you don't mind,

I would be glad to have him."

"Good," he said, pleased. "I'll send you his profile in a bit. As of today, he's yours."

Hearing the delight in her voice,

Ethan couldn't help but smile too. Before reconnecting with Josephine, he rarely smiled at all. In front of others, he was cold, aloof-a man of stone. But he knew she disliked people who were too distant.

So, he made adjustments. If it meant seeing her happy, he'd wear this warmer

mask for a lifetime.

...

The next morning, Josephine arrived at the hospital around 10:00 am, the usual time for her visit to Joe. But as soon as she got to the entrance, she saw Zayn. His face was pale, with dark circles etched under his eyes-a clear sign of blood toss and zero rest.

"Serves you right," she mused. He got hurt in the car accident and didn't go to the hospital-he brought this on himself.

Josephine felt no sympathy. Pretending not to see him, she brushed past him and headed inside. However, he chased after her. When the elevator doors slid shut and it was just the two of them, Zayn said, "Josephine, we need to talk."