Arnoldâs smug smirk etched deeper as he deliberately spilled a glass of wine onto the ground, remarking. âNavigating the storms of Wavery is the real challenge, wouldnât you say, Dex?â
With his words hanging in the air, the group trailed after Josie, their strides determined.
Unnoticed by anyone, Dexterâs gaze turned remarkably intense.
Scar stumbled along, his caution evident, and turned to Arnold, âDid Mrs. Russell provoke her husband.
just now? Whatâs going on between themâ¦â.
Arnold playfully slapped his head, âAddress her as Ms. Warren, not Mrs. Russell!â
Scarâs typical menacing demeanor appeared oddly wronged now, âWell⦠Mr. Carter, but sheâs already married to Dexter Russell. Are you sure youâre not being too hopeful?â
Why did he get the sense that Arnold was instead relishing this fictitious identity of Josie?
Shooting Scar a glare, he corrected himself promptly, âAlright, alright, my mistake. Ms. Warren, it is.â
Meanwhile, Josie wandered aimlessly, not knowing her destination but driven by the need to walk and dispel the frustration within her.
Arnold waved off the others and trailed Josie, holding her bag.
After walking for around thirty minutes, Josieâs fatigue began to set in. She found a slightly elevated spot and took in the nocturnal panorama of Wavery, Arnold joined her, a playful grin on his face. âThis skyscraper of mine is enormous. You wouldnât even cover half of it on a single night.â
Josie wasnât in the mood for playful banter. She remained silent, letting the breeze tousle her hair.
However, their vantage point was tricky. If they cast a glance downwards, they would spot Dexterâs car parked at the entrance, surrounded by a convoy of five or six cars, Dexter stood in an open area, Leanne at his side. Their conversation seemed to be in full swing-
Josie gasped for air seeing their seemingly close relationship, ââ¦I donât want to doubt him, but he never tells me anything.â
She was entirely unaware of Leanneâs position at the Russell Group.
Why hadnât Dexter informed her?
âWhy would he even mention such a spicy topic to you? Could you handle the heat? Everyone in Wavery got their cars to the ground about Mark and Leanne.â
Arnold rested against the railing as he revisited todayâs event. âAnd itâs not far off from the buzz caused by your unexpected appearance today-equally scandalous and spicy for him to handle.â
âAh, both of you walking into the shocking and spicy truths inadvertently adds to the intrigue. How exciting!
He chuckled gleefully as if he were watching a clash of titans.
âYouâre doing this on purpose,â Josie sighed deeply.
âYouâve misunderstood me again.â
Meanwhile, Dexter got into his car, Leanne in the back seat. Their vehicle led the convoy, departing with several others.
With her mind in a whirl, Josieâs headache only intensified.
Out of the blue, Arnold reached out, steadying her arm. âHow about we head back and get some rest?â
âNo way! I wonât let Summer belittle me again.â
Josieâs thoughts were clear. Ready to leave, she suddenly remembered something, giving him a cautionary look.
âBy the way, about what you said to Scar earlier, remember, Russell family members are off-limits. You hear me?â
Josie realized she was talking to Arnold straightforwardly as if they were close buddies shooting the breeze.
He smirked, clearly amused by her temper.
âLoud and clear.â
It was evident that Arnold wasnât taking her seriously.
Josie said,⦠Make sure your business deals are above board. Youâre bound to sink eventually when you sail on troubled waters for too long. Donât say I didnât warn you.â
âGotcha.â Arnold seemed to grasp the gist but not entirely, sidetracking with a chuckle.
âIs this your way of showing concern?â
Josie couldnât be bothered to retort.
As they walked further, she noticed Arnoldâs subordinates huddled together, sneakily stealing glances.
Scar mustered up the courage to shout. Take care, Ms. Warren. Till we meet again.â
Josie glared fiercely at Arnold, who just shrugged and laughed nonchalantly. âCanât tape their mouths shut, acan I?â
What a bunch of jokers!