âI canât say for sure,â Arnold threw his pen onto the desk, and it rolled off, landing close to Josieâs feet.
Her frustration peaked. Yanis was locked up in prison, and Wyatt was nowhere to be found, leaving Arnold with the capacity to orchestrate such a ploy.
âLet me ask differently then,â Josie stated, calmly sitting and facing him. âdid Wyatt tell you about his plans? I know he came to you; thereâs no need to deny it.â
Josie was acute and intelligent.
Arnold offered a faint smile. âHe only mentioned needing my support and wanting to align with me;
nothing beyond that.â
Josie was skeptical. Worry creased her brows.
At that moment, Andy entered and murmured something to Arnold. Instantly, Josie was alert.
Arnold nodded, then resumed their prior conversation with a tinge of intrigue, âLetâs say, hypothetically, it was Wyatt â but what is his motive?â
Heâs got beef with Dexter for getting Yanis locked up. Heâs looking for vengeance!â
âYeah. But whatâs that got to do with you?â
âBecause Iâm Mrs. Russell, the wife of his enemy. He might target someone close to me to get to Dexter.â
âWhy would he target your father when thereâs a horde of people around Dexter that he could use?â
Josie didnât have a ready answer. She could sense the intricacies at play, but the crucial detail she needed. was still out of her reach.
She glared at Arnold. âFine. If you donât want to tell me, I can find out myself.â
Perhaps clues lay within the medical qualification certificate Pop had left behind.
Josie decided to head to Rivodia to uncover the truth.
With that, she stood and left but was intercepted before she left the room, âWait a minute.â
Josie pulled up but didnât turn around.
Arnold walked up to her. A hand in his pocket, one casually on her shoulder. âI might know where Wyattâs held up.â
âWhere is he?â Josie looked up expectantly.
âWanna know?â Arnold enticed her. âThen follow me.â
Withdrawing his hand, he strolled toward the elevator. Josie watched his graceful stride, knowing that it wouldnât lead to anything good if she followed him. But she had no option but to oblige.
But in her heart, she couldnât help and cursed Arnold a thousand times over.
Carter Groupâs elevators were uniquely installed against the outer shell, functioning as observation decks with sweeping vistas. Together, they rode the elevator down â Arnold relaxed while Josie was on edge.
Josie hesitated when she learned that Arnold was headed to Sky Palace.
Hearing her unwillingness, he challenged casually, âYour call to come along or not.â
Ultimately, she budged.
Upon arriving at Sky Palace, Arnold guided her into his private suite on the top floor.
Josieâs eyes landed on a group of men deep in conversation and casually sipping their drinks. One among them caught sight of them and greeted, âWell, well, Mr. Carter is here.â
âApologies for my tardiness. Arnold shook hands all around before pouring himself a drink.
âHereâs a gesture of goodwill.â
He downed his glass in a single smooth motion.
And then, the others noticed Josie standing behind Arnold. They exchanged surprised glances, and one exclaimed, âWait, isnât she Mrs. Russell?â
Deep down, they were speculating her relationship with Arnold seemed more than meets the eye.
Josie felt the urge to explain, but Arnold squeezed her hand. âWeâre just here to hang out. Mrs. Russell is just a title; sheâs her own person, free to do as she pleases.â
Knowing glances were exchanged among the men, and most seemed to understand, sizing up Josie with interest.
Meanwhile, Josie fought the urge to slap Arnold for his misleading words.
Even though they had business to discuss, with Josie around, they were uncomfortable and unsure how to tread the information.
Arnold refilled his glass and said, âGo on, weâre in the same boat.â
Still, everyone was hushed.
Arnold turned his attention to one of them. âSay your piece, Scar.â
The dim lighting concealed the scar on the manâs face, which Josie hadnât noticed until Arnold mentioned his name.