Joseph embraced Irish tightly, his arms encircling her with a reassuring grip. Lowering his head, he sought her lips and whispered, "Irish, I genuinely care about you."
Irish responded by pressing her lips against his, cherishing the closeness and breathing in his familiar scent. After a moment, she softly expressed her feelings, "I understand, but visually, it still makes me uncomfortable."
"Sorry." Joseph apologized to her and then kissed her lips.
As they returned to the car, Irish held tightly onto Joseph's hands, her grip firm and unwavering.
Irish spoke in a hushed tone, her voice filled with conviction, "I agree with Daisy. Right now, the Runestone Group needs you to save it."
Joseph responded directly, his tone tinged with resignation, "William will not allow me to return."
"Then what should we do?"
Joseph kept silent for a while and then said, "Just wait."
Wait?
Irish couldn't understand it.
"Don't you find Kelly's behavior questionable?" Joseph voiced his concerns, previously doubting William, but Kelly's actions during the meeting had caused him to hesitate once again.
"What do you mean?" Irish inquired.
"I believe that as a couple, they should be united on the same plan. However, it appears that Kelly is clearly opposed to William," Joseph stated, furrowing his brow.
Irish thought about it for a while, "What kind of things can she do?"
Joseph smiled lightly, "Sometimes, it is the woman who can do some startling things."
Hearing his words, Irish felt shocked.
****
Cassie decided to return to the car first.
However, Shirley's course of action was different. Instead of leaving, she was intercepted by William and guided into an empty office, away from prying eyes.
"What are you doing? Do not pull me." Shirley threw away William's hands.
William was unhappy. He lowered his voice, "Are you mad? You are not with me! You spoke for Joseph at the meeting instead of for the Lakes! What were you thinking of?"
Shirley's frustration was palpable as she expressed her anger, her voice filled with annoyance as she pointed her finger at William. "What was I thinking? All I wanted was to protect my son!" she exclaimed. "Have you done anything for the Lakes? Why didn't you stand up for Roy? Now that Roy is dead, what's wrong with Cassie inheriting his shares? Why did you try to prevent it? You claim to be working for the benefit of the Lakes, but what has been the outcome? Have you truly achieved anything positive? I believe you simply want Roy's shares for yourself!"
William's expression hardened as he responded, "What nonsense are you talking about? That's not what I meant. I am Roy's uncle, and his family. I was devastated when I learned about his death, more than anyone else. But I believe that since we already ousted Joseph from the company, we shouldn't let him come back. Otherwise, we will have no solid ground to stand on. Look at Irish now, fully supporting Joseph. She is no longer aligned with the Lakes. No, she never truly was aligned with the Lakes."
"I don't care. I just know that you were not inquiring about the biggest interests of my son, nor for my daughter-in-law and her child."
Shirley's discontent was evident as she expressed her dissatisfaction, saying, "So, you still remember that you are Roy's uncle? I thought you had forgotten all about it."
"Alright, I admit that I misspoke," William conceded. "But you also need to ensure that you stand on the right side and avoid being inconsistent. Remember that," he warned Shirley.
Shirley snorted and said, "I can't promise you, but I have to see if you also take Roy and Cassie into consideration. I don't care about it since I am satisfied with my life, and I also live in ease and comfort. But Roy is still young, and Cassie is pregnant, so I have to be thoughtful of them. They need to raise a child. They need money."
"Alright, I trust you. I can promise you what you want," William responded, reaching out to affectionately tousling Shirley's hair. "Shirley, you are still young as well," he added, offering a hint of flirtation.
Shirley furrowed her eyebrows and shook off his hand. "You better don't act in such a flirtatious manner," said Shirley angrily.
"What's up? Henry is gone." William said and heaved a sigh.
"Yes, he is gone. But so, what? What did you do a few years ago? Now Cassie is pregnant, and I am going to be a grandmother soon. What do you want me to do? I still need to save my face," said Shirley unpleasantly.
William licked his lips, his intentions becoming clear as he attempted to embrace Shirley. "Don't say that. I only want to make it up to you."
Shirley's anger surged, and she fiercely retorted, "Get away from me!"
However, William didn't loosen his grip and said in a soft voice, "Shirley, you never treated me like this before."
Shirley fought against William's advances, using all her strength to push him away. She straightened her disheveled clothing and spoke with anger in her voice, "Don't bring up the past because everything has changed now. William, I warn you, if you attempt to force the three of us out, I will fight you with everything I have."
"Shirley, please calm down first. Let's not escalate this," William urged, attempting to soothe her emotions.
Outside the door, Kelly observed the unfolding scene without revealing any emotions on her face. She maintained an expressionless demeanor, silently taking in the situation.
****
Time went without any hassle.
It was the first day of August when the media exposed the news of Roy's death.
It was a hot day, and the whole city seemed to be shrouded in a huge steamer which made it hard for people to breathe.
Although the PR Department of Runestone Group tried hard to block the news of Roy's death, it was too late. The director of the PR Department had no other choice but to admit Roy's death. He then declared that the police were investigating this case.
In the early morning, the air outside was dense and humid, exuding a sultry atmosphere.
Joseph had already risen from bed by the time Irish woke up. Suddenly, the alert tone of his phone rang out, indicating the arrival of a message.
Feeling hesitant, Irish reached out and took hold of Joseph's phone. Yet, she found herself hesitating to read the message when Joseph emerged from the bathroom.
"What's going on?" Joseph inquired, noticing that Irish was staring at his phone.
Irish handed the phone back to Joseph and shook her head slightly. "Actually, I am curious about the content of that message," she admitted.
"Go ahead and read it, then let me know," Joseph responded with a smile. He grabbed a clean towel and began drying his hair.
Irish sat up and added, "It's just that most people prefer to call instead of sending a text message, so it piques my interest."
Joseph leaned against the door, a smile playing on his lips as he continued to dry his hair.
It was Rosy who texted him.
"Honey, see you this noon. I miss you," Irish read the message in a low voice.
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