What Separates Me and You



Josephine choked on her herbal concoction. Quickly setting down the bowl, she covered her mouth and coughed uncontrollably. The pitch-black concoction spilled from her mouth and nose. It dripped onto the ground through her trembling fingers.

Amidst her coughing fits, a hand gently patted her back.noveldrama

After about two minutes of coughing, someone handed her a handkerchief. Josephine instinctively took it to wipe her mouth and hands. Tears welled up in her eyes. The bitter taste lingered in her mouth and nasal passages, making her nauseous as she breathed.

Noticing that, Mrs. Larson hurriedly poured her a glass of water.

After drinking the water, Josephine finally started to recover her composure.

She turned her head and glared at Lewis. "Did you mess with my phone again?"

Lewis gazed at her with a faint smile. He found her question somewhat amusing.

He poked her head with his finger. "Do I need to do that?"

Confused, Josephine covered her forehead and stared at him. "Then how did you know?"

Lewis replied, "You have a habit of wearing everything on your face. You should consider changing that habit so you won't accuse me of spying on you next time."

Josephine paused, her confusion deepening as she met his gaze.

Was it really that obvious?

Or was he the only one who could see through her?

Josephine dodged his hand, not wanting to continue discussing this topic. She turned around, picked up her fork, and started eating.

Lewis didn't continue discussing the topic. The two ate their meal quietly.

After they finished the meal, Josephine couldn't help but glance at Lewis. Since he knew everything, why wasn't he angry?

Did that mean he allowed her to seek help from Seth?

Ignoring her confusion, Josephine watched Lewis drink the medicine. Then, she returned to her bedroom.

She took out her phone and glanced at it. Seth had sent her a message ten minutes ago, asking her to call him back when she had the chance. Glancing at the bedroom door, Josephine scrolled to Seth's contact and gave him a call.

The call connected quickly, and Seth's voice came through the phone. "I thought you were going to ask Lewis for money."

"No. Did you go through those documents?"

"I skimmed through them. Many of the projects are angel investments. It might be due to limited time or perhaps intentional on Derek's part, but none specify clear rates of return or repayment periods."

"Angel investments?"

"Yeah, investing in higher-risk startup companies. I calculated that the total investment amounts to over 40 billion. At least half of it will go up in smoke. The remaining half won't bring any returns within the next three years."

Seth continued, "The best approach is to apply for bankruptcy three months from now. Lewis would definitely help you. It would also be convenient for him to acquire the company through bankruptcy proceedings."

Josephine fell silent for a moment. "How is that different from asking him for money?"

Seth chuckled. "Of course there's a difference. Asking him for money puts you in a passive position, while him helping you proactively puts him in a passive position. Plus, it's a one-time solution, and you won't have to worry about him using this company to control you in the future."

"Is this the only option?"

"It's the most straightforward option. There are other ways, though they might be more complicated."

"Go ahead and tell me, how complicated are the other options?"

Seth pondered briefly. "For instance, there's the film and television company you invested in. They're a competitor of the Manor family. You can sell your shares to Mr. Fowler. Derek invested five billion in that company and held a 10 percent stake."

"If I sell the shares, will I need to hold a shareholders' meeting?"

"Exactly, but you don't have to worry. The Fowler family has suppressed that company. And it is already on a downhill trajectory. No shareholders will be willing to buy it. As for Mr. Fowler, if he decides to buy it, there are plenty of ways to facilitate the transaction."

Josephine still didn't quite understand. "But Mr. Fowler could buy the shares from other shareholders too. Why would he buy them from me?" "Yeah, but their company is just going downhill, not yet to the point of bankruptcy. There are still dividends to be collected. Shareholders holding over 10 percent of shares won't sell, and Mr. Fowler wouldn't buy anything less than that. Your 10 percent is enough for Mr. Fowler to exert influence." "Don't forget that Mr. Fowler has invested more than five billion just to suppress his competitor."

Josephine finally understood this time. She felt somewhat worried. "But won't this potentially offend the company? And is it legal?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Even if the sky falls, Lewis has your back."

Josephine fell silent. She thought his ideas were bad. Was that how they usually work?

For a moment, she couldn't tell whether Seth was setting her or Lewis up.

But one thing was true-she was now married to Lewis. If something happened to her, it would implicate Lewis.

"It seems you're still not suited for business. That's why I suggest you follow my advice and let the company go bankrupt. You don't have to wait three months. One month is enough to put the company in debt and bankrupt."

Josephine sighed. She really didn't want to keep the company.

"I'll think about it."

After hanging up the call, Josephine got up and walked to the window. She looked outside. It was pitch black. Only a few willow trees were swaying in the night.

The next day, Josephine was awakened by her alarm clock. She got out of bed, looked at the time, and rubbed her eyes before heading to the bathroom to freshen up.

Since Lewis had given her this bedroom, he rarely came in. However, his toiletries were still in the bathroom.

Josephine thought they were an eyesore. So she put them away in a storage cab.

After freshening up, she went downstairs. Mrs. Larson informed her that Lewis had left early in the morning.

Josephine just nodded. "Did he take his medicine?"

Mrs. Larson shook her head. "No."

Josephine felt speechless. She couldn't find any words to express her feelings.

She took a few bites of her food and headed to the company. Compared to the mess at Moss Corporation, she preferred serving Sally.

Today was another ordinary shooting day. When she arrived at the company, she saw Yona doing her makeup.

Wendy pulled her aside and whispered, "Josephine, what did you do to turn her back to normal?"

Josephine was also puzzled. "I didn't do anything."

"That's strange. These days, she arrives earlier than us, cooperates during the shoot, and hasn't caused any trouble. It's really weird." Josephine glanced at Yona again, feeling more convinced that Lewis had approached her. What else could explain Yona's change of attitude?

But Yona hadn't mentioned anything about it. Given her personality, wouldn't she have announced it to the whole world if Lewis had really approached her?

Josephine was confused but didn't want to dwell on it.

Today, they were shooting outside again. Josephine followed the team to the shooting site. Surprisingly, it turned out to be Yona's apartment.

She didn't need to be an extra for this scene. She and Wendy sat on the side, munching on snacks to pass the boring day.

Work finished around 1:00 pm. Josephine still had time to visit Avery in the hospital.

After bidding farewell to Wendy, Josephine arrived at the parking lot. Holding a thermal box, Conrad appeared out of nowhere. He greeted her with a smile.

"Mrs. Alvarez, I've come to deliver your medicine."

Josephine looked around. No one from the department was present. She took the container from Conrad's hand.

Taking out the herbal concoction, she drank it as she usually did.

Excited, Conrad said, "Mrs. Alvarez, you're really amazing. Chairman Alvarez invested 10 billion in Moss ... Oh, I mean, Jovance Corporation today."