Girl Get Rid Of That Jerk by Melissa Johns

Chapter 357

He shot a glance at Joshua, his eyes seemingly teasing, "So, you've picked up the trick of using kids as a way in too, huh? Taking after me, are we?"

Joshua's eyes danced with amusement as he met the gaze. "What's the matter? Feeling a bit competitive?"

Seeing how much Lizzy adored the gifts, Linda decided to accept them, her demeanor towards Joshua warming up a notch. Joshua chatted with Linda for a bit, showing no signs of heading out. Linda asked the staff to move the gifts upstairs so Lizzy could dive right into playtime.

Lizzy, bubbling with excitement, pulled Julia upstairs to join her in the fun. Down in the living room, Joshua and Watson sat like two stoic statues on the couch. The air between them was thick with tension.

Linda offered some light conversation before heading upstairs to be with her daughter. Allison found herself in a tricky spot; she didn't want to seem rude by leaving, especially since Watson had brought Julia to play with Lizzy and Joshua had come bearing gifts. So, she plopped down on the couch, half-heartedly watching TV.

interest was at rock bottom, and her responses were lukewarm at best. It wasn't until Watson shifted the topic to professional matters that Allison's curiosity was piqued. They dove into

they talked, Allison became more animated. Watson's blend of extensive hands-on experience and solid theoretical knowledge was impressive, and he was always up to speed with the latest

Joshua hanging back and, picking up on

Joshua noticed Allison's continued indifference and said, "Allie, there's going to be a

She understood the implications-once Chris's allies in Washington fell he'd lose his powerful backing making it easier to handle him. Joshua's intentions were clear: once Chris was

Grandma Emily was still around, and

her

murmured a soft,

she hadn't quite grasped his point, spelled it out, "Once I

and your family won't have to worry