What Separates Me and You novel Chapter 494

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.

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?"