Chapter 186 A New Produc

"You can't cook on your own?" Kate tilted her head at him.

It was not the answer Joseph had hoped for. He was surprised at her comment.

Kate looked at him even more suspiciously, wondering why he looked upset, "You do know how to cook, right? Can you live without Amy being there for you?"

Joseph thought Kate was talking to him like a mother would speak to a child. Before, he would have been angry, but he took the opportunity to whisper in her ear, "Actually, I want you to move in and live with me!"

Feeling her face get hot and red, Kate pushed him away, "Before we are married? I have my own house!"

"Okay, it didn't hurt to ask…" Joseph frowned.

Kate immediately surrendered, "Okay, okay! I will compromise with you; as long as I have the time, I will go to your house to cook for you, do your laundry, and the other chores!"

It sounded as if Kate was becoming his servant and not his girlfriend. Joseph seriously asked, "Do you think that I am asking you to be my maid and do things for me?"

"If not, why do you want me to live at your house?" Kate questioned.

"I want to see you the moment I wake up!" Joseph blurted out. He suddenly pulled the car over and turned to her, "Kate, I can now see that you are a crucial part of my life. When you are not there, I feel as if I have lost a part of me. I know you are in my heart, even when we have misunderstandings. I have said I love you many times, but you reject me and act as if I am lying. I really do want to be with you forever…"

Kate suddenly felt a rollercoaster of emotions; she was excited, anxious, happy, confused all at the same time. She never thought that Joseph felt so passionately about her. She was caught up in her thoughts when Joseph pulled her close and kissed her; she knew nothing needed to be said when she kissed him back.

After picking up items to make supper, they laughed and teased each other while cooking. Then sat close while they ate, feeding each other like a newlywed couple before going to bed.

**

The next day, each went to their own office smiling and feeling on top of the world.

Kate finished all of her work, then decided to catch up on the latest in the business world. She scrolled through the website; nothing got her attention until she saw the letters, JK. There was negative publicity about the company, but Kate didn't understand how. She knew that their latest research and development project was still in the verification and confirmation stage. There was no information on the market yet, so she couldn't comprehend the destructive comments unless someone was trying to discredit Joseph's company deliberately.

"I'm not worried, just curious why rumors are being spread when the new products are not even on the market," Kate explained.

"This is great! You have made such huge progress lately," Joseph praised her and then answered, "In fact, it is a foolish act. Samuel thinks that he can stop me from starting my business with Smith Group's strength and reputation. He is so naïve," Joseph laughed, making Kate feel more relieved.

One of the qualities she found so appealing about him was his ability to be calm and optimistic no matter what difficulties he faced with work. He filled her heart with pride, "So, it was Smith Group who is trying to smear your name?"

"Samuel would certainly be anxious when he found out my new project was about to debut on the market. After all, his actions since he took over for me have not been the most remarkable. I believe that Grandfather will definitely put pressure on him, which will be amplified by the fact that Samuel has always regarded me as a rival. He will take every chance he has to spy on me and try to shut me down. I am sure of it. What he doesn't know, though, is that I don't care because the more panicked he is, the more mistakes he will make!" Joseph stated confidently.

He knew that he could control everything without much effort, but Samuel was the complete opposite. With Samuel spending his time and energy tracking Joseph and his company, it would leave Joseph with an advantage over his family's company.

Kate believed in Joseph, but she had to consider the entire situation, "You need to consider Smith Group's strength; it should not be underestimated. If they can have harmful news broadcast without justification, they have the means to push you. You can't take this too lightly, Joseph."

"If he really wants to slander me, then let him do so. Anyway, it is going to be a while before the new product enters the market. Before it does, I am prepared to advertise," Joseph tried his best to ease Kate's fears, "Don't worry, nothing will happen."

"Of course, I believe in you. I just don't trust those evil people," Kate didn't want to put any pressure on Joseph, so she quickly said, "But, I think in the end you will win, and they will lose!"

"Yes. I have seen this happen many times in the business field. It is a common phenomenon, but..."

"But the person who is going after you is your family, so you are feeling a little conflict? Maybe a little disappointed, right?" Kate finished his sentence for him.

Joseph remained silent; he agreed with what Kate said. After a few moments, he told her, "I have no intention of hurting them, but if they mistreat me, I will have no sympathy for them. I will not offend anyone who has not offended me first."

**

At Smith Group, Mayne triumphantly walked into Samuel's office. He waited for Samuel to look up from his documents before reporting, "Joseph has not taken any drastic measures to stop the news from spreading. Now that it has gone through the entire business community, I suspect that there will be no sales when the product is launched. We have succeeded!"

Samuel said coldly, "Joseph is still one step ahead; he had so many ideas. If he isn't preventing the news from getting out, it doesn't mean he is weak. He has to be waiting for a time to counterattack!"

The smile on Mayne's face quickly turned to a frown, then he respectfully said, "I will follow up closely on this. Once I find something, I will immediately take the next step to prevent his new products from being launched smoothly."

Samuel nodded with satisfaction, "We must remain highly vigilant, only success and no failure this time."