Lucas seemed to have gauged the perfect timing when he asked right after Cedrick had left, "So, what happened last night? I thought my mother was a beggar when she came back this morning. What did you do to her?"His voice carried hints of anger when he spoke. Jonathan fell silent, indirectly admitting the part he played in Scarlett's disheveled appearance. Lucas continued reproachfully. "Why, I told you to pursue my mommy, not push her off a mountain, even if you failed to win her heart!"Jonathan started in a serious tone, "Baby, have you been watching too many soap operas lately? You're beginning to speak like one.""Yeah, so what? I've been bored out of my mind waiting for school to start, and I have nothing else to do. Since I've finished everything I need to do to prepare for school, I started watching a few episodes," Lucas replied earnestly.No wonder. Jonathan was certain now that soap operas really were a bad influence on Lucas. Of course, having a child who was a genius and
When Lucas turned back, he saw Aunty Macy looking at him. To have someone witness him in this state was simply unacceptable! If anyone else saw that picture, he would spend years being the laughingstock, and Lucas would never allow that to happen. For one, he was always the one who made fun of others, not the other way around. Now that the latter seemed imminent, it felt like the colossal joke of the century."What are you taking pictures of, Auntie Macy? Don't you know that filming me unauthorizedly is a direct violation of my rights to privacy? I could sue you anytime for this! But, whatever. Forget it. I'll let it slide this time, considering our relationship, on one condition—hand over your phone. How does that sound?" Lucas decided to try a diplomatic approach first. If reasoning with Aunty Macy failed, perhaps it was time for a tougher approach. Either way, under no circumstances would he allow that picture to be spread. How could he continue to live without shame if it did?"Luc
"Scarlett! How dare you ignore me? Lucas, you little shit! How dare you, too? Delete that photo now, and I'll delete yours!" Macy was left with no other choice. Lucas was a beast, and she could never wrap her head around how that little bastard had been able to get that picture of her. Thinking about the picture made her wince—she was splayed on the bed, drooling as she slept. It was truly a sight to behold. She wouldn't be able to bear it if the photo got leaked. It was beyond embarrassing! Macy vowed to install at least three locks on her bedroom door and to never, ever set foot out of it to sleep again!"Are you scared now, Auntie Macy? Too late! Tomorrow, everyone will see this picture of you, and you'll be famous! Just you wait! Soon, your uncles, aunts, parents, brother, and every single relative who knows you will be able to relish this precious picture!" Lucas became more and more excited as he spoke, completely disregarding the thunderous expression on Macy's face. His laugh
"You want to come over?" Scarlett repeated it again, uncertainly. What in the world was happening now? Dylan had never acted this way in the past. Clearly, her gut feeling had been right."That's Uncle Dylan? But he never calls this late at night." Scarlett wasn't the only one mystified; Lucas was curious as well. This didn't seem like something Dylan would do. Had something happened to him?"What? That's my brother? About time, I'd say!" Macy laughed after exclaiming in surprise. Then she snatched the phone away from Scarlett. "Dylan, please come over. And quickly! Scarlett, that bastard, finished our dinner. Really, I question how much she can really eat. Don't you think she's just going to finish all of our food and drag us down into deep, dark trenches of poverty because of how much she eats when she marries into our family?" Macy joked. In reality, she wished nothing more than for her brother to succeed in his pursuit of Scarlett. Though she was well aware that no one could force
"Wow! Fish and chips, grilled salmon, steak with mashed potatoes, roasted chicken with a side of vegetables—these are all our favorites! My brother really knows Lucas and I the best! What are you still waiting for? Come, quickly. Sit down and let's eat! Have you eaten yet, Dylan? Let's all eat together!" Macy was unusually hospitable, especially with a table full of food in front of them."Look, Scarlett. This is what an ideal man is supposed to be like. Look at you, on the other hand. It looks like you really need someone as decent as my brother to keep you in line. If I weren't his sister, I would've married him without a doubt!" Macy didn't forget to praise her brother upon receiving the food he'd brought over. After all, he'd worked hard, and her praise was the least he deserved."Alright, alright, just focus on eating. Stop talking so much or you might choke!" Lucas couldn't help but interrupt. Was it his personal mission to tease her on a daily basis? Really, it wasn't like he wo
"Scarlett, you are mine, and your happiness can only come from me. As for others? Unless I'm dead, don't even think about it!" Jonathan thought viciously as he drove. Every time he imagined Scarlett moaning under another man, completely naked, he had the irrepressible urge to fly into a rage. He couldn't accept this! He refused to allow something like that to happen! Even if he'd caught the slightest hint about the slimmest possibility of the above-mentioned scenario happening, he would try his best to stop it.As soon as the GPS tracker in his car displayed her real-time location, Jonathan's gaze turned feral. "Oceanstar Cinemas? How dare you take Scarlett to the movies! Just wait and see; I won't let you go easily. The woman I've set my sights on is off-limits to everyone!" Meanwhile, on the way to the cinema, Scarlett couldn't stop sneezing.She muttered after a while, "What the hell? Which jerk is so obsessed with me tonight?" Obvious displeasure radiated from her tone."What's wr
"No! You can't! This can't happen! You're Dylan's fiancée, and you can't afford to do something like this with another man!" Scarlett reprimanded herself internally, but her body moved closer toward Jonathan's against her will."You don't want this? That's not what your body is telling me. Admit it, Scarlett. You like me. Is it so difficult for you to confess your true feelings?" Jonathan's fingers didn't stop there. His teasing touches alternated between being gentle and fierce, and Scarlett felt like she was on a roller coaster ride as he continued to tease his way down her body.Jonathan's rage finally subsided when he beheld her furiously flushed face."I—I can't hold on any longer—I need—I can't catch my breath—" Eventually, Scarlett abandoned her rationality and succumbed to her body's demands. After all, her body only recognized Jonathan as its rightful owner. Perhaps it was due to the beliefs surrounding a woman's first sexual encounter. Women always tend to have a special memo
"Hey, Jonathan. Why aren't you back yet? Phoebe and her son, Tristan, are holding a press conference in our company! The situation doesn't look good. The general consensus seems to lean toward their side. You know how rocky your relationship with your father was when he was alive. Plus, when he died, Phoebe was the only one by his side, making it even more difficult for you to defend yourself. Most of the board members are inclined to hand over all of their shares to the two of them!" Cedrick's voice was filled with urgency when he spoke. It appeared that both Phoebe and Tristan were anxious to get this over with as soon as possible."Alright, I'm on my way back now. Don't worry, Cedrick. As long as I'm alive, the position of president at Leonard Corporations will always be mine. No one can take that away from me without my permission. Help me delay those board members. Before I get there, don't let them sign over their shares to the other two. Do whatever you have to do to make sure o
Scarlett knew there was no real solution to the problem between her and Jonathan. The both of them were just choosing to ignore what had happened between them.There was nothing left for them to do to fix what had been broken.Until now, she still felt as if she was in a dream. Was she really married to Jonathan? Was she really living with him in such a lavish house? She found it hard to wrap her mind around it because it was all so surreal.The warm water in the tub sloshed gently over her body, and she felt her eyelids droop. These few days have been tough, and she hadn't been able to sleep well. All she wanted to do was fall asleep in this tub. If she were any less rational than she was right now, she probably would've just fallen asleep in the tub.Scarlett changed into a simple set of pajamas after her bath, completely ignoring the sexy lingerie set that Jonathan had picked out for her. She could probably wear that lingerie set if she were alone but she couldn't possibly w
Jonathan's tone was loving and teasing, and she was immediately transported back to the carefree times she had spent with Jonathan at university. Back then, they didn't have much to worry about and could just enjoy dating each other without reality holding them back."Have you had breakfast? I'm making breakfast right now. Do you want some?" Scarlett asked."No, thank you. I don't like eating in the morning. You can go ahead and enjoy your breakfast," Jonathan replied. Jonathan never got into the habit of eating breakfast; after he went overseas, he had less reason to have breakfast. As such, he never ate breakfast anymore. After Scarlett had finished her food, Jonathan drove them to city hall to sign the necessary documents for their marriage.The entire time, Scarlett felt as if she were in a dream. Everything that was happening seemed so surrea. The absurdity of the events and the fact that she had not slept well in two days only made her more dazed. Scarlett hadn't realize
Scarlett immediately understood what he was trying to say and bashfully lowered her gaze. Since when had he become so sleazy? Going overseas had done nothing to teach him to be a better man. Scarlett didn't know how to answer him, so she stared silently at the ground. Suddenly, she thought of something and raised her head to say, "Jonathan, I have to tell you something. I can marry you, but you must promise me one thing. We won't have a wedding ceremony."Jonathan was upset by that suggestion, and he huffed, "What? No ceremony? Are you planning on just getting married in secret? Is it that embarrassing to be married to me? Is that why you don't want a ceremony? If you don't want to marry me, just tell me! You don't have to do all this to show how reluctant you are to marry me!" Jonathan had no idea what was going on in her head. What woman would outright refuse to have a wedding ceremony? Any woman would love to have a grand ceremony to celebrate her marriage, but now that Sca
Just then, Scarlett heard someone call her name from behind her, "Scarlett?"Scarlett turned in confusion and realized that it was the school counselor. She never expected to see him here, and her heart was filled with warmth at the sight of him. She hadn't seen him since graduating, so she didn't think he would still remember her. She hastily wiped the tears from her face before greeting him with a brilliant smile, "Mr. Brown! Why are you here?""I had nothing to do today, so I thought I would drop by to play basketball. How's work? Why aren't you here with Jonathan? I can't believe it's been a year already. Time really flies … I still remember when Jonathan would play basketball, and you would cheer for him from the sidelines. I miss all of you, so come by with Jonathan next time! By the way, don't forget to send me a wedding invitation when both of you get married. After all, I've got my eye on both of you, and I'm sure you will end up together. I remember how nice Jonathan trea
"Hey! What are you doing? Are you going home now?" Scarlett asked."Of course! Where else would I go? Didn't we just break up? Why are you calling me again? Don't tell me that you miss me already!" Teresa's voice which was filled with glee, came from the other end of the receiver. Hearing her voice made Scarlett feel much better than before, but Scarlett was worried that she would no longer be so happy after Scarlett tells her the truth. She didn't want her problems to affect the lives of those around her. Since she made a mistake, she would be the one to bear responsibility, and no one else should have to suffer because of her … especially not her best friend.Scarlett hesitated before asking, " Teresa, do you like your job?""What's not to like? I love it! Being a teacher is my dream! My students are obedient and understanding. My job also gives me a sense of accomplishment! Why are you asking me this now? I've told you before that my dream is to be one of the best teachers in
As she spoke, Scarlett attempted to push Jonathan away, but he was too strong. She couldn't fight back at all. She felt like a fragile child in front of Jonathan, and he could crush her into pieces with just a little force. Jonathan leaned in and whispered coldly, "Do you think I’m still as compliant as before, allowing you to push me away repeatedly? Let me tell you, I’m not the same. How well do you think you know me? Let me make it clear, I will get what I want, including you!" Scarlett sensed the threat in Jonathan's words and looked at this unfamiliar man with some caution. She asked cautiously, "Jonathan, are you threatening me? What exactly do you mean? Why don't you just tell me instead of playing games? My time is not free, so let me go if you won't talk. I still have to work tomorrow." Scarlett was truly exhausted at this moment. Listening to her colleagues discuss Jonathan in the office had already put her on edge. After work, she spent so much time walking aroun
Jonathan did not take her comments to heart and continued coldly, "You came home quite late, Scarlett. It seems like you've learned to enjoy life more now, huh? Weren't you just a bookworm before? Why are you so late today? You've changed a lot after starting work and made more friends, huh? Tell me, who were you out having dinner with just now? A colleague? Your boss? Or is it your boyfriend? Whoever it is, it seems like he takes good care of you, and since you were having so much fun with him, why bother coming back home in the evening?" Scarlett could hardly believe the cruel words that came from his mouth. When did Jonathan become so heartless? Although he could be a bit carefree before, he would never say such things to her. In Scarlett's eyes, Jonathan had always been gentle and caring, completely different from the person uttering these words now. Scarlett felt infuriated and couldn't help defending herself, "It's not what you think! I was just having a cup of coffee with
The two best friends chatted, and before they knew it, time had passed as they enjoyed their coffee. Soon, night fell, and the sky that was once adorned with the setting sun was now full of twinkling stars. It was beautiful, but it also reminded Scarlett of the day she parted ways with Jonathan. That day was just like today, a beautiful night with bright stars. However, things had changed, and she could never sit here and talk with Jonathan as she did that day. Teressa noticed the shift in mood from across the table. After hesitating, Teresa couldn't help but speak up, "Scarlett, Jonathan ... He's coming back soon." Teresa didn’t know the details of Scarlett and Jonathan’s relationship, but she knew they went on a trip together during their final year while everyone was looking for internships. It was quite sudden since Scarlett barely hung out with Jonathan. Then, there were rumors that they were dating, but Jonathan went abroad to study soon after, and Scarlett never menti
Scarlett sighed heavily at these words. “Yeah, there’s no way our small magazine can get an interview with the great Jonathan Leonard. Only those major news outlets have the qualifications for that. It’s his first time returning to the country after going abroad, so this is big news. The media would be busy with this, but it’s certainly not for us to handle.” Just then, the editor-in-chief of the office suddenly appeared. He must have overheard their discussions outside and sternly said, “Am I paying you to gossip around? You’re all good for nothing. You’re all itching to gossip now that I’ve eased up on you?” Once he roared, everyone fell silent. They either looked down at their computers or pretended to be busy with their work. No one responded to him. Who dared to oppose the editor? His words were final. However, Scarlett, who had always disliked this editor, felt grateful to him at this moment. She thanked him silently for saving her from her colleague’s gossiping. This wa