"Once you've got a grasp of the entire situation, if you're adamant about reclaiming Leonard Corporations, the benefits are the fact that you're the legitimate heir, and everyone would naturally bow down to your will. You would also be more familiar with the operations of the company, which would make it inherently easier to take control from within. "But what's slightly more challenging is the matter of getting rid of certain employees who serve no useful purpose to the company. After all, they're there because of their connections, and they're backing each other. I believe that if one of them happens to be implicated, the rest will ultimately stand up for them. So, firing a high-ranking employee might prove to be a challenge, especially considering their numerous clients and extensive relationships. "As for establishing your own company, the benefits of that are, in turn, obvious too. It will be your own company, so your word will be the law. You'll have the freedom to arrange your
Upon hearing the incessant beeps from her phone, Scarlett immediately retrieved her phone and glanced at the screen. She was in the car, and anticipation flooded her heart. Part of her wished that it was Jonathan who texted her, but the moment she caught a glimpse of her notifications, she frowned curiously. It was her baby, Lucas. Scarlett was puzzled; Lucas rarely texted her, so why was he acting so unusually today?Then she read the contents of his message."What? Why would Jonathan be with Lucas? And the amusement park?" A series of questions filled her heart, but none of them yielded any concrete answers. Scarlett felt her frustration rising along with her confusion."Whatever. Forget it—if those two crafty guys are together, I'd be fortunate enough if they don't end up harming others, let alone worrying about their safety. It's better for me to go home and sleep. I don't have it in me to dwell on what they're doing right now anyway!" With her mind made up, Scarlett decided to let
"That one?" Lucas pointed to one of the brightest stars and asked tentatively."You're absolutely right. It's that one indeed." Jonathan resumed his silent contemplation after replying almost absentmindedly.After gazing at the star for a moment, Lucas realized that the Ferris wheel had completed its round, but he didn't feel like interrupting Jonathan's trance just yet. Part of him couldn't stand seeing Jonathan so despondent, so he opted to follow with a cheeky remark a while later."Hey, mopey guy! We're here! Time to get off! Do you plan on staying here forever? Everyone in the queue down there is looking at you! How many times do you expect to go around this wheel with just one ticket?" Lucas deliberately provoked Jonathan, attempting to elicit some kind of response from him."Lucas! What did you say? Do you have a death wish?" Sure enough, Jonathan's innate wrath was always ready to strike, regardless of its target."I'm talking about you, dumbass! What are you gonna do about it?
"I know that. When the time comes, I'm counting on you to record everything. Don't you dare slack off!" Jonathan had already considered everything Lucas had brought up. After all, he hadn't been the president of Leonard Corporations for so many years for nothing."Since you already know, then I won't waste my energy explaining it to you. How much longer until we meet up with them?" Lucas hadn't eaten breakfast yet, and for a six-year-old, it was a meal of utmost importance."In half an hour, including our round trip by car. We still have ten minutes to spare, though. Why?" Jonathan knew that Lucas wouldn't ask something for no reason, so he took care to add a question of his own."Oh well, I was thinking, maybe … Can I have breakfast first?" Lucas finally spoke up, having ignored his growling stomach's demands all this time. He looked rather embarrassed by his request."Bring us some breakfast, please, Ms. Rose. And quickly!" Jonathan could never bear to let his own son starve. Immedia
"Well, there's that, then." Jonathan was inwardly delighted, but his face was as unruffled as ever."If you're done, I won't see you off," Phoebe said coldly."I see someone really doesn't know when to give up, even when the situation is already against them." Tristan laughed beside Phoebe.Jonathan scoffed coldly before he stood and left with Lucas. "This isn't over yet," was all he left them with before striding out of the coffee shop."Ungrateful bastard," Phoebe retorted, her expression ugly. Jonathan turned momentarily as soon as those words left her mouth. His cold gaze penetrated her, making her scalp crawl. Phoebe found herself turning away immediately, taking great care not to meet his eyes.Jonathan sneered once more before walking away.His mood improved greatly once they had finally left the shop. The next step would be to craft a plan brutal enough to finally bring down the mother and son."Lucas, you were amazing today." Jonathan smiled at Lucas. "How about I take you out
"Wow, to what do I owe the honor of being personally greeted by you, President Leonard? Where's your housekeeper? I'm not sure I can handle all this fanfare." Scarlett tried to swallow her laugh."Alright, stop teasing me, Scarlett. My housekeeper is out on some business. If you don't help me, I won't be able to be president soon," Jonathan replied with a bitter smile."So, you're only here because your housekeeper's not in." Scarlett pursed her lips."No, of course not. I'm here because of you." Jonathan scrambled to change his words. He was at a disadvantage after all, since he needed her help at the moment. And yet, a wicked smile crossed his face as he thought about what he was about to give her in a while."Follow me. All the documents I have to show you are here." Scarlett followed Jonathan into the house, and he led her into his study shortly after. A stack of documents were neatly piled on his desk, and Scarlett didn't waste much time as she strode over and picked them up. She
"What do you think you're doing? How dare you stand in my way?" Sharp, ruthless words shot out of his mouth. Jonathan wasn't about to show his rival any mercy.Dylan returned Jonathan's gaze with equal iciness. He scoffed, tightening his grip before flinging Jonathan's arm downward. "How dare you try to hit Scar? She is mine, and I'm the only one who can decide what happens to her!"Tension hung low and thick in the air.Jonathan's attempts to have his way with Scarlett seemed to have instantly turned into a heated confrontation between two men vying for her love. And yet, there were no spectators present."Dylan, laying your hands on me in my own home is against the law. You know it as well as I do."The coldness in Jonathan's eyes sharpened. He pressed closer before yanking the other man's collar up and tugging him roughly.Dylan gazed at Jonathan mockingly as he peeled away Jonathan's grip on him. "Why? Do you want to fight me? Tell you what, Scarlett is my fiancée. If you want to l
Lucas read through the text he'd just received from Dylan before casually composing another new message. "Hey, big bully. Uncle Dylan's on his way to City Hall to pick up my mommy." After clicking send, he didn't bother to check if Jonathan had replied. Instead, he turned his attention back to the soap opera playing on screen. Truth be told, all this stealth and subterfuge of being a double agent thrilled him to no end.Unfortunately, luck wasn't on Jonathan's side that day—he only saw Lucas' text half an hour later. He immediately jolted, instantly alert, as he glanced at the time. "I need to leave now. It'll be too late if I wait any longer," he mused.Yet, by the time he reached City Hall, Dylan had already picked up Scarlett. Jonathan stood in front of the empty hall for a while, entirely dumbfounded. Dylan's increasingly fierce attacks against him urged him to make a decision. He knew what he wanted and what he had to do to get it.A while later, Dylan drove Scarlett home. At that
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