Scarlett couldn't wait any longer. She reached out and hooked her arms around his neck before inching closer toward his lips, her breath fanning his face. She looked so alluring now, as if she wanted nothing more than to melt against him, her body flush against his. "Just tell me already! As soon as you say it, I promise to let you live with me, for real this time—"Before she could finish, the door of the office swung open with a bang. Dylan glared at Jonathan, his gaze full of rage. Behind him, Macy stood guiltily.Scarlett glanced at them questioningly. Why would Dylan come here at this time?"You've gone too far, Jonathan!" Dylan growled.Jonathan looked at Dylan gleefully. He swept her into his embrace as he spoke: "She's the one who came here and told me that she loved me. What did I do now? If there's anyone to blame here, it's you for not keeping a better eye on your fiancée."Dylan rushed forward and pulled Scarlett away from Jonathan. "Don't you touch my fiancée with those fi
Jonathan pointed at Macy. "So, it's true then? Everything she said?"Scarlett never turned to face him again. She could only nod."I guess I should be honored to have made the governor and renowned lawyer, Scarlett Langston, go to such lengths for me!" Jonathan laughed coldly.Scarlett could no longer hold back her tears. One by one, they trickled down her cheek as she thought to herself, "Please leave, Jonathan. Please leave. I can't do this any longer!"Macy, on the other hand, showed him no such mercy. "What nonsense are you still talking about? Can't you see how your presence here is affecting my family?"Jonathan pulled the door open and prepared to leave. "I hope you know that this is still my office! I'm going out to get some fresh air, but I'll be back in five minutes. When I get back, I don't wish to see anything here that's polluting the air I breathe in!" He left them with those cutting words before slamming the door heavily behind him.After Jonathan left, the entire office
Dylan drank a few sips of water awkwardly, pretending like he hadn't heard anything.Dylan's awkwardness spurred Scarlett into action. Immediately, she made a move to lead Lucas outside. "Dylan, take care of yourself, okay? Rest well. I have some things I need to talk to Lucas about privately."Dylan nodded and gestured for Scarlett to leave. He could take care of himself just fine."Lucas, don't wander about like this anymore, especially in places like hospitals! Do you hear me?" Scarlett advised him earnestly."But why?""Because you're still a child! It's not safe for you to walk around unsupervised outside!" Scarlett explained.Lucas raised his head proudly. "Mommy, I'm not that stupid. I am a genius, you know.""You're so full of yourself!" Scarlett laughed at her son's antics."Mommy, you still haven't told me how Uncle Jonathan is doing yet!" Lucas, being the child prodigy he claimed he was, managed to steer the conversation back to the topic he was most concerned about, no matt
"The way I see it, you don't have to bother yourselves with canceling the contract signing. Just give me the documents!" Tristan glanced at his watch. "We still have less than five hours left. Let's not stand around wasting any more time!""I … " The secretary was still uncertain about what she was supposed to do.Tristan was getting impatient. "I'm serious! The clock is ticking, and this contract really is important! Don't worry, all of you; I will definitely not let this contract go to waste. After all, this is my family's company. I won't let you all down!""Alright then." The secretary glanced at the president's office after some contemplation and decided to hand the contract and the reports over to Tristan.A while later, Tristan left the office with the documents in hand, evidently pleased by the new turn of events."Mom! Our opportunity has landed in our laps!" Tristan called Phoebe the moment he left the company.Phoebe was taken aback by Tristan's sudden declaration. "What? W
The workers stared at Tristan in confusion before whispering amongst themselves. "Wasn't he fired by Mr. Leonard? Why is he back here again? Has he lost his mind?"Tristan simply chuckled smugly to himself at their whispering and sauntered to Jonathan's office.He pushed open the door to Jonathan's office, only to find it empty. What was Jonathan trying to do? First, he got drunk during working hours, and now he's late for work? If this was how Jonathan planned to act right after he'd reacquired Leonard Corporations, then he would love to see how much longer Jonathan could act so arrogantly before the company fell.At the same time, Jonathan, who was taking a shower at home, pondered over the events of that night."Scarlett, how much longer are you planning to torture me?" he wondered.After his shower, he made himself a cup of hot tea using freshly imported tea leaves, but halfway through his drink, he suddenly thought of Mr. Jackson from Jackson Enterprise and froze. Shit! Jonat
"Did Jonathan actually get in trouble? If he wasn't in trouble, then why would Lucas suddenly have a bad feeling?" Scarlett wondered to herself gloomily.Scarlett sat in the yard at Belleview Estate and thought about Jonathan. So many things had happened between them, and she still couldn't let him go. "Jonathan, you asshole! What did you do to me? Why does my heart yearn for you? Why can't I seem to just let you go?" Scarlett thought bitterly."I don't even know if your wounds have healed … " At this thought, Scarlett recalled the events of that fateful night. She remembered everything she'd said to him, Dylan's and Macy's reactions, and Jonathan's expression … "Since I've already made my choice, then I have to stick to it until the end. There's no longer anything between Jonathan and I. So, even if he's in trouble, it's none of my business. Jonathan, you have to live well without me!" She decided determinedly.At Leonard Corporations, Jonathan was still sitting listlessly in h
Scarlett was filled with anxiety whenever she thought about the past few times Jonathan had forced her to sleep with him. As Dylan's fiancée, the things that she'd done with Jonathan were a complete betrayal to him.However, she also felt sorry for Jonathan. She guessed that Jonathan would be upset with her and wouldn't want to hear her out. After all, she'd only said all those things that night to get him to admit that he loved her."Since you're here, it seems like you don't like him that much after all," Jonathan said gleefully. "What do you know? Yesterday, I was the one who hurt Dylan, but it was your fault that everything happened in the first place!""My fault? You were the one who set me up, and the only reason the truth was exposed was because your plan failed! I'm warning you, if you ever try to set me up like that again, I can't guarantee that it will end well for you!" Jonathan burst out angrily.If it weren't for Dylan showing up when he did, Jonathan probably would
Dylan, on the other hand, was too excited to sleep. Just the thought of Scarlett being his official wife in three days filled him with tremendous delight, so much so that he was still wide awake when Macy paid a visit to his house in the middle of the night."Dylan, are you still angry at me?" Macy asked cautiously.Dylan took one look at her guilty expression and said, "No, in fact, I want to thank you. If you hadn't taken me there that night, Jonathan and Scarlett probably would've ended up together already, and she wouldn't have agreed to marry me in three days either. I'm actually overjoyed right now.""I'm so glad you're not angry anymore! Scarlett will be my sister-in-law soon; she's agreed to marry you, so don't keep doubting yourself, okay? Besides, Lucas also loves his Uncle Dylan … Wait, he should be calling you 'Dad' soon!" Macy teased. "You don't have to worry about me anymore. Instead, I'm more worried about you. You're not getting any younger, and you still haven't f
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