"Alright, go wash your hands and come eat," Scarlett finally said as Jonathan led Lucas in to wash his hands.As the three of them sat around the table, Jonathan felt, deep in his heart, the warmth of what it meant to be a family. He'd never realized how wholesome and content it would make him to sit down together—just the three of them—even if it was for nothing but a simple meal. Above all, since Scarlett had cooked everything herself, it made him feel even warmer. Jonathan thought he had to be the luckiest man alive at that moment."When did you learn to cook, Scar?" Jonathan couldn't help but ask. One taste of her cooking stirred his interest at once. They weren't half bad—in fact, they were actually really good, and Jonathan was curious about how her culinary skills had improved so dramatically in such a short period of time."Why? Do you have any complaints about it?" Scarlett huffed. After practicing diligently for the past month, she'd expected something more than the appreciat
Scarlett looked at the man who'd emerged from the fitting room, a surge of unfamiliarity filling her. In the past, her recollections of Jonathan had always been of him in a suit, as opposed to the casual outfit he was now dressed in. Scarlett couldn't seem to wrap her head around this new version of him. Still, not even that could stop her from staring at his handsome profile as she contemplated the way those clothes made him look like he was still in his early 20s."Wow, you look so handsome, Uncle Jonathan!" Lucas surveyed Jonathan's outfit, his eyes lighting up with excitement. He didn't know Jonathan could ever look like this—perhaps it was all thanks to his skincare routine, or perhaps the clothes he had on simply complimented his looks perfectly. Regardless, at that moment, Jonathan didn't look like the president of a large company. Quite the contrary, he looked like a dazzling star on stage, basking in the attention of the adoring crowd."What do you think, Scar?" Jonathan could
Scarlett burst out laughing upon hearing his words. Eventually, she took a few bags from the poor man. As for Lucas, he shook his head as he walked alongside the two. The way the two of them were interacting now resembled the scenes in his soap operas—not that they could be considered a couple yet. His mother was careful to keep Uncle Jonathan at arm's length. Lucas couldn't quite describe them as friends either. No single male and female would stick together all day, every day, and still remain platonic. At the end of the day, he had no idea how he was supposed to describe them, so he could only try his best to accommodate their decisions at present. To him, Uncle Jonathan was a decent enough person if one overlooked his vanity and overbearing self-righteousness. If Jonathan ended up with his mommy, perhaps everything would work out after all.After buying a bunch of things together, Jonathan finally experienced what it was like to spend a normal day with family. When he was a child,
"Scar! Scar! Lucas!" His shouts yielded no response. Jonathan searched the entire house more than once, but to no avail. Not even the exterior of the house gave him a single clue toward where Scarlett and Lucas could've gone. He was starting to get more and more worried as time passed. His first thought was that Scarlett must have taken Lucas and disappeared again. Not only that, but he thought she would definitely have gone much further this time, and she wasn't coming back to him ever again. A surge of frustration and despair filled his heart. It was a desolate kind of emptiness that seized him, one he'd never felt before in his life.Jonathan squatted on the ground, his mind blank. He didn't know what he was doing. The only constant that remained was that persistent voice in his head."Scar is gone … She left you …"He remained in the same position even as Scarlett rushed home shortly after. The sight that greeted her was that of a man clad in his pajamas on his knees in front of t
Azure Blooms was faced with a shortage of flowers, so a lot of customers weren't able to purchase the flowers they'd come for that day. However, upon entering the store, they were not only greeted by the sight of the graciously beautiful store owner but also by the attractive man who stood by her side. Because of that, a lot of young women flocked to the store that day, lingering around if only to catch a few more glimpses of Jonathan. Much to their chagrin, the man's gaze remained fixed on Scarlett, completely ignoring the other women in the store.Scarlett was amused by the group of besotted girls who'd entered just to get a closer look at Jonathan. She had to admit that Jonathan was rather good-looking, but that didn't justify the idiotic behaviors of the girls, who didn't even bother to buy a flower or two despite crowding the shop with their infatuation.As Scarlett was still contemplating the matter, an unexpected guest arrived at the shop.Monica was still as heavily made-up as
"I'm not. We'll pack our things tonight and leave first thing tomorrow," Scarlett decided resolutely."Okay." Jonathan was beyond ecstatic upon hearing Scarlett's reply. He'd never imagined things to have gone so smoothly. He was fully prepared to stay in Crayton for ten days, or perhaps a month, but it seemed that he no longer had to.Contrary to his initial belief, Monica's arrival had indeed done him a great favor.Scarlett decided that she'd close the shop earlier than usual today. She even put up a notice stating that the shop would remain closed indefinitely. She thought it wouldn't be long before she could return to her business here in Crayton. Little did she know that even after time had passed, she would not once find herself coming remotely close to returning to the town.As for Lucas, Scarlett couldn't help but feel guilty for making him move again. She knew that constant changes in his environment would jeopardize his growth above all else, but try as she might, she couldn
Jonathan called Cedrick as soon as he arrived at the entrance of the company.Cedrick was elated when he received his cousin's call. After eagerly anticipating his return, his wish had finally come true. He was afraid that if his cousin continued to stay away from the company, he himself wouldn't have been able to hold his own much longer.As such, he rushed downstairs to greet his cousin upon his arrival."Jonathan, you're finally back!" He hugged Jonathan tightly, tears streaming down his face."Quit exaggerating. Did you really miss me that much?" Jonathan was at a loss for words. He hadn't thought that Cedrick would've felt his absence so much. How far did his charm stretch, really?"I—well, a little. Just a little. But I think our company misses you even more." Cedrick sighed."Why? Did something happen?" Jonathan knew before Cedrick elaborated that something bad must have happened during the time he was away."Thank God you returned just in time, Jonathan. Lately, Tristan has bee
Jonathan used to think that Tristan was interested in his position as president of Leonard Corporations because he wanted the power and influence it would inevitably bring him. He'd never imagined that the real reason behind all this was Tristan's greed for money. In fact, Tristan was so money-driven that he'd planned on signing a contract that might as well push the company to the brink of bankruptcy, allowing the eventual usurpation by Maine Enterprise, all for a mere 30 million dollars.He briefly questioned Tristan's logic and upbringing—how could he lack even the most fundamental sense of family honor and disgrace?Still, in retrospect, he was thankful that Tristan's foolishness had played a vital role in exposing his intentions before he could follow through with them. Otherwise, the problems that could have risen in the future would undoubtedly have been troublesome to deal with. Not just that, in the heat of his cunning, Tristan might even have been successful in yanking the ru