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
"Please, have a seat." Like a gentleman, Jonathan arranged the candles and moved the chair slightly for Scarlett to sit. Scarlett couldn't help but marvel at the unpredictability of the man in front of her."Thank you." She sat where he directed her without much protest. She had to admit that the atmosphere was rather romantic, and perhaps Jonathan was a bon vivant after all. The praises she had for him in her mind were plentiful, and so was her surprise."Do you like this?" Jonathan saw right through her surprise as well."Um—it's great. Did you cook all of this yourself?" Scarlett knew that Jonathan's culinary skills were exemplary, but judging from the number of issues he'd had to handle ever since he returned, there was no way he'd be able to find the time to cook and arrange this candlelit dinner."If I say no, will you be disappointed?" Jonathan asked. Given the choice, he would've loved to cook a meal for her himself, but he was a busy man and had his assistant prepare this cand
"I'm not stingy—forget it. Drink up, then." Once again, Jonathan was speechless in the face of this impossible woman. She was already drunk at this point. If not, she wouldn't have had the audacity to call him stingy. This was still the first time any woman had called him that, and truth be told, Jonathan felt rather entertained."That's weird. Why do you have two heads?" Scarlett tilted her head suddenly and looked at him with a strange expression.Jonathan burst out laughing at her adorable appearance. She was so drunk, and yet she had the nerve to claim that she had a high alcohol tolerance."Um—Jonathan, I—my head is spinning like crazy. Don't—stop moving. Why are you moving around so much in front of me?" Scarlett suddenly felt her mind growing hazy as her vision blurred as well."You really can't make things easy for me, do you?" Jonathan shook his head, feeling a migraine surfacing thanks to her current drunken state. He hurried over to support her away from the table."Jonathan
At long last, Jonathan felt a surge of drowsiness. His arms snaked around the woman, who was already in a deep sleep beside him, holding her close in his embrace. Soon enough, he too fell asleep, surrounded by satiated bliss.Jonathan had a dream that night that he and Scarlett were about to get married. He dreamed about her pledge to stay by his side forever as Lucas stood beside her and about the way Lucas finally called him Dad. He smiled; everything had felt so unbelievably real.As for Scarlett, she didn't know how long she'd slept. She opened her eyes, blinking at the dimness of the room. The curtains were drawn, preventing the glaring sunlight from outside from entering. After rubbing her fatigued eyes, she bolted upright as last night's events came back to her in a jolt.Where was she? She wondered silently as she tried to recall what had happened. She remembered having dinner with Jonathan and the wine she drank, but after that, she couldn't remember anything else.Her head th
"Pft … Why are you on his side?" Scarlett marveled. Not only did Lucas speak up for Jonathan, but he seemed to have always been biased toward the man."I'm not on his side. I just think that if you can agree to date Uncle Jonathan, doesn't that mean you've already started liking him? Even though you told Uncle Dylan you'd marry him in the past, you never properly dated him anyway. Now that you're dating Uncle Jonathan, it's obvious you've always been partial toward him." Lucas pressed his lips together. He still didn't know that Dylan was already married, and that was the only reason why he'd compared Jonathan to Dylan."Alright, alright, I know what you mean. Wait, it's so late now. Did you have breakfast? I forgot to bring you something. Are you hungry, baby?" Scarlett glanced at the sun creeping toward noon, suddenly realizing the time. For a developing kid like Lucas, breakfast was a must for his growth.Lucas rolled his eyes. "Mommy, it's almost lunchtime. Even if you'd brought br
"Mister, you're so handsome!" Lucas complimented him as he surveyed the man's features. He thought they were unbelievably fortunate to have encountered someone willing to help them out every time. Not only that, but all those people who came forward to help them were always exceptionally attractive. His mother's charming and youthful appearance was indeed useful when it came to things like this."And you're just too adorable. What's your name, kid?" Dean had always loved being praised for his looks. Not only was he self-absorbed like this, but no one other than his older cousin could ever rival his looks, and he knew it."My name is Lucas. Can I call you Dean?" Lucas asked innocently."Of course, Lucas! You're so cute. Are you two siblings?" Dean evidently liked this child as he attempted to make conversation. Moreover, the captivating woman sitting in front of him looked exactly like his dream partner. He was suddenly thankful that he'd stopped by this restaurant instead of returning
"Scarlie, it's my pleasure and absolute honor to be able to treat such a beautiful lady like yourself for lunch." After that, the two exchanged their contact information and returned home, respectively. It wasn't until they'd parted that Scarlett suddenly realized that Dean was a Leonard too, and his appearance did resemble Jonathan in more ways than one. She was beginning to suspect that perhaps Dean and Jonathan knew each other.Still, she quickly dismissed that thought. Coincidences like these should be rare—perhaps this was nothing but a chance encounter, and she'd never bump into Dean again.Since coming back to Atville, Scarlett had found herself with a lot of free time on her hands. When she'd been in Crayton, she'd still had the flower shop to manage. But here, with her primary job on hold and her position as governor rebuked, she was left with a ton of freedom to do whatever she pleased with the time she had.In her idle moments, she couldn't help but criticize Jonathan inward
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