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
"Legal advisor? At your company?" Scarlett exclaimed in surprise. She knew that Leonard Corporations had an exceptional team of legal advisors composed of mostly world-renowned experts in law, both domestically and internationally. Even though her knowledge of the legal world was decent, her expertise lay more in the field of litigation than anything else. She had limited experience as an advisor for a company as large as Jonathan's."Yes, don't worry. I've talked about this with the company before. While you serve as our legal advisor, you can also be my assistant." He smiled."What? You want me to juggle two jobs in your company? President Leonard, you're evidently exploiting my skills for free labor," she protested. The thought that Jonathan must have some kind of ulterior motive behind his offer crossed her mind immediately. If she decided to join the company, she would have to see him every day, not to mention the frequent interactions she'd need to have with him as his personal a