"Let's go inside then. I thought you weren't feeling well. As long as you're fine." Jonathan slipped his arms around her and led her to an empty booth. Remembering their date that evening, he suddenly thought that perhaps it would be best for them to have a simple lunch.After the couple received their order, their meal passed by in a blur. Scarlett was rather impressed by the quality and taste of the food served there. She decided to come here for lunch from now on instead of eating the meals provided by Leonard Corporations. What she didn't know was that, more often than not, the food served by the company was beyond excellent, and many of her colleagues couldn't get enough of it."The food here is quite good," Scarlett remarked while she ate. If she were being completely honest, she was starving, and she had a big appetite.The two of them were very satisfied with their meal, which in turn solidified her plans to dine here more often when she was in the area.After lunch, she recall
A faint whiff of Freyan perfume greeted her as soon as she set foot into the restaurant. Scarlett couldn't help but gaze in awe at how well it showcased the unique aspects of the Freyan culture, although she was still skeptical about the service they would receive.Jonathan spoke briefly with the receptionist, and not long after, a Freyan man emerged from the back. His hair was a striking shade of gold, which complemented the startling ocean blue of his eyes. He was young, about Jonathan's age, and had a strong, muscular build indicative of his frequent workout regimens. Above all, what caught her attention was the absence of the fair complexion typically associated with Freyans—instead, his skin was a bronzed shade of copper, which emphasized the masculinity he so effortlessly exuded. Unlike most people, Scarlett found that his unconventional appearance only added to his allure. Lately, there had been a surge in popularity when it came to men with darker colored skin more than ever,
"Why are you so angry if you're not jealous? Okay, let me explain. I had a girlfriend once, but that was four years ago—we've long since broken up. The only person I love now is you, alright? Please don't be mad at me anymore." Jonathan had no intention of hiding his romantic history from Scarlett. He was a down-to-earth person and would never casually pursue other women besides the one he loved. After he'd broken up with his girlfriend four years ago, he'd only ever addressed his physical needs by being with Monica. Mingling around with other women and infidelity had never been and would never be part of his nature.He owed Scarlett for getting him where he was today. After she'd inadvertently taken advantage of him six years ago, he'd stopped frequenting nightclubs or bars in search of casual hookups. Moreover, now that he had her, his interest in entertaining other women was all the more nonexistent."Oh, so apart from your fiancée, you had a girlfriend before that too. How charming
"By the way, this steak is really good as well. It's different from the one I had last time," Scarlett remarked. Having learned her lesson, she refrained from drinking too much and instead picked up her knife and fork to enjoy the steak placed in front of her. As she ate, she noticed the unique texture of the meat. It was unlike anything she'd ever tasted before. Although she couldn't exactly pinpoint what differentiated it from the other steaks she'd tried in the past, she recognized its distinct flavor and thought it to be exceptionally delicious."Is it? In that case, have some more." Jonathan watched the satiated expression on her face as she savored her meal indulgently. There was a bit of sauce at the corner of her lips, and he stood to wipe it away before licking it off his fingers."You—I—you—that's so disgusting!" Scarlett was appalled by the fact that he'd actually swallowed whatever remained on her lips with no regard whatsoever toward personal hygiene."Not bad." The infuri
"Dean Leonard, are you that keen on crossing me the minute you return to Catheden?" Jonathan glared at his cousin. Dean was evidently trying to sabotage his relationship with Scarlett. Their relationship was already unstable, and Dean was only adding fuel to the fire."Don't try to intimidate me now, Jonathan. I might have gone along with it when we were kids and you hit me to make me obey your commands, but I am a grown adult with a degree now. I'm not afraid of you. And I'll be honest with you here. I like Scarlie as well as you do, and I will compete with you fairly." Dean's expression was proud and unrelenting. Despite his cousin's infallible perfection in almost every aspect, Dean was still confident. After all, countless outstanding women had professed their undying love to him when he'd been in Anglia."Compete with me? The way you are now? Do you know that Scar has a son? Do you still wish to pursue her?" Jonathan's words were callous. So what if she was a single mother? Did th
"You should stop making things up. I told you I don't like him, and that's never going to change. Moreover, he said it himself—he doesn't like women with children." Scarlett's rage surged once more as she recalled Jonathan's words."If you really don't like him, why do you care? His words shouldn't and wouldn't affect you this much unless you like him." Dean believed that Scarlett must have some feelings toward Jonathan. If a woman was this affected by a man's words, it meant that she still had a place for him in her heart. Besides, Dean was well aware of his cousin's charisma. Forget women; even men had wanted to flirt with him in the past."Alright, whatever you say. Regardless, I don't want to see his face right now." Scarlett couldn't find the right words to express her feelings eloquently. She did have some feelings for Jonathan, but that didn't give him the right to just hurt her so callously.Dean stared at her cheeks, which were flushed with anger; those slender fingers of hers
Jonathan knew, deep down, that all of their latest releases were strictly confidential until their respective launch dates. It was impossible for any employees to have leaked such top-secret information out, least of all to a competitor. The only suspect he could think of was Tristan. When he'd still been working for the company, Tristan had been the deputy manager of the product release department. Of course, his actual capabilities hardly did justice to the position he held, but his father had insisted that he hold a decent position in the company despite his incompetence since he was the second son of the family after all.Jonathan regretted allowing Tristan to participate in their release launch this time. When he'd made the decision to include Tristan in the launch, Jonathan had thought that, as the department's deputy manager, he should, at the very least, be involved in the most basic aspects of his department. Otherwise, he would just fool around at the office, his contribution
"Good," Jonathan replied softly. After a while, he released her from his grip, turning instead to the contracts and reports piled on his desk. As he read through them, a self-deprecating smile crept up on his face."What?" Scarlett asked, confused by his strange smile."Nothing. It's just—for the prestigious Leonard Corporations to come to the point where our integrity is questioned and people left and right are rushing to terminate their contracts with us and demanding compensation for it … I once thought of myself as invincible, someone worthy of the trust bestowed on me by the public, but now that we're in a crisis, the only people willing to stand by me are a mere handful. It's pathetic," he said self-mockingly."There are still people who believe in you," Scarlett attempted to soothe him. "I'm sure you know better than anyone that the biggest challenges a company could ever face are loss and profitability. It's not that they don't trust you anymore or didn't trust you in the firs