"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
It was past 8.30 pm, but Tristan was still nowhere to be found. Deep down, Scarlett knew that he would come. This waiting game he was making her play was simply a way to test her sincerity.When the clock inched toward 9 pm, her phone rang. A glance at the caller ID had her answering the phone immediately."Hey, Ms. Langston. I'm here. Where are you?" Tristan's voice was annoyed, to say the least.Scarlett told him the number of her booth and patiently waited for him to approach her.When Tristan finally arrived, the sight that greeted him was of Scarlett, elegantly sitting in the booth, dressed in a blue camisole with a professional blazer covering her exposed shoulders. She was sipping a cup of coffee as she waited, her demeanor poised and graceful.The sight of her stirred the dormant jealousy in his gut. Jonathan was always the one who got the best things. His hatred for his stepbrother grew even more as he realized that this beautiful woman now belonged to him. Still, considering
Jonathan arrived just in time to witness Scarlett lose her balance and fall over. Hurriedly, he parked his car and rushed to her side.Just as he was helping her up from the ground, he was startled to see the bloodstains on the side of her head. Panicked, he quickly examined her head for any other wounds, only to discover numerous abrasions all over her scalp."Scar, what happened? How are you feeling?" he asked anxiously. When he'd first seen her on the ground earlier, his heart had almost stopped. Now that she was in his arms again, he forced down the swell of panic that threatened to engulf him."No—nothing. It was Tristan. He wanted to steal the evidence from me, but all he got was an empty flash drive. The voice recorder is here, in my pocket." Scarlett was panting slightly as she spoke. There were even hints of a smile that flitted past her face."He, what? How can you still smile at that? Do you know how fucking dangerous that was? Are you planning to throw your life away just f
Jonathan gazed at Scarlett as she slept. Her breathing was heavier than usual, perhaps due to her exhaustion. He caressed her forehead gently, contentment filling his heart. Even though her earlier predicament had been gravely dangerous, the fact that she'd gone to such lengths for him without hesitation was proof enough that she cared a great deal about him, despite her claims. It filled him with joy in spite of the circumstances.Suddenly, his phone rang. It was a call from Lucas."Hey, Uncle Jonathan." Lucas' voice came from the other end as soon as the call connected. "Do you know where my mommy is right now? She hasn't come back, and I'm really worried about her." Usually, he wouldn't be concerned in the slightest if she'd been with Jonathan, but this time, she'd gone out alone. He'd been waiting for her to return for a long time now, and he couldn't help but worry about her. Jonathan was the only person he could think of to contact."Your mother is sleeping now. Don't you worry,
Scarlett was speechless upon hearing his outburst. She knew that her actions yesterday had been reckless, but she'd only done it for him and his company. She really didn't know how else she could've gotten evidence to convict Tristan for his traitorous actions.Despite the danger her actions posed, the silver lining was that she'd successfully obtained evidence that could prove Jonathan's innocence. Scarlett was only trying to clear his name all this time. "I know, I know. Of course, everything that's happened is because of my carelessness. There's no one to blame but me, but I really didn't expect such despicable actions from Tristan. I never thought he'd be capable of such malice, to be honest."If she did, she wouldn't have gone alone without backup."No matter what, I got you the evidence you need, so hey, at least my efforts yesterday hadn't been in vain, right? Now you can prove that you and Leonard Corporations were innocent all along—the only villain here is Tristan. You can cu
Her observations led her to believe that the problem stemmed from their mothers. Just by looking at Phoebe, Scarlett could clearly see that she wasn't a good person. Apart from inappropriately seducing men left and right and stirring up conflicts between members of her own family, she dared not imagine what else the woman was capable of.Scarlett recalled how Phoebe had found her and accused her of what had happened between Monica and Jonathan. The ordeal was simply ridiculous—who did she think she was to be interfering in Jonathan's personal affairs? She wasn't even his biological mother, for God's sake. She had no right, especially when it came to something as personal as his relationships.It was none of her business who Jonathan loved. She was perhaps better off disciplining her unruly son. If Tristan continued down the path of destruction he was steadily trudging, he might one day inevitably find himself trapped in the clutches of the law.Jonathan, too, had been pondering the sam
It was then that Scarlett saw through her devilish son's trickery, unlike everyone else who'd been completely entranced by the pitiful facade Lucas wore. He was worried about her? What a joke! Even though he was worried about his mother, a bigger part of him didn't want to go to school that day. That's why he'd rushed over to the hospital and put on this elaborate show. He'd said it himself multiple times in the past too—Lucas found it insulting to have to attend class together with the other kids who weren't half as intelligent as he was. He'd use every opportunity to skip school or adamantly refuse to leave the house in the morning. Every time this happened, Scarlett found herself faced with a splitting migraine as she wondered what to do with her son and his insistence on staying home.Now, it seemed that Lucas had found another opportunity to skip school again. His watery eyes were wide and innocent, and he looked like he was on the verge of bursting into tears. Anyone else witness
"Lucas, why don't you want to go to school? Give me a good reason why I should condone this atrocious behavior of yours." Scarlett knew that she had to settle this matter once and for all today. She was puzzled by his obstinate reluctance to go to school. There were too many underprivileged children all around the world, hungry for knowledge but sorely out of reach of the means to receive it. Scarlett had the ability to provide her child with a good education, and she would fight to keep it that way. She wished Lucas would understand and appreciate her efforts to give him a good, whole life to the best of her abilities.And yet, the stubborn monkey pouted. "What's so good about that lousy school? It doesn't matter whether I attend those classes. The kids inside are all stupid—every last one of them! They took half a day to solve a simple arithmetic problem, for God's sake! I feel frustrated simply looking at them. Dumb creatures! You know, I'd be fine if it were just the kids, but to a
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