The police officer, who'd been brutally scolded by Jonathan, was just about to retaliate when the chief inspector hurried over frantically. The simpering smile on his face was an utter surprise, and his words shocked the officer even further. "Mr. Leonard, we're really sorry. This is all just a misunderstanding! It's all our fault. I swear to you, I'll let her out right away!"The officer was stunned by his chief's behavior; his arrogance was reduced to this submissive figure apologizing left and right now. In retrospect, he supposed he should feel fortunate that he hadn't gotten the chance to argue with the man earlier. His job would've been on the line if he'd happened to offend the man his chief appeared to admire and venerate.As soon as the chief finished speaking, Scarlett saw her cousin, Florence, being supported out of her cell. She was still inebriated, her eyes glassy, and her stance unstable. Scarlett was about to ask Florence what had happened when her cousin caught sight o
In hindsight, it didn't matter. Jonathan had always been beyond capable of comforting himself. Since Scarlett was his woman—in name and in spirit—it was only appropriate for him to protect her. No man could stand watching the woman who belonged to them be wrongfully insulted by another. Besides, Florence had been aiming at him with her slap. Despite his confidence in ducking the blow, Scarlett's unwavering action of shielding him from harm comforted him immensely. He considered this a reward for her selfless bravery.What he didn't know was how completely wrong he was. Jonathan thought of Scarlett's actions as a reflex instinct to protect him from harm when she'd really been afraid of Jonathan targeting Florence just to get back at her should her slap land on him. She knew how rotten his temper was. For an ordinary drunk to slap him without rhyme or reason would definitely not go over well. She had personally experienced the consequences of his anger just last night. Jonathan's threats
Scarlett glared at Jonathan. "You and I have nothing to do with each other anymore! I am not your assistant—and I never will be! I don't know what you told my cousin, but whatever it is, it won't work on me! I gave you that one night you requested! That's it! We're over! Please have some self-respect, Mr. Leonard!"Jonathan's indulgent expression darkened immediately. "What did you just say? Say it again if you have the guts to!" he bellowed. The young doctor, who had already been antsy around Jonathan in the beginning, jumped at his sudden bellow, the tray in her arm rattling precariously. Immediately, she excused herself from the room, having no courage to remain in the lion's den even a second longer.Scarlett, however, was unmoved by Jonathan's rage. She knew him long enough to understand that no amount of words on her part would convince him. She'd said all she wanted to, and the rest was on him. If he honored the promises he made, he should have the sense to abide by his own word
Midway through her musings, Scarlett inadvertently realized something bizarre. Why would Jonathan, a man who never stayed long with any woman, insist on her staying by his side forever? She suspected her blunt treatment of him played a part in piquing his curiosity, unlike other women who fawned over him relentlessly. Maybe she had been mistaken all along—perhaps she should've treated him like everyone else did. Perhaps, then, he would've gotten sick and tired of her company sooner or later.Who knew staying true to her nature would turn out to be detrimental to herself?Scarlett didn't expect Jonathan's jarring lack of anger despite her rudeness. His smile was maniacal, brimming with ill intent as if she had fallen straight into his trap. The man swept her into his embrace with a laugh. "Alright. Remember, this is your choice. Since you've made your decision, Monkey is yours to take care of now!"Scarlett remained silent. Taking care of his dog didn't seem that different from taking c
Contrary to Natalie's excitement, Scarlett's first response was frantic denial. She'd initially intended to keep everything that had happened with Jonathan a secret, even from Natalie, because of the amount of humiliation it brought up, but she simply couldn't stand the notion of hiding it from her best friend anymore. Scarlett didn't want to bear this burden alone, so, in the end, she confided in Natalie, entrusting every last detail to the person she deemed closest to her.Her first encounter with Jonathan, her pregnancy, the conflict between the two of them, along with Jonathan's threat for her to be his mistress for a month to protect Dylan's innocence when his return from abroad exposed Justin as Jonathan's younger brother … Scarlett did not spare Natalie any of the details as she recounted, quite literally, every bit of her long, painful history with Jonathan.As she spoke, her embarrassment grew—it was only natural for her to feel ashamed, though she felt a shuddering relief as
Scarlett wasn't about to let such a life-changing opportunity slide. If she could star in a TV show, the ludicrous pay could tide her over for a long while, not to mention the line of other opportunities that was bound to come along with it. This was a chance she had been waiting for all this while—a break in her career where she could be taken to greater heights in the industry and consequently live a better life.The suddenness of her grandfather's death seemed to have deeply affected her grandmother, so much so that she was currently hooked up to a respirator to help her breathe. Her grandma's unexpected illness still pained her to this day, and she decided to head over to the hospital to visit her after work.Unfortunately, the old woman showed no signs of regaining consciousness, her reliance on the ventilator growing by the day, a pallid sheen having taken residence permanently on her face.Scarlett's heart ached as she beheld her beloved grandmother lying lifelessly on the hospi
Despite having already made up her mind, Scarlett didn't find it appropriate to tell Ezra directly that she didn't want Jonathan to see her with another man. It wasn't that she was afraid of his rage—she was afraid of its consequences, which made her hesitant to trigger his temper if she could help it.Jonathan's threats were still ringing in her ears, an incessant reminder that plagued her. How could she forget when it was all still so vivid? She could curse him and yell at him, and she could call him a bunch of names and manage to get away with it, holding on by the skin of her teeth, but to appear in front of him with another man didn't seem to promise such optimistic outcomes.Left with no other choice, Scarlett could only alight from the car and head toward the entrance of the hotel along with Ezra. Even though her head was lowered, she could feel his piercing gaze threatening to strip her whole being right then and right there.Jonathan's gaze was cold as he stared at the man wal
"Miss Langston, you might be new here, but that's alright. You haven't seen how many newbies I've trained who eventually became famous. Just look at Daphne. She was once as clueless as you are now. Fortunately, our Daphne here picks up new things quickly and does as she's told. I'd say she understands the rules we play by too. Look at how famous she is now. I say, Miss Langston, if you grow to appreciate and abide by our rules, there's nothing you can't achieve."The man's sleazy words, barely hidden behind courtesy, gave her the urge to flip the soup bowl in front of her and pour the boiling liquid down his face in a fit of rage. While she wasn't familiar with whatever rules he was talking about, she understood what he was implying. Scarlett would never agree to any of that and would never stoop to the level of playing dirty just to get what she wanted. If she were truly that kind of person, her qualifications would've skyrocketed her fame so much that it would've long surpassed Daphn