"If Lucas is not back at my home safely by the time I wake up tomorrow, then don't blame me for taking over Leonard Corporations immediately. At that point, you would have no chance at ever obtaining the rights to Leonard Corporations," Jonathan threatened him plainly."I have something to tell you, Phoebe," Peter said weakly from his bed.Even though Phoebe married Peter out of money and not love, she was still heartbroken to see him like this. She rubbed the tears from her eyes and held his hand. "Go on," she said.Peter coughed weakly. "When we got married, Leonard Corporations was at an impasse, and I needed to be away from home very often. I could not bear to leave Jonathan alone, not after his mom had just passed away, and that was why I married you. I'm not a fool, Phoebe. I know everything that you've done during our marriage. I know you're biased toward Tristan, but I don't blame you. After all, Tristan is your own son. However, don't forget what I told you when Tristan was
"Scarlett Langston!" Jonathan roared. "Pull yourself together! I told you I would bring Lucas back. In the meantime, you have to take care of yourself! Think about how heartbroken Lucas would be if he saw you like this," he continued chiding her."But how long do I have to wait? I'm terrified. I'm terrified that if I go to sleep and I wake up, he will be gone forever." Scarlett had whispered the words "gone forever" as if she was scared it would come true if she said it out loud."Trust me, alright? Get some sleep. I promise Lucas will be here when you wake up." He was definitely going to make that happen.If Tristan wouldn't return Lucas, then Jonathan would look for him personally. Tristan simply wasn't as powerful as Jonathan. "Really?" Scarlett asked skeptically."Yes," Jonathan said with certainty, and his eyes were filled with concern over her health.Scarlett eventually went to bed, and with Jonathan by her side, she fell into a deep sleep.Jonathan waited until her brea
The guard was clearly going to say that it would be good if he could shut up for a while, but he didn't expect Lucas to twist his words completely. The guard thought about the way Lucas described the women who fawned over him. Then, he imagined himself making that kind of expression and immediately shook his head aggressively to discard that horrifying mental image.The farmer-looking guard said, "Hey, I think there's something outside."What? What was outside? Lucas looked at the guards in confusion. Was someone coming to save him?The expressionless guard glanced at the farmer-guard. "Can you handle it?""I'm lazy. You were the one who accepted this job, so you should deal with it. I'll look after the kid," the farmer-guard said straightforwardly.Surprisingly, the expressionless guard didn't argue and obediently went out to investigate. In the dim lighting, Lucas could see that the farmer-guard was actually quite handsome."The expressionless guard left, and now I have a farme
Greg studied Jonathan, who was currently standing before him. Jonathan seemed to exude power, and he was making Greg uncomfortable. However, the most important observation Greg made was that Lucas looked exactly like Jonathan."Where is Lucas?" It was a simple question, and Greg felt he shouldn't disobey this man.Greg was starting to get frustrated. He knew he shouldn't have accepted this job! Now look at the shitshow he was in. If he hadn't already received the money from Tristan, he would just pack his shit up and leave this mess. No wonder the kid inside was so cocky—he knew someone powerful would save him."I don't have who you're looking for. Please return." Maybe it was because Jonathan intimidated Greg, but his tone was extremely polite.However, Jonathan wasn't someone who could be easily dismissed like that. He was more vicious and powerful than anyone Greg knew."I'm guessing there's someone else in there as well? Can the both of you really fight off 20 Demonic Gates me
Greg's expression had darkened immeasurably. This bastard was shamelessly explaining these things to a child! However, he had to admit that Fred was right—he did enjoy it when Fred took the lead."Fred Montgomery!" Greg seethed through gritted teeth."Greggy! You're back!" Fred ignored Greg's anger and skipped to his side, and surprisingly, his anger dissipated once Fred was next to him."Let's go home, Lucas." Jonathan was initially furious with Fred. How could he say things like that to a child? Eventually, he calmed himself down. Scarlett would probably wake up in the next two hours, and everything would be fine so long as he could bring Lucas home by then.Lucas wanted to hear a bit more, but he decided to stop teasing them. "Okay, untie me then, you bastard."Lucas blatantly calling Jonathan a bastard made all the members of the Demonic Gates sweat profusely. The child was more domineering than his father!Jonathan didn't lose his temper and smiled before walking to Lucas to
Jonathan did not expect that. Tristan and Phoebe's plots had gotten more cunning. Jonathan thought this was all just a minor kidnapping, but he didn't expect them to do something like this.However, they had severely underestimated Jonathan. There was no way he was going to settle for this. Though Peter treated Tristan well, he never once asked Tristan to take over Leonard Corporations. Tristan and Phoebe must've thought that Jonathan was an idiot. So what if Phoebe claimed that those were Peter's wishes? They didn't have any proof.He would take this to court, even if it could bankrupt him. Phoebe had already taken his mother's title, so he would never let Tristan take over the company."Get me a lawyer. I don't care how much it costs. Get me the best one. I will never let them take away everything that was supposed to belong to my mother, do you understand?" he said into the phone.Scarlett was confused when she woke up. This wasn't her room. Right then, Jonathan walked in, holdi
Lucas was unusually animated when he saw his mom. "Mommy, I've missed you so much!""Baby, I've missed you so much too!" The way the pair acted seemed like something out of a movie, and Jonathan had to force himself not to smile.Though they were exaggerating, they had indeed missed each other terribly. After this incident, Scarlett felt like she treasured Lucas more now and was also grateful to Jonathan. Eventually, she told Jonathan she wanted to return to Belleview Estate with Lucas, and he let her leave.Losing Lucas made her realize that all she wanted was a peaceful life with Lucas, and since she wasn't in love with Jonathan, nor did she desperately need his help with parenting, she decided that she wouldn't tell Jonathan that Lucas was his son.She feared this mess would happen again because if it did, she wasn't sure if she could take it.After they had returned to Belleview Estate, Scarlett helped Lucas apply medication to his bruised wrists. Looking at his wounds broke h
"I love Lucas the most. Don't forget about me once you get a wife." At this, Scarlett even made a show of wiping her tears."Of course not. You're irreplaceable in my heart," Lucas passionately declared as he pounded his chest with his fists. However, he had accidentally hit his wound, and his face immediately fell as he stared at his hands in regret."Baby, you've got to calm down," Scarlett said, trying not to laugh."Mommy, I'm okay if you want to be with Uncle Dylan. You have the right to be with whoever you want, so you don't have to worry about me. I don't want to hold you back, okay? As long as you're happy, I'm happy," Lucas said seriously.Scarlett was moved to tears. Lucas was so understanding, but how could she be happy if he wasn't?"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore," Scarlett said, ending the conversation.If they continued, Lucas might send her off to either Dylan's or Jonathan's house personally. Lucas pouted but did not say anything about the abrupt end
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