Chapter 65

Chapter 65Chapter 65 Avoidance
In the afternoon on Friday, Michaela received a message from Jonathan. He was asking her to head to
the Xander residence after work first, for he had a meeting at night and would only be able to go there
later.
Michaela was relieved to go to the Xander residence by herself.
When she found out that the two elderly of the Xander family was coming back, she immediately realized
they must have returned because of Zack and her. After work, she went to buy some supplements before
rushing to the Xander residence.
In the past, she used to go to the Xander residence with her mother, so her mother was the one to
prepare the gifts. Now that she was alone, she had to make sure to be as polite as usual.
The Xander residence was located in a remote area away from the noisy crowds. It was a brilliant place
for the elderly to live at.
By the time Michaela reached her destination, the sky was darkening. Even from afar, she could see a
figure standing by the doorway of the courtyard. When she came closer to the house, she realized it was
Mavis.
Mavis was old, and her white hair was combed neatly. Although her face was full of wrinkles and her skin
was sagging, anyone would realize from her features that she used to be a beauty when she was
younger.
Even as time went by, the elegance in her behavior never went away. Instead, she became more and
more graceful over time.At that, Michaela’s heart melted, and she hastily opened the car door to greet her. “Old Mrs. Xander, why
are you standing here. It’s cold out here at night. You might catch a cold here!”
“You’ve always been sweet and sensible since young. Zack’s a fool to not appreciate you. This is our
fault…”
Mavis and her husband had been in remorse ever since they learned about the incident.
Back then, they thought both Michaela and Zack would click with each other since they were around the
same age and Zack was a hardworking child. Neither thought that there would be a day when both of
them would misjudge the situation.
There were a few times when Mavis woke up in the middle of the night and found her husband sitting
alone in the study, looking at Adrian’s photo. She had heard him muttering his apologies to Adrian, as
Zack had caused Adrian’s beloved granddaughter to be aggrieved.
Mavis’ heart ached even more for Michaela when she found out about what Lucille had done. That was
why she had waited by the doorway when she learned that Michaela was coming for a visit.
When Michaela saw the tears welling in Mavis’ eyes, she quickly shook her head. “Old Mrs. Xander,
please don’t say that. I know that Old Mr. Xander and you both dote on me.”
“What a good girl you are. Come on, come with me into the house.”
Right as she said that, Mavis held Michaela’s hand and walked into the courtyard. When she saw the
supplements that Michaela was carrying, she uttered, “Don’t be so courteous in the future, or else I’ll be
upset.”
“I should be nice to you and Old Mr. Xander!”Michaela’s docile demeanor only made Mavis’ heart melt even more. At the same time, she sighed
inwardly, Zack’s really an idiot!
By the time the two entered the house, Nick had already put down the newspaper in his hands. He then
raised his head to look at her before softly saying, “Mich, you’re here. Come over and take a seat.”
Nick, who was sitting with a straight back, was wearing an old-fashioned cotton dark blue suit. He looked
lively, and the smile he had on his face was a doting and soft one.
Michaela walked over to him and asked, “Old Mr. Xander, I heard from Mr. Jonathan that you were
unwell a while ago. Are you feeling better now?”
“I’m feeling fine with me in your thoughts! Mich, about Zack’s matter… You must have had it tough.”
Although Zack was the one at fault, the profuse apologies from Mavis and Nick made Michaela, who was
indeed upset about the matter, feel awkward. She quickly said, “Old Mr. Xander, let’s not talk about past
matters. If both of you get angry and become ill because of this, I’ll be sorry too!”
“You’re so thoughtful, silly girl,” Mavis chimed in an approving tone.
Indeed, she felt bad about the matter, but she was also concerned about the old man’s body.
He was old, and everything seemed to be malfunctioning—from high blood pressure to heart issues.
Therefore, Michaela was right in that anger would make him ill. Mavis was worried that Nick would
become sick from the anger he felt over the incident.
Hence, when Mavis heard the young woman’s words, her eyes reddened. Similarly, the smile on Nick’s
face deepened. Despite his prior arrangements, he subtly changed the topic. “I heard from Jonathan that
you’ve gone to work at a charity. I’m sure your grandfather will be at peace to know that. How is your
work?”“It’s fine,” Michaela softly replied.
When Jonathan was done with the video conference and rushed home, he returned to find the young
woman sitting beside his parents, chatting away merrily.
The moment Michaela saw who was by the doorway, she quickly stood up and called out, “Mr.
Jonathan!”
Mr. Jonathan?
Jonathan narrowed his eyes as a displeased look appeared on his face.
The young woman had been avoiding him for two whole days, and she even had her breakfast and
dinner outside. In other words, she left home early and returned late. Once she was home, she would
then hide away in her room and refused to come back out.
When he saw that the lights were on in Michaela’s room the night before, he knocked on her door.
Perhaps it would have been better for him not to have done that, for the moment he knocked on the door,
the young woman turned off the lights and pretended to be asleep.
Still, he was not angry about that. He thought that she was only hiding from him because she was shy.
Yet, this was what greeted him.
Michaela had been in a merry conversation with Jonathan’s parents, but Jonathan’s appearance made
her turn tense.
Nick noticed the exchange and thought that Jonathan did not treat her well. Thus, he scowled and shot
Jonathan a look before turning to Michaela. “Mich, sit. Ignore him. He’s just an unwanted old man. Even I
feel embarrassed for him!”
An unwanted old man?Upon hearing that description, Michaela gave Jonathan a look of sympathy, having forgotten about the
awkwardness between them for a moment.
Is Jonathan that lowly in the family? Still, it’s not as bad to the point he’s unwanted, right?
As far as she knew, Jonathan was a man many women wanted. Unfortunately, it was difficult to rouse his
interest, and Michaela could not begin counting how many women’s hearts he had broken.
When Jonathan saw the look Michaela gave him, he lowered his head. Is she feeling bad for me?
Sometimes, making himself look pitiful was a way to win her back.
Meanwhile, when Mavis heard her husband’s comment about her youngest son, she frowned. However,
as Michaela was there, she could not possibly begin an argument with Nick. Therefore, she shot Nick a
glare and said, “Jonathan’s back, so we can start with our dinner.”
Mavis then stood up and began walking to the dining area. At the start, Jonathan wanted to take the
opportunity to talk to the young woman, but Michaela swiftly went to Mavis’ side. “Old Mrs. Xander, let
me hold you.”
“My, at the end of the day, daughters are the best. My greatest regret in life is that I didn’t have a
daughter. Instead, I gave birth to three brats,” Mavis said in a soft tone. She then held Michaela’s hand
tightly and continued, “Mich, if you don’t mind me being a naggy old woman, please come and keep me
company more often. I really adore you!”
Of course, Jonathan and his brothers were filial children as well.
However, despite everything, boys were not as meticulous as girls. Mavis always felt sad that she had
not been able to have a daughter, and every time she mentioned that, she would sigh wistfully.
Meanwhile, Jonathan, who was behind the two of them, heard everything they said. Then, he heard
Michaela say, “No, Old Mrs. Xander, I’m lucky that you’re so kind to me.”Old Mrs. Xander?
Jonathan raised a brow. Doesn’t that sound awkward? Michaela, she will be your future mother-in-law!