Chapter 67

Chapter 67Chapter 67 I Yield
“I don’t have any clothing here that’s suitable for young women, Mich. What I do have is a new nightie
that I’ve recently bought, so try to make do with it today. I’ll have someone get that sorted out tomorrow.”
“It’s okay, Old Mrs. Xander. I’ve already imposed myself on you quite enough already. My mom might get
upset with me if she were to find out how much work I’m putting you through.”
Most kids nowadays are ill-bred and incurably willful, being spoilt rotten the way they are. That, however,
is not the case with this girl right here; she is polite, gracious, witty, competent, unfussy with food, and
dresses modestly. Mavis’ fondness for the young woman only grew the more she saw of her.
To her, the young woman before her possessed all the qualities that would make her the ideal wife one
day. As such, she could not help but lament the fact that the Xanders simply did not have the good
fortune to have her become part of their family.
Worried that Michaela would be unable to settle in well since she was staying over for the first time,
Mavis spent some time chatting with her before getting up to leave. Nevertheless, she did not neglect to
remind Michaela to turn in early.
Michaela saw Mavis to the stairs where she watched the elderly lady descend them with assured steps.
She was about to turn back when she spotted Jonathan who was standing not too far away.
Already changed out of his suit, Jonathan was dressed in a more casual outfit that was more comfortable
to be worn around the house. For some inexplicable reason, it conferred upon him the geniality of a boy-
next-door that was conspicuously absent from his usual high-and-mighty bossman persona.He had his hands tucked inside the pockets of his pants as he regarded her with a laid-back expression,
and when their eyes met, the man’s deep-set eyes and unfathomable gaze were akin to a bottomless pit
that threatened to suck her in.
Steadily curling up his lips, he cast her a devilish smile that made her shudder, and in response,
Michaela turned and broke into a run, almost without apprehension.
“Stop right there, Michaela Lingard!”
Jonathan furrowed at the woman’s audacity to torment him by her avoidance. Did she really expect to be
able to get away scot-free during our time at the Xander residence after entertaining herself at dinner at
my expense?
Getting too far ahead of herself, I’d say!
Jonathan’s long and narrow eyes squinted. His pretty and piercing gaze, coupled with the fact that there
was not much physical separation between them, to begin with, sent a chill down Michaela’s spine.
Unexpectedly, Michaela’s limbs betrayed her at the most crucial moment. Her slightly trembly hands
failed to open the door no matter how hard she tried, leaving her fretful to the verge of tears.
At that moment, Jonathan unhurriedly strolled over to her side and leaned his forearm against the wall
next to the door. Smiling wryly, he said, “Where do you think you’re going? Have you forgotten that this is
the place where I lived growing up? Don’t tell me that you intend to flee to the ends of the world?”
He stared at her intently, his gaze burning, causing her to shrink away. “My bad, Mr. Jonathan!”
“Oh?” His lips curled up subtly as though he was in a splendid mood. “Now, why don’t you tell me, Mich,
who is in the wrong here?” he said in his deep and husky inflection.“I-I…”
Michaela was so unnerved that her eyes reddened. She could certainly start pointing fingers, but she
had no idea how to get started.
While she struggled with her indecision, Jonathan had already leaned in with his deep-set eyes fixated
upon her. “Why did you try to avoid me?”
“I-I didn’t!”
Although she was prompt to answer, she could not help but feel a little self-conscious under the glare of
Jonathan’s intense scrutiny. Not daring to regard Jonathan directly, she began to avert her gaze.
Gaining herself a boyfriend under such ridiculous circumstances was not something that she wanted.
Apart from avoiding him, Michaela did not know what else to do.
In Michaela’s esteem, with his background and stature, there was no woman out of Jonathan’s reach.
He’s merely toying with me, and this entire affair is nothing but one practical joke taken too far.
“Are you refusing to look at me? Do you find me that repulsive?”
Jonathan pressed her once more with a mystifying look in his eyes as though to penetrate Michaela’s
innermost thoughts. When she did not respond, he nodded, and growled sonorously and dourly, “Fine. In
that case, I’ll swear that I’d never show myself in front of you again!”
After his voice trailed off, Jonathan swiftly turned to depart, only to hear the woman’s firm denial. “It’s not
what you think! Besides, this is your home. If anyone should leave, it should be me.”
Michaela had her own reservations, as it was the Xander residence they were in. Hence, she sought to
suppress her own voice until it tapered down to barely more than a squeak toward the end.What came unexpectedly to her was the lack of surprise from the smirking Jonathan. I just knew that she
could not bear to be apart from me! Sometimes, it takes the right sort of duress to help one confront
one’s own true feelings.
Once more, Jonathan turned to face Michaela and lifted her chin with his slender digits. When Michaela
declined to meet his gaze, he snickered. “Then, what do you say to the two of us staying put?”
His attitude changed so quickly that it rendered Michaela speechless.
He never had any intention of walking away. If nothing else, he was really looking to score sympathy
points!
Before Michaela could speak, she heard Nick’s energetic voice ringing out from downstairs. “Have you
any idea what time it is already? Why are you still going back and forth like that? I reckon that Mich
should be asleep by now, so why don’t you give it a rest?”
“I’m telling you. Girls have always been accustomed to sleeping in familiar beds, you old coot, but you
just wouldn’t listen. This warm milk that I have here can help. Run along to bed now. I’ll be back once I
have this sent over to her.”
Footsteps were heard coming up the stairs right after Mavis’ voice faded off.
Michaela’s eyes widened asudden, especially when it occurred to her how intimate Jonathan and her
must appear right now. Pushing the man away without any hesitance, she prepared herself to duck back
inside the room.
Seeing how eager Michaela was to avail herself of him, Jonathan reached out and pulled her into his
arms outright. Then, he regarded her with an ambiguous smile. “How do you think my mother would
react if she saw us together like this?”Infuriated, Michaela sought to free herself, only to find his grasp tightening around her several-fold. In the
end, she could only resign herself to her fate. “Please stop fooling around, Mr. Jonathan.”
“Mr. Jonathan?” His thin lips curled up charmingly as he said, “I don’t like the way you address me,
Mich.”
“Well, you’re my elder, so I—”
“Didn’t you address me as Jonathan without inhibition back then? Besides, we aren’t related by blood. Or
could it be that you are still harboring hopes of getting back together with Zack? Is that why you are so
insistent on being so formal with me?”
“It’s nothing like that…”
Reflexively, Michaela tried to remonstrate but before she could do that, the man went on to force the
issue. “If that’s not the case, then let’s hear you call me by my name, shall we?”
There was a sliver of coaxing in his tone that set a flush upon her dainty cheeks.
The sound of every tap of the foot that echoed up the stairs seemed like a direct encroachment upon
Michaela’s psyche. Her heart only pounded ever harder the closer they approached.
Unable to withstand that sort of distress, she could only yield. “Jonathan.”
Her voice was tender and supple. Even though it was just a single word, it fueled his yearning to get
more intimate with her still.
Now emotionally gratified, Jonathan decided not to continue to make things difficult for Michaela.
Pushing downward with his hand, he opened the door and had her carried into the sanctuary of the guest
room. In the same crisp sequence, he had the door locked behind them and also the lights turned off.
That series of maneuvers from Jonathan only made Michaela even more discombobulated inside.She was under the impression that it was about time Jonathan ought to have let her off then. But to her
astonishment, the man was brazen enough to follow her into the room. What should we do if Old Mrs.
Xander were to catch us like this?
In that instant, Michaela became livid and perturbed. “What are you thinking, coming inside my room?
How do you expect me to explain your presence here to Old Mrs. Xander if she saw you? Hurry up and
get out of here!”