Chapter 25

Adorable With A Strong Front

In truth, Jonathan was only older than Michaela by five years. The first time they really met was during
one particular summer.

Michaela had brought some food to the business school for Adrian as instructed. Coincidentally,
Jonathan was in the latter’s office then.

At that time, a twenty-year-old Jonathan was working on his doctorate, while fifteen-year-old Michaela
was in her first year of senior high after skipping a few grades due to her excellent academic
performance.

She remembered how Adrian praised Jonathan and even encouraged her to learn from him.

Subsequently, when Michaela had her appendix removed, Jonathan tutored her on the classes she
missed due to how important her studies were. Furthermore, he even gave her his notes for the
university entrance exam.



In a twist of fate, Adrian’s student would turn out to be the uncle of her fiancé.

The year Michaela completed her university entrance exam, she and Zack held a simple ceremony for
their engagement. During that time, Jonathan had gone overseas and never kept in touch.



During that five years, other than a fleeting meeting during Adrian’s funeral, she only heard about him
when someone else brought him up.



The distance between them grew further along with the passage of time.

If she hadn’t run into him at Sommer Gardens the other day, his existence would likely have slipped her
mind.

Compared to the charming youth back then, the man in front of her exuded a dignified and masculine
aura. Intimidated by his reserved demeanor, Michaela felt the urge to avoid him.

As a result, she kept a wary distance from him as she escorted him out of the mansion.

Sensing her apprehension, Jonathan stopped in his tracks, feeling upset. He turned toward her. “Are you
afraid of me?”

Panicking at the candidness of the question, Michaela shook her head in reflex and denied, “No. What’s
there to be afraid of? It’s not like you’re some kind of beast, right?”

Even though she had tried to calm herself down while speaking, her shifty eyes betrayed her true
emotions.

When Jonathan saw how she was desperately putting on a strong front to cover up her unsettled
emotions, he almost laughed in amusement.

She’s so cute when she does that!

“I heard that you did well in your university entrance exam and are doing two majors concurrently in
university, is that right?”

“Huh?”

Michaela was disoriented by the sudden change in topic. Compared to the genius standing in front of
me, I’m too embarrassed to talk about my academic achievements.



Unsure of what Jonathan’s intention was for asking the question, Michaela was stunned. By the time she
regained her senses, he had closed the distance between them.

His deep obsidian eyes looked like a bottomless abyss that seemed to pull her in. As Michaela felt her
heart squeeze, Jonathan’s bassy voice rang out beside her ear. “After tutoring you in high school and
suppressing the recent scandal, don’t you have something to say to me for helping you out twice, Mich?”

His voice sounded especially melodious. Lowering his gaze while speaking, he unleashed his warm
breath across her face. The warm sensation she felt added to the amorous tension in the atmosphere.

Furthermore, the tone in which he pronounced “Mich” was simply intoxicating.

When he mentioned it in front of her mother, Michaela thought of it as nothing more than a term of
endearment from someone who was more senior than her. But this time, his voice seemed to have the
ability to bewitch her, causing her heart to pound furiously.

Gulping nervously, she blurted, “Thank you, Mr. Jonathan!”

“After betraying my own nephew for you, are those two words the only thing you can manage?”

With glistening eyes and a calm expression, he observed her quietly without revealing his emotions.

Even though she had just graduated and wasn’t experienced in the ways of the world, she still picked up
a thing or two from the environment she grew up in.

Upon Jonathan’s reminder, a sudden realization dawned upon her. With a gentle look in her eye, she
probed, “Then, why don’t I… treat you to a meal sometime?”

“Sure!” The corners of Jonathan’s lips curled gleefully. “It’s decided then. Call me once you’ve settled on
a date!”

When he saw how Jonathan was shamelessly flirting with Michaela, Walter felt utterly embarrassed.



Isn’t he supposed to be famous for staying away from women?

Ever since Jonathan’s return to the country, Walter felt that the former was no longer the Jonathan of old.
Can he stop staring at her like he’s going to ravage her at any moment?

Just when Walter was pursing his lips and grumbling to himself, Jonathan had returned to the car. After
warning his subordinate with a look, Jonathan lowered his head and got in.

From the moment the Bentley sped out of Haversville Pavillion, Jonathan was in a good mood. On the
other hand, a sense of disquiet had crept into Walter.

Just thinking about the thoughtful look in Jonathan’s eyes before he got into the car sent a chill down his
spine.

At that moment, he tried to fade into the background as much as he could. In fact, he already had a
phobia of hearing Jonathan’s voice.

“Walter.”

“I didn’t see anything just now, Mr. Xander.”

The denial-filled response even drew a sympathetic look from the driver.

Closing his eyes, Walter felt like giving himself a slap. Suddenly, Jonathan’s voice rang out, “Continue to
monitor Lucille. We can’t afford to have her cause any more trouble.”

He had just been informed by Gary that Michaela had rushed to City Hospital after receiving a phone
call. There, she was greeted by the intimate scene of Lucille and Zack after the former’s failed suicide
attempt.



After realizing that Lucille had plotted everything, Jonathan was so worried that he rushed to Haversville
Pavillion and brazenly used his father’s name as an excuse for the visit.

In reality, Jonathan had his suspicions about Lucille after he learned of her affair with Zack. It was just
that he didn’t expect her to be so ruthless in achieving her objectives. Given how vicious she was, he
knew that he had to be extra wary of her.

From arriving in an anxious mood to leaving with peace of mind, Jonathan finally understood why he had
to stay away back then.

Just the mere mention of Michaela’s name was enough to pierce through all his defenses. In fact, he
would subconsciously care about everything that was related to her.

Not only did he want to protect her from any suffering and keep her safe from harm, but he also wanted
to give her the world. More importantly, he wasn’t going to allow anyone else to steal her from his side.

Unaware that someone had claimed her for the rest of her life, Michaela was fussing over the matter of
treating the man to a meal.

Usually, treating someone to a meal is just a casual remark between adults. But why do I get the feeling
that Jonathan is taking the matter seriously? I mean, he did indeed tutor me for a while back then, but
the difference is that he is a lot scarier now!

Even though she admitted that she owed him a debt of gratitude, the thought of sitting opposite him for a
meal felt pressuring to her still.

Sighing in resignation, she struggled with herself before deciding against keeping her word. I’m not
working and don’t have any money. How am I’m going to treat him? There. I finally have a good excuse,
perfect!

Having resolved her predicament, a vibrant expression descended upon her face.



It was at that moment that she received a notification on her phone. When she read the contents of the
message, the delightful smile she just had was wiped off her face.

It read: Don’t forget our promise. Call me. Jonathan.




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