Chapter 1544 Protection

“Stop him!“ The bodyguards quickly strode forward as soon as they heard Jacob's order. Together, they
were able to take Jonas down.

Fighting several men with only his fists proved to be difficult for Jonas, no matter how skilled he was.
Jacob's men weren't just regular bodyguards; they were also trained fighters that Jacob had carefully
selected to fight against Jonas.

Jonas knew that he was in trouble. He desperately turned to look at Emily with tears in his eyes. “Emily,
I know it's probably useless to say this now but I'm really sorry. What I did was wrong. I'm sorry, Emily,“
he said shakily.

It wasn't exactly a plea for mercy. He didn't even ask Emily to let him go. But the look on his eyes was
enough to make Emily feel compassion for him. She tilted her head and thought that perhaps he was
truly regretting what he did.

She looked at Jonas thoughtfully, and then turned to look at Jacob. Her husband had an opposite aura;
he was staring at Jonas with a cold and unforgiving look on his face. Eventually, she sighed heavily and
uttered, “How about we let him go? I know he planned to hurt me, but he wasn't successful anyway, so
let's just let him go.“

Jacob raised a brow at her. He knew that Emily was merciful. She might have thought that Jonas really
felt sorry, but Jacob was not so easily convinced.

However, he chose not to say anything. He didn't want to say something harsh in front of Emily.

With a cold expression, Jacob signaled at the bodyguard to release him.

Once the bodyguard let go of him, Jonas quickly muttered out apologies and words of gratitude to
Emily. Then, he limped back to Darren's place.



Darren looked at him with clear disgust and spat, “You can't even do something simple. You have no
use to me. Now that your identity has been exposed, I don't see how you'll be useful in any way.“

Upon hearing Darren's crass words, Jonas' face crumpled like paper. He looked up at him solemnly
and said, “I did everything according to your orders. You can't just leave me like this.“

For Jonas, the look in Jacob's eyes before the bodyguard had released him was etched in his mind. If it
wasn't for Emily, he was sure that Jacob wouldn't have let him go so easily.

If Darren abandoned him now, he would have nobody to go to! The terrible thought sent shivers down
Jonas' spine.

“Why can't I leave you? You simply have no more use to me.“

Darren's indifferent attitude and harsh retorts hurt Jonas. He felt betrayed. “You can't leave me. I did all
of this because of you! I will not leave! If I leave your protection, then Jacob will surely send someone
to hunt me down. What should I do then?“ Jonas cried out in desperation.

“It's none of my business. Whether you live or die, it won't affect me.“

Tired of Jonas' pathetic pleas, Darren rang the bell and asked someone to escort Jonas out.

It was already late that night and it started to rain heavily.

Jonas was unceremoniously thrown out of the building by Darren's men. He fell on the steps in front of
the company's gate. He remained still for a while, and then tried to stand up.

It was a struggle but he managed to stand up and walk away despite his injured legs. He was a wreck.
Everyone who saw him stared at him with curious and judgmental expressions.

'Darren! You bastard!



You're a fox who tricks people! You have betrayed me and left me for dead without remorse!' Jonas
pressed his lips into a thin line and clenched his fist in fury.

He hadn't expected that he would end up like a stray dog on the streets.

A bitter smile appeared on his lips while he walked. He was not only dealing with his physical pain, but
also with the pain of being abandoned. Heavy rain poured down on him as he cursed and laughed
wildly like a maniac.

He didn't bother to look for shelter. He felt so numb that he could barely feel the droplets of water on his
skin.

Suddenly, a black car started to approach him.

The vehicle stopped right in front of him. A man carrying a black umbrella got out casually.

The man looked down at Jonas without saying a word. The tension between them could be cut by a
sharp knife.

Jonas looked up at Jacob with a disgruntled expression.

“What? Are you here so you can laugh at me?“ Jonas asked.

Jacob's eyes were deep, and his tone was full of scorn as he said, “You are a psychologist, and yet you
can't see people's true intentions. It serves you right to end up like this.“

In the clean ward, there was a faint scent of disinfectant but it wasn't pungent. On the soft bed, Estelle
casually leaned against the pillow and fondly looked at Ethan, who was sitting by the bedside.

Sadly, she still hadn't fully recovered from her injury. Her face still looked pale due to the amount of
blood she had lost. However, the way she elegantly lay against the pillow was particularly mesmerizing.



“Would you like some fruits?“

Ethan's voice was soft as he was afraid of startling her.

Estelle couldn't help but chuckle in amusement. “I'm not a porcelain doll, you know. You don't have to
spoil me.“

With a sincere expression, Ethan replied in the same soft tone, “You are more precious to me than any
porcelain doll, sweetheart.“

The butterflies in Estelle's stomach fluttered around when she heard his words. Estelle felt a comforting
warmth in her chest. She blinked up at him and said with a gentle smile, “I guess you can peel me an
apple then.“

“Sure.“

Without hesitation, he picked up the fruit knife on the table and began to peel the apple for her. He
looked serious and fully concentrated on his work. He peeled with so much thought and care and even
removed the apple pit.

As he handed her the meticulously peeled fruit, Estelle widened her eyes in surprise and smiled at him.

Suddenly, their sweet moment was disturbed by someone. The door was pushed open, almost startling
the two of them.

A familiar figure walked in and asked cheerfully, “Are you feeling better today?“

Estelle looked up and saw her father's kind face.

It was an unexpected visit. For a moment, Estelle was rendered speechless. Then, she finally
responded, “Yes, Dad. I'm feeling much better. What are you doing here?“



'He just recovered. Didn't I tell him to get some rest at home?' Estelle's lips turned into a frown as she
thought about her father's health.

The old man glanced at Ethan, who was preoccupied with peeling the apples. Satisfied with what he
saw, he smiled and explained, “I just wanted to drop by and check up on you. I was worried that there
would be nobody here to take care of you.“

A blush slowly appeared on Estelle's face when she cast a glance at Ethan. She bit her lips and shyly
muttered, “Ethan is here. He takes care of me.“

Hearing this, Ethan couldn't help but laugh. He also greeted her father with a smile and nodded
respectfully. Then, he handed the peeled apple to Estelle and reminded her not to eat too fast or she
would choke.

Embarrassed at being treated like a toddler, the blush on Estelle's face turned redder. She looked
feverish at that point. “I'm not a child. You're talking too much,“ she refuted.

Ethan pursed his lips but didn't say anything. He decided to change the topic to lessen Estelle's
embarrassment. “Tell me if there's anything else you want to eat, okay?“

Seeing the scene in front of him, the smile on Estelle's father's face grew wider. He sighed pleasantly.
“Oh Ethan, I am pleased to consider you as my son-in-law now.“

Quickly, he added, “I will leave Estelle in your care then.“

Ethan paused for a second and replied in a gentle voice, “Don't worry. I will take good care of her.“

Philo's health was still weak, so he couldn't be with them for too long. After watching TV with Estelle in
the ward for a while, he went back home to get some rest.

On the contrary, Estelle was quite lively today. She watched TV until she felt tired and started yawning.



Ethan never left her side the whole time. He kept a watchful eye on her and her well-being. Once she
started showing signs of exhaustion, he turned off the TV and softly reminded her, “I think it's time for
you to get some rest. How about we continue watching tomorrow?“

His handsome facial features were unusually gentle. Estelle couldn't help but pull him closer to her and
hug him tightly. Listening to the soft thumping of his heart, she chuckled and said, “Ethan, you are so
kind to me. With you by my side, I don't feel any pain at all.“

The soft voice of the woman in front of him made Ethan feel as if something had pierced his heart. If it
weren't for him, she wouldn't have been injured. It was his fault because he hadn't been able to protect
her properly.

As if reading his mind, Estelle said, “Don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault. I never blamed it on you.“

“I know.“

Ethan's voice suddenly became hoarse. He hugged her back with all his strength and said in a low
voice, “Go to sleep now. I will be here beside you.“

Due to her tired state, Estelle didn't bother to argue with him. She just nodded her head softly and
playfully hooked his finger before closing her eyes to sleep.


62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda