Chapter 45 Companionship

At this point, Jonas couldn’t care less about the sudden changes in her behavior. He didn’t stop Melinda from entering the room.

He had eaten nothing since lunch yesterday and had been feeling painful spasms in his stomach. Cold sweat had broken out along his forehead, and his complexion was pale, making his blue veins alarmingly prominent against his skin. It wasn’t until he had some breakfast that his situation started to get better.

Even now his vision was slightly blurry, and he struggled to focus on the piles of paperwork that needed seeing too. Melinda sat down to collect herself. She closed her eyes and was taking a few deep, calming breaths when a shadow loomed over her, and she blinked a few times to clear her vision and gain better focus.

When she opened her eyes she was greeted by Jonas’s handsome face, his dark obsidian eyes full of intent. Melinda felt her heartbeat pick up pace. A familiar feeling stirred within her, reminding her of the moment she first met Jonas.

She had been attracted to him at first sight, and the tug at her heartstrings at this very instant was reminiscent of the bitter past. It felt like a very long time ago.

"You—"

"You—"

They spoke at the same time, then stopped, and looked into each other’s eyes.

They had been silently staring at each other for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts, when the door suddenly clicked. They both jumped, and the spell was broken.

William strode into the room with some papers in hand, and then paused halfway. His gaze went back and forth between the two, noting the rather awkward atmosphere. He had a nagging feeling he interrupted something significant.

"Mr. Gu, here’s the information you wanted." William hurriedly placed the documents on a nearby table before scurrying out of the room.

When they were alone again, Jonas cleared his throat, but neither said anything. They settled down and dove into the task at hand, joining efforts in investigating the incident.

Soon the sun was setting, and meals and snacks had been had, but they managed zero progress. When they arrived home, Jonas had a ghastly, exhausted expression on his face.

"How are things going?" Nelson asked as soon as the couple entered the foyer. He had been worried all day, and with good reason. He had spent his life pouring his heart and soul into Soaring Group. Jonas gave a weary sigh and ran a hand over his face. "It’s all under investigation still."

Apparently it wasn’t the answer Nelson wanted to hear. "Jonas, I entrusted the company to you, and this is what you do with it! Financial crisis? Do you even understand how grave this situation is?"

A vein was popping on Nelson’s temple, so Melinda quickly came between them and tried to cajole the older man. "Grandpa, please calm down. All of this is just a setback caused by many factors. Jonas never meant for this to happen, and I’m sure he can take care of this matter."

"Yes, I’m sure my brother can handle it." Yulia was standing at the foot of the stairs, and was wearing a cold expression as she glared at Melinda.

She never did like the woman. But she would always support Jonas, especially since he was the one putting food on the table.

"I have a lot of questions still unanswered," Jonas finally said in a tired voice. "I’m going to another city to look into the finances."

Despite his undeniable fatigue, he still had a stubborn and arrogant air about him, and it irked Melinda.

She briefly marveled at how blind love could make a person, wondering how she never noticed all the red flags in the past.

Assessing the scene that was playing out that instant, she decided it would be better to serve as a buffer so the arguments would not escalate any further.

"Grandpa, I’ll go with Jonas. I’ll be keeping an eye on him, so you don’t have to worry about anything."

The old man eyed the two. He had been immensely worried about the status of their relationship. Perhaps this was a good opportunity for them to mend whatever it was that was broken.

He agreed to it without a second thought, but not without cautioning his grandson. "Don’t let me down Jonas."

Jonas only nodded in acknowledgment of the weight of those words.

They left that very night, which wasn’t an easy arrangement for Melinda. She had led a carefree life in recent months, and the diligent work that their investigation required had taken a physical toll on her.

The work on this day alone had exhausted her, and she immediately fell

midair, and glance down at the piece of slightly burnt cake on his plate.

He had the mind to give a flat no, but then he saw Melinda had a bright, expectant smile. He cleared his throat before saying carefully, "That would be a rather exhausting endeavor."

She wasn’t to be deterred, however. "Well I can just bake in my private kitchen, then. I’ll take orders and deliver the pastries. A lot of people do it that way these days anyway." "There’s really no need for that," Jonas interjected, his voice growing sterner in his alarm. "I’m pretty sure the Gu family can still support you without you having to get into any business at all."

Melinda’s face fell a little, but Jonas refused to relent on this matter. He waited for her to grudgingly agree before popping another piece of the burnt cake into his mouth.

He studied his wife’s sulky face as he chewed, a secret smile playing on his lips. He never imagined they would ever be able to carry a conversation without yelling arguments at each other. These days were full of pleasant surprises indeed.

The people around him noticed as well. Jonas had been looking well and content these past few days, and his disposition had been significantly lighter and... nicer.

William even felt positive that if he applied for a month-long leave, his boss might approve it.

Emily noticed, too, and she was naturally pissed. She knew the change in Jonas had something to do with Melinda. She had to do something before he fully fell for that woman’s charm.

Emily began to make frequent visits to Soaring Group. Instead of behaving properly in public, she would cling to Jonas like a little girl, and would often mention things from their childhood.

"Jonas, won’t you come to the park with me?" she whined one day, her signature pout in place. "You once promised me that we would ride the Ferris wheel together."

Jonas’s memory being what it was, he couldn’t deny the promise that he did indeed make. That did not mean he was eager to keep it.

"Emily, you’re no longer just an ordinary person, you know. You need to take care with your appearances in public. It wouldn’t be good for you to go gallivanting in peopled places like the park. If you want to ride the Ferris wheel so much, I’ll ask William to make arrangements and install one in your yard."

Emily’s face froze in displeasure. Jonas hadn’t even looked up from his desk the entire time he said this. In the past she would have reveled in the fact that a handsome man would spend so much just to give in to her whims, and she would have definitely showed off to anyone who cared to listen. But now she wanted Jonas’s company, not the prestige that came with him. "Oh, it’s just a passing thought. You haven’t spent much time with me lately, are you really so busy?" Emily had great difficulty in maintaining a sweet smile instead of a sneer, but Jonas didn’t even notice. His eyes were still on the paperwork on his hands, and the only thing Emily got in response was a curt nod.