Chapter 24
Yvette frowned as well and looked at Zachary. After all, the advertisement was put out by the Xanthos family.
Zachary said, “I’ll go find out what’s going on….”
However, before he could finish his words, his phone suddenly rang. As Zachary answered the call, his expression turned grim. “What? Taken down? All of them? Are they not concerned about breaching the contract and paying the penalty?”
“The other party said even if they were to pay the full penalty for the contract breach, they insist on taking down the advertisements,” the manager in charge of the matter conveyed somberly over the phone. “Furthermore, Mr. Xanthos, we have urgently contacted other companies, but none of them are willing to take on this projection ad.”
In other words, apart from the enterprises owned by Hamilton Group and Xanthos Group, scarcely any other facades were deemed appropriate for accommodating these projection advertising.
“Who exactly on earth has a grudge against the Xanthos family?” Zachary’s face darkened.
“It’s Youngblood Group, the manager revealed. This matter was personally handled by Carlos, the personal assistant of Youngblood Group.”
Zachary was immediately taken aback. “Carlos… That was Jonathan’s personal assistant! Could it be that this was Jonathan’s intention? Was he the one behind the removal of these holographic projections?”
“What does this mean? Is Jonathan opposing the marriage of convenience between the Xanthos and Hamilton families?” As these conjectures raced through his thoughts. Zachary’s palms grew sweaty with apprehension.
The removal of all the Xanthos family’s 99 projection advertising throughout the city ignited a whirlwind of discussions overnight, stirring discussions among the people. Many online users speculated whether there had been a drift in the relationship between Zachary and Yvelle.
On that same evening. Zachary and Yvette issued a joint statement, asserting the solidity of their relationship. They explained that the removal of the projection advertising was solely due to the expiration of the contract period, proclaiming that their love was not bound by any expiry date.
That proclamation once again garnered the admiration of many of Yvette’s fans.
Inside the rental home, Rosalie was browsing the internet and chanced upon the news. She was momentarily stupefied. “It was only yesterday that I mentioned the projection advertising to Jon. To her surprise, she discovered that all of them had been taken down the very next day after she mentioned it.
“The ads have been taken down. Are you happy, Rosie?” Suddenly, Jonathan’s voice echoed through the room.
She was jolted back to reality, finding him standing beside her, seemingly having perused the contents displayed on her phone. He looked at her with a smile playing on his lips.
For a moment, an uncanny sensation coursed through her, as if there was an underlying link between him and the whole matter. It was almost as if he was the one who had orchestrated the removal of these advertisements.
However, she quickly dismissed the thought with a chuckle. “That couldn’t be possible. Even if he had mentioned it before, it was likely just a passing comment, a mere coincidence at most.”
“Well, there’s really no happiness or unhappiness about it. Between me and Zachary, it’s all in the past. I don’t feel anything for him anymore. Therefore, whoever he opts to wed, whoever captures his heart, it has nothing to do with me,” Rosalie replied.
“Do
you really not care about him anymore?” His gaze bore into her, his beautiful eyes seeming as if they could see right through her.
Would you care about someone who once abandoned you?” she retorted.
Chapter 24
Suddenly, another woman’s visage flashed in his mind-the woman he should have called his mother. She too, had abandoned him, hadn’t she?
She had left him behind so completely. Even if he knelt down and begged her, she never looked back.
Since then, he had sworn that he would never kneel before anyone again, nor would he ever beg anyone to stay.
The smile at the corner of his lips deepened. “Indeed, I asked a foolish question. Who would care about someone who abandoned them?”
She looked at him, somewhat dazed. He was right in front of her, yet for some reason, she felt as if she couldn’t see him clearly. It was as though a thin veil covered his face. As if beneath his faint smile lay a forbidden territory beyond the reach
of others.
She thought of what he had once said-how he had no family.
“So… Had he also been abandoned by someone?” With that thought, she raised her hand, looped it around his neck, and pulled him closer to herself.
His body stiffened slightly, yet he offered no resistance. He rested his head on her shoulder, feeling her breath surrounding
him.
The faint, delicate fragrance inexplicably brought him a sense of solace.
It was as if being in her presence allowed him to completely let his guard downl
“Jon, didn’t
you once say you would never leave me behind? I feel the same. I won’t leave you either. Regardless of the challenges that lie ahead, I’ll stay by your side
Her voice gently reverberated in his ears.
“You’ll stay by my side no matter what happens?” he murmured.
“Absolutely,” she responded with conviction.
“Aren’t you afraid of me?” he asked.
She let out a soft, melodic chuckle. “Why should I be afraid of you? My dear Jon is so well-behaved, that I can’t resist liking him.”
“My dear Jon…” Intriguingly, her phrasing conveyed a sense of possession. Yet, instead of feeling repelled by it, he found himself embracing the sensation with a surge of contentment.
He raised his head, causing their faces to nearly meld together, and their noses almost touching.
A sudden flush spread across her face and she instinctively tried to step back, but his arm encircled her waist, halting her
retreat.
“Do you like it when I’m well-behaved?” he asked softly.
Her gaze landed on his exquisitely handsome face. Unwittingly, Rosalie nibbled on her lip, sensing her cheeks flushing with
warmth.
She thought, “It was just a very ordinary question, so why did it feel imbued with ambiguity when it emerged from his mouth?”
“Mmm…” After a brief pause, she responded in a hushed tone.
“So, if I were to be even better behaved, would you like me even more?” he queried.
1
If that question were to be posed by a child, it would be endearing and innocent. But when it came from him, it emanated a
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Chapter 24
magnetic allure.
“Will you?” His face inched closer to hers, his thin lips nearly brushing against hers.
“Yes,” she heard herself reply in that manner.
Her heart raced as if it might jump out of her chest.
“I clearly regarded him as a younger brother, but why did my body tense up so dramatically when his face drew so near? It was as though all my blood rushed to my head.”
After a moment’s reflection, she surmised that the intense reaction must be due to his extraordinarily striking appearance, momentarily distracting her. After all, the power of beauty on one’s senses was not to be underestimated.
“Rosalie, could you please give the area around the garbage bin another sweep? The garbage truck will come soon,” Yulissa requested.
“Sure,” she replied and walked to the trash bin, starting to clean the surroundings once more.
Suddenly, a pair of DIOR high-heeled shoes caught her eye. Rosalie had seen her fair share of luxury brands and was well aware that these shoes alone probably exceeded her annual earnings.
Then, she looked up and saw the captivating face of Yvette before her.
