Chapter 397
“Yes.” Jonathan’s answer echoed, stirring a mix of emotions within her.
“Why did you do this?” Rosalie questioned.
“Why?” Suddenly, he raised his arms, delicately pulling her into an embrace. “What about you? Why did you seek hypnotherapy from a doctor? Are you trying to reclaim memories with Calvin? Are you so reluctant to let go of that part of your past? You only spent a brief day together in your childhood, but now, you have me.”
His voice remained calm as if narrating an ordinary tale, yet it sent shivers down her spine.
“He even knows that I only spent a day with Calvin! It’s as if he knows everything, and I’m the clueless one,” she thought.
Sensing Rosalie’s body stiffening, Jonathan tightened his hold. Lips close to her ear, he continued in a low murmur, “Don’t delve into those memories anymore. Don’t you have me? Isn’t that enough for you?”
“No,” Rosalie countered in her mind. She had no desire to unearth those memories. She had made a conscious decision to bury them, treating them as her own little secret. She attempted to clarify, “Between Calvin and me…”
But Jonathan interrupted her.”
“Enough. Stop it! I don’t want to hear about anything between you and Calvin!” He held her firmly in his arms, refusing to hear what she had to say..
“Jon, listen to me…”
“I said that I don’t want to hear about anything between you and Calvin! I don’t care what happened between you and him yesterday on the hill. I can pretend that nothing happened, but don’t have any contact with him. Don’t think of him, let alone miss him.”
His arms tightened as if he was determined to fully envelop her within his embrace.
This was the extent of his concession. In fact, he had never imagined compromising this much for a woman.
His pride and dignity were gradually destroyed by her, yet he still longed to possess her.
Rosalie’s body hurt. She felt suffocated in Jonathan’s embrace.
But what intensified her discomfort was his words.
“Don’t you believe me?” She strained to lift her chin in his arms as if desperately trying to see her beloved man.
“I explained everything to him yesterday. Did he not believe a word I said? Or perhaps, he never believed in my love?” she wondered.
“Does it even matter?” Jonathan lowered his head, and their eyes locked in a silent confrontation. His gaze was so profound that she couldn’t decipher any emotions.
Rosalie felt her heart throbbing, realizing that her explanations, worries, and determination from yesterday meant nothing
to him.
“Now, let’s put an end to this matter,” he declared, leading her to the kitchen.
On the kitchen counter lay a cake, its icing half-finished.
“Is it beautiful? Your birthday cake will be ready soon,” he said with a gentle smile. “If you don’t fancy breakfast, we can have lunch together later.”
He spoke in his usual tone, wearing the same smile, as if everything were normal. It was as though the conflicts and doubts between them had never existed.
“So this is his way of ending the matter?” Rosalie thought while staring at the half-finished cake. She should have felt joy at the sight of it, but now, she only felt a hint of melancholy instead.
If this were how they settled the matter, misunderstandings would forever linger between them.
No matter what, she had to clarify things.
“Jon, Calvin and I…” But Rosalie’s words were cut short as Jonathan’s lips forcefully met hers, silencing all her attempts to speak.
He sucked on her lips, snatching away every bit of sweetness from her mouth. In the end, he bit her lips as if in punishment.
“Didn’t I already tell you not to bring up anything between you and him? I don’t care about your past; I just want you to stay with me in the future.” Rosalie felt the heat on her lips, but a cold sensation enveloped her.
“So… He doesn’t care about my explanations or believe my words. Does he only want me to stay with him?” she thought, her heart aching.
“So you don’t care even if I say I’ve recovered my memory and now remember everything about Calvin and me when we
were young?” As her words slipped out, the surrounding air seemed to freeze.
Jonathan’s pupils contracted suddenly, and his expression finally changed. “You… remember now?” There was an imperceptible trembling in his voice.
“Yes, I remember,” she admitted.
Jonathan’s face turned ghastly, and the reflection of her face could be seen in his dark pupils.
“So she remembers everything about her and Calvin. All my efforts are in vain,” he thought.
Out of nowhere, Jonathan burst into laughter. “Hahaha… Haha… Hahaha! So you remember!”
His laughter made her uneasy. It was as if he was suppressing yet also venting something, which created a sense of contradiction.
Jon, stop laughing,” Rosalie pleaded.
His laughter abruptly ceased, and his sensuous lips curled up. Unlike the hearty laughter moments ago, it was a teasing, enchanting smile that seemed capable of turning the world upside down. “Since you know you’re the one he’s searching for, when do you plan to tell him? Or perhaps… are you intending to seek him out? To revisit the memories of your childhood?”
“It’s not what you think. Yes, I fell off the cliff yesterday, and when he grabbed my hand, I recovered my memory, but I-”
“So… your memory recovered at that time? So Rosie, will you betray me for Calvin?” Jonathan’s lips wore a smile, but his eyes bore into her with a deep intensity.
She looked at him in disbelief. “Do you think I would betray you?”
“I don’t know, so I need you to tell me.” His voice carried an icy tone.
Rosalie felt her heart growing heavier and sinking deeper and deeper.
“Jon, have you ever truly trusted me?” She strained to widen her eyes, eager to discern every nuance of his expression.
