Chapter 87:

There was no way Emily would accept defeat to anyone, least of all Melinda.

Jonas had always belonged to her, since they were mere children.

Sure, she could have left it behind years ago, but she had good reasons for doing so.

She was in crisis then; he didn't have a cent to his name.

She needed someone who could help her elevate her status, and Jonas wasn't that man yet.

He had no right to the Gu family's inheritance.

If he had known that Melinda would come into the picture at the time of his absence! It wasn't even Jonas, but Nelson, who wanted to bring Melinda into the family, going so far as to use Jonas' right to inheritance as bait to get them married!

She made the right decision by coming back.

just in time.

But he had underestimated the old man's stubborn determination.

He had also underestimated Melinda, the bitch!

And now he was about to lose everything again.

She knew that the only person with enough power to reverse her circumstances was Jonas.

He had always been her contingency plan when things got bad, and Emily was sure that this time would be no different.

He came running from Japan when he found out she had been injured.

But when they saw each other again, and after she explained her situation, all he got was a flat and outright refusal.

I made it clear to you last time.

He would no longer help you in any way.

Jonas was never a man to go back on his word.

He was firm in his decision and always stood by it.

Furthermore, he had made a promise to Melinda, and that alone carried significant weight over everything else.

He also knew that if he gave in to his childhood friend one more time, his wife would only get misunderstand their intentions.

I was already having a bad enough time; She had no reason to create more problems in her marriage.

Are you serious, Emily asked in disbelief.

You're really going to be so cruel.

You don't see that I'm being harassed.

You're going to let this continue.

What I don't want to continue is for you to constantly run up to me and interrupt my time with my wife! I know you well enough to know that if I help you again, this will never stop; These scenes will only repeat themselves.

I have made a promise to my wife and my grandfather, Emily.

You can't count on me for anything anymore.

Jonas, how could you change so much, Emily began to sob.

You have always protected me! You forget all those times when we were still children.

That was in the past.

You're not a girl anymore.

Jonas did not hesitate.

There wasn't much about him that Emily could continue to exploit anyway.

He had already been in his life too long.

You've been in show business for so long, you expect me to believe that you've never learned or acquired anything to protect yourself.

It's by far one of the industries

He recognized the cold determination in her eyes, and that was when he knew he would never give up.

Emily racked her brain to find something to blame him with, a chip, something from the past, anything.

Okay.

Okay, but what about this? He took out a bracelet from under the pillow.

It was a simple silver chain with a bell as an amulet.

He held it out to her with trembling hands, and his face was now stained with unstoppable tears.

A testament to her talent as an actress.

Jonas's eyes narrowed sharply.

Suddenly, his mind went back to his childhood, and blurry fragments of memory passed through his vision.

He returned to the time when he was escaping from the mansion.

His grandfather was not there and no one was watching him.

He came across a large pond and decided to fish in it and bring his prey home as a trophy.

As he was a clumsy child, he slipped and fell into the water.

Although it wasn't too deep, it was enough for a child his size to drown.

He struggled in the water for hours, until Emily passed by.

He found the branch of a tree, threw it over her and pulled the panting child towards the ground.

He had sworn to her then that he would protect her for life, in honor of her gratitude.

He gave her the bracelet as a token of that promise.

He approached the hospital bed and took it from her hand.

The silver still shined, despite its age.

You've taken good care of her, he said quietly.

He didn't seem particularly happy, but he didn't sound cold and angry anymore, and to Emily that was a good sign.

"I've always appreciated this," she continued sobbing.

I will never forget the moment you promised me that you would protect me all my life.

Jonas also remembered that exact moment.

In fact, that moment was always on his mind all these years.

He thought he had done well in

fulfill that promise.

He had always defended Emily against her detractors, and had even gotten into fights with his grandfather several times because of her.

Suddenly a thought came to him: it seemed that Emily had spent the last few years doing anything and everything.

so that he could fulfill that promise.

His jaw clenched.

Jonas, they're trying to remove me from the agency.

They are taking away my role in the project!

This was not an accident, I know.

They just want to get rid of me so they can put someone else as a heroine.

She lowered her head and her crying began to become hysterical.

He felt bad seeing her like that.

Jonas, I really don't know what to do anymore.

I need this project.

Once the role is taken away from me, I will be relegated to the ranks of the failures, and the newcomers will take over all the perspectives that would have been mine! Please help me.

I don't know anyone else who can.

Please.

For the sake of our childhood memories.

She looked at him with pleading eyes, perfectly projecting the character of someone abandoned.

Jonas closed his eyes and pressed the bridge of his hand.

nose.

After a moment he gave a big sigh of frustration.

I remove this bracelet, he finally said, and that cold expression returned to his face.

This will truly be the last time I help you.

For the sake of our childhood, as you asked, but you no longer have any tricks up your sleeve, Emily.

After this you have to take care of yourself and take care of your own problems.

As she turned to leave, she started to put the bracelet in her pocket, and then she realized that she didn't have any.

pockets.

He realized he was still wearing the fleece jacket, the one that matched Melinda's.

A couple's outfit.

He wondered what she was doing as she left the room.

It had only been a few hours since he last saw her, but he already missed her.

It was late.

Jonas didn't want to worry his grandfather by suddenly showing up at the Gu mansion, so he called William and asked his secretary to get him a hotel room.

When he finally recovered, he felt a burning desire to call his wife.

However, she resisted, thinking that at that time she would already be asleep.

But she really wanted to hear his voice.

In the end he refrained from calling her and slept a restless sleep.

The next day, Melinda woke up and prepared for the visit.

The guide was already waiting for her outside, and she rejected his services as soon as she saw him.

Today she was going to take her time and go to the places she herself wanted to visit.

However, instead of going to see the places she had never visited, she found herself wandering around the places she had been to.

gone before with Jonas.

Under the circumstances, she thought she could do well on her own.

But Japan no longer had the same beauty for her; The country had lost its old charm.

It didn't take him long to pack his bags, cut his stay short, and book another flight home.

That same morning, Jonas woke up cold and alone in the hotel bed, and had William bring him the clothes to go to work.

His sudden return caused an uproar in the company, and employees couldn't stop tweeting with nervous energy.

The CEO didn't say he would be gone for a month

Why he's back so soon.

Only William, the cold and efficient secretary, acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary and informed Jonas of the company's situation.

In particular, he informed him of the company's position in relation to with the imminent tender.

Things were looking good for Grupo Soaring.

Despite everything, never underestimate them, Jonas warned his secretary.

He had a high regard for Ryan's abilities.

They may have only known each other briefly and may not have gotten to know each other well in such a short time, but he could see that Ryan was not a simple man.

There was something else beneath his appearance.

Jonas was soon immersed in urgent meetings, giving instructions left and right.

Naturally, Nelson was informed of his grandson's return.

Eager to hear about their honeymoon abroad, Nelson waited all day for Melinda to return to the mansion.

Hours passed, and as morning turned into afternoon, Nelson finally made a call to the company.

It was then that he discovered that Melinda was still in Japan, and that her idiot grandson had abruptly abandoned her.

because that damned Emily had hurt herself.

Now he was sure that this Emily was a cunning and scheming witch, and that, unfortunately, her grandson was an idiot who was repeatedly led around by the nose.

Well.

He wasn't going to tolerate this anymore.

William, contact the head of that crew.

Jonas had

finally finished their meetings.

It was time to take care of private matters.

When William looked at the business card that Jonas gave him to call, he realized that it was the crew that was involved in Emily's accident.