Chapter 274

Thunderstruck, Chelsea realized that her behavior that night truly made her resemble a clown. She presumptuously believed she was ridiculing Rosalie when, in fact, she was simply ridiculing herself. It was she who made herself a laughingstock before everyone!

Meanwhile, Loretta was denied entry outside Calvin’s private mansion. A servant told her, “Ms.

Leighton, please go back. Mr. Gunner has stated that he doesn’t want to see anyone.”

“Didn’t you tell him it was me?” Loretta asked hurriedly. She hadn’t seen Calvin since the banquet that day, for every time she tried to see him, he turned her down.

That was why she came directly to his residence, but to her dismay, she was denied entry again.

“Mr. Gunner said he wouldn’t see ‘anyone.’ Ms. Leighton, I think you’re included in the ‘anyone’ list as well. How about you give him a call? If he’s willing to see you, I’ll let you in,” the servant replied respectfully, but there was a subtle trace of disdain in his lowered eyes.

He had seen a lot of women like Loretta. In the past, all of Calvin’s girlfriends were dying to win Calvin’s heart, but no one had ever succeeded.

“This Ms. Leighton may be ambitious, but she’s evidently just like her predecessors, unable to really win Mr. Gunner’s heart. I bet she’ll also lose her status as Mr. Gunner’s girlfriend in no time,” pondered the servant.

Loretta gritted her teeth discreetly but could do nothing other than scowl. “If I could call Calvin and make him see me, would I still be begging a servant like this?” she fumed inwardly.

In the mansion, Calvin was currently in his studio, holding a pencil and drawing incessantly. He was drawing a portrait of the grown-up version he visualized of that little girl in his memory.

However, when he actually finished drawing it, he discovered that what he drew was exactly the way Rosalie looked. Calvin stared blankly at his end product and put down the pencil in his hand.

He thought, ‘Am I insane? I actually drew Rosalie! But I’m clearly thinking of that little girl in my childhood!

It must be because Rosalie’s looks have too many similarities with that little girl back then, right? That’s why I keep having this misconception.

And this misconception is making me care too much about Rosalie.’

These days, as soon as Calvin closed his eyes, his mind would flash with the kiss he saw shared between Jonathan and Rosalie that day.

He thought, ‘Did… she finally get together with Jonathan?

She didn’t struggle or resist that kiss, looking so willing.

But why do I feel like I seem to be losing something precious? This shattering feeling seems to be spreading in my body as if I’ve lost something forever and will never get it back, no matter what…

Calvin gently stroked the drawing in front of him with his fingers. The face in the portrait had long become ingrained in his mind for some time.

“That uncomfortable feeling I had when I saw Jonathan kissing her… is probably jealousy, huh?” he mused.

Calvin’s eyes gradually became unfocused. Following that, he couldn’t help but lean forward, and just like that, his lips landed on those of the person in the drawing.

“Is it insanity, delirium, or… that almost uncontrollable longing that’s driving me out of my mind?” he wondered.

Alas, the answer seemed to be a mystery to him.

Rosalie only found out about the Wallace family’s matters from the news. Although there had been obscure news reports regarding the Wallace family making tax evasion previously, with the Wallaces’

ability, the whole enterprise would not really go belly up simply because of this matter.

That was unless Jonathan also participated in their demise. Otherwise, the Wallace family would surely be able to find a few aides with their connections instead of collapsing as a whole like this.

When she asked Jonathan about it, he replied frankly, “After how Chelsea picked on you, this is, of course, what they deserve.”

“But that’s her issue and nothing to do with her family…”

“Her family’s company was already full of problems to begin with. I merely exposed them in advance.

Moreover, business is business. Those people in the business circle aren’t fools. Plenty of people have waited for the Wallace family to flop so that they can take over the Wallace family’s market share in convenience chain stores, Jonathan explained.

Realization dawned on Rosalie when she heard this.

Of course, she could also understand that Jonathan’s attack on the Wallace family was not solely because of Chelsea picking on her that day but also to give the business circle in Strico a reminder. In this way, no one would dare to ridiculé Rosalie again as Chelsea did. As long as someone tried, they’d absolutely end up like the Wallaces.

“It feels like I’m always dragging you down, having caused you to protect me like this so many times.”

Rosalie bit her lip slightly, recalling what happened with the Hamilton family and Chelsea previously as well.

“If I don’t protect you, who should I protect? Besides, I don’t think you’re dragging me down.” Jonathan raised a finger and gently stroked her lips. “Quit constantly biting your lip. Protecting you is all I could ever ask for.”

The man was already beyond ecstatic that she was willing to accept his protection. What he feared most was that someday, she’d stop letting him protect her.

“I want to protect you like this all my life, all right?” He bent down gently and looked straight at her with his dark eyes. His husky voice was like the night breeze, cool yet full of endless yearning.

Rosalie was a little stunned. At this moment, Jonathan seemed to be humbling himself and expecting her consent, even looking as though he could give up everything for it.

She clearly should be the one thanking him, but now, everything seemed to be reversed.

“How could I not love such a man?” she thought.

“All right,” Rosalie answered softly, blushing. A desire suddenly surged in her heart. She wondered if she could protect him someday in the future as well.

Other than just being the vulnerable, protected person, she wanted to stand side by side with him/as equals so that they could protect each other.

His lips touched hers with extreme tenderness, and his magnetic voice sounded in her ears again.

“Rosalie, I want you…”

What came into her view was his brilliant eyes, which were now filled with intense lust…

Needless to say, it was yet another action-packed night in bed for the couple. The activity that lasted an entire night resulted in her body aches the next day, which almost rendered her incapable of getting out of bed.

Jonathan wanted to help Rosalie apply for leave from work, but she hurriedly refused.

“If you’re afraid that no one can do your job while you’re on leave, I can have someone substitute for you,” Jonathan suggested.