Keeping A Distance From Jonathan
Adrian’s initial purpose in establishing the foundation was to provide financial assistance to poor students
and give them a chance to continue their education.
Upon receiving special attention and support from various organizations in society, there had been a
large-scale development with regard to the charitable work done by the foundation.
After the meeting on Monday morning, Michaela headed to the project team and reported herself to the
Board of Directors with her offer letter.
Since she was a regular volunteer on the project team during summer and winter breaks, she was not a
stranger to all the team members.
Everyone was aware that she was the daughter of the president. Nevertheless, her vibrant and genuine
character had won the hearts of many. The staff liked working with her because she was frank, and she
never grumbled.
Additionally, she also got along well with all her colleagues.
Michaela was assigned to join the foundation’s most recent project “A Helping Hand”. Her main duty was
to obtain and consolidate public resources, including communicating with all collaborators and sponsors
to ensure a smooth implementation of the project.
Right then, Michaela was studying the project information at her desk when a neighboring colleague
scooted over. She scanned her surrounding before whispering, “Mich, did Alois send you here just now?
His voice was kind of hoarse during the morning meeting. Did he catch a cold?”
“Why do you ask me? Haven’t won him over yet?” Michaela looked at Lorelei and chuckled.
The latter blushed instantly. She pursed her lips and muttered, “I don’t dare to confess my feelings to
him. I’m afraid that he will ignore me once I do that. What do you think I should do?”
“You came all the way here for him, anyway. If you don’t take the initiative now to woo Alois, don’t regret
when he’s taken!”
Alois was an orphan, who completed his studies through his maternal grandfather’s sponsorship.
After graduating from university, he declined multiple job offers from different big companies as he had
set his mind to work for the foundation.
Lorelei was his faithful admirer. No matter how she tried to win his heart from their university days to
date, Alois had never once responded to her love.
All the project team members knew that Lorelei came for the sake of Alois. It was also not a surprise to
see Michaela gossiping with Lorelei since they were about the same age and had similar interests.
Seeing how dejected Lorelei was as she returned to her desk, Michaela shook her head. Just when she
was about to continue her work, her phone rang.
The name shown on the caller ID made her heart skip a beat. Instinctively, she hung up but soon
received a threatening message.
It’s either you answer the phone now or I’ll go over to you.
Oh, screw it. Is this a blessing or a curve? It’s not like I can actually run away from it, can I?
It had been days since that incident happened, so she thought that she could close the chapter already.
To her horror, her nightmare had just begun.
The phone rang again. She picked it up and headed to the hallway. “Sorry, Mr. Jonathan, the line was
quite bad,” she uttered politely.
The line was bad?
Jonathan narrowed his eyes. Can’t she put in some effort to come up with a better excuse?
He turned around and glanced at the staff who were left unattended in the conference room. “How’s the
new role coming along?” he asked in a crisp voice.
“It’s good.”
It was not a secret that she had joined the foundation. So, she nonchalantly gave him a laconic reply.
After a brief moment of silence, Jonathan asked, “Mich, did you mean it when you said you wanted to
treat me to a meal? You were just paying me lip service, right?”
“Absolutely not!” she blurted.
“Then?”
Jonathan kept pursuing an answer. Though they were just talking over the phone, she could feel his
imposing aura suffocating her.
“Well, I just graduated from university and haven’t started working officially. I was planning to treat you
once I get my first paycheck.”
By the time she gets her salary, I’m probably living abroad again. Jonathan had always been focusing on
his career overseas.
While she was smiling smugly at her own wit, Jonathan twisted her words. “In that case, you joined the
foundation because of me?”
“I…”
“I appreciate what you’re doing for me. Never mind, I can lend you some money first.”
“Huh?” Michaela shuddered at his suggestion.
Though she could not see his devilish smirk, she heard him asking loud and clear. “Are you reluctant to
go out with me?”
“It’s not that… I…”
“Great. I’ll pick you up after work then.”
He hung up right away before Michaela even realized that she had just been tricked.
Suddenly, her recent two interactions with him flashed across her mind. First, she was forced to treat him
to a meal. Now, he had gotten the upper hand again. Not only must she treat him once more, she even
landed herself as his debtor.
Mr. Jonathan is a dangerous man. I must keep a distance from him.
When she thought about having dinner with him, she felt so uneasy and lost her appetite completely.
At first, Lorelei was planning on discussing her grand confession plan with Michaela, but to no avail,
because the latter was very distracted.
Soon, a day had gone by in the blink of an eye. Moments before their office hours ended, the blue sky
changed drastically. Dark clouds crept up on the horizon, and a storm swept through every nook and
cranny of the city.
Shortly after, it was followed by a fierce thunder.
Torrential rain poured down, raining cats and dogs.
There was a twinkle in Michaela’s eyes as a thought suddenly dawned on her. Thank God for this timely
rain! I bet Mr. Jonathan won’t brave the weather and show up at the office.
At that naive thought, Michaela began to like rainy days and the beautiful scenery that came along with it
like a package. At that moment, she felt that her life was bliss.
“We’re leaving now, Mich.”
“Bye! See you tomorrow.”
Her colleagues left the office by twos and threes on the dot. Everyone was cursing the sudden rain which
had caused some inconvenience for people getting off work.
Lorelei asked, “Mich, let me take you home since there’s a heavy downpour.”
“Okay, thank you so much.”
“Don’t mention it, please!”
During lunch, Hannah called to inform her that she wanted to visit the training school and that the driver
would pick Michaela up in the evening. However, the latter rejected the offer.
She thought that she would have dinner with Jonathan, but the rain ruined all of her plans.
“I hope it keeps raining forever.”
“What?”
Lorelei frowned at Michaela’s weird passing remark as they exited the elevator. The former did not
explain herself. Instead, she smiled and shook her head.
As long as it keeps raining, I don’t need to eat with that terrifying guy.
She was secretly delighted. Unbeknownst to her, a gentle voice called out, “Mich!”
She stopped in her tracks, and her smile stiffened. Has Mr. Jonathan been starving for days? Why is he
so eager to have me buy him a meal, even in this ungodly weather?
The towering figure had already walked up to her by the time she turned around.
Jonathan departed from his office half an hour earlier because he was afraid that he would arrive late.
Hence, he was still dressed in his working attire.
He looked utterly dapper and charming in a suit. Staring and smiling at Michaela like the boy next door,
his domineering and imposing aura was not detected at all.
“Mich, who’s this handsome guy?”
Lorelei thought that her beloved Alois was the most gorgeous and perfect man in the whole wide world
until she saw Jonathan with her own eyes. Indeed, there’s always someone better out there.
Although she vowed to stay committed to Alois, she could not take her eyes off Alois. I must exercise my
rights to feasting on eye candy, right?
She nudged Michaela by the elbow, and the latter was snapped back to her senses. “This is Mr.
Jonathan, an elder I know,” she hurriedly introduced him.
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