"I want mango flavor."
Melinda called, grinning happily. A smile tugged at the corners of Jonas's lips as he was waiting in line
to get an ice cream cone for her.
Holley strutted towards Jonas and interlinked her arms with his. But he wriggled away from her hold.
"Jonas, don't you see that she's doing it intentionally?"
Holley said anxiously. If someone had told Holley that Jonas would wait in a long queue one day to get
an ice cream cone for Melinda, she would have laughed.
She didn't expect that things would change in Melinda's favor soon. Holley felt as if her entire world had
fallen apart.
"Mellie likes it,"
Jonas said, shrugging casually. Melinda's skin broke into goose bumps when she heard Jonas's words.
Her heart started to beat frantically. Holley's eyes widened with shock. She stomped her foot angrily.
"Have you fallen in love with that bitch?"
Holley felt that Jonas wouldn't fall in love with a woman like Melinda. She pacified her wounded heart
by telling herself that Nelson must have forced Jonas to get along with Melinda. She couldn't help but
feel sorry for him.
"She is Mrs. Gu,"
Jonas grunted as his body stiffened. Holley opened her mouth to say something but decided against it.
She didn't want to annoy Jonas.
Jonas smiled at Melinda who was relishing her ice cream cone. "You should have given me a bite,"
Jonas said, arching an eyebrow.
"Mr. Gu, eating ice cream isn't good for you. You need to start taking your medicines."
Melinda tried hard to suppress her laughter. She loved teasing Jonas. Her eyebrows furrowed when
she saw Holley standing behind him.
"We are on a date and you've brought your ex-girlfriend with you. You're impossible, Mr. Gu."
Jonas didn't know why Melinda called him Mr. Gu. He wondered if she was making fun of him or
preferred calling him that. Whatever the reason was, Jonas loved it when she called him Mr. Gu.
"Melinda, stop acting too smart, you..." Holley lost her cool and was seething with rage. Jonas called
his bodyguards and instructed them to take Holley away. He didn't want her disturbing their date.
The entire day had passed in the blink of an eye. They had shopped a lot of things and Melinda was
happy about making Holley jealous. Unfortunately, she had to face some repercussions too. The cool
drinks and ice creams were ravaging her stomach.
Several days later, they finally decided to put an end to their act. Jonas headed to work and Melinda
stayed home to write.
When Jonas went to his office, Holley was already waiting for him. She had tried hard breaking his
relationship with Melinda but all her plans had failed. Even the web series didn't go smoothly and
Holley was in a mess.
Holley had come to borrow money from Jonas. The allocated budget was not enough.
"Holley, do you think that I'm running a charity? I don't mind lending money but you should at least pay
the interest on time,"
Jonas said, twirling the pen with his fingers. Holley had been busy planning to destroy Melinda and
didn't pay enough attention to work. The web series would have been a huge hit if she had
meticulously planned and executed her ideas.
"I've learned from my mistakes and I know how to make this right. Moreover, web series are profitable."
Web series usually employed fresh faces. Since the actors were new to the business, their
remunerations were usually low. Moreover, the sets and properties were economical. They could invest
a small amount and gain huge profits.
"I'm sorry, I'm not ready to give money anymore. I expect you to pay my money back with interest,"
Jonas said coldly. Holley finally realized that Jonas had been using her all this time.
He had been pretending to be close with her only to humiliate Melinda. Holley was of no use to him
now and he had thrown her away like a pile of trash.
Holley stepped forward and held his hand. "Jonas, trust me. It won't go wrong this time. Please lend
money for one last time and I'll make sure you see profits that are double your investment. I promise."
Jonas glared at Holley and bellowed his orders, "William, send Miss Huang out."
William walked in and held Holley's arms to escort her out of the office. Holley understood that Jonas
was firm with his decision and she could do nothing to change his mind. She was desperate to play the
main lead. Her dreams would shatter if Jonas didn't invest in the play.
"Jonas, you are being cruel,"
Holley cried angrily.
William managed to send Holley away and walked into the CEO office. Jonas was waiting for him.
"Find out what Holley has done with the money. Inform the casting director about it and he'll know what
to do."
"Mr. Gu, do you want me to send someone to monitor the progress of the play?"
William asked. Initially, William was apprehensive about contacting Holley and supervising the web
series. But he had a clear idea of what Jonas wanted.
"Yeah. That sounds like a good idea." Jonas nodded.
He always believed in William. He was like Jonas's right hand. Holley didn't disappoint him either.
Although the play didn't make enough profit, she still got the part of the heroine.
Moreover, everyone was aware of the unspoken rules.
Melinda seemed to calm down without Jonas around. She was perched on the rails of the balcony as
she inhaled the sweet scent of the evening air. She had made herself a cup of tea and stared at the
vacant sky. Her body and mind seemed to relax. She felt that the perfect evening would have been
complete if there was a cat by her side.
Melinda went back to her room and turned on soft music on her computer. She plopped on the chair
and browsed through the latest comments. Many popular blogs, magazines, and papers were raving
about her books. She had become a sensational writer.
Although her writing didn't consist of big words woven into mind-boggling stories, her books were
emotional that tugged the heartstrings of the readers. Melinda had managed to earn a loyal fan base in
a short time. Some of them had written personal letters to Melinda that made her incredibly happy. The
comments and letters from her fans gave her a sense of hope. She was finally witnessing the light at
the end of the tunnel.
Melinda usually sat down to write after reading the comments. Words of positivity always encouraged
her to write more. She usually wrote in silence and drowned into her imaginary world.
Melinda had managed to write more than ten thousand words and decided to call it a day. She stood up
and stretched her sore muscles. Melinda would always lose track of time every time she sat down to
write. She had been sitting in the exact position at a stretch and was exhausted.
The scented tea she made for herself had turned cold. She packed her things and went back to her
room. She was mentally drained and decided to go for a walk in the backyard.
The backyard was usually quiet except for the humming of the bees. It was teeming with flowers and a
lonely tea pavilion stood in the corner of the backyard. Nelson usually loved spending his evenings
there.
Melinda walked in with a cup of tea and saw Nelson playing Tai Chi with Gavin.
"Grandpa, I made scented tea for you. Gavin, would you also like to have some tea?"
Nelson stopped and smiled at her. He couldn't refuse her request but Gavin quickly excused himself as
he had a lot of work to attend to.
"How have you been, sweetie? How is Jonas treating you? If he causes any trouble, come to me. I'm
always here for you. I'll knock some sense into his head,"
Nelson said intently. He was aware of all the problems Melinda had gone through and didn't want her to
get hurt again.
"Don't worry, Grandpa. We're fine."
Melinda smiled. Things had been getting better between her and Jonas. She would always play pranks
on him. She enjoyed seeing him break his head without venting out his anger on her.
There was a thin line between love and hatred and Melinda had to tread carefully.
"Oh, thank God."
Nelson smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Jonas has been busy with work. Aren't you sick of staying home all day?"
Nelson was disappointed with Jonas for not taking care of Melinda when she had fallen ill the last time.
He knew that Jonas had to deal with the business on his own but he hated that he didn't have the time
for his wife.
"No, I'm happy to spend the day writing and watching TV series," Melinda replied with a smile.
"You're a young lady. You need to go out often. There is an auction tonight and I want you to
accompany me. I won't let you stay at home all day. Kids need to chill out."
Nelson patted her head and smiled. He wanted Melinda to enjoy her life.
When Melinda was little, she used to have dreams about traveling the world. But she understood the
harsh reality of life when she grew up. Dreams don't always come true.
"Grandpa, I'm not a little kid anymore, I will be thirty soon."
Nelson frowned.
"You will always be a kid to me."
Nelson had made up his mind to take Melinda to the auction. He instructed Gavin to send the invites to
everyone. He lauded his granddaughter-in-law before the guests.
Everyone complimented Melinda even if they secretly despised her. Jonas had ruined her reputation
but no one had the audacity to speak ill of Melinda in front of Nelson.
Nelson had bought a pair of necklace and earrings to show everyone how much he adored her. Jonas
paid for the jewelry without protesting.
Jonas was shocked by Nelson's generosity but didn't complain about it. Melinda quickly changed into
an evening gown and wore the jewelry set that Nelson had got for her. She didn't look like a normal girl
anymore. She had turned into an opulent beauty.
Nelson loved enjoying every moment of his life. Melinda was always well-behaved and her world was
restricted within the walls of the Gu's mansion. She hardly stepped out. She spent her time writing
books, watching TV, and taking care of Nelson.
Nelson wanted Melinda to live her life to the fullest. He ordered Gavin to pay attention to all the fun
activities in the city. He wanted to take her to different places and make her happy.
Nelson had openly admitted that he loved Melinda more than anyone else. Jonas was jealous of
Melinda as he got his grandfather's undivided love and attention while he was working hard to pay for
their considerable expenses.
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