Jonas rarely had barbecue dinners. He couldn't help grumbling in his heart when he saw Melinda
gobble the food down. Yet, he started to enjoy it seconds later.
It was the perfect night for Melinda. Everything about the night seemed beautiful. The cool breeze, salty
air, and the delicious dinner made her happy. Melinda rubbed her bulging stomach that was stuffed with
food and let out a burp. She smiled. The wind played with her hair as she walked back to the villa.
The starry night added a mysterious charm to the beautiful villa. Melinda stayed at the balcony and
stared at the sky.
The breeze carried a chillness with it and Melinda braced herself.
She felt awkward to go back to the bedroom but Jonas didn't bother about what she was thinking. He
was exhausted and his eyes were begging him to go to sleep.
So he quickly went to the bathroom, took a relaxing shower, and drifted off to a peaceful sleep as soon
as he hit the bed.
The next morning, Melinda's eyes fell on a sports car on the seaside track. There was no food in the
fridge and Jonas took Melinda to the supermarket to buy groceries and daily essentials.
Jonas was new to this and had no idea about managing household chores.
Melinda preferred home food, so she loaded her cart with everything she would need to cook. Out of
habit, she picked Jonas's favorite things as well.
Although it meant nothing to Melinda, Jonas couldn't help but smile at her thoughtfulness. That one
small gesture meant a lot to him.
"Mr. Jonas, you know how to arrange the food items in the fridge, don't you?"
Melinda asked as she held the two shopping bags, grinning sheepishly.
Jonas pursed his lips and didn't argue. He had intended to maintain peace and harmony with Melinda
and didn't want to fight with her over a trivial issue.
Melinda understood Jonas and kept a safe distance from him. The person who Emily had arranged to
break their relationship became worried as there was not much scope to create problems between
them.
There seemed to be no need to ruin their relationship as there was no chemistry between Melinda and
Jonas.
Although Jonas had no experience in dealing with the household chores, he reluctantly stuffed the
things into the fridge. Once he finished arranging everything, Jonas went to look for Melinda. She was
in the balcony, immersed in writing her novel.
Jonas thought that writing was just a phase and that Melinda would get over it soon. He was surprised
to see how much she loved writing. Jonas's eyes roamed across Melinda's face. He observed every
movement of hers. The way she knitted her eyebrows when she concentrated on something or how
she bit her ruddy lip when she examined her work. She looked sexy when she was focused on her
work.
Melinda felt that someone was watching her. She snapped her head and glanced at the door. Jonas
was leaning against the doorframe, staring at her. Melinda arched an eyebrow with suspicion. She
stood up and walked to the door.
A smile tugged at the corners of Jonas's lips as he thought that she wanted to go for a walk with him.
But Melinda closed the door on his face and asked him not to disturb her.
Jonas was used to Melinda's coldness and wasn't hurt by her response. Since they were on a holiday,
Jonas didn't want to stay indoors. He changed into a pair of shorts and a casual T-shirt and decided to
take a stroll across the beach.
The fresh smell of salt emanated from the pristine waters of the sea. The exotic blend of cool wind and
the hot waves that brushed against his face and the way his feet sank into the soft sand made Jonas
happy. He was having the time of his life.
His ruffled hair and the way his T-shirt clung on to his chiseled body made Jonas look incredibly
handsome. He was looking like a model in the magazine cover.
Girls were swooning at the sight of him. Some of them even clicked pictures as they couldn't take their
eyes off Jonas.
There were a couple of women who tried to accost him but his cold eyes seemed to drive them away.
But Emily's accomplice decided to make use of the opportunity. She sashayed towards Jonas with a
seductive smile.
"Hey, handsome. Are you alone? I can keep you company," she said, biting her bottom lip.
The woman's feigned sweetness made Jonas scrunch his nose with distaste. He shook his head and
walked away.
The smile on the woman's face fell. Her face flushed with embarrassment as she saw people pointing
at her and laughing.
No one had rejected her before, and by the time she realized what had happened, Jonas was miles
away from her.
Although Jonas was maintaining a low profile, he couldn't escape from the vigilant eyes of the netizens.
The news about Jonas's vacation spread like a wildfire and all his admirers had gathered to see him.
Jonas was appalled by the sudden attention and instructed William to deal with the issue. He stayed at
the villa the entire day, which finally brought him peace.
Melinda was enjoying her stay. The vacation had inspired her to write more. She stayed at home and
immersed herself in writing during the day as it was too hot to step out. She usually went for a walk at
night.
It was the third day and Melinda got up early to watch the sunrise.
Her life was so much easier here. She chose to ignore Jonas and spoke to him only when they sat
down to eat, which was only three times a day.
Emily finished all her work and went to the seaside to meet Jonas. She was wearing a long bohemian
dress, a pair of sunglasses, and a hat. The bright coat of orange lipstick made her look vibrant.
Jonas's eyes widened with shock when he saw her walking towards him.
"Jonas."
Emily took off her sunglasses and smiled. She stepped closer and interlinked her fingers with his.
"Why are you here?" Jonas shook his head and frowned.
"I've been busy attending shows. I'm on a vacation and there are a couple of shows in the next two
days. I cannot miss them," she pouted.
Emily always used this trick to see Jonas and he always believed her. The two of them chatted like old
friends.
Melinda felt guilty for leaving Jonas alone all by himself, so she quickly changed into a beach skirt and
walked out. Melinda's eyes widened and she scoffed at the sight of Jonas talking happily with Emily.
She felt stupid for thinking that he had been alone all this time.
But she couldn't understand why he was doing with Emily here. Melinda sensed that something was
odd but didn't bother probing the matter. Since Jonas was with Emily, she got back to writing her book
at peace.
But her peace didn't last long. When Melinda was about to have dinner, Jonas floundered into the villa.
His hair was messy and his shirt was crumpled. He was reeking of alcohol. He staggered and landed
heavily on the sofa.
Melinda had never seen him like this before. Although Jonas had come home utterly wasted in the
past, he seemed different now. She felt that something was bothering him.
"Melinda, you have no time for me. You just sit at home all day and write stories. Why are you always
ignoring me?" he whined like a little boy.
Melinda glared at him and crossed her arms before her chest. Although she was annoyed that he was
drunk, she couldn't help but smile at how adorable he was.
Jonas rambled incoherently and suddenly stopped talking. Melinda's heart began to race frantically
when his eyes met hers.
Panic rose in her heart. His eyes were familiar, yet strange. Her mind flashed with bitter memories of
the past.
Jonas stared at Melinda as an unusual feeling crept into his heart. His hands were itching to touch her.
He pushed Melinda to the sofa and pressed his body against hers.
Melinda squealed in shock. She could feel Jonas's racing heartbeat against her chest.
His deep, lustful eyes roamed across her face. Melinda's heart skipped a beat and she felt as if a
thousand butterflies were set loose in her stomach.
"Jonas, are you drunk? Go find Emily and leave me alone," Melinda croaked.
She had never been this close to him in a long time and her heart began to crave for his attention. She
quickly dismissed the thought and tried pushing him away. But Jonas was strong and she was trapped
between his arms.
Jonas continued to stare at her.
Melinda bit her lip and wrapped her arms across Jonas's neck and pulled him closer. She broke into a
cold sweat when Jonas's familiar scent filled her lungs. She inched forward and bit his shoulder with all
her might.
She bit him so hard almost as if she was venting out her anger and grief. Jonas yelped in pain and
pushed her away. Melinda fell to the ground and smiled in relief.
But a wave of guilt washed over her when she caught him looking at her with a blank face. She felt
guilty for hurting him.
Tears streamed down her face and she was on the verge of breaking down. All the emotions that had
been simmering in her heart for the last five years seemed to gush out.
Melinda was mad at Jonas for using her. She was mad at herself for letting him use her. Jonas was an
animal when he got drunk. He had sex with Melinda every time he got drunk even if she refused.
She would cry and beg him to leave her alone but he would never listen to her. He would be rough and
wild in bed. But Melinda was hopelessly in love with him and endured all the pain to please him.
She felt humiliated and disgusted with herself.
Jonas frowned and glanced at his shoulder. He didn't understand what was going on. Melinda walked
to the room and shut the door, leaving him all alone.
When Melinda woke up in the middle of the night, she saw that Jonas had fallen asleep on the sofa.
She felt sorry for him and put a blanket over him. The next morning, Jonas woke up with a piercing
headache. When he reached his hand to massage his temples, there was a stinging pain on his
shoulders. He saw a deep teeth mark with dried blood spots on his right shoulder.
Jonas's eyes widened with shock as a hazy picture formed in his mind. He had been a fool last night.
He turned his head in the direction of Melinda's room. She was standing by the stairs, watching him
with a playful grin.
Jonas was confused. He thought that he was developing feelings for her. He stayed in the villa with
Melinda and hardly stepped out. Even if he did, he would return home soon.
He had even ruthlessly declined Emily's invitation to be with Melinda. Jonas tried asking Melinda about
what had happened but she continued to ignore him like she always did. She would sometimes flash a
strange smile but Jonas couldn't understand what it meant.
He felt intimidated by Melinda's presence for the first time.
Jonas and Melinda stayed in the villa without fighting or arguing. Both of them could sense the tension
in the air but neither of them could comprehend what it was.
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