Jonas knew that Melinda enjoyed her solitude and disliked Emily. He understood that Melinda must
have had a tough time and decided to take her out for a walk.
Queena went to look for Gavin. Emily stood up and followed her to the yard where Gavin was placing
the newly-bought flower pots along with other servants.
"Aunt Queena, did you pick these flowers?" Emily asked.
A gentle breeze swept in the yard, making the flowers dance rhythmically. The sweet scent of flowers
wafted in the air. Queena closed her eyes and took a whiff of earthy smell. She smiled with satisfaction.
"Yeah, you told me about it the other day and I asked Gavin to buy some plants. The yard looks
beautiful now," Queena said.
After admiring the beauty of the plants, Queena realized that she had come here, looking for Gavin to
inform everyone that they were ready for dinner.
Emily was happy to hear that Queena listened to her. "I'm glad you like it. I love playing with messy
things every day." She smiled.
"Why do you call this a mess? I think it's a wonderful hobby."
Queena saw that the servants started chatting once Gavin left. She quickly ordered them to do the
work and Emily joined her as well.
Melinda was in the living room, watching Queena and Emily in the yard. She thought that they were
getting along well. They were the perfect duo, while Melinda was just an outsider. They always joined
hands and ignored her.
The mere sight of Emily annoyed Melinda.
"Hmmm..." she murmured, stomping her foot.
"What?"
Jonas asked quizzically. Melinda's sudden reaction confused him. Melinda scowled at Jonas when she
saw him looking at the yard. She turned around to go back to her room but Jonas grabbed her wrist.
He pulled Melinda closer to him and whispered in her ears. "Would you like to go for dinner with me?"
Seeing that they were going out, Mary grabbed their coats from the bedroom.
"I'm not hungry," she mumbled.
Melinda couldn't help but fall for Jonas's affection. Both of them wore black coats that looked like a
couple's outfit. Melinda's hands were cold, so Jonas stepped closer and put her hand inside his pocket.
"There is a new coffee shop in the mall opposite our company. I heard that it's good. Let's go there." He
smiled.
"Since when did you start inquiring about new restaurants?" Melinda asked, arching an eyebrow.
She felt a little strange to hear Jonas talk about new restaurants. The wind was a little strong and
Melinda snuggled against Jonas's warm body.
"Well, I heard from William. He is always the first person to try new restaurants."
Jonas wrapped his arm around Melinda's waist and ushered her to the car. Emily was in the yard,
accompanying Queena to arrange the flowers. Her eyes turned red with rage when she saw Melinda
and Jonas walk together.
"Emily, what happened? Look at your eyes. Is it because of the wind?"
Queena asked concernedly. Emily shook her head and forced a smile. It was hard for her to watch
Jonas with Melinda.
Queena felt that Emily was uncomfortable by the strong wind and decided to take her inside. When
they walked into the living room, she saw that Melinda and Jonas were gone.
Jonas hardly drove the car, so he was very cautious and concentrated on the rood. Melinda rolled the
window and stared outside as the wind played with her hair.
They remained silent on the way.
The mall was noisy, teeming with people. Jonas took Melinda directly to the coffee shop. It was newly-
opened but people were still waiting to try the menu.
Jonas wasn't fond of pastries, so he ordered a small cake for Melinda.
"Are you in a bad mood today?" he asked, breaking the silence.
"I'm always in a bad mood."
Jonas's question annoyed Melinda. He took a deep breath and shook his head. Jonas was used to
Melinda's attitude, so he wasn't surprised by her response.
But he could sense that something was bothering her. He had a strong feeling that Emily was Melinda's
biggest concern.
"I've heard that sweet elevates people's mood. Why don't you try the pastries and milky tea? They will
make you feel good."
Jonas pushed the tray towards Melinda and carefully arranged the food on her plate.
"Having sweet at night is not healthy. So, I just ordered semi-sweet milky tea. It's sweet as well as
healthy," he added.
Melinda took a sip of the tea. She didn't like food that was too sweet, so the semi-sweet milky tea was
just to her taste.
Jonas was incredibly kind and thoughtful, which made Melinda uncomfortable. She took a bite of the
cake and munched it slowly. Melinda had lost her appetite and couldn't eat anything.
"I see. I know what will make you feel better. Let's go shopping and get a new bag for you. I know that
getting new bags always makes women happy." Jonas grinned.
William always spoke about what women liked and disliked in the office. Jonas knew that Melinda was
upset and wanted to cheer her up.
Melinda put her fork down and looked at Jonas, with her chin propped on her palm. Jonas's beautiful
eyes were dazzling under the soft lights of the coffee shop.
"I don't think I need a bag. I just need silence and peace."
Melinda missed staying at the small villa. It was peaceful and quiet, where she could spend her day the
way she wanted. Her life had turned chaotic after shifting back to the main villa.
Jonas's words stuck in his throat. He swallowed loudly and looked at Melinda.
"I know that things are different in the main villa. It has become noisy lately. But you have to get used to
it,"
Jonas said, sipping on his coffee. He preferred black coffee without sugar. The bitter coffee exploded in
his mouth, waking his tired muscles. He instantly felt better.
Melinda nodded and continued to eat the cake. The grumpy look on her face made Jonas understand
that she wasn't in the mood to eat.
"You don't have to eat if you don't feel like it. Let's go shopping."
Jonas stood up and smiled at her. Melinda breathed a sigh of relief, put the fork down, and walked out
of the restaurant.
The bright street lights twinkled like stars under the dark sky. The mall was bustling with people as the
day came to an end. Jonas clasped Melinda's hand and took her to the bag store.
"I have enough bags,"
Melinda stressed. Jonas rolled his eyes and ushered her to the fifth floor of the mall.
There was a theatre and a gaming center on the fifth floor. It was the favorite spot for people in love.
Melinda saw couples hugging and kissing. She felt uneasy and instantly pulled her hand away. But
Jonas inched forward and held her hand firmly.
"This floor is crowded with people. Don't go away,"
Jonas said. Melinda looked around and felt that he was being overprotective. After all, she wasn't a kid
to lose her way in the crowd.
Jonas took Melinda to a shop and exchanged his money for a hundred coins. He smiled, put all the
coins in her hand, and guided her to the claw machine.
"You get a doll here and I'll quickly buy the tickets for the movie. Do you want popcorn?"
Jonas asked. Melinda's eyes widened as she felt that the events were familiar as if it had happened in
the past.
That was when it dawned on her. Jonas's moves were eerily similar to the scene described in her last
novel.
Melinda felt that she was living every scene that she had described in her book as she dreamily
watched Jonas wait in the queue to buy tickets.
All the women were gaping at Jonas's tall, handsome figure. Melinda shook her head as she saw the
girls blush and stare at him. He seemed to captivate everyone's attention.
Melinda went to the gaming arcade to win dolls but she wasn't good at the game.
She couldn't win the dolls despite reading the instructions.
Melinda was disappointed. She saw that the coins were slowly getting over and glared at the claw
machine. Jonas returned with popcorn and soft drinks.
"Didn't you get anything?" he asked.
He gave the tray to Melinda, rolled his sleeves, and stepped forward. He decided to play the game and
win a doll for her. But luck wasn't on their side.
All the hundred coins were gone but they hadn't managed to win a single doll.
"This looks like a great business opportunity," Jonas said, grinning sheepishly.
His cheeks turned red with embarrassment as he saw a young couple win a doll in no time.
"You're right. This is very profitable,"
The machine had swallowed their one hundred bucks in no time.
Jonas had picked a romantic film and the theatre was filled with couples. Their seats were allocated in
the last row and Melinda walked past the couples who were making out in the darkness.
Melinda felt uneasy. The movie hadn't started yet but she was already thinking about leaving.
"I hardly get the chance to watch movies. Stay back with me, please?"
Jonas said, giving the puppy dog face. Melinda wanted to say that he had many people to accompany
him. Moreover, there was one at home, eagerly waiting for the chance to be with him. But Melinda
didn't say it out loud as she didn't want Jonas to think that she was jealous.
'I'm not jealous, not even one bit,' Melinda repeated in her mind over and over again until she calmed
down.
When the movie reached its climax, the couple sitting in front of them hugged each other. Melinda
glanced at the people in the theatre and saw that all the couples were hugging each other during this
scene.
Jonas's eyes were gleaming with excitement. He smiled at Melinda and wrapped his arms around her
waist.
Her petite figure sank into his arms. Melinda lifted her head and looked at him in shock. She swallowed
loudly and pushed him away.
"I'm tired."
Melinda stood up clumsily as she knocked the popcorn bag to the ground. The popcorn scattered
everywhere and rolled on the floor. The commotion caught people's attention and everyone turned to
look at Melinda.
Her cheeks flustered and she glanced at Jonas before storming out of the hall. Jonas immediately got
up and hastened to follow her. Melinda's heart was drumming in her chest. She couldn't stop thinking
about the way Jonas hugged her as his manly scent filled her lungs.
Melinda braced herself. She was worried that she might fall for his tenderness again. Jonas was a
sweet poison that slowly killed her.
There was perhaps an animal behind this sweet facade, waiting to pounce on her.
Jonas ran swiftly with his long legs and soon caught up with Melinda.
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