SWNOVELS Chapter 947
Brittany sensed the underlying implications.
So, they thought she was the one to blame for this? How amusing.
Even if she hadn't come back, Saskia was still the adopted one, and she wouldn't get the Metzger family's seal of approval.
Not wanting any bad blood, Brittany got up and left the room.
Jonathan's fallout with the Metzger family over Saskia was the talk of Craneville, stirring up quite the hornet's nest.
Ophelia found herself smack in the middle of the gossip mill, again. People were throwing shade left and right, insinuating that Ophelia couldn't keep her man on a tight leash. Ophelia just flashed her pearly whites and brushed it off. With a flick of her wrist, she squashed the collaboration, leaving those wagging tongues without a leg to stand on. After a few were taught a lesson, the chatter died down.
Ophelia had a meeting with a client and picked a swanky restaurant for the occasion. She was always fierce in business, never giving an inch.
The other party, an old hand, tried to probe her limits during the chat. But Ophelia stood her ground, leaving him with no advantage and nearly at a loss.
After about three hours, the man grudgingly made concessions, with a hint of resentment. "Ms. Joyner, you're as uncompromising as ever."
All that effort, and not a single step back.
Ophelia smiled sweetly. "Pleasure doing business."
As the man stepped out to the restroom, he stumbled upon a commotion.
A new employee had spilled soup on a customer, who was now clamoring for compensation.
Curiosity piqued, he saw that the new employee was none other than Jonathan. His eyes lit up with an idea, and he strutted back to the booth. "Ms. Joyner, is your fiancé working here?" Fiancé?
The thought of Jonathan crossed Ophelia's mind, and she pressed her temples, feeling the headache he always brought.
She stepped out of the booth, followed by the man eager for drama.
Outside, Ophelia found Jonathan, drenched in humiliation and facing off against an arrogant customer. Clad in a uniform, Jonathan's usual charm was replaced by a look of exhaustion. Insulted, struck, humiliated time and again. And all because he wouldn't return to the Metzger family.
It seemed his love for Saskia was genuine.
Ophelia suddenly felt like a villain disrupting true love, ruining a perfect match.
From a distance, Jonathan spotted Ophelia. His face turned pale, and in the next second, he stepped away from the customer and made a swift exit.
The customer, left behind, was fuming, threatening to file a complaint.
Ophelia contacted the manager to handle the situation and followed Jonathan.
He hadn't gone far and was crouched in a corner looking quite pitiful.
Ophelia approached, her eyes looking down at Jonathan. "Do you despise me that much?"
Was this his way of rebelling, making her embarrassed?
Jonathan looked up sharply. "I don't hate you. I just don't want to marry you."
All he wanted was to be with the person he loved. Was that so wrong?
Ophelia had never really fallen for anyone.
As the only daughter in her family, she was doted on, her brothers always at her beck and call. As an adult, she threw herself into her work, and even the talk of marriage had never really touched her heart. Upon learning Jonathan's tumultuous behavior, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. Crouching down, she asked, "Do you really love Saskia that much?"
Jonathan met Ophelia's gaze with conviction. "I do."
"Why?"
"She's fragile, needs my protection. Just seeing her makes me want to shelter her, give her the best."
Jonathan was candid, "Ophelia, you've never been in love; you can't understand. I don't want to hurt you, but I just don't want to marry you."
All his life, he'd followed his parents' wishes, but this time, he wanted to marry for love.
Ophelia studied his face intently, as if making a decision. "If you can get Mrs. Metzger to change her mind, I'll call off our engagement."