Chapter 29
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He finished speaking and had already moved closer to Cynthia, naturally wrapping his arms around her slender waist.
Cynthia didn’t push him away but turned her face slightly. “I have a few questions.”
“Go ahead,” Jonathan said.
“Why did you hide your identity?” she asked.
Jonathan looked into her eyes, his expression calm. “It seems you’ve never asked about my identity.”
Cynthia pursed her red lips. It was true–over the past three years, she had never been curious about him, never cared. Even though they had shared a bed countless times, she knew nothing about his personal life.
“You knew all along that Filip and I weren’t really married?” she asked another question.
Jonathan brushed a strand of her hair aside and replied in a careless tone, “I’m not interested in married women.”
“When did you find out?” she continued.
“The night at Dark Horse Club. You were drunk and rambled on all night. I had no choice but to listen,” he said.
Cynthia was a little surprised. “That night… nothing happened between us?”
-Jonathan shook his head. “Nothing at all. You just got tired of talking and fell asleep on my shoulder.”
Cynthia was speechless and inexplicably a bit annoyed. “Why didn’t you tell me that nothing happened that night?”
Jonathan smiled. “If I had, would you have kept me around?”
Indeed, her decision to “keep” Jonathan had been influenced by the assumption that something had happened between them. It was a mindset of resignation–she might as well accept it since the damage was already done.
Cynthia suddenly felt like she had been outsmarted.
“How could you, the heir to the richest family in Betrico, have such a strange hobby?” She couldn’t understand why Jonathan would enjoy being “kept.”
Jonathan’s hand tightened slightly around her waist. “Who doesn’t have a little hobby?”
Of course, she had no idea that on the night at Dark Horse Club, he had recognized her immediately. But to this day, she still hadn’t recognized him.
Cynthia rolled her eyes, but with her naturally seductive gaze, it looked like she was teasing him.
“Have you finished asking? If you’re done, can we start now?” Jonathan leaned in, aiming for her lips.
Cynthia pressed her fingers against his lips. “Things are different now. Your identity isn’t the same as before. Since we’ve chosen to stay together, there have to be some ground rules.”
Jonathan grabbed her delicate hand and kissed it, his demeanor full of patience. “Ground rules?”
“First, we’re only in this for fun, not love. Don’t fall for each other. Second, respect each other’s privacy and personal space. The second floor is yours, and the third floor is mine,” Cynthia said.
“Third, during our time together, neither of us can have another lover. I don’t intend to share my man with anyone else. If you
find a better option, let me know in advance, and I’ll leave on my own.” She added.
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Chapter 29
Jonathan nodded in agreement. “I don’t share my woman with anyone, either. Deal.”
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Cynthia caressed his devilishly handsome face, her eyes bright. “If you have any requests, feel free to make them.”
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Jonathan leaned closer to her alluring red lips, his voice now laced with desire. “I have only one request–this time, I decide when it ends.”
Cynthia laughed, finding him rather petty. It seemed that her breaking up with him last time had wounded his pride.
Cynthia wrapped her arms around Jonathan’s neck. “As long as you follow the rules, you can do whatever you want. But if you break any of them, our relationship ends immediately.”
Jonathan’s eyes darkened, and his handsome face turned serious, as if he was thinking it over. But in the next moment, a flurry of kisses rained down on her.
That was his answer.
That night was like every other, yet somehow different. The same was the heat, the way he coaxed her before indulging his every desire–just like when she didn’t know his true identity.
His body heat, every detail of his physique, his habitual movements, the low growl of satisfaction, and the way he held her afterward–everything was so familiar.
But what was different was his identity. He had transformed from the “Pretty Boy” she had “kept” for three years into the untouchable Mr. Bennett. Psychologically, there was still something that felt different.
Cynthia had always struggled with insomnia, but perhaps because last night had been too exhausting, she slept until morning without waking.
When she opened her eyes, the space beside her was empty. She thought Jonathan had already left, but to her surprise, he was in the dining room, where he had prepared a lavish breakfast.
Cynthia didn’t hold back on her praise and took a seat at the table, helping herself without hesitation.
Jonathan was dressed in suit pants and a white shirt, his buttons fastened all the way up to the top one, giving him a cool and stoic look. Cynthia couldn’t understand why she thought he, who looked naturally cold, was a playboy.
“Were you satisfied last night?” Jonathan suddenly met Cynthia’s eyes.
“What?” Cynthia hadn’t quite caught on.
“You’re already seducing me this early in the morning. I thought maybe you weren’t satisfied with last night. Shall we do it again?” he said.
Jonathan’s striking eyes gleamed with mischief, and the corners of his lips curled slightly. Despite his stoic looks, there was an undeniable hint of a rogue in him.
Cynthia finally understood that Jonathan was indeed a playboy.
Cynthia went to the station. Early in the morning, everyone gathered around, congratulating her on becoming the new prime–time host.
Before long, Vivian walked out of Freddie’s office. As she passed by Cynthia, her face was full of resentment. “Cynthia, this isn’t over.” With that, she stormed off.
The crowd started gossiping. “Vivian and Mr. Leach were caught by Mrs. Leach. Yesterday, Mrs. Leach had someone strip Vivian’s clothes off in public. It made the trending topics and even got the police involved.”
“How dare she blame Cynthia? She brought this on herself.”
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“She’s ruined the reputation of RNN, just like a bad apple that spoils the bunch. How does she even have the nerve to stay
here?”
RNN was the kind of place where people kick you when you’re down. The same crowd used to talk about Cynthia in just the same way. Hearing the gossip, Cynthia just smiled and didn’t take it to heart.
At the morning meeting, Freddie spoke up. “I have two announcements today. First, due to personal health reasons, Vivian has resigned.”
Of course, everyone knew Vivian had been fired. The resignation was just RNN giving her a final shred of dignity,
“And the second announcement…” Freddie looked at Cynthia with a complicated expression.
Sharon Jackson, a news editor who had a good relationship with Cynthia, said, “The second announcement must be that Cynthia is the new prime–time host, right?”
The crowd chimed in, ready to flatter and congratulate Cynthia. Only Lilian sat quietly at a corner of the conference table.
Freddie looked troubled. “I did say that whoever got Mr. Bennett’s exclusive interview would become the prime–time host. But just this morning, Lilian secured a five–year advertising contract with Yates Construction. Both Cynthia and Lilian have contributed significantly to the station, and I can’t overlook either of you. So, I’ll let you two compete fairly, and the position will go to whoever proves herself through her professional abilities.”
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