Ex husband's Plea for Forgiveness novel Chapter 45

At this point, Jonas couldn’t care less about the sudden changes in her behavior. He didn’t stop Melinda from entering the room.

He had eaten nothing since lunch yesterday and had been feeling painful spasms in his stomach. Cold sweat had broken out along his forehead, and his complexion was pale, making his blue veins alarmingly prominent against his skin. It wasn’t until he had some breakfast that his situation started to get better.

Even now his vision was slightly blurry, and he struggled to focus on the piles of paperwork that needed seeing too. Melinda sat down to collect herself. She closed her eyes and was taking a few deep, calming breaths when a shadow loomed over her, and she blinked a few times to clear her vision and gain better focus.

When she opened her eyes she was greeted by Jonas’s handsome face, his dark obsidian eyes full of intent. Melinda felt her heartbeat pick up pace. A familiar feeling stirred within her, reminding her of the moment she first met Jonas.

She had been attracted to him at first sight, and the tug at her heartstrings at this very instant was reminiscent of the bitter past. It felt like a very long time ago.

"You—"

"You—"

They spoke at the same time, then stopped, and looked into each other’s eyes.

They had been silently staring at each other for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts, when the door suddenly clicked. They both jumped, and the spell was broken.

William strode into the room with some papers in hand, and then paused halfway. His gaze went back and forth between the two, noting the rather awkward atmosphere. He had a nagging feeling he interrupted something significant.

"Mr. Gu, here’s the information you wanted." William hurriedly placed the documents on a nearby table before scurrying out of the room.

When they were alone again, Jonas cleared his throat, but neither said anything. They settled down and dove into the task at hand, joining efforts in investigating the incident.

Soon the sun was setting, and meals and snacks had been had, but they managed zero progress. When they arrived home, Jonas had a ghastly, exhausted expression on his face.

"How are things going?" Nelson asked as soon as the couple entered the foyer. He had been worried all day, and with good reason. He had spent his life pouring his heart and soul into Soaring Group. Jonas gave a weary sigh and ran a hand over his face. "It’s all under investigation still."

Apparently it wasn’t the answer Nelson wanted to hear. "Jonas, I entrusted the company to you, and this is what you do with it! Financial crisis? Do you even understand how grave this situation is?"

A vein was popping on Nelson’s temple, so Melinda quickly came between them and tried to cajole the older man. "Grandpa, please calm down. All of this is just a setback caused by many factors. Jonas never meant for this to happen, and I’m sure he can take care of this matter."

"Yes, I’m sure my brother can handle it." Yulia was standing at the foot of the stairs, and was wearing a cold expression as she glared at Melinda.

She never did like the woman. But she would always support Jonas, especially since he was the one putting food on the table.

"I have a lot of questions still unanswered," Jonas finally said in a tired voice. "I’m going to another city to look into the finances."

Despite his undeniable fatigue, he still had a stubborn and arrogant air about him, and it irked Melinda.

She briefly marveled at how blind love could make a person, wondering how she never noticed all the red flags in the past.

Assessing the scene that was playing out that instant, she decided it would be better to serve as a buffer so the arguments would not escalate any further.

"Grandpa, I’ll go with Jonas. I’ll be keeping an eye on him, so you don’t have to worry about anything."

The old man eyed the two. He had been immensely worried about the status of their relationship. Perhaps this was a good opportunity for them to mend whatever it was that was broken.

He agreed to it without a second thought, but not without cautioning his grandson. "Don’t let me down Jonas."

Jonas only nodded in acknowledgment of the weight of those words.

They left that very night, which wasn’t an easy arrangement for Melinda. She had led a carefree life in recent months, and the diligent work that their investigation required had taken a physical toll on her.

The work on this day alone had exhausted her, and she immediately fell asleep on the car ride. Jonas was with her in the backseat, poring over the documents he brought with him. He was intent on the papers when he felt a weight fall on his shoulder.

He turned to see the crown of Melinda’s head nestled into the crook of his shoulder. She gently rubbed her cheek against the fabric of his shirt, as if seeking comfort and relief from great burdens.

His body stiffened involuntarily at this sudden contact, and he slowly set aside the papers he was holding.

His face tightened into a frown, and his lips formed a thin flat line. For a while he only stared straight ahead, lost in his thoughts. Then he rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if bracing himself. Without any further thought he reached out to cradle Melinda’s head and adjust her position so she was leaning back into the seat as well as against him.

Jonas was so careful about it that he didn’t notice the glances the driver was stealing through the rear-view mirror, or the small smile that he was sporting.

In all honesty, Jonas was thrown by Melinda’s constant company lately. He was not expecting her to stand by his side, especially since things had gotten difficult in recent days. He sighed again, closing his eyes. He would not think too deeply on it. They entered into contract, so it was only natural that they both upheld their ends of the deal. Beside him Melinda stirred, the motion bringing her face closer to his cheek. Jonas turned to check on her, and his mouth accidentally landed against her lips. He sat there, silent and dumbfounded at this development, but made no move to change it. Instead he stared at her closed eyes, familiarizing himself with the delicate lines of her face.

It was by no means the first time they were this close; neither was it the first time they kissed, but it was the first time he felt...warm. Warmth was the only word that came to mind.

As if she had felt his intent gaze, Melinda’s eyes suddenly popped open. She took a second to register what was happening. Then she frantically jumped back in her seat, bumping her head against the roof of the car in her haste.

"Ah," she rubbed the sore spot on her head, her face flushing with embarrassment.

She was contemplating jumping out of the car and letting the ground swallow her whole when she heard Jonas chuckle. She stared at him in shock.