Next Man, Better Plan novel Chapter 251

Just a couple of minutes after she hung up, Cecilia arrived.

The moment she walked in, she pulled Stephanie into a tight, sympathetic hug. “Stephanie, are you okay?”

Stephanie shook her head. “You heard about what happened last night?”

Cecilia nodded. “Jonathan called me personally first thing this morning. I was pretty surprised.”

“Jonathan?” Stephanie asked, her eyes widening.

“I guess he figured since we’re both women, and I’m your best friend, he wanted me to come keep you company and help you feel better. He was probably worried you’d be too traumatized and get stuck in your own head.”

Stephanie paused. She hadn't realized Jonathan had such a thoughtful side.

She had been terrified last night, but in the end, they hadn't succeeded. Quennel hadn't taken advantage of her.

“Oh, right, I just bumped into Jonathan downstairs,” Cecilia added.

She placed the breakfast she’d brought on the table in front of Stephanie. “He bought this for you himself and asked me to bring it up. Are you hungry? Want to eat now?”

“Where is he?” Stephanie instinctively glanced toward the door. “He didn't come up with you?”

“He left. He has a business forum to attend this afternoon. He stayed with you all night, just got off a plane, and is probably still jet-lagged. I’m guessing he went home to catch up on sleep,” Cecilia speculated.

Jonathan may have left, but he'd left all his bodyguards behind at the hospital.

A line of men in black suits stood guard at the door, making passersby think some formidable figure was inside, causing them to give the room a wide berth.

Not only that, but he had also sent a car to Cecilia's place to pick her up and bring her to Stephanie.

Cecilia had gotten a huge shock when she left her apartment that morning. When had she ever received such treatment? For a moment, she almost thought her father had made a comeback and she was a rich heiress again.

Stephanie’s fingers curled slightly. “Jonathan… stayed with me all night? Then why did he just leave without saying anything?”

Jonathan had been away on business for nearly a week, and they hadn't really spoken since he returned.

Cecilia frowned. How could this silly girl still be thinking about divorce…

But she quickly understood.

Stephanie had been hurt so deeply by Quennel in her last relationship that she was afraid to let herself fall into a new one.

After all, she and Quennel had over twenty years of history, and he could still betray her and almost do that to her last night… Out of self-preservation, Stephanie would instinctively avoid a new relationship.

In other words, she was finding it hard to trust men again, and Jonathan was unfortunately bearing the brunt of that…

Stephanie’s relationship with these two men was like that of a migrating seabird, betrayed and left behind by its flock. Tired from her journey, she had found an island to rest on temporarily, but once she recovered, she was destined to fly away again.

Cecilia cursed inwardly. That damned Quennel!

It seemed Jonathan would have his work cut out for him if he wanted Stephanie to truly let her guard down.

She couldn't help but sigh, “Poor Mr. Vasquez…”