Chapter 221 A Principle She Held On To
Chapter 221 A Principle She Held On To
“Got it. Let’s grab something to cat first, alright?”
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Her hands were icy, but his warmth wrapped around them, steadying her in an instant. She stared at him, momentarily dazed, before nodding. “Okay.”
Looking outside, she realized he had stopped in front of a soup and sandwich shop. They went in and each ordered a bowl. Hunger pushed aside her anxiety for the moment, and she even found the chunky bits in the soup surprisingly good.
By then, the weather had turned gloomy, but with a bowl of warm soup in her stomach, she felt warmth spread all through her body.
As they stepped out of the shop, Zion’s call came through. Jonathan put it on speaker, opened the passenger door, and gestured for Anneliese to get in. She bent quickly and climbed inside while he leaned lazily against the car, arm draped over the door, holding the phone close to her.
“Mr. Fullbuster, Marcus Johnson landed in Oceaton yesterday afternoon–around five, on an EastJet flight. But he booked a return flight for tonight at eleven. First class–six people this time, one more than he came with. I’ll have someone check his hotel and any properties under his name…”
Jonathan gave Anneliese a glance before lowering the phone. “Don’t bother. I’ve got a faster way.”
He hung up, clearly about to dial another number, when Anneliese leaned over and tugged at his sleeve. “Get in the car first.”
He was standing in the wind, no coat, not even a sweater under his suit–just a thin shirt. Meeting her worried gaze, Jonathan paused, lips curving faintly. “Alright, if you insist.”
He shut the door with a snap and walked around the hood. Anneliese rubbed her nose, a little flustered. She had only asked him to sit, but the way he obeyed felt almost too well–behaved.
Once inside, Jonathan called Joel.
“Well, well, am I seeing things? The great prince himself is actually calling me? I’m flattered!”
Anneliese remembered Joel, so she recognized his voice instantly. He was as chatty as she remembered.
Jonathan cut him short, impatient. “I recall your family has some distant ties to the Johnson Family in Baytree?”
The Johnsons in Baytree? Our families were one three generations ago. Why?”
“Marcus Johnson is in Oceaton. Call him now and find out where he is.”
“What do you want with him?”
“Curiosity kills the cat. Just call
“Tch. Only I’ll ever indulge your little temper. Give me a sec.”
Barely two minutes later, a WhatsApp voice note came through Jonathan opened it–Joel reported an
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Chapter 221 A Principle She Held On To
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upscale villa community on the edge of town. Anneliese immediately entered the address into the navigation.
Jonathan checked his watch, swung the car around, and said, “An 11 p.m. flight. We’ve got time.”
Anneliese had already been grateful that he found Jessica’s trail so quickly. But he hadn’t even waited for her to ask–he insisted on going with her to deal with it himself.
She twisted her fingers, touched beyond words. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to refuse, because she truly needed the help. Alone, she would never manage this.
When she kept staring at him silently, Jonathan glanced over after confirming the road ahead. “What is it?”
She almost blurted out that he was a good man, but the words felt flimsy, like he might mistake them for sarcasm. Instead, she fiddled with the zipper on her jacket and huffed, “You must be doing this on purpose! You have to be!”
He blinked at her, baffled. “Doing what on purpose?”
“Being this good to me! You’re making my heart stir–I’m this close to saying yes to that ridiculous proposal of yours!”
Jonathan’s chest thudded hard, his grip tightening on the wheel. So, she’s sharper than I thought.
“Well then, are you going to say yes?”
She shot him a glare. “I’m sticking to my principles!”
He arched a brow, sighing with helpless amusement, though in the dim light his eyes held a tenderness she couldn’t quite name. She turned her head sharply toward the window.
Half an hour later, they drove into the villa district.
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