Chapter 138
Mrs. Bennett had known for a long time. For the past three years, Jonathan hadn't really come home. After some investigation, she discovered he had been living at Greenfield Villa with a woman named Cynthia, who was even financially supporting him.
This woman had a complicated background. She was the fake heiress of the Jones family and the daughter-in-law of the Yates family. Mrs. Bennett was aware that Ms. Jones had been heartbroken after her husband ran off abroad with another woman. Out of anger, Ms. Jones became involved with Jonathan. Furthermore, Cynthia and Steven Yates had not actually been legally married.
Mrs. Bennett acknowledged Jonathan's feelings. Naturally, Jonathan had always been quite independent-minded since childhood. She was pleased that he was ready to leave the Sullivan girl for someone else. If he had truly married Nina, the Bennett family would have faced endless turmoil; therefore, she genuinely supported this relationship.
She had crossed paths with Ms. Jones once, at her 70th birthday celebration. Ms. Jones had given her some Laron Floral Essence, which worked wonders for calming the mind. She was nearly out of it and planned to request another box.
She wondered why Cynthia was suddenly linked to Preston again. Mrs. Bennett's face suddenly turned stern. "Preston, you can consider other girls, but don't even think about Ms. Jones."
Preston was puzzled. "Grandma, you've always been so open-minded. Why are you against this? Is it just because she's the mistaken heiress from the Jones family, and you look down on her?" Preston's understanding of Cynthia's identity was limited to online discussions.
Mrs. Bennett sighed. She glanced at Jonathan and said, "She visited me during my 70th birthday celebration with her husband." Her voice was heavy. "Although she's now separated from him, your mother would never agree to someone with such a background.
"Preston, your role is unique. You're the future of both the Bennett and Sullivan families. You have considerable responsibilities, so many things can't just go the way you want them to."
"So what if she was married? She's single now, and that's all that matters. I like her for who she is and only care about her future, not her past," Preston said.
He added, "Besides, my uncle can handle the Bennett family business. I've never planned to take over the family business, not from the Sullivan family either. They can give it to whoever they want. I want to live my own life. I'm not a tool for your family's alliances."
"Did your mother agree?" The mention of Whitney upset Preston. "My mother is my mother, and I am me. Why does my life always need her approval or follow her plans?"
Jonathan calmly said, "Do you have the ability to stand up to her now? If you don't want to study abroad, she'll figure out a way to send you anyway. If you don't want to come back, she'll find a way to bring you back. Whether you run away from home or fight hard, she has thousands of ways to make you give in."
Jonathan looked at him steadily. "Think carefully, is there anything in your life that you can truly control?"
These words left Preston feeling quite defeated. In life, there were so many things he couldn't control. His mother's influence reached every corner of his world. Over the years, the only skill he'd really mastered was avoiding her. But that was just a temporary fix. He couldn't escape Whitney's grasp forever.
But Preston stubbornly said, "I have a way to convince my mother. No matter what, I'm her only son, and she wouldn't push me to my breaking point."
Of course, Whitney would never drive her son to his breaking point. After all, Preston was her entire hope for the future. Jonathan knew that Whitney was strict and highly controlling, but she loved him. There's no mother in the world who doesn't love her child.
Thinking of this, Jonathan shivered. He remembered being pushed into a pool by Whitney when he was ten. The feeling of despair and suffocation overwhelmed him again. But what was colder than the pool water was the sight of her standing by the poolside, watching him sink without a word during those terrifying minutes.
When Jonathan was little, he really liked his older sister, Whitney. Even though she was always cold and spoke harshly to him, he depended on her. His mother had told him that Whitney was the first to hold him when he was born. Maybe that was why Whitney always held a special place in his heart.
But ever since he found out that his older sister had been plotting to kill him for years—and even tried to follow through—he finally felt the deepest malice in this world.
No matter what, even though Whitney was cold and spiteful, she still treated Preston differently. As the saying goes, a tiger wouldn't harm its cubs. Of course, Preston had no idea about any of this. In his eyes, despite all the tension over the family fortune, they were still a family, bound by blood.
In the afternoon, Preston went to see Cynthia. He waited at the television station until she finished work.
Cynthia had been busy handling a new variety show's details lately. The preparation for the show wasn't going well because Mr. Lowe had only talked about working on a new variety show but hadn't specified the type, which guests to invite, or provided any project proposal or script.
The only thing known was that this reality show would start recording in a week, and it was going to be a live broadcast. It was a joint production between RNN and BCB, with RNN providing support. Cynthia would follow their arrangements, putting in effort and cooperating as needed.
In the afternoon, Stella, the assistant, received an email. She said mysteriously, "Cynthia, BCB just sent over a document. Take a look at the guest list. Can you believe Ethan and Jesse are on it?"
Cynthia knew Ethan well—he was Yasmine's idol. She had heard Yasmine gush about him so much that it practically became background noise. Ethan was a three-time award-winning actor, a favorite in Starlight Cinema, and now the highest-paid male celebrity in the entertainment industry.
Yasmine was almost his equal, an A-list actress with numerous awards under her belt. The movie she and Ethan had recently worked on swept several big awards at a film festival, and now they often appeared together for promotions, widely recognized as the ultimate on-screen couple.
Cynthia was quite surprised. She thought, "These two have incredibly high status, and you can't just invite them casually. It seems BCB is really going all out for this show."
The second pair of guests were Alex and Abby. These two were a bit less famous. Alex was a rising star, coming from a talent show background. He started learning traditional opera when he was young. He had a certain classical charm and was known as the most handsome actor in historical dramas in the entertainment industry.
Abby wasn't part of the entertainment industry but was a hugely popular internet personality with millions of followers. Her persona was the "original pure and innocent girl." Anyway, she had tons of fans who banded together to form the "Abby Army."
But there were still two guest spots on the roster that were empty. Cynthia wondered, "Filming is about to start, so have the guests not been confirmed yet?" She wasn't worried; it wasn't her place to worry about it. She clocked out right on time, as usual.
Just as she stepped out of the television building, Preston was waiting outside. He was simply dressed in a white T-shirt and light gray sweatpants. He seemed to have been waiting for a while, standing by the flowerbed, head down, hands in his pockets, absentmindedly kicking little stones on the ground.