Chapter 218

Cynthia rested her head on Jonathan’s arm, attentively serving him. His skin was smooth; playful, he seemed a carefree pretty boy, but serious, his aloof grace shone through. Jonathan’s eyes were beautiful, deep, and mysterious, like the ocean at night. Every time their eyes met, her heart raced. She gently traced the shape of his thin, tempting lips with her fingertip.

Jonathan awoke and noticed her actions. She tried to withdraw her hand, but he caught it and kissed it. “Why are you seducing me so early in the morning?” he teased.

Cynthia rolled her eyes. “Who’s seducing you?”

Jonathan held her hand to his chin. “You were just touching”

Cynthia replied nonchalantly, “Touching your lips counts?”

“Of course, it counts! Touching my lips for no reason—you must want to kiss me,” Jonathan replied.

Cynthia decided to tease him, scratching his chin lightly. “I read a book that said men with lips like yours are heartless.”

Jonathan frowned. “What kind of nonsense are you reading?”

Cynthia smiled. “I don’t know, but that’s what the book said.”

Jonathan, displeased, pulled her into his arms. “Looks like I didn’t try hard enough last night, making you doubt my sincerity.”

Cynthia tried to push him away. “Hey, Jonathan, cut it out. If you keep this up, I’ll bite you.”

“Go ahead, bite right here,” Jonathan replied.

She pouted. “You jerk!”

They laughed and wrestled playfully on the bed until around noon, then showered and changed. By the time they emerged, it was past twelve o’clock.

Cynthia felt uneasy. They were at the Bennett manor, and she worried the older Bennetts might find her behavior disrespectful.

Jonathan emerged from the walk-in closet, buttoning his shirt. He approached Cynthia. “Help me with this.”

As she buttoned his shirt, she complained, “It’s all your fault. Now it’s already twelve-thirty, and they’ll think we’re goofing off.”

Jonathan chuckled. “Don’t worry. In our family, we don’t have specific traditions for greetings or family meals. Unless there’s a reason, everyone stays in their own space. Besides, my second and third sisters left last night; they rarely stay overnight.”

Cynthia felt relieved. Jonathan smiled mischievously. “Besides, they know we’re practically lovey-dovey and have such chemistry, so they definitely won’t bother us.”

Cynthia scoffed. “Who says we’re all lovey-dovey?” In Greenfield Villa, she wouldn’t have minded, but at the Bennett home, it felt awkward.

Chapter 218 (Continued)

Jonathan noticed Cynthia’s reddening ears. “Getting shy?” he teased.

As she fastened the last button, she didn’t pull away. She wrapped her arms around his waist. He looked surprised.

Cynthia tilted her head up, smiling. Her eyes were clear as water, her lips inviting as blooming peach blossoms. She kissed him willingly.

Jonathan was surprised but pleased. Cynthia playfully pushed him onto the couch, straddling him and kissing him deeply.

Lost in the moment, he was defenseless when she suddenly stood up.

“You! We’ve done this a thousand times already! Shy? Yeah, right!” With that, she tossed her hair back and left him breathless.

He shouted, “Cynthia! Get back here! You can’t just leave like that!”

Cynthia waited outside for half an hour before the slow-moving Jonathan emerged, changed, and cast a resentful glance her way.

Cynthia was in a good mood. “I’m hungry, let’s go grab something to eat.”

Jonathan drove, Cynthia in the passenger seat. It was unusual to see him in a sports car. The car zoomed down the highway; the wind rushed past them. Cynthia felt a long-missed sense of freedom.

They felt like birds breaking free from a cage, full of joy and freedom, but they both knew it was fleeting.

Last night, after Cynthia and Preston parted at the stairwell, Preston returned to his room to find Whitney sitting on the couch.

Preston’s eyes darkened. “What are you doing here?”

Whitney’s voice was cold. “You don’t even call me Mom anymore? Is this how I raised you?”

“Neither of you taught me to be ruthless and heartless, hurting my own family for gain,” Preston replied, his heart heavy. He looked at her intently. What hurt him most wasn’t Whitney’s actions, but her lack of regret.

“Preston, enough. It’s none of your business to judge what I do. If you think I’ve done something wrong, call the police,” Whitney said.

Preston looked at her with disappointment. He didn’t want to argue. “Please leave, I need to sleep.”

Whitney didn’t get up. After a moment of silence, she spoke softly.

“Actually, I never planned to harm Cynthia or Nina on the yacht. I just wanted to see how far your uncle would go for them.”

“I didn’t expect them to jump, and things went beyond my expectations.”

Whitney stood, patted his shoulder. “I know you like Ms. Jones. She’s the one you love, how could I really let her die?”

Preston looked at her, confused. Whitney continued, “I gave her that ruby purse. It was a gift for my future daughter-in-law.”

Preston was confused. “What do you really mean?”

Whitney smiled. “Son, if you like Ms. Jones, go after her, I support you. She’s the most special woman I’ve ever met. I really like her too. She’s a good match for my son.”

Preston frowned. After a moment, he said coldly, “It’s because of that five percent share, isn’t it?”