Chapter 71

Cynthia hurried into the elevator and soon arrived outside the CFO's office. The secretarial area buzzed with activity; it was noisy that day. Cynthia thought she heard Shirley's voice. She paused briefly before entering Jonathan's office.

Jonathan was staring intently at his laptop, his expression serious. His eyes lit up when he saw Cynthia. He rose, walked to her, put his hands on her waist, and kissed her.

"Why are you here?" he asked, sounding happy and surprised.

Cynthia smiled. "I'm here for a free meal."

Jonathan frowned. "Couldn't you say you missed me?"

"Okay, I miss you," Cynthia replied.

"Hmph! You're just being perfunctory," Jonathan scoffed.

Cynthia was speechless. "Jonathan!"

He hurriedly apologized. "I'm just kidding. I'm grateful you're here." He gently kissed her lips. "Give me a few minutes; I'll be ready soon."

Only then did Cynthia realize Jonathan was in a video conference. Dumbfounded, she thought, Did they hear us flirting?

Embarrassed, but only for a moment, she calmly sat on the couch to wait.

That video conference was the company's all-hands meeting; over 10,000 Bennett Group employees were on the other end. Jonathan's abrupt departure hadn't gone unnoticed; the sound was clear. It was probably the rumored Cynthia.

This wasn't unusual, but they had only ever seen Jonathan's cold, ruthless side. His gentle, playful interaction raised eyebrows. The aloof image they held was slowly changing.

Five minutes later, Jonathan turned off his laptop. "What do you want for lunch?"

"Just the cafeteria food," Cynthia replied. "I'm too lazy to go out."

Jonathan ate lunch daily from BJ Cafeteria; an executive delivered it. Cynthia had enjoyed it several times; it was excellent—rivaling a three-star Michelin restaurant.

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "Okay. But if we go out, there'll be no time for a nap."

Cynthia understood his unspoken desire. Their nightly routine left her feeling overwhelmed. She didn't want to expend energy during the day. "You're very busy. It's better not to obsess over romance."

Jonathan scooped her up. "It's okay, I'm still young and healthy."

Cynthia laughed. "Are you serious? Put me down. I have something to tell you."

Seeing her serious expression, he complied. "What is it?"

"Come with me to the Yates residence tonight."

Jonathan's relaxed demeanor vanished. "Why?"

Cynthia recounted the morning's events. "Filip and I broke up, but Henry, Pamela, and Matthew are welcoming. They want to thank you for the Paradise Resort opportunity, and of course, meet you."

Jonathan nodded gravely. "I need to prepare for a meeting with elders."

A knock came. "Come in," Jonathan said.

Claude entered with an exquisite lunch box, placing it on the table. As he was leaving, he said, "Mr. Bennett, I should report something. I fired Shirley, but she's been causing trouble all morning and demands to see you."

Cynthia frowned. The noise she'd heard earlier had been Shirley.

A look of disgust crossed Jonathan's face at the name. "Tell security to remove her."

"Wait," Cynthia interrupted, instructing him to let Shirley in. "There's something you need to do for me."

Five minutes later, Shirley stormed in. Cynthia had discreetly retreated to the office lounge, leaving Shirley and Jonathan alone.

Shirley had initially given up, but Jonathan's willingness to meet her fueled her. She pretended anger, but was happy. With feigned righteousness, she approached Jonathan.

"I framed Cynthia yesterday. She's had everything I had since childhood. I dislike her, but I take responsibility for my actions. My friends were angry, so they helped. If you have a problem, take it out on me. Why are you making things difficult for them?"

That morning, Shirley had received several calls from her usual shopping and dining companions—minor actors, actresses, and daughters from less prominent families who often flattered her. They were all in trouble: gambling debts, leaked plastic surgery photos, exposed private lives. One person might be unlucky, but all of them? The same people who'd supported the claim that Cynthia had pushed someone.

Shirley immediately suspected Cynthia, but knew she wasn't capable of this. Jonathan must be behind it. Initially, she hadn't cared; she didn't consider them true friends. However, one friend felt it was unfair that Jonathan targeted them for simply following Shirley's orders, while she escaped unscathed. This gave Shirley an idea. While she was the mastermind, she had no dirt online. Justin had bribed reporters, but Jonathan could easily override that.

Jonathan had only punished Shirley's accomplices, not her. He hadn't publicized last night's events, perhaps out of consideration for the Jones family, or perhaps because she was different to him.