Chapter 1869: Stay For Lunch

When Jonathan arrived, Coralie was sitting on the ground, her pants rolled up, revealing her fair skin. She delightedly waved. "Jonathan, I'm over here!" He felt rejuvenated each time he saw her smile. He quickly exited his car and approached her with his medical kit. He immediately noticed her injury: a significant scrape on her knee, bleeding profusely and bruised. He also saw her bicycle's bent front wheel.

"I wasn't paying attention to the road," Coralie explained with a cheeky chuckle. "It's a downward slope, and I was going too fast. A rock appeared unexpectedly, and I lost control when my tire hit it. That's how I fell!"

Jonathan efficiently cleaned and disinfected the wound before bandaging it. As he worked, Coralie leaned closer, her faint floral scent reaching him. Her gaze softened as she observed his slightly stiff expression, finding him increasingly endearing.

"Let's go. I'll take you back," Jonathan said.

Coralie nodded, tugging his arm to stand. A sharp pain in her knee made her wince. "Can you carry me to the car? I don't think I can walk." She believed even the most oblivious man would understand her implicit invitation for closeness. However, an awkward expression crossed Jonathan's face. He shook his head. "I... Ms. Crawford, let me help you into the car instead." He offered his left hand. Coralie paused, wistfully thinking, I'm practically offering myself, but he still doesn't get it.

After taking Coralie to a clinic, Jonathan left. It took Coralie a long time to regain her composure. What's going on with this man? she wondered. We've been interacting frequently, yet I can't seem to reach him.

Madilyn had the day off, caring for her mother. Jonathan had messaged her the previous day, promising to deliver medicine. Her anticipation proved fruitless. The thought of him with Coralie briefly crossed her mind, but she dismissed it. My mother's recovery is paramount. Then, I need to excel as director, to repay my friend for saving my mother's life.

Dismissing those thoughts, Madilyn tidied, planting flowers her mother enjoyed in pots recently overrun with weeds. Jonathan soon arrived. Madilyn, tending the pots, looked up, tensing at the sight of his car. A wave of happiness washed over her.

"Madilyn, I'm here with the medicine. Sorry I'm late; something came up. Where's your mother?" Jonathan asked, agilely unpacking and organizing the medicinal herbs before heading to the living room.

"I'm here, Jonathan. Thank you," Lorraine said, smiling as she emerged from the kitchen. "You haven't had lunch, have you?"

"No. If I'd been earlier, I would have eaten at the office," Jonathan replied, glancing at Madilyn working in the yard. Why is she so quiet?

"Then stay for lunch," Lorraine offered. "I've prepared some northwestern dishes—I'm sure you haven't tasted them before."

Jonathan nodded.