Chapter 35

Had I really said that before? Though I knew my deep infatuation with Jonathan led to this situation, hearing him repeat those sweet words still embarrassed me. I cleared my throat and calmly said, “That was then, this is now. When I see you now, I don’t feel happy. Is that a problem?”

Jonathan didn’t speak but continued to look at me intensely. His silent intensity was immensely pressuring; just looking at me could force my surrender. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to maintain eye contact and not back down.

Gabrielle’s voice broke the tension. She had noticed I hadn’t followed her into the room and had returned to check on me. Only then did Jonathan release my arm. He shot Gabrielle a dark look before turning and leaving abruptly. He left so abruptly I didn’t even have time to react before Gabrielle was at my side.

“Elise, you scared me just now,” Gabrielle said, patting her chest and grabbing my hand. “The way Jonathan looked at me… It was like he wanted to kill me.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You’re exaggerating.” Jonathan certainly disliked Gabrielle, but not to that extreme.

Gabrielle shook her head. “You’ve forgotten, so you don’t know how much we’ve been at odds.”

I tentatively asked, “What exactly happened between you two? Why is your relationship so tense?” Was it really just because of me that they became rivals?

Gabrielle hesitated, avoiding my gaze. “Forget it, it’s not worth remembering. All you need to know is Jonathan and I definitely kept our distance from each other.”

I nodded, but my mind was full of questions. I knew I had a falling out with Gabrielle because of Jonathan, but I had no idea why. Gabrielle didn’t want to elaborate. She simply said it was because of my “love-struck” nature.

However, I trusted her. If she didn’t want to share, there had to be a reason. “Jonathan said I could stay here with you for a while,” Gabrielle added, changing the subject as we entered the room. She sat on the sofa and sighed. “I never expected Jonathan to actually let us meet like this.”

I was just as confused. “Our relationship isn’t great, so why would he care? Why would he try to limit who I befriend? Especially since you’re my female friend—there’s no way you could be a threat…”

Gabrielle sighed again. “Actually, you two…” She suddenly stopped. “Forget it. It doesn’t matter. You’ve forgotten, and remembering would only bring more trouble.”

I nodded. The fact that I had forgotten those painful memories made me realize it was for the best. I decided not to press further and suddenly remembered something. “Do you have any updates from Frederick?”

I didn’t have his contact information, so I had to rely on Gabrielle to keep me informed. I had intended to thank him properly last time, but it ended poorly.

Gabrielle shook her head. “He said if you really want to thank him, you need to show some sincerity.”

I frowned. “What does he mean by sincerity?” After all, he had saved my life, so it wasn’t reasonable for him to ask for something in return.

Gabrielle answered, “He didn’t say anything specific, but he’s really into wine. If you have any good wine, he’d be happy to accept it.”

I thought for a moment. “Alright, I’ll find some fine wine, and you can deliver it to him for me.”

Gabrielle nodded in agreement. Just then, a deep voice echoed from the doorway. “Who are you bringing things to?”

Jonathan walked into the room, giving us a dark look.