Chapter 222
Back at the villa, Jonathan was working in the study, while Estelle went straight to her bedroom and stood on the balcony, looking at the scenery in the manor.
No matter what, she had nothing but fond memories of this place, including the times spent with Winnie and Mrs. Macy.
She heard footsteps approaching behind her, and soon, a man’s arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his embrace, bending down to her ear and asking, “What’s on your mind?”
Estelle slightly tilted her head and replied softly, “Winnie and Baldrick broke up. She’s booked a flight to M Country this afternoon.”
Jonathan’s face remained calm, merely saying, “Baldrick isn’t a good guy. It’s a good thing they split up for Winnie.”
Estelle chuckled and asked, “What about you, Mr. Lamont? Are you a good guy?”
Jonathan pinched her chin, forcing her to tilt her head back, and smiled, “There are no absolute good people in this world, especially for a businessman. Whether I’m a good person or not doesn’t matter. All you need to consider is if I’m a good person to you.”
Estelle looked into his eyes, thinking for a moment that he had heard her conversation with Winnie. She remained calm, lightly smiling, and said, “If Mr. Lamont lets me eat a bucket of ice cream every day, I’ll admit you’re a good person.”
Jonathan laughed good–naturedly, “In your dreams!”
Estelle remained silent as Jonathan smirked, gently guiding her in his embrace. He lifted her effortlessly and settled her on the flower stand, just in front of the iron railing. With a calming tone, he assured her, “I’m sorry, there’s no ice cream, but I do have another surprise for you.” Perplexed, Estelle gazed at him with curiosity, waiting to see what he had in store.
A velvet round box materialized in Jonathan’s hand, and he carefully placed it in Estelle’s palm. “Go ahead, open it and see for yourself,” he encouraged.
Estelle remained silent; the box looked like something that would hold a ring…
If he were giving her a ring, didn’t he know what that meant to a woman?
Estelle’s gaze wavered as she tried to guess Jonathan’s intentions, opening the box only to find that she had overthought it again.
Inside was not a ring, but something resembling a badge. It was about the size of a dollar coin, with a gold base, the Lamont Group logo, and the manor’s symbolic castle pattern. It was exquisitely crafted and quite heavy.
Estelle looked up in surprise, “This is…”
Jonathan chuckled, “From now on, whenever you come back to C City, you can always come to the manor with this badge. You can stay as long as you want.”
Estelle finally understood; it was like a pass!
Luckily, it wasn’t jewelry or a ring with a special meaning; she could accept it.
She flipped it over to the back and asked, “Is this gold plated?”
Jonathan replied, “Pure gold.”
She directed her finger towards the castle engraving on the front, resembling a vivid ruby. “And what about this one?” she inquired.
With a deliberate pace, Jonathan replied, “Diamonds, rubies, and a touch of emerald.”
Estelle maintained her composure, delicately placing the badge back into the box. “This is incredibly precious. I will cherish it dearly,” she expressed.
Jonathan wanted to say it was okay, and if she lost it, he could give her another one. But before he could say anything, he heard Estelle muttering, “If I ever run out of money, I could sell it for a good price.”
Jonathan choked.
Millard had already driven the car downstairs. Jonathan bent down to give Estelle a kiss on the lips, picked her up, and said very naturally, “Going home!”
Estelle’s heart skipped a beat. Going home?
Did that mean the house at the Royal Mansion was their home?
Millard took them from the manor to the airport, arriving at the Royal Mansion just as it was getting dark.
From departure to return, exactly one week had passed.
As they entered, Jonathan received a phone call, telling Estelle, “I need to head back soon. Some elders have come to visit, and my father wants
me to see them.”
Estelle nodded and said, “Go ahead; don’t keep the guests waiting. I can go to Emily’s for dinner.”
“No rush, I’ll leave when it gets dark.” He took off his suit jacket, and his phone rang again.
It was Charlie.
