The temperature in the office dropped several degrees the moment those words


    left my mouth.


    Jonathan''s dark eyes, which didn''t have much warmth to begin with, were now


    even icier.


    The secretaries all lowered their heads, not daring to even breathe too loudly.


    Jonathan gestured to them with a jerk of his chin, and they all filed out


    immediately.


    Only Alicia remained standing there, unmoving.


    "Jonathan..." "Leave us for now," Jonathan said without looking at her; his eyes


    stayed fixed on me.


    Alicia''s eyes flickered slightly before she said softly, "I''m not leaving.


    Has Ms. Sawyer misunderstood us again?


    I can exin..." She then turned to me and continued, "Ms.Sawyer, there''s really


    nothing going on between me and Jon.


    We''ve been like siblings since we were young." I raised an eyebrow.


    "Siblings withpletely different parents?


    She pursed her lips and said in a low voice, "We''ve been childhood friends for so


    many years.


    If there really was something between us, would there have been room for you?


    Jonathan''s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his gaze fell on Alicia briefly.


    A secondter, he looked away again.


    I caught a sh of coldness in his gaze.


    I didn''t know if I had imagined it or if he was just naturally cold and distant.


    His eyes turned to me again, but his words were directed at Alicia.


    "You don''t have to exin to her.


    She won''t believe you." He made it sound like he had exined countless times


    before, and I was just being unreasonable.


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Jonathan''s right.


    I don''t believe you." There was conviction in Alicia''s voice when she dered,


    "We really are practically siblings!


    Jon does take good care of me, but it''s just out of sibling affection!" "Then shall I


    wish you two siblings a happy ever after as lovers?


    My words only made Jonathan''s expression darken even more.


    Alicia had something more to say, but he cut her off coldly.


    "Did youe here just to say all that?


    "The way he spoke to me was always like he was admonishing a child who was


    throwing a tantrum.


    When he was in a good mood, he''d absentmindedly coax me; when he wasn''t,


    he''d lecture and scold me instead.


    "I''m here to turn in my resignation." I took out the resignation letter I''d prepared


    and looked him straight in the eye, saying, "From today onward, I won''t being


    to work at Millenia anymore.


    You don''t need to have anyone from Millenia contact me either." Jonathan didn''t


    say anything, nor did he reach for the resignation letter.


    After a brief standoff, I simply ced the letter on the desk and turned to leave.


    Right then, my phone rang.


    I was about to answer it while


    heading out when Jonathan walked


    up behind me, wrapped an arm


    around my waist, and snatched the


    phone out of my hand to answer it.


    "Who''s this?


    he asked in a deep voice, his dark eyes lowered as he looked at me.


    I struggled to get away, but his one-arm grip on me held me in ce.


    "Is this Ms.Sawyer?


    You need toe to the hospital for a dressing change.


    When will you be able toe in?


    "I stiffened when I realized it was a call from the hospital.


    "Dressing change?


    Jonathan frowned, and he asked the person on the line, "What''s wrong with her?


    My expression fell, and I hurriedly snatched my phone back from him.


    "Jonathan!


    Who gave you the right to answer my call?


    "His dark eyes narrowed slightly as he stared straight at me.


    "What happened to you?


    Why do you need to go to the hospital?"


    "What''s it got to do with you?


    Just take care of your Alicia, and leave me alone!" I retorted, rolling my eyes.


    I turned around to leave, but Jonathan grabbed my wrist firmly.


    "Elise!" He gritted his teeth, and it sounded as if he had to squeeze my name out.


    "What happened to you exactly?


    Alicia chimed in softly from the side, "Did you get hurt that day at the pool?


    Jonathan stared me in the eyes, and his voice was low.


    "You were hurt?


    I had indeed gotten hurt.


    There had been difort in my


    lungs ever since that day I nearly


    drowned, so I had gone to get


    checked out at the hospital.


    But it wasn''t because of this that the hospital had called me in for a dressing


    change.


    It was because the wound on my wrist was deep, and it needed regr dressing


    changes.


    However, there was no reason to let


    Jonathan know this since he firmly


    believed that my attempt to end my


    life had been fake.


    I shook his hand off and said impatiently, "It''s none of your business!"