Love Her to No End

Chapter 24

Chapter 24 A Distinguished Guest

As the Xander family’s youngest son, Jonathan was exceptional in every aspect ever since he was young. Given that he was born when his father was old, he was naturally the apple of his father’s eye.

In reality, there was a big gap in Jonathan’s age with that of his eldest brother, the second eldest brother, and cousin, Quentin.

Due to the fact that Jonathan’s mother, Mavis, liked daughters, she got pregnant with Jonathan when she was forty-seven and was determined to give birth to him.

Unfortunately, she was disappointed that he turned out to be a boy instead of a girl. Because of that, she was exasperated over the matter for a long time.

When Jonathan was born, the Xander family’s eldest son, Zachary, already had a son of his own who was four years old, Jeffrey. Therefore, no one had expected Jeffrey to end up having an uncle that was younger than him.

In fact, Jeffrey had gotten a lot of grief for not greeting Jonathan appropriately. In the end, he had no choice but to accept Jonathan’s seniority just to save himself from more beatings.

As for the Xander family, they were well respected in the community due to the fact that Nick was a famous entrepreneur, and more importantly, a well-known philanthropist. On top of that, he was a staunch supporter of Adrian’s charity foundation.

That was how the relationship between both families began to develop.

In the present day, both families still maintained close ties even though Adrian had passed away, to the extent Michaela’s marriage was arranged by Nick himself.

Back then, Hannah objected to it but didn’t expect Jacob to accept the proposal.

Jacob had assumed that by ingratiating himself with the Xander family through a marriage alliance, his status would be elevated accordingly. However, from how things turned out, Zack was just a jerk compared to Jonathan.

Even though Hannah had no idea what Jonathan’s visit was for, she quickly led Michaela out of the car and approached him. “Mr. Xander?”

“I’m sorry for the sudden visit.”

His deep voice brought with it a sense of calm. Smiling faintly, he exuded an invigorating sense of elegance, which seemed to contradict his reputation as someone cold and ruthless.

“Don’t worry about it. Please come in!”

Cognizant that Jonathan must have a reason for his visit, Hannah didn’t waste any time as she stepped forward to guide the man into the house.

Meanwhile, Walter swiftly brought the presents that were prepared beforehand out of the trunk and followed behind them.

After everyone had taken their seats, Hannah realized that Jonathan had not only visited in person but also came bearing expensive gifts. Thus, she remarked cordially, “Mr. Xander, you shouldn’t have. Mich, go make some coffee right away.”

Given Jonathan’s legendary status in the business world, his visit alone was considered a great honor for the Lingard family. Furthermore, he had nothing to do with what happened with Zack.

Consequently, Hannah was grateful for the gesture and had no hard feelings toward the Xander family.

When Jonathan was overseas, he led his fellow citizens in overcoming an economic crisis. Since then, his feats were known far and wide, causing him to be greatly respected and admired.

It was during that time that Nick insisted Jonathan take over the family business despite the fact that Jonathan had his own business empire. After handing the reins over to Jonathan, Nick subsequently retired.

Over the years, Jonathan’s fame continued to grow despite the fact that he was overseas most of the time.

Considering how outstanding he was at a young age, Hannah was already impressed with him back then.

Fortunately, all the furniture that had been ordered previously had already arrived. Or else, it would have been embarrassing to welcome Jonathan in an empty mansion.

When he saw Michaela striding calmly into the kitchen and didn’t look out of sorts, Jonathan’s mind was put at ease. With a gentle expression, he declared, “I’m here today at my father’s request. The gifts are just a small token of our sincerity. Mdm. Simmons, I do hope you like them.”

When Hannah saw how warm and sincere Jonathan was, she was surprised by the amount of respect he showed. “You’re really too kind. Since we’re of the same seniority, there’s no need to be so formal.”

“That might be true, but you’re older than me. As such, it’s appropriate for me to show you due respect. Since Old Mr. Simmons was my master, it is only right that I address you as Mdm. Simmons. If you don’t mind, you can just address me by my first name.”

Jonathan was indeed her father’s student. Ever since the former went overseas, Hannah was filled with admiration when she heard all the rumors about his exploits.

Therefore, when she saw how humble Jonathan was, Hannah gladly accepted his suggestion. In fact, the favorable impression she had of him grew even stronger.

Even though the rumors made him out to be a vicious and cruel person, she felt that he was someone sincere who did not put on airs and treated others congenially.

Little did she know that if Walter knew what was going through her mind, he would definitely tell her that she had been fooled by Jonathan’s acting skills.

Soon, Michaela returned with freshly brewed coffee and personally serve Jonathan a cup. “Mr. Jonathan, please have some coffee.”

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Jonathan furrowed his brows in exasperation over how she addressed him. If only I could get her to call me Jonathan again just like when we were kids. The thought of her gentle voice caused his Adam’s apple to bob subconsciously.

With his fingers curled slightly, he touched the tip of Michaela’s fingers just as he received the cup of coffee from her, which in turn jolted her into retracting her fingers by reflex.

All she felt was a burning sensation in her fingers that gradually traveled up to her cheeks.

When he saw the look on her face, Jonathan’s eyes glistened. Taking a sip of coffee, he smiled plainly at her. “This tastes good. Thank you.”

The hell? Is this humble and gentlemanly man still the same Mr. Xander I know?

Countless thoughts flashed across Walter’s mind. Not only did you rush here impatiently, you even bribed their daughter. Mr. Xander, there is no one in this world that is more skillful in capturing another’s heart than you. Wait! Mr. Xander was the one who insisted on being respectful in how he addressed Mdm. Simmons. Could it be that she isn’t the one he’s after, and instead it’s…

Walter began to shift his gaze between the three people. Finally, he trembled in surprise.

So, Mr. Xander is doing all this because of Ms. Lingard? Does Mr. Xander fancy his nephew’s fiancée? No wonder he not only exposed Zack’s affair but also suppressed the scandal subsequently. Moreover, he even sent Gary to keep an eye on the Lingard family. It turns out that Mr. Xander has long plotted to take his nephew’s fiancée for himself! Oh my God, this is such a mess!

Upon the sudden realization, Walter felt his heart beat furiously. Just when he wanted to restrain Jonathan’s actions, the latter’s voice rang out instead.

“Initially, my father wanted to visit you in person. But he wasn’t feeling well, so he headed to the nursing home with my mother earlier than expected. Therefore, he instructed me to come and apologize for what Zack has done. The Xander family is at fault for not raising him well. At the same time, Mich didn’t deserve to suffer from his actions.

“Mdm. Simmons, don’t you worry. Even though the wedding has been canceled, Mich is still considered a member of the Xander family. I will personally protect her and I won’t allow anyone else to harm her ever again. On top of that, the Xander family will definitely make it up to both you and Mich.”

An exchange between adults did not need to be explicit. Hence, Hannah naturally read between the lines of Jonathan’s words.

Since the matter between Zack and Lucille involved both families, having Jonathan resolve it personally was the best possible solution.

Furthermore, with the Xander family’s reputation, Michaela’s safety and happiness would be secured by their promise to protect her.

All this while, Hannah had never imagined that Jonathan was interested in her daughter. In fact, she was even impressed with how comprehensive his methods were.

During the visit, both sides had a pleasant chat with each other. It wasn’t until Jonathan took his leave that Hannah nudged her daughter forward. “Mich, you should walk Jonathan out. Back when you had your appendix removed, Jonathan was the one who helped you catch up with your homework. That was just a few years ago. Have you already forgotten about it?”