Chapter: 274

"But... I want to wait for you."

Jonathan paused, flashing a smile. "Okay, wait for me."

Bethany set her phone down, had dinner, and then stored the leftovers in the fridge.

Despite Jonathan's wealth, she hated to waste food.

Once she had finished, she glanced at her phone again. Jonathan had sent a photo three minutes earlier, capturing his appearance while in the car.

Evidently exhausted, Jonathan had not dressed with his usual meticulousness. Instead, he loosened the top two buttons of his shirt, leaning back against the seat. A hint of his tattoo peeked through.

His smile, normally confident, looked oddly stiff in the picture tinged with a youthful shyness and confusion.

Bethany saved the photo and messaged him back, urging him to be careful.

Not one to idle, she turned on her laptop to work on a project while waiting for Jonathan.

The material procurement contract from a partner had arrived. With recent changes in the company's legal department following Maddie's exit, Bethany anticipated delays in the review process. Keen to keep the project on schedule and ensure contract integrity, she decided to personally verify each material cost.

Though this wasn't her responsibility, her concern ran deep. Bethany was determined to prevent any issues with the project, no matter how tired she might be.

Feeling worn out, Bethany quickly scheduled a physical exam while her laptop booted up.

Though she had assured Jonathan she could wait for him so that they could go to the hospital together, she decided it was best to check on her health sooner rather than Later.

Three hours on, the moment Jonathan stepped through the door, he spotted Bethany still engrossed in logging the costs of materials on her laptop.

Normally, she'd be asleep by now, making her evident fatigue understandable.

At the sound of his arrival, Bethany glanced up. "You're back," she noted.

"Yes," Jonathan replied as he set his belongings aside and approached her. “You can rest now."

“Just a bit more to go! I want to finish this so Brody can have it first thing when he gets to the office tomorrow."

Jonathan eyed the laptop screen and scowled. "Brody had you do this, too?"

Bethany waved her hand frantically. "No, no. He didn't. It's not unheard of for our partners to skim money off the top when it comes to purchasing materials. We might not know the exact difference between their quotes and the actual prices, but I've already checked the wholesale costs of each item. We're not bound by their offers."

Before Jonathan could respond, she quickly added, "And this will serve as a warning to them too! Plus, I've gathered all the contact numbers of the suppliers. If I'm free tomorrow, I'll start calling to discuss and gauge their proposals."

Feeling helpless, Jonathan cut in. “Let someone else handle it. You've already done so much."

“But I need to stay busy," she protested. Her biggest fear was being idle. It made her feel utterly irrelevant to society.

Jonathan pulled her close, holding her tightly.