Chapter 16 A Romantic Evening Finished The events of that night had been too overwhelming , leaving Estella's mind in a haze . She trailed silently behind Jonathan , too stunned to speak . Jonathan drove her home . As they arrived , Estella noticed him heading toward the stairs . She gave him a puzzled look . Jonathan explained , " There was a sudden power outage in the neighborhood tonight , so the elevator isn't working . " Estella nodded and followed him up the stairs . Jonathan turned on the flashlight on his phone and walked ahead of her . Seeing that Estella didn't seem well , he kindly reminded her , " If you're feeling tired , you can hold onto my sleeve ." Estella met his sincere gaze , nodded , and reached out to grab his shirt sleeve . He glanced at her , then climbed up first . Estella followed behind him , feeling an inexplicable sense of security . The two reached the sixth floor . Estella finally let go of his sleeve , took out her key , and prepared to open the door . " Estella , " Jonathan called . She turned around and asked what was wrong . Jonathan asked , " Are you afraid of dogs ? " Estella looked at him , puzzled , not understanding why he was asking . Jonathan said , " If you're not afraid , I can have Bailey keep you company . " Seeing that she didn't say anything , Jonathan opened the door , and a Labrador came out , jumping into his arms . He gently held the dog and said , " It's very gentle . If it sleeps next to your bed , you won't have nightmares tonight . But it's afraid of the cold , so you can let it sleep on the carpet . " Only then did Estella realize how much Jonathan cared for her . Her eyes reddened . " Thank you . " Jonathan spoke a few words to the Labrador , and the golden - haired dog immediately jumped down and rubbed against Estella before sitting by her feet . Estella really liked pets . But since Nathaniel didn't like them , she hadn't kept any cats or dogs . Now that she had such a well - behaved dog keeping her company , she immediately felt at ease . She thanked Jonathan again . Jonathan wished her goodnight and waited until she and Bailey were inside before leaving . Estella , afraid of the dark , was still shaken from almost being attacked by Hunter earlier that night . However , with Bailey sitting quietly by her feet , she felt much less scared . She lit a candle , then grabbed a small bowl to pour water for Bailey . Bailey was very well - behaved . Wherever Estella went , it followed her . 1/4 Chapter 16 A Romantic Evening At night , it slept by Estella's bed , watching over her . Finished Estella had thought she wouldn't be able to sleep , but as soon as she closed her eyes , she drifted off into a peaceful sleep . The next day at the office , Lillian asked with concern . " I heard you almost had an accident last night ? " Estella didn't go into detail about what had happened , simply asking calmly , " Why was the dinner venue suddenly changed ? " Lillian lowered her voice . " We don't know either . When we arrived at the private room , Ms. Isabelle suddenly suggested at different place , and Jocelyn said she'd tell you instead of me . I wanted to call you , but Jocelyn took my phone . " Estella gritted her teeth . This was definitely Isabelle and Jocelyn's doing ! She would make them pay for this sooner or later . At lunch , Selene excitedly said , " Hunter got what he deserved ! " Estella was confused . Selene continued , " Hunter turned out to be a freeloader , relying on his wife's family connections to start a company in Javerton . He used his little bit of dirty money to cheat behind his wife's back . Apparently , she caught him red - handed and kicked him out . Several interns who had been harassed by him teamed up to sue him . He's probably going to prison . " Estella didn't expect such an outcome . Who could have helped me ? Was it Jonathan ? She remembered that when she went to return Bailey to him this morning , he had said , " You don't need to worry about Hunter . I'll handle it ." She hadn't realized he wasn't just saying that . Selene , noticing she was silent , nudged her elbow . " Hey , I heard Mr. Bennett is your neighbor ? Lana told me . Mr. Bennett has quite a background . His family is well - known in Kingston . He likes challenges , so he started his own business in Javerton . The way he acts around you shows he's different from others . Have you considered him ? " Estella's face turned red from what Selene said . She stirred her coffee and sighed , " Mr. Bennett is a good person . How could he possibly like me ? " " Why wouldn't he ? " Selene pinched her cheek . " Look at your face , your figure . What kind of man wouldn't like you ?" Estella's face grew even redder . However , she was realistic . " But I've been divorced . He surely wouldn't like me ." Selene wasn't convinced . " Girl , you're too old - fashioned . Many women who marry rich men are in their second or third marriages . You've only been married once . It's nothing unusual . " Estella laughed at her but didn't continue the conversation . In the afternoon , Estella sat in her seat , deep in thought for a long time before finally sending Jonathan a message . " Mr. Bennett , tomorrow night is Christmas Eve . Are you free ? I'd like to invite you to dinner . " It took Jonathan over ten minutes to reply . " Okay . " After sending the message , Estella was about to mute her phone and focus on her work when the ringtone suddenly sounded . It was an unfamiliar number . She walked into the hallway to answer it . " Hello . " 2/4 P P Chapter 16 A Romantic Evening " Estella . " The familiar male voice was Nathaniel's . Estella felt a strong urge to hang up immediately . A But Nathaniel spoke quickly . " Don't hang up . I want to offer you a new job . How does that that sound ? " Finished He had learned from his assistant about what happened the previous night . Freezing Estella's account had been his attempt to force her into begging him . He didn't want her to get into trouble . But in truth , he knew he was in the wrong . He felt he had to call her , smooth things over , and make amends .. However , it was him who was struggling to adjust these past few days . " I'm planning to invest in an art center . You'd be in charge . How about it ? Think of it as compensation for last night . I'll also have someone unfreeze your bank account . " He He believed that , after everything Estella had endured , she would surely be tempted . After all , no one would choose to stay as an employee when they could be an employer . But Estella wasn't swayed . She scoffed and replied , " Nathaniel , do you think you can slap me first and then offer me a sweet deal to win me back ? Do you think I'm some dog you can train ? Let me tell you , I will never come back ! " She immediately hung up and blocked the number . Nathaniel , realizing he had been hung up on , scowled and angrily smashed his phone . I've given Estella so many chances , but why isn't she coming back ? Does being Mrs. Hartwell not compared to the struggles she's facing outside ? His assistant , Whitney , stood there , unsure of what to do , looking at him . This phone had been borrowed from her and her colleague , and now that Nathaniel had smashed it , she had no idea how she could possibly replace it . Nathaniel simmered with anger for a moment , then calmed down and turned to his assistant . " Do you know how to convince a woman to come back home ? " Whitney was stunned . Mr. Hartwell has only ever cared about Ms. Isabelle . So why , all of a sudden , is he so fixated on his ex - wife ? She thought for a moment before replying , " Mr. Hartwell , if you truly want Mrs. Hartwell back , maybe you could give her some gifts ? " Nathaniel suddenly recalled that , in the three years he had been married to Estella , he had never once bought her a gift . He realized that he had been unfair to her . No wonder Estella was upset and refused to return . He nodded . " That's a good idea . There's a jewelry auction tomorrow , right ? Go and buy the two most expensive pieces . " Whitney quickly made a note of the schedule . Nathaniel then asked , " Is there anything else ? " Whitney hesitated . " What do you mean ? " " Is giving gifts the only option ? " Whitney thought for a moment . " Women really care about important holidays . Mr. Hartwell , tomorrow night is Christmas Eve . How about booking a restaurant and having a romantic evening with Mrs. Hartwell ? "