Chapter 37
Teresa swiftly responded Why not spend some time with Miriam Edward I ll be out of your way We re leaving
With that she steered Jonathan away determined to keep him from crossing paths with Michael An encounter would be disastrous and she couldn t risk Jonathan seeing his son just yet
Once they were a safe distance from Edward Teresa let go of Jonathan s hand and coughed lightly to ease the tension I m playing matchmaker for your cousin and Miriam Miriam s quite taken with Edward
Jonathan s brow lifted in confusion How d
did you guys meet up
Teresa blurted out, “Outside the men’s restroom.”
Confused Jonathan repeated The men s room
With a straight face Teresa confirmed Yeah he was on his way out when we ran into each other
Jonathan’s face showed both amusement and skepticism. “You make it sound like you’re a regular in the men’s room or something.
Teresa chose not to respond to the tease
Glancing at his watch Jonathan smoothly changed the subject What about lunch Anywhere in mind
I m good with anything You decide Teresa replied leaving the choice to him
Let s go to Crown Plaza Jonathan suggested
Upon reaching the mall Jonathan reflecting on the help Miriam had provided offered generously We don t frequent this place often Let s grab something before we go Call Miriam to join in and I ll take care of the expenses
Teresa shook her head her tone casual No need to interrupt her She s probably shopping with Edward I can grab her a few gifts instead she said keeping it simple
Following their meal Teresa anticipated returning to the hotel but Jonathan had different ideas He led her to his courtyard house Once out of the car Jonathan revealed This is my new home Would you like to see it
Teresa s Oh was more of a polite response than one of excitement she d seen the villa before with Edward and Miriam
They walked through the spacious courtyards the property s grandeur evident
Jonathan looked to Teresa seeking some enthusiasm Her lack of reaction made him feel a bit let down You don t think the decor is impressive he asked hoping for a positive reaction
Teresa pulling herself together gave a diplomatic compliment This place is off the charts It s huge and totally impressive
With a flourish Jonathan led her into a side room his voice filled with anticipation You have to check this out he said unveiling a bathroom with an impressive oval tub The white star like fixture was a standout spacious enough for many
Having not afforded such luxury during their marriage, he introduced this extravagant element after their separation, expecting her to he wowed by his home’s new centerpiece.
But Teresa, having already taken in the opulence of his house, wasn’t as blown away as he’d hoped. “It’s quite the showpiece,” she said, her voice lacking the awe he’d anticipated.
Jonathan was visibly disappointed by her muted response
Teresa warned shaking her head You re spending excessively A house this costly That s half a billion dollars you re casually tossing around
Jonathan looked at Teresa a hint of skepticism in his voice What made you mention the 500 million
Teresa s mouth thinned as she answered Edward slipped up and told me
With a mocking laugh Jonathan questioned Still not impressed are you Would a few billion be more to your liking How about a few trillion
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12:39 PM
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As Jonathan strode off Teresa remained her brow furrowed in bewilderment She had merely intended to caution him about his excessive spending
Jonathan allowed Teresa to leave without making an effort to hold her back He had tailored the luxurious house to her tastes keeping
an eye on the progress during his travels
However her muted response to the reveal was far from what he had hoped for not even an Oh wow I left him feeling completely
dismissed.
To everyone else he was a triumphant figure but with her it seemed like he didn t matter at all
His phone buzzed interrupting his thoughts Jonathan answered Hey I m in Jar is burg on a business trip Let s meet up for drinks when
I return”
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