---- Chapter 148 Isaw Frederick standing alone by the roadside, his figure looking distant and out of place, with a chill in the air around him. I frowned and had just started walking toward him when he turned around and headed over to me. "It's fine. He's gone," he said. Ididn't say anything, and my expression was stiff. I could already picture what had just happened.

Frederick probably walked up to talk to Jonathan, and Jonathan didn't even look at him, just told Bob to shut the door and ordered the driver to pull away. That was exactly his style, always cold and distant. Frederick seemed used to it. He came up beside me, and when he saw how upset I looked, he even smiled and tried to comfort me. "We've known each other for a few years now. I know what kind of person he is.

Don't take it personally." Icouldn't help asking, "Why would you be friends with someone like him?" Ididn't get it. Jonathan didn't seem like someone who could have friends. He was always willful, arrogant, and completely out of reach. Sure, he was successful and talented, and it was true that ---- plenty of men and women admired that kind of strength. They worshiped him, even excused everything he did. Someone like him, who had never experienced failure , was bound to be a little arrogant.

That made sense. But what I couldn't understand was how he could be so cold and harsh toward the people closest to him. Other than Alicia, no one else seemed to matter to him. It was not weird that he treated strangers with indifference , but he was the same with the people who gave him their whole heart. Tcouldn't wrap my head around it, and honestly, I didn't want to anymore. After seeing his true colors, it became nearly impossible to love someone that cold and unfeeling.

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I didn't even understand what the old me had been thinking, to give everything she had for someone like that. "It's a long sto Frederick sighed, then gave my shoulder a reassuring pat. " Don't overthink it. We've got plenty of time. I'll explain everything slowly, eventually." "But," he added, suddenly lowering his voice and leaning in close to my ear, "only after you get divorced." Then he pulled away and walked a little ahead, putting some space between us.

He was clearly trying to keep some distance. And I got what he meant. After all, I was a married woman. It wouldn't be appropriate to be too close to him. ---- At Alicia's birthday party, he had announced publicly that he wanted to "adopt" me as his younger sister. It was partly to jab at Jonathan, and partly to create a socially acceptable excuse to be around me. We had a lot of projects to work on together. If people started gossiping, it could affect the business.

There was at least a label now. Even if no one believed it, it gave us something to point to. I nodded , and we headed off together to walk the investors back to the hotel. We also went over some initial terms. The investors were pretty happy with our proposal, but there was one concern they couldn't quite get past. "If we invest in your project, will it put us at odds with Mr. Ford?" It was late at night, and we were going over the collaboration details in a private room at the hotel.

They were on board with most of the terms, easily over 80%, but one person delicately raised the issue. "We just want to do business and make money instead of getting dragged into personal drama." They were putting it very politely. "Mr. Ford isn't someone we can afford to offend." limmediately reassured them, "I completely understand your concern. But business is business , and personal matters are separate. Don't worry, I believe Jonathan is capable of professional judgment. ---- "If he couldn't even draw that line between personal and professional, he wouldn't be the youngest self-made billionaire in the country."