He tried to squeeze out the gentle smile he usually put on when cajoling me, but it looked more like a grimace than anything.
At that moment, Jonah stepped forward between us, completely blocking George from my sight.
Then, Jonah gently took my hand again. “No matter what happens, I’m here.”
Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Sunther finally arrived and managed to restrain George. All the while, Winona stood to the side, crying.
1/2
Chapter 6
Regardless, George seemed unwilling to give up, continuously shouting my name behind me.
Holding my hand, Jonah said in a gentle voice, “Come with me.”
I left with Jonah, leaving the noisy family behind and putting the matter out of my mind.
Jonah led me to the hotel’s largest hall, which had been decorated to resemble a crystal palace.
+20 Bonus
As I stared at the fantastical and almost fairytale–like wedding venue, an indescribable sense of wonder and emotion crashed
over me.
“Mary, do you like the decor? If there’s anything you don’t like, I can have them change it.”
I turned to him, planning on answering that I indeed liked it, only to see he was staring straight at me.
There was a wealth of passion and gentleness in those eyes, along with a deep sense of familiarity. I blurted out, “Jonah, have we met somewhere before?”
The smile on his lips widened. “Mary, you finally remembered.”
“Were you a fellow volunteer in the teaching aid program?”
“Yeah.”
I remembered now. Back then, the teaching aid program not only had volunteers from my school but also several others from different places. Jonah was among them.
Jonah recounted his side of the story, “Back then, all the volunteers went on a camping trip together. We happened to be put into the same team for gathering firewood. A snake came crawling toward me, scaring me out of my mind since this was my first time encountering such a situation.
“But as I was wondering what to do, you used a branch to fling it away. At the time, you seemed so brave, kind, and beautiful. However, I was still too young to understand. For the next few days, I couldn’t stop myself from sneaking glances at you, but whenever you looked at me, I was too embarrassed to say anything.
“Eventually, we parted ways, and I regretted not asking you for your contact information. Thankfully, fate deigned to bring us back together again.”
The shared memories of our past instantly brought us closer to each other.
Smiling, I teased him, saying, “So, you’re giving yourself to me as repayment for saving your life?”
“Exactly.”
