Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 316: Choosing Between Love And Ambition

Chapter 316: Choosing Between Love And Ambition

"Rus- Don’t call me that!" Jolene tried to push the man away, but once again she failed. She didn’t know why she always gets frail around this man.

"Why? If I’m ’farty’, you’re ’rusty’!" he smirked, but his eyes twinkled with curiosity, looking at her neatly made bun. "By the way, what did you do to your hair? It doesn’t look rusty now," his hands gently traced her hair.

Jolene closed her eyes, feeling the gentleness of the hand on her head. He is always this gentle with her. But he used to hate her in the past.

With her eyes closed, memories of them fighting like crazy during their high school days popped up in her mind. She carried a flame for him back then and he didn’t consider her a person of interest.

He didn’t demean her or humiliate her, but he never thought of her as his potential partner.

"I just..."

She almost got swept by his current, but immediately came to her senses. This relationship will lead nowhere. "Are you really interested in beauty tips? I’ve talked about this. No casual chatting. If you want to f*ck, we can sneak into the garden. Otherwise, leave me. Go on..." She spoke in a strict tone.

Sensing him still unmoving, she sighed. She felt like there was something blocking her heart making it hard for her to breathe. "Or do you have some other secret place in mind?" She forced herself to utter those words. She felt like she was demeaning herself by reducing herself to a piece of meat, but for her to properly move on, she felt like this is the only way.

"I heard there are some troubles in your company. If you want, I can

-"

"There is no need for your interference, Lambert! Did you think that my company is in such a dire state, I have to prostitute myself for connections?" Jolene, who was mad, said something she immediately regretted.

"Heh!" Lambert snorted, and Jolene watched him standing straight, clenching his jaws and even the corners of his lips were trembling. "And you thought I’m someone who has to pay to have s*x?"

He shook his head and Jolene watched his anger rising, "I wanted to date you, Jolene... properly date you. It was you who suggested..."

He gritted his teeth and his big hand enveloped her chin, squeezing it. Jolene felt a surge of pain and she closed her eyes, bearing the pain. Sure, her jaws hurt, but the pain in her heart was greater.

Lambert noticed the drop of tears by the corners of her eyes, shimmering in the warm lights and loosened his hold. All his anger vanished seeing her pained expression.

What a fool!

He cussed in his mouth. Who was the fool, he didn’t know. Was it her for hiding her heart? Or was it him to hold on to a woman who says she doesn’t want him?

He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss at the corner of her eye. The bitter tear by her eye, stuck to his lips and made it glisten.

Oh, how I want to suck all your pain away! But why aren’t you letting me?

Jolene felt the gentleness in her face and now she wanted to cry. She didn’t know the reason, but she wanted to hug him and cry. Her hands subconsciously held his suit.

But as he said, it was she who asked for this and she should be the one taking responsibility. "I’m sorry. It was wrong of me to talk like that." Jolene opened her eyes and tried to look at Lambert in the eye, but he refused to look at her with his cheek pressed on her cheek. "You don’t have to interfere..." she spoke in a cooing tone. "I talked with the God Emperor... You saw me, right? He refused to give me solutions, but he helped me find out where I was wrong in management. He’s a great teacher. Once I correct it, I know I can see a lot of improvement. Thanks for offering help though. I really appreciate it. But I want to do it all myself so I can have that proud moment when I make it to the top – I did it with my own efforts!"

Lambert looked at Jolene in her eyes and watched her eyes shimmer with ambition. This is what he found attractive with her – this spark; that makes her shine.

However, this woman doesn’t mind getting help from old Brunton who isn’t even being a big help, and refuses help from him, who can solve half her problems just by investing some money? What should he do about that?

By herself? What use is he then anyway? He should just stand and watch her suffer without doing anything when he can solve her problems without even breaking a sweat?

And so the man who complained previously that he can’t be attentive to his girlfriends, couldn’t keep his nose out of this particular woman’s affairs.

"Crazy!" he scoffed. "I didn’t believe when they said redheads are crazy... Gosh! Stereotypes are there for a reason, huh?" he stood straight and fixed his uniform.

"Ten in the evening, tomorrow. Your place or mine?" Jolene realised Lambert has calmed down and asked.

"One dance?" he extended his hand, his blue eyes filled with expectations. Seeing her blank expression, the mirth in his eyes vanished leaving only sternness. "I won’t be free tomorrow." He took a step back. "And Jolene, maybe I should think through this ’friends with benefits’ thing once more. I don’t think it is working out for me. I want a girlfriend; someone I can coonect with emotionally and physically, not a f*ckbuddy," he walked away without turning back.

Yes, he has a duty to sire children to support the Monarch. He cannot muck around!

Jolene bowed her head and she felt her heart getting empty upon the departure of the man. Her eyes clouded.

Yeah, she knew it is going to end one day or another. But she didn’t expect it would end this soon.

But, hey! It was fun while it lasted, wasn’t it? Yes... Really fun! Now I can concentrate on improving my company without any distractions, right?

Right!

She looked at the exit and saw it get blurred as tears formed in her eyes. Picking up a glass of wine, she went to a couch and sat silently after emptying her glass.She didn’t even care if there are eyes watching her, and cried burying her face in her hands.

"Can’t choose between love and ambition?" a gentle voice of an old woman came from her side and realising who it was, Jolene felt her tears going back in her tearducts.

"Your Grace... I..." she tried to stand up to do a curtsy, but the wrinkled hoarse hand of The Dowager stopped her.

"You kids have a lot of choice and you end up complicate everything," The Dowager chuckled lightly.

She didn’t have much choice in her life since her parents decided it for her.She never worried about that, but she made sure, she made the best out of the path that was laid for her. She was spared from making a choice and she found it a blessing in disguise as she didn’t lose by following that path. But youngsters these days are burdened with making the choice for themselves and facing the consequences too.

Jolene gulped not knowing what to say. Her mind was wondering about the presence of The Dowager here, at this moment.

That Lambert couldn’t have complained to his great grandmother and she is here to force me into marrying him, right?

If so, what will happen to my dream of making my company the best in Rosandale?

"As someone who has many years over you, I can say this. Whatever you face now might seem like the biggest struggle ever, but trust me, it isn’t. This too will pass. So be happy. Try it all. Make decisions considering your happiness. In the end that’s all that matters." The Dowager patted Jolene’s hand and continued.

"When you’re old, as you lie in your bed at night, imagine what will make you say with a smile and no regrets, ’Yes, it was all worth this!’. It could be anything. But only your heart knows what it wants the most. Is it love or is it your ambition? Not everyone is lucky enough to have both. In the end the choice is in your hands. Don’t take too long though... You might miss out on the thing you want."

The Dowager without saying anything else, stood up and asked her helpers to take her back as it has gotten really late for an old lady like her.

Jolene plopped on the couch losing all strength from her body. The Dowager came to her and advised her to not waste Lambert’s time and make her decision sooner.

Is she not worried her precious great grandson is willing to marry a lowly Baron’s daughter?