Jonathan: The Heavenly Fortune Teller in the City

Ch 03

As time passed, more and more people gathered around the airport. As one of those involved, Jonathan felt both embarrassed and pressured as people kept pointing at him and whispering behind his back. The short police officer had even taken out a pair of handcuffs to intimidate him, but Jonathan decided to explain everything clearly first.

"Officer, please allow me to explain," he said. His voice trembled, yet remained firm. "Ever since I was on the plane, I've been wanting a cigarette. As soon as I got off the plane and left the airport, I lit one to calm my nerves. But when I swung my hand, my cigarette accidentally touched a young woman who happened to be walking past me. I swear on anything, it was purely an accident. I never intended to do anything disgraceful."

The tall police officer narrowed his eyes as he carefully examined Jonathan's face.

"You're speaking calmly, and your story makes sense. I don't see any signs that you're lying. But this isn't just about what you say. The victim also has to speak."

He then turned toward Mella.

"Miss, please answer honestly. Do you think this young man did it intentionally or not?"

All eyes immediately turned to Mella.

Mella lowered her head slightly. Her voice was calm, though it carried a hint of hesitation.

"At that moment, I was focused on waiting for my friend. I wasn't really paying attention to this man's movements, so I honestly can't tell whether it was intentional or not," she explained.

The crowd erupted into murmurs once again. Some thought she was being too soft-hearted, while others believed she was simply telling the truth.

However, the blonde-haired girl immediately stepped forward, her face filled with anger.

"Mella! You're too innocent! This man was obviously taking advantage of your beauty. Who could possibly be so careless as to put a lit cigarette right against your thigh? He did it on purpose. I'm sure of it!"

Her finger pointed straight at Jonathan's nose. Her eyes were so wide they looked as though they might pop out.

Being accused like that was painful. When Jonathan saw the murderous look in her eyes, he quickly shook his head.

"No! I never intended anything like that! I've already explained it. It was purely an accident!"

The blonde woman snorted sharply. She still refused to believe him and continued looking down on him.

"Hah! Every perverted man always has a thousand excuses to defend himself. Do you think I'd believe you?"

The atmosphere became tense again as the voices around them grew louder. Several people joined in, pointing at Jonathan while mocking him.

The tall police officer suddenly shouted, "Enough! There's no need to argue anymore!"

His commanding voice immediately silenced the crowd.

He looked at the blonde woman, then at Jonathan, and finally at Mella.

"We're in a public place, not a courtroom. Based on the victim's own statement, there's no certainty whether this was intentional or not. So no one should accuse anyone without evidence."

The blonde woman wanted to argue back, but the officer's stern gaze forced her into silence. She could only snort in annoyance.

The officer continued, trying to mediate the situation.

"Here's what we'll do. This young man must take responsibility. He should apologize directly to the victim and compensate her for the damages, at the very least for the burned stocking. If the victim agrees, we'll settle the matter here without taking anyone to the police station."

Mella looked at the tall officer and nodded gently.

"If that's how we're going to handle it, then I agree. There's no need to drag this out, as long as he apologizes and compensates for the damage," she said.

Jonathan immediately lowered his head, his voice filled with remorse.

"I'll apologize and compensate her appropriately. This was indeed my negligence."

The tall officer nodded before turning toward Mella.

"Very well. How much compensation should he pay?"

Before Mella could answer, the blonde-haired girl interrupted.

"Ten thousand dollars!" she declared loudly.

"WHAAT?!" Jonathan's eyes widened. He nearly dropped the cigarette still between his fingers. His face turned pale as he stared in disbelief.

"Ten thousand dollars for just one pair of stockings?!"

Deep down, it felt as though reality had slapped him across the face.

"My goodness... I only have a few dollars on me right now," he muttered so quietly that it was barely audible.

The blonde woman folded her arms across her chest and looked at him with contempt.

"Don't look so shocked, Mr. Pervert. Do you even know who you've offended? Mella isn't an ordinary woman. She's the President of Pacific Group! It's perfectly normal for someone like her to wear imported luxury stockings worth tens of thousands."

As if refusing to give anyone a chance to object, the blonde woman opened her handbag again and took out a neatly folded receipt.

"Here's the proof. The original purchase receipt."

She confidently handed it to the tall police officer.

The officer accepted it and unfolded the receipt. His eyes scanned the numbers one by one.

"It's genuine. The total is ten thousand dollars, exactly as she said."

The crowd that had remained to watch was equally stunned after hearing the amount.

"My goodness. Ten thousand dollars for stockings?!" a middle-aged man whispered.

"No wonder she's the president of a major corporation. Even something so small costs a fortune," someone else commented.

Jonathan took a deep breath before slowly letting it out.

"Huh..."

He tried to calm the turmoil in his heart, ignoring the comments around him. Then he looked at Mella and the police officers with complete sincerity.

"I'm not refusing to pay. I'm willing to compensate for the full amount, but to be honest, I simply don't have enough money right now."

"I left my parents when I was seven years old to travel and study. Today is the first day I've returned to my hometown. I don't even have my parents' phone number anymore. So the only thing I can do is write an IOU. Once I have the money, I'll repay every single dollar without deducting even a cent."

The blonde-haired woman immediately sneered. Her crimson lips trembled with disdain.

"Hah! An IOU? Do you think we're fools? You could disappear after this and run off to who knows where. We'd never be able to find you again."

"No!" Jonathan quickly interrupted before reaching into his jacket pocket. He took out an identification card.

"I'm not a stranger. Look at this. I'm a native resident of Vaganza City. It's impossible for me to run that far away. All of my information is right here."

The tall police officer took the ID card, examined it carefully, then nodded.

"It's genuine. The information is valid. He really is a local resident. It's unlikely that he'd simply disappear."

The shorter officer nodded in agreement and added, "In that case, the idea of an IOU is acceptable. It's a reasonable compromise."

However, the blonde woman remained stubborn as she stared coldly at Jonathan.

"That's still not enough! It's still too risky. If he's truly serious about taking responsibility, then let him hand over his ID card. We'll keep it until he pays the compensation in full. Once he does, we'll return it."

The tall police officer slowly shook his head.

"That won't work, Miss. An identification card is an official government document. Keeping it could seriously inconvenience its owner. What if he needs to apply for a job? How is he supposed to earn money if he doesn't even have his identification?"

Hearing that, the blonde-haired woman smiled instead. Her smile carried a hidden meaning, almost mocking.

"Oh, as for that, I just so happen to have a solution. A solution that can settle this matter without him having to worry about running away from his responsibilities."