Chapter 5 Salted Popcorn

"Em, just one regular, please." Shawn Gilbert stood in front of Emma, who was working at the concessions stand that day. Emma understood what Shawn wanted and immediately took a medium-sized popcorn container and filled it with salted popcorn.

"Here you go, sir," Emma handed over the popcorn.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me 'sir'? You make me feel so old." Shawn took a handful of popcorn and put it in his mouth.

"Well, you are old," Emma retorted and then laughed as she saw Shawn's widened eyes.

Shawn Gilbert was the Operations Director of Jonas Group and also a distant cousin of Andrew. His task was to ensure that every tenant in the mall under Jonas Group's network operated optimally, including the cinema where Emma worked.

Shawn had helped Emma get the job at the cinema three years ago. At that time, Emma's father had just passed away due to diabetes. At a company event, when Tom picked up Andrew from a hotel, he accidentally overheard a conversation between Andrew and Shawn about their plan to recruit additional employees for their cinema.

"Bring her CV to me tomorrow. I will prioritize her," said Shawn when Tom mentioned that he had a niece who needed a job after losing her father.

It was Shawn Gilbert who interviewed Emma and immediately hired her the next day. He saw her determination and enthusiasm, so he didn't hesitate to accept her.

"Thank you so much, sir. I don't know how to repay your kindness," after the interview and passing the test, Emma looked very happy.

"Just repay me with a medium-sized salted popcorn," Shawn replied.

"Huh?" Emma didn't quite understand Shawn's meaning at that time, but ever since then, every time Shawn supervised the cinema where Emma worked, he would always ask for a medium-sized salted popcorn from her.

Emma observed Shawn, who was still munching on his popcorn. Shawn Gilbert looked young. He was thirty-five years old, but his fresh and friendly appearance made him look much younger.

"How's your college, Em?" Shawn's question caught Emma off guard as she was busy observing Shawn's face.

"I'm planning to graduate next year. Currently, I'm working on my thesis," Emma replied.

"Wow, that's great! After that, you'll become a Mechanical Engineering graduate, right?" Shawn praised Emma genuinely without any flattery. He was very impressed with Emma's spirit to work and save money to finance her studies. Emma took evening classes for employees, so it didn't interfere with her work schedule at the cinema.

Emma nodded enthusiastically. "All this is thanks to you, Mr. Shawn Gilbert." Emma deliberately emphasized the word 'Mr.' to see Shawn frown again.

"When you become a graduate, you'll apply to companies that pay you more, and this cinema will lose a highly dedicated employee," Shawn predicted.

"Oh, Mr. Shawn, you're funny! Dedication is not necessary to work here. It just takes effort because most of the tasks are cleaning the theaters," Emma retorted.

Shawn Gilbert laughed again at Emma's joke. "Okay, see you later. I want to check the situation inside and also meet with your manager. Say hi to your mom and Edward for me," he said and then turned to leave.

Shawn Gilbert had turned away from Emma, but she continued to watch his back until he disappeared into the manager's room. Emma was deeply moved by Shawn's attitude. He was a high-ranking executive, but he was very humble and willing to greet low-level employees like her. He even remembered Emma's sibling's name.

"You're falling in love with him, aren't you?" Sally asked with a low tone but enough to startle Emma.

"Yes, oh my God, Sally! You scared me!" Emma replied.

"And Shawn Gilbert seems interested in you too," Sally, Emma's best friend since she worked at the cinema, kept talking despite Emma's protest.

"Don't make things up!"

"He is also one of the owners of Jonas Group. His mother is a Jonas."

Jonas Group was a family company that had grown rapidly. Most of the company's shares were owned by the Jonas family, while the rest were traded on the stock market and could be purchased by the public. Every family member had the name Jonas as their surname. However, the married daughters of Jonas no longer inherited the surname to their children. Therefore, although Shawn no longer carried the Jonas surname, he still had a significant share in the company. His mother was Fiona Jonas, the first daughter of Arthur Jonas.

"If you search Shawn Gilbert 's name on Google, you'll see the shares he owns in this company." Sally fiddled with her smartphone and then showed it to Emma, who didn't seem interested. "But of course, the largest shares belong to Mrs. Sonya and her only grandson, Andrew Jonas."

Emma was struck by lightning when she heard the name Andrew being mentioned. Was he the one Uncle Tom talked about last night? Was he the one looking for a wife?

"Andrew?" Emma murmured.

"Yes, Andrew. My goodness. Don't you know him?"

"I know, of course." Emma wasn't lying. She often heard the name Andrew from her uncle.

"But, do you know which one is him? You don't know, right?"

Emma looked at her friend with a pouty face. What's the point of knowing which one is Andrew?

Sally adjusted her glasses and continued fiddling with her smartphone. "Meet The Most Eligible Bachelor in Town. Andrew Jonas." Sally read the headline from the online news on her smartphone. Then, she directed the phone's screen towards Emma. "Look at this!"

Emma looked at the photo of a young man in a tuxedo on Sally's phone screen. The young man had a strong jawline and a prominent nose. Everyone who saw him would agree that his well-proportioned body was well-trained by its owner. There was not even a hint of a smile on his face. According to Emma, the most alarming thing was his cold and arrogant gaze.

"Eh, what's all that commotion over there?" Emma hadn't finished evaluating the photo of Andrew when Sally decided to put her phone back into her long skirt pocket. Her eyes were drawn to a crowd of people near the cinema's entrance.

Emma followed Sally's gaze. There seemed to be a crowd dominated by girls near the entrance. Some of them appeared to be hysterical.

"Perhaps an artist is coming for a film promotion," Emma mumbled, to which Sally responded with a casual nod.

The crowd of girls at the entrance was obstructed by two big, black-clad men who were trying to make way for the people behind them. When the crowd was successfully dispersed, Tom appeared, startling Emma. What business did her uncle have at the cinema? Was he coming to see her? What was so special about her elderly uncle that made the girls in the cinema hysterical?

From behind Tom, a young man suddenly emerged from the crowd, followed by the hysterical screams of some girls. Tom seemed to be talking to the tall young man while pointing towards Emma in the distance. Meanwhile, the two big men, confirmed to be bodyguards, continued to shield the young man from the efforts of the girls trying to approach him.

"Oh my goodness! Am I dreaming? Isn't that Andrew Jonas?" Sally couldn't hide her enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, Emma just stood frozen, looking at Andromeda, who returned her gaze with a cold stare.