All Zoe felt was her cheek burning.She thought that Mandy would be surprised to find her here, even finding it unacceptable that someone was better than her since she was so used to feeling superior. She really did not expect Mandy to slap her right away, and it left her dumbstruck for seconds.Even the security guards at the door were left stunned, unable to react."Don't you know any shame, Zoe?!" Mandy bellowed at her right then, her teeth gnashing with fury. "How dare you show up here?! You're really coming this far to stop me from meeting Jay's parents?! Have you not heard a word of my warning this afternoon?!"Zoe came to her senses then and touched her swollen cheek.To be honest, she had never lost much in life, save for when it came to Jay.And she would not begrudge Jay that.As for anyone else…Zoe's eyes narrowed right then and she raised her hand, ready to return the favor!However, someone caught her wrist as soon as she raised her hand, and Zoe turned to find
Jay suddenly pulled Mandy into his arms to stop her from hitting Zoe again. "Enough!"But Mandy was not having any of it—she struggled against his hold, all while snarling savagely, "She has no right to hover around you! She's so shameless she would come here to Levine Manor! Who does she think she is?!""I'm not just anyone. I'm just the granddaughter of the average Joe named Alan Levine!" Zoe retorted right then.While Mandy was left taken aback and unable to respond, Zoe asked, "Doesn't ring a bell? Well, it's not that widely known in North City… But what if I told you he's the board chairman of Levine Ventures?"Mandy's heart skipped a beat, and she abruptly came to a realization.But she simply could not believe it. It was simply impossible!There was no way Zoe could be Alan's granddaughter! If she were, would she have to work so hard for her showbiz career? With Levine Ventures owning half the studios out there, Zoe would have been able to strut anywhere she went! But Ma
Three Bentleys were parked right outside the main entrance of Levine Manor, and the security guard rushed forward to open the doors.The first one to walk out was John, who was dressed in a black suit that emphasized his towering figure and imposing aura.After getting out of the car, he ceremoniously bent forward to help Jessica out of the car. Jessica smiled coyly. "Thank you." "Don't mention it." John nodded, politely yet distantly.Jessica kept the smile on her face, as if she did not care about John's attitude toward her.The two of them walked one after another to the car next to them and waited respectfully. Mr. William Stuart came out of the car with the help of his personal butler.Although he was over 70 years of age and his hair had gone completely white, he looked healthy as he stood tall and straight.Jessica's parents, Andy Stuart and Wendy Stone, together with her brother, James Stuart, came out of the last Bentley.The Stuart family, helmed by William, beg
Secondly, she had thought that she was the star of tonight's banquet. She was the one coming to meet the parents, yet no one from the Levine family bothered to even look at her. She found it unacceptable being disregarded by others this way. Yet, she dared not express her displeasure.For the very first time in her life, she felt like a nobody in front of these people.After Alan and William exchanged pleasantries, they entered the hall of Levine Manor and walked straight toward the luxurious dining hall.Everyone took their seats in order of hierarchy around the massive banquet table.Servants stood ready at the side to serve and help with dinner proceedings.Conversations at the table were largely composed of Alan and William catching up with each other, reminiscing over past memories."I wanted to join Levine Ventures' 60th-anniversary celebration, but I had to make a last-minute trip to the capital city. My apologies, Alan," William said sincerely."You're being a stranger
John and Jessica chatted casually as the dinner went on.Both sets of parents felt glad to see them getting along so well.Zoe was the only one who felt so frustrated she wanted to smash a spoon and leave the scene.The thought of Cordy…Zoe told herself to calm down. She had to remain calm."How old is Zoe this year?" William suddenly singled her out. Zoe was shocked.She was sure things did not bode well with such a question on such an occasion. Out of courtesy, Zoe put down her spoon and smiled. "Mr. Stuart, I'm turning 25 this year.""It's been so long since I last saw you, and you've grown up to be such a charming young lady. I heard that you're carving out a career for yourself in the entertainment industry?""My academic results were poor so I was left with no choice but to be an entertainer," Zoe said self-deprecatingly.William was tickled by Zoe's remarks. "There are truckloads of people who can study, but not many people can act.""Then please help me persuade
She pulled her brother all the way to a dark corner in the backyard of the house. "John, what's with your engagement to Jessica?!"Zoe was in a rage but she had to suppress her volume.Her eyes darted warily toward the house, for fear that someone would come by."How is she?" John counter-questioned in his low voice.He was, of course, referring to Cordy."You have the cheek to ask about her?!" Zoe said in a huff, "You vanished into thin air over these two days just like that, not picking up your phone and completely missing in action. How do you think she's doing? She's probably putting up a strong front, what else? Do you want her to drown in her tears?""My phone was confiscated by Grandpa," John explained, "He's keeping a very close watch on me.""I knew Grandpa, that old fox, was sly and cunning. What are you going to do now? Will you really marry Jessica?" Zoe asked, "Or were you really fooling around with Cordy…"John glared at her.Zoe shut her mouth.Her brother had
Mandy saw Zoe standing at the door at the same time.Alan had called for Jay, who in turn told Mandy to wait for him in the room so that he could send her back later.She had no idea why she even came here tonight in the first place.From the beginning to the end, no one in the Levine household paid any attention to her, not to mention the Stuart family.She felt extremely awkward bumping into Zoe at this point.The thought of how she used to mock and despise Zoe and talk so arrogantly to her made her utterly ashamed of herself.She could not bear to imagine how much the outside world would attack and mock her should they find out about Zoe's true identity.Zoe could of course sense Mandy's embarrassment.She sneered. A woman like Mandy did not deserve even an ounce of sympathy from her.Zoe strode past with a slight air of arrogance.Mandy felt indignant. In the past, she had been the one behaving this way toward Zoe. Yet now, not only did she have to be on the receiving end
When they arrived outside the door of Alan's study, Jay stopped in his tracks and said, "My dad's waiting for you inside." "Aren't you going in with me?""He only wants to see you.""Jay…" Mandy was getting really nervous. "Just speak your mind," Jay assured her. "It's not like he will eat you up." Mandy took a deep breath.Although it was her first time visiting Levine Manor, she knew that there were house rules that she could not object to.She had no choice but to bite the bullet and knock on the door.When she walked into the study, she saw Alan seated before his study table, sipping on tea. The door closed behind Mandy.She looked cautiously at Alan and greeted reverentially, "Mr. Levine.""Sit," Alan said as he glanced at Mandy. Mandy immediately obeyed.Perhaps because she was too nervous, her foot accidentally kicked the redwood chair while she was taking a seat, and the legs of the chair scratched against the floor, making an ear-piercing screech. "I-I'm so