Dressed extravagantly, Zoe looked like some prissy princess beside Penelope. She was no longer the meek, tearful little girl she used to be in front of Landon. When she saw Lauren, her gaze turned dark and hateful, as if she wanted nothing more than to lunge at Lauren right now."Let me introduce you, Mom." Zoe's smile didn’t reach her eyes. "This is Ms. Lauren Beckett from the Beckett family. She was my classmate in middle school. She's now Landon's girlfriend. Hahaha … isn't that such a coincidence?"Lauren's heart pricked painfully upon hearing the term 'girlfriend'. She looked down at her feet, face flushing red. Her low self-esteem hit her like a brick, making her pull her hand away from Landon's grip.But Landon held on tight, as if he were able to read her mind."Are you done, Zoe?" Landon said, a hint of anger in his tone.Zoe grinned, using her mother as a defense. "Why so angry, Landon? Am I wrong? "Or do you plan to keep Ms. Lauren out here to yourself forever b
Penelope was so angry that she couldn't think of anything else to say. What had happened to her obedient son? Why had he become so rebellious after just a few days off on his own? All for this silly little girl, too?"Why are you upsetting Mom, Landon? You know she's not in the best condition right now!" Zoe held onto her mother, switching gears."How many women have you gone through all these years? Countless! The list is endless! You're only fighting with Mom over Lauren because she's refreshing to you, nothing else!"When you've had your fill, you'll regret what you said to Mom today and for how angry you made her!"Lauren, who had been clinging onto her teddy bear behind Landon, shakily took a step back upon hearing that. Pain shot through her heart, overwhelming her.Landon had made her feel safe and secure for so long. Yet, for some reason, all she could feel right now was panic and fear … "I've never asked anything from you since I was a kid, Mom. I always just did what
Finally, Landon found Lauren in the playground, sitting alone on the children's swing."Lauren … "Lauren's hair and her red cloak were coated in a layer of snow, making her look like a snowman.Silly girl. How long has she been sitting out here in the cold?Heart aching at the sight, Landon slowly walked up to her. "There you are, Lauren."He knelt down on one knee before her, sweaty palms holding onto her cold hands that were locked around her teddy bear."How … how did you find me?" Lauren asked, blinking in surprise."Our hearts are connected, Lauren. I would be able to find you no matter where you go," Landon croaked out lightly.He caressed her flushed cheeks as the pain in his chest swelled. "You're never running away from me again, Lauren."Lauren's eyes grew downcast as she went silent."It's so cold out here. Why don't you come home with me?""I want to live with Grandpa, Landon." Lauren slowly inched her hands out from Landon's. "I called Grandpa's assistant, Mr
Landon hurried to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning after coaxing Lauren to sleep, where he soon joined Becketts and Taylors.Unable to take it anymore, Newton had retired to a VIP ward to rest with Javier's help."Jonah, I just interrogated that son of a bitch."Jonah had gone to the end of the hallway to answer a call from Cyrus. "I've been in this line of work for so long. I could instantly tell he's hiding something from us! But he just won't crack!" Cyrus exclaimed."What did that asshole tell you?" Jonah asked solemnly."He said he attacked Madam Lyla because he used to be her top fan. He's harbored anger toward her ever since she quit the industry, feeling like she betrayed him. "Can you imagine that bullshit? Madam Lyla was the actress of the century back then! Who does he think he is to be able to bag someone like her?" Cyrus yelled, venting out a whole night's worth of anger to his brother.Jonah frowned. "Get to the point.""Sorry, Jonah. I got too carr
The Beckett family remained gathered outside the surgery room until 9:00 am the next morning. Javier and Newton stared fixedly at the door, with the former helping the latter stand.Sophia had used the excuse that she was tired to return home to rest. Newton despised her, and she didn’t give a damn about Jasper. So there was no point faking her concern any longer."Why isn't Lyse out yet? It's been so long." Winston gazed at the surgery room, feeling uneasy."Brain surgery isn't a small feat. Some take entire days to complete." Jonah consoled his father, patting his back. "Don't worry. Lyse is stronger and more capable than you think. This surgery will definitely be a success.""I'm not worried about that. I'm just concerned that Alyssa won’t be able to handle staying up for an entire night without rest. "Isn't she tired? Did she have time to eat a bite or drink some water?"If Jonah hadn’t stopped Winston, he would have barged into the room to check on Alyssa himself.Jona
"Jasper has … always been really nice to me since I was a kid. He looked after me a lot, and so, he's the most important person to me right now … " Zoe wiped her tears, shoulders quaking as she sobbed. "After hearing that he got hurt last night, I was so worried I didn't sleep a wink. "I wanted to come over first thing last night, but Landon wouldn't let me. He was worried I would cause more trouble for you."I'm so sorry, I should have come over earlier. That way I might still have been able to help out some … ""Poor thing. We see your efforts, dear girl, " Javier said with a sigh, approval apparent in his eyes. "I'm really grateful that you still care about my son. I'm so glad you two have been friends since young.""We still have a close bond now, too, not just when we were kids." Zoe blushed shyly, saying, "I'll be here as long as Jasper needs me."There was no doubt as to what she was implying.Landon's expression turned ugly. Zoe's outright confession and attitude t
Zoe's heart dropped into her stomach. Face flushed, she hurriedly explained, "I don't mean anything untoward, Grandpa Newton, nor do I want to cause anymore trouble for you guys … I'm just trying to do what I can to help!"I may not be the most capable, but at least I never injured Jasper! I didn't hurt him so bad that he ended up suffering on a cold surgical table!""Enough, Zoe!" Landon cried, walking over to stop her.Newton's expression grew cold. He asked sharply, "Are you blaming Alyssa? Do you think she was the one who did this to my grandson?""I … I … " Zoe stammered.Of course she did! Of course, it was Alyssa's fault! But Zoe couldn't say that out loud. Newton was clearly biased towards Alyssa.Just then, the sound of doors opening rang through the hallway.Everyone turned to see the surgical room doors open.Winston and Jonah leapt from their seats while everyone else hurried over to the door.Two medical personnel exited first, followed by slow, heavy steps.A
Zoe gasped and took a step back as she watched Alyssa approach with a cold determination.Despite wearing heels, Zoe was still shorter than Alyssa. However, the height wasn't the problem. Alyssa had outshined Zoe in terms of her inner qualities and her intimidating air. Zoe was reduced to nothing In front of Alyssa."W-What are you doing?" Zoe gasped. She turned white."Nothing much. I just want to clear your doubts," Alyssa replied with a calm smile and took off her surgeon cap. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders in a sassy way.She announced, "Your dear Jasper is out of critical condition. You don't have to pray for him anymore."Then, she whispered into Zoe's ear, "You should just ask for my help instead of praying. Since he got hurt because of me, I'll treat him till he's recovered. So, please don't waste your time worrying for him."Zoe was trembling in rage at Alyssa's provocation. It seemed that Alyssa had overheard what she said in the corridor.Just as she was th