Zachary glanced at his watch, there was still some time left. He asked, “Let me hear it—what do the elders expect me to do? Marry her?” Nina’s eyes lit up with surprise, but she kept her head down, and no one noticed. Sir Collins furrowed his brows. “It’s just about taking responsibility, I’m not saying you should marry her. You still need to marry someone who can support you—someone who can help you if your career faces difficulties in the future.” Nina understood, indeed, she couldn’t hold any expectations for the Collins family. Sir Collins had brought her back merely to allow her to see him off, covering up the guilt of separating them for years and of her near-misfortune abroad. Rebecca’s kindness toward her was based on her behaving well and understanding her place, as if she were just a non-blood relative. There was no hope for anything more with Zachary. At this stage, they were merely considering the interests of the Collins family, regardless of her feelings. Sh
“Jane, Sir Collins is in the hospital.”Jane jumped out of bed, quickly washed up, got dressed, and called a taxi to the hospital.After getting out of the car, she called Charlotte. Charlotte and Frank were already at the hospital. After hanging up, she told Frank and then came downstairs to find her.Jane walked over quickly. “What happened?”Charlotte said, “He’s old and got too angry, so he fainted.”Jane bit her lip. “Is it because of me and Zachary?”Charlotte shook her head. “Not entirely. Don’t overthink it. It also has something to do with Nina. If you want to see Zachary, I’ll talk to Frank, but we need to avoid the Collins family for now. We can’t let Sir Collins know.”“They’ve locked down the news. Sir Collins’s illness can’t be spread, so I can’t take you up there for now. I’m sorry.”Firstly, it was because of Sir Collins's status.Secondly, although Charlotte was Jane's close friend, this was a private matter of the Collins family, and she had no standing to ma
“Don’t worry and don’t overthink things. You know me, I’ve always been easygoing.”Charlotte didn’t mention that if Jane really were that easygoing, she wouldn’t have gone up to the rooftop that day.“Message me when you get home.”A week later, Sir Collins was discharged from the hospital and returned home.Jane also received a message that Zachary was coming to see her.Over the past few days, they occasionally exchanged messages, mostly relayed through Charlotte.Knowing that Sir Collins was okay made her happy, so she impulsively went to the supermarket to buy some vegetables and meat, planning to cook something.She had failed before, but practice made perfect.This time, she thought she could finally cook.However, she still overestimated herself.When Zachary arrived at the door, he heard a piercing alarm.Thinking it was a gas leak, he didn’t knock and instead entered the door code Jane had given him.Once inside, he was met with thick smoke that stung his eyes.“J
He picked up the apron from the ground and put it on, starting to prepare the ingredients.When he marinated the meat, he realized there weren’t enough ingredients.He thought for a moment and decided to make something simple.Roy was very efficient in his work.When Jane opened the door and saw him, she was a bit surprised. “Are you looking for Zachary?”Roy handed her the rice. “Mr. Collins asked me to bring this.”Jane accepted it without understanding, and before she could even say thank you, Roy had already disappeared.With such impressive skills, if he had been guarding the top floor that night, she and Zachary wouldn’t have woken up to find someone else beside them.Even if the surveillance footage could be deleted, it wouldn’t escape Roy.“What are you daydreaming about?”Zachary received Roy's message and came out to check.He found her standing at the door, lost in thought, with the door still open.He walked over to close the door and took the items from her han
The large bed in the bedroom suddenly sank.The neatly arranged sheets gradually became a mess.The view outside changed from golden warm sunlight to reddish-orange sunset.The blanket was in disarray.Zachary picked up Jane and headed to the bathroom...The consequences of exercising on an empty stomach meant he had to reheat food in the middle of the night.Jane, having not eaten either, was too lazy to move even her fingers, while Zachary was full of energy.He helped Jane into her silk pajamas, tucked her in, and then quickly took a shower.Afterward, he went to the kitchen to reheat the food.He also wiped away the red wine stains on the dining table.Once everything was set, he went back to the bedroom and carried Jane out.Jane immediately stuffed a bite of food into her mouth.Finally feeling alive again.Zachary served her some soup. “Drink this first.”Jane gulped it down, feeling warmth spread in her stomach.“Slow down.”Zachary looked at her affectionately
The other matter was about the beast who harmed Jane.“Yes, sir.”Zachary hung up the phone and wanted to smoke a cigarette, only to realize he was wrapped in a bath towel.He pushed open the balcony door, stepped inside, and went to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of cold water and drinking half of it.If the surveillance couldn’t be restored, he would have to resort to methods, as Frank suggested.Michael was relatively easy to handle, with his grandmother around, it wouldn’t be hard to get information about that night.But Nina’s situation was more troublesome.Their testimonies had to be consistent.When Jane woke up, it was already dark outside.She looked beside her and found it empty.After wandering around the living room, she found no one there.On the balcony, however, their discarded clothes were hanging.She picked up her phone to call Zachary.Just as she dialed, she noticed a note on the coffee table."Went back home, the food is warming in the pot. If you do
Zachary did not want to argue and walked toward his room. At the door, he saw Nina. Zachary ignored her, he still needed to explain to Jane that he could not go over tonight. He had no time to waste. “Zachary.” Nina blocked his path. Zachary took a step back to create distance and said in an extremely cold tone, “If you can tell the truth about that night, then I will stand here and listen to you for a moment.” If you can’t, then I don’t have time to listen to you.” Nina looked shocked. “Zachary, what are you talking about? What truth about that night? Are you doubting that I lied to everyone?” Zachary did not speak, but his silence implied consent. Tears streamed down Nina’s face. “Zachary, although society has progressed and the standards for a girl’s virtue are no longer so strict, do I really need to lie about my innocence?” Zachary looked at her coldly. He felt as if those previous years had been wasted. He was shocked to discover how corrupt her t
But the family atmosphere of the Collins family was relatively good.Charlotte had told her that as long as they didn't damage the Collins family's reputation or interests, the Collins family could indeed be described as harmonious.But her family…No, she didn’t have a family.She suddenly felt that having parents like Zachary and grandparents, even if strict, was quite good.At least they wouldn’t abandon their child or beat them to death."You’ve been spending time at home with your grandfather, right? You should work and earn money when you can, no need to keep coming to me."Zachary deliberately spoke in a low voice, "Is it getting boring?"Jane also pretended. "Yeah.""Hang up, don’t delay me from chatting with other guys.""I’d like to see you try."Jane laughed. "You think I'm scared?"Zachary got angry but couldn’t bear to lose his temper with her.Mainly because he had his own "criminal record." Now that he had finally caught her, how could he act as cold as befo
Charlotte patted her head. "First, make a video call to that little girl." Jane quickly found her phone and opened the landlord's WhatsApp. As soon as the call connected, the little girl appeared on screen, her eyes red. Tears were still visible on her face. The landlord was sitting next to her, waiting, not having gone to sleep. Jane apologized, "Sorry to disturb your rest." "Don't say that." The landlord gently patted her daughter's head. "I'm just happy you're alright." Jane smiled at the little girl. "Thanks to Celine, I'm fine." The little girl leaned closer to the screen. "Jane, you're lying. Your lips are swollen." Jane cleared her throat. "I ate something spicy earlier." She quickly added to prevent the little girl from saying anything else, "Alright, go to sleep now. We'll talk more when you get out of school. Jane went through a lot today, and she's tired too." The little girl, very understanding, handed the phone to her mother and went to bed
The captain laughed. "Don't think that just because we're from abroad, we don't understand anything.""Young lady, if you want to buy some time, then I'll play along with you. But if you're hoping for someone to rescue you, I advise you to give up on that thought. This is the border. Domestic ships can't get through here."Well, you don't know Frank.There's no one who can stop him from going where he wants to go.Jane tried her best to suppress her fear. "Sir, I have all kinds of tricks. If I can make you guys happy, can you spare my life?"She reached out, grabbed the captain's belt, and moved closer."As long as you don't kill me, you'll be my savior. I'll be yours from now on and let you have your fun with me. Is that okay?"Although Jane hadn't dressed herself up recently.But her facial features were stunning. Those fox-like eyes with a smile in them were even more alluring.The captain kept swallowing saliva. Apparently, he was attracted.However, they had already rece
They were anxious, not just because of the situation, but because they feared Zachary would go mad and go abroad with Jane. Frank glanced at their expressions and immediately understood that they were aware of Lexi's plan to send Jane abroad. "I suggest that while Zachary is looking for Jane, you should take care of the Sanchez family's matters. Otherwise, when Zachary comes back, there will be hell to pay." Jane ate the meal the waiter brought and then felt drowsy. She fell into a light sleep, and when she opened her eyes again, it was already half past nine. She remembered the things she had told the little girl before leaving and quickly grabbed her phone to call. But just then, the door was suddenly kicked open. Several adult men stormed in and grabbed her, dragging her outside. "What are you doing?" They had originally planned to reach the border, but unexpectedly, a violent storm had forced a slight course change. This delay allowed the effects of th
Lexi said, "The plane will leave traces. By then, Zachary will find you. The ship will change at the border and private sea areas. Once she changes ships, it will be hard to track." Jane remembered when Jack had taken Charlotte away before. She felt a sense of unease. After all, Lexi wasn't someone she could fully trust. "I didn't expect you to be so timid." Lexi noticed Jane's worry. "I thought someone with your background, who dared to pursue someone as different as Zachary, and even date him, would have extraordinary courage." But wasn't Jane regretting it now? Otherwise, why would she be running away? She decided not to care anymore. With a firm heart, she boarded the ship. Lexi smiled in satisfaction, but then a cold glint appeared in her eyes as she spoke to the captain. "When we reach the border, throw her into the sea and feed her to the sharks." No matter where she went, as long as Zachary wanted to find her, it was just a matter of time.
Lexi was so angry that she wanted to smash something. She got up and walked away, with each step of her high heels hitting the ground, the sound echoing her immense fury. The more difficult it was to conquer, the more determined she became to conquer it! Zachary went directly back to the Collins family home. The Collins family members were somewhat uneasy. When they saw him come back alone, they were both shocked and suspicious. "Did Lexi not come back with you?" asked Rebecca. Zachary did not respond and walked upstairs with long strides. Rebecca, along with Sir Collins and Madam Collins, exchanged gazes, all feeling something was off. It was strange that Zachary had actually returned to the Collins family. "Sean." Rebecca saw someone else entering behind him and immediately asked, "Did you follow him the whole time? Did you notice anything unusual?" Sean bent slightly, his face carrying a polite smile as he respectfully replied, "No abnormalities w
The situation between Zachary and Jane's relationship had not been made public. It was normal for the employees at the company not to know about it. Zachary did not answer when people congratulated him, and Lexi stood silently by his side, not saying anything either. But to those around them, their actions were as good as an admission.Some people even offered their congratulations, but Zachary didn't acknowledge them. He didn't go upstairs. Instead, he turned and left the building. This time, he didn't even get into Lexi's car. The smell inside the car was too overwhelming, making him dizzy.Lexi followed him, and they entered a nearby cafe. He didn't go straight to Jane's place, but Lexi knew that was just a way of hiding his true intentions. However, she wasn't concerned. After all, the Collins family would never approve of him being with Jane. She just needed to give him a bit of time to play along."Mr. Collins, aren't you going to consider my suggestion?" Lexi asked with a sli
The shock from the Collins family was too much for her. She wouldn't take the initiative, nor would she have the courage to continue with him.So what other way did he have?He'd tried both soft and hard tactics, yet this situation was still more complicated than advanced mathematics.The next day.Lexi invited Zachary out.But the Collins family hesitated.Rebecca said, "Why don't you two spend some more time getting to know each other at home first?"Lexi smiled. "Mrs. Collins, I know what you're worried about, but that woman is no longer in Jeswood."Rebecca was aware of this.After all, they had been keeping an eye on Jane's movements. They even knew where she was staying.It was surprising that Lexi had just returned a day ago, yet she had already figured it out.This kind of method and family background was exactly what the Collins family needed.It was also what Zachary needed."I've erased all traces. Even if he wants to find her today, he won't be able to, and it
The landlord nodded understandingly. "You young people do have a lot of new ideas."They chatted casually and soon reached the large square.The stage had already been set up.They had arrived early, but there were already a lot of people gathered.Jane commented, "It's quite formal."The landlord proudly replied, "This isn't just a community event, there are even celebrities."Jane became a little curious and wanted to see what celebrities were here.It turned out to be an R-list boy band, along with a few elderly artists.Well, it was still a big stage.She watched for a while, but soon lost interest. She made an excuse to go to the bathroom.Under the cover of night, she wandered around.She spotted a small shop and bought a bag of cheese-flavored chips to eat.This kind of life, she thought, couldn't last long. She hoped Zachary would hurry up and get married, so he would stop bothering her."Jane..." Jane was lost in thought when the voice startled her, almost caus
"Stop dreaming."Lexi, despite her feelings for Zachary, couldn't suppress her anger anymore."You want to marry that woman? That's nothing but wishful thinking."Zachary's gaze was icy, and every word he spoke, from his thin lips, carried a chilling frost."Her name is Jane."Lexi, at this point in her life, had never met a man who not only showed no interest in her but also repeatedly poked at her vulnerabilities."The more you protect her, the more dangerous she becomes. My offer won't change. You'll come to me eventually."With that, she turned, her heels clicking sharply as she walked toward the door."Excuse me, open the door."Sean opened the door.Lexi held her head high as she walked downstairs.Sean was about to close the door when Zachary threw the food outside.He even "thoughtfully" closed the door after that.When Rebecca saw the untouched food that Sean had brought down, she couldn't help but feel some pity."Not eating yet?"She had just praised Lexi for