Many years had passed since the tragedy, but how was she supposed to forget that she used to be pregnant with Leslie’s child? More to the point, she could never forget how ghastly the circumstances were that caused her to lose the same baby.The irony wasn’t lost on her when she realized that Leslie made another baby with Nellie!She couldn’t possibly move on from it. Zoe, too, saw the couple at the entrance, so she held Ella’s hand, trying to offer her some comfort. Nellie stepped into the coffee shop and saw Ella. Leslie was probably treating her quite nicely because her old habits returned with a vengeance. Looking at Ella, who still had a place in her husband’s heart, she took a dig at her. “Fancy bumping into you here, Ella!”Ella was glaring at her, the hatred in her eyes so intense that she wanted to squeeze the life out of Nellie there and then. On the other hand, Zoe was much calmer. She looked at Nellie indifferently. “Pleasure meeting you here! It seems life has f
Leslie turned around and left. Nellie was stunned by his reaction and took off after him. “Leslie!”She found him at the end of the hallway, smoking. Then, she approached him and realized that his eyes were completely red. Quivering with anger, she said, “Are you sad because she's about to marry someone else? Do you have lingering feelings for her after all these years, Leslie? “You’ve slept with countless ladies. What makes her so special? What, did she put a spell on you for you to love her so? Or, was it because she was particularly good in bed?”The next thing she knew, she was slapped in the face!Nellie couldn’t believe what just happened. She stared at him incredulously for a brief moment before she yelled hysterically. “Did you just slap me because of her? I’m pregnant, for Heaven’s sake!”“That’s not my baby in your belly!” he said coldly. Nellie was stunned. She murmured, “Are you out of your mind? What do you think you’re saying, Leslie?”Lowering his gaze, he loo
The truth was, Zoe remembered Westley.The Sanders and the Lockwoods used to have some business relationships when she was very young. From time to time, she’d follow her parents when they paid a visit to his family. If her memory served her correctly, Westley was gentle and well-mannered. If he hadn’t left his family behind back then, then Mason probably would’ve been a gentleman as well. Westley broke the silence, his voice was exactly the same as she remembered, sophisticated and graceful. “Can I have a word with you, Zoe?”Opening the car door, she got out of the car and faced him. They might not have known each other that well, but both of them shared some common family members. Instead of bringing up the past, he asked her about Mason and Yanni. Then, he also asked about Barbara.After a brief moment of silence, she said bitterly, “Grandma had been waiting for your return her whole life. She even called out to you during her last moments. She got delusional in the end an
Taking back the documents, she resumed reading them and said gently, “That’s not a part of their job scope. There’s no reason they should do my work. Also, there are bound to be complaints and grudges once it has gone on for a long time. For that matter, you were never someone who would take advantage of your company staff to take care of something unrelated to work.”She looked so calm that it sent a tingling sensation down his spine. After a brief moment, he smiled and asked, “What sort of a person do you think I am?”Putting down the documents, she grumbled, “You’re not a person. You’re a monster!”He was stunned by her response for a second. Then, he lowered his head and kissed her. It was a tender kiss, but she stopped him nonetheless. “Yanni’s going to see us.”Instead of continuing to kiss her, he stared at her intensely and said, “She was very engrossed in her teddy bear. I’m sure she won’t see us.”She ignored him and resumed checking through the documents. He liked it
Now that they were finally embracing each other, the world had changed so much. “Noah!”Holding him tightly, Zoe sobbed as she said, “How are you already free before your release date?”Mia, who was standing at the side, wiped her tears away and said, “He was released on parole, for your birthday.”Deep down, Zoe knew it wouldn’t have been possible without Mason’s help. He was trying to surprise her. That explained why he left Kirk Manor before she woke up.Neither she nor Noah said anything about Mason. Mia, on the other hand, insisted on them offering a prayer for Noah’s newfound freedom. Noah was never a religious person, but he allowed his stepmother to do it just so it’d soothe her. Afterward, Mia held his hands and couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. She wailed and said, “You’re finally back. I can finally say that I’ve done right by your father!”He embraced her and tried to comfort her. After a brief moment, Mia came to her senses. Wiping her tears, she said, “Yo
It was night by the time Zoe sent Noah back home. He was staying in Zoe’s old apartment. It was located in a convenient area and the facilities were adequate as well. Still, he was only planning on staying there until he found his own place.It was misty as Noah parked his car at the apartment’s parking lot. He put a cigarette between his lips, but left it unlit.He was holding Zoe’s hands.They had been apart for six years. Zoe was a mother now, but their bond was as strong as ever. The way he saw it, she was still the same younger sister who followed him everywhere. “Noah!” she called out to him softly. They were the only ones in the car. It was the perfect place for them to talk about anything private and confidential, such as the issues revolving around Mason and Liam. Looking out the windshield, Noah told his side of the story with a dour face. “Dad was rather ruthless when he was acquiring one of the companies back then. In a way, the acquisition caused the former owner
Zoe didn’t return home immediately. Instead, she sat in her car quietly, trying to come to grips with what she had just learned. It was the middle of the night and she was about to drive off when she saw a familiar silhouette in front of her car. It was none other than the person she had just been discussing with her brother. Liam looked sharp in a formal suit, reminiscent of noblemen of yore. He stared at Zoe quietly. At that moment, he had probably stopped pretending to be someone he wasn’t. He could tell from Zoe’s eyes that she finally knew who he really was. On the other hand, Zoe was staring at him, tears in her eyes. Then, she stepped on the gas pedal fiercely.He didn’t try to dodge out of the way. Instead, he stared at the white car intensely as it tore through the road and charged straight at him. A flurry of emotions was coursing through his mind as he regarded the oncoming car.No one knew how much he had wrestled with himself for the past few years.He had fallen
Mason had been holding his breath for her answer for the entire day. He hadn’t expected her to reject him and push him away.His heart sank at what she said, but he didn’t respond to this matter. Today was her birthday. So, he told her that she’d find the gifts from her friends and business associates in the fitting room. She didn’t want to kill the mood entirely, so she forced a smile and said, “I’ll open them up after I’ve taken a shower!”Pulling her toward him, he ran his hands across her dress provocatively and said in a husky voice, “Let’s shower together!”However, she rejected him. “I’m on my period!”He stared at her intensely before swooping her up and carrying her into the bathroom. Needless to say, he wasn’t about to force himself on her when she was having a period. Again, it was her birthday today. All he ever wanted was to make her happy. What he didn’t know was that the better he treated her, the guiltier she got. With that said, she didn’t regret her decision o