The reporter had only one hour to conduct the interview, and the time ran out as soon as she finished asking those questions. Mathew courteously led her and the cameramen to the lift. “We’ve to review all published articles, so please send yours to my email before publishing it.” As it was not easy to secure the interview, the reporter dared not to complain about it even if she wanted to. “Okay, I will. See you next time.” “Goodbye.” Matthew saw them off and was about to go to Laurence’s office when he suddenly came to a halt. After thinking about it, he changed his mind and returned to his office. “There’s no hurry in reporting to the CEO. Besides, his wife is still with him, and it’s best not to disturb them,” he thought. In the CEO’s office, Zoey felt embarrassed. Laurence had been staring at her wordlessly since the reporter had left. She wanted to turn and leave, but she still had an hour before she could leave work. After a while, she tried to sound calm, sayi
Janet was confused by his question, and her smile faded. She wondered if they just shared the same name.She still remembered how young Zoey liked playing with Shawn. That little boy was like her tail, following her everywhere. He skipped classes often too. He was thin, just like a pet that had been injured before, and pitiful since nobody cared about him. He was always with Zoey because she was his only friend. When his parents came to pick him up, he'd cling tightly to Zoey, unwilling to leave. Zoey thought her arm would fall off.After a while, Janet asked, "Are you Shawn Zuckman?""Yes.""Then I should be right." His question had her baffled. Since it seemed like he didn’t remember anything, Janet started questioning if her memory had failed her. After all, she'd been lying here for many years, so she couldn't be sure. "I may have gotten it wrong as well.""Is that right?" Shawn's knuckles turned whiter.Janet replied, "Yeah, I still have a headache. There are some things
Shawn gripped Zoey’s arm tightly and stared at her icily. “Did we really not know each other?”His grip was much stronger than an average man’s. Zoey felt like her arm would be crushed soon. The pain caused her to frown. “I didn’t know you before. How do you not know that?” She thought that he would probably never regain his memories of their childhood. Perhaps that was for the best. Zoey looked down, her long lashes casting a shadow on her face. She pursed her red lips. “I really never met you before high school.”Shawn looked at Zoey closely, observing her expression. Even though he couldn't notice any signs of her lying, he knew that she wasn't telling the truth. Zoey’s mother had just woken up, so she couldn’t have been lying.Shawn was very curious about Laurence’s past with her.“Are you very disappointed, Mr. Zuckman?” Zoey tried to agitate him so that he would let her go.“No. I’m just curious.”Shawn slowly let go of her, and Zoey immediately stepped back from him. She wanted
After breaking the news to her, Zoey anxiously waited for her mother to respond.During the silence, she came up with a bunch of lies about what a loving couple she and Laurence were, hoping to convince her mother that they'd gotten married because they loved each other and that she was living a happy life with him.Janet sighed after a few more seconds. She looked at her daughter’s frantic expression and gently asked, “So you’re married?”“Yes.”“Does he treat you well?” Janet wasn't interested in anything else. All she wanted to know was whether her daughter was being cared for.Zoey lowered her gaze and nodded. “He treats me very well.”It wasn’t a complete lie; though he was mainly violent toward her, there were also times when he was nice to her.Zoey thought back to when she and Laurence had just gotten married. They'd lived in relative harmony, perhaps because they hadn't interacted much with each other back then.She'd kept within her boundaries, and he'd also been courteous to
Zoey didn’t understand him. Nothing she said pleased him, and, like a child, he never made an effort to hide his annoyance. It was as if he was worried that Zoey wouldn’t know that he was upset.She was already trying her best to say the things that he wanted to hear, but he was never satisfied.Laurence looked at her, and the corners of his mouth were slightly curled up. She stubbornly kept her gaze lowered and stared at his shadow on the ground instead of looking at him.Seeing this, his eyebrows furrowed in displeasure.Laurence’s grip was strong as he pinched her chin with his icy fingers to raise her face. “Are you ignoring me?”After all this time, Zoey had learned how to lie to him naturally. She blinked innocently and said, “No.”Laurence stared into her eyes, trying to figure out what she was thinking. After a while, he said, “I was the one wrongfully accused of doing things I didn’t do, so why do you look like the one who was wronged instead?”Before Zoey could answer,
Zoey thought she'd misheard him asking her to get lost because Laurence very rarely used such rough language with her. She was nonplussed before getting her senses back, and she nodded. She turned around to leave without saying anything. She hadn't wanted to come, and she wouldn't have known that he was sick if Matthew hadn't told her. She couldn't be bothered to give him any opportunity to insult or humiliate her. Zoey went out the door and thoughtfully closed it for him before leaving. She walked down the stairs, and just as she reached the living room, he grabbed her wrist from behind. His grasp was hot, and he was gripping her wrist so tightly as if he were afraid she would disappear in the next second. Zoey stood where she was stiffly, already knowing who was gripping her hand without turning around. Laurence still had a high fever, but he'd fought against the discomfort and chased after her down the stairs. He shouldn't have chased after her and just let her leave. Howe
Their kissing turned into chaos. Zoey nearly fell off the couch a few times, and she was wearing a dress, which made it easier for him. Sunlight shone in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and Zoey felt so ashamed that she couldn't open her eyes. Their clothes were still immaculate, but the couch was a mess. She used all her strength to grip his hand and called out in a pleading tone for him to stop. But how could he possibly listen to her? He patted her back in consolation insincerely and said, "Nobody can see us, and nobody will know."Zoey felt hot all over, and she could no longer take it. They finally finished after a long time, and she needed a moment to catch her breath. Her pale face was now flushed, and she fought against the soreness to sit up and smooth out her dress. As she got up, Laurence asked her where she was going."I'm going to take a bath." Laurence nodded, but he was still worried that she would leave. "Go to the master bedroom," he said. Zoey felt slig
Zoey was lost in her thoughts for a long time. Laurence was drawing her in again. His words were like the apple from the fairy tale—she wouldn't know it was poisoned until she ate it. She looked down at her feet, wishing she could escape this place. If he had said those words to her a long time ago, she would've been ecstatic and eager to reciprocate. However, she no longer seemed to love him as much as before. One couldn't mend a broken mirror as if it had never broken before. It would no longer be flawless. Could she really forget everything that had happened? She couldn't. She really couldn't. Perhaps she wasn't so wise yet that she could let everything go when she pleased. Sometimes, she couldn't stop herself from remembering those painful memories. A heartless lawyer, ruthless terms, the icy operation table, and the pain she'd suffered were all carved into her memory. He'd abandoned her without a second thought. She wished fervently to forget those images, but she couldn
Ryan had a reason for barging into the room. He thought he had seen something he shouldn't have.He had witnessed Zoey's relationship with his brother over the past few years. He hadn't thought so many things would happen between them when they got married.In the end, Laurence fell for her.The high and mighty guy had willingly become the loser for that woman.Zoey could tell from Ryan's reaction that he had misunderstood. Without bothering to explain, she walked straight out of the office.Laurence ignored Ryan, too. He treated Ryan as if he didn't exist and strode out the door after Zoey. Ryan was left alone in the office, dumbfounded.Laurence's assistant greeted him politely. "Are you here for ..."Ryan was still in a daze. He snapped to his senses and said, "I'm here to see my brother!""Mr. Scott just left.""I saw that.""Then, is there anything else I can do for you?"Ryan turned around to leave but returned halfway. He put his arm around the assistant's shoulder as
Zoey could feel the gazes on her as she stepped into the office. There were hardly any familiar faces left in the office.She secretly sighed in relief. She would have felt awkward and at a loss if she had to face the inquisitive gazes of acquaintances.Laurence held Zoey's hand, and she had no choice but to let him do as he pleased. She couldn't resist him.They entered Laurence's office. His office looked cold and plain, just like he was.Zoey noticed he was still grabbing her wrist. She took a deep breath and asked, "Where should I sit?"Perhaps surprised by her sudden cooperative attitude, Laurence raised an eyebrow. After a pause, he kindly reminded her, "The door is locked."Without a key, the door couldn't be opened from the inside.Zoey tried to pull her wrist away. "Got it."Laurence watched her sit on the sofa, and he relaxed slightly. He asked politely, "Would you like something to drink?"Zoey was momentarily lost in thought. She replied, "Warm water will do"Laur
Zoey was composed. She didn't seem worried about Laurence investigating her past in Novarvia. But deep down, she wasn't confident.Laurence had long lost any moral boundaries. Despite knowing she was married, he showed no concern about interfering in her marriage. He would likely become even more audacious and unrestrained if he discovered that her marriage was fake.Just the thought of it gave Zoey a headache. She never thought getting rid of someone would be so difficult, even if they held a certain position of power. Shaking him off became increasingly challenging.Lost in her contemplation, Zoey failed to notice the driver had changed direction. When she finally realized, the car was parked at the entrance of the Scott Group.Zoey pondered briefly. She thought the driver was sending Laurence off. She waited patiently and remained seated in the car.The man beside her calmly looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you getting out?"Zoey furrowed her brows. "Why should I?"
Sarah always seemed like she was thriving. Looking radiant, she hooked arms with the man beside her. She no longer looked as worn as she had a few months ago.Laurence was acquainted with the man beside her. His gaze was indifferent, showing neither surprise nor much emotion. Firmly grabbing Zoey's hands, Laurence wouldn't let her leave his side.Laurence had no intention of greeting Sarah or engaging with William. He held Zoey's hand, seemingly aware she didn't want to deal with them either. He turned his face to her and said, "Let's go."Zoey didn't refuse. They left quietly.This time, Sarah didn't stop Zoey. She usually tried provoking her.Once they were far away, Zoey immediately shook off Laurence's hand. He saw her furrowed brows and the undisguised disgust in her eyes. She must have hated Sarah a lot. She didn't even want to see her.Laurence explained, "I didn't know she would be here today."Zoey ignored him and walked ahead. The man behind her suddenly circled he
Zoey had no idea whether she was acting out of spite or being stubborn, but she arrived at the restaurant as promised. The restaurant had a private courtyard that offered great privacy. She didn't want to cause the person she was meeting any trouble. Neil's wife was once Zoey's client. Both parties were pleased with the business transaction. Zoey didn't like socializing, but she was out of alternatives. She forced herself to befriend Neil's wife. She had something to ask of Neil because her passport application had been dragging on without any progress. Zoey didn't want to lose control of her emotions again. She could still keep her cool if she stayed away from Laurence. To her surprise, Laurence had found out what she had been secretly up to. It was like he had installed a bug on her. She was horrified. "I've heard a lot of good things about you, Ms. Jenner." "You're too kind, Mr. Jackson." Neil was nicer than she expected. He didn't act superior or avoid the topic. Inst
Zoey ended the phone call. Without having to ask, Zoey knew what was going on when she saw Laurence. Needless to say, Laurence had taken the liberty to take the morning off for her. She couldn't be bothered to be angry. Instead, she felt numb as it had happened too many times before. Zoey looked down at her changed pajamas and turned to the man by the bed. She asked, "Where are my clothes?" Laurence met her gaze. He didn't feel embarrassed at all. "They were in the wash. They are in the dryer now." Zoey lifted the bed covers and stepped onto the carpet. She made a beeline for the walk-in closet, which was filled with many clothes she hadn't taken with her when she'd left years ago. She picked an outfit and put it on. Laurence was still in the bedroom when she walked out of the walk-in closet. He put on his tie and looked over at her. She glanced at him and said, "You should've woken me up last night." Laurence approached her. He was tall and looked sharp in his suit, with
Zoey was fast asleep. She thought she was dreaming when someone lifted her up. Her body clock over the last few days had been regular. She was going to bed early. Now, she couldn't keep her eyes open. Maybe she went back to sleep because she didn't sense any danger.Laurence hooked his arm behind Zoey's knees in a cradle and pulled her arm over his neck to secure her from falling. She mumbled in her sleep. He guessed that she was dreaming.Laurence couldn't hear what she was saying. He leaned in with his ear near her lips, but her mumbling stopped.The chauffeur, dedicated to his job, was on standby outside. Seeing his employer in the distance, he opened the door respectfully.Laurence carried Zoey into the car. The chauffeur closed the car door and glanced again at the woman in his employer's arms from the rear-view mirror. She looked familiar, but he didn't want to make any assumptions. "Where to, sir?" The chauffeur couldn't read his employer's mind, so he was careful not to
The bar wasn't too far from the restaurant. It was less than a ten-minute drive away. Laurence refused to let go of Zoey's wrist. He was bold to show off their closeness even though it was inappropriate. The others could hardly take their eyes off the couple. It was drama in the flesh. If they remembered correctly, Zoey had denied their relationship online two days before. She had even announced her marriage to someone else to set the record straight. What was going on? They had a hunch about the situation, judging by the resistance on Zoey's face. Maybe her ex-husband wouldn't leave her alone. The man seemed relentless in his pursuit. Nevertheless, it was not their business to get involved. At the end of the day, it was between Zoey and Laurence. Everybody quieted down and sobered up. The group caught a cab to the destination. Laurence shamelessly invited himself to join the group, and no one objected, not even politely. They weren't fools. They wouldn't offend the man for
Zoey felt a tingling sensation along her ear. It felt as if she had been electrocuted. Laurence's tone was half-joking, but there was seriousness behind it. He was ready to tell on her to her husband the moment she nodded. Zoey had lost her patience with him a long time ago. She couldn't help but snap back every time. She looked up. Her face was small. She was about to tell him to get lost when the man took the chance to deepen the kiss. He squeezed her chin, forcing her to part her lips to let him in. Zoey was pinned against the wall. His scorching breath took hers away. She was trapped like prey in a snare. The more she struggled, the tighter his grip became.Laurence didn't stop with a brief kiss. He didn't give Zoey room to breathe, and she could feel her limbs going weak. Her tongue was going numb. The woman opened her mouth, gasping for air. She hung onto his collar to stop herself from going limp. The man was always greedy. He could never get enough of her. Zoey had