Matthew had worked for Laurence for many years, but he had rarely seen such a dark expression on the CEO’s face. He felt as if the temperature in the room had fallen a few degrees. He didn't know who Laurence was talking to on the phone, but they could ruin his mood so drastically in minutes.Laurence was so furious that his chest ached like a fire burned in it. However, he had started it. He gripped his phone so hard that his knuckles turned white. He let out a cold laugh and smirked, suppressing his rage and saying nonchalantly into the phone, "You really impress me. I must say, you have my respect."Zoey said, "I must find a way to continue living my life, mustn't I?" She felt exhausted and no longer wanted to bother with him. She hung up and put her phone face-down on the table. Arielle couldn't stop herself from slapping the table and bellowing, "How could he be so rude? Why are his words so venomous? He's so ruthless that I really can't stand him!" Zoey comforted Arielle as i
Based on Laurence’s character, on the day he had kicked down the door of the hotel room, he and Zoey should’ve met at the Bureau of Civil Affairs the next day to sign their divorce papers. It was bound to happen sooner or later. "He absolutely loathes me. And yet, he refuses to divorce me," Zoey mused.She said it in such a light-hearted way that it felt like she was talking about someone else’s relationship, and not her own. She seldom confided in anyone, as she was used to bottling everything up in her heart, but tonight was different. "He always treats me like shit and has that look of disgust on his face when he looks at me. So why does he refuse to let me go?" Zoey lamented."Well, it could be that he’s the one who’s unwilling to let you go too, you know. Perhaps it could be that he doesn’t want it to end just like that?" Arielle said cautiously. Her bestie Zoey was just too beautiful, gentle, and lovely. It’d be the loss of so many people if they didn’t fall for her. And
Zoey wasn’t going to acknowledge the fake words coming from Rick’s mouth. He noticed her cold expression and sneered, “Don’t you believe me?” She didn't want to continue this argument. Expressionless, she reminded him, "Rick Preston, it probably isn't good for the Preston family to find out we go way back.” His mother died in truly questionable circumstances. He probably didn't want his misdeeds revealed. Rick smiled. "Indeed, it's not. But the Preston family only have me now." That was why even though they looked down on him as an illegitimate son, they still brought him back home from abroad. Zoey retorted, "Are you sure your father has no other illegitimate children out there?" The way she spoke with a tense, serious expression was reminiscent of Laurence. Not only in the indifferent gaze they shared, but even their aura was similar. She smiled again and continued, “Mind your own business when you have your own problems to solve.” Rick was rendered speechless. Masking
Laurence spoke through gritted teeth, and his tone didn't sound very pleasant.Zoey winced as Laurence pinched her face. He stared at her with cold eyes as if trying to bore a hole through her. Zoey thought he was becoming too moody. His temper had worsened lately. In any case, it was best not to provoke him. She had already tried her best not to.Laurence released his frustration, and his expression softened. "Forget it. I won't bring him up with you," he dismissed.Zoey's chin was sore as she pulled away from his grip. The skin on her face where he had pinched burned red. She furrowed her brow and accused him, "You hurt me."Laurence took two steps forward and pretended to inspect her face. "Let me take a look."Zoey instinctively took a few steps back and remained silent.Laurence had indeed pinched her too hard. It was no surprise if he had really caused her pain. His thumb was always hard and cold like a stone.Zoey walked past him to enter the hallway and pressed the eleva
Sweat appeared on Zoey’s forehead due to her furious struggle. Gradually, she sensed the change in Laurence as she heard his low voice calm down. She quietly lied on the couch and stared at him. “Get up,” she said.Laurence wasn’t one to listen to her, and he trapped her in his embrace, unable to move. Zoey was angry; she wouldn’t have anything to say if Laurence had waited for her downstairs just to sleep with her. She looked at him exasperatedly. “If you cling to me like this, I’m going to suspect that you just can’t leave me.”Laurence’s gaze stilled, and he dug his thumbs harder into her face. A moment of silence later, he let out a cold chuckle. “Who do you think you are?”Zoey let out a huge breath. This couldn’t get any better. She continued to rile him up. “So what are you doing now?”“Can’t I torment you?” Laurence asked as he dug his hands into her chin, his grip not at all gentle.Zoey turned her face away, not wanting to look at him. “Is there a limit to how long thi
Zoey was surprised by the helplessness she detected in Laurence’s voice and wondered if her ears were playing tricks on her. He really didn’t seem to want her to bring that up again.She went quiet. Reopening old wounds didn’t feel great. So she got up and returned to her bedroom to wash up. As the tap ran, Zoey absentmindedly checked herself in the mirror. The mirror was misted up, causing her reflection to be blurry. She rubbed at the mirror, only to find out that she looked far better than before, much to her surprise. It was probably because she'd had time to process and think things through.Zoey then took a shower, only leaving the bathroom once she'd partially dried her hair. The door to the bedroom was ajar, and the lights in the living room were still on. Laurence was still there, seemingly making a phone call in the living room. Zoey glanced at the clock. If he hadn’t left by now, he was probably going to stay for the night.Zoey closed the bedroom door, cutting off Lauren
Zoey still hadn't found a job. However, she was determined in her pursuit of a new job, unwilling to believe that Laurence could have so much power over her life.After a break, Zoey went to the shopping mall toilet to swap her high heels out for a pair of flats that she'd just bought to continue job hunting.Finally, at 3 pm, Zoey got an invitation for an interview.The invitation was from a well-known entertainment company, and the job opening was for the position of manager.Zoey wasn’t particularly interested in being a manager for a celebrity, but she accepted it since she hadn't received other offers. After all, beggars couldn't be choosers.Zoey got the company address and hastily made her way there using the subway.Perhaps it was because the entertainment company was well known, but it was situated in the busiest area of the city.She called the human resources department once she arrived at the company. The staff quickly rushed to greet her, looking more excited for th
Zoey knew Shawn had lost his memories. Although she didn’t know what caused it, he'd forgotten everything that had happened back then. Zoey remained quiet for a moment. “Would you believe me if I told you?” Shawn stared into her eyes, not knowing what kind of answers he wanted to hear from her. Someone had deliberately removed his memories of what had happened in Southgrove.He couldn’t remember anything, and every time he tried to recall something, his brain hurt like it was being electrocuted. He could only rely on other means to investigate. However, almost all traces of that past had been removed. Shawn was almost certain that he'd known her in Southgrove, and she was kind of like an old friend. “Try me.” Zoey had no idea why he wanted to know about the past, as it was pointless now. “It doesn’t matter if he remembers or not,” she thought.“Yes, we did. So what?” Pursing his lips, Shawn remained quiet for a while, but she seemed reluctant to offer more info
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