Looking back, there were no happy memories. Zoey could only live a carefree life when she was around 16 to 17 years old. Summer at that time made up her most memorable days.Apart from her mother's medical expenses, she hadn't had any worries. Like any other teenager, she’d been occupied with secretly observing her crush.Zoey sat on the lounge chair in the company's lobby for a long time, feeling completely worn out. She looked at the passers-by aimlessly, most of whom were her colleagues working in haste.In the park opposite, there were children feeding pigeons and college students selling flowers as their part-time job.Zoey stared at the roses in their hands, and her thoughts drifted away.The Scott family had a backyard filled with roses. Yet, none of them belonged to her. After a while, Zoey stood up wearily and tightened her coat around herself. Most of her face was hidden behind her scarf as she covered herself securely.She approached the college students and reached out her
In an instant, Zoey’s blood ran cold.She held her breath and raised her trembling eyes to glance carefully at the paper in his hand.A gray image was printed on the white paper.The bezels were also clearly visible.Zoey stood stiffly in her spot. Her feet seemed to have been nailed to the ground and filled with lead, feeling so heavy that she couldn't even lift a foot.At that moment, she hardly dared to look at Laurence's expression.Zoey had shredded all the documents from the hospital to get rid of the evidence. The only thing she’d kept was the ultrasound image because she was reluctant to discard it–which she’d hidden in the drawer.She didn't even know how Laurence discovered the truth.Zoey forced herself to calm down, trying to convince herself that maybe it belonged to him and wasn’t hers.With clenched fists, she waited until her quivering breath stabilized before walking over slowly.Then, she started changing her clothes as if nothing had happened.Laurence didn't make a
The sharp edge of the paper nearly cut Zoey’s skin.She was caught off guard. The secret she’d been concealing for up to a month had been exposed so blatantly.Zoey took the paper from Laurence. She didn't read it but quietly put it away.After a long silence, she looked at him and said, "Yes, I'm pregnant."Alas, despite having hidden it for so long, the truth still had to see the light of day.In the past few days, she was constantly afraid that Laurence would discover her traces and that she would face his ruthlessness any second.Surprisingly, Zoey only felt peace now that he’d finally learned the truth.The heavy burden on her shoulders was put down at last.Zoey tasted bitterness on the tip of her tongue. While she didn't know what would happen next, she predicted that the consequences would be awful.It was impossible to have everything she wanted.All that was left were more broken relationships.She could vaguely discern the stern outline of Laurence’s profile in the dark. He
Crying helped Zoey release her pent-up emotions. Her eyes were completely red as she raised them to meet Laurence’s disinterested ones. “I’d planned to tell you about this in a few more days.”They were both adults, so they shouldn’t be childish and impulsive in making decisions. The child was innocent. A new life had been brought into this world because of her carelessness. Even if Zoey wanted the kid, she would still have to discuss things with Laurence. The life of a child born in a single-parent family wasn’t as rosy as what was depicted in television dramas. Zoey wouldn’t be able to provide her child with a comfortable life financially. On top of that, no matter how close of a relationship she had with her child, she couldn’t replace the role a father played in a family. Although Zoey had thought long and hard about all those factors, she wouldn’t force Laurence to fulfill his duties as a father. She would still raise the child alone if he wanted nothing to do with it.Laurence
Laurence sounded like a kind teacher who patiently and tactfully reminded her of the rules of the game, but in reality, he calmly and callously told her she’d breached the agreement between them. He expressed his disappointment at her lack of integrity without reserve.A buzzing sound filled Zoey’s ears. She took some time to process what Laurence had said.“A marriage contract, huh? He’s right. We were only ever bound by a contract. It was not love that led to our marriage. I guess he just thinks of me as a collaborator who ticks his boxes,” Zoey pondered.She took a deep breath and tried to speak. However, she only managed to open and close her mouth a few times, unable to find the words. Laurence simply took out a cigarette and lit it up in front of her. A crisp click came from the lighter as it produced a flickering flame. Ever since he came into power, he rarely smoked. He took a drag, and the bitter taste of tobacco filled his mouth. Zoey coughed twice upon inhaling the smoke.
“I don’t think of it that way,” Zoey explained.Laurence looked at her coldly. “Do you know the responsibilities parents have to bear?”His tone wasn’t aggressive. In fact, he sounded quite reasonable, and this made Zoey seem like the immature one.“I know.”“If so, why are you still holding on to unrealistic fantasies?” Laurence felt a little irritated, but at the same time, he thought he shouldn’t feel that way. “I’ll give you two choices. Talk to my lawyer yourself tomorrow.”Zoey nodded. “I know I shouldn’t be emotional but be more like you and deal with this calmly and rationally. But I’m a human, and humans have feelings,” she rambled, sounding like she was choking back tears.Indeed, humans can feel love and pain and cry when they feel sad. Not everyone could be like Laurence. She lifted a hand to wipe away her tears when she finished speaking her mind. “I’m going to sleep now,” said Zoey. After a slight pause, she added, “You should get some rest too, Mr. Scott.” She didn’t b
Laurence did give her two choices, after all. However, he used the most simple and direct way to deal with this matter. He was well aware that she couldn’t afford the damages for breaching the contract. Forget 80 million dollars, even 800 thousand dollars was an astronomical sum for her.Zoey fell silent.Damien was very patient. He didn’t urge her to make a decision immediately. After a while, he pushed the signed contract toward her, trying to negotiate with her. “Miss Jenner, based on what’s written here, your action constitutes a breach of contract.”Lawyers tended to look serious when they worked, but Zoey thought Damien looked mean. He was looking down on her condescendingly but concealing his arrogance discreetly. “Mr. Scott doesn’t intend to pursue the matter of your breach. It’s best for both parties to take a step back.”Zoey couldn’t really hear what Damien was saying; she could only see his mouth moving. Despite that, she knew what he’d just said was nothing good.Damien to
He glanced at Laurence after he said that. Unexpectedly, Laurence wasn’t as angry as he’d expected, just a little apathetic. He asked Damien to give him the contract he’d drafted. Before the working hours ended, Laurence invited Zoey to his office.“Are you free tonight?” he asked impassively.Zoey contemplated for a moment and nodded. “Yes.”“Shall we talk?” Laurence raised an eyebrow.She didn’t reject his request. Staring at him calmly, she replied, “Sure.”…Zoey chose an expensive restaurant that had fewer customers. Laurence disliked crowded places, so they opted for a private room.It was dinner time. Laurence sat opposite Zoey leisurely with his legs crossed. “Go on and order. We’ll talk after you’ve eaten.”Without hesitation, Zoey ordered all of the signature dishes the restaurant offered. However, she had a poor appetite, so she stopped eating and put down her fork after a few bites. On the other hand, Laurence didn’t touch the food. Instead, he poured some water for himself
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