Zoey couldn't actually tell if he was drunk. She zoned out even though she was forced to sit on his lap. “Oh,” she said. She’d been tricked into going there. The manager had called her repeatedly and made it sound like Laurence was completely unconscious. “Then please let go of me. I want to go home and sleep,” said Zoey, but Laurence acted as if he’d heard nothing, and his face was expressionless. She paused and added, “Can you change my alias in your contacts? Then the manager won't call me next time.” He could find anyone he wanted in situations like this, as long as it wasn't her. Laurence's alcohol tolerance wasn’t low, but it wasn’t very high either. He hadn't drunk as much as he had that night in two years. At that moment, he wasn't listening to her seriously, just staring at her red lips as his gaze grew darker. It wasn't an appropriate place, and Laurence didn't have a hobby of kissing her in public. He wasn't interested in being spectated. He suppressed his urge subtly and
It seemed like one could cut the tension with a knife, but Laurence wasn't angered by his words. He said, “Isn't that the whole point of a secret marriage?” Shawn fell silent. Laurence didn't show much emotion on his face as he lifted his glass and took a sip. “Don't tell me that you went to block her way every time you brought your pals with you after school.”Shawn’s face didn't show any reaction, but he flung the lighter he was fiddling with onto the table with a loud bang. Laurence raised an eyebrow. He’d thought Shawn could remain unaffected and continue being an emotionless madman. To think of it, Shawn had already started acting unusually in high school. For as long as he’d known Shawn, Laurence had always thought he was abnormal. He was paranoid, stubborn, and maniacal. Someone who could do anything. Back then, Shawn had shown no interest in anything. People like him didn't have to worry about their futures, much less about their studies, because things were already set for
Zoey seldom hated anybody because she always believed that the world was a good place. Everybody had their own hardships, and she was always willing to put herself in other people's shoes when assessing a problem. She would forgive their actions because they probably didn't mean them, and it was probably their last resort. Hating someone took a lot of strength, and hatred could warp one's character. Even so, she really couldn't seem to control her emotions at that moment. She didn't want to be that way, either. Zoey only realized that Jessica had something more to say after she finished speaking. “What is it, Miss Myers?”Jessica looked at the man standing by the door under the shafts of light. His expression was so calm that it frightened her a little. She shook her head and said, “Nothing.” The door of the conference room shut quietly. Zoey didn't know that Laurence had come in and was standing right behind her. She glanced at her watch and said, “Miss Myers, if there's nothing el
Even Rose wanted to applaud Zoey's comeback. Sarah's expression grew ugly immediately after hearing what Zoey said, and she no longer bothered to act like a saint. Zoey turned around and was about to leave, but Old Mrs. Jenner grabbed her sleeve. “Zoey, is that how you should talk to your sister?” Old Mrs. Jenner had just arrived from her hometown, and she couldn't bear to see someone acting more authoritatively than her. Especially not Zoey, who was acting like a rich princess and a bully as if the Fulton family was still in their heyday when in truth, the Fultons had gone bust ages ago! Not only did Old Mrs. Jenner hate the Fultons, but she was also very closed-minded. She was more biased toward boys. Although she didn't dote on Sarah, she hated Zoey even more! She couldn't even bear the sight of Zoey because she reminded her of Robert's miserable days as the Fultons' son-in-law. Zoey felt nothing for her grandmother. Old Mrs. Jenner had never given her any pocket money in her ch
Laurence loosened his tie and looked at her plainly. “I'm going to take a shower first.” Zoey slowly came to her senses at his words, as if she understood why he had come home that night. It was most likely to satisfy his human needs.Zoey was a little tired that night, and she thought it wasn’t going to be easy to satisfy Laurence in bed. She sighed and opened the bedside drawer to check for condoms. She saw a few boxes left and thought it should be enough, at least to get past that night. She'd already showered once much earlier, and she thought she'd ask Laurence to go faster if she had no other choice. She had to go to the construction site the next day, and there were a few crucial materials that had to be changed. She was really very busy, much busier than when she'd worked as his secretary. Zoey felt quite happy with her current lifestyle and didn't want any disruptions.Laurence was done with his shower and had put on his pajamas and blow-dried his hair. His soft, black hai
It wasn’t as if Laurence had never learned the meaning behind the word “goodnight”. It was a little childish and somewhat covert way to say I love you. There were many inexpressible affections buried within the details that went unnoticed. It was apparent to Laurence that something inside him had changed. Yet he had no words to describe the feeling. Still, something felt different. The woman in his arms had drifted away into dreamland. Perhaps she was having a beautiful dream of sunshine and rainbows. With her head resting against his arm, she fell into a deep slumber. Laurence’s mind often wandered to the subtleties during downtimes. She used to always whisper earnest goodnights to him. It sounded so sincere every time the word came out of her mouth. He lowered his head to kiss her by the corner of her lips, tempted to ask her whether she meant that she loved him. Alas, there was no turning back to the past. It was pointless to ask the question now. All that
It was dull at the building site. Zoey and Jim were busy at work. Laurence knew nothing about the nature of the work to give his two cents. Nevertheless, he didn’t find it boring at all. Laurence stayed there quietly without bothering Zoey. Zoey’s face looked tiny under the helmet. With spare time on her hands at last, Zoey crouched down and drew something on a discarded plank. A dizzy spell overcame her when she got up, probably from the low blood sugar. Laurence put his hands against her waist to hold her up. “Watch out.” Despite feeling uneasy, Zoey whispered a “thank you” to him. She then fished out a few candies from her bag and absent-mindedly ate a couple. Laurence took a glance at the drawing on the plank, finding it rather adorable. Come to think of it, Zoey was more than capable of finding a good job after graduating from college if she hadn’t become his secretary. The lot stayed on site until the afternoon. Jim wanted to buy them lunch, but as soon as the suppl
Laurence calmly relayed the information before turning to Zoey. After much silence, he asked, “Is she really your grandmother?” Unable to deny the blood ties, Zoey nodded her head. “Yes. She is.” Old Mrs. Jenner had accomplished what she’d set out to do. Zoey was put on the spot and beyond humiliated. “Why?” Zoey inquired. “You don’t look alike.” Laurence gave it a thought before giving his two cents. Balling her fists, Zoey drew a deep breath. The humiliation shouldn’t get to her, as this wasn’t the first time Laurence had seen her at her worst. “I’m not close with her.” In the end, Zoey added the statement. It didn’t sit well with Old Mrs. Jenner because she couldn’t stand to see things going well for others. The old lady could comfort herself by thinking that even if Zoey’s husband had a bit of money, he must be an ugly old man. It was tough on Old Mrs. Jenner as she was married to one. Now it appeared Zoey’s husband was neither old nor ugly. Not only that, but Zoey’
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