Zoey kept her word and sent Laurence’s mother a message the next morning. In the text, she said that she was still young and had just started her career. So, she was not ready to have a child yet. She put all the blame on herself and not on Laurence. This was so that Laurence could not find fault with her regarding the issue.It wasn’t that Mrs. Scott really wanted a grandchild she could care for. She simply thought Laurence and Zoey’s relationship would improve if they had a child. She knew that her son was too cold and distant. If he had a child, maybe he would change for the better. Perhaps he would become a good husband and father.After seeing Zoey’s text message, she sighed and went on to nag her son again. “Look at you. I’m sure you’re not considerate and caring enough to Zoey. That must be why she doesn’t want to have a child.”Laurence was already in a bad mood. When he saw his mother’s text, his expression soured even more.“She had such a difficult past. She needs someone wh
Was Sarah doing fine? Heck, she was living the best life!She was living it up, and the world revolved around her. Sarah never had to worry about living paycheck to paycheck. Instead of giving Jason a straight answer, Zoey was careful to pick up on her uncle’s facial cues. “Uncle Jason, what’s with the sudden interest in her?” Jason raised his eyebrow and answered curiously, “I was just asking.” He added, “It seems she’s been doing well for herself over the years.” It didn’t take rocket science to figure out that Sarah would be in good hands with her father. Jasmine’s heart of stone hid behind her kind and compassionate façade. The woman grinned and bore through the years before finally flipping the script to her advantage. Of course, Jasmine would give her only daughter the world. Zoey gave it some thought before answering, “She’s being held in custody. She should be out in a couple of days.” Sensing Zoey’s reluctance to talk about Sarah, Jason ended the conversation there
Zoey was dismissive toward Laurence on the phone. Picking up on her half-hearted attitude, Laurence grew furious. His mood swings had worsened since the day he had been foolish enough to bring kids up in the conversation. Zoey spoke in hushed tones as if she did not want to be caught dead talking to him. “I’ll be back a little later today.” Laurence scoffed in rage. “Oh, so you do know you have a home. I thought you’d turned your back on me now that your uncle is out of jail.” Zoey had to get over his snide remark. Laurence hung up before Zoey could speak. It was as though he wanted nothing to do with her. Zoey saw red. She kept reminding herself that she had four months to go. Only four months until the insufferable marriage was over. Laurence was out of excuses to threaten her this time. Once the contract was up, Zoey would not violate the terms when she cut ties with him. …The day of Sarah’s release from the detention center came.Robert sent a car to pick her up.
Laurence appeared composed as he tore into Zoey. The words coming out of his mouth were biting. His remarks aside, it was hard to tell that Laurence was having a fit by the sound of his tone alone. Zoey could read the bitter resentment from his icy tone. Furrowing her brows, she took some time to regain color in her face. The last thing she wanted to do was fight. She didn’t want to get the silent treatment as she’d rather not be at odds with Laurence. All she wanted was for their relationship to resume as it was for the last four months of their marriage. Zoey believed she was no different in how she acted in Laurence’s presence, now or before. She remained courteous and distant, keeping him at arm’s length just as Laurence preferred. She fell silent for a while before taking a seat and picking up the cutlery to cut into the steak. She ate the steak bite by bite. Holding down the urge to puke, Zoey slowly swallowed the food. Laurence watched her quietly. The light hit his stra
Zoey stared blankly at the gastrointestinal medicine and sighed before putting it into the drawer. There was a lot of rain and thunder that night. Zoey tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep through the rolling thunder. Amid her haziness, she woke up to splashing sounds coming from the bathroom. She'd turned off the lamp on her bedside table before going to bed, but somehow, it was now lit. The lamp offered a faint radiance to the bedroom. Zoey slipped further under the sheets and fell back asleep. It didn't take long before the covers beside her were lifted, and a cold and stiff body lay next to hers. The man reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist. Thinking she was dreaming, Zoey struggled to open her tired eyes and spoke in a voice thick with weariness, “Why are you back?” Did he not say he wouldn't be coming home tonight? Come to think of it, he'd stormed off. Zoey was then reminded of the tiny details, like the unfamiliar scent she'd caught a whiff
Thrown into a fluster, Sarah quietly sat on the bed and clutched her phone tightly in her grasp. She could call for help at the first sign of trouble. Shawn hadn't come in peace. Apart from his slightly hollowed cheeks, the man looked no different. Shawn entered the ward and offhandedly closed the door before locking it behind him. The clicking sound of the lock only made Sarah anxious. Sarah knew from her mother’s stabbing incident that Shawn had pieced the whole thing together.Shawn had been under her thumb throughout the years and had never gone against her wishes. Sarah was aware of his many dirty deeds behind the scenes. He had resorted to torturous measures in dealing with those who were a threat to Sarah back in school. Time had only honed his skills in the shady business. Because of his fondness for Sarah, Shawn had been willing to go the extra mile and make sacrifices. The man indolently stood before Sarah. Sarah spoke first, asking, “What are you trying to d
Sarah became frightened. She would have no reason to live if this lunatic ordered the men outside the door to violate her. With tears streaming down her face, Sarah moved forward and grabbed his sleeve. Her eyes met his. “I was wrong, but I was young back then. I didn’t know you'd confused me for someone else until the day your mother came forward to me.” Sarah choked with sobs. “It’s not like the Jenners can afford to upset your family anyway. I had to take your mom’s word for it. Who was I to say no to her? She told me to say only what was necessary and nothing more. I was supposed to be your instrument.” She mixed the truth with lies. Her eyes were puffy from crying. “Over the years, never once have I instructed you to harm her, except in one incident... But in a way, I gave you what you wanted.” Sarah was talking about her plan to take what was most precious to Zoey, and Shawn was an accomplice. When Sarah brought up the matter, Shawn sneered and strengthened his hold
Shawn fell silent for a while before snickering out of nowhere. “I was an asshole, but I can’t beat the time you forced her to get an abortion.” Sparks were flying. Laurence stood before Shawn against the light. His facial expression was visible in the dim light, only revealing his aloofness through his tensed facial lines. His eyes glistened with murderous intent like those of a beast ready to pounce. He pressed his lips tightly together. The remark got Laurence where it hurt, and the pain confused him. It hurt no less than a knife in his heart. Still, he held it together, apart from a slight discoloration on his skin. He said, “She and I will have children.” Laurence added with a blank face, “We can have as many children as we want. Thanks for asking.” Shawn kept to himself. Laurence glanced at Shawn before turning to the woman behind him, who seemed fine. “I’m a busy man. I should get going if this circus is over.” He advanced to the door and stopped before look
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