Amanda was taken aback by Laurence’s reply for a few seconds. As quick-witted as she usually was, she was at a loss for words. She had no idea how to counter him. After careful thought, she realized there was no way to win against him. Amanda felt sorry for Zoey, but Sarah was more important to Laurence.Laurence averted his gaze before continuing bluntly, “When did you become so kind?”Amanda was surprisingly honest as she put on an innocent expression and answered, “I may be a spoiled rich girl, but the enemy of my enemy is my friend. It’s not like you don’t know how much I hate Sarah. Besides that idiot from the Cole family, does Sarah even have any friends?” Amanda rushed to add a well-known fact, “Didn’t all these women only befriend Sarah because they wanted you? She was a spoiled brat back then and still is one now.”Amanda felt foolish for saying all that to warn Laurence about how Sarah was the one behind the recent online rumors. Did Laurence really have no idea? Certainly
The call ended quickly. Zoey continued to stay at the cafe, which had yet to close for the night. The neon lights and street lights outside the window made the shadows on the ground stretch impossibly long. She was in no rush to return home, and she didn’t want to run into Laurence and his friends. She wasn’t close to Tristan, and Amanda was a stranger that she had only exchanged words with a few times.There was a mall nearby with a cinema on the sixth floor. Zoey went there and bought a ticket. Two hours at the cinema would kill a good amount of time. At this hour, most of the cinema-goers were young couples. Zoey was the only one alone. She chose to sit in a more private seat. When the movie started, she realized the main actress was a celebrity she liked, so she watched the entire film. Even with her fangirl glasses on, she had to admit that the movie was crap. She was exasperated—it seemed like every movie she had watched recently was bad.When the overhead lights came on, Zoey
Zoey truly believed that she wasn’t as happy as usual. It wasn’t a big deal, and the bad days would eventually pass. The cold breeze kept her mind alert. Through the door, she could see that the lights in the living room were still on. The security guards were respectful as they let her in.Zoey’s feet hurt after being in heels the whole day. Before entering the house, she politely asked, “Are the guests still in?”“They left half an hour earlier.”“I see.”Zoey pushed open the door and plucked her high heels off her feet, exchanging them for a pair of comfortable house slippers. The lights were on, but no one was in the living room. Laurence was most likely in bed already.Zoey bent down to rub her sore heels. After the pain had abated a little, she slowly went to the kitchen to get a glass of ice water. Grumbling about how it wasn’t cold enough, she dumped more ice cubes into her glass. After drinking it, she went upstairs. Light shone from under the door of the master bedroom
Meanwhile, Laurence was distracted at work as he listened to his employee’s report. He spun the pen between his fingers a few times before he pressed the tip to the paper and signed it. The employee from finance didn’t realize that Laurence hadn’t been listening until he had finished talking. They eyed each other, unsure how to continue.A few moments later, the employer gathered the courage to speak. “Mr. Scott, an auditing firm has been hired to re-audit the finances again. Mr. Langley still won’t admit that he was the one who hired that man as the head of finance. He claims that he has nothing to do with it.”Laurence was quiet for a moment before he gave a hum of affirmation. He said, “If the auditing firm finds anything wrong, report it to the police.”The employee wasn’t surprised. Laurence may seem even-tempered, but he was heavy-handed when doling out punishment. He usually didn’t show any mercy.The head of finance was James' nephew. Typically, anyone else would have spare
Laurence drove Zoey back to the main family residence for dinner. The drive was a little long as the house was in a different residential area, and the roads were packed due to rush hour. While they waited for the traffic light to turn green, Zoey couldn’t help but turn her head to look at Laurence. His slender fingers were beautiful and attention-grabbing, splayed out across the steering wheel. Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating his perfect features. The buttons of his shirt were undone, and his tie was loose. He was the complete opposite of his usual put-together self. It gave him a casual air.As Zoey withdrew her gaze, she heard him speak. “Next time, don’t get your check-ups at a hospital so far away from home.”Zoey understood what he really meant—he wanted her to go to one of the Scotts’ hospitals. Perhaps because he felt uneasy? Or perhaps he thought she had faked her results? Zoey wouldn’t do that. His lack of trust in her was a whole different matter.
Robert’s assistant wasn’t a naïve woman. Whenever Jasmine was there, she would keep a low profile and pretend to be a fragile little flower. Without anyone knowing, she ended up pregnant. She successfully hid it for the first three months of her pregnancy. Once the baby was safe from the risk of early miscarriage, she immediately flew abroad to check the baby’s gender. Upon finding out it was a boy, she immediately called Robert to inform him.Old Mrs. Jenner was beside herself with joy when she found out the assistant had given birth to a baby boy. All of the family’s assets would go to him. No one would be able to contest it. Meanwhile, Jasmine blew her top, but she still pretended to be a good, dutiful wife in front of Robert. Robert initially felt uneasy. After all, he had been married to his wife for so many years that an extramarital affair would indeed rock their marriage. Still, he wanted that son and had to deal with the assistant. He’d never expected Jasmine to be so underst
The new hearing aid was so compact that Zoey felt nothing when she had it on. She had never used such a good hearing aid. It had no annoying wires, and it didn’t feel irritatingly foreign in her ear. She tried to thank Laurence for his kindness, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn’t say it. They looked at each other in silence.Fortunately for Zoey, a servant knocked on the door at that moment to inform them that dinner was ready.Laurence unravelled his tie. He didn’t like being dressed so sharply all the time. He extended a hand to her. “Let’s go downstairs.”Zoey followed him, their fingers intertwined as they headed down. They looked very much like a loving married couple.Mrs. Scott kept placing more food onto Zoey’s plate. “Eat more,” she said.On the table was crab, Zoey’s favorite. Laurence put on a pair of disposable gloves before he began deshelling the crab. He did so artfully, making sure there was not a single bit of shell left on the flesh. After he was done, h
The karaoke joint was dark. This suited Zoey as no one could see her face, and she didn’t need to look at the others. Zoey sat on the sofa and dimmed her phone screen to the very lowest setting. Absent-mindedly, she scrolled through her news feed. She didn’t know what she could do here. She didn’t want to drink, and she wasn’t the greatest at poker. She also had no interest in participating in their games.Someone then brought the spotlight back to Zoey. “Hey, you were late. No way you’re getting off lightly.”Zoey silently clenched her fists. She felt uncomfortable being teased so casually when they weren’t close friends. Instinctively, her gaze darted over to Laurence. His face was impassive, seemingly unaffected by her predicament.Zoey gave it some thought. In the end, she decided to apologize. It seemed there wasn’t anything else she could say. She couldn’t even be bothered to explain herself. She pressed her lips together. “Sorry,” she said.Adrian Hayes stiffened upon hear
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