What was wrong with earning eight thousand dollars a month? It was not like that was all Jared was worth forever. Laurence was such a snob. Still, Jared was resilient to take the insult. He developed a thick skin through the banters with his friends. "We're living in the modern era. Men now stay at home while women go out to work. Do you have a problem with it?" He threw a biting remark, "I'll be a house husband and look after the child. I guess it's not a privilege you will enjoy, Mr. Scott." Laurence retorted, "I'm impressed with your blown-up ego." Jared was way ahead of himself to think about becoming a full-time house husband. Sparks were flying as the two men locked horns. Laurence gave Jared a look and pointed out, "I'd advise against making promises for things you cannot deliver. It's disheartening to give false hope." Jared got the message. Laurence was mocking him for building castles in the air. Not wanting the argument to continue, Zoey took a deep brea
Jasmine was disappointed with her daughter as the latter was not taking her seriously. "Can you show a bit more concern for your father's case?" Lifting her chin, Sarah looked at her mother. "Is there a point, Mom? The verdict is out." Personally, she felt a life sentence was better than a death sentence because he was her father, after all. Robert had always been nice to her throughout the years. Jasmine stared at Sarah in silence for a while. "Do you know how your father threatened me?" It never occurred to Jasmine that her daughter would still carry the hope that Robert was still family to her. Sarah should be like her, casting Robert away from their lives. For all they knew, Robert might get desperate and sell them out. Sarah gave a nod. "You told me the last time, but Dad won't indulge my deeds to Laurence. It serves him no purpose anyway." Jasmine balled her fists. She had pushed Robert into a situation that there was no turning back from. Robert was vindictive, a
Love was a need to possess. It was jealousy. Unrequited love tended to bring out the ugliness in people. Sure, Laurence was possessive of Zoey in the past, and his claim over her was based on nothing more than a fleeting urge. He could abandon her anytime because his possessiveness was not rooted in real feelings for her. Laurence struggled to accept the tenderness Zoey showed to her unborn child now. The child had stolen most of her attention and love before it was born, and the love would only run deeper after the birth. Laurence’s staring gave Zoey the creeps. Even without lifting her chin, she caught his burning gaze from the corner of her eye. She finally met his gaze, but Laurence showed no guilt for getting caught in the act. He asked nonchalantly, "What’s the matter?" Zoey looked away. "Nothing."A nurse entered the ward to redress her wound. The afternoon sun always seemed to cast a spell of fatigue. After taking her meds, Zoey’s eyelids felt heavy, courtesy of th
"Can you not touch my stuff without permission?" Zoey asked, exasperated.Her cutting remark silenced Laurence, and he pursed his lips. "I saw the books, so I wanted to ask." Zoey clutched the books to her chest and said stiffly, "I studied French a long time ago. I haven’t had time to hit the books since then.”While in college, she used to sit in on French classes in the foreign language school. It was not an easy language to learn. Laurence was skeptical. "I speak French. If you want to learn, I can teach you.”Zoey lowered her gaze before replying, "I have no interest now." French was a lot harder compared to English. The words Laurence had used were common ones she had picked up from sitting in on the French lessons. The lecturer taught the students in their first lesson—"Je t'aime." The sentence was neither complex nor challenging to learn. Zoey had her hands full in college, occupied with classes and her part-time job. Despite her packed schedule, she would make h
Zoey was caught off guard by the sudden visit. She hesitated before nodding. "Sure." On the way to the café, Zoey’s emotions were all over the place, ridden with guilt of getting caught red-handed. She had a sinking feeling Jared's parents had discovered her monthly payments of two thousand dollars to Jared. Zoey opened her mouth several times, at a loss as to how to explain herself. There was nothing she could say to deny the truth. Zoey found herself shameless, to be honest. As they entered the café and made their way to their table, Mr. and Mrs. Peyton remained courteous. They were mindful of her needs and spoke to her in a considerate manner. "Please sit." Jared's mother offered, pouring Zoey a cup a tea. She continued, "My son doesn't know I’ve come to see you today. Otherwise, he would be furious." Zoey cradled the cup, her eyes downcast and her expression hidden. She caught onto the meaning behind Sonya's words. His mother would prefer the conversation be kept betwee
After Jared's parents left, Zoey sat in the cafe for a while. She needed to be alone to clear her head. Zoey thought the divorce had put an end to her past with Laurence. She had intended to cut all ties with him. Now, it seemed she had been too naïve. Laurence intruded into her personal life easily, and she was at his mercy. The fury within her gradually subsided, and all that remained was disappointment. Zoey knew anger would only hurt her, so she forced herself to stay calm. Laurence's constant meddling in her life was the last straw, and she’d had enough. He said he loved her. However, if the love came from his heart, he would want to see her happy. Instead, he put her through hell by contacting Jared’s parents. Love was supposed to be selfish. At the end of the day, Laurence did not love her enough. Zoey picked up the glass and took a few sips of water before rising to her feet. She was about to leave the café when the phone in her purse rang. It was a call from Jared. T
Laurence had only done what he did to show Jared the reality of the situation. Since Jared was too blind to see the truth, Laurence didn't mind giving him a hand. The indirect hurt he’d caused Zoey was unintended. He had no explanation to offer to justify his actions. Zoey was exhausted and emotionally drained. She didn't have the energy to argue with him. She dismissed him curtly, "Get out." Laurence looked at her pale face, and she did not look too good. He shouldn't upset her further at a time like this. He was aloof and distant in nature, keeping people at arm's length. Yet, he did not want to walk away there and then. Laurence was not a gentle person, and such was his nature. The man furrowed his brows silently. "I'm sorry, but I didn't tell his parents so they would insult you." It was not his intention, but it was a result of his actions. There was something brewing behind Laurence's blank eyes. His eyes turned bloodshot, and his knitted brows disclosed a discreet an
Rumors often spread like wildfire, and unreliable news tended to attract a lot of attention. Zoey still kept in touch with a few college friends in the group chat. They saw the messages and checked out Zoey's Facebook profile. There, they saw a photo of Zoey's new boyfriend. The young man was dashing and good-looking. Other than that, there was no wedding announcement or anything of the sort. Since Zoey was at the end of her second trimester, she rarely scrolled on her phone in case the radiation harmed the baby. She was not active in the group chat with her former college friends, so she had no idea she was the hot topic among her friends. Rose quickly sought redemption with Zoey. "Zoey, I didn't mean to! I don't know how it happened, but people think you're about to get married." Zoey was confused. "Huh? What?" Rose told Zoey the whole story before saying regretfully, "That’s how the rumors started. Jared asked me in all seriousness about your ring preference. He said he
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