As soon as the driver saw that Zoey had passed out through his rearview mirror, he diverted from her desired destination and drove onto the viaduct toward a remote suburban area. He wound down the window and the glass partition around the driver's seat to dispel the smell in the car. Only then did he remove his mask.After getting off the highway, he found a spot on the side of the road and pulled over.He wasn't in a hurry. He lit a cigarette and dialed a number. He spoke into the phone, "She's out cold, and the baby's in the car. Where should I take them?"The voice on the other end responded immediately.The man took a drag of his cigarette and answered, "Have the money ready. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." When he was done with his cigarette, the man calmly hit the road again.It hadn't been long since he was released from prison. He rented a nearly abandoned taxi from a car rental company, then attached a fake license plate before heading off. It was the moment he had bee
When Zoey woke up in a daze, she had a splitting headache. Her whole body was limp—she felt completely drained of energy. She propped herself up on the ground and slowly got up into a half-sitting position on the ground.Gradually, fuzzy memories began washing over her.Hospital ... Taxi ... Driver ...Baby! Her baby!Color immediately drained from Zoey's face. Her face paled as she frantically looked around, but there was no one else around. Her hands were trembling so much she couldn't even pick up her phone. She swiped at the screen to unlock it and found over a dozen missed calls from her uncle, but she didn't have time to return them now. She had to call 911.When she got through to the police, she spoke at the speed of a tortoise. Her throat was acting up and she could barely gather her voice; this was the only way she could speak at all."My ... my child ... He's been abducted. I passed out as soon as we got into the car. I don't know where I am right now. But I remember w
Jason braked abruptly and turned back to look at Zoey. He knew he couldn't change anything, so it would be pointless for him to stop her."Okay, I'll take you there."Even though Crescent Constructions had declared bankruptcy, the Jenners didn't sell off their luxurious villa or dismiss a single servant.Jason's car rolled to a stop outside the gate, and the butler began approaching it to inquire about his identity. Before he could blink, a loud bang resonated through the air. The bumper of Jason's car instantly rammed open the wrought iron gate. The black Alando steered into the yard without obstruction.A man was the first to step out of the car, clad in a smart suit and leather shoes. He stood tall, his expression inhospitable. Then, the woman in the back seat exited the car. She looked weak as if the wind could take her with it any minute.The butler trotted over and, upon closer inspection, finally recognized the woman. It was the family's second daughter who hadn't been home
It had been a while since Zoey had been to Laurence's office, so she almost pressed the button for the wrong floor in the elevator. There were many missed calls from Laurence on her phone, and her tendency to overthink told her he would be mad that she hadn’t answered his calls in days.With a change of mind, Zoey felt she could apologize and lower her attitude. It wasn't like she had never done so in the past. She couldn't count the number of times she had apologized to him. "Ding!"Zoey snapped out of her daze when the elevator arrived. The people in the office didn't seem to notice her as they focused on their work. Minutes before, Matthew had been shocked to find out she was coming up when the receptionist had called to notify him. Walking over to Zoey, he said, "Mr. Scott is in the office." She nodded, forcing a smile as she gave him a faint response. Then, she paused, politely saying, "Thank you." After that, she mustered the courage, walked up to Laurence's office, and k
Laurence gently pinched her chin, carefully wiping away the tears in the corner of her eyes. However, his calmness made Zoey uneasy."Stop crying." Since Zoey needed his help, her attitude wasn't as cold as when she wanted to dissociate from him. After carefully observing her expression, Laurence asked, "Can I trust you?" "I'm being honest about this," Zoey's voice trembled.He replied, "But you've been lying to me all this time.”Finally, he let go of her chin, saying, "Aren't you afraid I’ll fight for his custody now that you’ve told me this? Or are you planning on burning the bridge once I’ve helped you?”Zoey moved her lips but couldn't utter a word. The truth was hard to swallow, and she knew he wouldn't want to hear it. Laurence watched her hesitation and chuckled. "If this hadn’t happened, you would never have told me the child is mine." Zoey didn't retort as she knew it was the truth. She never would’ve spoken to him if she didn't need his help. Suddenly, Zoey rec
Zoey received a picture from an unknown number showing Teddy asleep, and a location she had never been to or heard about. Without a moment of hesitation, she rushed there. Once she exited the elevator, she repeatedly called the number. A few days ago, the call was unanswered, but now the call couldn't be connected. The other party must've unregistered the number soon after sending the text. On the way there, Zoey thought about going to the police station. However, she worried the trafficker might harm Teddy once he found out the police were on the way, just like she had seen on the news, making her scared to act rashly. Barely any time passed before she reached the location. Upon arriving, she noticed there was nothing else in the area besides a store. She entered and sat inside until the owner closed the store at 10 pm.She wasn't given any further information, as if the other party had tried to test her and played with her emotions by sending the text. As Zoey still had a feve
Laurence was in no hurry to learn the results of the paternity test. He nodded at the nurse, then searched for Zoey in the hallway of the medical room. She was stood by the window in the hallway, her phone in hand, lost in thought. She appeared to be waiting for some news. She only became aware of Laurence's presence when he emerged behind her."Are you done?" "Yeah." "When will the results be ready?" "Two to three days." The test result didn't matter much to Zoey anymore. The wait was too long. She could wait, but her baby's time was running out. She wouldn't count on the human trafficker to be merciful. Kids were vulnerable and delicate. They could get sick if not handled with care. Zoey was dumbstruck as countless thoughts went through her mind. The squeezing pain in her arm snapped her out of her thoughts. Zoey studied the face of the man whose attractive features hid his cruelty and indifference. Even though all this was to help her, and a life was at stake, Laurence re
"Shit!" Jason snapped and cursed, no longer the gentleman he always was in Zoey’s presence. Zoey clutched her uncle's hand tight and lifted her gaze to him. "Uncle Jason, any updates from the police?" Jason couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes. "Not yet. There isn't any surveillance in the area. The culprit switched vehicles during the kidnapping, so tracking them down is going to be hard.”Zoey didn't tell her uncle about the text messages. The last thing she wanted was to act recklessly, especially after the gruesome photo she received as a warning. As they were holding her son hostage, she had no choice but to go alone. Zoey lowered her gaze. "Okay. I'll be patient." Jason furrowed his brows in a scowl. It worried him that Zoey was acting so calm. Letting her feelings out was better than holding everything in. Jason had sent his men to search around, but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. "You're still burning up. Take care of yourself and get some rest at