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
Zoey wasn't kept waiting for long, and it was someone she expected.Sarah approached Zoey, sauntering in her heels and stopping a few feet away from her. She was tall and slender, with wavy hair that fell to her shoulders. Her caked face was glamorous but aggressive, and she curled her lips into a faint smile. The heavy makeup concealed the scar on her face completely. Zoey wasn't surprised to see Sarah; that was the amazing thing about women's intuition. The scheme was a product of careful planning. She had underestimated Sarah's resentment for her. Still, who was Sarah to hate her? Zoey wasn't the daughter of a homewrecker who had stolen her father's love. In fact, Zoey had never gone out of her way to hurt Sarah. Sarah had even gotten a manicure today. She looked at Zoey gleefully and pointed out, "You don't seem surprised." Zoey didn't have time to waste. She demanded, "Where's my boy?" The clicking of Sarah's heels sounded like nails on a chalkboard, and the deafening s
The phone call was untimely, its ring jarring. Sarah clicked her tongue. "Why aren't you picking up? I bet it's Laurence." She got that right. Zoey drew a deep breath and sat in her thoughts for a while before accepting the call as Sarah watched. Laurence spoke into the phone, "Are you home? Has your fever subsided? I bought you painkillers. I'm on my way to your place." Zoey pursed her lips. "I'm good. I have painkillers at home. Don't go to my house. It'll be bad if my mom sees you. She doesn't like you." She came off as harsh and insensitive. Laurence paused and clenched his grip on the phone. That was what he got for being nice. She was back to keeping him at arm's length when she couldn't get what she wanted from him. She burned bridges at record speed. Even when she pretended to be a little kind to him, it hadn’t lasted longer than a few days.Laurence's tone resumed its previous biting undertones. "Don't forget. The results of the paternity test are out tomorrow." Z