The two individuals talking behind Laurence's back felt a chill down their spine. The pair clammed up and looked behind them, only to meet a pair of cold eyes. They shuddered, and words couldn’t describe the looks on their faces. Laurence had overheard the duo gossiping about him. The tension was excruciating. Despite the cringe, they were socially inept enough to say hello to Laurence as if nothing ever happened. They behaved courteously, respectfully, and reverently. "Mr. Scott." Laurence drew close, his leather shoes quiet on the corridor carpet. The man's complexion under the harsh light was pasty. His dark eyes fixated on the women as he echoed their words in a chilling, flat tone, "Am I a madman?" The pair had thought they would get away with it since they were in a public space. At the very least, Laurence wouldn't give them a hard time about it. They were wrong. At a loss for what to do, the individuals stumbled for words before coughing out an apology. It only proved t
Hearing this, Mrs. Scott paused for a moment. She thought when her son had said “no longer here” he’d meant Zoey was no longer in Northwell. She didn’t automatically think the worst.Seeing Laurence in a trance, Mrs. Scott felt a little emotional. "You ought to calm down. All your life, you've hardly done anything out of the ordinary. Running around like a ..." She paused, stopping herself before saying the word "lunatic"—it wasn't the most pleasant thing to say. She continued, "... headless chicken looking for someone isn’t nice to see. You're only going to seem mentally unstable; it'd probably scare Zoey."As she spoke, her voice gradually trailed off. The whites of the man's eyes were streaked with discernible blood vessels, something she hadn't seen in her son in many, many years. He appeared fragile, as if he was on the verge of shattering. His gaze was so hollow and so helpless. His crimson eyes looked like they could shed tears of blood at any moment.It didn't seem like he w
Laurence took time off to visit Sarah at the hospital. Her gunshot wound hadn't healed. She lay in the hospital bed, delicate and pitiful. He didn't even bother sitting down and stood a few feet from her bed as he watched her calmly. This bullet had almost cost her her life. She had only managed to send in one of Jason's loyal underlings; only his fingerprints were found on the gun.Laurence continued staring at her, struggling to put into words what remained of his feelings for her. The affection he’d felt for her for years had gradually worn away. There ultimately came a day when he yearned to disregard the vows he had once made. He was no longer willing to protect her unconditionally. He no longer reminisced about the days they had spent depending on each other.Every time she went too far and did something incomprehensible, he had numbed himself with memories of the past every time she came to him and pleaded with tears in her eyes. He had always looked the other way and gotten
Letters sent from prison were required to go through a review process. In his letter, Robert only mentioned the items of utmost importance, urging Laurence to visit him in jail for a face-to-face chat.Laurence scanned the entirety of the letter to check the handwriting. It didn't seem forged. What could Robert have to tell him so desperately? He placed the letter aside lazily and instructed his assistant to book him a flight to Southgrove in three days. He was curious about what Robert had to say.Although it was a weekend, Laurence had already made an appointment with a psychiatrist. He knew he wasn't himself. Even though he felt perfectly normal, he knew his uncontrollable, irrational actions time and time again were trying to tell him otherwise. He was not acting normally—or at least not as much as he thought. Mental ill health often manifests in the form of physical actions.Laurence wasn't resistant to seeing a psychiatrist. It was just that he didn't feel that psychological t
Robert was so overwhelmed with emotion that he couldn't control himself. His facial expression hadn't changed much, but there were hints of an untamed animal within him starting to break free. He inhaled deeply to calm himself down. He had to speak normally, at least. Otherwise, Laurence might not believe a word he had to say.Laurence looked at the man before him, who looked like he had aged a decade during his time in prison. It appeared he wasn't doing quite well. Laurence's patience was running low, and he looked at Robert, "If you have something to tell me, spit it out. You're free to say anything you wish."A cunning glint flashed in Robert's eyes. After a short silence, he changed his mind and laid out his conditions, "I have a son who is now homeless. If you promise to care for my son and his mother, I will give you the information you need." Confidence filled his core as he waited for Laurence to accept such terms.Unexpectedly, the man before him pulled a nonchalant smile.
As soon as Robert was done, he stared intently at Laurence's face, only for disappointment to wash over him. Laurence did not look as tormented as Robert imagined he would be. The man sat before him, listening calmly. His face was initially pale and didn't appear to have gotten paler. Besides his ashen face, there wasn't much agony evident in his features.At first, Robert assumed Laurence’s composure stemmed from disbelief in his words; even the smallest pebble can create a ripple. However, with Laurence, the surface of his lake remained peaceful despite the passing storm.Robert clenched his fists tightly, reluctant to let this matter slide."Don’t you believe a word I’ve said?" Had it not been for the correctional officer pushing him down by his shoulders behind him, he would have sprung to his feet from the agitation. His face was tense and his features fierce as he suddenly raised his voice at Laurence, "I'm not lying to you! I may not remember every little thing down to the
Laurence coughed uncontrollably, his back arching slightly. He looked thin and frail.Matthew was stunned when he noticed the trace of blood at the corner of Laurence's lips. He didn't dare comment on it, but he asked carefully, "Mr. Scott, do you need to go to the hospital?"Gradually, Laurence stopped coughing. He used a handkerchief to clean his face. When he looked at his hand, there was blood. Even though he'd coughed up blood, his chest still felt suffocated. He closed his eyes. He grimaced before regaining an expressionless composure. "There's no need. Let's go back to the hotel."Matthew wanted to try and talk him into it, but Laurence seemed reluctant to speak of the matter. Thus, he didn't dare say more. Laurence had been fine before the inspection. Who knew what Robert had said that was provocative enough to incite such a reaction from him?Back at the hotel, Laurence stayed silent. He really didn't want to talk about it. His mind furiously replayed Robert’s words. Memor
Laurence woke up with a splitting headache. He couldn't remember what he had said last night. However, he went to the company in a suit and tie the next day, looking meticulous. He didn't look hungover at all. He continued entertaining his clients at night but wasn't out of control and hadn’t gotten drunk like he had before. Laurence was the only one who thought he was doing fine. He looked like his usual self, but inside, his heart was empty. Tonight, there were many acquaintances at the bar. While socializing, Laurence suddenly felt annoyed. He pulled at his tie to loosen it and felt relieved from the inexplicable irritation. With an indifferent expression, he walked to the window. From the high building, he looked out at the city's night view. The city lights were bright, and the streets were bustling. In contrast, his eyes were filled with loneliness. Tristan held a wine glass as he walked up and quietly stood beside him. He tilted his head, revealing the veins on his back, a