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
Never once had Laurence and Jason’s conversation ended happily, as they could never have a peaceful chat. In the end, Jason still arranged the funeral. However, he never expected Laurence to bring his men to clear out the venue. Zoey didn't have many friends, but her classmates rushed over from around the world to attend her funeral after learning about the incident. Arielle was dressed in black and wore sunglasses to hide her swollen, red eyes. Zoey's university roommate had cried before attending the funeral, and her eyes were also puffy and glistening with tears. She staggered when she saw the black and white photo. Her eyes stung as if they were almost empty of tears. Rose couldn't stand up and slowly sat back down as she gripped the chair. Although it had been a while since the accident, she still felt like it was a dream. As long as she woke up from another sleep, she would return to the day Zoey was still alive, holding her newborn baby as she sat in the sun. She looked so g
Five years later, at the airport. "Uncle Jeremy, our flight was delayed. We just got off the plane." The woman's voice was gentle as ever. She was still soft-spoken as before, and her voice was soothing to the ears. The man on the other end of the line answered, and she replied slowly, "No need. I'll call a cab to take us back to the hotel. We're only staying for a couple of days. Yep, I'll be going abroad once the competition is over." She glanced at the child beside her as she talked, afraid he would wander off. After ending the call, Zoey crouched and looked at him at eye level. His skin was soft and smooth, and something in his eyes shone like the stars in the night sky. She asked, "Teddy, are you hungry?" The little boy ran into his mother's arms, hooked his arms around her neck, and said, "Mom, I'm not hungry." He tried to sound cool when he spoke, but his voice was cute, just like a young child's."Are you sure? You didn't eat anything on the plane." The boy shook hi
"Mr. Scott, the chauffeur's downstairs," Chris said carefully to steer them back on topic. In the last two years, he realized that Mr. Scott's temper had improved for the better. He no longer noticed trivial things and would let things slide. Still, nobody was dumb enough to do anything that might piss him off. He would have refused to attend the date tonight, but that lady from the Cullen family had called incessantly, begging Chris to tell Mr. Scott to go to dinner with her. Otherwise, her parents would not stop urging her to marry and might even marry her off to a random hedonistic playboy. All she asked was for Laurence to put up an act with her to fool her parents. Besides, she promised she would not talk about him behind her back after this. Chris could not stand her calls. She cried and wept all the time on the phone, which was the opposite of the calm and composed image she usually portrayed. Apparently, all the young ladies from affluent families were merely putting on an
Diana had always been dumb. At times, she acted really stupid. She asked, “Are you saying Zoey might not have died?”Diana was fine with Zoey being alive. Maybe this way, Laurence would forgive her for bullying Zoey in the past. She didn’t think it was outlandish to believe she was alive. She asked softly, “Didn’t the police fail to find her body?”A chill went up Eliza’s spine. A person dying and coming back to life was a scary thought. She said, “Laurence just helped me out. I shouldn’t be talking about him behind his back.”But Diana was not one to keep her mouth shut. At the mention of Zoey, she thought of Sarah. She was silent for a while before asking, “Have you seen Sarah these past two years?”“No. Hasn’t she also disappeared?”Zoey’s incident hadn’t happened too long ago. All the scandals about Sarah were scary to think about. Even the news that she had been stealing someone else’s designs was nothing compared to the other things she had done in the past. Her internationa
Zoey looked down silently for a moment. She finally said, “You don’t have to tell me about him, Uncle.”She didn’t care. Neither did she have the energy to. She hadn’t had a very pleasant five years.Thank goodness for the plants on the cliff that had cushioned her fall. She was still badly hurt and sent into a coma. She hadn’t been completely unharmed.When Zoey woke up, she was already in Novarvia. She was in an unfamiliar castle. When she opened her eyes, she was unable to speak much. She couldn’t move her body. She did not stay awake for long each day, either. She was dizzy every day. It was like a nightmare. She spent many days unconscious. After a few months, her head gradually cleared. She could sit up with someone’s help. She nearly lost her ability to talk because she hadn’t talked in a long time.As Zoey thought about those difficult months, her body began to ache. She couldn’t just stop herself from feeling that intense pain.She had no idea how Shawn had found her and
Zoey froze. She touched her mask instinctively. Thank goodness it still concealed most of her face. Her seat was two rows behind Laurence’s, so he wouldn’t notice her. Zoey did not wish to meet him again. Even now, she would avoid him if she could.The sponsors were basically royalty, and they were treated as such. The staff members of the organizing committee ushered them to the front rows. They acted humbly and carefully. They had not expected someone as busy as Laurence would attend their event. They couldn’t figure out why Mr. Scott would suddenly start funding their competition. Because of his funding, their events in the past two years were orderly and effective. They improved every year. The competition was expanding. Every year, they could select a few extraordinary new talents.“Please sit, Mr. Scott.”He was expressionless and dressed in a dark suit. He sat, and the atmosphere around him seemed to freeze a little. It was chilly and ominous. The people around him were ner
The employee who had walked out with Laurence was stunned for a moment. He hadn’t even noticed her. On top of that, she had a mask on. Who could’ve seen who she was? There were many guests at the event, and people came to and fro. He couldn’t possibly know every single one of them.“Probably one of the guests who left early.”“One of the guests?”Laurence looked out the entrance. His gaze was deep and unfathomable. For just a split second, it felt like she’d come back. He’d seen too many people who looked like her over the past few years. He was disappointed every time. Once, he saw a photograph online of a woman’s side profile that looked exactly like hers, and he boarded a plane that night to find her. She was not one of the passengers. His hopes were always dashed. It was like a long, dark tunnel through which he could not see the light. He was like a zombie walking on its thorny path as his feet bled on the tracks.He could not find her. Everyone said she was dead. Even her f