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
Zoey thought Laurence’s hatred was senseless and illogical. He had not suffered any losses. Who was he to deny her the right to a peaceful death? Zoey took a deep breath and stopped thinking about it. If she wasn’t careful, she would be consumed by her hatred.She left the hotel’s banquet hall and went to the hospital. Teddy sat alone on the bench in the pediatric ward. His face was cold and aloof. Aunt Linda was not there. She had left him alone. It was fortunate that the country was safe. There were surveillance cameras everywhere, so crime rates were low. Zoey went to her son and touched his head. Then, she tousled his hair. He didn’t like when people did this to him, but he stayed quiet because she was his mother. He spread his arms and indicated that he wanted her to hug him. A smart child was still just a child. He needed his mother’s love. He was clingy because he wanted to experience his mother’s love for him.Zoey held him up and placed a hand on his forehead. It didn’t
Teddy needed to keep the secret and protect his mother. He felt awkward, and his face turned red as he tried to find the words to comfort her. Finally, he said, "Don't be sad, Mom. I will always love you." His sweet voice melted Zoey's heart.Zoey smiled. "Sure, I'll keep that in mind and hold you to that." Although he was small, it was endearing how he put on a straight face like an adult. The boy nodded and held out his hand. "Pinky promise, Mom. I won't lie to you." Zoey curled her little finger around his. "Alright." The boy snuggled against Zoey's shoulder. He felt sleepy but forced himself to stay awake. His eyes looked around, hoping they wouldn’t run into the man from the restaurant again. He knew the man was his biological father. When Teddy was younger, he didn’t understand why he didn't have a father, but he stopped asking. Teddy feared that his mother would meet the man from the restaurant again. What if she stopped loving him? Teddy looked up at Zoey with puppy do
Eliza felt the man next to her suddenly stiffen and stare blankly at the woman standing nearby. She followed his gaze and looked at a woman standing across from them. She was beautiful, with fair skin and long, flowing hair. Her eyes were huge against her small, delicate face. Her gaze was wise beyond her years. Eliza searched her memory to find out why the woman looked familiar. The woman looked like Laurence's ex-wife and looked exactly like the person in the photograph. Could two people look the same? It was amazing. Eliza was impressed by Laurence's restraint. She would have run to the lookalike and embraced her if she had been in his shoes.Zoey did not shy away. She knew there was no point in hiding, as they had already run into each other once. She had not done anything wrong, so she had no fear of facing him. However, the encounter caught her off guard, and she had not prepared herself mentally. Zoey quickly looked away, grabbed her purse, and walked out of the store. He w
Zoey wasn't lying. She was living abroad without legal documentation. Shawn could have easily helped her with new identification, but he did not. Zoey wasn't doing well. She had been bedridden for months. Although her physical wounds had healed, she couldn't shake off her depression or stop her mind from wandering to dark places. She was back to her worst days when she had suicidal thoughts.She had snuck out of the castle a few times to walk outside. The bodyguards might have noticed she was missing but pretended they hadn’t seen her escape. It was a good thing she had not forgotten her Novarvian language. She could handle herself well on the streets of Novarvia. Zoey often sat in a cafe and stared into space. Perhaps she had lingered out for long enough and gradually overcame her depression.Soon, her son started to crawl. Shawn hired a nanny to care for Teddy, and the caregiver did a good job. Zoey was thankful, but that was as far as her feelings for Shawn went. One day, Sh
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