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
Zoey murmured, "I'll take you home now." She was gentle with the child and spoke with a reassuring tone. It was hard to stay mad at her tenderness.Teddy burrowed into his mother's arms and gritted his teeth. If he had known this would happen today, he would have stopped his mother from leaving the house. He clenched his fists as he sulkily planned to bite the annoying man if he continued to pester his mother. Teddy wanted the man to feel pain and stay away from them. His mother was polite and wouldn't say anything too hurtful, but Teddy could.Zoey hurried out of the mall with the child in her arms, and Laurence followed her without a word. The pair stood in a stalemate at the entrance of the mall, neither one of them moving. Zoey did not look back and ignored Laurence’s glare. She waited a long time for a cab. As she entered the vehicle, Laurence grabbed her arm. She froze and felt her temper rising. Anyone would be annoyed by this constant pestering. She closed her eyes, waiting
Laurence verified Zoey's marriage status with influential and well-connected senior alumni in Novarvia he knew. Soon, Laurence had information on Zoey's wedding date, venue, and details of her husband. The spouse was a classmate of Zoey's, but the reason for their marriage was unclear. There was also no information on her life before her studies in Novarvia, how she got there, or how she started her life there.Laurence’s email inbox contained information about Zoey’s past. While he had been looking for her, she was in Novarvia. It explained why he couldn’t find her. He did not trust Jason fully. He had kept an eye on her apartment over the years, but she never returned. Laurence's head hurt from all the thinking, and he was out of cigarettes. It didn't bother him that she was married. He thought that it was fine if she was married with a child. All that mattered was that she was alive. His arrogance nearly killed her. His prejudice pushed her further away. Everything that happene
People in the event hall turned their attention to Zoey and Laurence. Zoey didn’t care about being embarrassed in public. She was determined to leave. Laurence clutched her wrist and pulled her into his arms. As Zoey was wearing heels, the force made her stagger and she slammed into his chest. He grabbed her arm and didn’t show signs of letting go. The others fell silent and pretended they saw nothing. There was a private conference room outside the event hall that could give them some privacy. Stern and unfriendly bodyguards in black stood watch outside the door.Zoey was dragged into the private conference room. She said nothing as she broke free from Laurence’s grasp. She stumbled and hit her back on the edge of a table. Laurence stayed still. Zoey’s presence felt like a dream. When he woke up, she would be gone. Zoey folded her arms and kept her guard up. Her eyes were wary. Laurence didn't dare to face her. He needed time to process that Zoey was now a stranger in his life.