Zoey didn’t mean for her words to hurt Laurence. She was only explaining her situation to him. Even if she had returned to Northwell, she had nothing to do with him. She hadn’t come here for him. She wouldn’t foolishly fall in love with him. She couldn’t sum up her pain in three sentences. The past couldn’t be written off just like that.“You don’t like children anyway, Laurence. You’re disgusted by them. You don’t have to force yourself to see him. Your appearance will just scare him.”Zoey was speaking calmly. Her gaze was indifferent.Laurence pursed his lips. He didn’t hate this child, nor was the child frightened by him. But she might not believe him if he said that. Zoey seemed to have read his mind. She smirked. Laurence told her, “I can’t answer that.” Zoey was infuriated by his words. He didn’t seem willing to back down at all. Laurence looked at the anger in her eyes. He swallowed the bitterness in his chest. He was afraid she would hate him, but it was nothing c
It was easy for Zoey to secure a job after completing her studies in Novarvia. Her job was not significantly affected when she did not return to Novarvia, as she could communicate online on many matters. However, she had to solve the issue of her identification.Zoey was reported dead in police records. Updating her records would be a paperwork nightmare. It would take a lot of time and energy. Even though Zoey did not have much free time, she went to the police station. However, after speaking with the police, she realized it would be a hassle. She was not in a rush anyway. Zoey researched all the kindergartens in Northwell. She concluded that Teddy was enrolled in the best kindergarten there was.Her busy schedule and worry finally caught up to her. Even though she had been careful, she caught a cold. She got better after resting for two days but was still didn’t feel 100%. Zoey's health declined after barely surviving her injuries. She got sick frequently. Even a minor cold le
Laurence probably got Teddy’s DNA sample when he visited the kindergarten. Zoey saw the photo as a threat. Laurence was probably trying to intimidate her with the paternity test results, as they would give him a strong case for custody of Teddy. She deleted the message. She had spoken to a lawyer about custody rights and knew her chances of winning in court were only 50/50. Laurence had promised not to fight for custody, so Zoey was holding him to his word.Zoey calmed down when her mind was clear. But her head still felt heavy and dizzy. She had to push through her work. Even though she had made a name for herself in the industry, she had to accept all meetings and social engagements. She had to be polite and keep a smile on her face.Somehow, her university found out she had returned to Northwell. The head of the school of design called her. He spoke like he was speaking to a VIP, "We understand what happened years ago. The school has removed the penalty from your record. When
Even though Teddy could sleep by himself, Zoey still told him a bedtime story. As Teddy slowly fell asleep, she tiptoed out of his room. There were several missed calls on her phone. Zoey returned Rose's call. She always had time for her friend. "I was putting Teddy to bed. What's up?" While Zoey was in Novarvia, she reconnected with Rose. She used Shawn's phone. Rose cried and laughed on the phone, and they talked for a long time before hanging up. She was afraid it was all a dream."Are you going to Skylar's benefit auction tomorrow?" "Yeah. Why not?" "I don't want you to be taken advantage of." Rose was still furious about the incident from five years ago. "I heard many people are attending." The movers and shakers of the business world, celebrities, and the reclusive wealthy were attending. It was going to be a major event. Eliza's sister-in-law was organizing the benefit auction. The upper class was a tight-knit community. Most would attend because of Skylar's status.
Eliza looked where Skylar was pointing and saw Laurence. He was in a black suit. Even from afar, he gave off an unapproachable air.She tried to hide herself, praying Laurence's ex-wife wouldn't see her. Eliza didn't know what to tell her parents as Laurence no longer had the patience to put up an act or lie for her. She could only hope Laurence wouldn’t rat her out to her parents. Lying to her parents was a minor offense, but Eliza would be in for it if they found out she was dating a man she met online. Unfortunately, Eliza stood close to Skylar. Skylar was a social butterfly, and people would stop to say hello to her. Eliza was caught in the middle of the interactions. When Eliza saw Laurence's ex-wife looking in her direction, she wanted to bury her head in the sand. Eliza quickly hid behind Skylar. Skylar didn’t notice Eliza’s discomfort. She pulled her out and introduced her to others. Zoey soon looked away. Eliza tugged on Skylar's sleeve. "When will the auction begin? Ev
Zoey didn't care. Even though the necklace was once important to her, she was ready to let it go. Laurence clenched his fist. She said, "You can give it to your other girlfriends." Although she did not mean to be sarcastic, her words cut through him like a knife. Laurence pursed his pale lips. "Why did you bid so high if you didn't want it?"Zoey curled her lips. "Why can't I? I can do whatever I want with my money." She wiped the smile off her face and looked him in the eye. She said, "Besides, I'm earning an honest living. It's not money I got from selling myself to you." Her self-deprecation cut Laurence to the core. It was a reminder of how he once belittled her. He never gave her the dignity she deserved. All the humiliation he had inflicted on her came flooding back to him. He had called her a whore. Zoey admitted she had acted like a whore when they were together. Laurence couldn’t refute her. What more could he say? He couldn't deny that he had called her that. He re
“Don't look at me like that. You fainted,” Laurence said. Zoey pulled the covers off to get out of bed. The man pinned her back into bed. Her body was weak. He furrowed his brows and said, “The doctor said you have a fever. Take it easy now.” She brushed his hand off. “I'll go to the hospital. Mind your business.” She finally fell unconscious. The sky was dark. The faint moonlight outside the window looked hazy. The bedroom furnishing was unfamiliar to Zoey. She believed she hadn't been in this place before. She guessed that she was in a villa. It was quiet outside. Streetlights in the distance lit up the area.Zoey felt lightheaded and stumbled forward. Her arms were too heavy to pick up, and her legs had no strength. Instead of stopping her, Laurence followed behind. He urged, "Slow down. Don't fall." She would get hurt if she rolled down the stairs. Zoey froze at the sound of his voice. She staggered along the corridor. They were probably on the third floor. She stood b
Zoey bit Laurence's lip. She broke his skin and drew blood. Laurence acted like the wound was nothing. She narrowed her eyes at him. Zoey felt that one slap wasn't enough, so she raised her arm to give him another. She was sick and couldn't hit him very hard, but the slap still stung."Why are you still shutting me up with your dirty antics? Let me leave if you don't want to hear what I have to say." Zoey hit Laurence again. He took several steps forward, and his sudden approach scared her. She flinched away because she was afraid he might do something rash. He looked at her and said, "I wasn't trying to shut you up. I just wanted to kiss you." The comment only made Zoey angrier. She frowned. "Did you ask for my consent? The years have only made you pushier." Her tone was sharp. She wasn’t trying to hide her true feelings any longer. Zoey's cheeks were flushed with rage. She looked more alive. Her words seemed to get to Laurence's head, but he replied, "Sorry. I'll try not to do