Laurence was more optimistic than ever. He knew there was more than one way to get back with Zoey. If he couldn't win her back, he would kidnap her. He believed that where there was a will, there was a way. Since he was no longer a gentleman to her, he had no problems doing whatever it took to get her back.Mrs. Scott was overjoyed to learn that Zoey was still alive. She was even happier than when she found out Teddy was their child. Nothing else mattered to her as long as Zoey was alive.As her eyes teared up, Mrs. Scott asked, "How has she been doing these past few years?" She mumbled to herself, "She is a kind and intelligent girl. I’m sure she was doing well wherever she was." Laurence couldn't answer his mother's question. He had asked Zoey the same thing, and she had told him she was doing well. But he knew that was not true."That reminds me. Does she know that you brought the child home? Did she give you permission?" "Mom, I told you to stay out of it." "I'm asking abo
Laurence stared at the sky silently for a long time. A while later, he put the child down. Teddy ran to the front door, but a burly bodyguard stopped him. The Scotts' residence had vast lawns in the front and back. It would probably take Teddy half an hour to run across the front lawn from the front door. There was also a winding path leading outside the gate. The estate was located in a remote mountain area, so it would be difficult to walk on foot.The bodyguard in black carried the child back. Teddy realized he couldn't escape, so he stopped the pointless attempts. He looked up at the man. His eyes were as cold and aloof as his father's. Laurence dropped his head to look at him. He said, "I thought you were better than that." Teddy was a child, after all. He wasn't as calm as he seemed, but he wasn't afraid to run. The boy knew that his biological father was cold and uncaring. The man was only using him to get what he wanted, so Teddy's attempts to manipulate him would no
"Open your mouth." The cold voice rang through the air. Laurence’s patience was wearing thin.Teddy pursed his lips tightly together. He refused to give in. Laurence looked at the stubborn expression on his face. He wasn’t going to pay the child any attention. He gently pinched his chin. The smile on his face gave away his good mood. He said, "It's not a very severe allergic reaction. It won't hurt much, even if you don't take the medicine. The rash will be gone when you wake up tomorrow."Laurence let go of Teddy. He hadn’t left any marks on the boy’s face. "I'm not begging you to take the medicine. You should only eat it if you want to." He tossed the pill into the trash.Mrs. Scott watched from the side. She was so angry that she was at a loss for words. What kind of parenting was this? She wouldn't be surprised if the child grew up to hate his father."What are you saying to him? Don't say anything if you have nothing sensible to say.""You saw it yourself. He wasn't going t
Zoey hung up so quickly that it was clear to Laurence how ruthless she was on the other end of the phone. It was as if she didn't want the conversation to last another second longer.Laurence tossed his phone onto the table. He lowered his gaze to the child sitting across him. "Are you done eating?"Teddy wiped his mouth with a tissue, then cleaned his hands. "Yes."Laurence said, "Let's go. I'll see you out." He was so polite they didn't seem like father and son.Teddy hopped off the chair. He refused any help from Laurence. He didn't even want to hold his hand. He stood in front of him and looked up at the man towering over him. "Is my mom here?"Laurence said nothing. He lifted the child into his arms.Teddy didn't like Laurence holding him. The hand on his back felt as heavy as steel bars cast in concrete. He was only a five-year-old boy, after all. He couldn’t fight the strength of an adult man.He snapped angrily, "If you don't like me, why are you carrying me?"Laurence
Laurence’s words carried many meanings. They were so peculiar that they were completely out of this world.Zoey’s fingers were clenched tightly into a ball. The pain kept her in a sober state.She said, “If you hadn’t said you were jealous of our lives, I wouldn’t have panicked and thought you wanted to destroy us. Maybe if you found that special someone quickly, you wouldn’t be envious of other people.”Laurence listened to her patiently and smiled. However, the smile wasn’t genuine. He looked at Michael coldly. His gaze was as sharp as a blade. He nodded without hesitating. “I am quite envious.”Zoey went up to him and took Teddy from his arms. Laurence let go. Anyone would think that he was being very considerate.When he was back with his mother, Teddy pretended to be a pitiful thing and tightly wrapped his arms around her neck like a koala bear.Zoey’s heart ached. Teddy wasn’t usually so clingy. Laurence definitely had not treated him well.She patted Teddy on his back gen
Michael wasn’t convinced. He started the engine and said, “That gave me a shock. I thought he had hit you.”Zoey said nothing.Michael blabbered like he weren’t a foreigner. He was using this chance to practice the language. “What do you think he meant by that? It feels like he’s up to something, but he still returned Teddy.”He glanced at Zoey in the backseat.Zoey was doubtful, too. “What was it like at the Scott’s? Did anyone pick on you?”A biological father might not hurt his child. However, if anyone else in that family didn’t like the child, they could scheme in secret. Although Teddy was smart, he was no match for sleazy adults.Teddy thought about it and said, “No.”He clung tightly to his mother and curled his fingers around hers. “There was a granny who was very nice and gentle to me. I don’t hate her, Mommy.”Zoey remembered Mrs. Scott. She was a really nice person who never treated her cruelly. She had almost forgotten her. She relaxed a little, but then her heart
His suit was visibly expensive.Sarah looked up at him. She was stunned. Then, she picked up her medical report and thanked him in a low voice. She began walking away, but he called out to her.She turned. Her face was sickly pale, and her gaze was full of bewilderment. If it weren’t for his expensive suit and his watch worth thousands, she wouldn’t even have turned to look at him.She asked, “What is it?”He went straight to the point. “Can I have your number?”Sarah’s eyelids twitched. Her fingers loosened. She got over herself and nodded slightly. “Alright.”He definitely wasn’t just anybody. He wasn’t poor, at least. No ordinary person could afford his expensive clothes, custom shoes, and limited edition watch.Sarah was desperately in need of money. Without Laurence, she was living miserably. She’d been so poor that she had to sell her belongings to survive. All the expensive items in her house were sold off. She was going to hit rock bottom this month.She no longer wante
His assistant rushed over and handed Zoey a black umbrella. It was just the beginning of fall. The rain was incessant, and the entire city was drenched.Zoey did not take it. “I’m good, thanks.”The assistant looked distressed. He wouldn’t know how to inform Laurence of this. He smiled and said, “Look at the storm. It’ll be difficult if you don’t have an umbrella. What if your clothes get wet and you get sick?”Zoey turned and glanced at him through the corner of her eye. She pursed her lips. “Thank you for your concern, but my husband is coming for me.”Michael had gotten his driver’s license two days before and immediately got a car. He would send her home after work or wait for Teddy at the kindergarten. The assistant couldn’t continue bothering her after that. The umbrella became a weight in his hands.Zoey glanced at the time and figured Michael would be there soon. She strode out in her high heels. Not long after, a black G65 appeared in the rain. Michael looked like a shy
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