"I didn't travel with him. He said he was on a business trip, and we ran into each other there," Zoey murmured. Truth be told, she was in a daze. The word "forgiveness" stung her heart. She wanted to tell her uncle that Laurence didn't need her forgiveness, but she knew it was an excuse to avoid the question. Laurence wouldn't have patience for someone for no reason. He did everything to make amends and compensate for the guilt. He expected something in return for his time and effort. Zoey was in a difficult position. She didn't want to accept the overdue compensation. Her past wound had seemingly healed, but it had festered inside, and she was still bleeding. The hurt was still too much to bear."Do you believe him?" Jason asked indifferently. Zoey felt suffocated by the downplayed interrogation. She was at a loss, but everyone was pushing her. She was wrong to forgive him, but she was also wrong not to.She pursed her lips. "I have to pretend that I do." It was clear that
Zoey had never posted anything on her social media before, and her account used to be private. Hardly anybody knew much about her private life, including the fact that she had married someone else. In her post, she disassociated herself from Laurence.As nothing stopped the photo and comments from going viral, Zoey's statement was a slap in the face for the Scotts. The Scott Group did not release a response to Zoey's post, and they offered no explanation.The press was relentless as they called the PR department of the group. The PR manager remained vague, replying that it was a private matter of the CEO and they had no comment. Their reluctance to deny any involvement suggested there was more to the story.Zoey didn't regret posting the update. She didn't want her personal life in the spotlight for all to see and comment, but she knew it would be difficult to escape the media's attention now. Instead of letting them speculate about her relationship with Laurence, she decided to cle
When Zoey read the text message, she lifted her head and looked around, but she did not see Laurence. She wondered if he was scaring her or if he had seen her at the restaurant. His string of messages left her speechless. He was either dripping with sarcasm or making outrageous claims. His words often cut her to the core.Zoey looked at messages, setting with anger. Nevertheless, she didn't let the rage get to her. It wasn't the first time Laurence had gotten on her nerves. She didn't have time for his unnecessary drama again. Besides, Zoey regretted her reply to him that evening. She had dismissed him, saying she was getting off work and going home to rest. She hoped he wouldn't disturb her evening. It never occurred to Zoey that he would be at the restaurant, too. It was likely Laurence wasn't lying to her. He had a lot of business engagements, so it was possible he was in the same place tonight. Zoey sobered up with the nice breeze before heading back to the private dining
The dim light made it hard to see. Laurence's hot breath brushed against her ear as he whispered into it. Sparks flew in more ways than one. His tone was flat, but his annoyance was clear.Zoey was trapped and had nowhere to run. The man eased the pressure of his finger on her lip, but his casual gesture felt like he was teasing her. Zoey turned her face away, unhappy by his actions. Laurence knew she would try to break free. He let out a chuckle and clutched her chin. As always, the man's fingers felt cold to the touch. The sensation against Zoey's skin was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable, but he no longer hid the aggression he had once tucked away. Now, he openly displayed his intensity. Zoey's silence did not mean anything to him. While his voice sounded gentle, the underlying threat gave her no room to escape. He asked, "Why aren't you talking?" Zoey took a deep breath. The hot breath against her ear burned. She replied, "You should be nice when you ask a question.
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
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 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
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