Zoey turned away from him to evade his touch, then she forced a smile and said, “I’m really alright.”They passed several traffic lights, crossed two main streets, and arrived at Stork Street.Laurence pulled up by the side of the road. “Is this it?”The sight of the alley which had hardly changed made Zoey feel slightly better. “Yes.”"Is this your home?"Zoey had nothing to hide. “My grandmother’s.”The cobblestoned alley was peaceful, with walls covered with vines of creeping plants that had withered over the winter.Zoey grew up in a very loving family, and she had a happy childhood.If it weren’t for those changes, she reckoned that she’d lead a pretty good life today.Zoey wore a light grey coat and a pretty hat that covered part of her face. She looked quite different from her usual appearance at the office.Laurence stood aside and observed her. Somehow, he got the feeling that she seemed very lonely. She looked like a lost child as she stood there alone.He went forward and to
Laurence wasn’t surprised. Although Zoey was very beautiful, she was way too introverted. She was an obedient and good girl through and through. Even if she grew feelings for another person, she would simply keep it hidden in her heart and hold onto that secret herself. “Well, that’s too bad,” he said offhandedly.Zoey’s grip on the note tightened. That piece of yellowed paper was filled with the thoughts of a lovestruck teenage girl. She was ever grateful that she hadn't dared to write his name on it. Instead, she had written his initials, L.S. And even that was hidden in a corner at the bottom of the page.Zoey lowered her head and said morosely, “Nothing to feel sorry over.”Laurence looked at her pursed lips and downcast eyes. She seemed really upset. It wasn’t hard for him to figure out that she must have really liked the boy. After all, it had been so many years ago, but she still seemed affected. Although Laurence didn’t love Zoey, he still didn’t like to hear her talk about
At that moment, Zoey didn’t know what to say.The boy left right after he finished his speech.Zoey was sure that Laurence had forgotten this incident. He would never know that it was her that he had warned once upon a time.Zoey took a deep breath. “I don’t want to talk about this.”“Then we won’t,” Laurence conceded.Zoey reigned in her emotions before she asked, “Do you want to go out? There’s really nothing much to see here.”Laurence had no objections to that. “Sure.”Stork Street was a famous historical street in Southgrove. Almost everyone who lived here was born and bred in Southgrove.The white walls and greyish paths looked like they came right out of a painting.Classes had just ended, so there were a lot of school kids on the street.Laurence took her hand in his. “Did you grow up here?”Zoey thought for a moment. “Pretty much.”“It’s a good place,” Laurence said. “Why did you move to Northwell?”Zoey stared at the sky. “My father brought us there,” she answered softly. “My
Zoey barely reacted to the mention of Sarah. She didn’t really care much about her, but she also didn’t want to see her. “Do you mind going alone, Mr. Scott? I don’t think there’s any point in me going as well.”Laurence tightened his grip on her hand and said firmly, “You’re coming with me. We can have dinner together later.”At this close proximity, Zoey could smell his earthy musk. He never wore cologne. When he spoke, he was calm. There never seemed to be any emotion in his voice.On the way to the airport, Zoey stared out at the darkened sky, head empty without thoughts. Laurence brought her to a restaurant near the airport.The restaurant looked private, specially designed for the higher class.Since Sarah and Shawn were still on the way, Laurence ordered a glass of warm water for her. As she took a sip, Zoey suddenly felt very uncomfortable.She didn’t understand why Laurence insisted on bringing her along to meet with Sarah.She was not even his girlfriend, and Sarah was the
Sarah had found out about Zoey’s pregnancy by bribing her doctors.After she returned, she was unhappy to find out that Laurence had married Zoey. Of all the people he could marry, it was Zoey that he chose.When Sarah heard that Zoey had taken a leave of absence for six weeks, she knew something was wrong.No normal sickness would take that long to recover.Sarah tried to ask Laurence about Zoey, but he did not tell her anything.That only made her more curious. In the end, she spent a lot of money to find out where she was hospitalized. There wasn’t anything that money couldn’t do. To her surprise, Zoey was pregnant.“So what if you’re legally his wife?” Sarah dried her hands insouciantly. “I hope you don’t end up desolate and unremorseful.”Zoey was shocked that Laurence had told Sarah about this. She felt a chill come over her body as she paled. “Our relationship is none of your business. No matter how it ends, know that I did this willingly, so you don’t have to worry about me, M
It was like Shawn had forgotten what had happened at Stork Street.He treated Zoey like an enemy and looked at her like she was trash.Zoey wasn’t so much unhappy as she was disappointed that his childhood memories were different from how she remembered them.She guessed that was the consequence of having an insane person as a friend.Shawn seemed unwell too. He coughed slightly, his face pale. He only seemed to feel better when Sarah returned from the bathroom. “Why were you so long? Did someone bully you?” he asked pointedly.Sarah pretended to hesitate for a moment before she answered, “No, nothing of the sort.”Zoey did not say another word for the rest of the meal.She had never been a part of their world from the very beginning, even though she was now Laurence’s wife. Sarah wasn’t wrong. To Laurence, she was nothing but a tool.Obedient, poor, and easy to control.He could leave her anytime he wanted.Even after she had drunk a lot of warm water, Zoey’s cramps did not get bette
What mattered most to Zoey was that Laurence had told Sarah the thing that hurt her the most.He really did not care about what she thought at all.But Zoey couldn’t express any of these emotions. She gritted her teeth and kept her silence.As the smoke filled the car, all Zoey could smell was the bitterness of the secondhand smoke.Laurence reached out and pulled her face toward himself. At her pale face and reddened eyes, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and said instead, “Do you really hate Sarah that much?”“Hate is a strong word.” Zoey refused to waste her energy on inconsequential people. “I don’t want to see her, though,” she spoke truthfully. “And I don’t think Sarah wants to see me all that much either. You should know that.”Zoey was getting more and more annoyed by the minute. Her chin hurt where his slender hand held her. “Can you let go of me?” she asked with feigned calmness.Laurence did not let go of her. Instead, his grip tightened as he leaned in closer
Zoey wondered what drove her to such despair first. Was it the fact that Robert never loved her, or was it because she found out about the murders he had committed to get her inheritance?Zoey said, “I want to see her house too.”She wasn’t allowed to return home all these years simply because she no longer owned it.Back then, her mother wanted to return, but Jasmine told the security guards to kick them out.On the surface, Jasmine did nothing wrong. She looked at them disdainfully and said, “I’m sorry, I cannot let strangers just waltz into my house and harass my family. My husband gave me this house, so it is legally mine now. Please accept this fact, Miss Fulton. It wouldn’t do any of us good if I have to keep asking my guards to kick you out.”Everything had changed in just a blink of an eye, all because her mother trusted the wrong person.Zoey was still young back then, so all she could do was hug her mother and cry for her father’s help.Her mother had held her hand to stop he
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