Chapter 1

Even after Zara Lowry was pushed out of the operating room after the dilation and curettage surgery, she had yet to recover from the shock of her unexpected pregnancy and accidental miscarriage.

As the nurse wheeled her into her hospital ward, she asked, "Bed 1703. Zara, is anyone here with you?"

Zara's eyes were fixed on the white ceiling, but they were unfocused. It seemed that she did not hear what the nurse said.

"Zara, do you have any family with you?" the nurse asked again.

Another nurse, who was adjusting the IV bag, turned around and said, "Give me the paperwork. I'll fill in the forms. She gave me her ID and bank card when she arrived in the ambulance.

"She said I could register her directly and charge her the fees. She doesn't have..."

Zara's lips moved slightly as she took in the nurse's words.

"I have no family members."

The sharp scent of disinfectant assaulted her nostrils, and she slowly curled up. The loss of her child felt even more real now. She took a breath, and when she exhaled, tears fell from her eyes without warning.

She had lost her child.

The surgery had taken a toll on her body, and Zara spent three days in the hospital alone.

On the fourth day, she finally received a call from Yosef Web. "Ms. Lowry, have you had enough fun after skipping work for so many days? If you are, get yourself to West Palace."

Zara could hear a man's voice urging him to drink in the background, and she also heard a woman's voice in the mix. She moved her lips, wanting to tell Yosef that she was in the hospital.

"Ms. Lowry," Yosef called out to her again. It was clear the man was irritated.

Zara choked on the words she wanted to say. Without even taking the time to properly go through the discharge procedures, she rushed to hail a taxi to head to the private club known as West Palace. Even her makeup was hastily done in the taxi.

Stepping out of the car, Zara put on her lipstick and strode into the building. She asked the attendant there, "Which private room is Azure Cloud's Mr. Webb in?"

The attendant was momentarily dazzled by Zara's stunning appearance upon taking a glance at her. It took him a few seconds before he managed to say, "Mr. Webb is in Room A001. I'll show you the way."

With a nod, Zara followed the attendant to the door of Room A001. She rapped on the door twice as a sign of courtesy before pushing it open and stepping inside.

As soon as she went in, she was hit with the strong smell of booze. It made her stomach flip.

Before she could even sweep a glance at the faces around her, she heard a man's cold voice saying, "Ms. Lowry's here. Let her join you guys. No need to hassle her, a newbie to the workplace."

The clients erupted into laughter. "Ms. Lowry, look at how obedient you are. You come whenever you're called. Mr. Webb sure plays favorites, doesn't he? He doesn't want his new love to get drunk, so he wants you to drink in her place."

A quick glance around the room and Zara understood the situation. Her eyes landed on the woman seated on Yosef's left.

She had never seen the woman, but the woman clearly knew her. She seemed to be at a loss as she said, "Ms. Lowry, I'm sorry. I..."

Yosef cut her off, "No need to apologize. She would've had to attend this gathering today anyway. It's just that she's been skipping work for no good reason."

The favoritism and care in his voice was unmistakable.

However, Yosef had always been stoic and unfeeling. When had he ever defended someone?

Zara's gaze lingered on the woman.

She was in her early 20s. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she was wearing a neat dress. In this lust-filled place, she looked like a lost bunny in a wolf's lair—utterly pitiful.

Zara pursed her lips, then she flashed a smile and sauntered over. "Mr. Xander, drinking again? You've got to watch out for your liver," she added jokingly.

As the chief secretary of Azure Cloud Group, Zara was a pro at the routine. At a drinking party like this, she was skilled enough to refuse alcohol with just a few clever quips.

Even though she still ended up drinking a few glasses of red wine, she was in a much better state than those who had drunk till they were knocked out.

Through it all, Yosef did not utter a word to help her out in this situation.

In the midst of the ruckus, Zara's ears picked up his magnetic voice as he whispered to the woman. "Feeling sleepy? I'll drop you off at home in a bit."

That tenderness in his voice was something Zara had never heard before even after working with him for three years.