Zachary observed her joyful face and smiled without saying much.Since Joey said not to bring up the past, Zachary respected her wishes. He decided to focus on making the most of their time together now.Joey was delighted with the meal.While Zachary was cleaning the table, he asked, "You've always been a fan of these, haven't you?"When they got married, Zachary's family adhered to strict dietary habits. It limited Joey's opportunities to indulge in what he considered heavy and oily foods."Linton Ville is close to the sea, and there are also ponds around that area."I practically grew up exploring those places. How could I possibly not like them? My grandma's a pro at making these."Leaning back in her chair, Joey used a damp cloth to wipe her hands which were still carrying the meal's savory scent."I'm glad you enjoyed it. If you have things to work on, do feel free to head back to your room. I've got some tasks ahead after finishing up here as well," Zachary said, making
"What are you looking at?" Joey asked, a hint of confusion and awkwardness on her face.She wondered if Zachary had overheard her conversation with her grandma."Is your grandma thinking of leaving the hospital again?" Zachary inquired, having picked up on a bit of the conversation.Joey nodded. She wasn't keen on delving into the details with Zachary and decided to head back."Wanna take a walk around?" Zachary approached her."Nope. I'm still dealing with some work at hand." She wanted to finish up quickly so Monica wouldn't have to stay in the hospital for too long."Hey, we all need a break sometimes. What if you push yourself too hard and end up in the hospital, setting your work back even more?" Zachary casually mentioned and grabbed Joey's wrist.Joey instinctively tried to pull away."Take a look at the surroundings and give me some ideas for the designs," Zachary urged, pulling her outside."You might want to consult an architect for that. I'm a fashion designer." Joe
The two of them were in the middle of heading back when Zachary's phone rang.Joey noticed him taking out his phone. As she saw the caller ID, any trace of joy on her face vanished."I need to take this call. Wait for me a moment," Zachary said, walking toward the roadside embankment.Joey sneered. She wasn't about to wait for him, so she walked away without turning back.Zachary picked up Julian's call, his tone cold. "What's the issue now?""Did you install surveillance on my phone?" Julian confronted, his voice carrying a hint of anger.To Zachary's surprise, Julian had discovered it sooner than expected.Amidst his inner astonishment, he nonchalantly inquired, "Do you have any evidence that it was me?"Zachary knew Henry's way of doing things. There was no chance he'd let someone like Julian catch him with evidence."Zachary, I'm out of prison. Only you know about this. I haven't contacted anyone aside from you and my sister."Do you seriously think my sister would go as
"Yes," Joey replied. A sudden sense of apprehension welled up within her."We discovered that Julia has a brother named Julian, and he has a criminal record," Hanson informed Joey in a measured tone.Joey listened quietly, responding with a simple "okay" after he finished that sentence."After Julian got out of prison, he got in touch with Zachary and entrusted Julia to him. I'm not sure if Zachary shared any of this with you," Hanson continued.Joey thought about Zachary mentioning Julia's family member saving him … Could it be Julian? She wondered if Julian ended up in prison because of Zachary."Go on," she urged, snapping back to the conversation.She knew, for now, Hanson was merely providing necessary background information and had yet to dive into the real agenda."Julian has been covertly keeping an eye on Julia. The first time he went after you, he reached out to someone with some knowledge of alternative medicine."After causing harm to you, that person fled abroad an
After having lunch, Joey headed back to downtown Eldeville.Upon reaching Emmen, Selena and her assistant came out to welcome her."Hanson's been hanging around Emmen a lot lately. I heard he rented a house around here," Selena said as she helped Joey with her luggage.Hanson and Kenneth were indeed a significant help to Joey this time.Despite that, though, Selena remained acutely aware that both the Fulham and Yates families were formidable entities not to be taken lightly.Hence, she had been keeping a close eye on Hanson and Kenneth's activities in Eldeville."Let's talk about it later. I'm a bit tired now." Joey didn't want to discuss matters involving the Fulham and Yates families in front of her assistant.After all, these two families could uncover such secretive information. It indicated a level of cunning that might not be in their favor if the assistant knew too much."Sure." Selena nodded.The two walked into the office, and Selena closed the door before asking Joe
Joey clutched her phone tightly, a frosty expression etched on her face."Zachary, if anything happens to Grandma, I'll make sure Julian and Julia pay for it!" With those words, she ended the call.Despite holding indisputable evidence capable of shattering Julia's reputation, Joey couldn't believe Julian would actually kidnap Monica.As for trusting Zachary … Well, she'd rather believe pigs could fly.Joey took a deep breath to calm her emotions and dialed Selena's number."Jojo, why are you calling me now? Did Grandma mention missing me? Let her know I'll drop by as soon as I get a chance …"As the call went through, Selena's enthusiastic voice immediately flooded Joey's ears. However, hearing her voice at this moment made Joey's nose tingle, and she couldn't hold back her emotions.Suppressing the tremor in her voice, she urged, "Selena, drop the lawsuit right away. Spread the word. Make sure Julia finds out.""But why?"Selena's earlier excitement turned into anger. "After
In the end, Joey was practically shouting, her bloodshot eyes brimming with hatred.Zachary's heart felt like it was stabbed, and he released his grip. She completely ignored him, turned around, and walked away.Watching her go, he suddenly understood. This time, she was truly done with him. Or maybe, deep down, he never had her from the start."Mr. Zachary."Shane witnessed his boss' ex-wife storming out with an intense and hostile energy.Unsure of what to do at the moment, Shane could only call out to Zachary, who was standing by the door lost in thought.Zachary pursed his lips. "Go after her. Make sure she's okay."Shane nodded and was about to chase after Joey when Zachary called out again, "Take the car. She might need it.""But what about you …"Zachary stayed silent. Shane instantly understood—his boss was angry.Without a second thought, he turned and leaped into the car, speeding off to catch up with Joey.The car trailed behind Joey, and Shane spoke through the d
It must have been Zachary's doing.Joey's eyes narrowed, fists clenched. "Zachary destroyed the surveillance?""No."Hanson's response brought her a moment of relief. But his next sentence raised her anxiety again."However, there's intentional interference in the surveillance cameras from some of the streets containing the key footage."Joey was amazed Zachary would go to such lengths for Julia.Grimacing, Joey spoke with determination, "Mr. Fulham, I hope to have your help. Of course, I won't let you help for nothing."From now on, I'll personally handle Mrs. Fulham Senior's annual gala attire designs."She didn't want to owe the Fulham family any favors.Hanson pressed his lips. There was a fleeting hint of resignation in his gaze. "We just want to help you.""I can't thank you enough. In the future, if you need anything, I'll go all out to return the favor," Joey pledged.Hanson didn't dwell on the topic any longer and shifted to the main agenda."I've already arranged
Joey shot him a cold glance. "You and he are both the same, so neither of you should be laughing at the other."Zachary nodded. "You're right, but I've turned over a new leaf now.""Let's go. Enough about him," Joey said. She was annoyed whenever Henry was brought up.He had a great girl willing to be with him, yet he was still unhappy. Any other man would have been grinning from ear to ear.They arrived at the restaurant, and while Joey ordered the food, Zachary sent a message to Henry."You should think about this. Joey and Grandma just want you to have someone by your side in the future, which is why they're saying these things."Don't give up on her just because of what her parents said. Having someone who genuinely likes you is rare."From Zachary's perspective, Henry had a pretty good start. Tessa didn't mind his circumstances, so what was he dissatisfied with?Henry quickly replied, "I know. I'll think about it carefully."In truth, Henry found it all a bit troublesome.
Henry was immediately startled and started stammering, "O-Okay."As soon as Joey hung up the phone, she turned to see Tessa, who was crying pitifully, and handed her a tissue.Tessa took the tissue and sobbed without saying a word.Monica had prepared some desserts for her and looked at her with compassion. "Henry has never been in love before. Plus, he's straightforward and doesn't know how to talk properly. There's no need to cry."Joey thought that Henry just didn't love Tessa enough. Otherwise, how could he say such things?Tessa's eyes were swollen and red. Her tears continuously streamed down. "I know he doesn't like me. Maybe he just agreed to the relationship because I pursued him."Joey patted her shoulder. "In love, if one person is too proactive, the other will seem passive. The fact that you dared to love already makes you braver than many.""What's the point? He doesn't care about me at all." Tessa sniffled."Here, eat something," Monica said. "Feelings like love d
No one tried to persuade Henry further, but Zachary continued to say to him, "Come with me to choose a location for the security company. It's worth doing."Henry was a bit speechless. "I'm not even pursuing the relationship anymore. Why should I still think about the security company?"Zachary responded, "Do you plan to cling to Joey's coattails your whole life? Once the business is set up, you can have apprentices teach others, and you can become a hands-off boss in a year or two."With that, Zachary headed out.After they left, Monica sighed in disappointment. "And I here I thought Henry had found someone good for him.""I think it's quite normal. Finding a good woman isn't easy," Joey said.Henry was indeed a good person, but with one eye missing and his job as a bodyguard, it was inevitable that Tessa's parents would worry."How disappointing," Monica murmured repeatedly.Joey didn't know what else to say and could only comfort her. "There's still a chance. What if Tessa d
Joey snorted. "You looked down on me and thought I had no opinions back then."Zachary pulled her into his arms. "Joey, do you like the person you are now or the person you were before?""What about you?" Joey asked him."I liked you from the beginning. Do you think I would have pursued you for so long if I didn't? I never thought you were serious about the divorce. At first, I was angry, but now I just think I was too slow to react."Joey was genuinely angry back then, but he had thought she was playing hard to get.The two of them sat close and watched the movie together.Selena hadn't returned yet, so Joey guessed that she wouldn't be coming back."Selena probably won't return. Hanson is cunning by taking her away with just a movie," Joey said.Zachary turned off the projector and was still savoring the moment as Joey left his arms."They're in love. Otherwise, Selena wouldn't go with him so easily," Zachary remarked.Selena must really like Hanson. Otherwise, she wouldn't
Zachary squeezed her hand tightly. "You're just like an exquisite and beautiful flower."Joey couldn't help but laugh. She pulled her hand back with a little force. "Even though we just had a heartfelt conversation, I haven't thought about being your girlfriend.""I get it. You're Chloe, and countless people are lining up to pursue you," Zachary said in a voice tinged with jealousy.If she wasn't so focused on her work, she probably would have found a new boyfriend by now. For example, Kenneth was an excellent person. If Joey had accepted him back then, Zachary thought he wouldn't stand a chance now.When they got back to Emmen, Joey freshened up and got back to work.Zachary couldn't help but say, "Can't you take a break?""I've gotten used to this over the past year. When I can't sleep at night, I'll work. I find it hard to relax now," Joey said while reading a document intently.Without her dedication and hard work, Emmen wouldn't have grown so quickly.Zachary beckoned her
Zachary felt a heavy weight on his chest as he looked at Joey.She continued, "Even if I accept you again, and we try to rebuild a family, I know things can never go back to the way they were. I gave you my best years, and I don't feel like I owe you anything."During those three years, you ignored my true feelings and neglected me. Do you think it's possible to go back to the past now?"Zachary said, "I'm truly sorry.""I want to fully accept you, but I can't. You all think that the many hurts inflicted on me are something I can just get over, let go of, and move forward from. But I can't."I realize now that people are complicated and hold grudges. I constantly revisit every wrong done to me. If I didn't care, it would mean I don't care about any of you at all."Joey rarely opened up to Zachary like this, but she felt it necessary to make this clear.Zachary watched her silently and felt as though it was his first time knowing what she actually thought."It's like how I don't
Selena readily agreed, "Alright. It's not fair for you to handle everything alone."Her relationship with Hanson was intense and passionate at the beginning, but now that the initial fire had burned out, Selena felt less attached to Hanson. But after dinner, she was still dragged by Hanson to watch a new movie.Joey was exhausted from work and didn't want to move, so she sat at the dining table with Zachary to enjoy the peace."Shall we head back soon?" Zachary asked after a long while.Joey hummed, exhausted. "Let's sit a bit longer.""If you don't want to walk, I can carry you," Zachary said with a smile.Joey snorted. "Do you want Grandma to scold me? Have you even recovered?""Probably not. These wounds don't heal so easily," Zachary admitted honestly. He wanted to please Joey but had forgotten that his health was no longer as robust as before."Let's sit for another half an hour," Joey said as she leaned back in her chair and replied to messages on her phone."You're work
Selena felt that what Joey said made sense and immediately nodded in agreement. "Then I won't consider marriage."Zachary glanced at them and thought that Selena was a bad influence on Joey. Even if they were married, couldn't they still have fun? What was the difference?Around noon, Hanson and Tessa arrived at Emmen together.As soon as Tessa saw Henry, she ran to him and grabbed his arm. "I got out of class early to see you. You're not mad, are you?"Henry was taken aback, but seeing Tessa clinging to him so sweetly filled his heart with joy."Not at all. Why didn't you tell me? I could have picked you up," Henry said.Tessa held his hand. "Why do you have to pick me up? I know where you work, so I can come to find you."Henry nodded dumbly."Tessa, have you eaten?" Monica stepped forward with a gentle smile."No, but my parents want to invite him to dinner tonight. I've already arranged it with them," Tessa said with a smile.Joey thought this wasn't just a regular dinner
Henry had a smile on his face, looking quite pleased with himself. "Of course, she fell in love with me at first sight."Selena laughed. "Impressive! But your cosplay style probably appeals to most young girls, right?"Henry may have only one eye, but he was still very handsome. He was like a cosplayer you'd see on the street.He simply smiled and picked up his phone to check in with Tessa.After chatting, Henry grinned like a fool. "She asked me out to lunch. She said she doesn't have classes this afternoon and wants to take me to her place."Joey felt a bit envious. "You're incredibly lucky. You need to cherish this."Henry nodded as Monica looked at Henry with a smile."What is your girlfriend studying in grad school?" Selena asked curiously."Something related to Eldelish language studies I think," Henry replied, unsure.Joey nodded. "That sounds good."After finishing his meal, Henry sat nearby, playing on his phone.Selena couldn't help but tell Joey, "Is he just going