Joey had only been back in Imperia for two days when Henry called her."Ms. Linton, please come and see Mr. Gray. He's eating but still hasn't woken up," Henry pleaded tearfully.He hadn't intended for news of Zachary's condition to leak out. Now, he had not only angered Joey but also Zachary.Zachary nearly fainted again in his fury when he learned that Joey was the only one who had been kept in the dark.Henry thought if Joey didn't come to see Zachary soon, Shane would get promoted, and he would be demoted once Zachary fully recovered."You should call a doctor, and I'm not one," Joey replied coldly."Ms. Linton, I was wrong to keep you in the dark. Please come to see him for my sake. If you come, I'll pray for you every day, wishing you success in all your endeavors!"Henry thought if Joey were in front of him, he would kneel for her right now.Joey's voice remained icy. "I'm very busy with work. Call a doctor if you need help."With that, she hung up.Henry looked at Zac
Zachary was both disappointed and a little angry."Won't you consider a severely injured patient's feelings? Talking like this will slow my recovery," Zachary said to Joey in an aggrieved tone.Joey crossed her arms and looked at him expressionlessly.Zachary suddenly felt his momentum drop. He was frustrated that he could not stand due to his slow recovery."What can you do about it? Henry said from now on, I come first, and you come second. Watch your words, or I'll have your former subordinate beat you up," Joey said arrogantly regardless of Zachary's condition.Zachary laughed in exasperation. "Did Henry say that?""I'm paying him five thousand a month. Why wouldn't he say that?" Joey retorted.She was protective of Henry, who had lost an eye for her and could no longer stay with Zachary."Fine, fine. I reprimanded him yesterday, and he looked for you for comfort today. I didn't realize he could be such a pussy," Zachary said and suddenly clutched his chest in pain as he dr
Zachary was very surprised that Brook was still alive.He thought that in that situation, with Brook standing next to the person in charge of that entertainment venue while the thugs were firing indiscriminately, Brook wouldn't have been able to escape.Unexpectedly, he managed to survive. It was clear that he had prepared well before going abroad.Zachary's eyes turned cold. "It seems dealing with Brook will require more effort.""Stop thinking about dealing with anyone for now. The important thing is to take care of your health first."Joey was frustrated that as soon as he woke up, he was already filled with schemes and plots. How could he recover like this?Zachary leaned back on the bed and looked at her. "If I die, would you marry Kenneth?"Joey raised an eyebrow. "Do you think I won't marry him just because you're alive?"That was a harsh blow."Focus on recovering. I need to go back to Imperia soon." Joey didn't want to discuss her relationship with Zachary. She was
Monica could only give up after seeing how stubborn Joey was.She had tried to persuade Joey on Zachary's behalf, but she knew Joey's stubborn nature. There was only this much she could do. The rest would depend on their fate."Grandma, I'm going back to Imperia." Joey insisted on leaving.With so many people taking care of Zachary, she had nothing to worry about.Besides, being here reminded her of the days when Rose was constantly critical and oppressive toward her. Even thinking about those painful days for a second made her feel suffocated.After she left, Harold kept sighing.Standing at the door, he said to Monica, "This place holds too many unpleasant memories for her. Staying here would only make her uncomfortable."…Back in Imperia, Joey had just gotten off the plane when she ran into Kenneth, who was returning from an event."Did you go on another business trip?" Kenneth sounded delighted to see her. How could he be so lucky to run into her at the airport?"No, I j
Henry walked ahead with Joey following closely. They quickly reached the designated room."I'm opening the door," Henry informed Joey, who nodded.As Henry inserted the key card, she tilted slightly to peek inside.Henry instructed Joey to wait at the door while he went in alone.Upon entering the bedroom, Henry was taken aback to find Kenneth lying naked on the bed.The room was filled with a heavy scent, clearly indicating something had already happened.Kenneth's face was flushed, and his breathing was irregular. He was probably drugged, but Henry couldn't tell whether he did it out of his willingness.The room was a mess.Henry walked over, covered Kenneth with a blanket, and took out his phone to call Joey.Joey was surprised to receive the call. Could she not go in?"What's wrong?" she asked as she answered the call."He's been drugged. I don't know what to do," Henry said. Kenneth was a major celebrity, so taking him to the hospital was out of the question.It was cl
Joey was puzzled. "Is it that hard to accept? Kenneth can also be bullied, okay? Just because he's a man doesn't mean this isn't a serious matter."Zachary became serious. "I'm not saying it isn't serious. I just think you could be a bit more tactful with your words.""I'm being serious!" Joey snapped."Yes, I understand. My initial guess is that Brook is involved in some shady business. You know what Kenneth's parents do."If they ally with the Yates family, and something goes wrong, the Yates family will try to help them out to avoid any collective punishment," Zachary replied promptly.He was smart and quickly grasped Brook's intention."That's because Kenneth's parents are in a position where they can't afford any mistakes," Zachary continued.Joey acknowledged with a hum."Yvonne's on their side, but she has her eyes on me. They likely wanted to create an opportunity for Brook's daughter to marry Kenneth."If it was just for minor benefits, they wouldn't go to such length
Hanson drove a long way before quietly getting out of the car and leaving.Before coming here, he had received a call from Zachary, who told him that Brook had appeared in the Golden Triangle.Hanson, who had always worried about him, felt relieved to know he was safe.Zachary knew far more than he did. Without needing further explanation, Hanson understood that Brook was likely involved in Selena being sent to the Golden Triangle.After all, Zachary had previously exposed Brook's ties to human trafficking.Even though a butler had taken the fall back then, Hanson now realized that Brook was far from simple.He messaged Zachary. "When are you coming to Imperia?"Zachary responded, "Not for now. Brook must still be investigating me. As long as I don't show up, he'll remain anxious. When people are anxious, they make mistakes. Just keep an eye on things for me."After agreeing, Hanson subconsciously tightened his grip on his phone.He hadn't expected someone like Brook to exist
Even though Joey had never thought of being with Zachary, she didn't want him to die, either.Hearing Joey's words, Zachary felt a bit disappointed."Alright, go ahead. I need to rest for a while," Zachary said with obvious sadness in his voice.Joey comforted him a little and then hung up the phone.It was a chilly night.Zachary sat by the window as he looked at his phone and smiled bitterly.It might have been better not to come back. Even after giving it his all, he still couldn't win Joey's heart.When Monica came in with broth, she saw his defeated look and knew it was because of Joey."Since things have come this far, focus on your recovery first. After that, you can go to Imperia and treat her well every day. Let's see if she will be moved or not," Monica said after putting the broth on the small dining table with a stern face."She'll get annoyed," Zachary said in a voice full of concern."It's because you're over-concerned that you haven't achieved anything. Didn't
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