Chapter 6

Steve listened intently, waiting for Elizabeth to continue with her plan.

"We must find a way to break Edward's connection to Zayyana; that way, we can destroy him slowly," Elizabeth continued with a wicked grin.

"How? Zayyana is the CEO of this company, and she has a lot of power." Steve looked doubtful, but Elizabeth seemed to have thought of everything.

"It won't be a big deal. We can spread bad rumors about Edward and make it look like he's leaking company secrets."

Elizabeth explained confidently.

Steve grinned, understanding Elizabeth's thinking: "Ahh, I see now. That way, Zayyan will feel disappointed and hate Edward."

"Exactly," Elizabeth smiled with satisfaction. We could also start by spreading the rumor that Edward is just an imposter, married for wealth. Now, Miss Zayyana is his next target. That way, Miss Zayyan will leave Edward.

Steve said, "That's a good idea." I'll start right away; I'll make Edward the prime suspect in the company's data leak. That way, Ms. Zayyan will feel disappointed and hate Edward."

The two then burst out laughing, satisfied with their devious plan. Hatred had blinded their eyes and hearts, and they sacrificed all human values for revenge.

"Prepare to suffer, Edward. You will feel the bitterness this time," Elizabeth muttered vengefully.

The two seemed satisfied with their plan, but they didn't realize the staff overheard their conversation. 

"They are really evil, Edward loves his wife very much, but she had an affair with an ugly man like Mr. Steve. And now they are trying to slander him."

"Yeah, I really didn't expect there to be hypocrites like them."

Meanwhile, on the way to the restaurant, Zayyana looked at Edward with pity. She was sure Edward was furious that his ex-wife was blatantly seeing another man.

"Edward, you're okay, right?" asked Zayyana gently.

Edward looked at Zayyana, who looked worried. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me," he replied, though he was actually lying.

Zayyana nodded hesitantly, trying to believe even though she was sure Edward was not okay. After a few minutes of driving, the car Edward was driving arrived at a simple restaurant. The restaurant was far from fancy, yet it seemed warm and crowded.

Zayyana stared in surprise at the restaurant. "We're going to eat at a place like this? Are you sure?"

Edward smiled. "Yes, I know this place might not be what you expected. But the food is good. I hope you'll like it."

"Can't we find another place? I'm not sure I can eat at a place like this. What about the ingredients and hygiene?" asked Zayyana in a worried tone.

"Don't be afraid; you won't know unless you try it," Edward tried to reassure her. Despite her doubts, Zayyana trusted Edward's words, and they entered the restaurant.

After sitting down and ordering, the awkward atmosphere slowly melted away. Edward ordered some of the restaurant's signature dishes. When the food was served, from the aroma and the way it was served, Zayyana was amazed.

The aroma immediately attracted her sense of smell. Hesitantly, she tasted the first dish, and her reaction did not disappoint.

"This... this is amazing," Zayyana said, unable to hide her amazement. "I never imagined a place like this could serve such good and delicious food."

Edward smiled broadly, pleased that Zayyana could finally recognize the specialness of this place. "I told you, didn't I? It doesn't take a fancy place to enjoy a good meal. Sometimes, a place like this holds surprises, like a relationship. We don't need to be wealthy to live happily with our partner. Simplicity can also make us happy. But that doesn't apply to people who are crazy about wealth and position."

Zayyana looked at Edward gratefully. "Thank you for bringing me here, Edward. I learned something valuable today."

Zayyana again tasted the noodles with thick red sauce and a little mayonnaise. The delicious flavor on her tongue made her want to eat more. Her face began to light up as she ate heartily, making Edward happy to see her. 

Made him think of his ex-wife, who refused to eat at a simple place like this. Yet Zayyana, a woman of high status, loved it.

"Edward, what's wrong? Did something happen?" she asked when she saw Edward was silent as if he was thinking about something.

"It's okay, let's continue our meal," Edward tried to cover his feelings. "Do you like it?"

"Of course," Zayyana replied with a smile. "The food here is quite good, and this place has a cozy atmosphere. I like it a lot."

Edward smiled with relief.

As they were enjoying their meal, Zayyana's cell phone rang again. Her face turned glum as soon as she realized who was calling her.

"Sorry, I have to take a call for a moment."

"Please."

As Zayyana spoke on the phone, Edward noticed a drastic change in her facial expression. Zayyana's face became serious as if she was harboring anger. After a few moments, Zayyana ended the call, let out a long breath, and smiled again when her gaze met Edward's.

"Any problems?" asked Edward as Zayyana sat back down across from him.

"No, let's continue our meal. I have a lot of work to do right now," Zayyana replied, trying to mask her problem.

"Are you sure? You can talk to me about this. Maybe there will be a miracle, like what happened at the company, and I can help you," Edward tried to reassure.

Zayyana fell silent, staring at the plate in front of her. Edward's words made her rethink. A miracle could happen again, even if it seemed impossible. She tried to muster the courage to be honest with Edward.

"I know who made the investors leave my company," Zayyana said in a low but firm voice. "It was all Richard's doing."

"Richard?"

"Yes, Richard," Zayyana continued, her voice carrying a tone of pent-up sadness and anger. "The man I was to be set up with."

Edward looked at Zayyana intently, waiting for further explanation.

"He used his connections to influence investors to withdraw their funds from the company. He knew that my company would fall without financial support," Zayyana explained, her voice trembling with the emotions she was trying to contain.

Edward let out a long sigh. "That's terrible. So he wants to control your life?"

Zayyana looked down, feeling the growing weight on her shoulders. "Yes, Richard wants to control my life. He thought that by destroying my company, I would accept the arranged marriage and depend on him."

Edward took Zayyana's hand, giving her understanding. "We have to find a way to fight him. You cannot let him destroy your life."

Zayyana looked up at Edward, the look in their eyes so deep. "I don't know what to do. Everything is so hard right now."

"You have to find someone who can fight him," Edward said firmly.

"Someone who can fight him? Who? Where can I find someone like that? He's the richest man in the city. How can I find someone who can match him?" asked Zayyana, confused.

Edward smiled slightly. "I can help you."

"You? Help me? How? Now I need a man who has more wealth and power than Richard. But you..."

"I'm just a poor man working as an ordinary staff. Is that what you mean?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you, but...," Zayyana paused for a moment, then continued in a quieter voice, "but I have another idea, which might save me from this arranged marriage faster."

"What?"

"Marrying you."

"What? Marry? You mean the two of us getting married?"

"Yes, we're getting married. I'll give you something in return if you do it. We'll have a contract marriage."

"Contract marriage?"

"You said you would help, right? By getting married, they'll stop forcing me to marry Richard. You know what he's like, a playboy who likes to play with women. What will happen if I marry him? Oh, no. Just thinking about it is enough to make me angry."

Edward sighed, then smiled slightly. He looked at Zayyana skeptically. Marry? Edward had never thought that far ahead.