The Loveless Contractive Marriage

Zia POVRaymond's stepbrother pulled up to Lorenzo's mother's house, and I thanked him with a smile. "Thanks so much," I said, feeling grateful. He smiled back, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You don't have to do that. Have a great time with your mother-in-law," he said, his voice friendly. I smiled again, feeling a warmth in my chest. "Bye," I said, as I got out of the car. Just as I was walking away, he rolled down his window and called out, "Always smile, you're so beautiful with that genuine smile!" He was still smiling at me, and I couldn't help but blush. My heart skipped a beat as I felt a flutter in my chest. I looked away, trying to hide my embarrassment, but I couldn't help but feel a little pleased at the compliment. I waved at him, still feeling a bit shy, and he drove off, leaving me with a warm feeling in my heart. As I approached the door, my heart raced when my eyes met Lorenzo's. His cold gaze made me feel like he was sucking the life out of me. I forced a s

Zia's POV: As I moved to the front of the table to present the new project, all eyes were on me. I had worked tirelessly on it for the past five days, finally completing it yesterday. My gaze briefly met Lorenzo's, but I quickly composed myself and smiled, focusing on the task at hand. I walked to the displayed monitor, inserted my flash drive, and processed the data. Before facing the shareholders, I began, "Well, I think before the data processes, I'd like to outline the details of the contract." I bowed slightly, preparing to start my presentation. But just as I was about to begin, I noticed the shareholders' faces on the screen behind me. Suddenly, one of them shouted, "What's this? Are you here to show us nude pictures? Is this a hotel?" The room erupted into chaos, and I felt my face flush with embarrassment and confusion. "I am sorry, I didn't know what this is, I guess I picked the wrong flash drive" I said, and quickly removed the flash drive. The shareholder's scolding