"I hate having to wait for you when I want to do this..." Wolf whispered, easily unhooking the clasp on Zoe's back."You don't want me to stop, do you?" Wolf asked again in a husky voice as his lips gently touched Zoe's shoulder, pushing the straps of Zoe's dress off her shoulders. The dress hung askew before Wolf pulled the other side, causing it to cascade down, covering Zoe's legs.Zoe's response couldn't be clear. She just sighs and bites her lips. Warm and ticklish sensations emanated from Zoe's back as Wolf swept lightly with his fingertips.Creeping and squeezing, flowing along the spine, then tracing Zoe's ribs towards the front."Wolf..." Zoe moaned. She was unable to resist Wolf's teasing any longer. Not directly touching, but circling around the soft parts before touching the hardened tip that signaled his desire.Wolf chuckled softly, feeling Zoe's body melt in his embrace, almost unable to stand without holding onto the kitchen table."I've always loved it when you finall
"That looks... amazing on you," Wolf complimented, stumbling over his words as Zoe's beauty was truly mesmerizing. The blue and white dress looked even more stunning after Zoe adorned it with complete makeup."Thank you." Zoe expressed gratitude while glancing around in panic. She was already at the TV station, a place where Wolf shouldn't be. Wolf didn't send messages this time; he came in person before the broadcast.“Why did you come?” Zoe asked while ensuring the closure of the emergency exit door."Because I wanted to see you, of course," Wolf said, holding back a smile."But you don't usually show up here! What if someone sees you?"“Why are you more worried about me?” Wolf teased, enjoying Zoe's panic."I don't want you to become entangled in gossip, and I don't want to become entangled in it either! What if someone sees you?" Zoe fretted.If Wolf had come in a normal way—without meeting her—Zoe wouldn't be this panicked. But clearly, Wolf had walked into the area where contest
Zoe saw Max bowing down from the stage with his head lowered, seemingly relishing the aftermath of yesterday's news.Journalists and music commentators were harshly critical of his performance. They understood that Max was unwell, but they hoped he would choose not to perform if his condition was that bad. It was embarrassing to witness a musician's poor performance at a music awards show.Sickness was the reason Max provided after the event—Nova's representative gave a press statement. It was clear to Zoe that the reason Max provided, sickness, was undoubtedly a lie. Zoe knew exactly what had happened. Max would never see those socks again, and perhaps they were now in another state, following the flow of a river.Zoe was relieved that Max's trust in that foolish superstition remained the same when she found it yesterday. Max would likely recover and wouldn't depend on his lucky socks after today. But Zoe had successfully stained his career, and the impact would disturb his performan
Wolf knew Zoe would be amazing, but what he sees now is beyond what he had imagined. His choice was right; Wolf indeed prefers singers with captivating live performances. Almost all his chosen singers are like that—even Iris.Not all singers can pull it off. Most people sound perfect in the recording studio but falter during live performances. Lack of emotion, a lack of stage presence, and usually being too concerned about the audience.Communication with the audience—maintaining eye contact but not letting it affect emotions. Striking that balance is difficult. But Zoe can do it. Zoe applies what she learned from Wolf perfectly, combining talent and knowledge.Now, that beautiful voice blends with smiles, eye glances, hand gestures, and emotions in every word spoken in that tone. That beauty is what has kept Zoe's position stable so far. Although it is not always the highest, it never falls too low.Wolf closes his eyes, not because he's bored of looking at Zoe but because he wants t
"I have to go. There's an unexpected matter. You go home first. Take a tazi."The message wasn't funny. Not just because of the slight typo, but because it was annoying for Zoe. She was disappointed because they didn't go home together as planned, and she had to struggle to take a taxi. But that disappointment wasn't too important, and Zoe could handle it.Zoe's biggest disappointment right now was the lack of any information in the message about where Wolf was heading. Zoe needed to know. She wanted to know if Wolf would be working or doing something else. Zoe was suspicious that he would do something else because Wolf's work was usually scheduled. And that something else could be anything.Zoe sighed as she stared at her phone. Since earlier, she had been contemplating whether to ask where Wolf went or not. But she hadn't reached a pleasant decision yet. She didn't want to seem nagging and disturb Wolf, but it was challenging to calm her heart and believe that Wolf
Wolf snarled and pulled his head away from her brunette hair. Wolf, of course, also pushed his body away, but Emily clung like a leech."Let go!" Wolf finally growled, and only then did the hug release."Why haven't you said anything? You should have informed me before coming. You're so cruel. How long has it been since you last contacted me? But I'm happy you came to surprise me!" Emily tried to hug again, but Wolf pushed her head away."Are you insane? Look around first! Use your eyes and brain properly! Have they both been permanently damaged by alcohol?!"Emily brushed aside the messy hair covering her face and looked around. Her eyes were still squinted from being too drunk, and her head was spinning, but she recognized the prison bars."Eh? How did I end up here? What did I do? What happened?" Emily touched the iron bars to make sure they were real."What happened is normal, because you did foolish things like wandering in the park at night, drunk
Wolf entered his house with dragging steps. He was tired—extremely tired.Last night, he might have 'worked too hard' with Zoe and worked at the office during the day. In the evening, he went straight to the television station and just drove a long, round trip. Wolf felt fortunate not to hit any poles earlier, managing to safely arrive home.Wolf dropped the shirt he had just taken off, glancing at the pile of blue and white fabric, then turned to look at the bed.Thinking there would be nothing special, Wolf had ignored that part earlier, but now he saw a covered mound under the blanket, and he didn't need to ask who was behind it.And just like that, a smile formed on his face. Wolf quickly forgot all the annoyance that had been bothering him when he realized Zoe was on the bed. Of course, Wolf assumed Zoe had returned to her apartment.Wolf shook his head, not understanding how his mood could feel so relieved just because of such a small difference.Wolf never cared whether there w
Wolf woke up in confusion. He was sure he shouldn't have woken up when the sun was almost setting.Looking around, Wolf found an empty room, much like his current state of mind. Wolf found himself stuck because he overslept. But he was confident that Zoe was at home.Wolf was squinting his eyes, realizing his situation was strange. His room remained tidy. Zoe would usually leave traces when she was around.Wolf got out of bed, wanting to go downstairs to see if Zoe was there, but then his memory returned. He shouldn't have woken up when the sun was setting."FUCK!"Wolf cursed and looked around, searching for his phone, but he only found the shirt he wore last night on the floor.Wolf cursed again while hitting his forehead a few times with his hand, trying to remember where his phone was. Then he heard a faint ringing coming from the bathroom."What the fuck?"Wolf became more puzzled when he found his phone in the sink, lit up with missed calls and piled-up messages, not just from B
"LORIA MOREAU!"Zoe froze. She heard her name, but couldn't believe it was hers."Wake up, baby. And smile. It’s yours."Wolf's whisper finally stirred emotions in Zoe. She blushed with emotion, only able to stand when Wolf helped her. Unfortunately, Wolf couldn't escort her to the stage.Luckily, Syanne's hand was there to assist her, followed by Jacob, who was closest to the stage, helping her navigate the stairs to reach the top.Zoe expressed her gratitude several times to the person presenting her award before finally standing in front of the microphone to deliver her speech.Zoe took a few deep breaths, wiping away tears, before finally being able to address the camera and the patiently waiting audience."This is something I never dreamed of, standing here and receiving this." Zoe glanced down at the trophy in her hands once more and smiled."I... I once buried this dream. I no longer hoped to sing, let alone receive this. Not long
Zoe did something that Wolf would not like. She wouldn't lie, but she would inform him later, once the task was complete. Zoe wants to handle this herself without anyone else's interference.Of course, it's not easy. She walks with an anxious heart. Zoe adjusts her sunglasses several times on her nose, while her other hand carries a beautiful pink flower and gift box.Zoe feels anxious, knowing that people will recognize her when she enters later. But she's resigned. It's not possible to hide her identity now, considering the person she's going to meet.Approaching the counter after filling out a form with the prisoner's name and number, Zoe submits it."Please wait over there. We'll call you," says the prison guard behind the counter.He stares at Zoe several times as another guard checks Zoe's belongings—making sure no contraband is smuggled, glancing to confirm—even reading her name on the form but doesn't comment.Relieved—because
"Here." Wolf handed the cup to Zoe.Zoe wanted to take it, but her hands were still busy responding to messages on her phone."Cliff really doesn't have a girlfriend, does he?" Zoe asked."Hm? Why are you asking?" Wolf asked suspiciously."For Sara. She wanted to confirm this because she doesn't believe someone like Cliff is still single.Zoe sighed, showing the message Sara sent to her. Showing that she wasn't lying. She was indeed asking for Sara, not for herself."Not yet. According to Clay, he used to have one—a journalist or an MC, if I'm not mistaken. But they broke up when Cliff was about to move here. Either he moved and then they broke up, or they broke up and then he moved."Wolf just repeated Clay's words, of course. And now Zoe repeated them in the form of a message to Sara and sent it to reassure her."How do you know these details?" After sending the message and taking her cup, Zoe asked in amazement. The knowle
"Should have been in jail..."Max denied reality once again. For him, Loria still couldn't possibly be Zoe because she should have been in jail."You're endlessly foolish!" Billy slammed the table and went berserk.He grabbed Max by the collar with his handcuffs. Of course, chaos ensued immediately, and shouts erupted as the police guarding the area rushed in to subdue Billy, pinning him to the ground.But evidently, Billy was truly furious with Max, as he continued to resist and curse at Max even while being held down."YOUR STUPIDITY KNOWS NO BOUNDS!""SILENCE!"The judge's thundering voice overshadowed Billy's outburst. Not only Billy fell silent, but also the journalists and spectators who were making noise."Once again, if anyone disturbs me, I will reschedule this trial! UNDERSTOOD?!"The silence in the room signified that they all understood."Take him out. Mr. Dacosta, I'll make sure your charges include this incident. Assaul
The prosecutor began with standard questions, asking about Sara's background—education, how long she had been a psychiatrist, and so on. Only after that did she mention Zoe."Since when has Ms. Zoe Anderson been your patient?" the prosecutor asked."For over a year," Sara replied clearly. Gone was the cheerful demeanor she usually wore when facing patients."Can you explain Ms. Anderson's condition at that time?""Zoe came with a desire to heal because she suffered severe trauma that was very visible and prevented her from leading a normal life.""Could you please explain more about that trauma?"Sara nodded calmly because everything matched the expectations given by Cliff."Zoe came in a state where she couldn't speak, but medical examinations showed that Zoe didn't have any physical injuries anymore. The absence of any disturbances in her nerves confirmed that her inability to speak was a result of PTSD. Severe trauma due to a bad incident
"That's... Strange. You must be kidding!" Iris shook her head vigorously while staring at Zoe from head to toe, trying to recognize her as the same person she saw before with Max."Have I ever joked when talking to you?" Wolf replied flatly, pulling a chair for Zoe. The chair is furthest from Iris. She was still at a loss for words and kept staring at Zoe."Are you really Zoe Anderson?" Iris continued to stare at Zoe."Yes, before I changed my name to Loria Moreau, that was also my name." Zoe replied calmly. The apprehension that had plagued her earlier had vanished.The meeting with Iris might have been unexpected and almost annoying, but Zoe felt empowered, knowing that she was currently in control.Seeing Iris's surprise, Zoe felt satisfaction. A victory for successfully showing her new self to Iris. Zoe was no longer the disheveled individual she had encountered, who garnered disdain due to her perceived inferiority."That's impossible! You don't lo
Zoe smoothed her cream-colored skirt and blazer. Darcy's choice, so Zoe wouldn't appear intimidating or grim.She felt nervous, as she could see from a distance how journalists were crowding in front of the courthouse. They were undoubtedly waiting for the enigmatic figure of Zoe Anderson. There were no images of Zoe in the news because there was no documentation of Zoe's case.Due to her prior injuries and hospitalization, Zoe did not attend the trial as a suspect. No one recorded her face or bothered to find out at the hospital because the case clearly made her a suspect.Zoe also ran her fingers through her hair, which was back to being blonde. She wasn't wearing a wig today. It was the first time she would appear without her black hair, and honestly, it made Zoe even more nervous. It felt like she was removing the mask that had protected her. Zoe would be Zoe in front of everyone, no longer Loria.Wolf, who had been observing Zoe's nervousness, said, "Your be
"He's trying to save himself! So cunning!" Wolf hissed irritably.It was clear from Iris's statement that she only wanted to save herself by blaming Max and Billy."She made them look like she was under pressure to hide the truth about Zoe. Iris then used that pressure as an excuse to justify all her strange actions. She hid from her mistakes by using mental health as an excuse." Sara shook her head, looking annoyed. She was obviously upset when someone used mental health as a lie."She managed to escape using a lifeboat before her ship really sank." Cliff looked at Iris, who continued to sob and cry amidst her words."It doesn't matter. Let it be," Zoe said, folding her arms and staring at the television without blinking."What do you mean, let it be? She's lying again!" Wolf also pointed to the television with a disapproving face."At least she has been honest, especially about me. Whatever she said makes things right; just let it be," Zoe repeated.
"Why so fast?" Zoe stared at the summons she had received in panic.When Benson mentioned that she would receive a summons to attend court, Zoe assumed the trial would take place maybe around one or two months later, but it turned out to be only three days later and effective in two days."I think Benson waited until his file was complete before calling you. That's why now he just has to submit it to the court, and the schedule comes down immediately," Cliff explained. He took the letter from her hand to examine it."I only have to come once, right?"Zoe asked to confirm, as she really didn't want to attend the trial multiple times."Yes, that's why I asked to meet with the psychiatrist who treated you. I need to ask them to answer questions about your condition well. They have to give the right answers for the judge to grant the request," Cliff explained today's plan."I think they'll be here soon. She said they still had a patient earlier,