《Flash Marriage: A Wife For A Stranger》 1 The night was as ck as ink. Zoe Gil¡¯s face was pale as she managed to stand up from the bed with an headache and dry mouth. She checked the time and saw that it was almost 12¡¯oclock. Without wasting much time she went to take her bath, put on her clothes and hurried to the hotel. Since it was already midnight by the time she got to the hotel, Zoe knew it was not quite safe for anyone working in adult product business to make deliveries in person. Not to mention for a girl like her, young and gorgeous. But then again, what could she do? Life was never easy, and she had got to pay for her own life. More importantly, Steven would return to the country in just a few days. They had been together for six years, but most of the time they lived in different cities. Steven had got business to take care of abroad and definitely she could not just hold him back. Fortunately, in the past six years, their rtionship had been just great. After work, she also ran her own little business. It would be his birthday in a few days, and she had prepared a surprise for him. Come to think of it, she curled her lips silently and her mouth split into a light smile. But her delicate face was covered by a mask, and people around her could only see a pair of deep and calm eyes which gave off a hint of cool aloofness. She pulled the brim of her ck hat down a little more, before she made her way into the hotel with the delivery boxentered the elevator. The Pinkyrose Hotel was a famous money squandering establishment in V city. Normally, only the wealthiest figures of the city woulde here to kill their time. The grand hall was furnishedvishly as expected, and even the elevators were all decorated with ornaments of gold and silver, making them glitter everywhere under the lights. Standing there, she could not help but think she did not belong here. With that being said, Zoe just held her delivery box and did not let her eyes wander a bit. Her beautiful face was covered by a mask, revealing only a pair of deep and calm eyes which gave off a hint of cold aloofness. The elevator stopped on the twenty-second floor with a ¡®ding¡¯. She walked out, quickly found Room 4485, and rang the doorbell. Even before the door opened, there were already fevered moans of a man and woman sounding from inside. ¡°Steven, ah ¡­ stop! It seems our stuff has arrived.¡± ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll get it.¡± Zoe¡¯s mouth could not help but curl as she stood outside the door. ¡®Seems they have enjoyed themselves so much even without their little toy.¡¯ ¡®So eager!¡¯ The door quickly opened, and a freshly-showered man wearing a bathrobe appeared. Zoe did not look at him and simply handed the box over. ¡°150 dors! Cash?¡± The person opposite her did not move. Two secondster, a hesitant voice sounded, ¡°Zoe?¡± Zoe was slightly startled and raised her head. Her expression went cold instantly. The man in front of her, wearing only a white bathrobe, water dripping from his short hair, was exactly the Steven Anderson she had loved for six years! The man standing by the door was tall, with short and damp hair. He wore only a white bathrobe, and under the glow of the warm yellow light, his handsome face was filled with surprise, dismay, and ¡­ a hint of panic. Zoe¡¯s face instantly went cold. ¡°Steven, who is it?¡± ¡°Nothing. Just the delivery man.¡± In a panic, Steven Anderson spoke out hastily before Zoe could make a sound. He quickly took out a wad of bills from his wallet and stuffed them into her hand before snatching the box from her. The door mmed shut with a ¡®bang¡¯. Zoe stood there, her fingertips trembling slightly. Her face was pale. The next moment, she suddenly sneered. She looked at the stack of notes in her hand as if she had heard an amazing joke, and found how ignorant and stupid she had been. When the sounds of lovemaking started inside, she took a deep breath and forced back the sourness in her eyes. Then, she turned around and produced her phone from the pocket as she headed for the elevator. ¡°Hello, is this City V Police Department? I found someone taking drugs and there is also a prostitute with him. They are in the Pinkyrose Hotel. The room number is¡­¡± Thirty minutester. A police car parked in front of the Pinkyrose Hotel along with several media reporters carrying cameras. As the people in the hotel were escorted out, the reporters rushed forward. ¡°Mr. Anderson, someone reported that you were taking drugs and hiring prostitutes in this hotel. Is this true?¡± ¡°Mr. Anderson, as the heir of Anderson Group, do you think it¡¯s proper for you to do this?¡± ¡°Mr. Anderson, who is the woman with you? There are rumors that she¡¯s a popr actress from the entertainment industry. Is that true?¡± ¡°Mr. Anderson..¡± Steven was so surrounded by reporters that not even the police could stop them. After a while, he could no longer bear it and roared with rage, ¡°Get the fuck out of my eyes!¡± The reporters were startled but backed away as demanded. Steven looked past the crowd and stared straight at Zoe. His eyes were full of hatred and ruthlessness. ¡°Is this what you want?¡± Zoe smiled coldly as a hint of mockery shed across her eyes. ¡°You just won¡¯t get me whatever you do!¡± Zoe suddenly walked forward and raised her hand in front of all the reporters and police- ¡°p!¡± With a stinging p to the side of his face, Steven¡¯s head was snapped to the side. The surroundings suddenly grew silent. A policeman opened his mouth. ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, my hand slipped.¡± She smiled faintly and rubbed her wrist. Her voice was clear and cold as she looked at Steven with resentment. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d care about a piece of scrap paper that fell into the toilet? You can think of that p as interest. I¡¯ll collect the remaining principal within the next three days!¡± Steven¡¯s eyes shed with panic. ¡°Wh ¡­ What principal?¡± Zoe raised her eyebrows. ¡°Do you really want me to remind you?¡± Steven¡¯s face immediately went white. She smiled coolly, her face full of ridicule and contempt. When the police saw that they had nothing more to say, he waved his hand and escorted the two into the car. Now that they had been taken away, the journalists had no reason to stay any longer. They also began to leave. The hotel entrance that was originally swarmed with people suddenly became empty. Zoe stood there for a short while and waited until she felt better, and she just left. Unexpectedly, as soon as she turned her head, her sight was met with a pair of deep and searching eyes. They belonged to a young man in a dark suit. He had a tall and straight figure, and neat and short hair. His eyes were as deep as a bottomless sea. Under the dim light of the night, a cool and noble aloofness could be sensed from his delicate features, making a sharp contrast from the corrupt environment around him. Zoe¡¯s heart shook. In the back of her mind, she thought the man looked somewhat familiar. However, when she looked back at him again, her gaze secretly trailed to the secretary behind him as well as the silver Porsche parked beside them. Then, she felt that there was no way she knew such a big shot. She did not think much, but directly turned to leave. When the petite figure blended into the traffic, Henry Han looked away and asked softly, ¡°Who was that just now?¡± Behind him, Jack Rey quickly replied. ¡°Mr. Han, do you mean the person who was taken away by the police earlier? He seems to be the son of the owner of Anderson Corporation. He just returned from abroad a few days ago.¡± Henry frowned slightly. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the girl.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Jack was slightly confused. ¡°What girl?¡± Noting that Henry¡¯s gloomy expression, Jack immediately understood, ¡°My apologies, Mr. Han. I¡¯ll check right away¡­¡± ¡°No need.¡± Henry interrupted him. He thought deeply for a few seconds and suddenly remembered something. A trace of surprise shed in his eyes, and he once again looked in the direction in which the girl had left. His lips hooked up in a smile. ¡®So it was her. Interesting woman.¡¯ He then strode towards the elevator, looking forward to meeting with her again in his heart. Then, he finally walked inside. ¡­.. Since it was she who had called the police, Zoe also followed the police back to the station. As soon as she finished her statement, a group of people barged in from outside. Leading the crowd was her grandmother, Ciara, who rushed forward and gave Zoe a big tight p. Zoe frowned as a metallic taste spread in her mouth. She looked up coldly at the people standing across from her. ¡°You wench!¡± Ciara trembled in anger. ¡°You knew very well that it was your sister, yet you still called the cops on her? Are you trying to anger me to death?!¡± Zoe wiped off the blood from the corner of her lips and looked up at the woman in front of her mockingly. ¡°My sister? Are you talking about Annie?¡± ¡°What are you acting dumb for? Word has spread all over saying that the daughter of the Gil family seduced someone else¡¯s fiance. You¡¯re the one who caused all this, and you said you didn¡¯t even know that?¡± Zoe lowered her eyes andughed softly. ¡°So that woman was her! I thought it was just some random prostitute eager to make some money, but it turned out to be my own sister?¡± Standing behind Ciara, her father Jaden Gil roared in anger. ¡°You bitch! What did you say?¡± Zoe sneered. ¡°Just the truth.¡± She really did not expect that the woman with Steven would be Annie. Originally, she had just thought that Steven had betrayed her. She only acted the way she did in a fit of anger to make Steven make a fool of himself to relieve her resentment. Unexpectedly, not only did her fiance cheat on her, but the person he cheated on her with was her own half-sister! What a joke! ¡°You!¡± The olddy was so furious that she raised her cane and was about to smash it down on Zoe, but Helen quickly stopped her. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s just talk. Don¡¯t be angry. Your health matters the most.¡± Then, she turned to Zoe. ¡°Zoe, you shouldn¡¯t make your grandmother angry. Annie is at fault here, so you can beat up or yell at her and all you wantter, but your grandma is already old. Listen to me and don¡¯t talk back to her, okay?¡± If a passerby saw Helen¡¯s gentle and considerate expression without knowing who she was, they would have thought that she truly was kind. Zoe¡¯s lips hooked up in a sarcastic smile. When her father Jaden saw her expression, he became even more furious. ¡°Are you feeling good about yourself now? You got your sister and your fiance into the police station, andpletely humiliated the Gil family. Do you even remember who you are? ¡°Your sister is an actress. How is she supposed to show up in public after you made such a fuss today? Will she be continuing in the entertainment industry? What will happen to the rtionship between the Gil and the Anderson family from now on? Have you even thought about that?¡± Zoe looked at him coldly. ¡°Is that all you can think of?¡± Jaden stilled. ¡°They are the ones at fault, so why are you here ming me? What did you expect me to do? Turn a blind eye and pretend I didn¡¯t see anything? Maybe you would have preferred that if I wished them a long and happy life together?¡± Jaden was lost for words for the first time. Then, his jaw clenched in outrage. ¡°You can¡¯t even keep your own man, yet you¡¯re ming others for stealing him? If you were any good at all, would he have dumped you for your sister? You don¡¯t reflect on yourself when something happens and instead me everyone else. You are just like your useless mother!¡± Zoe shook violently. At her father¡¯s harsh words, she stared at him in disbelief. Five years ago, Jaden had an affair and took Helen and Annie into the family. Only then did Zoe find out that she had a sister who was five years younger than she was. Her mother could not bear the shock and drove her car into the river, ending her own life. Fearing that Zoe would raise a stink, the Gil sent her abroad and washed their hands clean of her. In those years, if not for the small inheritance that her mother left her, she would have died while she was abroad. She always knew that her father and grandmother did not like her mother, but she didN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. not expect that they would have such harshments for her mother even after her death. Her entire heart and body went cold for a moment. Then, she gave a mockingugh. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m useless! After all, I don¡¯t have a mom who was a mistress, so I didn¡¯t inherit the ability to seduce men. Annie Gil truly surpassed her mother. My eyes are open to a whole new world.¡± To the side, Helen¡¯s face instantly lost all color. Jaden bellowed furiously. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°You know exactly what I said!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Ciara suddenly shouted. Jaden wanted to say something more, but Helen tugged on his arm from the side. When they looked up, they saw Steven¡¯s father Michael Anderson lead Steven Anderson and Annie Gil out of the interrogation room at the end of the corridor. Michael did not look pleased at all, and neither did Steven and Annie¡¯s. Annie clung onto Steven¡¯s arm, and her small face twisted as if she was enduring all kinds of hardships silently. Her eyes were rimmed red with tears, and she looked delicate and pitiful. The group of people suddenly rushed forward, full of concern. ¡°Annie! Are you alright?¡± Annie shook her head and said in a muffled voice, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Then, she looked up and stared at the person standing behind the crowd. ¡°Zoe.¡± She called out softly as she walked forward, looking at Zoe guiltily and weakly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t expect you toe¡­ Steven and I¡­ We didn¡¯t mean it, so please forgive us!¡± Zoe looked at her coldly, her face expressionless. Michael Anderson also sighed and stepped forward. ¡°The Anderson family is at fault here, but we can¡¯t change what¡¯s already happened. Whateverpensation you want, just say it. We will definitely satisfy you.¡± Zoe sneered. ¡°Compensation? Are you trying to just dismiss me with money?¡± Michael¡¯s expression twisted as a hint of guilt shed in his eyes. He red at Steven and thundered, ¡°You useless bastard! You caused this, so get over here and exin yourself right now!¡± Steven nced at Zoe with his face full of unwillingness, but he finally walked forward under his father¡¯s intimidation. ¡°Zoe, we¡¯re not suitable for each other. Let¡¯s annul our engagement!¡± Zoe was shocked. She felt like her heart had been cut open by a dull knife. It overflowed with pain. Although she already knew the oue, she could not help but feel upset the moment she heard his words. A chill rose in her heart. She looked at the man in front of her. Her lips curled as her eyes started turning red. ¡°Steven , how long have we been together?¡± ¡°Six years.¡± ¡®Six years? Hah! ¡®Who would have thought that we would spend six years with each other just to end up like this?¡¯ She caught him in bed with another woman, yet there was no guilt, no attempt in his heart to redeem himself, and there was not even an apology. All he had to say was a cold ¡®we¡¯re not suitable for each other¡¯. Something broke in the bottom of her heart. She lifted her lips sarcastically and said without hesitation, ¡°Alright, I agree.¡± Steven was startled, a little surprised by her decisiveness. He frowned and looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°We can annual the engagement, but I want the threepanies Anderson Group just bought aspensation!¡± ¡°What? Are you insane?!¡± Jaden roared before Michael and Steven could answer. Zoe nced at him coldly. ¡°We aren¡¯t even married yet, but you¡¯re already so considerate of them. Where is your manner?¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Michael raised a hand and interrupted Jaden¡¯s words. He looked at Zoe calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll agree to your conditions. When you bring your half of the marriage agreement to me, I¡¯ll transfer thepanies over to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± As Michael led thewyer away, Jaden red at Zoe and huffed in anger. Then, Helen and he also help the old Mrs. Gil away. The only people left in the corridor were Zoe, Steven, and Annie. Zoe did not want to involve herself with them anymore, so she turned to leave with a cold face, but Annie¡¯s anxious voice suddenly called from behind her. ¡°Sister!¡± The next second, someone blocked her path. Annie¡¯s pale face was covered in tears. She grabbed Zoe¡¯s arm and trilled, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m sorry. I really didn¡¯t mean to fall in love with Steven. Please don¡¯t be mad at us. It¡¯s all my fault. If you want to yell or hit me, just do it!¡± 2 When Zoe saw the weak and helpless appearance Annie had put on, she only felt extremely disgusted. She shrugged Annie off coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Zoe did not use much strength, but Annie suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground with a scream. ¡°Annie!¡± Steven shot forward like an arrow to help her up. He growled at Zoe in anger. ¡°Zoe! What are you doing?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Zoe¡¯s expression shifted as she subconsciously tried to exin herself, but Annie interrupted her. ¡°Steven, don¡¯t me Zoe. It¡¯s my fault to begin with that I have fallen in love with you. Now she just pushed me, but how could I say she¡¯s wrong even if she wants to scold me, p me or kick me?¡± Zoe¡¯s pupils dted. Shock written all over her face. She raised her head to see Steven¡¯s disappointed eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you would be like this. This is my fault, so you should vent your anger at me! Why did you even hurt Annie?¡± Zoe opened her mouth, but her exnation suddenly choked on her throat, as if it was a thorn stabbing her. ¡°You think that ¡­ I pushed her?¡± ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. Do you think I can be wrong? I¡¯ve always thought you just had a cold heart, but you were still kind. Only today do I realize that you¡¯re ruthless and vengeful. After all these years, I finally can see who you really are!¡± Zoe stood still, unable to believe her own ears. She turned to look at Annie and saw a hint of malice and pride shing across her eyes. She felt a chill covering her heart. Then, she let out a light sneer. Her smile was full of irony. ¡°Steven Anderson, only today do I realize how stupid you are!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Aren¡¯t you two in love? Alright! I¡¯ll give you my blessings. Just no one would eat from a bowl that has been filled with sh*t before, no matter how hard you have washed it, right?¡± Steven¡¯s expression changed. He did not expect that this cool and well-mannered woman would use such vulgar words. His face darkened. ¡°Zoe! Don¡¯t push your luck!¡± Zoe sneered at him. Her smile was indifferent and cold. She took out a handkerchief and wiped her hand that had just been touched by Annie. Finally, she said in an indifferent tone. ¡°Well! I don¡¯t have time to waste here with you. From now on, please just take this canary beside you and get out of my sight! I wish you both all the best¡­¡± Her eyes wandered as a cold mockery shed in them, and sheughed. ¡°Hah! A b*tch and a dog! You are really quite a match after all!¡± Then, she turned around and left without giving them any chances of speaking. Steven¡¯s face turned livid with anger. ¡°What did you say? Stop right there¡­¡± ¡°Steven¡­¡± At that moment, a hand suddenly grabbed his arm. Annie, with her hand on her stomach, looked so pale. ¡°Steven, my stomach hurts.¡± Steven¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Annie, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± A crimson stream of blood trailed down Annie¡¯s leg. Steven¡¯s eyes widened and he shook fiercely. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯ll take you to the hospital right away.¡± ¡­ Steven carried Annie to the hospital. Zoe sat in her car and watched as their car left. She smiled sarcastically. Instead of going home, she drove to the Pinkyrose Hotel. On the first floor of the hotel was arge bar. The hall was filled and strewn with people who hade here to spend their money and kill their time. She leaned against the counter and downed ss after ss. She was not a person who liked to drown her sorrows in alcohol, but this time, it seemed that nothing but alcohol could temporarily numb the pain she was feeling inside.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. She could pretend to be indifferent and generous in front of Steven and Annie. However, only she knew how crushed her heart really was. Their rtionship of six years now lost to a single lie. While she was determined to grow old together with him, he was rolling in the sheets with another woman. She just felt it ironic whenever she thought about it! Zoe raised her cup and poured herself another ss. She had always been a good drinker, but even she was a little drunk at the moment. The phone in her bag suddenly vibrated. She fished out her phone with hazy eyes and answered the call. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Zoe, you lost again!¡± It was Annie . Zoe curled her lips in mockery. ¡°Did you call me just to tell me how proud you are?¡± Annieughed in satisfaction. ¡°Zoe, did you know that I¡¯m pregnant?¡± Zoe¡¯s expression turned cold. She looked at the people on the dance floor and said coldly, ¡°Why are you telling me that? I¡¯m not the one who f*cked you.¡± ¡°It was Steven. He just told me that he¡¯ll marry me immediately. You¡¯ve been with him for six years, but he has never touched you before. Sure, you can say that he only has tonic love for you, but to put it bluntly, it¡¯s simply because you didn¡¯t interest him sexually and just the sight of you makes him nauseous.¡± Zoe¡¯s hands clenched into fists. ¡°You know? As long as we¡¯re together, we¡¯ll do it every day. He said he never felt so rxed and happy with anyone as he was with me. He said you¡¯re as cold as a corpse, not interesting at all.¡± ¡°Other women know how to be gentle and sensible to serve men, but if you peel off your skin and enter the crowd, you¡¯d just be a man! What¡¯s the difference between being with you and being gay?¡± Zoe¡¯s fists tightened. It was as if her heart was being pulled apart. The pain was excruciating. She took a deep breath and scoffed. ¡°Annie Gil, here I thought you were quite something. Is that all you wanted to say?¡± ¡°Sister, you can tell me if you¡¯re angry. I won¡¯tugh at you.¡± ¡°Why would I be angry? After all, you¡¯re the one treating garbage I threw away like it¡¯s treasure. A cloth you¡¯ve used to wipe your *ss will still smell foul even if it¡¯s washed. Won¡¯t you feel disgusted when you wipe your face with it?¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Anyway! I don¡¯t have time to talk nonsense with you. I¡¯m warning you now. Don¡¯t try to provoke me again. You can¡¯t afford the consequences if you do piss me off!¡± Then, she hung up the call. It was not that she could not feel the pain in her heart. Although she did not admit it verbally, Annie¡¯s words undoubtedly pierced her heart. She still remembered what Steven said when he was wooing her. He said that he liked how clean and clear she was. He liked her coldness and indifference, which was like a snowy mountain flower that could only be viewed from afar and not tainted. It made him want to protect her, he said. The best love should be tonic. Detached from the spiritual love of the flesh, it was the purest kind of love. However, the reality was that he went behind her back to sleep with Annie, and now they even had a child. A great feeling of irony rose from the bottom of her heart. She raised her hands to cover her face as her eyes started to sting. At this time, someone suddenly tapped her shoulder. ¡°Yo! Aren¡¯t you the eldest daughter of the Gil family? Why are you here alone at thiste hour? Are you making deliveries again?¡± Zoe turned around and she saw several young girls there, all dressed provocatively. Leading them was Steven Anderson¡¯s sister, Katya Anderson. Since Zoe was a child, Katya Anderson had loved to do everything against her. She never failed to pick a fight with Zoe. Zoe was no in the mood to deal with her, so she pulled out a few bills from her bag and called for the check. However, Katya stepped forward and blocked her path. ¡°Why are you leaving? C¡¯mon, show me. Is it condoms or lube today?¡± She reached out to grab Zoe¡¯s bag. Zoe took a step back, ring at her with cold eyes. ¡°Katya Anderson, don¡¯t go overboard!¡± ¡°Overboard? Ha-ha¡­¡± Katya acted as if she heard a great joke. ¡°Zoe Gil! Do you think you¡¯re still my brother¡¯s girlfriend? You¡¯re nothing now! How can you still put on such airs?¡± Zoe¡¯s jaw tightened expressionlessly. Katya waved her hand. ¡°You! Go grab her bag!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of just looking at her bag? Doesn¡¯t she sell adult products? It¡¯s already sote, yet she¡¯s still out making deliveries. I wonder if she¡¯s delivering an item or a person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but look at how much of a dead fish she is. No one would want her anyway. Why don¡¯t we just strip her down and check if we can find any evidence? Wouldn¡¯t it help clear your brother¡¯s name?¡± Katya¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Oh! Let¡¯s do that!¡± The girls rubbed their hands together as they advanced, and Zoe paled. She turned and ran out of blue. She was so fast and they could not even catch her. However, she did drink quite a lot, so she stumbled as she ran without knowing the direction she was heading. After blearily seeing the letters ¡®QB¡¯ on the door, she quickly rushed inside. A loud voice instantly cried out, ¡°What the f*ck!¡± There were two people inside. One was smoking, and the other was using thevatory. He almost peed his pants in shock upon seeing her barge in. It was also Zoe¡¯s first time seeing something like that, so she was stunned for a few seconds. Then, she realized that she entered the wrong door and immediately turned red. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I went the wrong way!¡± She stumbled and was about to exit, but Katya¡¯s voice sounded from outside. ¡°Where did she run off to? Where is she?¡± ¡°I clearly saw her run over here. Where did she disappear to?¡± ¡°She must be in the toilet! Go! Find her!¡± Zoe grew slightly pale and looked at the two men opposite her. She had a vague feeling that the smoker looked familiar. ¡°Misters, may ¡­ may I hide here for a while?¡± Although it was a difficult request, she had no other choice. She did not want to get caught by Katya. Henry Han¡¯s face was expressionless. His cold eyes nced over to Jack Rey, who was hurriedly putting on his pants. ¡°Get out!¡± Jack was so frightened that his heart was trembling. He bolted out as if he was granted amnesty. Zoe felt dizzy and subconsciously tried to reach out to hold something, but her legs suddenly gave out and she fell forward. Her head lightened and she instinctively closed her eyes. However, the pain she expected never came, and a slender and powerful arm stretched out and scooped her up. She crashed into the man¡¯s arms and her already dizzy head became even dizzier. Her body slid down involuntarily. Henry Han could only throw away the cigarette and hold her up with both hands. He looked at her drunken mess with a frown on his face. ¡°Zoe Gil, just how much did you drink?¡± Zoe grew confused after realizing that he knew her name. ¡°Do you know me?¡± Henry¡¯s eyes were calm. His emotions were barely visible from his expression. Then, his thin lips pulled up. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡­ Zoe was carried out of the bar by Henry. She hugged the man¡¯s neck and her drunken face flushed slightly. Her eyes were also half-closed. She was so drunk. Henry ced her on the back seat and then got in himself. Jack started the engine and asked respectfully, ¡°Where are we headed, Mr. Han?¡± ¡°Han Mansion.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Han!¡± As the car drove along the silent avenuete at night, Zoe was so drunk that she pressed her head against the window with her eyes closed. She did not even have the strength to think. One characteristic she had when she was drunk was that she never made any fuss or noise. She only went to sleep. This led to the result of her not even noticing her own situation, let alone realizing that there was a man beside her. Her consciousness was groggy and her mind waspletely hazy. There were also faint hints of pain that usually apanied drinking. At that moment, the phone in her bag buzzed. She frowned and rummaged in her bag for a while before finally pulling the phone out and answering the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Zoe Gil, I heard from Katya that you left City V with a man?¡± It was Steven Anderson. She opened her eyes. Her hazy eyes glowed with ayer of mist. ¡°What is it? She snitched to you?¡± Steven¡¯s tone was cold and heavy. ¡°I know that I let you down today, but you shouldn¡¯t defile yourself because of this. What kind of ce do you think a bar is? How could you just¡­¡± Zoe was not in the mood to listen to him and interrupted him impatiently. ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°Where are you now? I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up.¡± ¡°Did Annie allow you to do that?¡± ¡°Annie isn¡¯t as bad as you think she is. She has always thought of you as her real sister. If anything happened to you, she would be the most heartbroken person.¡± Zoe snorted inughter. This was the first time she realized that there were such shameless people in the world. Annie was constantly teaching her how shameless one could ever be. ¡°Then I bet she didn¡¯t tell you that she called me half an hour ago. She bragged about how she finally stole my boyfriend and even used the child in her belly to prove her point!¡± Without even thinking about it, Steven said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Zoeughed, thinking it was funny. Steven took a deep breath. His tone gradually grew impatient. ¡°Zoe, what exactly do you want? Annie has never said a bad word about you. After she found out that you were at the bar, she asked me to call you right away. She¡¯s worried about you, but what about you?, You repeatedly use her maliciously. I admit that we did something wrong, but are youpletely in the right?¡± ¡°You constantly bully her and take advantage of your better family background. Every time I ask you to apany me to some social gathering, you make all sorts of excuses. I told you to give up your store, but you gave me a bullsh*t excuse and said that all jobs were equal?¡± ¡°Zoe, I¡¯m someone with status and I care about my reputation. I can¡¯t let people know that my girlfriend is selling sex products, right?!¡± ¡°You only ever think about yourself and give no regard to my feelings at all, and you¡¯re still ming us even now?¡± Zoe trembled with anger. She never thought that Steven would think of her this way. She bullied Annie? She was unwilling to go to social functions with him? She disgraced him by selling sex products? Her eyes turned red for a moment. Then, she suddenlyughed in a low voice. Sheughed at the irony of it all. ¡°So that¡¯s what you thought! That¡¯s great! Remember what you said today! I won¡¯t ever forgive you. Sooner orter, I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± Then, she hung up the phone. The car was plunged into a strange silence. 3 Zoe leaned weakly over the car window. She was watching the night view sh by, and the rims of her eyes were red. What Steven had said was still lingering in her ears but now she just found them ridiculous. She was not the weak type. She fought back when she could bear no more. But in the eyes of Steven, she was the one who was bullying. She was driven out of the Gil family, and everyone across the city had known that she was the abandoned daughter of the family. She did not want to make things difficult for him and could only avoid showing up in the public. But in the eyes of Steven, it became her reluctance to go to social parties with him. As for her adult product business? Were it not for what the Gil family had done to her, were it not for the selfishness and biases of the Gil family, would she end up like this? And all of these ended up being her own faults? Zoe closed her eyes, feeling everything was so ridiculous. Suddenly, a man¡¯s voice suddenly came up to her, ¡°Is it worth it? You are so sad for such a crab.¡± She froze a little, and looked over. In her now blurred vision, she saw a man sitting right there, cool and noble. His back was straight, his eyes were cold. Only then did ite to her mind that she had got into a car with a man and this man had help her in the bar just now. Knowing that there was someone next to her, she could only try to get herself together and wipe off the tears on her face, ¡°You must be mistaken. I¡¯m not.¡± Steven raised his eyebrows and his stares fell on her eyes, red but still beautiful. Zoe exined, ¡°Do you know what you should do when an investment fails?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Cut it loose and stop the loss.¡± These gentle words from his thin lips made her heart tremble. She looked over and saw his towering body. The dim light of the street cast ayer of shadow on the side of his chiseled face, and a cool and noble aura can be seemed from his whole being. She sure had seen good-looking men and Steven was one of them. However, Steven was far behind the man standing in front of her at the moment. No matter how bright a star could shine, it could never bepared with the moon and the sun. The man in front of her was dazzling. He was like an eagle flying freely above even the heaven, with unparalleled nobility. Not to mention his face. Such a gorgeous face was enough to make just any woman scream. Suddenly, a seemingly absurd thought shed across her mind¡­ Staring at the side of his delicate face, she gulped, ¡°I see.¡± She paused for a while and asked all of a sudden, ¡°What do you think of the adult product business?¡± Henry said, his brows knitted, ¡°Just a normal business. I don¡¯t think there is anything special with it.¡± She smiled somewhat sweetly. Smiling, she was half drunk, yet he could still see the great emotion in her sexy and charming eyes. Her voice was soft, ¡°Neither do I.¡± All of a sudden, a hint of clean andforting fragrance climbed onto his nostrils. He turned his head slightly, only to see her straighten her body and lean forward against him. ¡°Then, what do you think of me? Am I beautiful?¡± His back stiffened. The woman in front of him was no doubt beautiful. She was more than just beautiful. She was also stunningly sexy. Although she only wore a simple beige jacket over a white camisole, it could not hide the clean and noble aura emanating from her body. ¡°I have never seen a woman more beautiful than you are,¡± he could not help but think. He gulped but he did not say a word. It was only a few momentster that he gave an ufortable, ¡°Mm¡­¡± Zoe leaned even closer, and her bright red lips almost brushed his ear. She thought she had kept her voice down, and she said, ¡°Then if I want to have sex with you, would you be willing?¡± ¡°Pfft-¡± Jack, while he was driving the car, could not help but snort augh. The next second, however, he felt the zingly cold gaze behind him. He hurriedly stopped smiling and pressed a button. A ss panel raised silently, separating the front seat and the back seat cabins. Only then did Henry looked back at the woman next to him. He squinted at her, and an unusual expression could be seen from his eye, ¡°There¡¯s a price to pay if you want that, are you sure?¡± She giggled, ¡°You want money? I have money.¡± With that, she produced her wallet from her bag, and took out all of the hundred dor bills she got. ¡°You can count it out. If it¡¯s not enough, I can also transfer some more to you.¡± Only then did Henry understand that she had been serious. The veins on his forehead throbbed twice and he rubbed his temple. ¡°So you are just going to sleep with whoever is with you tonight.¡± She shook her head. All of a sudden, she giggled again and reached over to pat him on his face. ¡°I am not that dumb. I want you just because you are handsome. They all looked down on me. So I have got to find someone who is more handsome than he is. They must be so mad!¡± Such an answer had indeed surprised Henry. He did not know what to do with her. Apparently he did not n to take it seriously. At this moment, the car suddenly screeched to a stop. Zoe crashed forward and was almost flung out if Henry had not held her just in time. Henry frowned and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± The voice of Jack sounded from the front seat, ¡°Sorry, sir. We¡¯ve just arrived at the Han Mansion.¡± ¡°Alright. You can go now.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Then there was the sound of door closing. Henry looked back at the woman in his arms. He could not help but knitted his brows seeing her drowsy eyes and glowing pinky cheeks. ¡°Here we are. Let¡¯s get in.¡± Yet the woman who was leaning against him did not move at all but stared at his noble and willful face. On that noble and cold face, his lips were thin and sexy. She felt herself bewildered seeing the movement of those lips. With the help of the alcohol, she could no longer hold back herself. She reached over and circled her arms around his neck. The next moment, His back stiffened and his pupils dted slightly. Yet the next moment, the softness was already nowhere to be found. Instead, there were the giggles of Zoe, who saw the serious face of him. ¡°Handsome, you¡¯ve got a real sweet mouth.¡± He did not know what to say for an instance, and just wanted to throw her out of the car. Eventually, he held back the impulse and said in a grim tone, ¡°Get your hands off me!¡± But she did not listen to him. She blinked, staring at his handsome and cold face, and the rims of her eyes became red again. ¡°So you also think I am cold and dull. And you don¡¯t want to sleep with me?¡± Henry¡¯s jaw tightened, ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± ¡°Then why won¡¯t you agree?¡± She suddenly felt aggrieved. Two streams of tears flowed down her now pale cheeks, formingrge drops of glittering gemstones from her chin. His heart tightened for some reason even he himself could not tell. The tears of the woman in his arms poured without restraint and soon wet his shirt. Henry rubbed his eyebrows, feeling sad for this young girl. After a long pause, he finally gave out a sigh and softened his tone. ¡°Let go of me. I will take you upstairs and you can take some rest there.¡± ¡°No!¡± She wrapped her arms around his neck even tighter and buried her face in his chest as if she was drowning and his neck was a piece of driftwood that happened to be floating by. Six years. For the past six years, Steven had refused to touch her. She used to believe that it was because he respected her and cared for her. But now, it turned out it was just because he thought she was dull and boring. In his eyes, she just got the body of a woman but was man otherwise. She had been such a fool. Whenever she thought about it, she felt a stabbing pain over her pride. As if she wanted to prove something, she put her arms around the man, and kissed his soft lips again. Unlike the pecking just now, this time, she put his bottom lip in her mouth, gently chewing it and licking it and her thick eyshes was like a delicate ck fan, quivering along with the closing and opening of her eyes, brushing his cheek, and giving him an itchy sensation. The whole body of Henry stiffened. The tension of the moment threw him entirely in disarray. After a long pause, he finally gave up, and held her chin in his hand, his breathing already heavy, ¡°Zoe, do you know what you are doing?¡± Zoe let go of his lip, and whimpered for the pain in her chin, staring at him with her wet and using eyes, just like a wounded deer. She said gravely, ¡°I do! I am having sex with you!¡± Zoe was almost giggled by what she said. His eyes were dark and his voice terribly low. ¡°Are you sure!¡± She was dazed for a moment but finally she nodded. ¡°If you say so! Then I¡¯ll just satisfy you.¡± On the second floor of the Han Mansion. The door of the bedroom was mmed open. Heid her on the bed, and his kisses were like a rain, moving from her head to her toe, while their clothes were scattered all over the floor. She groaned softly, and felt boiling hot all over her body. Her head was already nk, and she could not even tell whether it was real, or it was just a dream. The dizzying sound of a man came to her ears, ¡°Now, I will give you onest chance. Do you want to have sex with me or not!¡± She nodded her head in a blur. Henry pulled open the drawer next to the bed, and took out a document. ¡°Good. Then you need to sign this first.¡± Zoe looked at it with hazy eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I need to make it official. It¡¯s the most basic respect a man can have for his favorite woman.¡± She looked at him nkly and did not quite understand him. But anyway, she was so drunk, so she did not think much and signed the document. Looking at the neat signature on the paper, he hooked his lips approvingly and put the document back in the drawer. After everything was done, he kissed her lips heavily once again. And then, all was left in this room was just the humming and groaning thatst the entire night. ¡­ The next day, Zoe was awakened by the pain. She felt sore all over her body as if she had been run over by a truck. After tremendous effort, she made it to sit up on the bed and she felt extremely thirsty. Seeing a cup of water on the table next to the bed, she picked it up and just gulped it down without thinking much. The lukewarm water indeed made her feel better. And the fuzzy memory ofst night gradually creeped back to her mind. She rubbed her eyebrows. She could only vaguely remember that she got into a car with a man and did something unusual with him after being provoked by the calls from Steven and Annie¡­ Her heart tightened, and she fiercely lifted the quilt. Although she was already more or less prepared for it, she felt so shocked when she saw the dense purple love bites all over her body. ¡°Ahhh! What the hell is it,¡± she almost yelled out. She rubbed her hair in frustration and at this moment, a ¡°click¡± suddenly sound¡­ She jolted and hurriedly pulled the quilt to cover her body. ¡°Who is it!¡± The door of the bedroom was open from the outside, and a slender man walked in with steady steps.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Her pupils dted due to the shock. Though she only had a vague memory of thest night, she could more or less remember the man she had slept with. The man was dressed in a ck suit today, with a well-ironed white shirt inside. The shirt was buttoned up to the top meticulously. The chiseled face above it was extraordinarily handsome with his sunken eyes, well arched eyebrows and pointy nose. An aura of prohibitive nobility could be felt just from every part of him. In his hand was a set ofdies¡¯ clothes, and there was not much expression on his face when he saw she was awake. He put the clothes on the bed and said softly, ¡°Get changed ande downstairs for breakfast.¡± Zoe called out to him, when he was about to leave. With his back to her, his lips curled up slightly and his voice was still indifferent and cold. ¡°We can talk downstairs.¡± With that, he just walked out of the room and closed the door after him. Zoe¡¯s head was all nk, and after a while, she fell onto the bed all of a sudden. She grabbed the pillow to cover her head and yelled silently. Though her memory was a little vague, she was not entirely unconscious. She did know what she had done to the man after putting together her fragmented memories. ¡°AHHHHH! How embarrassing!¡± No matter how regretful she was, she could not undo what she had done. Thus, after a while, she finally got up from the bed and dejectedly walked into the bathroom with the clothes. During the shower, seeing the dense and thick bruises all over her body, she could not help but feel shameful blush again. Anyway, she managed to finish everything, got changed and went downstairs, where she saw the man sitting on a couch in the lounge. The lounge was quite big. Just like the room upstairs, its modern and minimalist style could be seen from the ck and white colors. It was luxurious yet restrained. The French window to the side was wide open and she felt a bit chilly when a breeze blew past her. Maybe it was the footsteps. He looked back, and surprise could be seen from his eyes when he saw the woman standing on the stair. Zoe was wearing the ck shirt and keen-length skirt he had brought to her. The top button of the shirt was left open, and a ck tie was wrapped around her neck. The simplicity of the dress showed the sexiness of her slender and well-proportioned body. His eyes widened, and he stood up and walked to the dining hall. She could only follow him and when she finally caught up to him, they already got to the dining hall. ¡°Hey, aboutst night¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I was drunk.¡± Henry pulled the chair for her before he sat at the other end of the table himself. His voice was soft. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± After a while, he added, ¡°It¡¯s what I should do anyway.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Zoe did not understand what he meant and at this moment, a men walked in from the outside. He walked right up to Henry, and respectfully handed over two red pamphlets to him. ¡°Mr. Chairman. We have got everything ready.¡± Henry said nothing but gave a ¡°Mmh¡± sound. He reached over, took the little pamphlets from the man, flip them open and handed one of them to Zoe. ¡°Take a look.¡± Zoe was stunned and subconsciously she found it familiar. ¡°Would it be¡­¡± Her heart tightened and she hurriedly reached over to take it from him. When she saw her photo and her name on it, her eyes nearly popped out of her head. ¡°What¡­ What is it?¡± Henry took a nce at her indifferently. Unlike Zoe, who was almost freaked out, he was much calmer. He put aside the marriage certificate in his hand and said in a grim tone, ¡°Have you forgotten what you signed?¡± Staring at him with her rounded eyes, she said, ¡°What did I sign?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± As if he had long anticipated her reaction, he tapped on the table and the man next to him handed him another document immediately. Zoe took it from him and on the document tworge words were clearly written: Marriage Application. 4 She could not help but take a deep breath. ¡°Marriage? We¡­ How¡­ How is this even possible! I was drunkst night, it doesn¡¯t count!¡± Zoe looked at her with cool gaze and sneered. ¡°You did not even think when you sign it. And you are done with everything, you regret it?¡± Zoe didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Heh!¡± He sneered again and a hint of mockery could be sensed from his tone. Zoe didn¡¯t know what to do, and could only say, ¡°Anyway, I did not force youst night, right? How is it my fault?¡± She was a woman after all. What could she do to him if he did not agree? But what happened next was beyond her expectation. The man in front of her simply unbuttoned his shirt. Zoe followed his hand and looked over. A delicate cor bone was revealed under the shirt where two buttons were open, and next to it were dense and thick love bites and scratches. It was just obvious what a fierce night they had. It took great effort for her to stay instead of just covering her face and running away. What a terrible thing she had done and now she must face these consequences. At the man¡¯s earnest reminder, she finally remembered how passionate she wasst night and her face immediately blushed like a ripe tomato. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry! I did not mean it. You know what, I canpensate for your loss. I can give you as much as you want. But this marriage, can we just forget about it?¡± Henry looked over at her, and the coldness in his eyes was slight yet obvious. ¡°Compensate for my loss? Alright, Jack.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Han.¡± Jack took a step forward, with an iPad in his hand, after swiping around on the screen, he ced the iPad in front of Zoa. ¡°Miss Gil, this is thetest Forbes World¡¯s Richest Single Men List, and for your information, thetest price for a night with Mr. Han is thirty billion dors.¡± Her jaw almost dropped to the floor. She cast a swift nce over the iPad and the man on it was noble and cold and his sharp eyes seemed to be piercing her through from within the screen itself. She could not help but gulp. ¡°So you mean, I would have to pay this thirty billion dors forpensation?¡± ¡°You understand me correctly, Miss Gil.¡± Suddenly everything seemed more like a sextortion to her. She looked at the man suspiciously and more and more she found his face familiar. Suddenly, she widened her eyes. And she looked down at the names on the marriage certificate and the iPad. Henry Han! ¡°What the hell?!¡± She felt an atomic bomb exploding in her head and she almost just jumped up from the chair. The name of the man had always been familiar to her but only now could she remember who he was. He was the heir of the Han family and the chairman of Han Properties. He had never left the Forbes list and it was said that he was rich enough to buy up the whole country. However, his background was always a mystery. He founded Pearl¡¯s Internationalpany years ago and thepany rose in almost no time. Half of the domestic entertainment industry was taken by Pearl¡¯s International in just two years. It was indeed a miracle. She fell silence for a while. She thought thirty billion dors was just a joke and now that she had known his real identity, she could not but admit that he sure was worth the price. She could only ask carefully, ¡°Ah¡­ Maybe there is another way I canpensate for you loss?¡± The man in front of her knitted his eyebrows and his eyes remained indifferent and cold. ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°Thirty billion dors¡­ Sure I can not afford that much.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing for us to talk about.¡± His displeasure was obvious. He cast a nce at Jack and Jack immediate put together all of the files on the desk and respectfully withdrew. After Jack left, he said in a cold tone, ¡°I¡¯ll give you three days. You should say goodbye to your past life and in three days, I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up. Here will be your home since then.¡± Zoe was left hopeless. She knew it would not help to fight against him, so she could only ask, ¡°Can I have a few more days?¡± Henry looked at her with his usual cold eyes, and sneered. ¡°Heh.¡± And she did not say any more words. ¡­ Leaving the Han Mansion, she found Jack waiting for her. There was a silver-gray Maserati parked in the courtyard and Jack had opened the door for her, and he said respectfully, ¡°Miss Gil, I will drive you back home.¡± Zoe put on a dry smile, and said, ¡°No need. I could just take a taxi.¡± ¡°But this is the order of Mr. Han.¡± The smile on her face tightened and her beautiful eyes lost their usual luster. Finally, she got into the car. Zoe lived in a hotel apartment in the downtown. The apartment was small with only a bedroom and a living room. However, it was convenient living in the downtown, and she did not need a lot of space since she lived alone. Returning to her littler home, she plopped herself into the couch and tried to empty her head. Since thest night, a lot of weird things had happened and she did not even have the time to think about anything but deal with everything with her instinct alone. Now that she could rx herselfpletely and she started to feel a few hints of fatigue. From the low table next to her, she took herputer, turned it on, and googled ¡°Henry Han¡±. The swarm of information that popped up only made her feel more and more hopeless. She had long known that this man was unusual, but the information she read online still gave her more headache. She was sure deep in her heart, this man was not someone she could afford to cross. Not to mention his noble background, the power and wealth of this man alone was terrifying enough. And a man like him should want to marry her!N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Weird! However, on a second thought, why should she be worried? She¡¯s got nothing to lose now. Should there be anything, what could he take from her? And she still had three days. He might regret it after these three days. She could do nothing but just wait and see. Thinking about this, she stopped being worried. It was Saturday. She did not need to work. So she simply got changed and left for the store of her own. The store was in the downtown, too. It took her five minutes for her to get there on foot. She did not even need to drive. She rented the store two years ago. It was just a small store, selling all kinds of adult products. Since she still needed to work in weekday and she had no time to take care of the store, she hired an assistant when the store opened, and she would juste by whenever she had time. The assistant took a sick leave these days, so she had toe over and took care of the business herself. Though Steven had been looking down on her little business, she thought no business would be more decent than another, as long as they were legal. She could not understand how it would be just inferior to earn some money by working hard. Besides, while it was a little inconvenient, this business was indeed profitable. In the past few years, she had bought herself a house and saved quite a lot of money running her litter business. Now that she had got nothing left, money was the most important thing in her life. Since she had broken up with Steven, perhaps she would not be able to work at thepany of the Anderson family anymore, so she had to find herself a way out. Thinking of this, she hesitated for a moment and took out her phone and made a call. 5 While at the same time, at the Gil¡¯s. The living room was filled with people, and everyone of the family was there her grandmother, Ciara, her father, Jaden, her stepmother, Helen, the sister of Shawn, Katya, and a few good friends of Annie. Annie and Steven were sitting on the sofa to the side, and the atmosphere were slightly gloomy. ¡°If you ask me, Annie, I would say you are just too weak. You and my brother love each other, how dare she do such a thing to you? She knew how sensitive your rtionship is and she called the cop. I think she just wanted to ruin you.¡± ¡°Katya is right. She just broke up with Steven and immediately hooked up with another man in the bar. She¡¯s not some decent woman.¡± ¡°Annie, she did all these just because you are a public figure. Now everyone is talking about you online. They say you seduced Steven and was caught by his fiancee. They even say you took drugs. What a nonsense! You need to do something to solve the problem.¡± ¡°Yeah, what a vicious woman she is. You cannot just let her be!¡± Annie cast a pitiful nce at the Ciara sitting at the head of the table and easily put up a fragile and sorrowful look on her snow-white face. ¡°What can I do? How can I fight against my own sister if she insists? We are a family, after all. I don¡¯t want to make it difficult for my father and mother.¡± Hearing what she said, Ciara cast an approving nce at her. However, Jaden growled in anger. ¡°Why is it difficult for me? You treat her as your sister, but you ask her, does she ever think of you as her sister?¡± ¡°Uncle Gil, it¡¯s not her fault. After all, it¡¯s me¡­¡± Steven knitted his eyebrows and said calmly. Annie hurriedly said, ¡°No, it¡¯s all my fault. If I did not fall in love with Steven, she would not¡­¡± ¡°Annie, it¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Steven stopped her and said in a grim tone, ¡°I just wish that we have told her everything earlier. I should not wait that long just because I do not want to hurt her. All the grievance you have suffered today is because I did not handle it well.¡± Annie felt moved and stared at him gratefully, ¡°Steven¡­¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± With a light cough, Ciara looked at Steven with a slight smile on her face. ¡°Steven, now that things have alreadye to this point, and you have seen what those people say on the inte, we can not just cover it up anymore. What do you think we should do to solve the problem?¡± The expression of Steven turned gloomy, and Annie clenched her hands secretly, looking somewhat nervous. ¡°Don¡¯t worried, Mrs. Gil. I would never just watch Annie suffer. I would prepare a statement when I go back and announce my rtionship with Annie.¡± Pleasure was obvious on Ciara¡¯s face. ¡°But everyone knows that you have an engagement. Would they buy it?¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Steven held her hand and exined, ¡°They just know I have an engagement but not a lot of people know who my fiancee is. I just need to tell them you are my fiancee and that¡¯s it. They won¡¯t have anything to say then.¡± Only then did Annie show a touch of joy on her face. But the next second, she frowned again. ¡°But Zoe¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that. I will talk to her.¡± Ciara said with the proud authority her position in this family had given her. ¡°And you don¡¯t need to announce it online, lest some unnecessary problems woulde up again. The day after tomorrow would be Annie¡¯s birthday. We can invite some reporters and make an announcement then and there.¡± Steven nodded, ¡°Alright, then that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°But you should talk to your parents. It¡¯s your marriage. You should at least talk to them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They have agreed. My parents also like Annie a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Ciara¡¯s face finally showed a touch of relief. ¡°Perhaps you can stay and have a lunch with us?¡± ¡°No need, Mrs. Gio. I still have some businesses to attend to in thepany. We will visit you again.¡± ¡°Right, you are a sessful business man. If that¡¯s the case, then don¡¯t let me stop you.¡± Ciara turned to Annie, who was sitting right next to her, ¡°Annie, why don¡¯t you send Steven off?¡± Annie stood up obediently, ¡°Yes, Grandma.¡± It was only after both of them had left the house that Ciara¡¯s face darkened. Her smile was gone, and she looked at Jaden, who was sitting to her left, with a fierce gaze, and said in a grim tone, ¡°Call your cold-hearted daughter. Ask her toe back tonight.¡± Jaden said in a hurry, ¡°Yes, mother.¡± ¡­ Zoe hung up the phone when she was done with the man over the phone. Unexpectedly, the phone rang again. Watching the name on the screen, she was slightly stunned, and her eyebrows was knitted subconsciously. Even her appetite disappeared in an instant. She answered it in the end, and her tone was cold, ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°So you know I¡¯m your dad!¡± Jaden¡¯s thundering voice came over from the phone and she could not help but put the phone slightly away from her ear. In the end, she just put the phone on the desk and turned on the speaker instead. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°When did youe back to the country.¡± She sighed silently, and said lightly, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Why? You should have told me before you came back. Do you still think I¡¯m your father? Are we still your family?¡± Hearing this, she raised the corner of her mouth in mockery, ¡°Mr. Gil, if I remember correctly, I did call you when I just returned.¡± The other end of the phone went silent. After a while, Jaden said, in a questioning tone, ¡°When did you call? Howe I don¡¯t remember?¡± Zoe felt hopeless. She did know, since the day when Annie returned home, Jaden had not paid much attention to her. But it still surprised her when she found herselfpletely ignored. He could not even remember she ever called him. It almost chuckled her when he asked her why she did not let him know after she came back. Apparently, Jaden also realized his mistake, and he sound a little embarrassed. ¡°Alright, thepany has been expanding its business these two years, and I have been too busy. Maybe I just forgot. I am your father, you should understand this. Since you havee back, why don¡¯t youe home these days? What¡¯s the matter with you!¡± Zoe did not want to waste any more time debating nonsense with him, and asked coldly, ¡°What do you want exactly?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Jaden was enraged by her cold tone, but finally suppressed his anger thinking of her temper. Instead, he said inly, ¡°Your grandma asked you toe back for dinner tonight.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± He growled, ¡°We are still a family. What¡¯s wrong with having a dinner with us. Do you even need me toe to you and get you an invitation?¡± Zoe just sneered, ¡°You never think about me even when there¡¯s a holiday. Now, all of a sudden, you ask me to have a dinner. I am afraid I might be poisoned instead!¡± 6 ¡°You!¡± Jaden was infuriated, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you onest time. Are youing back or not!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Alright, if you say so! Then don¡¯t me me if your grandma should punish you!¡± Jaden felt hopeless talking to Zoe. He thought she was so cold to him all the time. Then he just hung up the phone. Zoe did not mind, either. She just gave a cold sneer, put the phone away, and continued with the food she just ordered. In the meanwhile, Ciara was sitting in the restaurant, and she knitted her brows seeing the angry Jadening from the outside. ¡°How is it going? Did you let her know? Is sheing back or not?¡± Jaden snapped, ¡°Will she even listen to me? She¡¯s really a grown-up now, and she won¡¯t evere back again if you don¡¯t beg her yourself.¡± The face of Ciara suddenly darkened. The tes on the table all bounced up slightly with a p. ¡°Insolent!¡± Everyone in the room was shocked. Ciara had been running the Gil family ever since the old Mr. Gil passed away and her position had been higher than ever in these years. Everyone in the family was somewhat afraid of her. Helen signaled her daughter with her eyes, who was sitting just in front of her. Annie hurriedly pick up the bowl of soup in front of her and walked up to Ciara, and she said softly, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t be angry. Your health matters the most.¡± Helen also added, ¡°That¡¯s right, Mom. Let¡¯s not force her if she does not want toe back. We can just find another way. Don¡¯t be angry.¡± Ciara sneered, ¡°Funny! Is it ever up to her? Let me tell you, she would just have toe back this time. I¡¯ll see how she dare go against me!¡± At that, she raised her hand and asked for David, the butler of the family. ¡°David, go find the whereabout of Zoe, and send someone to tell her, if she¡¯s noting back tonight, I will just burn everything her mother has left her, and she will get nothing!¡± David paled, and said hurriedly, ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡­ In the afternoon, Zoe just finished thest delivery order and was about to close the store. However, just when she got out of the store, she saw David waiting there. Since David had been with the family for over a decade, she sure knew him. Actually, she got along quite well with him in the past, that is, before Helen and Annie were taken into the family by her father. While she would not think of him as good friend of hers, they respected each other much. Now they met again, and thinking of the call of Jaden at noon, her face was cold. ¡°Miss Gil, I have been waiting for you.¡± David walked to her, while she just cast a cold nce at him, with the key for the store in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Mr. David.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a long time. Miss Gil is getting more and more beautiful. If Mrs. Gil were still alive, she would certainly be very pleased.¡± Zoe curled her lips, ¡°If my mother were still here, which side would you take? Would you stand with my mother, or with Helen?¡± It was obviously unexpected for David, since he stayed silent for a while. But Zoe did not mean to make it difficult for him, either. She just gave a light smile, ¡°Just kidding. Don¡¯t worry.¡± David felt a chill run down his spine just now and could only force a bitter smile. ¡°So what do you want?¡± David hurriedly said, ¡°Miss Gil, the old Mrs. Gio wants me to take you home.¡± Zoe paused for a while, her eyes still cold, and she curled her lips, ¡°I won¡¯t go back. Didn¡¯t my father tell you?¡± ¡°He did. But the old Mrs. Gil said ¡­ that if you insist, she will take care of everything your mother has left for you.¡± He only said it vaguely, but she understood him immediately. Her face darkened, ¡°What does she want to do?¡± David looked vexed. After a while, he said earnestly, ¡°Miss Gil, you have suffered quite a lot these years fighting against them. It¡¯s only a dinner. Mrs. Gil did not leave much behind. Don¡¯t regret it when it¡¯s toote.¡± The face of Zoe looked terribly gloomy. After quite a while, she released her clenching hands, ¡°Fine.¡± David felt so relieved now that she had agreed. He bent down and opened the door of the car for her, ¡°Let¡¯s go then, Miss Gil.¡± She did not say anything but got into the car directly. Twenty minutester, they arrived at the Gil Mansion. The mansion was located in the richest part of the city, surrounded by mountains and rivers, giving beautiful scenery. When she got off the car, she walked inside with a nk expression. In the lounge, she saw Helen and Annie choosing the dress for the birthday party. For Annie, who was waiting for the announcement of Steven, that day would be very important. It was just not her birthday party, but also her engagement with Steven. Since there were just two days left for the day, certainly they did not have the time for bespoke dresses. Fortunately, they just told everyone it was a birthday party. As for their engagement, they kept it a secret for now, and they would simply make the announcement at the birthday party. Anyway, for the outsiders, she and Steven were long engaged, and there was really no need for her to pay too much attention to her dresses. After the entire afternoon, they finally picked a few sets of dresses they could be satisfied with. Now they could just wait for the delivery and then Annie could try them on and made the final decision. When they were chatting happily, a sudden noise sounded from the doorway. They looked up and saw Zoe walk in. She was wearing a white shirt and a pair of ck pencil pants, which showed her slender and straight legs. On the outside, there was a beige coat, and her wavy hair was swept over her shoulder, looking cool and airy. Annie looked at her, and a faint jealousy emerged in her heart. She hated how pretentious Zoe was. In her eyes, Zoe was just selling adult products, and she was dressed like some elite businesswoman. And her aloofness and coldness made her all the more noble, which was something she could never bear. Come to think of it, she felt somewhat happy from the bottom of her heart. ¡°Noble whore. You can just pretend as you like. Your little business is nothing in front of me,¡± chortled Annie inwardly. She was the Miss Gil everyone knew about, and the most popr actress across the entertainment industry. What about Zoe? Zoe was kicked out of the family long ago. What could she do even if she¡¯s got some talent? She could not even keep her job. At that time, she could only stay in her little shabby store, selling adult products. Thinking of this, Annie felt somewhat proud. She straightened her back and her face split into a wide smile. She walked straight to Zoe. ¡°Zoe, here you are!¡± Helen also came back to her senses, hurriedly walked to Zoe, her face full of smiles. ¡°Zoe is here. Please, have a seat. Mrs. Lyra, get Zoe some water.¡± The Mrs. Lyra hurriedly fetched some water for Zoe, only that there was obvious mockery in her eyes. Zoe just ignored her and just said in a cold tone, ¡°What do you want?¡± Helen looked slightly embarrassed. Seeing this, Annie hurriedly walked up to Zoe and wrapped her arms around Zoe¡¯s, smiling, ¡°Zoe, are you in a hurry? You don¡¯te back home often. We can wait until we finish the dinner. It¡¯s been a long time since thest time we could have a good chat. There¡¯s still time. Why don¡¯t we just go to my room and have some talk?¡± Looking at her with her cold eyes, Zoe sneered. ¡°Talk? What are we going to talk? Hooking up with men? Sorry, I am not interested in your nasty tricks. I don¡¯t know how I can possibly learn them either.¡± 7 Annie¡¯s face stiffened, looking somewhat aggrieved. ¡°How can you talk about me like that? Zoe¡± Helen also forced a smile, ¡°Zo, your sister meant well. Why don¡¯t you two just talk to each other honestly? You can solve any misunderstanding you have, and we are still a family.¡± ¡°A family? Sorry! Anyone in this room can be my family except for you two. Besides, I¡¯m the only daughter of my mother. I don¡¯t have a sister. Don¡¯t talk nonsense, or I¡¯m afraid my mom wille to find you some day.¡± ¡°AHH-¡± Annie was shocked by her fierce look and dove into Helen¡¯s arms. At this moment, a stern growl sounded from the stairway. ¡°Zoe!¡± Zoe looked over and saw Ciara walking down the stairs with a crane. Ciara might be old, but she looked high-spirited with her sharp eyes. Staring at Zoe, she put on her usual gloomy face, and while she was not really angry just yet, she looked intimidating enough. Zoe, however, was not afraid of her, and she just stood there coolly, with her cold eyes and noble aura. Ciara just hated it when she was like this. Her aloofness, her pride and her stubbornness all reminded re of her deceased mother, as if she had the blood of unparalleled nobility. Ciara snorted coldly, ¡°What did you just say?¡± Zoe did not even bother to answer her. She¡¯s tired and all these years¡¯ arguing had already made it meaningless. Were it a few years ago, she might just argue with her for her mother. But now, she had known that nobody in this family would ever give a damn to her mother. Why bother, anyway. Since Zoe remained silent, Ciara thought she was scared, and she also calmed down. She then looked over to Annie, who was still trembling in her mother¡¯s arms just like a startled deer, and she face could not help but ease up a little more. ¡°Fine. Since you are back now, let¡¯s not talk about the past anymore. Let¡¯s have dinner in the dining hall.¡± At that, she directly went to the dining hall without waiting for them. Zoe knitted her brows, but eventually she followed her. ¡°Zoe, knowing that you will be back tonight, I have asked Mrs. Lyra to prepare your favorite dishes for you. Have a try now!¡± The moment they got to the table, Helen just could not wait to introduce some dishes to her. Zoe held back the disgust in her heart, but she did not eat, and did not answer her either. Jaden instantly felt enraged, seeing her sitting still coldly. ¡°What? Is it just so difficult for you to eat something? You show no respect for Helen. You should thank her at least.¡± Zoe remained silent. Though she did not want to argue, she could never be nice to a woman who had drove her mother to suicide, let alone sharing a table with her. She put down her fork, and said coldly, ¡°No need, I am not hungry. What do you want exactly? Let¡¯s go straight to the point.¡± Ciara looked at her and a sh of shrewdness could be seen from her eyes. This time, she was not angry. Instead, she just said in a grim tone, ¡°I can see your hatred for this family. Fine, we won¡¯t force you. We just want you to know something today.¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow would be the birthday of your sister. There would be a birthday party. We have already discussed it with the Anderson family. They will announce their rtionship at the party. And we need you there.¡± ¡°Should anyone ask, you just say it is your sister who is engaged to Steven at the beginning. That would be good for you too. Now that you have broken up, don¡¯t let the past influence your life.¡± Zoe stared at her in shock. She never expected they had tried so hard to ask her back just for this. She turned to Helen, and after a while, she suddenlyughed in a low voice. ¡°So you mean, you want me to be a shield. A steppingstone for their engagement?¡± Ciara¡¯s face darkened in displeasure, ¡°Watch yournguage! It¡¯s not just for your sister, and it¡¯s also for you.¡± After a short pause, she added, ¡°You are a girl anyway. You will still need to marry someone someday. It won¡¯t look so good if everyone knows you are dumped.¡± ¡°What if I refuse?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not up to you. I have made the decision.¡± ¡°What if I insist?¡± Ciara sneered coolly. A ghost of mockery emerged from the bottom of her eyes. ¡°You won¡¯t. Unless ¡­ you don¡¯t want the stuff your mother has left behind.¡± The entire hall was suddenly enveloped by pin-drop silence. Zoe almost jumped to her feet suddenly. Her face gloomy, her eyes freezing cold, she just stared at her. After a while, she curled her lips coldly. ¡°Good. Good for you. You can use this to threaten me for now, but you can¡¯t threaten me for a lifetime.¡± ¡°Now would be enough for me.¡± As if she did not notice her anger, Ciara put down her knife and fork calmly. ¡°Two dayster. Eight o¡¯clock in the keystone Hotel. Don¡¯t bete.¡± ¡­ Walking out of the house, it had been eight. The wind of thete autumn was somewhat chilly, but her blood was still boiling for the anger. She always knew that Ciara liked Annie more, but she did not expect it to be such an extent. As a grandmother, she did not even pretend, but just used what her mother had left behind to threaten her, so that Annie could officially be engaged to Steven. How ridiculous! Standing by the roadside, she felt indeed furious, but after a while, she just calmed down.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Years ago, before the incident, her mother, Tabitha, had found awyer to make a will. The will was quite simple. She had got a safe in the bank. And should anything bad happen to her, everything in the safe would belong to Zoe. The only condition for the inheritance was that Zoe must wait until she got married. Before that, thewyer would keep it for her. However, more than once in the past few years, the Gil family had been trying to persuade her to give up the legacy. Naturally she would not agree. Even if she did not care about the value of the stuff in the safe, she would not want anyone else to get what her mother had left behind. Besides, more and more, she thought the stuff in the safe could not be something ordinary. Or the Gil family would not covet it with its wealth. Thinking about it, a ck Audi drove past in front of her, and stopped right in front of the gate of the mansion. Zoe was confused, and the next second, a familiar voice of a man came to her ears. ¡°Zoe? Why are you here?¡± She looked over at the man, who was getting off the car. It was Steven Anderson. He was dressed in an Armani suit today, its blue color showing his upright posture and pride. She curled her lips with a hint of mockery, and said in a cold voice, ¡°You must be too busy with your business to remember my name.¡± Steven paused for a while, and his face stiffened slightly. He sure won¡¯t forget Zoe was also one of the Gil family and she was exactly standing in her home. It¡¯s only that she had long broken up with the family and had never been back. It was natural for him to feel surprised seeing her here. 8 Zoe¡¯s sarcastic remarks didn¡¯t force Steven back. Steven said sternly, ¡°Well, since you are here, I have something to ask you. Where the hell did you gost night? Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls?¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes twitched slightly. Last night, Steven did call her a few times, but she was with Henry, and didn¡¯t hear it at all. Zoe did check the missed calls this morning, but she just didn¡¯t bother to call him back. After all, considering their current rtionship, it was no longer appropriate for her to show her concern or scolded him. Thinking about it, she grabbed her hair and repliedzily. ¡°Steven, do you think you mean a lot to me?¡± Steven was stunned, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Then why should I have to answer your calls?¡± Steven was dumbfounded for a second. After realizing what Zoe meant, he burst into a rage.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Zoe, you are so ungrateful! I¡¯m concerned about you!¡± ¡°Oh? Does Annie know that you care so much about me?¡± The ends of her eyes rose and she looked at him with a smirk. Steven¡¯s face changed slightly as he was angry and furious, but he was unable to utter a word. Just then, a clear, sweet voice came from the vi entrance. ¡°Steven!¡± As soon as Steven turned around, he saw Annie running out in avender long-sleeved dress. Seeing her, Steven¡¯s face softened a little and he strode towards her. ¡°Why do you get out? You are wearing thin. It¡¯s windy outside.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I am not cold.¡± Annie looked up at Steven with a smile, and then her gaze fell on Zoe. Annie took a lurch forward, followed by a sweet smile and hurried towards Zoe. ¡°My dear sister, you are still here. Didn¡¯t youe here in your car? Do you want me to call the driver to send you home?¡± Zoe looked at the tenderness and kindness on her face, and mockingly curled the corner of her lips, ¡°Don¡¯t bother, I can take a taxi myself.¡± Annie paused for a moment and said with a smile. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t try to be brave anymore! It¡¯s not easy to get a taxi here, and it¡¯s toote. It¡¯s not safe for you to go back alone. Let me call a driver to send you home!¡± Annie said, beckoning a servant toe closer. ¡°Ask the driver toe here and take my sister back.¡± The servant nodded and turned around to call someone. Zoe suddenly felt disgusted when she saw Annie acting like she was already the Mrs. Gil. Five years ago, she was just a young girl from the countryside. At that time, there was no ce for her and her mother in the family. However, in just a few years, the situation had changed drastically. Zoe sneered in her heart and naturally did not show any good expression on her face. She said coldly, ¡°Annie, don¡¯t you understand what I am talking about? When did I agree to let the driver take me home?¡± Annie was stupefied. She shrank back as if she was frightened by her sister¡¯s harsh words. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be angry. I just care about you.¡± ¡°Care about me?¡± Zoe sneered, and stepped forward in a casual pace. ¡±Someone who worked with my Grandma to force me seconds ago is nowing to tell me she cares about me? Annie, after wearing the mask of hypocrisy for so long, aren¡¯t you afraid that you won¡¯t be able to take it off?¡± Annie¡¯s face turned slightly pale, and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m just worried about you, how could you say that¡­¡± Annie¡¯s trembling body looked pathetically thin and fragile. Steven couldn¡¯t help but stride forward and embrace her into his arms. Turning his head around, Steven red at Zoe viciously. ¡°Zoe, Can you stop talking like this and stop hurting her with mean words? You are just like a hedgehog that keeps everyone who tries to get close to you away!¡± ¡°Annie is just being kind. If you don¡¯t like her arrangement, just refuse her. Why do you say something like that to hurt her?¡± Zoe paused as she watched him defending Annie. Then she curled the corner of her lips, and her heart was immersed with coldness. In fact, during the past six years, Steven was not bad to her. He was quite gentle and considerate to her. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have fallen in love with him for six years. But she didn¡¯t understand why he didn¡¯t break up with her earlier since he liked Annie so much. She was not a person who could not ept a rtionship failure. If he proposed to end their rtionship first, and fell in love with Annieter, she would notin, even though she was upset. But he didn¡¯t. He waited until his cheating was caught on the scene, and everyone involved were caught embarrassed! Zoe inclined her head and said in a cold voice. ¡°Get the hell out of here if you don¡¯t want to get hurt. I¡¯ve warned you to stop disying affection in front of me. Don¡¯t you know the saying that the couple who was always flirting in the public would break up sooner?¡± ¡°You!¡± Steven was furious, but Annie hurriedly stopped him, ¡±Steven, forget it! My sister is in a bad mood. Let¡¯s not argue with her¡­¡± Steven stretched out his hand, pointing his finger at Zoe with hatred in his eyes. In the end, he shook his hand heavily. ¡°Okay! I don¡¯t want to argue with you. With such a cold and harsh personality like yours, you will never find a boyfriend! Don¡¯t regret when it happens! Annie, let¡¯s go!¡± He said angrily, panting, and pulled Annie into the vi. Standing alone in the cold breeze of the night, Zoe shivered for no reason. No one wanted to be with me? Suddenly, she felt a dull pain in her heart, and her eyes were sore. However, she tilted her head and blinked her eyes hard to suppress the sourness. Then sheughed at herself. ¡°What are you crying for? I have heard more mean words before. A filthy mouth can¡¯t utter decentnguage. Are you really going to fight with a bitch?¡± She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. BEEP! BEEP! Somewhere ahead a car horned. Two clear whistles sounded from the front. Zoe looked up. In the dark night, a ck Rolls Royce came towards where she was standing. The bright headlights were shining bright, causing her to raise her hands and narrow her eyes. Soon the car passed her and stopped in front of her. ¡°Miss Zoe Gil! We meet again!¡± The man who got off the car was Jack, Henry¡¯s assistant. Of course Zoe knew him. After all, she saw him earlier in the morning. Zoe forced a smile, embarrassed, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Mr. Han just finished a dinner party and happened to pass by. It looked like you are standing on the roadside, so he ordered me to stop.¡± Saying that, Jack opened the car door for her with a smile, his back bent respectfully, ¡°Miss Zoe, please.¡± Zoe hesitated. She looked up at the man sitting in the car. He sat there quietly, his elbow resting on the window and his eyes looking out of the window. Zoe didn¡¯t know what he was looking at, his entire body looked ratherzy. Henry¡¯s handsome side face could be clearly seen even under the cover of the night, only the cold aura emitted from his body made her feel that this man was still alienated and indifferent. She paused for a few seconds and eventually got into the car. As soon as she got into the car, she smelled a strong odor of alcohol. Zoe was slightly stunned and blurted out subconsciously, ¡°Are you drunk?¡± 9 Henry turned around and his gaze finally focused on her face. The little woman in a beige trench coat still looked clean and fresh. However, there seemed to be a trace of sadness in her eyes that had notpletely faded, and had been captured by him. His eyes deepened. He didn¡¯t say anything, and only nodded slightly. ¡°Well, I drank a little.¡± Zoe forced a smile. The man was really good at lying. With such a strong concentration of alcohol smell in the car, how could he drink just a little? He clearly drank a lot! However, she was not in the position to care about her, and was too embarrassed, so she pursed her lips and stopped talking. Jack turned around and asked her with a smile, ¡°Miss Zoe, where do you live?¡± Zoe recited her address for Jack to enter into the vehicle navigator before starting the car. There was a dead silence in the car. Zoe crossed his fingers, her hands in herp and tilted her head toward the window. Perhaps because the aura of the man beside her was too powerful, Zoe felt a bit restrained, and her entire spine was tensed up. Henry looked at her overcautious look and smiled silently. ¡°Did you juste out of the Gil¡¯s?¡± Zoe was stunned for a moment before she responded, ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± ¡°As far as I know, you don¡¯t usually go back. What brings you here suddenly?¡± As a woman who had slept with the big boss, Zoe didn¡¯t expect the boss not carrying a through investigation into her past. So it wasn¡¯t surprising that Henry knew her situation. She hesitated for a moment, and did not answer him directly. ¡°For some private matters¡­ Anyway, I need toe back.¡± ¡°Private matter?¡± Henry raised his eyebrows. His handsome face was tinged with a fake smile in the night. His fingers resting on the car window tapped slightly. ¡°Well, as your legitimate husband, I should have the right to know more about your private affair.¡± He said this with a smile on his face. If it were someone else, he would have thought that he was joking. However, Zoe knew that he wasn¡¯t joking. Although Henry had a smile on his face, his eyes were very serious, as if warning Zoe that she¡¯d better tell him the truth and not force him to probe into the matter. Zoe smiled helplessly and did not dare to resist. She had no choice but to tell him honestly what happened. In fact, she was secretly looking forward to it. After all, she was the woman whose name was printed on his marriage certificate. When he saw his woman being bullied, he should help her! For example, turning the car around immediately and rushing back to Gil family¡¯s house to help her vent her anger! What came next was totally out of her expectation. ¡°So, you were just upset about that scumbag?¡± Zoe was startled. Was Henry¡¯s focus off the mark? Sheughed awkwardly, ¡°No, I¡¯m not upset! Who told you I was said?¡± Henry forced a mocking smile. The smile on Henry¡¯s lips turned into a light mockery. Zoe pursed her lips, feeling a bit guilty. Her eyes drifted for a while before she finally lowered her voice and muttered, ¡°I am just unwilling to give up like that! Not to mention that she stole my boyfriend! I had to cooperate with them to stage a show, seeing them disying affection in public. I am sick even thinking about it!¡± Looking at the depressed look in her eyes, Henry pondered for a moment. ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± He didn¡¯t believe that she would be so obedient to be the stepping stone for those scumbags. Sure enough, the woman who was still depressed a second ago immediately showed a sly expression. ¡°Well¡­ I have a brilliant n. However, in case you b it, I won¡¯t tell you.¡± Henry hooked his lips and stopped asking. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll wait and see your brilliant n.¡± The car soon arrived at themunity Zoe lived. It was a small apartment located in the downtown area and was surrounded by a circle of nted greenery. Jack pulled the car over and Zoe got out, waving towards the man sitting in the back. ¡°Mr. Han, thank you so much for sending me back. Goodbye.¡± Henry¡¯s hands that were tidying his sleeve paused. He looked at her and corrected, ¡°It is time for you to change your title, Mrs. Han.¡± Zoe froze, her face suddenly flushed. She nced at Jack, who was sitting at the driver¡¯s seat, smiling in a teasing way. She nced at him, and then, she answered earnestly: ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would give me three days to think it through? I still have time! What¡¯s the rush?¡± Henry thought for a while and agreed. He had always been a faithful man and would never lie. Anyway, one day had already passed and there were only two days left. He was indeed not in a hurry. Thinking of this, his eyes were tinged with ayer of shallow smile as he looked at her and waved his hands, ¡°Good, then goodbye, my future Mrs. Han.¡± The ck Rolls Royce drove out of her sight, and Zoe withdrew her gaze, heading for her apartment. When she opened the door, she received a call from her assistant Elsa, saying that she had just received an email from Mr. Anderson. Elsa told her there was an emergency meeting to be held tomorrow morning, and all the senior management was required to attend. She reminded Zoe not to bete. Zoe answered, and after hanging up the phone, she clicked on her email, and sure enough, she saw a group email from Steven. Selling sex toys was just her sideline, as her main job was the Public Rtion (PR) manager of an entertainmentpany under the Anderson Group. Thispany was the first property that Michael Anderson handed over to Steven. Thepany was in a bad situation at that time, and Michael handed thispany over to him to as a test. During that time, Steven was so busy that Zoe helped him handle a few cases perfectly, which impressed him. When Zoe returned from abroad, she epted to lead the PR department of thispany due to Steven¡¯s begging. Since then, the agency, called Century Entertainment, had hardlye across any major problems. Even in today¡¯s increasinglypetitive industry environment, it made generous profits. In just two years, it had rapidly developed from a smallpany on the verge of bankruptcy to arge mediapany that has no rival other than Annita International. Zoe was not a genius and had never been in this field before. Besides her talent, she had worked hard day and night to make such achievements. She did all these just because it was Steven¡¯spany. Steven, on the other hand, chose not to disclose their rtionship. At that time, she didn¡¯t think much about it, just assumed that he didn¡¯t want their rtionship to interfere their work, so she continued to support him and didn¡¯t say anything in front of others. Hence, except her best friend Victoria, no one knew she worked for the Anderson Group. After thinking through what happened in the past, it was just Steven¡¯s excuse, as he simply give himself a way out. It was easy to tell whether a man loved you or not from such details. Thinking of this, Zoe smiled coldly. She took her phone and sent a message to Michael Anderson. Then she tossed the phone aside and went into the bathroom. By the time she finished washing up and came out, she received a reply from Michael. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared what you want. Come over and sign it at 10 a. m. tomorrow. It will take effect as soon as it is signed.¡± Zoe¡¯s slender fingers flipped on the screen as she replied.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay, thank you, Uncle Anderson.¡± 10 The next day, Zoe arrived at the office early in the morning. She felt something was wrong as soon as she entered the office, as everyone inside was whispering about something. When they saw Zoe enter, their faces changed slightly, and their mouths shut up immediately, leaving her odd nces. Zoe¡¯s eyebrows sank as she entered her office without looking sideways. As soon as she sat down, she pressed the Extension to call Elsa. Elsa came in with strained difort, looking at Zoe with sympathy in her eyes. Zoe felt her behaviour was a bit funny. She leaned back in her chair and looking at her with scrutiny, ¡°What¡¯s going on? We haven¡¯t met for two days, and you¡¯re looking at me like this?¡± Elsa smiled awkwardly and said with embarrassment. ¡°Zoe, have you¡­ heard of anything in advance today?¡± Zoe raised her eyebrow, picked up the cup on the table and got up to get some water. She replied casually on her way. ¡°No! What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ nothing serious! I heard that a new employee woulde to thepany today. It seems she will work in the PR department.¡± ¡°Really? Did everyone get the message?¡± ¡°I heard about it from gossips of the HR department. The guy is a veteran in the PR industry. he seems to be quite experienced and has done numerous cases for many A-list performers.¡± She paused for a second and hesitantly looked at Zoe, with a hint of embarrassment in her eyes. ¡°Miss Zoe, what exactly Mr. Anderson means by hiring such a person? Do you know?¡± Everyone in thepany knew that Century Entertainment¡¯s PR department was run by Zoe, as they knew Zoe¡¯s background well. However, Zoe always remained a low-key attitude towards this issue and didn¡¯t discuss anything beyond business during work hours. No matter what background she had, she was still in her twenties and didn¡¯t have much experience. In the PR industry where seniority mattered, who would believe that Steven would hire such a big shot to serve as Zoe¡¯s subordinate? If she was not a subordinate, then she would only be¡­ Zoe finally understood why everyone looked at in a strange way today. She averted her eyes, hiding the emotions in her eyes. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°I undestand. You can go out now!¡± Seeing her calm expression, Elsa felt worried, but she knew that it was not her turn to speak. She could just leave with worries. After Elsa left, Zoe pondered for a moment before smiling. Gathering her belongings briefly, she took out the envelope she prepared earlier from her bag and headed for the conference room. Nine o¡¯clock in the morning The meeting room was already filled with executives of the Century Entertainment. Seeing hering in, everyone greeted her with sincerity and hypocrisy. After all, the courage she had shown in the past two years impressed most of them, but there were still a small portion that felt she was simply a young and naive girl, she was a little unqualified for such an important position. Zoe had no time to think about what these people were thinking, and walked to her seat and sat down. Just then, the door of the conference room opened again. When she raised his eyes, he saw Steven walking in with a group of people. Zoe¡¯s pupils shrank and her face went cold. Following behind Steven, between his two secretaries, were Annie and her agent Julia. Everyone in the entertainment industry knew that Julia became famous as a PR professional. In thest generation, more than half of the A-list performers were promoted by her, which were great achievements.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. However, she transformed to be an agentter. Not knowing whether the entertainment industry changed too fast, or due to fiercepetition, or other elements, none of the performers she took charge of became well-known. Now the most famous performer she was in charge of was Annie. So the bigwig Steven hired was her? Zoe curled his lips with mockery. The rest of the executives were a bit confused when they saw Annie and Julia. Annie was naturally known to everyone, an A-list star in the entertainment industry. Although she only started her career for four years, her poprity always remained high. It was said that she was the daughter of the Gil family. With the powerful background, although she was currently not signed to any agency, she had already set up her own studio. As long as she was willing to spend money, she was never short of resources. The other one, Julia, remained unknown to some of them. After all, it had been a decade since Julia was at the peak of her career. The entertainment industry was changing rapidly, and most of the people in the room haven¡¯t worked for more than eight years. Therefore, only those who had worked for more than 10 years could realize what was going to happen today after they saw Julia and associated it with rumors in the office. They all looked at Zoe with a trace of sympathy. Anyone could see that Zoe was really managing thepany wholeheartedly. Two years ago, she came during thepany¡¯s most difficult time and did her utmost to rescue thepany from desperate situation, keeping the remaining valuable performers for thepany. She handled most cases for thepany. When an artist in thepany had an ident, they alwayse straight Miss Zoe to solve it? Anyone would feel sorry for her if she was fired after thepany¡¯s situation got better. However, if there is discontent, there is gloating. The few people who didn¡¯t get along well with Zoe immediately went up to greet Julia and Annie with smiling faces, uttering such sentences as ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you¡±, ¡°Finally, I meet you today¡± and all sorts of greetings. Annie replied to them one by one, seemingly gentle and generous. Only when she looked at Zoe, a hint of smugness flowed unconsciously from the depths of her eyes. Zoe lowered her eyes and pretended to see nothing. She looked at the watch on her hand with an expressionless face. After a while, she finally heard Shawn coughed. ¡°Okay, time¡¯s up, let¡¯s start the meeting!¡± It was then everyone sat back to their seats. Steven nced at Zoe, a hint ofplexity shing through his gaze. But in the end, he hid his guilt and said in a deep voice. ¡°Let me start today¡¯s meeting with an introduction. This is Annie. I think everyone present should know her.¡± The crowd echoed, ¡°Of course! Miss Anne is so famous and has be a household name.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always seen her on TV and never meet her in real life. Well, she¡¯s much prettier in person than on TV.¡± ¡°No wonder she is the most popr star at present!¡± The crowd slithered, and Steven nodded with satisfaction. ¡°I called everyone here today to announce two matters. First, Annie will sign a contract with Century Entertainment to be an important first-tier performer from now on.¡± The crowd was stunned at first, but then followed by thunderous apuse. ¡°Well, is that true? That would be great!¡± ¡°Miss Anne has already been so well-known. As a member of the Century Entertainment, I believe we will all make great achievements together and benefit each other!¡± 11 After all, Annie was a first-tier star, with poprity and decent business ability. She could bring money to everypany she worked for. Hence, everyone was happy that such a female artist was willing to sign a contract with Century Entertainment. Steven was obviously satisfied with this effect. After a while, he raised his hand slightly to interrupt the excited voices in the conference room. ¡°In addition, there is one more thing. Thedy sitting next to me is called Julia. Most of you present here may not know her, but for those who have been working in the industry for more than 10 years, I think you must have heard of her name.¡± ¡°Today, I bring her here because she will be our new PR manager and lead our PR department to a new level in the future to make great progress, and to make ourpany better and stronger!¡± The conference room fell into dead silence after he finished his speech. Everyone seemed to be caught unexpected, and it took several seconds before a few sparse apuses were heard. Then, all eyes were turned to Zoe. There were sympathy and regrets in those eyes, as if they had finally confirmed the widespread rumors in thepany this morning. There were people who didn¡¯t know about Julia¡¯s background. After inquiring their colleagues about it, their gaze became somewhatplicated when looking at Zoe. After all, although Zoe¡¯s outstanding ability was obvious to all, considering Julia¡¯s qualifications, her ability wouldn¡¯t be inferior to hers. Since Mr. Anderson had already hired her, they couldn¡¯t say anything. In the end, there were still one or two colleagues who would stand for Zoe. After seeing this, they stood up indignantly and uttered their objection. ¡°I disagree!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t agree either! As we all know, our PR manager is Zoe. She has been doing a good job. She lent a helping hand when thepany was in the most critical time. She led the PR department all the way to this day. Isn¡¯t it too hasty for Mr. Anderson to fire her?¡± ¡°Yes! Miss Zoe didn¡¯t do anything wrong. If Mr. Anderson wants to rece her, you must give us a reason, right?¡± ¡°Although this senior Julia used to be a very good and famous PRers, she hadn¡¯t dealt with any cases for ten years, and I wonder if she¡¯s still capable now?¡± ¡°If she isn¡¯t, won¡¯t it be a waste of time?¡± Like a stone being cast into theke, their challenges instantly stirred up a thousand waves, causing the rest of the employees to stand up and back for her. ¡°Yeah, although Julia was prestigious, it has been ten years since her peak time.¡± ¡°The popr performers in the entertainment industry have changed several times. Is it okay for her to continue to be a PRers now?¡± With doubtful stares from the crowd, Steven frowned slightly. As he was about to speak, his sleeve was suddenly tugged by someone. Annie gave him a hint. Steven pursed his lips, and then he saw Julia smiling slightly and stepping forward to address the public. ¡°It is just a misunderstanding!¡± She gazed around the crowd and finallynded her eyes on Zoe. ¡°Mr. Anderson did not invite me over this time to rece Miss Zoe. Miss Zoe had worked hard and had a stabilizing effect on Century. Why would Mr. Anderson make such a unwise decision to disappoint you all?¡± Hearing this, the crowd couldn¡¯t help wondering. ¡°Then what did Mr. Anderson mean by his words?¡± Julia smiled and calmly said. ¡°As we all know, Century Entertainment is no longer a small and insignificantpany as it was two years ago. Today, apart from Annita International, we hardly have anypetitors.¡± ¡°In other words, we have no other enemy except Annita International. I think anyone knows how powerful Annita is. It takes more than sophisticated business skills and responsiveness to overpass apetitor like that. It requires a profound understanding of the industry and a wide range of connections.¡± ¡°These two aspects happened to be what Miss Zoecked the most. After all, she had only worked in the position for two years. That¡¯s why Mr. Anderson asked me toe over.¡± ¡°However, he just wants me to help Miss Zoe manage the PR department, and fill in the gaps with respect to industry information as well asworking. That¡¯s all.¡± Everyone knew what Mr. Anderson meant after listening to Julia¡¯s speech. So that was it. It couldn¡¯t be denied that what Julia said was true. Today, individual capabilities were actually not that importantpared to rich financial resources, strong connections, and the deep understanding of the industry. One must be well-prepared for the future, and it was true that one could only develop these abilities by umting enough experiences and being immersed in the industry for a long time. Everyone seemed to understand it, and only one person raised a question. ¡°Since Julia will be the manager of the PR department, what position Miss Gil will hold?¡± The crowd looked at Zoe. Steven nced at her. After remaining silence for two seconds, he said in a deep voice. ¡°Zoe will be demoted to assistant manager! She should learn from Julia first. There will be plenty of opportunities for her to get promoted in the future.¡± The crowd was startled and speechless. It was not umon to make mistakes and be demoted. But Zoe had made great contributions for thepany, and it was really embarrassing for her to get demoted rather than promoted after what she had done for thepany these years! Zoe finally showed a hint of sneer.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, she calmly stood up and propped her hands on the table to look at Steven, who was sitting in the host seat. ¡°Mr. Anderson, you said I¡¯mck of experience in understanding the depth of the industry as well as connections, do you have any evidence or specific cases to prove that?¡± Steven was in a daze. He had to admit that every case handled by Zoe was done well, and¡­ there was no evidence to show that she wasck of anything. Zoe¡¯s clear, cold eyes stared at her and sneered. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have any proof, what makes you so sure that I will definitely lose to Julia in these two aspects?¡± Steven didn¡¯t answer her questions. Zoe smiled coldly as she watched his stumbling looks. She stayed upte to read materials and learn case studies to understand the industry in the past two years. In order to pull in contacts for Century Entertainment, she, who had never liked to socialize, had attended many ck-tie parties. For numerous times, she directly vomited on the table in order to bring more resources to Century Entertainment. For numerous times, she worked overtime until midnight and returned home exhausted, only to be revived by a call from the brokerage department. It was said that whenever something happens to a performer from the Century Entertainment, the matter was always resolve in a prompt manner. However, no one understood how much hard work and sweat was behind this. Steven couldn¡¯t see it, or he avoided it deliberately. Now he even demoted her, ming herck of qualifications. Everything seemed so ridiculous, and Zoe had never felt so despaired. Even though she was ready to resign, she didn¡¯t expect Steven to do such a shameless thing to her. Steven remained silence for a long time, and finally said in a serious tone. ¡°Zoe, this is a chance for you to learn, to be humble and in the future¡­¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t a future!¡± Zoe sneered and pulled her resignation letter from her notebook suddenly. SNAP! The letter was thrown in front of him. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you want? I agree! I just don¡¯t want to stay in thispany to be bullied by you. You can invite anyone to take charge of the PR department. I quit!¡± 12 ¡°Miss Gil!¡± ¡°Zoe, you¡­ don¡¯t be impulsive!¡± ¡°Miss Gil, Mr. Andersondoesn¡¯t mean that!¡± As soon as Zoe finished her words, all of Century Entertainment¡¯s senior executives changed their faces, and started to persuade her. After all, they were only jealous and discontent when she became the PR manager at such a young age and achieved everything by her own efforts. Nobody expected that she really intended to leave. After all, she got a great talent. In the past two years, it was because of Zoe that the PR department was able to get better and better. The stronger the PR department was, the less work the artist department and brokerage department would do. Especially for the brokerage department, what they feared most was something went wrong with the artists they took charge of. And once something really happened, they could always turn to Zoe for help, because she could handle it perfectly, and sometimes, even a bad start could even bring a good consequence to the artists. But now, she was going to resign! Not to mention what the above-mentioned two departments would turn to for help once she left. Julia, although she was famous, they never cooperated with her, and they didn¡¯t know much about her. What if she was not as good as Zoe? Everyone panicked at once, and Steven¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Zoe, stop joking! This is not something to make joke of!¡± Zoe sneered, ¡°Am I joking? It was Mr. Anderson who wants to force me resign so as to prove that you are not that ruthless. I¡¯ve been so cooperative. What else do you want?¡± Steven¡¯s face was as ck as the bottom of a pot. ¡°Let me tell you. I¡¯m not trying to force you to resign! Julia is more qualified than you, and the position of PR manager should be hers.¡± Zoa shrugged indifferently. ¡°It can be anyone! Actually, I¡¯ll quit even if you don¡¯t bring her in today! Mr. Anderson, I wish Century Entertainment will be better and better, and make further progress in the industry!¡± After saying that, Zoe sneered, dashingly closed the notebook in her hand, and walked out without looking back. CLANG! The door of the conference room was shut. It seemed the office still held the residue of the woman¡¯s legacy, cold and overwhelming. Steven clenched his teeth and hands. He had expected what might happen before he brought Annie and Julia in today. However, he just didn¡¯t expect she left so decisively. Looking at the resignation letter in front of him, Steven¡¯s eyes were cold. After a moment, a sense of pleasure vaguely rose from the bottom of his heart. In the past two years, although Zoe worked really hard for thepany, her words were more powerful than his. She was the manager of the PR department; however, she always discussed with him in private the current situation and her vision of thepany. Sometimes, he got really annoyed. The kind of annoyance was not because she was wrong, but because she was right about everything! He didn¡¯t want to feel that he was actually inferior to a woman when it came to run apany. Yeah, it would be better if she left. At least he wouldn¡¯t feel that Century Entertainment was sessful and famous just because he was relying on a woman. After a long time, Steven¡¯s face eased gradually. The assistant beside asked him in a low voice. ¡°Mr. Anderson, what should we do now?¡± He took a deep breath and turned to face the executives. ¡°Since Miss Gil insists on leaving, none of us can change her mind. From now on, the PR department will be managed by Julia, and she will also be Annie¡¯s agent. Lisa, take Julia to go through the onboard procedures.¡± The senior members looked at each other with surprise and no one dared to say anything anymore. Zoe left the conference room and went straight to her office. At this time, Century Entertainment¡¯s executives were still in the conference room, so there were only ordinary employees in the office. When Elsa saw her walking out with a cold face, she felt there was something wrong and followed her hurriedly. ¡°Miss Gil, did Mr. Anderson really announce that he¡¯s going to let Julia manage our PR department? Are you leaving?¡± Zoe stepped into the office and let her close the door before nodding. ¡°Well, you guys have to let her take charge from now on. I don¡¯t know what her character is, but her ability is great. Maybe a decade ago it would probably take you arge sum of money to be her assistant. Seize this chance and do a good job!¡± Elsa sniffed, almost crying out upon hearing this. ¡°Then what about you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Zoe raised her eyes and smiled, ¡°Of course I can work somewhere else. Century Entertainment is not the only entertainmentpany in the world.¡± ¡°Miss Zoe, are you going to work for anotherpany?¡± Zoe narrowed her eyes and smiled. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not going to be the employee of anypany. Instead of being an employee, I¡¯ll start my own business. What do you think?¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Elsa was shocked. Zoe patted her shoulders and smiled, ¡°Just work hard, and we can hang out together when we¡¯re avable.¡± Zoe had already gathered her belongings. She took her coat off the rack and put it on her arm to leave. Suddenly, Elsa ran over to stop her. ¡°Miss Gil, are you going to start your own business?¡± Zoe held out a finger, and made a ¡°Quiet¡± posture. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone. If we hush up before doing anything, it is hard for it to be sessful. You¡¯d better stop getting me into troubles.¡± She looked at her and nodded heavily. ¡°I know, Miss Gil. When you open yourpany, you¡¯ll definitely hire someone, right? Then I wille over and work for you!¡± Zoe was stunned and surprised. Honestly, because of her cold character, Zoe didn¡¯t have any henchman in thepany. Elsa was loyal to her, but it was only because she was a rookie, who had just graduated from university. So she didn¡¯t anticipate that she would make such a request. She looked into her sincere eyes and smiled. ¡°Running a newpany will be tough, a hundred times tougher than working in Century Entertainment. Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± Elsa shook his head firmly. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± After a pause, she whispered. ¡°Miss Gil, although you aren¡¯t getting close to everyone, I can tell you are a good person. You always help others when they are in difficulty. I think I can learn something from you even if there will be hardships.¡± ¡°But that Julia is different. I heard this morning that she is selfish and mean, and likes to bully her staff. The credit is all hers, but the hard work is for others. I am not willing to work with such a boss.¡± Zoe looked at her face and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s fine, but it takes time to start a newpany. I¡¯ll call you if you¡¯re willing to do the jobter.¡± Elsa immediately broke into a smile. ¡°It is a deal.¡± ¡°Well, deal.¡± 13 Zoe left the Century Entertainment. When she left, there were a few co-workers who came to see her off, but most of them did this out of respect. After all, although she quit her job here, she wasn¡¯t leaving the industry. They might meet her again in the future. Having a friend was better than having an enemy! Zoe didn¡¯t me them. After reaching the parking lot, she put her belongings in the trunk, and drove directly towards the Anderson Group. Michael Anderson was an honest man and had already prepared the transferring documents and cheque.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. When Zoe arrived at the Anderson Group, Michael was in a meeting, and it was Chandler who received her. There were three subsidiarypanies under her name. Two of them were liquidated as she had requestedst night, leaving only one. Zoe readily signed the document and handed him her marriage arrangement paper. The marriage arrangement was reached between her mother and the Anderson family with carrot and stick when Zoe¡¯s mother was still alive. At that time, she and Steven had just been together for a short time. They were too young to get engage with each other then, so it was done in the traditional way. Half a month after signing the marriage arrangement paper, Zoe mother died unexpectedly in a car ident. Zoe wondered that maybe her mother had anticipated the ident, and that was why she made the arrangements before she left. It was a pity that her mother¡¯s wish didn¡¯te true. Right now, she lost not only her family, but also her fiance. Thinking about it, Zoe smiled to herself with self-deprecation. After all the formalities were handed over, the meeting Michael was in was not over yet. Chandler asked her if she wanted to sit down and wait for a while to greet the chairman before leaving, but Zoe politely declined his suggestion. She had already gotten what she wanted, and there was no need for her to meet anyone from the Anderson family. After leaving the Anderson Group, it was still early. Zoe went to her store again, and the assistant who had returned to work stood up happily behind her desk when she saw her. ¡°Sister Zoe, our business is good today! We have dozens of orders within half a day.¡± Zoe smiled and encouraged her, ¡°Good job, keep up!¡± The shop assistant, Charlotte, was a young girl at her eighteen or neen. After receiving her encouragement, her exciting face flushed with joys. Zoe picked up a white A4 sheet from her bag and posted it on the window. Charlotte came over to look at it with curiosity and was startled when she saw Zoe was going to transfer this store. ¡°Sister Zoe, are you really going to transfer this store? Will you stop running it?¡± Zoe nodded. ¡°Well, not anymore, but you can keep working here. I¡¯ll talk to the new boss personally to keep you.¡± Charlotte¡¯s face changed slightly. In fact, Zoe had no choice but to make this decision. If she wanted to start her own agency, she would definitely devote all her time into it. She was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t have time to run this store. And even if the store was doing well, she had to transfer it considering her current situation. After posting the transfer notice, Zoe chatted with Charlotte for a while before leaving. She got nothing to do this afternoon, so she asked Victoria out and went shopping together. Victoria, the No. 1 beauty in the entertainment industry today, was once named by a media magazine as ¡°a rare beauty of our time¡±. She was the daughter of the chairman of the Topsun Group, and was Zoe¡¯s high school ssmate. They were very close friends. As soon as they met, Victoria asked her and sighed twice. ¡°Well, sister, as soon as I heard that you were dumped by a man, I rushed over tofort you. But look at you; you are not sad at all!¡± Zoe was a bit surprised. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Well, the whole world knows that. And it¡¯s hard for me to ignore it!¡± Victoria handed her an invitation of a birthday party. Zoe flipped it to see that it was sent by Annie and Steven. Zoe was speechless, but Victoria smirked and said. ¡°Just tell me! When did you bump into this bitch¡¯s adulterous affair?¡± ¡°A few days ago!¡± Zoe looked at her gloating look and was a bit depressed. ¡°Well, why are you so happy after I am dumped by someone?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m d you¡¯ve been dumped! Steven is simply a dreg in society! It is good to break up with this kind of person, saving you from the foolishness for the past years.¡± Zoe remained silence. Victoria always disliked Steven, and Zoe knew it for a long time. When Victoria first found out they were together, she had advised her a few times. However, women in love were blind. Zoe was enthusiastically in love and wouldn¡¯t believe a word from her mouth. Now it seemed what she said was true. Zoe smiled sardonically and didn¡¯t say anything. They went shopping at a nearby mall. Just then, a ck Rolls Royce passed by, and Jack caught a glimpse of the two who were walking inside the mall and said in surprise. ¡°Well? Isn¡¯t that Miss Zoe?¡± Henry lifted his gaze, which was focusing on the documents, to the direction where Jack pointed, and paused slightly. ¡°Stop the car!¡± Zoe and Victoria were wandering around for a long time and finally entered a women¡¯s fashion store. It was a luxury store with an elegant interior decoration and a clean, luxurious smell in a light, cool palette. Victoria had ordered a long dress earlier and came over to pick it up today. The shop assistant knew her, and after greeting her, she took her to the VIP room on the second floor to try the dress on, so that they could modify it if it didn¡¯t fit. Victoria greeted Zoe before she left, ¡°Zoe, just wait for me for a while. I¡¯lle down soon.¡± Zoe nodded. After Victoria went up, Zoe was bored waiting and simply wandering around the store. It was Monday and there weren¡¯t many customers in the store. The sales assistant were burying in conversation or ying with their phones, and no one came to serve her. Zoe didn¡¯t care, and after browsing around, she saw a dark blue dress hanging in the window with a uniquely nice style, a bit like certain French designer¡¯s works she¡¯d seen in a magazine before. She had always taken a fancy to that designer¡¯s works, and was kind of a big fan of him, so she couldn¡¯t resist reaching out her hands to touch it. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s okay to look around, but don¡¯t touch it. You can¡¯t afford it if you damage it.¡± A woman¡¯s voice suddenly came behind her. Zoe froze and turned around to see a young sales assistant standing there, ncing at her with displeasure and disgust. She frowned slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you hang your clothes out for your customers to try on? Howe I can¡¯t touch it?¡± The sales assistant sneered, ¡°It¡¯s Okay for the others to touch, but not you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± The sales assistant rolled her eyes, seemingly annoyed with her for making a fool of herself. ¡°Do you know how much this dress cost? And how much you can earn as an assistant? Your sry in a year wouldn¡¯t be enough to buy it, do you know?¡± The sales assistant came up and snatched the fabric out of her hand. Then she pushed the rack full of dresses to the other side when saying this. She grumbled, ¡°I am tired of you hanging around and don¡¯t buy anything. What¡¯s the point of shopping if you can¡¯t afford it? It was so annoying!¡± Zoe was exasperated. It wasn¡¯t the first time that she had been out shopping with Victoria, but it was the first time she was treated as her assistant. 14 ¡°Assistant¡± Zoe got stubborn and sneered when she raised her arms, ¡°What if I insist to try it today?¡± The sales assistant frowned as her colleagues next to her heard the noise and came over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The sales assistant whispered a couple of words to her colleague, and they instantly squeezed out a false smile. ¡°Youngdy, this dress is newly released, and costs 88, 800 dors. Are you sure you want to buy it?¡± Zoe sneered, ¡°You asked whether I will buy it before I try it on. Your shop is really good at entertaining customers!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. We are trying to protect the interests of other customers. After all, the clothes in our store are expensive high-end fashion. If everyone tries them on without buying them, won¡¯t the clothes be a second-hand bargain? Do you think so?¡± The sales assistant smiled, but her eyes were full of mockery and sarcasm. Zoe thought that today must be her doomed day. How could shee across such a stupid guy? That was right! Miss Zoe, who had always been well-educated, just wanted to curse and said dirty words! She got a check from her bag and pped it on the counter. ¡°Can I try it now?¡± The sales assistant nced at it, startled. The check, excluding the first few numbers, was followed by several zeros. Without counting, the sales assistants knew it was at least a million dors. Their look immediately changed and they hastily smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Sure, hold on. I¡¯ll take it down for you.¡± Zoe grunted coldly. For the sake of the designer she liked so much, she didn¡¯t want to bother with them anymore. She grabbed the dress and went into the fitting room. The dress fit her well. No wonder it was the works of her favorite designer Alex. The gradient of dark blue was both understated and luxurious, and she couldn¡¯t find any fault from its workmanship or design. When she went out wearing the dress, the sales assistants were totally surprised. They thought she was Victoria¡¯s assistant because she followed her quietly and wore casual clothes. But no one felt that way now. After all, the woman in front of them would never be an assistant, whether from her figure or her look, or even for that cold and mboyant aura. The sales assistant who received her earlier came up excitedly, ¡°Miss, you look gorgeous in this dress. There are so many customers in our shop, but I haven¡¯t seen anyone looks so amazing wearing it!¡± The others echoed with her, not kicking ass, but telling the truth. Zoe curled her lips and smiled. After changing back into her own clothes, she graciously put the dress down on the counter. ¡°I will take it.¡± The sales assistant was happy, thinking that she would hold a grudge and refuse to pay the bill because of what they said earlier. However, it seemed that they werepletely over-worried. Just then, a young man and woman walked into the store. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this Miss Zoe?¡± Zoe turned back, and then her face darkened. It was really her bad day. She didn¡¯t want to bother with them. She turned back to the assistant and telling her. ¡°Wrap it up carefully and check if there is any w by the way.¡± ¡°Sure, Madam!¡± The sales assistant happily held the dress and was about to pack it when she was stopped by someone. Katya nced at the tag on her dress andughed. ¡°Well, you just got a fortune from my brother, and now you¡¯re acting like a billionaire! A dress with a price tag over eighty thousand dors. Zoe, do you deserve to wear it?¡± Zoe lowered her eyes coldly, ¡±It¡¯s not your turn to interfere with my business! Get away!¡± ¡°Well, why are you so angry? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not here to ask for money. Our family doesn¡¯t care about such a small fortune. Consider it as the payment for the years you slept with my brother.¡± ¡°After all, six years, more than 2, 000 days and nights, is not expensive at all. A prostitute on the street will cost one or two thousand dors a night! Freddie, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Katya hid her lips andughed. Beside her was Freddie, a third-tier actor, who had acted a few dramas with Zoe¡¯s help. However, because he didn¡¯t be famous for a long time, thepany stopped providing him more resources. Why would he be with Katya? Freddie was quite embarrassed, and didn¡¯t know whether to reply her or not. Zoe sneered. ¡°Katya, go back and ask your brother whether we had sex in the past few years.¡± Katya raised her eyebrow. She was old enough to know what was going to happen between men and women In her perception, it was impossible not to have sex after falling in love with someone for so many years. After all, it was the 21th century and her brother was young and energetic. Then she sneered.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Just keep pretending! My brother is not stupid. Although you are annoying, you are still good looking. Will he let go the meat that is delivered to his mouth?¡± Zoeughed as well, shaking his head regretfully. ¡°You¡¯re right, your brother isn¡¯t stupid and I¡¯m not ugly. So¡­ why do you think he didn¡¯t touch me?¡± When she finished, she even tilted her head slightly, staring at her with amusement. Katya¡¯s heart got inexplicably apprehensive by her stare. She didn¡¯t know what made her so apprehensive. It was just an uneasy feeling, like she was hiding some secrets from her. Her face changed slightly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zoe smirked and said. ¡°Nothing. Although I am bad-tempered, I have a good personality and don¡¯t like to say mean words behind others. So ask him by yourself if you¡¯re curious!¡± ¡°After all, if something really goes wrong within your family, it¡¯s a big deal for the future bloodline of the Anderson!¡± Uncle Anderson is such a traditional person, he would be very sad if he knew the truth.¡± Katya¡¯s face changedpletely. ¡°Zoe, you words are bullshit! My brother is not like what you said.¡± Zoe shrugged, ¡°Just consider it as bullshit!¡± She said, turning around and holding out her card for the sales assistant. But Katya stopped her. ¡°Wait!¡± Zoe frowned. The person she hated most was the annoying one who wouldn¡¯t let her go, just like Katya. ¡°What else do you want?¡± Katya snatched the dress out of the sales assistant¡¯s hand and said brutally. ¡°I¡¯ll take this dress. Don¡¯t sell it to her!¡± Zoeughed out loud with anger ¡°Katya, how childish you are? Do you think you own the mall? Why are you so brutal?¡± Katya lifted her chin, ¡°You¡¯re right, our family owns this mall, and if I say we won¡¯t sell it to you, then we won¡¯t sell it to you!¡± She turned to look at the sales assistant. ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of the Anderson. Do you know about the Anderson Family!¡± The sales assistant blushed and nodded hastily, ¡°Yes, of course I know, it is one of the shareholders of the mall.¡± Katya raised her eyebrows and looked at Zoe in triumph. Zoe was silenced. Just then, a cold voice suddenly came from outside the door. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard that a small shareholder can make decision for a guest.¡± The crowd was stunned and found a young man walking in with a few people. Zoe was shocked. 15 Jack? Why was he here? Zoe instantly tensed up and nced behind Jack, but she didn¡¯t see the man in her mind. Katya did not know him and frowned unpleasantly, saying, ¡°Who are you?¡±¡±Assistant¡± Zoe got stubborn and sneered when she raised her arms, ¡°What if I insist to try it today?¡± The sales assistant frowned as her colleagues next to her heard the noise and came over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The sales assistant whispered a couple of words to her colleague, and they instantly squeezed out a false smile. ¡°Youngdy, this dress is newly released, and costs 88, 800 dors. Are you sure you want to buy it?¡± Zoe sneered, ¡°You asked whether I will buy it before I try it on. Your shop is really good at entertaining customers!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. We are trying to protect the interests of other customers. After all, the clothes in our store are expensive high-end fashion. If everyone tries them on without buying them, won¡¯t the clothes be a second-hand bargain? Do you think so?¡± The sales assistant smiled, but her eyes were full of mockery and sarcasm. Zoe thought that today must be her doomed day. How could shee across such a stupid guy? That was right! Miss Zoe, who had always been well-educated, just wanted to curse and said dirty words! She got a check from her bag and pped it on the counter. ¡°Can I try it now?¡± The sales assistant nced at it, startled. The check, excluding the first few numbers, was followed by several zeros. Without counting, the sales assistants knew it was at least a million dors. Their look immediately changed and they hastily smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Sure, hold on. I¡¯ll take it down for you.¡± Zoe grunted coldly. For the sake of the designer she liked so much, she didn¡¯t want to bother with them anymore. She grabbed the dress and went into the fitting room. The dress fit her well. No wonder it was the works of her favorite designer Alex. The gradient of dark blue was both understated and luxurious, and she couldn¡¯t find any fault from its workmanship or design. When she went out wearing the dress, the sales assistants were totally surprised. They thought she was Victoria¡¯s assistant because she followed her quietly and wore casual clothes. But no one felt that way now. After all, the woman in front of them would never be an assistant, whether from her figure or her look, or even for that cold and mboyant aura. The sales assistant who received her earlier came up excitedly, ¡°Miss, you look gorgeous in this dress. There are so many customers in our shop, but I haven¡¯t seen anyone looks so amazing wearing it!¡± The others echoed with her, not kicking ass, but telling the truth. Zoe curled her lips and smiled. After changing back into her own clothes, she graciously put the dress down on the counter. ¡°I will take it.¡± The sales assistant was happy, thinking that she would hold a grudge and refuse to pay the bill because of what they said earlier. However, it seemed that they werepletely over-worried. Just then, a young man and woman walked into the store. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this Miss Zoe?¡± Zoe turned back, and then her face darkened. It was really her bad day. She didn¡¯t want to bother with them. She turned back to the assistant and telling her. ¡°Wrap it up carefully and check if there is any w by the way.¡± ¡°Sure, Madam!¡± The sales assistant happily held the dress and was about to pack it when she was stopped by someone. Katya nced at the tag on her dress andughed. ¡°Well, you just got a fortune from my brother, and now you¡¯re acting like a billionaire! A dress with a price tag over eighty thousand dors. Zoe, do you deserve to wear it?¡± Zoe lowered her eyes coldly, ¡±It¡¯s not your turn to interfere with my business! Get away!¡± ¡°Well, why are you so angry? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not here to ask for money. Our family doesn¡¯t care about such a small fortune. Consider it as the payment for the years you slept with my brother.¡± ¡°After all, six years, more than 2, 000 days and nights, is not expensive at all. A prostitute on the street will cost one or two thousand dors a night! Freddie, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Katya hid her lips andughed. Beside her was Freddie, a third-tier actor, who had acted a few dramas with Zoe¡¯s help. However, because he didn¡¯t be famous for a long time, thepany stopped providing him more resources. Why would he be with Katya? Freddie was quite embarrassed, and didn¡¯t know whether to reply her or not. Zoe sneered. ¡°Katya, go back and ask your brother whether we had sex in the past few years.¡± Katya raised her eyebrow. She was old enough to know what was going to happen between men and women In her perception, it was impossible not to have sex after falling in love with someone for so many years. After all, it was the 21th century and her brother was young and energetic. Then she sneered. ¡°Just keep pretending! My brother is not stupid. Although you are annoying, you are still good looking. Will he let go the meat that is delivered to his mouth?¡± Zoeughed as well, shaking his head regretfully. ¡°You¡¯re right, your brother isn¡¯t stupid and I¡¯m not ugly. So¡­ why do you think he didn¡¯t touch me?¡± When she finished, she even tilted her head slightly, staring at her with amusement. Katya¡¯s heart got inexplicably apprehensive by her stare. She didn¡¯t know what made her so apprehensive. It was just an uneasy feeling, like she was hiding some secrets from her. Her face changed slightly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zoe smirked and said. ¡°Nothing. Although I am bad-tempered, I have a good personality and don¡¯t like to say mean words behind others. So ask him by yourself if you¡¯re curious!¡± ¡°After all, if something really goes wrong within your family, it¡¯s a big deal for the future bloodline of the Anderson!¡± Uncle Anderson is such a traditional person, he would be very sad if he knew the truth.¡± Katya¡¯s face changedpletely. ¡°Zoe, you words are bullshit! My brother is not like what you said.¡± Zoe shrugged, ¡°Just consider it as bullshit!¡± She said, turning around and holding out her card for the sales assistant. But Katya stopped her. ¡°Wait!¡± Zoe frowned. The person she hated most was the annoying one who wouldn¡¯t let her go, just like Katya. ¡°What else do you want?¡± Katya snatched the dress out of the sales assistant¡¯s hand and said brutally. ¡°I¡¯ll take this dress. Don¡¯t sell it to her!¡± Zoeughed out loud with anger ¡°Katya, how childish you are? Do you think you own the mall? Why are you so brutal?¡± Katya lifted her chin, ¡°You¡¯re right, our family owns this mall, and if I say we won¡¯t sell it to you, then we won¡¯t sell it to you!¡± She turned to look at the sales assistant. ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of the Anderson. Do you know about the Anderson Family!¡± The sales assistant blushed and nodded hastily, ¡°Yes, of course I know, it is one of the shareholders of the mall.¡± Katya raised her eyebrows and looked at Zoe in triumph. Zoe was silenced. Just then, a cold voice suddenly came from outside the door. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard that a small shareholder can make decision for a guest.¡± The crowd was stunned and found a young man walking in with a few people. Zoe was shocked. Although the sales assistant didn¡¯t know him, he knew the mall manager behind him and hastily tugged on Rihanna¡¯s sleeve gently and whispered something. Jack sneered andmanded directly to the person behind him. ¡°The Hans always has a rule. We won¡¯t bully any customer even if it runs arge business. How dare you be arrogant as a shareholder and bully customers in the mall? If we let you do this for a long time, it will definitely ruin the fame of the Han¡± ¡°Mr Hunter, take down Miss Anderson¡¯s words today, and fling them back to Mr. Anderson. Ask them not to me us for kicking them out in spite of the contract. From now on, let them not get involved in Central Square¡¯s business!¡± Mr Hunter trembled and agreed hastily. Katya¡¯s face changed immediately, ¡°You¡¯re from the Han?¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Jack sneered, ¡°Miss Anderson has finally figured out what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re from the Han, you can¡¯t make random decisions.¡± ¡°Just wait and see if I have the right to make a decision. I¡¯m sure Chairman Anderson will tell you his decision when he gets home tonight.¡± After he finished, he didn¡¯t want to talk to Katya any more, and walked straight to Zoe, whispering. ¡°Miss Zoe, Mr. Han is waiting for you outside, see¡­¡± Zoe¡¯s face changed slightly and bit her lips. ¡°My friend is still upstairs¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin to her.¡± Jack looked up at her and eventually nodded. When she went out of the shop, she walked a dozen meters to her left and sure enough, she saw a man standing there. He was in a ck suit with a serious look, deep eyebrows, handsome and upright face. Standing there, he became natural scenery. Seeing her, Henry waved his hands toward her. Zoe walked over and stood still a step away from him, forcing a smile on her face. ¡°Mr. Han, what a coincidence! You¡¯re shopping too?¡± Henry tugged his lips and raised his hand to pull her over. Zoe was shocked and stumbled, but falling into his arms out of her expectation. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Zoe reached out his hands to pick off the fragment on her hair, his move was gentle and natural. Zoe stunned, and her face flushed involuntarily. She stepped backwards, lifting a hand to tuck a stray of hair behind her ear. Zoe was inexplicably afraid to look into his eyes. ¡°Well¡­ thank you for sending Jack to help me out.¡± Henry smiled and said in a gentle voice. ¡°I happened to pass by and noticed someone arguing in the store. It sounded like you. It turned out to be true, so I have to say we¡¯re really destined to run into each other, even when we¡¯re shopping.¡± Zoe looked up at him curiously. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be working in thepany at this time of the day? Howe you go shopping now?¡± The man lied without changing his posture, ¡°I¡¯m off today.¡± ¡°Ok!¡± Although Zoe was a little confused about why Henry would be off on a Monday, she figured bosses would set their schedule by themselves. So she didn¡¯t ask further. She nced around, not seeing anyone else, and asked, ¡°Are you shopping alone?¡± Henry nodded. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be boring?¡± ¡°A little bit, so can you apany meter?¡± Zoe was dumbfounded. That was a tough question, and it was weird¡­ to answer! She forced a smile and declined him politely, ¡°I¡¯m here with my friend. It¡¯s not very convenient!¡± Henry thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°Indeed.¡± He suddenly took out a ck gilded card from his pocket and put it in her hand. ¡°Then take this.¡± Zoe was startled. If she was not mistaken, this card should be the VIP card of the Han¡¯s shopping mall with arge sum of deposit. It was a symbol of wealth and noble identity. With this card, Zoe would be regard as a member of the Han family, and no one dared to look down on her wherever she went in the future. She opened her mouth in surprise and looked at Henry. ¡°You¡¯re giving this card to me? Why?¡± Henry frowned, as if he didn¡¯t like her question. ¡°Doesn¡¯t my wife deserve a ck card?¡± Zoe didn¡¯t know how to respond to it. That¡­really made it hard for her to refuse this card. ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed to¡­¡± ¡°We already got the license.¡± Henry interrupted her and added seriously, ¡°The reason why I give you three days is because I think you might have difficulty epting the fact of our marriage. However, that doesn¡¯t mean you can use it to deny our rtionship. You should understand it¡± Zoe¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She had to answer the phone first, as the call was from Victoria. ¡°Hello, Zoe! I heard you have to leave because you have something urgent to handle. What¡¯s happening?¡± Zoe nced at Henry. His face was full of innocence, and she could only me this on Jack, saying, ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong! I¡¯ll be right back. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Never mind, I just got a call from my agent. There¡¯s a temporary activity I have to attend. Maybe I have to get thereter. Let¡¯s meet again next time!¡± Zoe had no choice but to agree, and then hung up the phone. Henry¡¯s face was full of smiles. ¡°Isn¡¯t your best friending now?¡± Zoe stared at him suspiciously, ¡°Mr. Han, do you arrange this?¡± The man shook his head, ¡°You mean I arrange someone to ask your friend out just to go shopping with you? I am not that boring and I don¡¯t know your friend at all!¡± Zoe thought what he said was true. Well! She wouldn¡¯t me him this time. Seeing that her tension finally eased, Henry smirked and said, ¡°Mrs. Han, do I have the pleasure to invite you to go shopping with me?¡± How can anyone refuse it, considering his gentle attitude? Zoe curled up her mouth with a leathery smile, ¡°What do you want to buy?¡± ¡°Well¡­ help me pick out some clothes!¡± Zoe had never apanied a man to buy clothes in her entire life. Steven didn¡¯t even have that honor. But it was hard to deny that Henry had a perfect body. Henry had wide shoulders and narrow waist, slender with a perfect figure in the golden ratio, and most importantly, he was handsome! Girls in the fashion shop were attracted by his appearance. They all flushed and held their faces, with an entranced look. ¡°Dear god! Where was this mane from?¡± ¡°He was so awesome!¡± ¡°Mom, I wanted to marry him!¡± Zoe sat there speechlessly, as she nodded at every set of clothes Henry changed into. Well, this one was good, and that one was good. It seemed every set of clothes looked good on him. After seeing so many clothes he changed, she realized there was not a single piece of clothes Henry couldn¡¯t fit in. Regardless of the style and color, handsome and dashing, elegant and reserved, it matched him perfectly. In short, if this man became a model or entered the entertainment industry, he would be really popr by his appearance. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Well, this guy was so rich! Why was he still so handsome? A man with such a handsome face didn¡¯t want to cash his appearance. It was outrageous! The Assistant-PR-Agent Zoe began her fantasy again, picturing in her mind how popr Henry would be if she took charge of him. He would surely be the most valuable superstar! 16 They wandered from afternoon to evening in the shopping mall. Zoe was hungry. In order to thank her for helping him ¡°pick¡± clothes, Henry invited Zoe for dinner. Zoe was so hungry that she didn¡¯t refuse him. At seven in the evening, they went to the nearby t Iron Steak House for dinner. She ate ten of the newly released steamed fresh crabs quickly. The young man beside them looked straight at him and wondered how could such an elite and handsome looking dude starve his girlfriend like that? How many days had passed since herst meal? Zoe wouldn¡¯t mind her image when she was hungry. This was the skill she trained out after working for several years. When she was busy most of the time, it was a luxury to eat on time. Under that situation, there was no time for her to mind her appearance. She just wanted to finish eating and went back to work. When she finished the tenth crab and wanted to grab more, the te holding the crab on the table was suddenly carried away. She looked up and stared at Henry , asking him nkly, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Henry handed the te to the waiter and said in a deep voice, ¡°Having too much crab at once is bad for your health. Just eat something else now.¡± Zoe pouted in dissatisfaction, but she knew what he said was true and could only let it go. However, after looking at the other dishes on the table, she was full and didn¡¯t want to eat. Hence, she put down her cutlery. Seeing she put down her chopsticks, Henry stopped eating.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. After paying for their bill, they got up together and headed toward the door. The ck Rolls Royce was parked at the roadside. Jack got out of the car and respectfully opened the door for them. Zoe greeted him with a smile, ¡°Jack, have you had your dinner?¡± Jack always felt that there was something sinister in that smile, and he hastily nodded with apensating smile, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good.¡± Zoe got on the car and whispered to Henry. ¡°Mr. Han, how dare your assistant run out for dinner with your car and leave you at the restaurant? I think it is too rude.¡± Jack was suddenly stiffened and exined with a bitter look, ¡°Sir, I didn¡¯t. I just ate at a nearby restaurant.¡± Henry, however, nodded with a smile as if he couldn¡¯t hear what he said. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit rude, and I¡¯ll punish himter.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Zoe¡¯s revenge was sessful, while Jack had a bitter look on her face. Henry dotingly stroked her head. The car started, and Henry suddenly took out a bag from his back and handed it to her. ¡°For you.¡± Zoe froze and took it over. It was actually the dress she tried on in the fashion store earlier. ¡°Why did you take this out?¡± Henry smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t you like it? Jacksaw you liked it, so he bought it.¡± Zoe nced at Jack. Receiving the hint from Henry, he hurriedly nodded his head. ¡°Yes, yes, Miss Zoe, I bought it, I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean anything by lying to your best friend. A great man does not bear pretty grudges, so forgive me!¡± Zoe looked at him for a moment, and then smiled suddenly. In fact, she was just teasing Jack, not expecting him to be so nervous. She nodded and pulled her phone out, ¡°I¡¯ll transfer the money to youter.¡± ¡°Never mind!¡± Jack hastily refused her. God knows his president paid the money, how dare he ept it? He smiled and exined. ¡°That¡­ actually I just came up with an idea. The decision is made by my boss. If you want to pay the money, just give it to him!¡± Once finished, he shut up and never uttered a word again. Zoe looked at Henry in surprise, and Henry said in a light tone. ¡°I¡¯m not short of money.¡± Wouldn¡¯t she know he wasn¡¯tck of money? Did she need him to tell her? Henry turned around and looked at her with a smile, ¡°If you want to pay me, why don¡¯t you do something for me?¡± ¡°What kind of thing?¡± Henry pulled a piece of paper from the pile of documents next to him. Zoe took a look at it. It was a case of a male artist who was very popr these days under Annita International. A male artist named Stephen Rogers, who ended up acting in a period drama and became a big hit. He was regarded as the ¡°Prince from Qing Dynasty¡± But this ¡°Prince from Qing Dynasty¡± fell into a scandal when his ex-girlfriend popped up and used him of not only cheating andmitting domestic violence during their rtionship, but also swindling her out of arge sum of money, and never returned it. Cheating alone was enough to destroy him, not to mention swindling and domestic violence. Regardless of the truth of this matter, the news was bound to have an extremely negative impact on the artist. If it had been more serious, it could be said that this news would end his acting career and his future. Zoe nced at Henry, somewhat suspicious. ¡°He¡¯s an artist under Annita International. Doesn¡¯t anyone in yourpany do PR for him?¡± ¡°We have, but it¡¯s not very effective, and there are too many artists in thepany at the moment, so it is impossible to put all of our energies out for him.¡± Zoe frowned. ¡°Then it shouldn¡¯t be your business to worry! Isn¡¯t it a waste of time for you, the president to worry about him?¡± Henry pursed his lips and paused, but he continued after a moment. ¡°He¡¯s my cousin.¡± Because of this cousin, zoe was fortunate to learn a bit about President Henry¡¯s family history in advance. Surprisingly there was actually a Cindere story in real life. It was said that Henry¡¯s father was also a gentle, graceful and handsome young man. But instead of being with the girl arranged by his family, he fell in love with a girl from a poor family. Of course his family objected, so he took the girl and eloped. When he came back again, their child was as tall as a man¡¯s thigh, and when his parents saw this, they couldn¡¯t force them to break up, but had to agree their marriage. That child was Henry. Stephen Rogers, on the other hand, was his mother¡¯s sibling¡¯s only child. Although the two families hadn¡¯t gotten along much over the years, they would still help each other when they got into troubles. Zoe was overjoyed to hear this. ¡°I haven¡¯t expected that your father is quite capable, so he and your mother must have a happy life now!¡± Henry looked out of the window, his voice tinged with depression, ¡±I guess so if they are still alive.¡± Zoe stalled for a moment, and the smile froze at the corner of her mouth. It took several seconds before she responded, hastily gathering herposure and whispering. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± Henry looked at her, ¡°It¡¯s been too many years and I have already epted what happened to them.¡± Zoe didn¡¯t know what to say, and the atmosphere suddenly became awkward. She had to bring the conversation back to Stephen¡¯s case. ¡°I can help you with that. I am avable these days, but if you want me to help him, I have to meet him first.¡± ¡°OK¡± Henry nodded, ¡±The day after tomorrow! He¡¯s been aboard for a break recently, and I will tell him to book a flight tomorrow.¡± ¡°Great!¡± After reaching their agreement, it didn¡¯t take long to arrive at the apartment where Natalia lived. She opened the door and got out of the car, turning back to wave goodbye to Henry. In the deep darkness of the night, she suddenly felt that the mild man sitting in the backseat of the car was somewhat lonely, like a lonely light in the long night, indescribable doleful. She felt her heart was suddenly stabbed by something, and her heartbeat raced a few notches. Henry smiled at her and hinted her to go upstairs. Zoe nodded and without much hesitation, turned around and walked towards the apartment. The car behind her left until her figure hadpletely disappeared into the building. Zoe turned back, looked towards the direction the car left, and took out her phone. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m calling to get information of someone. Do you know Stephen Rogers?¡± 17 The next day, it was the birthday party of Annie. Eight o¡¯clock in the evening, at the Keystone Hotel. Although the banquet was just beginning, most of the guests were already there. In thevishly decorated banquet hall, more than half of the most powerful figures of the city of V were gathered together under the exquisite crystal chandeliers, nking and toasting. Today, Annie was dressed in a lc tube top long dress with hand-made embroidery. The lining of the dress stopped precisely above her ankles, and on the outside wereyers of soft yarn, sweeping on the ground, giving her an unworldly beauty. Holding a ss of wine, she made her way through the crowd, greeting the guests one by one. Her elegant movements and graceful manners made her exactly like somedy from a noble background. Low bursts of praising words could be heard everywhere. ¡°Miss Gil is elegant and beautiful. No wonder she¡¯s so popr in the entertainment industry.¡± ¡°Sure, it¡¯s not just that she¡¯s beautiful, she¡¯s also got herself a good husband. Not everyone can marry the young master of the Anderson family.¡± ¡°She¡¯s indeed something herself. It¡¯s just been a few years and she¡¯s already in such a position. That¡¯s not easy.¡± ¡°The Gil family has been so lucky to have such a daughter. If they can join hands with the Anderson family, they shall have no rivals in the entire city.¡± As the discussion continued in the hall, Annie curled her lips in satisfaction. After all, it was naturally something to feel proud of to be recognized. The Gil at present were all smiling, and even Ciara could not hide her pride anymore hearing all thesepliments. She looked around the hall and tilted her head to ask Jaden, ¡°Is Zoe here?¡± Jaden answered in a low voice, ¡°Not yet.¡± Ciara knitted her brows swiftly. Jaden muttered next to her ear, ¡°Mom, she wouldn¡¯t just lie to us, would she?¡± ¡°Probably not.¡± Helen herself was also somewhat worried, ¡°Zoe always keeps her words. Maybe it¡¯s just the traffic. Or something happens to her. Should we call her?¡± Jaden sneered, ¡°What can happen? We told her two days ago. What can possibly keep her until now? It¡¯s not the rash hour. What can be wrong with the traffic? I think she just won¡¯te. She wants to make us all embarrassed.¡± Hearing this, Helen could only force a smile. ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t really matter if she is not here. The other guests would be just fine. It¡¯s just Mrs. Wright¡­.¡± Mrs. Wright was the god mother of Kiera, Zoe¡¯s mother, and she was also the witness of the engagement of Zoe and Steven. The Wright family had quite a history in the city of V. Though they were not even nearly as powerful as they once were, they still had quite an influence, especially in the world of business. After all, Mrs. Wright was from the Kawn family. Everyone in the Ambario knew they could never afford to cross the Kawn family. Though Mrs. Wright had left the Kawn family many years ago, they had kept a connection with each other. The Gil family sure knew better than to cross her. The eyebrows of Ciara were tightly knitted. After a while, she said in a low voice, ¡°Call her. Ask her where she is. And tell her, if I can¡¯t see her in an hour, she will have to bear the consequences.¡± Jaden immediately brightened and hurriedly agreed before he went aside to make the call. At this moment, Mrs. Wright walked towards them with her grandson, Den Wright. ¡°Why is Zoe not here yet? You told me Zoe gave up on the marriage herself, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. But now she¡¯s not here. Won¡¯t you lie to me, will you?¡± Ciara hurried force a bright smile on her face, as if begging, ¡°Howe? How dare we ever lie to you? Zoe just called us. She¡¯s now in a traffic jam. It might take a little longer for her to be here. Let¡¯s wait a bit, and she will exin to you.¡± Mrs. Wright swept her nce over the family and scoffed coldly. ¡°You¡¯d better say the truth. Or if I find out you are bullying her, I will never let you go. Sure you don¡¯t want to be the enemy of the Wright family, right?¡± The smiling face of Ciara stiffened, and after a while, she nodded, ¡°Sure.¡± Mrs. Wright scoffed again and turned to leave. Immediately after Mrs. Wright left them, Jaden came back with his phone. Ciara¡¯s face darkened and asked, ¡°How¡¯s it? Is she here?¡± ¡°Yeah, she said she is on the way now.¡± Ciara finally felt relieved and took a deep breath, ¡°That¡¯s great. I believe she would not dare to y any tricks.¡± In the meanwhile¡­ Jack also ced an invitation before Henry. ¡°Mr. Henry, today the Gil family is throwing a party for their daughter, and they also invited you. Are we going?¡± The invitation had been sent to him two days ago, but Henry was too busy to pay attention to it. Finally, even Jack had almost forgotten about this matter. Now the banquet had already begun, and he remembered the invitation only now and hurriedly took the invitation over to him.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Henry raised his head from the pile of documents and swept a nce over the names on the invitation. ¡°Is she going?¡± Jack did not even need to ask to know what he meant by ¡°she¡±. Hurriedly, he answered, ¡°Yes, Mr. Hang. I saw her name on the list.¡± His hand paused in the middle of a signature. After a while, he nodded, ¡°Prepare a gift. We will be going in a while.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Han.¡± ¡­ The nking and toasting in the banquet hall continued. The Gil family was getting more and more nervous. It was all because of Zoe, who was still nowhere to be found. Mrs. Wright had sent someone to ask Ciara more than once. And every time the answer would be just the same, ¡°She¡¯s on the way.¡± However, it¡¯s been almost an hour, and Zoe was not here yet. Mrs. Wright was losing her patience and thought they were lying to her. Just when she was going to confront them, a loud noise sounded from the doorway. Everyone looked over out of curiosity, and when they saw the cause of themotion, they could not help gasp in surprise. Holy Heavens! Who was that! She¡¯s so beautiful! Zoe was dressed in a dark blue long dress with starry patterns today. Her long and slender body was just a heavenly match for her dress. The stars on her dress were like a waterfall flowing from her waist to the ground, sketching her beautiful narrow waistline. Her delicate face was now stunning with a thinyer of makeup and her slightly wavy yet fluffy chestnut hair, draped on her shoulders, was swaying gently as she walked. She walked into the hall, stood not far from the door and swept her cool nce over the guests in the hall, the aura of her aloof nobility emanating from her whole being. Some of the guests made eye contact with her, felt a chill running up their spine, and could not help moving their eyesight. But the face was indeed beautiful, and it would be such a loss if they did not take everything in. Thus, despite the nervousness, they were still reluctant to look away, hoping to watch her face for a few more minutes. 18 People had begun to mutter in low voice, ¡°Who¡¯s that! She¡¯s so beautiful.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe some guest from the Gil family.¡± Five years ago, when Zoe left the Gil family, she was still a little bit too young to show her beauty. And then she spent more of her time in the school so not many people had ever met her. And now she¡¯s right in front of them, and nobody knew her. But at least Annie knew her. At the moment, surrounded by a crowd of guests, she also felt surprised seeing the woman walking in from the door. ¡°Is that Zoe?¡± As far as she could remember, Zoe was always dressed in her profession attire, and even when she was off work, she just wore some casual clothes. Though she looked neat still, she looked boring and in. Being around her for a long time, anyone would just think shecked femininity. Besides, she seldom did made-up, and she was quite careless with her hair. Her ck and long hair was always left there naturally, making her look old. If she were the daughter of some working-ss family, she might also stand out, but in front of all thesedies of wealthy families, who would just pay a lot of attention to their face and hair every day, she would simply be shadowed. Yet, someone like her, was like an angel today in the hall, surprising all of her guests. She could not help clenching her fists. The girls around her all asked out of curiosity, ¡°Annie, who is she? She is so beautiful! Did you invite her?¡± ¡°Would she be an actress as well.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She would be so popr with her face should she be an actress. We should already know her.¡± The muttering around her was just needles, piercing through her heart one by one. She gritted her teeth. After a while, she took a deep breath. ¡°Don¡¯t you know her? She¡¯s my sister, Zoe.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°How was it possible?¡± They all looked shocked. Annie gave a warm smile, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Zoe does look different from five years ago. If I just met her now, I won¡¯t believe it¡¯s her, either.¡± There was something in her words and someone immediately understood her. ¡°You mean, your sister had a surgery?¡± ¡°No wonder! I thought she was quite ordinary five years ago and she is stunning now!¡± ¡°Emm. Could it be the scandal of five years ago? She might be afraid of being teased at with her own face, so she changed it!¡± ¡°Hah, makes sense to me!¡± And Annie put on an embarrassed look on her face.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Please, don¡¯t talk about my sister like that. It was not her fault five years ago.¡± ¡°Annie, you are just too kind. If she did not steal your work, you would go to Royal College of Art already.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It has been too easy for her. She just went abroad for a few years and people just let her go. What about you? Who would everpensate for your loss and sorrow?¡± ¡°If you ask me, now that she¡¯s returned, she will definitely go against you, Annie. You better watch out for yourself.¡± Their muttering just continued. Annie tried to stop them in a low voice and a sh of smile crossed her eyes. In the meanwhile, Zoe walked up to Ciara. ¡°What took you so long to get here.¡± Jaden knitted his brows in displeasure. Zoe cast a cold nce at him and said in a cold voice, ¡°I have shown you enough respect to be here, Mr. Gil.¡± ¡°You!¡± Enraged by her condescending manner, Jaden swept his nce over her dress and growled. ¡°What are you wearing! Today¡¯s Annie¡¯s birthday party, not yours! Are you here to hook up with men?¡± Zoe looked at him, and she widened her eyes. She knew her father had never liked her, but he had never said such woeful words to her. But today ¡­ what father would talk to his own daughter like this? Her heart felt cold, but her face remained expressionless. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± A stern voice sounded, and Ciara interrupted their conversation suddenly. She summoned a waiter, who then served a drink to Zoe, and she said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene in the public. Shut up your mouth! Both of you!¡± Reluctant, Jaden seemed to still have something more to say, but he was then eyed by Ciara angrily. He could only swallow the rest of his words. Zoe curled her lips coolly. It was a very light cocktail that the waiter had served her, with an appetizing alcoholic fragrance. Ciara cast a nce at her and her gaze then stopped at the ss in her hand for a while. Her voice softened, ¡°Mrs. Wright is here. You know how to exin to her about you and Steven, right?¡± ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± ¡°You can just say you are not right for each other, and you have long broken up. And it has nothing to do with Annie.¡± Zoe gave a cold sneer and agreed immediately, ¡°Alright.¡± Ciara nodded in satisfaction, and nked Zoe¡¯s ss with hers. ¡°It must be hard for you. I will remember what you do for the family. We willpensate for your loss.¡± Zoe raised her brows and felt somewhat surprised at her attitude. Since Ciara needed her help, she naturally said some nice words, and Zoe did not think much. She¡¯s thirsty anyway, so she also took a sip of the cocktail. After that, Ciara took Zoe towards Mrs. Wright. Actually, Mrs. Wright had long noticed her. After all, she was the reason for her being here today. It had been five years and the shy little girl had grown up into a beautiful woman. The aloof and noble aura of hers was just like that of her mother. Mrs. Wright felt as if her old, deceased goddaughter hade back to life. Mrs. Wright was so excited and walked directly to them with a stagger. ¡°It¡¯s really you. Zo.¡± Zoe saw her and hurried up to hold her hand. ¡°Grandmother.¡± ¡°Kid. When are you back? Why don¡¯t youe to your grandmother?¡± Mrs. Wright, who had always been so calm, became so emotional and her eyes grew red. Zoe also felt touched. ¡°I¡¯ sorry. I haven¡¯t make it to visit you. How are you?¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯m good.¡± The incident of five years ago was now a sore point in Zoe¡¯s heart, so she did not contact many people when she returned to the country. Mrs. Wright seemed to be able to understand her, patted her on her hands, andforted her, ¡°Kid, it¡¯s all in the past. It¡¯s fine now that you are back.¡± Ciara walked up to them, smiling, ¡°Mrs. Wright, Zoe has something to tell you.¡± At that, she cast a warning nce at Zoe. Zoe sneered in mockery, ¡°Why the hurry? I sure will tell Grandma what you have taught me. Can we even have a chat first.¡± 19 Mrs. Wright was stunned, and Ciara¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Zoe interrupted her directly, ¡°Grandma, Steven and I are not right for each other and have already broken up, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry about our affairs anymore.¡± Mrs. Wright frowned and cast Ciara a questioning nce. ¡°Zoe, did she tell you to say those words?¡± Zoe just smiled and didn¡¯t say a word. Ciara was instantly furious, ¡±Zoe! What do you mean by that? When did I ever tell you to say such words? It was you who insisted toe over and exin to Mrs. Wright, and said it was the only way to get her to forgive you, have you forgotten all that?¡± Zoe curled her lips sarcastically, ¡°Oh? What did I do to have toe over and beg my grandmother for her forgiveness?¡± At this time, Annie also walked over holding Steven¡¯s arm. She stood beside Helen and looked at Zoe with resignation. ¡°Zoe, please stop your stubbornness now. Everyone in our family has already known the things you have done with Dennis. We just thought it might damage your reputation and have kept it secret for you, but Mrs. Wright is so good to you, how can you even lie to her?¡± ¡°Dennis? What Dennis?¡± ¡°Still ying dumb. The second son of the Maldonado family, that notorious yboy! It¡¯s my fault for neglecting to discipline you all these years, and you¡¯ve be so shameless, leaving Mr. Miller behind and hooking up with that kind of man.¡± Zoe¡¯s expression changed slightly. Dennis Maldonado, the second son of the owner of Maldonado Group, and everyone in the city of Julio had known about his deeds as a yboy. He spent his days drinking wines and having fun with all kinds of woman, and there were also rumors of him being a drug addict. He was married once a couple years ago but it was said that his wife ended up getting crippled by him. With the power and wealth of the family, he ended up getting away with it and simply paid the family of the woman a fortune and then divorced her. The incident had been quite stirring in the city and Natalia also heard about it. She never expected, though, Ciara would say she had hooked up with this man. She sneered, ¡°Mrs. Gil, do you even have any evidence? When did you see me together with him.¡± ¡°So you are just won¡¯t give up. Alright, alright! Philip, let¡¯s get Mr. Maldonado here.¡± At that, she sighed, ¡°Since you won¡¯t admit it, we could only let you confront each other face to face. Don¡¯t me me if it makes you embarrassed.¡± Zoe was sullen as her gaze swept towards Steven, who was standing behind Ciara, and he slightly turned his face away to avoid her gaze. She sneered suddenly, ¡°Great, great, I thought you asked me toe over today just to make it easy for them, but now it seems that you are more greedy and selfish than I thought, and actuallye to nder me like this for them!¡± Ciara¡¯s face was expressionless, ¡°Whether it¡¯s nder or not, we¡¯ll find out when Mr. Maldonado arrives.¡± Soon, Dennis Maldonado came over with Philip. As soon as he saw the woman in front of him, his eyes lit up. He had never met Zoe before, but he had heard of her because of that incident five years ago. At first when Philip approached him about this, he was a bit reluctant until he saw Zoe¡¯s picture and then he was impressed by her beauty. And this time when he saw her in the flesh, he was even more surprised to find that she looked actually more beautiful than in the picture. He felt so lucky today and picked up a great bargain. Ciara looked at him and said in a deep voice, ¡°Mr. Maldonado, do you know this woman?¡± He looked at Zoe¡¯s cool, delicate face, and an obscene smile appeared on his face. ¡°Yes, of course I know her. We are quite familiar with each other, right, Zo?¡± The way he called her name made goosebumps rise all over her skin. She nced at the man in disgust and said in a cold voice. ¡°Mr. Maldonado, we¡¯ve never met before. I don¡¯t know when we started to get familiar with each other? What do you even know about me?¡± Dennis rubbed his hands and said with a smile. ¡°Of course I have known every part of you¡­¡± Ciara gave a clear cough. Mrs. Wright¡¯s face had also turned livid. Only then did the man realize that he was being frivolous, and hastily curbed his lewd look andughed. ¡°Just kidding. Hah. Please don¡¯t mind me.¡± Then he looked at Zoe curtly, ¡°Zoe, well, I know you¡¯re a bit angry because I¡¯ve been busy with work and neglected youtely, but you¡¯ve been making trouble for so many days, can you just stop it and go back with me?¡± Zoe was so furious that she could barely even sneer, staring at him with a sarcastic expression. ¡°Mr. Maldonado, you should be responsible for what you say! It¡¯s ridiculous. We have never been together.¡± The man frowned at her words. ¡°Zoe, you can argue with me and mess with me if you want, but you can¡¯t say that. We¡¯ve been together for two years, and didn¡¯t youe back for me? How can you say such heartless nonsense now?¡± ¡°Bullshit! We haven¡¯t even met each other!¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m not happy about your words! All right, since you insist, then I¡¯ll have more evidence.¡± He said, pulling out his phone from his pocket and swiping it a few times before showing the screen towards Mrs. Wright. ¡°Mrs. Wright, please look at this, all the photos in here are of Zoe and me. We have slept together at least for one or two hundred times, and every time she liked to take photos in the bed. I have no other merits, but I like to spoil women, especially the women I like. These are all her photos, if it is not enough, there are more. Oh, right, I¡¯ve posted some on my social ount, do you want to see?¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. He said as he swiped on the screen. Mrs. Wright could no longer hold back her anger. Her face had already turned ashen. Zoe hurriedly exined, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense, I didn¡¯t ¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Elisa suddenly snapped, turning her head to re at Zoe. ¡°Zor, tell me the truth! Do you have any rtionship with this scumbag or not?¡± Zoe¡¯s gaze sank as she gritted her teeth, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Zoe! You have a red mole on your left breast and a small moon-shaped birthmark on the bottom of your foot. If we¡¯re not in love, how would I know all this?¡± The man said loudly in a hurry. Zoe paled. She turned back, and saw Mrs. Wright dumbstruck, her face full of disappointment. As her grandmother, who had watched her growing up, she apanied the nurse to give her first bath in the hospital after she was born. She sure knew her birthmark on her body. And the birthmarks in those secret ces were not even known to the Gil family, except for a very few close people. 20 Mrs. Wright shook her head, heartbroken. ¡°Zoe, your mother handed you over to me and asked me to take good care of you, but since that incident, you went abroad without a word. I could not find a way to contact you, it is my negligence. However, I didn¡¯t expect that you would actually make such a mistake!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you want to be with a man like him. But you should be honest with me! Even if I don¡¯t like him, if you must marry him, I¡¯ll ept it!¡± ¡°Even if this scumbag wants to bully you, with the power of the Wright family and the Kawn family, he won¡¯t dare to hurt you!¡± ¡°But you hide it from me, and you refuse to admit it even after I have asked you again and again. Just what do you take me for?¡± ¡°Am I still your most respected and dearest grandmother? I had not heard from you in the past five years. I worried about you every day, and I was worried I should fail your mother, but what about you?¡± ¡°Is this how you repay me?¡± Zoe¡¯s face went pale. She wanted to exin.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Ciara, however, interrupted her before she could even say anything and said with an apologetic smile. ¡°Mrs. Wright, don¡¯t be angry. She is probably afraid of being scolded if she told us the truth. She has always been so stubborn. I¡¯ve gotten used to it over the years.¡± Mrs. Wright waved her hand, with her face full of fatigue. ¡°Forget it. I have nothing to say about this matter. I am sorry I have messed up your birthday banquet. I will send someone to make amends some other day. As for the rest, I can¡¯t care and don¡¯t want to care. Den, let¡¯s go!¡± Den Wright frowned, his gaze lingering on those pictures on the screen for a moment, before he finally helped Mrs. Wright leave. Zoe clenched her fingers, with her nails nestling into her palm. Her body was shaking slightly. Shameless! How Shameless! The thought that she was actually family with such a group of people, with the same blood running through their veins, was just unbelievable! Just how could one be so shameless? There were already people around who heard their conversation and saw the way Mrs. Wright left in a huff, so they couldn¡¯t help but gossip. ¡°Eh, what¡¯s going on actually? That¡¯s Zoe right? How did she get together with Dennis of Maldonado Group?¡± ¡°Every pot has its matching lid.¡± ¡°One stole her sister¡¯s work out of jealousy, the other beat up his own wife, they¡¯re just right together.¡± ¡°But how is it possible! The woman is so pretty and the man is just disgusting. How did she even make out with such a man?¡± ¡°Pretty, huh?¡± One of the girls who was standing with Annie earlier walked over and sneered. ¡°A stic chick, so what if she¡¯s pretty? In a few years when she gets older, it will just all fall apart! At that time, I¡¯m only afraid she won¡¯t even be worthy of Dennis.¡± ¡°What? Are you saying she looks so pretty just because she¡¯s done the surgery?¡± ¡°Or what? Her sister tells me that. So it must be true.¡± ¡°Jesus, she¡¯s really shameless¡­¡± The scene was somewhat chaotic, and Zoe looked at Ciara with a cold, stern gaze, and finally she said through her gritted teeth. ¡°Ciara, aren¡¯t you even afraid of being condemned by heaven by doing this?¡± Ciara looked at her, not hiding the smug look in her eyes. She sighed softly and shook her head. ¡°My good granddaughter, why would I even need to do such a thing if you had listened to my words?¡± Zoe was so angry that her body began to tremble, and her anger seemed to burst out of her chest. ¡°Get someone to make up a few photos and get a scumbag to give a false testimony, and you think you can make it a fact? What I haven¡¯t don¡¯t I haven¡¯t done! Five years ago, you could set me up because I was too young to fight back, but not anymore! Ciara, just wait and see. You lies will be exposed and when the dayes, you will have to pay for it.¡± At that, she turned to leave. But just then, she felt a sudden weakness in her legs. Ciara¡¯s cold voice came from behind. ¡°You are right. Lies will always be exposed someday, but ¡­ what if I indeed make it a fact?¡± Zoe looked back at her in disbelief. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ciara grinned, ¡°Natalia, how was the wine you just drank? I prepared that just for you.¡± Zoe face went pale. A revolting feeling leapt up to her throat, and she was about to run, but Ciara yanked her arm in a deadly grip. ¡°Mr. Maldonado, my granddaughter drank too much, could you please help her to rest in the guest room upstairs?¡± The man rubbed his hands in excitement, ¡°Of course.¡± Zoe red at him, anger overflowing into her eyes. An unfamiliar warmth flooded over her body, and she felt herself immersed in a strangely tingling sensation. The man ced his hand on her shoulder, her eyes widened in fear, and she tried to open her mouth to call for help, but not a single sound coulde out of her throat. It must be the drug Ciara had used. What a snake! The man wrapped her body with his hand, and leaned in to whisper into her ear, ¡°Zoe, I advise you not to waste your strength. This drug not only makes you lose your strength, and it also makes you lose your voice temporarily. You can¡¯t do anything now, so why don¡¯t you be a good girl ande with me. I will love you well tonight. At this time, although some of the people around had noticed themotion over here, they only thought that Zoe and Dennis were really a couple because of what they had just heard. Wasn¡¯t it normal for a boyfriend to help his girlfriend who has had drunken too much to her room and rest? So even though everyone saw it, not a single person came forward. Zoe was so weak that she couldn¡¯t even try to push him away. In fact, if Dennis hadn¡¯t been holding her up, she would have fallen to the ground with her weak legs. A piercing cold shot up her spine. She knew that if she really went with this man tonight, her life would really be ruined. But she couldn¡¯t say anything, and none of the people around her knew the truth, much less that anyone would help her. Helpless, she could only turn her pleading eyes to that man. A few steps away, Steven felt her gaze, struggled for a few moments, and suddenly stepped forward. However, in the next second, he was pulled away by Annie. She covered her stomach and said something to him. Steven¡¯s face changed, and he hurriedly picked her up and walked out. Zoe¡¯s face turned stark white. A sudden sad and ridiculous feeling rose up in the bottom of her heart! She felt herself so stupid! How could she put her hope in him? How could she be so naive as to think that even if he didn¡¯t love her anymore, even if the two of them hade to such a point as they were today, they had loved each other after all. Just because, in their youth, they had genuinely loved each other? Even for the sake of the selfish exclusivity of a man, it shouldn¡¯t be possible for him to watch her being taken away by another man, she thought. But reality pped her hard again. She finally understood, some people just didn¡¯t have a heart, and that some people were worse than the devil when they were indifferent! Sheughed silently and had teardrops rolling down her eyes. Just as she was filled with despair, a voice suddenly came from outside. 21 ¡°It¡¯s Henry Han, the owner of Han Group!¡± The noisy crowd suddenly gave way spontaneously, and all the people looked over in surprise. At the end of the crowd, they saw a slender figure slowly walking in. Zoe shook as her eyes widened. His steps were quick yet not at all hurried, emanating his usual aura of aloof and prohibitive nobility. Above his almond shaped eyes were his arched eyebrows. His ck pupils were like the finest ck jade in this world, glowing with a faint cold light. After him were Brian, and a few bodyguards in ck, who all stood at the doorway without entering. Only Brian followed him in, and handed the gift they had prepared to the receptionist. ¡°It¡¯s really Henry Han! Why¡¯s he here.¡± Someone among the guests murmured, rousing the others back to their senses. Everyone was shocked. Most of guests who hade today were somewhat powerful and wealthy, and even if they hadn¡¯t seen Henry in person, they must at least have seen him from magazines and TV. So, everyone recognized the man in front of them. The heir of the Han family. The real owner of Han Group. More importantly, he was also the founder of the uprising entertainment empire, Annie International. What was he doing here? Ciara was immediately overjoyed, rushing over to greet him. ¡°Wee, Mr. Han! Come in, please!¡± Following Ciara, Philip and Helen also rushed forward, their faces full of smiles. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. If I have known Mr. Han woulde today¡­¡± Indeed, when the Jones family sent the invitation to Henry, it was just for formality. Everyone knew that although Henry had recentlye to Julio, he did not attend any social parties and won¡¯t answer any such invitations. There had been countless people who had flung themselves at this wall already, and naturally, the Gil family didn¡¯t think they would be an exception. But to their surprise, he was here today! Ciara and the others were overjoyed. Zoe was also excited. ¡°Henry, help me!¡± Zoe yelled silently. Dennis Maldonado also noticed her expression and sneered. ¡°You want him to help you?¡± ¡°Stop dreaming!¡± ¡°Look at yourself. What do you think you are?¡± ¡°Never mind the Gil family. Even the Miller family could never reach Henry Han.¡± ¡°And you know what people out there think of him?¡± ¡°They all say he¡¯s gay. He just doesn¡¯t like women. Thest women who wanted to climb up to his bed had been thrown into the Julio River. I would say you should just stop dreaming.¡± At that, he held Zoe in the direction of the elevator. Zoe became anxious. Lowering her head, she bit down on the back of his hand. Although she had been drugged and she felt weak all over her body, she still had a little strength left in the end. Plus how could she not struggle desperately at this point with hope on the horizon? Dennis also didn¡¯t expect that she would dare to resist even at this point. He just let his guard down for a moment, and he was bitten. With a cry of pain and surprise, he loosened his grip and the woman in his arms immediately ran away. ¡°Hiss-Bitch! How dare you bite me? Stop there!¡± A stern cry was heard by all, but before the crowd could know what happened, a ck shadow swept past their eyes and lunged straight towards the man standing at the entrance to the hall. Henry took a big step forward and swept Zoe up before she fell. With a hook of his long arm, a delicate figure had fallen into his arms. Everyone was shocked. ¡°Jesus, who is that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Zoe? How dare she touch Mr. Han? Mr. Han doesn¡¯t like being touched by woman!¡± In all his years in the business, there was no word of any woman he had ever been good with. Many businessmen had sent stunning beauties to his bed just in order to please him, but those women were all returned intact, and those businessmen all lost their original orders! It would be even weirder if someone like him should actually like woman! Many of the women at present had long had a crush on him, but they never dared to stand up. Seeing this, they all widened their eyes in desperation. And anger soon ensued beyond belief. ¡°Holy shit! What a shameless woman!¡± ¡°Her own boyfriend is still here, how dare she seduce another man? Does she want to die!¡± And Zoe, wrapped in Henry¡¯s arms, smelling the familiar crisp fragrance of his body, almost wept with joy. A feeling of survival from desperation made her grab Henry¡¯s clothes tightly, as if she was holding onto a piece of driftwood on the sea to save her life, and even her body couldn¡¯t help trembling. Henry¡¯s pupils were slightly cold. Thinking about what he had just heard outside, he naturally understood what had happened. He reached out and patted the woman¡¯s thin back gently. His eyes lifted slightly as he looked across the room with a cold, stern gaze. Dennis had already walked over quickly, and his face changed when he saw Zoe shrinking in his arms. Ciara also looked nervous, afraid of offending Henry because of this, and she hurriedly exined. ¡°Mr. Han, I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s my granddaughter. She¡¯s been terribly drunk and forgot her manner. I will take her off immediately.¡± With that, she said to Dennis in a stern voice, ¡°You should at least take care of your own girlfriend. How could you just let her pounce on another man in front of everyone.¡± Hearing what she said, Dennis stood forward, and said in a cold voice, ¡°Zoe,a over! Don¡¯t you wrinkle Mr. Han¡¯s clothes.¡± Zoe shrank in Henry¡¯s arms and didn¡¯t move, and Ciara frowned when she saw this. She let out a desperate sigh. ¡°It¡¯s my fault¡­ I should have my own granddaughter well. I thought it¡¯s fine if she just got drunk sometimes, but today¡­¡± ¡°Ugh! I am sorry about that! Mr. Maldonado, go over and pull her back!¡± When Dennis was about to make a move, Henry suddenly spoke in a low and cold voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch her!¡± Everyone was stunned. They just could not believer what they had heard. Henry curled his lips coldly, looking straight at ra, ¡°Mrs. Gil, whose girlfriend did you just say she is?¡± Ciara was stunned, subconsciously feeling that something was wrong, but she didn¡¯t fully understand what he meant. She could only answer by instinct. ¡°She, she is Mr. Maldonado¡¯s girlfriend. He¡¯s father is the owner of the Maldonado group.¡± ¡°Well.¡± A sneer interrupted her introduction. Henry¡¯s voice was so cold that they could almost see some ice crumbs on his face, and his deep and inky pupils was even more frigid and harsh. ¡°When did my wife be this scum¡¯s girlfriend?¡± Everyone there were simply dumbstruck. It was like their ears were blocked, and they did not hear him clearly. Zoe? Mr. Han¡¯s wife? How could that be possible?!!! Everyone was just dumbstruck, and when Ciara wanted to say something, everyone around them did not even know what happened yet. ¡°Mr. Han, there must be some mistake? ¡°She, she is just an ordinary little girl, how could she be your wife?¡± Henry gave a cold sneer. ¡°Ordinary?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°My wife has always been as radiant as a pearl, but I guess there are indeed some blind fools who can¡¯t see it!¡± Ciara did not know what she should say. Dennis knew something must have gone wrong. His eyes rolled, and he tried to slip away quietly before anyone even noticed him. However, when he had only just reached the entrance to the hall, he was stopped by Brian.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. As soon as he looked up, he saw a smiling face of this elite assistant, ¡±Mr. Maldonado, where are you going? Are you going to leave your girlfriend here?¡± 22 The entire Gil family, and Dennis, who was trying to escape, were eventually brought under control. The banquet was naturally scattered and the guests left confused by the incident. Since Henry was present, however, they did not dare to ask further. They could only have all kinds of wild guesses in their mind. After all, it was Henry Han. He was the real owner of the Han Group and controlled the lifeblood of the entire Ambario business world. It was no exaggeration to say that, even if he wanted to marry a princess, it would not be difficult. Furthermore, the Han family, along with the Kawn family, the Nixon family, and the Bissel family, had always been listed as the four most powerful families in the country of Ambario. And the marriages in such families had rarely been made by themselves. Most of them were just political marriages.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. How would the Han family allow their most outstanding heir to marry amoner¡¯s daughter? The crowd couldn¡¯t help gossiping about it. For those who had been experienced with the business world, they had their judgment after the initial shock. In their eyes, it was just normal for men to fool around with all kinds of women, and for them, Henry was not an exception. He had never been involved in scandals before and rumors even had it that that he didn¡¯t like women. But the truth was just that he just had not met anyone he liked. Now that he finally met one, naturally he indulged her as much as he could. But indulgence was different from marriage. After all, no one had ever heard that Henry had gotten married, let alone that there was a Mrs. Han. But Zoe was considered lucky. Even if there was no possibility of joining the Han family herself, being able to be with Henry for a period of time was a blessing that other women could only envy. Everyone had spections in their hearts, while Henry didn¡¯t even care about these people¡¯s thoughts. Zoe had been drugged, and he knew that the moment he caught her just now. It was because of this that he did not immediately go to the Gil family and Dennis for their crimes. After all, it was more important to help her out. Inside thevishly decorated president suite, Archie ced her on the bed and turned around to get her a towel. The hem of his shirt was suddenly grabbed by a fair hand. Zoe looked at him with a weak face, with a thinyer of scarlet clouds covering her delicate face. Her red lips parted slightly. ¡°I want some water.¡± She still couldn¡¯t make a sound, but Henry could read it from her mouth anyway. ¡°Just a minute.¡± When he returned, he walked in with an cup of warm water in his hand, in addition to a hot towel. He walked over to the bed and sat down, helping Zoe up, feeding her half a ss of water and taking the hot towel to wipe her face and hands. Zoe felt itchy from the heat of the towel, as if there were a million little bugs crawling through her body. She was ufortable as hell. She struggled for a moment. When Henry withdrew his hand, he saw her delicate eyebrows frowning gently, and her watery eyes staring at himself, which then immediately closed again, as if she was struggling against something in pain. The clothes on her body had long been disheveled in the struggle, and the long ck tube top dress was slightly loosened, revealing some of the skin. A pinky flush crept up her neck from her breasts, spreading to her ears, and finally covering her entire face, adding a hint of sexiness to that pale delicacy. The fine, soft hair was wet with sweat from the pain, sticking to the corners of her forehead and neck, and her entire body exuded an indescribable sense of disheveled beauty. Henry looked at her. His breathing became slightly heavy, and his dark pupils slightly dted for a moment. He reached out, gently wiped the sweat from the corner of her forehead, and then he said in a calm voice. ¡°Zoe, I am your husband, you have the right to ask me to do anything.¡± Yet the woman seemed unable to hear what he just said. She curled up in pain, wrapping her arms around herself and even burying her face in it, as if trying to control herself so she wouldn¡¯t do something impulsive. Henry frowned and reached out to feel her forehead. Her skin was scalding. He just looked at her and he said in a deep voice. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need my help?¡± Zoe shook her head, and then she suddenly lifted her face and said silently. ¡°I need a doctor.¡± Henry looked at the shape of her mouth and didn¡¯t say anything. Zoe wasn¡¯t sure if he had understood her, but she really didn¡¯t have the strength to do anything more than that. She buried her face in again, and her entire body curled up like a shrimp in a defensive position. Her slim body seemed to be shivering slightly. She was holding back as long as she could. Watching her, Henry didn¡¯t even know what he should feel about it. He sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at her for a moment. After a long while, he gave a coldugh. Hisugh sounded self-deprecating and at the same time disappointed. Suddenly, he got up and lifted up a thin quilt to cover Zoe before striding outside. The doctor arrived soon after. Almost as soon as Henry had gone out, a doctor in her casual clothes walked in apanied by Brian. At this point, it was impossible for Brian to go to the hospital to find a doctor, but fortunately, the Han Mansion always had a family doctor. He called her at once, and the doctor rushed over at a fast pace in about ten minutes. Zoe curled up in the thin, soft silk quilt, felt her hand being pulled, and shrank back reflexively. Seeing this, the doctor said in a soft voice. ¡°Mrs. Han, don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m a doctor, I¡¯m here to see you.¡± Perhaps having heard her words, Zor let her guard down and allowed her to pull her hand over. Then the covers were lifted. Her body had already been burning for the drug, and covered by the quilt, she was naturally covered with sweat now. The doctor frowned unhappily. ¡°How can you cover her with quilt in this situation? She¡¯ll get a pseudo-heatstroke.¡± The corner of Henry¡¯s eyes nted, though there was still little expression on his face. The doctor didn¡¯t notice his look and carefully finished examining Zor, then took out a potion and injected the content into her. Zoe cooperated obediently throughout, without any resistance. Brian, however, felt a vague sense of displeasure. He gave Henry a curious nce, wondering why his boss was suddenly upset while he just left him for ten minutes. Ah! He must be mad at the Gil and that scum Dennis! After all, if they dared to do such a thing to Zoe! It was just impossible for any man to let them off. Brian felt that he was too perceptive, specting in his mind how his boss would handle this matter. Secretly, he thought of several good ways that he could take it out for the future Mrs. Han The doctor had finished the injection for Zoe. She turned her head to Henry and said in calm voice. ¡°I just gave her the antidote, but it will take a little while for her recover. Stay with her for now. If she feels ufortable, let her soak in cold water and she¡¯ll be fine after a while.¡± Henry remained expressionless, a cold look on his face, but asked. ¡°Why can¡¯t she talk yet?¡± 23 ¡°It¡¯s the yellow snake grass they have used in the drug. It will temporarily paralyze the vocal cords, but it usually doesn¡¯tst long, and she should be able to talk before too long.¡± Henry nodded, and only then did he let Brian send the doctor out. After they had all left, he walked over to the bed and looked at the woman lying on it. Zoe was now much quieter, lying silently under the quilt, motionless, as if she was asleep. Only the small face of her, still flushed with a thinyer of scarlet, had somehow revealed her pain and endurance. Henry looked at her for a while, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he just turned around and walked away. A few secondster, the sound of water ttering came from the bathroom. Zoe opened her eyes in a daze and felt a strong, tall shadow looming towards her. ¡°Let¡¯s go have some cold water for a while, huh?¡± She looked at him and nodded. Henry picked her up from the bed with both of his hands and walked towards the bathroom. The wide bathtub was already well filled with water, and Henry put her in. The cold water caused her to shiver, and she couldn¡¯t help but hold her arms tight. ¡°Can you sit still by yourself?¡± Zoe nodded, wanting to say yes, but right after the man let go of her, her body went limp and she plunged straight into the water involuntarily. A soft sigh of helplessness rang out overhead. The next second, she was scooped up from under the water, and she coughed a few times in pain and spat out a mouthful of water. Just as she was about to open her eyes, a towel came up and in a not-so-gentle motion, he wiped the water off her face. And then there was the sound of water sshing. He also sat in the tub. He sat right behind her, letting her lean against him, with his arms wrapping around her. Zoe¡¯s back instantly stiffened, only to feel as if her back was leaning against a wall of volcanic rock, which was hot. The strong hormone of the man filled her nostrils, and the fever that had just been pushed down in her body was stirred up again. She couldn¡¯t help but struggle and try to leave him, but a cold voice with a hint of displeasure came from behind her, ¡°Don¡¯t you move again!¡± His face darkened. He was not in good mood being rejected by her. If he was not afraid that she might slide into the water and drown herself, he would not sit in. She should know, it was not just her who was suffering in such position. She seemed to have thought of this, and her face changed. After making sure he wouldn¡¯t do anything, she sat meekly still. There was silence all around, and the two were quietly soaking in the water. Because of the heat of their bodies, the originally cold water didn¡¯t seem so cold anymore. Thinking of the Gil who had just drugged her, she found the whole thing peculiar. Originally, she thought that the Gil family, no matter how filthy they were, were just biased and wanted her to give up voluntarily so that they could make it easy for Shawn and Annie. And she also didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Steven either, so it did not matter much to her if Steven was really with Annie. But to her surprise, they were even more cold-hearted and ruthless than she thought. Just for the two to be engaged without being criticized and gossiped about, they actually used her of having an affair with Dennis! That¡¯s not it. They even drugged her and tried to send her to that scum¡¯s bed! Those were her father and her grandmother! If she hadn¡¯t grown up in the Gil family, if she hadn¡¯t gotten along with this family fairly well for the first eighteen years, she really would have wondered if she was the Gil family¡¯s own child or not! Raging anger mixed with untold sorrow surged through her chest. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn¡¯t how long it took, but finally the fever had faded away and her senses also seemed to being back. She opened her eyes and felt as if her throat was no longer as tight as it was before, so she tried to speak, ¡°Henry, I am fine.¡± Though it was more like she was just muttering, she finally could speak. She couldn¡¯t help letting out a sigh in relief. Henry didn¡¯t say anything, but got up and then picked her up from the bathtub. Her body waspletely soaked, and her drenched dress now clung to her body tightly, outlining her delicate and sexy curves. Zoe blushed and pushed away his hand that was trying to wipe off the water for her. She snatched the towel away and said in a hurry, ¡°I can do it myself.¡± Henry looked at her and didn¡¯t say anything. Seeing her head lowered in a shy and embarrassed manner, he suddenlyughed. ¡°Ok, now that you are fine, shouldn¡¯t you repay me? Maybe you can help me wipe off the water.¡± Zoe was stunned and looked up at him in surprise. Archie stayed in the water with her, and naturally all of his body was soaked through. His white shirt clung tightly to his chest, and it was easy to see the powerful abdominal muscles underneath. The liens were beautiful and sexy, but not at all bulging. It was simply perfect. A flush burned her face all the way down to her neck as she fidgeted. ¡°But ¡­ I ¡­ I just¡­¡± As if the oppressive aura of this man had tied her tongue somehow, she became so nervous. She had been quite eloquent but now she just could not say a word. He smiled and suddenly held her hand. She took a frightened step back and pressed her body against the wall. The next second, she felt an extremely strong oppressive feeling approaching, the man¡¯s handsome and perfect face zoomed closer to her eyes. The corners of his mouth were clearly hooked with an evil smile, but there was not a trace ofughter under his eyes. He released her and braced one hand against the wall. And then he reached the other hand to cup her chin and lifted it up slightly.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°I told you. I would give you three days to think about it, and now that three days are up, isn¡¯t it time for you to keep your promise?¡± Zoe froze for a moment. She looked into his dark and m eyes, which was like ciers that would not melt even for a thousand years. It was a great contrast to his gentle and refined appearance. She looked at him like something was ramming inside her, so fierce that it was about to jump out of her throat any moment. Actually, when she thought carefully about it, the man¡¯s offer didn¡¯t do her any harm. It was not clear why he married her, but it was a fact that she needed a husband and a marriage. The reason why she would attend today¡¯s banquet was because Ciara threatened her with what her mother had left behind. As long as those things had been held in Ciara¡¯s hands, she would never be able to escape her control. And now, if she got married, and her husband was Henry, whom the Gil family couldn¡¯t afford to mess with, everything would change. Moreover, although she could not really understand Henry, at least from what she had observed so far, he had no malice towards her. She had already been hurt once and didn¡¯t feel she could fall in love with another man again in this lifetime as carefree as she had before. So, what difference did it make who she married? Her nervousness eased a little at the thought. When she looked up again, there was a hint ofplication in her eyes. ¡°Henry, are you sure you want to marry me?¡± The man raised his eyebrows, ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯ve shown enough good faith?¡± Zoe pursed her lips, struggled in her heart and then nodded heavily. ¡°Alright, then I agree.¡± 24 Zoe¡¯s readiness made Henry somewhat surprised, and his mouth immediately split into a smile. ¡°But I have conditions.¡± ¡°OK!¡± ¡°First, you cannot tell others our rtionship without my consent.¡± ¡°Second, you cannot touch me without my consent!¡± The smile under his eyes faded away somewhat, ¡°Is there a third?¡± Zoe thought about it for a moment but finally could not think of anything else, so she shook her head, ¡°No.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°I will let you know if I have a third.¡± Henry said in a deep voice, ¡°So you just want me to be a monk.¡± Zoe was stunned. ¡°Mrs. Han, I¡¯m a normal man. If you don¡¯t give me your consent, I will have no sex in my life.¡± He said as he took a step forward to her. Zoe could only struggle to shrink back in.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I, I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± The reason for such conditions was simply that she subconsciously felt that the marriage between the two would notst for too long. She hadn¡¯t even considered what would happen in the future. Henry sneered, seeming to see through her thoughts. ¡°Zoe, I will not divorce you once I am married, so since you have agreed to it, there is no chance to back out. Be Mrs. Han and I will give you everything you want, understand?¡± Zoe looked at him and didn¡¯t say anything. The fingers cupping her jaw suddenly tightened and she let out a cry in pain. She could only agree in resignation, ¡°Yes.¡± Only then was Henry satisfied, and he let go of her chin. Only then did he notice two small red marks pinched on her delicate skin. His deep eyes darkened slightly. In the end, he realized he had just been too aggressive and was worried that he might have scared her. So he added, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t touch you for the time being, but I hope you get used to being Mrs. Han and don¡¯t keep me waiting for too long, ok?¡± When Zoe finally understood what he meant, she blushed a little and nodded. Henry turned around and headed out. Not long after, he came in with a new set of women¡¯s clothes. Handing the clothes to Zoe, he said, ¡°Get changed ande out!¡± Zoe just hummed in acknowledgement. Then the door of the bathroom was closed, Zoe took off the wet gown she was wearing and changed into the clothes Henry had brought over to her. The clothes must have been prepared by Brian just now while they were in the bathroom. The in colors on those simple and casual clothes took off her cool aura. Instead, they made her look more like an innocent school student. She looked at herself in the mirror and was stunned for a moment. She was twenty-four. People at the age were only two years out of college. But perhaps it was because she had experienced too much in the past five years, her heart had long been through the vicissitudes of life, plus she always stayed with a group of 30- and 40-year-olds in the workce, and she also had learned to be somewhat mature. Without realizing it, she had forgotten that she was actually young. It was the most beautiful age for a girl. Girls her age were youthful, beautiful, and unrestrained, and more importantly, they could afford to live proudly. She thought of Henry¡¯s words and slightly lowered her eyes. After a long pause, she suddenly showed a smile. After she had got changed and went out, she found no one in the bedroom. There was the sound of someone talking in the living room. When she walked out, she saw Henry, Brian, the Gil family as well as Steven. Ciara sat on a single sofa with Jaden and Helen standing behind her. While Steven was supporting Annie standing on the other side. Seeing here out, Annie looked at her with a worried face and said softly. ¡°Zoe, I came back from the hospital immediately after I heard about your ident, are you okay?¡± Zoe nced coldly at her without speaking. Instead, she just walked over to Henry and sat down. No one in the room paid any attention to her at all, and Annie¡¯s face stiffened slightly. The atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Actually, who could the rest of the Gil family even have the time to care about her feelings at this point. Back at the moment Henry announced that Zoe was his wife, it had shaken everyone to their core! After the initial shock, they immediately felt great fear and worry. What they did tonight certainly crossed the line, even they would agree! Therefore, no matter what verdict Henry handed down on them, they had nothing to say! But despite this reasoning, they still couldn¡¯t help but grumble at Zoe in their heart. Why didn¡¯t she tell them so before, since she had been with Mr. Han? She let them do their bidding, and now, well, they not only lost their face, but also offended Mr. Han. She did it on purpose! That was vicious! Ciara was filled with anger, and Zoe seemed to notice it, turning her head to nce at her, then smiled coolly. ¡®You must be so mad.¡¯ ¡®But what you can do?¡¯ Brian had already ordered someone to bring Dennis here, too. Butpared to the Gil, Dennis wasn¡¯t treated so well. He was tied up and dragged into the lounge, with marks on his body and face from the beating, and a purple bruise at the corner of his eye. Obviously he had got dealt with severely! At this point, how could Dennis not understand the situation? As soon as he saw Henry, he immediately knelt down. ¡°Mr. Han! It¡¯s all a misunderstanding!¡± Henry sat in the wide leather sofa. His slender and straight legs crossed and a cruel cold smile hung on his face. ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what you said in the hall an hour ago.¡± Dennis was almost on the verge of tears. Only God knew what kind of torment he had gone through just now. These guys were sick and they just would care about his life, he thought. He might be a yboy, but he didn¡¯t want to die yet! ¡°Say it! What¡¯s this shit all about? Be honest and you might save your life. If you dare to lie to us.¡± He paused, and a cold, murderous look crept up the bottom of his eyes, ¡°You will wish you haven¡¯t!¡± Dennis¡¯ face turned pale and he nodded in fear, ¡°I¡¯ll say, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± ¡°Mr. Han, I swear, is really has nothing to do with me. This old woman ordered me to do it!¡± ¡°She said if I helped them in a y and told everyone Zoe had a rtionship with me, then I won¡¯t have to pay the one million I owed Mr. Gil at the gambling table before!¡± ¡°I was so greedy, and I agreed to that!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Han, I was wrong. I didn¡¯t know Zoe was your wife, please forgive me and spare my life!¡± While he was crying, he jumped over and tried to hug Henry¡¯s legs. Seeing this, Brian, who was next to him, went straight up and kicked him away. Although Brian was just Henry¡¯s assistant, he worked out quite often. His kick was so powerful that Dennis was directly kicked over a few meters away and fell heavily to the ground. The people in the room were almost stunned. Zoe was also slightly shaken. Only Henry remained expressionless. Ciara came back to her senses after the shock. She snarled, ¡°Dennis! What nonsense are you talking about? Zoe is my granddaughter, how could I do any harm to her? We all know what kind of person you are. If you hadn¡¯t been in a rtionship with her, I would never allow you two to be together.¡± 25 There was also no turning back for Ciara either now. On the one hand, there was Henry, who she could not possibly afford to cross, and on the other hand, there was Dennis, who was now turning her in. She saw no hope of winning either side. Now that since she could not afford to cross Henry, she would have to sacrifice Dennis. As long as she insisted there was something between Dennis and Zoe, what she did today would be just natural. Not only that, but Zoe would also be med for cheating as well. It was Henry Han. There was no way someone like him would allow his women to mess around behind him. At that time, not only that Zoe would never get away with it, her position in Henry¡¯s heart would also be shaken. It would not be toote to teach her a lesson then. Come to think of it, the look in Ciara¡¯s eyes grew even colder. But the next moment, Dennis hurriedly exined, ¡°Mr. Han, don¡¯t believe her nonsense. I have never met Mrs. Han before, how could I have anything to do with her? You can check it up if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± ¡°You asshole. You coward. Do you remember how you begged for my consent for you to be with Zoe? And you say such nonsense now? Are you even a man?¡± Dennis was furious. He pointed his shaking finger at Ciara, ¡°You old hag, so you put it all to me now just to get away with it? You frame me and you even frame Mrs. Han? You think you can fool Mr. Han just so easily?¡± Ciara sneered. ¡°So you just won¡¯t give up. Ok, you said I asked you to help me. Do you have any proof? I haven¡¯t med you for drugging Zoe yet and you are ming me now?¡± Dennis¡¯ face paled. It was indeed him who had put the drug in that drink. But he was just doing what Ciara told him to do. And now she wanted to push everything to him? Dennis was almost mad with anger, but he could not say a word. He could only stare at ra. When they were discussing all these things, they just talked face to face, so Ciara was sure he could not have any evidence. Now, seeing the angry but silent Dennis, Ciara let out a proud snort triumphantly. Just when Zoe was watching them arguing, a word suddenly came to her mind. Dogfight. It was really a dogfight. They were allies just now. And after being threatened by Henry, they immediately turned their back against each other. How unfortunate. Zoe smiled wryly. At that moment, she heard thezy and cool voice of the man who was sitting next to her. ¡°I just want to know what happened. And you are fighting. You must think I have got nothing better to do.¡± The man dug a finger in his ear as impatience shed across his face. The faces of Ciara and Dennis all paled. Ciara hurriedly exined, her face full of smiles, ¡°Mr. Han, I really did not know your rtionship with my granddaughter. That child is indeed hopeless. She should have told us if she is with someone like you. It¡¯s indeed our mistake for things like this. Now that we are inws now, we should not be mad at each other.¡± Henry raised his eyes and cast a nce at her, as if he was smiling. ¡°Inws?¡± Ciara felt somewhat awkward, but she did note back down. But if he thought about it, now that he and Zoe were married, and Ciara was Zoe¡¯s grandmother, then Ciare should naturally be his grandmother-inw. Then they were of course inws. That¡¯s also why Ciara dared to sit there all the time she was talking.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. She thought she was an elder from the Gil family, and therefore he would not go too far with them and make their rtionship awkward. If he actually believed what she said, and felt suspicious of Zoe, then it would be even better. She had never expected that damn girl Zoe would bring back any benefits from the Han family anyway. Even if Zoe did get some benefits, thinking of their rtion, she would not give a damn to the Gil family. So, it would be better if Zoe lost this big backer. While Ciara was deep in thoughts, she heard the voice of Henry. ¡°Since you just won¡¯t tell the truth, I think I will just have to get rid of you both.¡± Ciara was stunned. She raised her head and looked at him and Henry whispered something to the ear of Brian. Brian left the room immediately, and came back shortly with arge stack of documents. ¡°Mr. Han, these are all the properties under Mr. Maldonado and Mrs. Gil.¡± Henry took them over and flipped through them randomly. Everyone on the spot was somewhat stunned and did not know what he wanted. At this moment, he took one piece of paper from the stack and lit it up with a lighter. Slowly, he put the piece of paper on the ashtray in front of him. It was an estate Dennis¡¯ father had given him. Dennis paled and hurriedly said, ¡°Mr. Mc ¡­ Mr. Han, what are you doing?¡± Henry said slowly, ¡°Since you just won¡¯t tell me the truth, I will naturally need some ways to pry your mouth open! These are your properties. And I will burn one of them every three minutes. But I will return them to whoever decides to speak first. What do you think?¡± ¡®What do you think?¡¯ ¡®How shameless!¡¯ They were all furious but they did not dare say anything. Ciara also realized she had been wrong all the time, and Henry had never put her in his eyes. Her face turned cold, and said in a grim voice, ¡°Mr. Han, these properties have all been registered. What do you think burning a few pieces of paper would do to us?¡± Henry turned to her, smiling, ¡°You are right, Mrs. Gil. You do remind me. Brian!¡± Brian immediately took a step forward, ¡°Yes, Mr. Han!¡± ¡°Every time I burn one of these pieces, get apany under their name to me. If they don¡¯t sell, just crush them, crush them until they go bankrupt. As for their bonds and shares, never mind the poor ones, you should just focus on those profitable. Tell Mr. Khan, too. I believe he can make them no longer profitable.¡± Brian tried hard to hold back hisughter, and nodded, ¡°Yes, Mr. Han.¡± He then turned to leave. Watching him leave, the Gil and Dennis were all nervous. ¡°Mr. Han, you can¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°These are all earned with decades of hard work. You can¡¯t just destroy them.¡± Ciara only wanted to bite her own tongue off now. ¡®Why on earth should I say anything against him.¡± He was just burning some documents, and they could always apply for new onester. But now, they really got nothing left. Henry watched them coldly and motionlessly. ¡°Onest chance. Tell the truth or not.¡± Dennis hurriedly nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± Ciara snorted in a stern voice, ¡°Mr. Maldonado, you better think twice!¡± How could Dennis ever care about them and he yelled at her, ¡°Enough! You Gil can afford this but I don¡¯t! I am not like you! Those would be everything I have. My father would kill me before anyone else if I screw it up!¡± Ciara turned blue with anger. 26 Dennis turned his head and looked at Henry with a fawning face, and he said hurriedly, ¡°Mr. Han, I didn¡¯t know Mrs. Han before, but I did have heard some nice words about her, so when this old hag came to me, I was indeed tempted at the time.¡± ¡°And tonight, I arrived early, and they found me and told me exactly what to do. They asked me to put the drug into the cocktail Mrs. Han was drinking. And then they would tell everyone that we were in a rtionship, and I could just take her away after the chaos. If I did make it, then Mrs. Han would have to admit everything no matter what. And all of these troubles are just because Steven Anderson was once the boyfriend of Mrs. Han.¡± ¡°Miss Gil hooked up with the boyfriend of her own sister and this old hag is indeed biased. This vicious snake did everything just to keep Mrs. Han¡¯s mouth shut!¡± ¡°And I? I was just a pawn for her. I have got nothing to do with her vicious n.¡± ¡°More importantly, when I helped Mrs. Han away just now in the hall, I did not mean to take advantage of her.¡± ¡°Sure, I admired her beauty, but that¡¯s just before I know she is Mrs. Han now. And for a woman I love, I would surely try to win her heart before I would do anything to her body. How would I even take advantage of her when she¡¯s in trouble?¡± ¡°I just thought, if I did not agree to them, they would just find another way to hurt Mrs. Han. That¡¯s why I wanted to help her out of there.¡± ¡°If I knew she¡¯s your wife, how would I possibly dare to hurt her. Mr. Han, you sure can understand me!¡± After his most touching speech, tears had welled up in his eyes. If she hadn¡¯t seen through this scum¡¯s true face a long time ago, Zoe would have wanted to give him a medal to praise his heroic deeds! She gave a light sneer, and Henry remained expressionless, simply looking at Ciara, who was right next to him. ¡°And you. Do you have anything to say?¡± After all, she had experienced a lot at her age, and now she looked much calmer than Dennis. She just stared at Henry coldly and said in a stern voice, ¡°He talked nonsense. I had never discussed anything with him. He put the drug himself and I knew nothing about it at all.¡± Henry curled his thin lips lightly, and an icy smile touched his eyes. He pulled out another piece of paper from the stack lightly. The fire red up again, and the piece of paper was reduced to ashes. The faces of the Gil all changed in an instant, and their pupils shrunk. It was a clothingpany owned by the Gil family. While it¡¯s just a small family business, it was growing nicely. In just about two minutes, an abrupt phone ring sounded. Jaden cast a nce at Henry and walked to the side to pick up the phone. ¡°What? How is that possible?¡± The face of Ciara whitened somewhat, and an idea struck her mind already. But she found it unbelievable. What could Henry really do in such a short time? Were it in the capital Eqitin, she believed Henry could really have the strength to wipe out apany with a snap of his fingers. But here in Julio? The Gil family had taken root in the city, with countless and intricate connections everywhere. Sure he could not just wipe them out like that? However, Jaden hurried back and whispered a few words in her ear, shattering herst shred of hope. She looked over at the man sitting on the couch in shock and disbelief, while the man was still as calm and cool as ever. Henry smiled. He didn¡¯t fly into a rage. The speed of his speech remained unhurried, and the tone of his voice calm and steady. But she just felt this man was scary for no reason! Even the air had be oppressive because of his smile. Henry said indifferently, ¡°One minute to go, who¡¯s next?¡± As he said, he reached out to anotherpany of the Gil Zoe watched it and didn¡¯t say anything. ¡®Burn it! Just burn it!¡¯ The properties of the Gil family had nothing to do with her already when her mother died. She could not feel even better to see their scared and heartbroken faces! Deep down in her heart, Zoe did not know why Henry would do this. With his power, if he wanted to revenge her, he didn¡¯t even need to go to the trouble of making them talk, and he could just do whatever he wanted. But now, he just tortured them little by little and squeezed everything out of them bit by bit. An idea struck Zoe and a sh crossed her eyes. She also found it unbelievable but could not help putting on a smile on her face. From the bottom of her heart, she felt a so warm. ¡®This man was really¡­¡¯ Jaden, who had been standing behind, saw Henry reaching out his hand to another business of the Gil, and could not help yelling, ¡°Mother.¡± He called out to Ciara, whose face was as livid as she could ever be. But what could she do anyway, in the face of such a monster? At this time, they were like fish on a b waiting to be ughtered. Never mind the power to resist, they didn¡¯t even have the courage it might take. Jesus! How could they even go against Henry? Wasn¡¯t that just asking for death. She no longer doubted that after the phone call just now. Thepany Henry burned just now was suspended by the government. Not acquired, but suspended by the government! They said something was wrong with the fabrics they used! Only God knew what could be wrong with their fabrics! Nothing had went wrong in the past decade, but now something was just wrong! Ciara was not too dumb to know it was Henry. But what could she even do? Thinking about it, she took a deep breath. Finally, she said in resignation, ¡°Mr. Han, what do you want to hear actually? I will just say it.¡± Henry just raised his eyes and cast a nce at her. It was toote, and he had already lit up another piece of paper. Watching the ring mes, she was almost heartbroken. After Spark Industries, it was her bestpany and it was also thepany of which she felt the most proud. Thanks to the huge profit it generated every year, they could support all the other businesses of the family. What should they do without it? Henry seemed to have failed to notice how heartbroken she had been. He shook off the ashes on his hands, wiped them off with a paper towel and finally leaned back to the sofa. ¡°Finally. You know, you could have saved us a lot of troubles if you can make the decision earlier.¡± Ciara did not know what to say. Henry tilted his head, looked over to Zoe, and asked in a soft voice, ¡°From which part do you think she should begin?¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Zoe blinked her eyes and her mouth split into a light smile, ¡°Just from the part when she decided to set me up!¡± Henry nodded slightly, ¡°Good.¡± At that, he reached over to hold her hand, ced it on herp, and looked at Ciara as if he was waiting for a good show. ¡°Mrs. Gil, shall we begin?¡± 27 Ciara took a breath and was ready to speak. The whole thing was actually quite simple. It was just because that night, back when Zoe was force back to the Gil Mansion, she had challenged the authority of Ciara in front of every one of the family and walked away like nothing had ever happened. Ciara knew Zoe would definitely go to the birthday party of Annie, if not just to protect what her mother¡¯s left behind, but she also knew, Zoe would never do just whatever she asked obediently. So she decided to take a step further, and solve the problem once and for good. Everyone knew what kind of man Dennis had been. Dennis would never ever get the chance to escape if Zoe fell into his hands. As for Annie, then, she could continue being Mrs. Anderson worry-free. More importantly, once they helped her keep her reputation intact, she would be able to keep her position in the entertainment industry. And that meant, she could star in movies and dramas, and made money as she ever did, and Century Entertainment, which just signed a contract with her, would not suffer any losses. How cunning! How vicious! What a shameless scheme! While she had roughly guessed that in her heart, Zoe still found the whole thing somewhat unbelievable after hearing her confession. How could there even be such a shameless woman in this world! The big palm holding her hand all the time, as if feeling her rage, suddenly squeezed gently. She looked up slightly, and stared at the man¡¯s profile. The curves, more delicate than those in paintings, were now shining with apparent determination and coldness under the light. His deep and inky pupils were calm as ever but carried an indescribable power to soothe her heart. For a reason even unknown to herself, she felt calm and the anger and irritation in her heart had faded away. Henry toyed with her soft fingers and said in a soft voice, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we have nothing more to say, we¡¯ll just call the police!¡± Ciara¡¯s face whitened sharply. ¡°Mr. Han, I have done everything you asked, and told you the truth, why do you still call the police?¡± Henry looked over, as if he was smiling, ¡°I just promised you I would not burn any morepanies. I have never said that I would not call the police.¡± Ciara was speechless. Henry added lightly, ¡°I am a good citizen, and I will no doubt obey they. Now that someone should want to hurt my wife, what¡¯s wrong if I call the police?¡± Everyone present was dumbstruck. ¡®Good citizen? Obey thew?¡¯ Brian thought, ¡®Who just asked me to all the dirty jobs? Who just ordered us to do the hostile takeovers? Who was using theirpanies to threaten these people?¡± ¡®Tsk-tsk! Jesus, you sure can do all those shameless things for your woman. I think you really got the potential to join those crazy tyrannies!¡± Sure Henry won¡¯t know what Brian was thinking. Even if he knew though, he would not care. Who should take care of his woman, if not him? Zoe¡¯s mouth could not help but curl up at him ying with her fingers. She was long beyond the age to feel touched easily, but now for some unknown reason, she just felt so moved.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Especially when she found out the true intention of this man! She did not say a word, and Henry simply raised his hand and gave the order. Call the police! The Gil were terribly panicky, but Dennis looked like he was fine with it. For a rich yboy like he was, the police station had already been his second home and he did not have such thing as reputation to worry about. At worst, he would just call his father to pay the money and bail him out. Though he had expected to be beaten up heavily when he went back home, it would still be much better than falling into the hands of Henry Han. Brian was quick and the phone call was made shortly. The police were even quicker, hearing Henry¡¯s name! It took only minutes before a police car stopped in front of the hotel. By this time, the Gil had known there was no hope of reconciliation and were cuffed away obediently by the police. Some of the guests, who had left the banquet earlier, were paying attention to the Gil all the time. Right after the police had taken the Gil away, the news was known by the entire upper-ss circle immediately. At first, they all felt confused. The reason for all the attention was because Henry Han had announced his rtionship with Zoe and let everyone know that Zoe was now his wife. When they first learned about the news, they felt the Gil had been so lucky to be inws with the Han family, and they also thought nobody would even dare to cross the Gil from now on. Some of them were even nning to win some favors from the Gil! But immediately the Gil had been taken away by the police. Even the old Mrs. Gil! And people began to realize something unusual must have happen. Not long after that, a video went trendy on the Inte. In the video, a white-hairdy was sitting there, confessing how she had conspired to hurt her own granddaughter. She also confessed how she had worked with an outsider to ruin the reputation of her granddaughter just for the sake of another granddaughter and another family. The people present had been quite experienced in the business world, and though the face of the olddy had been blocked and her name was reced with a ¡®beep¡¯ sound, with her voice, however, they immediately recognized it was Ciara, the old Mrs. Gil. How could a grandmother even tried so hard to hurt her own granddaughter? How could she just be so vicious? Frankly, any wealthy family would have at least some dirty histories they would tell no one. But it was unprecedented for someone to even go so far just for some petty bias and interest. Was she the real grandmother? Everyone began to talk about it online and thinking about the news of the Gil being sent into the police station, they simply could not help cursing. Bah! They just deserved it! Zoe did not know what was going on out there yet. As for Steven, while the Gils had been taken away by the police, he was an outsider after all. He was not part of their n, so he made it to get away. Now, standing in front of Zoe, he was staring at her with aplicated look. She looked at the Rolls-Royce parked not far away. One of its windows was wound half way down, and from her angle, she happened to be able to see the cold profile of the man sitting inside. The coldness on his face, was only made all the more aloof by the near-dawn light. It was five o¡¯clock in the morning and a slight drizzle had started sometime during the night. Cold breezes crept into her shirt down her neck, and she felt somewhat chilly. Zoe held her arms, and cast an impatient nce at him. ¡°Mr. Anderson, if you are here to ask me to forgive them, you can just shut up! I won¡¯t do anything just for you.¡± His brows knitted, he said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m not here for them.¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± She did not even try to hide the displeasure and impatience on her face, and his already deeply wrinkled brows furrows even tighter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± After a long pause, he broke the silence, with a hint of guilt on his face, ¡°They are wrong. They have hurt you. I apologize for what they have done.¡± 28It was as if she had just told a joke. She looked at Steven sarcastically, ¡°So you mean, they are wrong, but you are not?¡± Steven¡¯s back stiffened slightly. He took a deep breath, and exined, ¡°I did not know you were druggedst night. I did notice something wrong with you at It was as if she had just told a joke. She looked at Steven sarcastically, ¡°So you mean, they are wrong, but you are not?¡± Steven¡¯s back stiffened slightly. He took a deep breath, and exined, ¡°I did not know you were druggedst night. I did notice something wrong with you at the time, but I didn¡¯t think of it that way. I was going to help you, but Annie suddenly had a stomachache. I can¡¯t just leave her alone.¡± Zoe raised her eyebrows, ¡°And then? She lost the baby?¡± After a short pause, he finally answered, ¡°No.¡± ¡°She did not lose her baby, so she just had a stomachache suddenly for no reason? I think she¡¯s doing well just now. She doesn¡¯t seem like having a miscarriage?¡± His expression turned cold somewhat. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zoe gave a wry smile, ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything. Her acting was not so good, but she still fooled you around. Mr. Anderson. I did not think you are so dumb.¡± ¡°Zoe!¡± He hated her condescending manner the most. Because that would make him think, and he would think a lot. He darkened his face, gritting his teeth, and he said, ¡°Why are you always so harsh to your own sister? If you don¡¯t like her, you can just not meet her again. Why do you just have to curseN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. her with out vicious mouth? You have changed a lot!¡± Zoe¡¯s face also darkened. She sneered and stared at the man in front of her coldly. ¡°They did everything they could to hurt me. I just mentioned the word ¡®miscarriage¡¯ and you think I am vicious? Why don¡¯t you think of the things she had done to me?¡± He was stunned, but he did not have the courage to say anything in retort. Finally, he just said coldly, ¡°Nothing happened to you anyway! Maybe she¡¯s not even involved!¡± But she just gave a sarcastic sneer, and shook her head. She really didn¡¯t want to waste her breath with him. She turned and walked toward the Rolls-Royce. The voice sounded from behind again, ¡°Wait!¡± Zoe stopped, and her face was cold. The man walked up, but finally stopped when there was only a step between them. The light drizzle blew between the two, just like an invisible wall separating them apart. She said coldly, ¡°Just say whatever you have to say. I don¡¯t have that much time for you.¡± The man clenched his fists tightly, and finally he asked her the question he had hidden in his heart for so long. ¡°Are you ¡­ Are you serious? Being with him.¡± Zoe sure understood what he meant by ¡°him¡±. She curled her lips but she did not turn back to him. She just tilted her head slightly so that it would be just enough for him to see her smile. ¡°Yes. What?¡± ¡°When did it happen?¡± ¡°What does it even get to do with you?¡± The man fell silent. After a short pause, he said in a grim voice, ¡°That man is not what he looks like. His background is quiteplicated. He¡¯s not for you. You will regret one day!¡± Zoe smiled lightly. Her smile was both sarcastic and sad. ¡°People said we were quite for each other. But what happened then?¡± The man fell silent again. ¡°Steven, you think you are smart. And you think you know everything. But you will know one day, you know nothing. You just think you know, but you don¡¯t.¡± With that, she didn¡¯t want to continue the nonsense here and just strode away on her high heels. Someone in front had already walked to her holding an umbre. The bluish-ck umbre was held above her head respectfully. The man bent down and opened the car door for her. Zoe got into the car. Her proud and cool nobility was beyond description. Steven stood there and was somewhat stunned as the door closed. An idea struck him that maybe he had never understood this woman. It had been the six years. And in his eyes, she was still the little girl in that summer six years ago. Her homework in her hands, the little girl was dressed in her blue school uniform with her hair tied up in a high ponytail. Her smile was so bright. His heart at that moment was like the snow melting in the spring. He just felt everything was just so beautiful. But the memory after that was somewhat blurred. After the incident of Kiera, there was a new Mrs. Gil, and Zoe also went abroad. It seemed that she had never smiled at him since then. Her gentle giggles were gradually reced by her silent aloofness. She was freezing cold since then. And he never knew what she had been thinking and he never knew how he should warm up her ice-cold heart. Even when he was in front of her, no matter how close they were, he just knew they were actually far away from each other. They were so far away from each other that he thought ¡­ he thought it might be even better if they had not fallen in love six years ago. And that was exactly why he thought it might be the best choice for them to break up. He loved Annie, and Annie loved him. Zoe was just a beautiful and short dream in his youth. He had woken up from that dream already. It was just that he could not bear to wake her up as well. And now, things were just the way they should have been. But why? Why would he feel sad in his heart? When he saw her get into the car of another man with his own eyes, when those men treated her respectfully just as if she was the noblest princess in this world¡­ Why would he feel so nervous? It felt just like a part of his heart was taken away suddenly. And what¡¯s left was a hole, an empty hole. Gushes of cold wind blew in and he just felt chilly all over his body. He then turned back and began to walk spiritlessly. At this moment, his phone rang. He picked up mechanically and over the phone, he could hear the angry snarling of his father, Michael Anderson. ¡°What¡¯s going on? So they are just so shameless? Are they out of their mind?¡± Only then did Stevene back to his senses. He calmed himself down and said, ¡°Dad, this is a long story. I will tell you when I am back.¡± ¡­ The ck Rolls-Royce sped down the highway in the early morning. Inside the car, Zoe pressed her lips and smiled at the man sitting next to her. Stared by her, Henry felt a little ufortable and gave a clear cough. With that, he suddenly reached out and pushed her face over. Zoe gave a chuckle. ¡°Mr. Han, thank you for helping me today! I¡¯ll be sure to repay you when I get the chance.¡± Henry¡¯s brows knitted slightly and he turned his head to look at her, ¡°What did you call me just now?¡± Zoe¡¯s smile faltered. A touch of coldness crossed under Henry¡¯s eyes, ¡°Mrs. Han, do you need me to teach you how to address your husband?¡± Zoe fell silent. She shook her head hurriedly, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Well, call me now.¡± Zoe was a bit embarrassed, ¡±Now? It¡¯s quite embarrassing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Driving the car, Brian hurriedly said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m actually deaf, I can¡¯t hear you.¡± Zoe fell silent again. Henry gave a cold nce at him, and Brian immediately shut his mouth. In the meanwhile, the ss panel between them suddenly rose and separated them apart. She felt even more flustered. ¡®What¡¯s that for? We just talk. It looks more like we are doing anything weird now.¡¯ Come to think of it, she blushed instantly. ¡®Bah! What are you even thinking, Zoe!¡¯ 29 Henry looked at her with a wry smile, ¡°How¡¯s that? Can you say it now?¡± Zoeughed awkwardly. But while she was reluctant, he¡¯s been waiting, so there were no other ways to go. It took a long while before she finally managed to force out a ¡°Honey¡±. However, her voice was so low, and it was barely audible to herself. Henry raised his eyebrows and brought his ear over, ¡°What did you call me?¡± Zoe gritted her teeth, raising her voice a little, ¡°Honey.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hear you.¡± Zoe became even more nervous. But finally, she gave up. She had been through a lot, why should she care about her face just now? She simply threw her arms around his neck and suddenly came up to his ear and yelled, ¡°Honey!¡± After that, she let go of him immediately, and shrank back to the other side. Henry was stunned. Turning his head, he stared at her incredulously. Zoe turned her face to the side, pretending to be calm. But in fact, she was already so nervous, and her heart might just jump out of her chest any moment. Suddenly, the giggles of a man sounded in her ear. Startled, she thought to herself, ¡®Did I break anything when I yelled at him just now? Why¡¯s heughing?¡¯ She looked over curiously, and saw him holding back hisughter, ¡°I just want you to call me Henry. I did not think you would be so passionate and call me honey. Emm ¡­ then I will just follow your lead and call you honey as well!¡± With that, he produced a little box from his pocket and slipped a delicate diamond ring onto her ring finger. Zoe was stunned. Her mind was now totally nk, and she could not even think properly anymore. ¡®What? What is going on?¡¯ Before she could do anything, the man reached over again and held to his lips her hand on which he just put the ring, and gently gave it a kiss. ¡°Honey, happy marriage!¡± Zoe totally didn¡¯t know what to say. When her senses finally came back to her, she knew she had been tricked by this man. Her delicate face suddenly flushed red in fury. He just had nned it! She was so angry and wanted to take the ring down but was stopped by him. ¡°Honey, you don¡¯t take your ring off easily. It¡¯s a mark. With it, you will only be mine. You can never regret it.¡± Zoe was about to cry. ¡°Henry Han, I already want to regret it now. What should I do?¡± ¡°Then you should never think about that again.¡± He said in a domineering tone, and Zoe did not know what to do then. But right at this moment, her rang with a ¡®ding¡¯ sound. She could only pulled back her hands reluctantly. Anyway, this man had just helped her tonight, she would just leave everything for the time being and nned to talk about itter. She produced her phone from her pocket and noticed that it was a message from Victoria Kaur, her childhood friend. There was also a link attached to it, which led to the video Henry had asked his men to release. [Zo, I just got off work and saw this, are you alright?] Victoria had been busy with some night scenes recently. Except for those rare days off, she started her days normally in the afternoon and got back around five or six in the morning. That¡¯s also why she did not go to the birthday banquet of Annie. Zoe wrote her a reply hurriedly. [I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.] [Ok then, they really went too far. I was so angry!] [They will get what they deserve.]Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. [Just tell me whenever you need my help. I will let my assistant keep an eye on my phone these days.] Zoe smiled as a warm current flowed through her heart. She then wrote a swift reply. [Ok, thanks, Victoria.] And she ended the message with a string of kisses and hearts. It was normal for girls to use emoji like that when they chatted online, so that they could feel the affection and care of each other even from the screen. But the man next to her did not find it very proper. He did not intend to peek at her phone, but they were in the car anyway and his vision was great. With a careless nce, he caught sight of their messages. That string of hearts and kisses caught all of his attention. He snorted and said in a grim voice, ¡°Victoria? You two close?¡± Zoe nodded, ¡°Yeah, we were ssmates in the high school. We grew up together. She¡¯s my childhood friend.¡± ¡°Heh, there are no true friends in the entertainment industry. Careful. She might do something bad behind your back.¡± Zoe frowned. She turned to him and said in a serious voice, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what industry you are in. People may lie to you and may be sincere regardless their profession. I have known her even before she entered the entertainment industry!¡± Henry gave a light hum. ¡°Naive!¡± She didn¡¯t know what to say to that, but she was somewhat angry. Then she just ignored him, took a cushion pillow in her arms and turned around. After the tossing and turning of thest night, she was tired. Leaning against the car window, she had just wanted to close her eyes for a while, but she had fallen asleep finally. Silence filled the car. Outside the windows, a thin white line could already be seen in the sky, and the morning dawn slowly blossom in the hazy mist. The road began to be gradually filled up with cars. Among these cars, there were a mor of themuters who were traveling by bicycle down the street and passersby who were on their morning jogs. Henry whispered to Brian to slow the car down. Then he took off his jacket to cover it over Zoe. Finally, he also closed his eyes and leaned back to take a nap. ¡­ Zoe woke up in a warm embrace. When she opened her eyes, the silver-bordered sky outside was still carrying the same dim color. Only the surroundings looked a bit unfamiliar. She rubbed her eyes and looked closely before she realized that this ce looked somewhat familiar. She had been here before, and it seemed to be the Han Mansion. Looking up, she met the perfectly handsome hand with a hard shudder. ¡°AHH-¡± With a startled cry, she finally realized that she was being carried across his arms and towards the house. ¡°Henry Han! Put me down!¡± Only then did Henry look down at her with a light smile in his eyes. ¡°You are awake?¡± Zoe¡¯s face flushed slightly as she quietly nced around and found a row of servants standing at the entrance, all smiling brightly, and Brian was also standing at the end of the line. She instantly covered her face, wanting to die. ¡°Put me down! I can walk by myself!¡± Henry chuckled but eventually respected her, so he bent down to put her down. ¡°Weee! Mr. and Mrs. Han!¡± The powerful and uniform sound of servants startled Zoe Immediately after that, there was the sound of party poppers. ¡°Pop-¡± ¡°Pop-¡± ¡°Pop-¡± ¡­ It rang for a whole five or six minutes before it stopped. Zoe was so frightened that she almost fell down, but fortunately Henry held her tight so that she was saved from the embarrassment. After the greeting ceremony, Brian came forward with a pleasing face. ¡°Mrs. Han, I have prepared this greeting ceremony for you, do you like it? How do you think of it?¡± Zoe gave a stiff smile, looked at him, and finally nodded with difficulty. ¡°Oh ¡­ I like it, I like it a lot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you like it.¡± After saying that, he then winked at Henry, as if he was waiting for his reward. Henry was also in a good mood, and naturally he would be generous enough. He waved his hand, ¡°Double bonus this month!¡± ¡°Thank you. Mr. Han!¡± 30 Henry led Zoe to the row of servants and said in a deep voice, ¡°Everyone, this is Zoe, my wife. From now on you should all call her Mrs. Han, and you must respect her as much as you respect me, understand?¡± The servants answered in unison, ¡°Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Han!¡± Only then did Henry nod in satisfaction. After that, he held Zoe¡¯s hand and led her inside. Zoe was a bit confused. Until now, she didn¡¯t have any idea as to how she had followed this man to the Han Mansion. When she entered the bedroom, she finally understood what had happened and hurriedly pulled him back. ¡°Uh, I, I came here¡­¡± ¡°From now on, you will live here.¡± He looked at her seriously. Zoe¡¯s heart stuttered. It seemed that only at this time did she truly believe that when he said marriage, he wasn¡¯t joking, and he was pretty serious. Henry raised his hand to summon a maid and said in a deep voice, ¡°Mrs. Dottie, please show Mrs. Han around the mansion.¡± The maid called Mrs. Dottie hurriedly and happily went forward and answered, ¡°Yes, Mrs. Han, please follow me.¡± Zoe nced at Henr, who was untying his tie and seemed to be nning to go to take a shower. She pursed her lips, didn¡¯t say anything, but turned around and followed Mrs. Dottie. Han Mansion was veryrge. It was a standalone vi with arge garden. In the garden, there were all kinds of exotic flowers and precious trees for people to enjoy. Behind the vi was arge area of lush greenwn, while next to the garden was a swimming pool. The glittering turquoise water rippled in the morning wind and made the ce look like a paradise. After they had strolled around the entire mansion, and Mrs. Dottie took her through the whole vi. Only then did she realize that Henry had actually prepared a room for her a long time ago. The bedroom was naturally shared by the two of them, but there were two studies and two checkrooms. Her study and checkroom were both on theAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org. third floor. There were many books in the study already, and she was actually surprised to find that most of the books there were the ones she really liked. There were even a few books that she had been looking for for a long time! As for the checkroom, the checkroom was more than a hundred square feet, and the clothes and bags and shoes inside, were just thetest items of the season. The products of her favorite designer, Amy, had upied a whole closet! He¡¯d just got every single item avable for her. Zoe couldn¡¯t help but gulp. ¡®That man is really ¡­ fucking rich!¡¯ But the effort put in the preparation also made it obvious that this man had long made up his mind to move in with her. She couldn¡¯t help but slightly droop her eyes, and didn¡¯t know how long this man had been nning about his life with her. Watching around this ce, she just found it unbelievable that he should have prepare everything in three days. With doubts in her mind, Zoe returned to the second floor bedroom. Henry was taking a bath, and she held her arm in the bedroom and strolled around. She found thatpared to the luxurious style of the whole vi, the decoration in the bedroom was unexpectedly simple. The room was mostly colored in ck, white and gray. Facing the door was arge piece of floor windows, which opened up to a spacious terrace, and under the terrace was the neatly trimmed greenwn she had saw just now. A ck bookshelf was ced against the wall. Those were mostly financial magazines, but she also found some car magazines. In addition to books, there were also several small ornaments and trophies, and one of the trophies even had a photo on it. It was from some basketball game. In the picture, a boy with short hair was smilingzily, but the pair of dark and deep eyes seemed to be as sharp as a knife. Even from the photo, she could feel the oppressive aura. She couldn¡¯t help but smile and look closely at the name under the trophy. St. John¡¯s University Basketball Champion? He also went to St. John¡¯s? Zoe was faintly surprised. Because when she went abroad five years ago, she was introduced by an old friend of her mother at that time, and also went to St. John¡¯s. What a coincident? She didn¡¯t think much about it, and just then, the sound of door opening sounded behind her. Henry walked out. He was not wearing his clothes, only a bath towel around his waist, and crystal water droplets rolled down from his chest, sexy as hell. Under the messy short hair, his arched eyebrows and his deep and dark eyes were like two whirlpools sucking her in. Her face stiffened instantly with a hint of embarrassment. It was as if even the air grew oppressive. Her eyes flickered wildly, not knowing where tond. He sure saw her nervousness, and he walked straight towards her. He was holding a towel in his hand, wiping his wet hair, and reached another hand over to pick up the trophy she was staring at earlier. ¡°You¡¯re looking at this?¡± ¡°Huh? Hmm.¡± Zoe responded ufortably. As if Henry didn¡¯t notice her nervousness, he put the trophy down and said in a light voice, ¡°I got this one when I was a part-time guest professor at the school. It¡¯s not much of a prize, but the experience was interesting.¡± Zoe was slightly taken aback. ¡°Professor?¡± Henry raised his eyebrows, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, no, nothing.¡± Well! She just forgot how much of a big shot he had been. How could he just go there to study? He was in his early twenties when he took over the Han Properties, and he had been known as an unprecedented talent just by all those big shots in the business world. It¡¯s definitely not surprising that St. John¡¯s would ask him to be a guest professor. He looked at her deeply and asked, ¡°Do you know this school too?¡± She nodded. ¡°I went to this university five years ago.¡± Henry smiled. ¡°That¡¯s quite a fate then.¡± His gaze was deep and dark, as if there was somethingplicated hidden in his eyes, which she couldn¡¯t quite understand. But she didn¡¯t think much about it, and right after that, she heard the low voice of the man. ¡°Want to take a shower?¡± Zoe was still a little ufortable with the new environment, and once she thought of how this man had also used the bathroom just now, she felt ufortable even just going in again. And she was also too embarrassed to propose to use the guest bath, so she could only shake her head. ¡°Then help me wipe my hair?¡± He handed the towel over. Zoe was stunned, but did not refuse. After taking over the towel and waiting for him to sit on the sofa, she pressed pressed the towel against his hair and gently wiped off the water for him. His hair was very short, but not particrly hard. Her fingertips felt through the hair, giving her a strange feeling. Zoe tried to restrain herself from thinking too much. Since she had epted the fact that she was married to this man, and actually enjoyed the benefits he brought to her, she had to try to get used to living with him. After a while, the hair was half dry. Henry took the hair dryer and blew it out. Seeing her standing there, he felt a little amused. He walked over, took her hand, and pressed her down so that she sat on the bed. Zoe was a little confused, and seeing him lift his leg the next second, she couldn¡¯t help but reflexively shrink. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ,. Henrys gaze deepened, half smiling. ¡°Mrs. Han, aren¡¯t you even tired after such a day and a night?¡± His words reminded her of what had happened, and she did feel tired. She nodded her head. ¡°Then don¡¯t you want to sleep?¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Well, sleep for a while first, I¡¯ll wake you up when it¡¯s time.¡± Zoe was dumbfounded as he took off the slippers on her feet, and when she came back to her senses, she was already pressed down on the bed. 31 Her body was tense, as if she was waiting for an execution. However, the man didn¡¯t do anything more. He changed into his pajamas and alsoid down next to her. Then he just wrapped his arms around her body from behind and locked her in his arms. Her back stiffened. The air was filled with a faint aroma of pinewood, and the pillow was also emanating the cool scent belonging to this man. In addition to the heating from behind, she just felt she was enveloped by his smell, and she was like a captured bird, being tightly squeezed in his hand. The good news was that Henry was a man of his word after all. Although his hug made her a little ufortable, he did not do anything more than that. And she was also tired. At first, she could still manage to keep herself awake. But then, hearing the steady breath of the man, her eyelids got heavy as well. Before long, she also fell asleep. When she woke up again, the sun was already setting. Zoe did not expect to sleep for so long and she woke up with a start. She took a look at the phone, and it was already five o¡¯clock in the afternoon. She rubbed her face, waking up from the hazy sleep. Looking at where the man had slept, it was empty already. Henry had long disappeared. When she went downstairs, she learned that there was a temporary emergency in thepany, and he was called to thepany. She asked Mrs. Dottie, ¡°When did he leave?¡± Mrs. Dottie replied with a smile, ¡°Mr. Han left at eleven in the morning. He said that you were tired, ma¡¯am, and asked us not to disturb you, so that you can rest more.¡± Zoe faintly lowered her eyes. He left at eleven in the morning, then he definitely did not sleep long. She felt somewhat guilty. Since it was because of her that he had been up all night long and he did not even have the time to rest today. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you are hungry, right? Should we start dinner now or should we wait for Mr. Han?¡± ¡°I will wait for him!¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Zoe said and walked upstairs. Halfway up the stairs, she rubbed her stomach and added, ¡°If there¡¯s any food, send some up for me first. I can have some bites while waiting.¡± Mrs. Dottie replied smilingly, ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Mrs. Dottie brought her a bowl of fresh chicken soup and a stack of crispy cakes. Zoe sat cross-legged on the sofa, eating happily while searching for thetest news about the Gil online. The Gil family in Julio could be counted as a big family by any measures, and Annie had been quite popr herself. After all the noisesst night, there would definitely be lost of reporters who would want to follow up such a juicy story. Therefore, the moment she opened her social ount, she immediately found thetest news they had published. As she expected, the Gil had been bailed out. After all, Ciara was not really involved in the operation. Although there were still a lot of people cursing them online, but the police could not find any evidence. Therefore they could not just keep them detained, they had to release them. But Dennis was not so lucky. With the clues provided by Zoe, the police found the ss into which Dennis had put the drug, and with the waiter¡¯s testimony, it was confirmed that Dennis had put the drug in all by himself. Now that the evidence of the crime was there, Dennis would then face criminal prosecution. Zoe faintly curled her lips. She was not surprised that the Gil would be bailed out. That cunning fox would never leave behind any trace of her crimes. Even if there was the video taken by Henry, that video, at most, could only cause some public opinion against her, and could not be used as evidence against her. That was because she could always say that she was threatened by someone and had no choice but to say what she had said in the video. And in fact Henry did use extraordinary means to threaten her. Thinking of this, Zoe rubbed her chin. She knew that the reason why Henry had to record and release such a video was only because a lot of people had seen her and Dennis getting involvedst night. Although he appearedter and saved her, most people still did not know anything about her rtionship with Dennis. The incident five years ago had blemished Zoe¡¯s reputation in the city of Julio. If there was such an incident, then her reputation would bepletely ruined! She would not only be considered a theft, but also a filthy woman who had cheated on her own boyfriend. At that time, she would by no means be able to exin everything. She just could not change what people might think of her. And Henry apparently had already knew Ciara¡¯s tricks. So they forced her to confess the nasty things she did, and then recorded it to expose her conspiracy! As it turned out, the result was quite good. Now the people online were almost all in favor of Zoe, although there were still a handful of airheads who had felt that the Gil were right. But they were just a drop in the ocean, and could be ignored altogether! And in the stock market, the prices of thepanies of the Gil family had just plummeted for what happenedst night! Some of thesepanies, which had been doing great all the time in the past decades, should not have been influenced by the scandal of the family. But to her surprise, their prices almost went half overnight. Watching the red color on the screen, Zoe thought for a moment and understood the reason. She slightly hooked her lips, produced her phone and made a call. At the same time, at Han Properties. Henry was in a meeting. The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense, and all the senior managers of the branch were present, all staring nervously at the man sitting at the head of the table. Suddenly, someone¡¯s phone vibrated and buzzed a few times. Everyone instantly changed their faces and exchanged nces, and they all showed a bewildered expression. Before long, the president sitting at the head of the table suddenly took out his cell phone from his pocket, took a look at the screen, and then his tense face immediately became soft just like the snow was smelt by the spring breeze. The corners of his mouth slightly curled up, and he announced that the meeting was suspended. After that, he got up and walked out. Everyone was stunned at once. They all knew how much their boss had hated to be disturbed during a meeting. Not mind a phone call, even a message would be just enough to make him barge out of anger. But why was he so different today? Their boss not only answered the phone, but also announced a pause in the meeting at its most crucial point? Everyone instantly turned curious eyes to Brian. Brian sat on the side seat, saw their eyes and cleared his throat. ¡°Uh ¡­ here¡¯s the thing. Recently there is a very big business, well, the president is talking about the business right now!¡± At that, everyone seemed to finally understand something. As the assistant of the president, tens of billions of dors were not a big number to Brian and now that he called it a big business, then it would just be very big indeed. No wonder their boss was willing to give up his principle during the meeting for a phone call! How wise! The senior managers silently raised a surge of admiration for their boss in their hearts. In the meanwhile, their boss, who was talking about a ¡°big business¡±, stopped in the corridor and picked up the phone. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Zoe was a little embarrassed, ¡°Well, didn¡¯t you say you would wake me up? Why did you let me sleep until now?¡± Henry smiled lightly, his gaze gentle, ¡°Sorry, I got busy for a while and forgot.¡± Zoe paused for a moment and suddenly asked, ¡°What time are youing back?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯m wait for you for the dinner!¡± She sounded awkward, like she was not used to this way of speaking, but still could not hide the concern in that tone. It¡¯s time to eat and rest after a day¡¯s hard work! 32 Henry curled his lips, and even his always emotionless face were now tinted with a smile. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Well, bye.¡± Hanging up the phone, he looked at the phone and smiled happily. The setting sun nted and sank. The golden light spilled from the horizon to the earth was like ayer of warm quilt to the world, and even his heart was wrapped in a burst of warmth. He put away his phone, turned around, and walked into the conference room. The senior managers were waiting for him. The marketing manager standing in front of the projector was about to continue to report the n for the next year, but was interrupted by Archie with a raised hand. ¡°All right, everyone is tired today. Why don¡¯t we just stop here. Just now I pointed out a few proposals that need to be revised, and you should take them back and fix all the problems I just mentioned and bring them to back me tomorrow. That¡¯s it for the meeting today, OK? Meeting adjourned!¡± He said and had immediately strode away without waiting for them. Those senior managers were all stunned. Wh ¡­ What? That¡¯s it for the meeting today? Had they ever finished a meeting with Henry Han before eight in the evening? It would not surprise them if a meeting shouldst after the midnight. But now the meeting was finished at this hour of the day? It was just five in the afternoon, my dear boss? Never mind those senior managers, even Brian felt somewhat surprised. Just now when Henry went out to answer the phone, he identally nced at the name on the screen and knew it was Zoe calling. But he had never expect that she would actually have such a great charm! His workaholic boss would just leave his work just to go home to have dinner with her? Well, Brian silently decided in his heart to change the strategy in the future! It didn¡¯t matter how well the boss was served, but it did matter to suck up to his wife first! ¡­ After Zoe called Henry, she also gave Ciara a call. The Gil family was now enveloped in an awkward atmosphere. Steven had been called back by his father, so he was not here. In the living room were sitting Ciara, Annie, and Jaden. Except for them, there was just silence in this room and none of them spoke. Therefore, when the phone rang, it seemed particrly abrupt and sharp. Ciara impatiently cast a nce at David, the butler, who hurriedly went over to pick it up. A few secondster, he trotted back and whispered, ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s Miss Zoe.¡± Ciara smiled coldly. ¡°How dare she even call back!¡± David lowered his head and didn¡¯t dare to speak. Annie said timidly, ¡°Grandma, could it be that Zoe has realized she went too far this time and called to apologize?¡± Jaden cursed angrily, ¡°She thinks an apology would be the end of it? Thepany has lost so much, can she afford to pay for it?¡± Ciara listened to Philip¡¯s words, but her eyes shed. Nobody knew what she thought and she just got up, and walked over to answer the phone. ¡°What do you want?¡± On the other side, Zoe hooked the corner of her lips. ¡°Mrs. Gil, did you have a good time?¡± Ciara¡¯s face was gloomy, and she said in a cold voice, ¡°You don¡¯t have to call back just to mock at me. What has happened has happened. Although we had been embarrassed, you won¡¯t be any better than us since you are my granddaughter!¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m a little surprised, in the eyes of Mrs. Gil, I¡¯m still your granddaughter!¡± These words were obviously sarcastic, causing Ciara¡¯s throat to stutter. Something was about to spill out of her mouth. But she suppressed it in the end and said in a deep voice, ¡°What exactly do you want to say?¡± ¡°Nothing important really. It¡¯s just what my mother left behind. The condition at the beginning was that I had to wait until after I got married before I could inherit it, and now that I¡¯m married, shouldn¡¯t you also return the things to me?¡± Ciara¡¯s gaze flickered slightly. She did not refuse, but only said in a cold voice, ¡°When do you want it?¡± ¡°Naturally, the sooner the better.¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow at the earliest. Thewyer is not in Julio right now, so I need time to inform him.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± The conversation was cut off at this point, and there was silence on the phone. Just as Zoe was about to hang up, over the phone, Ciara suddenly sighed. ¡°Zoe, I can understand the resentment you must have umted against me and the Gil family over the past five years, and I admit that I am the one who has failed to consider this matter.¡± ¡°But no matter what, I am still your grandmother, and they are still your father and sister. You can hate us, but that should be just between our own family. How can you conspire with some outsider against us?¡± Zoe listened to these words and suddenlyughed. ¡°Mrs. Gil, when you first approached Dennis to discuss setting me up together, did you ever think that we are a family?¡± Ciara did not reply. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to y nice with me so that I can persuade Henry Han to let you guys go, I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°You!¡± Ciara was so angry that her face turned red, gritting her teeth and snarling in a low voice, ¡°This is also your mother¡¯s property! Can you really bear to watch them being destroyed?¡± Zoe¡¯s tone was suddenly cold. ¡°Since you also know that it belonged to my mother, you should return it to me as well! Otherwise, even if I would just have to die, I would definitely let you all die with me!¡± After saying that, the phone was violently cut off. Ciara covered her chest, so angry that she was breathing heavily and her face whitened. Seeing this, Annie hurriedly went forward and held her up, eximing, ¡°Grandma, are you okay?¡± Helen also rushed forward, joined her daughter to help Ciara to sit on the sofa, and served her the medicine. Only then did Ciara¡¯s face look a little better. She fiercely hit her crane on the ground, looking terribly bad, ¡°This damn kid!¡± Jaden had just heard their conversation, and he asked worriedly , ¡°Mom, what should we do now?¡± Ciara shook her head, her face full of fatigue. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, I don¡¯t know now, let¡¯s just wait and see what happens!¡± ¡­ On the other side, after Zoe hung up the phone, she was in a great mood. She counted the time and thought Henry should be home any moment now. She went downstairs. It was already six in the evening now, and as soon as she went downstairs, she really saw a ck Rolls Royce stopped at the entrance of the courtyard. Brian opened the door for him, and the man stepped out of the car against the remaining dim light of the setting sun, with a thinyer of golden glow lingering on her shoulders, as if she saw some god from the paintings.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Henry held a jacket in his arm, and when he saw his wife standing at the door, wearing home clothes, his mouth slowly split into a smile. ¡°Waiting for me?¡± He walked over and reached out and rubbed her head gently. Zoe stiffened slightly, somewhat unused to his intimate and doting way of getting along. So she slightly shied back a bit before saying, ¡°I came out to see the sunset.¡± The smile on his face grew even wider. He knew she was just lying, since she could have a better view on the second floor, but he did not expose her. He just smiled and rubbed her hair again and he bent down to change his shoes. After changing to his slippers, he took her hand and walked inside. The kitchen has long been prepared for dinner, because it was Zoe¡¯s first meal in the Han Mansion, so it was prepared in an extraordinarily extravagant manner. 33 She silently nced at the dishes on the table. Sure enough, most of them were just her favorites. The books in the study, the clothes in the checkroom, and the table full of her favorite dishes she just felt everything was just too obvious to be a coincidence. But the man did not say anything, so she also pretended not to know, and did not say anything either. At the table, they had a quiet dinner together and neither of them said anything to each other. After the dinner, she decided to take a stroll in the garden in front of the vi, and at the same time read some entertainment news for today using her phone. Suddenly, the fresh fragrance of pinewood came from behind. She was slightly stunned, turned her head to take a look, and saw Henry standing behind her. ¡°Don¡¯t look at your phone when you walk.¡± He said, reaching out and snatching her phone away. Zoe wasn¡¯t paying attention to the road ahead, and suddenly stepped on a stone. She just stumbled and fell to the side. ¡°AHHH-¡± A short scream sounded. The expected pain did note. Instead, the man grabbed her waist and easily brought her back into his arms. ¡°You should have listened to the words of wisdom from a mature man!¡± He lectured her with a stern face. Zoe felt ashamed and suddenly her face flushed. Since she did do something wrong, she could not say even a word to refute him. She could only eye him angrily and said in stern tone, ¡°OK, I know you are an old man. Does any mature man take advantage of young girls? Let go of me now!¡± She struggled in his arms. The arm that was ced on the waist did not let go but used more strength. Henryughed and said in a low voice, ¡°I was just warning you and you really get angry? What advantage do I take hugging my own wife?¡± Zoe stared at him. The man finally gave up and let go of her waist to surrender. ¡°Okay, okay, I was wrong, I should not have taken advantage of you. Since you do mind, why don¡¯t you also take advantage of me as well?¡± At that, he leaned over, as if telling her that she could put an arm around his waist. Zoe was furious. ¡®This man is really shameless!¡¯ She turned to leave in a huff, and Henry, knowing that she was really angry, hurriedly pulled her back. He coaxed in a soft tone, ¡°Okay, I was just kidding! Are you really mad at me?¡± Zoe ignored him. Henry then said in a serious manner, ¡°I have something serious to tell you, do you want to listen or not?¡± Zoe slightly nced at him. Sensing that he wasn¡¯t joking, she decided to stop, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to meet Stephen? He¡¯s now already back in the country. I will arrange for you two to meet each other tomorrow at noon!¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Zoe thought about it, and thought that there was nothing to do at noon tomorrow, so it was fine for her. She looked at Henry, her eyebrows knitted lightly, and then she said seriously, ¡°Henry Han, let me make it clear first. Although I appreciate what you did for me, I do have principles.¡± ¡°If Stephen is indeed wrongly used, I can help him clear his name, save his reputation, and even help him go to the next level, but if all those usations are just true.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry, even if he is your cousin, I won¡¯t help him!¡± Zoe looked at her with deep eyes andughed lightly, ¡°So you have principles? Protecting the vulnerable?¡± Zoe rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You think I¡¯m a saint?!¡± She paused for a while and said in a deep voice, ¡°I just think, if he is really a dishonorable person and he is not even willing to correct himself, then even if I help him out this time, he will make the same mistake the next time. I cannot always follow him to help him wipe his ass, he will sooner orter cause other problems.¡± ¡°In that case, why even bother to waste my time on him? Indeed, it¡¯s not very difficult to make something in the entertainment industry, what is difficult is to maintain a good image for a long time. It takes more than just a good PR team, but the efforts of his own.¡± Henry pondered slightly and nodded his head. ¡°Well, you¡¯re right.¡± After a short pause, he added, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s not the kind of person you think he is, you¡¯ll know that when you meet him tomorrow.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± The next day at noon, Zoe did meet Stephen Rogers. Henry had asked Brian to book a private room in a high-end restaurant near the Han Group and invited him to have lunch with him, so that he could introduce the two of them to each other. When they arrived, Stephen was already there. When he saw the two of theme in, he quickly got up and greeted Henry with a smile. ¡°My dear cousin, here you are.¡± When he saw the woman who was following behind Henry, he was a little surprised. Henry had indeed told him before that he would introduce someone to him today, and that his PR work would be left to this personter. But how could he have imagined that it was actually a woman! Just everybody knew, his cousin would never get close to a woman! It was a miracle that he should bring a woman out today! His eyes immediately became different, and he even squeezed his eyes towards Henry ambiguously. Henry pretended that he had seen nothing. After the three of them were all seated, and Stephen said with a smile, ¡°My dear cousin, who is this beauty? Introduce me!¡± Henry swept his eyes coldly and said in a deep voice: ¡°Behave yourself! This is your sister-inw!¡± ¡°What?¡± Stephen¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. He almost suspected that he had a hearing problem! Sister-inw, sister-inw? His brother was married? Zoe was a little embarrassed and coughed, ¡°That ¡­ let¡¯s get down to business first!¡± ¡°No hurry, we can eat first.¡± How would Henry be willing to let his girl bear a hungry belly? Zoe did not insist, either, since they were not in a hurry. And Stephen, who was sitting opposite finally recovered slowly from his shock. He could only force a awkward smile at Archie, as if he had just seen a ghost. ¡°Bro, you won¡¯t just hire an actor just to fool our grandfather, right? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell him. So you can just be honest with me.¡± Henry cast a cold ce at him. ¡°Stephen Rogers, are you just asking for trouble?¡± Stephen was speechless. He felt so aggrieved. ¡°Bro, we all know you are not interested in women! Just rest assured, people now are quite openminded! At least I am, I won¡¯t just look down on you just because you like men¡­ AHHHHH, why do you hit me!¡± Henry could not hold back and grabbed a teacup and threw at Stephen. To the side, Zoeughed in amusement. For his delicate and feminine look, for a lot of people in the country, he was always just like a sad prince in their mind. Just looking at his deep andplicated eyes, which were always noble and sad, people would just think he must have a lot of stories to be told. He did not even say anything himself, and had already captured the heart of arge number of young girls. Zoe had always thought that since he could maintain such an image on the screen for such a long time, this should be more or less just the way he was behind the scene. But unexpectedly, he was just apletely different person in front of her. What a funny man! Seeing Zoeughing so happily, Henry¡¯s gaze deepened, and the anger on his face also faded away. He tapped on the table with his slender fingers, and said in a cold voice, ¡°If you talk nonsense again, I would definitely ask someone to stitch up the mouth of you!¡± 34 Stephen flinched, and hurriedly zipped his fingers across his mouth and sat quietly. Henry let out a snort. After a while, Stephen finally could not make it to hold back his curiosity and said to the two in front of him, ¡°Bro, when did you get married? Howe I did not know this at all?¡± Henry didn¡¯t even bother to look at him. ¡°You won¡¯t think I have to report to you first when I get married, will you?¡± ¡°No, huh.¡± Stephen gave an awkward smile, ¡°But you see, our grandfather had been waiting for so many years, you should let him know and he would be so happy.¡± Henry¡¯s eyes darkened and said nothing. Naturally, Zoe won¡¯tment on such a thing, either. After all, the situation between she and Henry had been quite special. She was not ready to meet the other members of the Han family yet. However, there was no way she could tell this to Stephen. So she could only keep silent. Seeing that they were all being quiet, Stephen sure had doubts in his head, but he knew better than to ask more questions. Soon, the dishes were served. After they finished the meal, Henry summoned a waiter to have the tes reced by a tea set. Zoe took a sip of the tea, and she asked, ¡°So you can tell me now. What happened? I need details.¡± Now that they had got to the business, Stephone immediately stopped his yfulness, and became serious. The story was quite simple. It was just the story of a pair of lovebirds with a sorry ending. Stephen did have a girlfriend before. But he was an idol, and his care was currently on the rise, so he kept the rtionship with the girl a secret and did not make it public. The girl also agreed, and they had a very sweet period of time together. But about half a year ago, they began to quarrel often. The girl began to ask him for money, a lot of money every time, and Stephen was not stingy and he just gave her almost every time. But that¡¯s not enough. He found her behavior weird since then. He had no idea where she had been, and she got irritated and angry easily. It was not umon for her to yell at him. Sometimes, even when he was in the middle of filming or preparing for a show, she would just get angry for no reason. She would then just threaten him that if he did not just show up immediately, she would expose their rtionship and ruin his career. He had no choice but to give up the show and went back to soothe his girlfriend. Because of his girlfriend, he lost several endorsement contracts, and some crews even said he was being arrogant. How could he be arrogant? He was simply anxious and helpless. He had always thought that the reason why she was being so unreasonable was because he did not make their rtionship public and she felt uncertain about their rtionship, and that if he could do a little more for her, everything would be just alright. But to his surprise, half a month ago, she asked to break up with him. After all these troubles, naturally, he felt tired too. It was not just him. Even his agent team had beenining about the girl. He felt awkward in the middle of such a dilemma.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Now that she looked so determined, he just said yes and did not say anything more. After they broke up, he just focused on entirely on his work. Unexpectedly, news suddenly broke out one day. The girl had publicly used him of cheating on her, beating her, and stealing ten million dors from her! He was rendered speechless. How ridiculous it was, he thought, since he had done nothing to her. He had immediately tried to contact the girl, only to find that she had blocked his call. His agents had also posted an announcement for rification, but it had little effect. After all, the public just loved to know more about the love affair of the celebrities. Especially the love affair of a popr actor like him. After all, though nobody could understand the reason, watching the falling of this originally rising star alone could give some inte haters a sense of pride and pleasure. ¡°So you see, I told you, he¡¯s not some good shit. Now you know what I mean, huh?¡± In almost no time, the whole inte seemed to be flooded with criticism against him. But that¡¯s not it. A few dayster, the girl posted a few more photos on her social media ount. On those photos, she was just covered with bruises. She told everyone that Stephen had caused all these bruises and there was even a recording of her, giving many details as to how he had beaten her up. The post soon stirred up a storm of criticism on all social media tforms and suddenly became the most trending topics for several days. #AbuserStephenRogers #yboyStephenRogers The seriousness of these topics soon crushed this rising star. Soon, for the sake of his safety and out of many other concerns, all of the endorsement and activity contracts were simply suspended. Even one of the movies he had been filming had been temporarily on hold. Though he was the cousin of Henry, few people in thepany knew their rtionship. But it was unlikely that people would think better of him just because he was his cousin. Therefore, Stephen could only suffer in silence. The only way to save him was to find the girl immediately and let him confront her face to face. But it had been half a month since then, he and his agents had tried everything they could but still they could not find her. As if she had nned the whole thing, after the post, she just disappeared. Stephen had no choice but to wait. He had sent someone to find her, and at the same time, he was looking for a more experienced PR expert to try to stabilize the situation. Hearing what Stephen had said, Zoe fell into silence. She said nothing, and the man next to her, who had already handed the case over to her, of course also said nothing as well. Stephen felt nervous, and stared at her. ¡°So ¡­ what do you think?¡± Zoe looked up at him and smiled, ¡°What do you think?¡± Stephen lowered his face in frustration. He thought he was screwed up this time. He just could not see how he could possibly solve the problem. Watching his gloomy face, Nataliaughed, ¡°The whole thing became difficult just because the woman does not show up again and whatever we do, there just won¡¯t be a response and therefore it just won¡¯t work. For now, you would have to find this woman and the rest of the problem would simply take care of itself.¡± Stephen knitted his brows. ¡°Of course I know that. But damn it! She has just disappeared, where should I find her?¡± Henry cast a cold nce at him, ¡°Language!¡± Only then did he remember, the woman in front of him was not just his PR expert, but also the wife of his own brother. He hurriedly put on a smiling face, ¡°Sorry, Natalia, I was just being anxious. I did not watch my mouth. Sorry.¡± Zoe did not mind, but smiled. ¡°Actually, I have been thinking about one thing.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°People make trouble basically just for two reasons. It¡¯s either for money or for love. Now that your ex has made you such a big trouble, for sure she would not be thinking about going back with you?¡± ¡°But after the post, she has never asked you for even a penny until today. Then why did she even bother to ruin your reputation?¡± Stephen was stunned. Henry curled his lips and looked at the woman next to him approvingly. He did not say it just so that Zoe could find it herself. 35 As it turned out, his woman was indeed smart, and understood the most essential point immediately. Zoe raised the cup and took a sip of the tea. Then she said lightly, ¡°You should let your men to make this matter clear, and then I will help you handle the rest.¡± Reminded by Zoe, Stephen also realized how weird the whole thing was. Immediately, he called his agent, and asked him to find out what happened. Zoe waited until he finished the call, and then she added, ¡°Then I should tell you about my n. Tell me if you find anything wrong or you have anything to add.¡± Stephen nodded, ¡°Emm, go ahead.¡± Then Zoe told them roughly about the n she just made, and after hearing what she said, they all nodded in agreement. Stephen was so happy as if he had just got hisst chance. After all it had been half a month, and he still could not find a viable way to solve the problem. Only Zoe only had a rough idea, but for Stephen, it just sounded perfect. The three of them walked out of the restaurant and said goodby to each other. Zoe did not leave with Henry, since it had beente, and he needed to go to hispany. And she drove her own car here, so she didn¡¯t need a ride. After they said goodbye, she just left herself driving her own car. She didn¡¯t drive back to the Han Mansion, however. Instead, she drove back to her little apartment. She had promised Henry to live with him, but she just had so many things here, and naturally she had to take them over. She understood Henry was just being considerate, but she felt it morefortable to use the items she had got used to. After packing up, when she was about to leave with her suitcase, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a box in the corner of the couch. It was a ck box with delicate decorations wrapped in a coat of ck velvet. She paused for a while, turned back, and opened the box. That was the birthday present she had bought for Shawn. She had wanted to give it to him when it was his birthday. Unfortunately, even before that day, she had caught Steven and Annie in the bed. Thinking about what had happened, she could not help but to let out a chuckle with a hint of self-mockery. It was just a few days ago, and she was no longer sad but numb. Heh, human! You just changed so easily. She put the box back, but then thought better of it and put it into her suitcase along with her other belongings.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. It cost her a fortune, no matter what! Would it not be a waste if she just put the box here? She could at least sell it and take some money back. Then Zoe¡±The Businesswoman¡± Gil pulled the suitcase and walked out happily. When she got downstairs, she put the suitcase to her car and drove directly towards the HN Mansion. As soon as she returned to the mansion, she locked herself in the room and began to prepare a PR n for Stephen. She told him just a rough idea in the afternoon, since she had not known much about what had happened. Now though, she was trying to add more details to her n. After she was done with it, she sent the n to Stephen. They had exchanged contact information with each other in the afternoon. After she sent the file to him, Stephen did not reply immediately. She guessed he was just busy so she also just left it behind her mind, put her phone aside and walked downstairs. It was six in the evening already. It was about time for Henry toe back. There was the appetizing aroma from the kitchen already. Zoe stretched her body a bit and took a stroll outside the vi before she finally got back inside. Then there was the sound of the engine from the outside. She knew it was Henry. She walked to the door and saw him getting off the car. He was wearing his white shirt, and in his arm was his suit. The tall and slender figure of him looked elegant and graceful as ever. Mrs. Dottie, hearing the sound, also walked out from the kitchen, ¡°Wee home, Mr. Han.¡± Henry nodded slightly, andnded his eyesight on Zoe, with a hint of warmth and pleasure in his eyes. He wrapped his arm around her waist and led her into the vi. ¡°You alwayse out to wait for me. I will think you have fallen in love with me.¡± The voice of the man was low yet powerful, and only Zoe could hear him. While she tried not to, her delicate face flushed a bit and she pushed him away with her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t you tter yourself, youcent man. I am here for a walk. It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± ¡°Yesterday it was the sunset, today you are here for a walk. What a fate we have here, Mrs. Han?¡± Zoe could not say a word. She knew she could never win him and she just gave up debating with him altogether. Instead, she just walked into the dining hall. And Henry just smiled and knew better than to continue. After he finished the dinner, he walked into his study, as if he still got something to do. Zoe did not want to disturb him. After all, she also got business to deal with. Among the threepanies she had got from Henry Miller, two had been sold. The one she had kept for herself was an entertainmentpany called Star Entertainment. The reason why she had kept thispany was because she was a PR herself. She had wanted to establish apany of her own, but it would be tooplicated if she would need to start everything from scratch suddenly. Now that she was given such a chance, she would naturally take it. She hadn¡¯t been to thepany so far, she had just heard of and had a rough idea of thispany. When they signed the takeover contract, Henry had also given her the documents of thepany. After she had read these files carefully, she found the situation much worse than she had thought. It made sense though. If it wasn¡¯t in a desperately bad situation, who would ever sell thepany. Star Entertainment had a history of almost forty years. Decades ago, it was still quite famous as an entertainmentpany in the country. There was a time when Star Entertainment became the leader of the entire industry. A lot of stars and dozens of unprecedentedly influential works hade from thepany. Normally speaking, such an oldpany should not have ended up like this. But actually, when their best PR at that time, Julia, left thepany to work as an agent and brought many of the most popr stars with her, thepany had begun to fail. Julia had taken away three groups of artists from Star Entertainment, and Star Entertainment had put most of its resources on these artists. Their leaving with Julia no doubt had drained all the blood of thepany. The reason why these artists had been willing to follow Julia and leave thepany was because their contract between them and thepany had been very harsh, and thepany did not pay them very well. That¡¯s why they would rather pay arge amount of money for contract breach than continue the suffering in thepany. While Star Entertainment almost doubled its revenue for this reason, without these artists, thepany was simply a walking dead, falling gradually. After all of the changes in the industry and the rising of simrpanies, Star Entertainment just shrank further and further. Today, the once glorious entertainment empire of its time had been reduced to less than ten artists, and even these artists were just some small-time actors and actresses nobody knew. In terms of the resources they had, it was even worse. For the past year, they could not even earn a single profitable contract for the artists in thepany. 36 All the contracts they got were those not wanted by others. Reading this far, Zoe rubbed her forehead in speechlessness. She also had to admire how much these ten artists must love thispany that they would not leave it even when it had been in such a state. She collected the documents and wrote a summary on her notebook. Then she closed the notebook and stood up. She stretched herself and took a look at the clock on the wall. It was half past ten in the evening already. How time flied. She then walked out. When she was walking across the corridor, she heard someone speaking in the study. It seemed to be a meeting. She did not stop to listen any longer but went downstairs and poured herself a ss of hot milk. After she finished the milk, she walked back to the bedroom and took her clothes for a shower. However, she ran into Mrs. Dottie this time. Mrs. Dottie had seen the suitcase in her bedroom and asked her, ¡°Ma¡¯am, do you need me to unpack the suitcase for you?¡± She thought for a while. In her suitcase, there were just some daily necessities of hers and nothing she would need to hide. She then nodded, ¡°Great, thank you then!¡± ¡°You are wee, Ma¡¯am.¡± She then handed the suitcase to Mrs. Dottie and walked into the bathroom. In the bedroom there were a whole set of new toiletries, and all of them were just from her favorite brands and vors. For sure, Henry had asked someone to prepare all these for her. After the shower, when she had dried herself and was reaching out for her nightgown to get dressed, she slipped. After she had finally stabilized herself holding onto the wall, she found that her nightgown had fallen on the water-soaked floor. She picked up the now soaked nightgown and was stunned. ¡®Can I even be any unluckier?¡¯ Well, she could not use that nightgown tonight, that¡¯s for sure. However, she brought only this nightgown in with her! She definitely could not just wrap herself in a towel and go out? She felt so frustrated suddenly, and at this moment, she heard light footsteps from outside. Naturally, she thought it was Mrs. Dottie, and she yelled, ¡°Mrs. Dottie, can you bring me a nightgown? My nightgown fell on the floor and got wet.¡± Outside the bathroom, Henry stopped his steps and cast a nce at the door of the bathroom. Although he could not see through the frosted ss of the door, he could still somewhat see the silhouette of the woman, curvy, slender, and breathtakingly graceful.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. His ck pupils went deeper, and he ced the documents somewhere nearby. He went to the closet and opened the door. The closet was upied by a whole array of women¡¯s clothes. For sure, Zoe did not bring these clothes herself. It was he who had ordered the servants to prepare for Zoe in advance. These were not all yet. There was a dedicated hundred-square-foot cloakroom for her own use. In this regard, he always did whatever he could for the people around him. In the closet, there were all kinds of nightgowns for all kinds of styles. And from these nightgowns, he picked a ck silk spaghetti strap nightgown withce trim and headed to the bathroom. He said nothing but knocked lightly on the door, and the door opened slightly. White steam overflowed from the bathroom, and then there was a slender white arm, still covered in a thinyer of moisture. Looking down, he could easily see the most arousing scenery inside. He could not help but gulp heavily. His dark and deep eyes grew even deeper. Almost instantly, he felt the instinctive reaction of his own body. Zoe reached out her arm but grew confused why Mrs. Dottie still did not give her the nightgown. ¡°Mrs. Dottie, did you get my nightgown?¡± He finally got back the senses and then ce the nightgown on her hand. Almost immediately, the woman withdrew her hand, and the door was closed again. When Zoe was putting on the nightgown, she just could not help but find Mrs. Dottie a bit weird tonight. ¡®Mrs. Dottie had been so enthusiastic just now, why didn¡¯t she even say a word when she gave me the cloth?¡¯ But she did not think too much about it. Anyway, she was new here and she didn¡¯t really know Mrs. Dottie. Maybe that was what Mrs. Dottie really was like, she thought. It was only after she finally got dressed that she found that it was a spaghetti strap nightgown that Mrs. Dottie had brought her. The silk felt very smooth and easy on the skin and the hem reached only slightly below her thigh. Thece back almost revealed her entire alluring and sexy back. She looked at herself in the mirror and blushed. Why Mrs. Dottie¡­ How could Mrs. Dottie give her this! And she couldn¡¯t even remember bringing such a nightgown over with her! She bit her bottom lip. She tried to tug at the dress on her body, but no matter how hard she tried, she just could not possibly cover herself up. Especially her back ¡­ since it was ace back after all¡­ How could she possibly just go out dressed like this? But if she asked Mrs. Dottie to bring her a new one again, she thought it would make her seem a bit picky. Come to think about it, she decided not to bother her again but let her hair down to cover part of her skin. Only then did she pushed the door open and sneaked out while hugging her arms. The light in the bedroom was dim with just two orange wallmps, just like before she entered the bathroom. Did it mean, he was not back yet? She could not help but wonder. Thinking about it, she felt pleased and hurriedly ran to the wardrobe with small steps. But at this moment, a deep voice of a man suddenly sounded from behind. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Her back stiffened. The hands that she had reached out to open the door paused mid-air. She then turned back mechanically and saw Henry sitting in a sofa chair in the corner. He crossed his slender legs, looking cozy andnguid. On his body was still the white shirt, only the cuffs had been unbuttoned and the sleeves were folded halfway up, revealing his slender and fair arms. The cozy and casual air that surrounded him waspletely different from his cold aloofness in the day. He leaned his head against one of his hands propped up on the arm of the sofa. On the table next to him was a wine ss with some residual wine in it. She paused for a while and put on an awkward smile. ¡°Heh-heh, when did you get in?¡± Henry just stared her, expressionless. ¡°Just now.¡± ¡°Then ¡­ where is Mrs. Dottie?¡± ¡°She went out.¡± ¡°OK.¡± The time seemed to be paused, and the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. Henry¡¯s gaze darkened when it fell on her body. This woman indeed had a good body. Her skin was just as pure and white as jade. He had felt it before, and it felt just like silk, or milk, of refined quality. He was afraid he might break something even if he just added a tiny little bit of strength. Maybe it was the alcohol, or something else, he just felt a bit hot tonight for no good reason. His throat felt dry, and part of his body felt a dull pain for the depression. He did not say anything more, neither did she. Her body shrank back in difort. Especially when she felt the man¡¯s gaze on her, she felt as if there were thousands of ants crawling on her body. She finally managed to hold back the impulse to run away, and repeatedly, she tried to pull the hem of the dress down. 37 Finally, she forced herself to stay calm, and said, ¡°Just wait a minute, I¡¯ll get myself some clothes.¡± At that, she just opened the wardrobe and began rummaging. But now that Henry was right here, she could not just tell him that she wanted a new nightgown. She didn¡¯t want to seem like she had chosen such a sexy one on purpose and insist to get herself a new one just in his face. He might think she was trying to get his attention by making all the fuss, she thought. Though she didn¡¯t pick this one herself, but how could he know? In no time, she found a matching bathrobe from the wardrobe and put it on. The bathrobe fit well and reached all the way to her knees. As she tied the ribbon around her waist, her beautiful chest was also covered up. Only then did she regain a sense of safety. Henry did not say a word all the time, but his gaze was unbelievably deep and steady. The residual bit of wine in the ss was gone as well. ¡°Done?¡± She nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s sleep.¡± He rose to his feet and strode to the edge of the bed and began to undress. Her eyebrows raised suddenly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Watching the surprised face of the woman, he knitted his eyebrows slightly, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to sleep?¡± She finally came back to her senses, realized she might be a bit overreacting, and forced a smile. ¡°Mmh ¡­ don¡¯t you need to take a shower first?¡± He looked at her, and paused for a short while. ¡°Ok.¡± He then turned and walked into the bathroom, and she finally felt relieved. She closed her eyes, and as if her whole body had rxed after the man left, she fell onto the bed. But right at this moment, the voice of the man suddenly sounded from the bathroom. ¡°Honey, please help me get my pajamas.¡± She was stunned. Why didn¡¯t he just bring his own pajamas with him? She felt desperate but could only hold herself up from the bed and walked to the wardrobe again for his pajamas. The clothes of the man had been put in the second cabin of the wardrobe. Unlike the variety of clothes of hers, his clothes looked pretty much the same. They were all ck, white or gray with hardly any clothes in other colors. Even his pajamas were dark gray. She took a set and went to the door and knocked. Soon the door was opened. Unlike her, who had just opened a tiny crack, he actually opened the door. Completely open. The man stood there totally naked, his hand was rested on his head covered with the foam of shampoo, and water was dripping from his body. Countless drops of water slid down the well-defined abdominal muscles. Her pupils dted instantly. ¡°AH-¡± After a short cry, she covered her mouth just in time.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The next second, she threw the pajamas at him and shut close the door with a bang. ¡°Henry Han! Why are you naked?¡± He did not know what to say. Then there was the aggrieved voice of the man, ¡°What should I dress when I am taking a shower?¡± Then it was she who did not know what to say¡­ ¡®Argh, I¡¯m going crazy.¡± He definitely did it on purpose, she swore inwardly. What a pervert! In the bathroom, the man curled his lips silently. He took a look at the pajamas in his hands, did not say anything but simply ced them on the rack. Then he continued his shower. Zoe walked back to the bedroom and sat on the bed. The scorching heat in her chest did not fade away even after a long time. What she had just seen just kept shing back in her head. She found she was even tempted a bit! Shameful! Shameful! ¡®You must not be tempted by this foxy man! You must not!¡¯ However, the more she thought, the more frequently the sexy and tempting scene came back to her head. She just could not get rid of it. She held her face, getting desperately depressed. Before long, Henry came out of the shower in the dark gray nightgown. It was a very casual, homely nightgown, but maybe it was because he was tall, had a pair of lengthy legs, and had broad shoulders and a thin waist, that such a simple nightgown looked just like an item from a fashion show. As she kept looking down, she found the slender, lengthy and firm legs of his were not covered by the nightgown and they were just extremely sexy. Zoe doubted whether she could still hold herself back this time. In an effort to hide her flushing face and awkwardness, she averted her eyes ufortably and turned to pull the quilt to pretend to sleep. The lights in the room went dim, and only one wallmp in the room were left on. From afar, the wallmp was just like a boiled egg yolk in the darkness, giving her a sense of warm safety. The mattress behind her then sank a little the man alsoid on the bed. Her body became so tense. Fortunately, Archie did not do anything more to her, as if he was showing his respect for her. Just likest night, they just shared the same quilt but did nothing more. He had always been a gentleman and never went past her boundaries. The next morning, she received a call from Ciara. Ciara had found thewyer, the witness for her mother¡¯s will, and told her to go to the bank directly at ten in the morning. When she left, Henry was worried about her and thus he sent Brian to go with her. She did not refuse, knowing that he had just been worried. When the two got to the bank, Ciara was not there yet, but thewyer was. As it turned out, thewyer¡¯s name was Mason Currie, and he knew her mother Kiera when they went to the same university, and because of that, Kiera had always trusted him and asked him to keep her legacy. After they two met, Zoe had a brief talk with him. She was curious after all, and she asked, ¡°Mr. Currie, when exactly had my mother left behind? Why didn¡¯t just give it to me and had to wait until I got married?¡± She had been curious about it for the past few years but now that her mother was dead, nobody could answer her. Thewyer smiled lightly, ¡°To be honest with you, I have no idea either. But I guess she had her reasons! As for what she had left behind for you ¡­ you will find out in a moment.¡± Since he was reluctant to say, she knew better than to force him. After a quarter of an hour, the Gil finally arrived. After what happened in the birthday banquet, the hatred of the Gil for her had seeped into the marrow of their bones. That¡¯s why she was quite surprised when they said they were willing to return her mother¡¯s legacy back to her. But anyway she did not say much and they got the key for the safe as nned. Under the witness of thewyer, Ciara opened the safe herself. When they saw what was inside the safe it was neither somerge check nor some property deed, and there was no cash inside they were all shocked. She was also somewhat stunned. It was a simple and old-styled ne. She remembered seeing this ne once when she was young but she could not remember the details. One thing for sure though, her mother seemed to love the ne very much. She picked up the ne and thewyer smiled, ¡°This is what your mother had left behind for you. Now that it has been returned to you intact, I hope you can take good care of it.¡± She nodded. Though she had no idea why her mother had left her such an ordinary ne, it was thest gift her mother gave her, and for this reason alone, it carried some different meanings. She would definitely cherish it and passed it on. After Brian put the ne into the safe he had brought here, they finally walked out of the bank. When they were about to split up, Ciara eyed her harshly. She sneered, ¡°Zoe, you must be so proud to be Mrs. Han now?¡± Zoe then looked at her calmly, ¡°So you know I am having a good time, then why even bother to look for trouble?¡± Ciara then gave a cold sneer. ¡°You will regret it one day. You wille to me and beg for my help.¡± At that, she just got into the car with a group of people and left. Zoe stood there and knitted her brows. For some reason even unknown to herself, she just felt a bit worried. 38 Brian had already opened the door for her and asked respectfully, ¡°Mrs. Han, where are we going now?¡± Zoe turned her eyes and nced at the safe in the backseat. A momentter, she answered in a gentle voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go home first!¡± After returning to Han Mansion, Mrs. Dottie saw Brian carry arge safe, and thought that Zoe must have bought some precious jewelry. Mrs. Dottie came to greet them happily. However, she didn¡¯t expect to see a very ordinary ne when they went upstairs together and opened the safe. Although the design was exquisite and the shredded emeralds on it looked nice, it didn¡¯t seem valuable enough to be kept in a safe. The result was quite unexpected, and Zoe was quite embarrassed. Brian prepared the safe in case there were valuable items that would be difficult to transport. Anyhow, they were passed down from her mother. To their surprise, it was just an ordinary ne. Zoe could not help butugh. She was happy to get what her mother had kept for her finally. She stood by the window and studied the back of the ne in the sunlight. There were some engravings on it, the initials of her mother¡¯s name, M-C-W. Her mother had died suddenly, and everything in the house had been taken over by her stepmother and half-sister. The items in the safe were the only items that left to her. Thinking of this, Zoe feel her heart burning with nostalgic emotions. She went to the mirror, took off a silver corbone chain she usually wore, and put on this antique ne. Fortunately, the ne was exquisitely crafted, and even though the style was a bit old-fashioned, it didn¡¯t look strange on her. She smiled, put the ne into her dress and covered it with her cor. Then, she patted her chest with satisfaction, and then turned around to walk out. In the afternoon, Zoe went to Star Entertainment. Thepany, Star Entertainment, had been transferred to her for several days. She was very busy then, and could hardly spare any time to visit thepany in person. Before she came, she had called the person in charge by phone and informed them about her schedule today. When she arrived at thepany, it was 2 p. m. sharp. The person who received her was a deputy manager surnamed Norris. Entertainmentpanies were different from otherpanies, because artistes made up the majority of the employees. Compared topanies in other industries, there were not many employees working in the office on a daily basis. This was especially true for Star Entertainment, apany on the verge of bankruptcy. No one was willing to sit there and wait for death, not to mention that Star Entertainment was acquired by anotherpany and the boss had changed as well. This was something every employee knew. How the new boss intended to handle thepany remained a mystery. Anyone who had a n or had some connections had already left, or secured another job before the acquisition was finalized. Those stayed were just newbies who were still dazed and had no idea what to do. Dennis Norris, the deputy manager brought Natalia to her office and gave her a brief introduction of the current situation in thepany. Zoe analyzed it carefully and found that it was simr to the information she had gathered. There were only ten artists in the Artist Department right now. There was a five-member male group signedst year. Although it was called a group, it would be more appropriate to call it a forced binding of a bunch of artistes whose talents were not that obvious. The rest were just a few yet-to-be-famous artists. Their best works up till now were only roles as eunuchs or courtesans in period dramas, etc. As for the Agency Department, the few capable agents had left long ago, and those who stayed were fresh graduates whose abilities were no better than the artists. As for the Public Rtions Department, it was simply good for nothing. Was it a joke? What was the point of doing PR when the artists were not popr at all? Why not just make something happen so that they could get more exposure in the public? Even if they became infamous, at least they would achieve some fame! Zoe carefully went over issues in other departments. They were also in terrible conditions. Dennis reported to Zoe, with an awkward but polite smile. ¡°President Zoe, this is the current situation of ourpany. All the reports are here. Do you want to go through them again?¡± Zoe shook her head. What was the use of going over them again? It did not change the fact that they had 10 artists but wasck of resource. She sighed helplessly. Dennis also knew that thepany¡¯s situation was difficult. But the fact was that he was just a temporary manager. He was working as a secretary before. As thepany was about to close down and everyone ran away, he was temporarily appointed as the deputy manager. It was not easy to keep thepany the way it was now. ¡°At the moment, ourpany is suffering from a shortage of resources due to ack of working capital. If we don¡¯t have enough capital, we can¡¯t pull resources we required. Without enough resources, we can hardly sign any artist we¡¯d like to work with. This had led to a vicious cycle to the point today.¡± Zoe understood it was not easy for him. She remained silent and waved her hand. ¡°Alright, just leave the reports here for now! I¡¯ll find a way to solve the capital problem. Thank you so much for your effect. You can leave now!¡± Dennis nodded and left. After he left, Zoe went directly to the Artist Department. Artists were the core of the business for an entertainmentpany. Zoe had only gotten a rough idea of them in the documents, but had not met them in person. At this time, several others had already gone out for auditions, and only the male group remained in thepany. There was a very hot online talent variety show scheduled next month. The boys group¡¯s chance to stand out was slim, and thepany was fully aware of it. So in such a desperate situation, they just wanted the group to have a try anyway. Therefore, they were practicing dancing in the exercise room now. When Zoe arrived, they were practicing vigorously. She did not go inside to disturb them, and only observed them outside through the ss windows. To be honest, even as the boss, she could not go against her conscience to say that they were great.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Thepetition in the domestic idol market was fierce. As far as the male singing and dancing group were concerned, these guys had neither amazing appearances nor amazing talent. Their qualifications were indeed at an average level. It seemed like all that was left was to put into more efforts. It was a pity that in a ce like the entertainment industry, effort was the least worth thing. Zoe watched them for a while, and then left. The few artists going out for audition, two men and three women, returned in thete afternoon. Zoe unexpectedly discovered that one of the girls she actually knew. Laura Davies. Zoe had met her several times when she held the position of PR manager at Century Entertainment. Laura graduated from a renowned drama school and was considered to have a professional background. Although her looks were not the currently popr V- shape face, she was still quite cute and clean. Among the neers, her acting skills were outstanding. But perhaps due to the limitations of her round face, she was not able to secure any good resources. Later, when her contract expired, she terminated her contract with Century Entertainment. Zoe never expected that she would end up in Star Entertainment! 39 Zoe had a very positive impression of Laura. Although there were many neers nowadays, most of them were trapped by the lure of fame and fortune. Most of them were impetuous, and only a few were able to work hard on improving their acting skills. Laura came from a poor family and had a rough childhood, but thanks to her miserable childhood experiences, she had seen the world early in her life and had a deeper understanding of many things than her peers. It was precisely because of this that she understood that acting was the basis of a performer¡¯s life, and the rest was just momentary mour. Seeing her in Star Entertainment was like finding a piece of beautiful jade in a pile of rubbles. Zoe was very pleased, and coincidentally, the agent who brought them back immediately called Laura into the office. Laura was also surprised to see Zoe. Although there were not many interactions between them, everyone in thepany knew Natalia was the PR Ace in Century Entertainment. There was no case that she could not handle properly. A few days ago, she heard that thepany had a new boss, but she never expected it to be Natalia! However, as a saying goes, a dragon will not stay in a pond for long. Sooner orter, it will soar to the skies. Thinking about Zoe¡¯s abilities, Laura could not help but feel relieved. She walked into the office with a smiling face. ¡°Miss Zoe, you are looking for me?¡± Zoe looked up and smiled upon seeing Laura¡¯s face. ¡°Yes,e in and sit down!¡± When Laura sat down on the chair opposite her, Natalia started an in-depth discussion about the vision of thepany as well as her current n on artists like her. Thepany¡¯s Strategy Departments and Advertising Departments were basically not working now. Therefore, some important nning regarding artists had to be done by her personally. After two-hour discussion, they finally worked out a rough n. Laura graduated from a renowned drama school and loved acting, so her main task at present was filming in TV and films. Zoe nned to send her to two more popr variety shows first to raise her poprity. After Laura left, Zoe called other artists in and chatted with them. Several artists were not very satisfied with thepany, so she did not force them to stay. However, Zoe mentioned that if they were willing to stay, she would treat them equally, and the resources they required in the future would be won by themselves ording to their own capabilities. If they were not willing to stay, she understood and would not force them to. All liquidation damages specified in the contract were canceled, and they didn¡¯t have to pay a penny if they decided to leave. Zor knew that these artists did not have much choice when they signed the contract with Star Entertainment. After bing a member of Star Entertainment, they did not make any achievements, much less money. Some of them were in a dilemma, but Zoe did not urge them. She asked them go back and think about it thoroughly before giving her a reply tomorrow. After they left, she stayed in the office alone and went over their profiles carefully again. Then, ording to her impression from their previous talks, she noted their strengths and weaknesses carefully, as well as their suitable development directions in the future. After finishing everything, it was already veryte. Zoe stretched her arms, raised her wrist to check the time, only to find that it was already eight o¡¯clock in the evening. Her stomach rumbled with hunger. She stood up and was about to get something to eat when she suddenly thought of something, and her face changed. She hurriedly pulled her phone out and saw that there were indeed several missed calls on the screen. All of them were from Henry. Oh, OMG! She was used to mute her phone while she was working, and she lost track of time when she was totally upied. The man must have returned home and found that she was not there. Henry called to ask her whereabouts. Zoe wondered if he was angry when she did not answer his calls. Zoe packed her belongings and called him back on her way out. The call was answered as soon as it was connected. ¡°Have you finished your work?¡± The man¡¯s voice was low and deep. She could not tell if he was angry or not. Zoeughed awkwardly and said sheepishly. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry! I muted my phone and didn¡¯t hear your calls.¡± The other side was quiet for a couple of seconds. ¡°Come downstairs when you¡¯re done!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you downstairs.¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes widened with surprise, and she was just about to say something when the call ended abruptly. She could only go downstairs in a hurry. As expected, she saw a ck Rolls-Royce parked by the entrance. The smooth outline shed under the streaks of light from cars passing by, attracting the attention of many people. From time to time, the passers-by cast envious nces, or pointed at it quietly, or whispering something. Zoe covered her face in embarrassment. ¡®Big Boss, couldn¡¯t you just find a more inconspicuous ce to park the car? Why are you making a scene blocking the entrance?¡¯ The ¡°Low-Profile¡± Zoe quickly ran over and whizzed into the car before others could react. In the driver¡¯s seat, Brian was startled by her. If Brian did not know her better, he would have thought that she was chased after by someone! Henry was as calm as ever. After Natalia got inside the car, he told Brian to drive to the restaurant he booked earlier. Zoe was a little surprised to hear the address.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go home for dinner today?¡± Henry was flipping through a financial magazine, and said in a low voice, ¡°Mrs. Han, do you know what time it is now?¡± Zoe was stunned and only then did she remember that it was already past 8 pm. When she first arrived at Han Mansion, Mrs. Dottie told her about the rules in the family. No dinner would be served after 8 pm. That was the rule the Old Mr. Han set when he sent her to take care of Zoe. This was to prevent his grandson from working overtime. Besides Archie, everyone in the Han family had to follow this rule. Natalia smiled awkwardly. ¡°Sorry! I was so focused in my work that I lost track of time! Um¡­ to make it up to you, the dinner tonight is on me.¡± Henry finally raised his head. His dark eyes looked at her, with a hidden trace ofughter. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Fine¡± The car soon arrived at the entrance of the restaurant. When they got out of the car, Natalia looked up and saw tworge words in front of her. Mountain Club What kind of ce was this? Zoe thought she was a native of Julio, since she had lived here for twenty years. Howe she had never heard of this ce? Nevertheless, she did not think much about it. It was a good thing that she hadn¡¯t been here before. Now, she came to know a new ce. Henry took her hand naturally and they walked inside together. There was a professional doorman standing at the gate. After asking about the private room they booked, he led them inside politely. The club was spacious, with green hills and lush nts, and fine gravel paths that gave her a feeling of being in the countryside. The scenery was also unique, especially during night. Zoe could see that every stone and tree had been carefully decorated. Zoe quickly thought that for the club with such an borate arrangement, it had to be privately owned and only open to designated guests. That was why she never heard of it before. 40 Both Zoe and Henry entered the club, and were greeted with a wideke after passing the rockery garden. Under the night sky, sparkling ripples on theke reflected the street lights and the moonlight. At one nce, the edges of theke were not visible. The doorman led them up the stairs into the lobby, and took the esctor to reach the private room they booked. Watery Moon was the name of the private room, and it quite in line with the artistic atmosphere at that moment. Inside the private room, it was finely decorated with antique design, but some details were blended with modern scientific looks, so as to give customers a pleasant andfortable experience. On the south, there was arge window facing theke. Standing here, one would have a broader view of theke than that from downstairs. In fact, the lights on the stone arch bridge far away could also be seen. The dazzling lights and elegant scenery were simply creating a unique vor. Zoemented with a smile, ¡°The scenery here is so beautiful. I like it a lot.¡± Henry curled his lips into a smile. He picked this ce because he had investigated into her preferences. Then, the two of them sat down and ordered the dishes. Again, the vors of the dishes were Zoe¡¯s favorite. Thinking of how considerate Henry was, Zoe was shy, and always felt like she was taking advantage of him but could not repay him. Suddenly, Zoe thought of Stephen¡¯s case. She had searched it on the inte in the afternoon when she was waiting for the artistes to return. Stephen released a post on Weibo ording to Natalia¡¯s instructions, and the response was great. Although there were no definite results yet, Natalia was confident that the case would be resolved sessfully as long as her n was implemented smoothly. Therefore, she said to Henry. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Stephen¡¯s case. I¡¯ve already started handling it, and it won¡¯t be long before it is settled.¡± Henry looked at her with a smile and said in a soft tone, ¡°Why do I feel like I not only found a good wife, but also a great helper?¡± Zoe was startled. In that instant, a thought shed through her mind. She nced at Henry, and did not say anything, but in her heart, she secretly made up her mind. Once they were done eating, Zoe excused herself to go to the restroom. There was actually a toilet in the private room, but she was embarrassed to use it because of poor sound-proof. The restroom was located at the end of the corridor, next to the elevator. After leaving the private room, Zoe headed to the female restroom with help from a waiter, who showed her the direction. As soon as Zoe came out of the restroom, she noticed some familiar figures walking in her direction. Stunned for some reason, Zoe took a step backward ghostly. It just happened that she hid behind a dragon-patterned pir at the entrance of the restroom. Steven Anderson and Annie Gil were the ones who were walking toward her, and they were apanied by a middle-aged man in a pair of ck-rimmed sses. Zoe recognized the man right away. He was their country¡¯s famous A-list director, Nathan Hale. The three of them were talking happily. Nathanughed and said, ¡°Mr. Anderson, I previously heard that you have a beautiful wife, but I didn¡¯t know who she was; I finally know that it¡¯s Annie.¡± Steven replied to him with a smile, ¡°Director Hale, thank you for looking after Annie all these years. I look forward to a pleasant cooperation with you this time.¡± ¡°Of course. I watched Annie grow up, and she has great potential. She¡¯ll surely be the youngest best actress in this generation.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Annie grinned. ¡°Thank you for yourpliments and blessings, Director Hale.¡± ¡°I worked on the script of ¡®The Youth* for years and I have very high expectation for it. You must not let me down, Annie!¡± ¡°Director Hale, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely try my best to interpret this role, and won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Annie nodded obediently. ¡°That¡¯s great¡­ and I am relieved.¡± The group of three eventually walked past Zoe. Because of Zoe¡¯s slim figure, she wore a ck outfit today, thus not a single person noticed her when she hid behind the pirs. Only when the three entered the elevator, she came out from behind the pir. As Zoe watched the direction they headed to, her eyebrows furrowed. She had read the script of ¡®The Youth¡¯ before by chance, and immediately attracted by it. In today¡¯s male-dominated world, even if there was a heroine in a period drama, her parts would be mainly limited to her role as imperial concubine. From the beginning to the end, the story would revolve around a fewdies fighting over a man. However, ¡®The Youth¡¯ was quite a different drama. It was definitely an epic of women, and the stories about war, peace, and alteration of dynasties were fully depicted from a woman¡¯s perspective. Zoe¡¯s blood was burning with passion when she finished reading the script. From the drama ¡°The Youth¡±, she saw entirely different values from the drama. Women were not merely bound to petti love. If given the same resources and status, women would not be inferior to men. Unfortunately, the structure of the script was tooplex, as it involved six countries. Huge investment was required to fully demonstrate the story, and it would take lots of efforts to shoot the whole drama. Just because of this, the drama was stranded in the end, even though there was a heated discussion about it. Mostly importantly, no investor was interested in it. During these years, Zoe never heard about any progress about the shooting. She couldn¡¯t believe that the drama was finally pulling together for shooting. It seemed like Annie was going to be the leading actress. Zoe looked down as she was struck with an idea. When she returned to the private room, she found that Henry had already paid the bill. Zoe was embarrassed. It was clearly agreed that she would treat him to dinner, but he ended up paying for it behind her back. Henry took her hand as they walked out, saying as he walked, ¡°Mrs. Han, did you forget that we¡¯re married? What¡¯s mine is yours, so which one of us pays the bill makes no difference.¡± Zoe¡¯s face blushed upon hearing his words. She cooed, ¡°Are you suffering a big loss?¡± Henry chuckled. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re aware of it, you should make it up to me tonight.¡± As he spoke, he gave Zoe a hint by pinching her palm. Zoe¡¯s spine stiffened instantly. Turning her head to look at him, Zoe gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± After saying that, she quickly shook off his hand and went into the car. Henry followed behind her with a faint smile. Once he was also in the car, he asked cheerfully, ¡°I meant to ask you to fill the bathtub for meter, why are you so agitated? Were you thinking about doing something else?¡± Zoe was lost for words. She knew how bad the man was! He always liked to tease her! Once they returned home, Zoe quickly searched for ¡®The Youth¡± script on the inte. She saw the script two years ago, so she remembered the general framework, but not the details. Fortunately, there was plenty of information about it on the inte, because it was extremely popr two years ago. If she gathered all the information, she could get a rough idea of it. Zoe arranged the pieces of information in a file, and sent one copy to Laura Davies. After a while, Laura replied to her message. ¡°Dear Zoe, are you asking me to ept a role in this drama?¡± Zoe could not be bothered to keep her in suspense, so she cut to the chase. ¡°Well, take a look at it, and see if you like it. Then tell me about your thoughts.¡± It only took a second for Laura to respond excitedly through a voice message. ¡°Dear Zoe, I don¡¯t have to look at it. I read the script two years ago, and I like the drama very much! Are you asking me to take the role as the female protagonist, nna Nelson?¡± Zoe was caught off-guard. Secondster, Zoe replied three words, ¡°You can dream!¡± Laura thought to herself, ¡°It hurts! But I must keep smiling.¡± 41 Zoe typed quickly. ¡°Take a look at the second supporting role. I think it fits you. Although she doesn¡¯t have as many scenes as the first female supporting role and the protagonist, she has a distinct personality, and her role is eye-catching. If you act well, the effect would be as stunning as that of the first two roles.¡± Then, Laura took a more detailed look at the scripts for the second supporting role. She replied to Zoe¡¯s message in ten minutes. ¡°Zoe, I just go over it quickly, and I like the role. Can I secure a spot given that it¡¯s a big production?¡± Zoe curled her lips into a smile. ¡°You just need to dig into the script intensively. I will take care of the rest.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks!¡± Once Zoe finished chatting with Laura, she put down her phone, and sat on the sofa for a moment in contemtion. After a while, she opened herptop and entered Nathan Hale¡¯s name. She was not very familiar with him, and her understanding of him was only limited to his works as a director. Although it sounds a bit unreliable to get information about a person from the inte, Natalia didn¡¯t have much choice. Fortunately, Nathan was so famous that there was lots of information about him on the cyberspace. As Zoe filtered the information she needed, her understanding of the director almost reached to 70 to 80%. While Zoe was browsing through the details, her phone rang suddenly. She picked up the call, and it was from Victoria Kaur. ¡°Zoe, are you avable tomorrow night? Can you go somewhere with me?¡± Natalia grinned. ¡°You¡¯re not filming a movie? Where are you going?¡± Victoria paused for a while before she answered with guilt, ¡°I asked for leave tomorrow; there¡¯s a car race in the eastern suburbs tomorrow, and I want to go there and have a look.¡± Zoe¡¯s finger paused on the touchpad. ¡°Car race?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Zoe looked at the column about Nathan¡¯s hobbies, and then she smiled and responded quickly, ¡°Okay!¡± The next day. Zoe left the office as soon as she finished her work at hand. Victoria had already arrived, and she was waiting for her in the car. Zoe went to the underground parking lot to get her car. When she drove out, Victoria got off a ck sedan like a thief and got into her car. After Victoria entered Zoe¡¯s car, she kept checking the surroundings to ensure that nobody noticed her. After that, she waved her hand at her assistant, who was standing outside the car. ¡°Dear, if you¡¯re so afraid, why are you going to watch the car race? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you carry on with your shooting?¡± Zoe could not help butugh. Victoria took a small mirror out of her bag, and murmured unhappily while she checked her make-up, ¡°Who said I was afraid? I am trying to avoid the paparazzi, so they won¡¯tment that I¡¯m not dedicated to my work? Your younger sister, just like a lotus flower is on the trending list almost every day, either because she stood in cold water for a shooting regardless of her body condition, or because she passed out due to exhaustion from work. Ugh!¡± She made a disgusted expression and added, ¡°The standard for a dedicated actress has already been set like that. Given that I¡¯m her opponent, how can I not protect my feathers?¡± Zoe could not help butugh. Nheless, Annie had always been like that. No matter how she was on the inside, she always showed the gentle, beautiful, and dedicated side of her to the public. Zoe had long been used to it. The car drove all the way to the suburbs. When they were almost at the racing venue, Victoria suddenly tugged her sleeve. ¡°Zoe, take a quick look at me. Is my make-up Okay? Is my outfit pretty?¡± Zoe stared at her, dumbfounded. ¡°Have you¡­ taken the wrong medicine? Victoria.¡± A few secondster, Zoe finally understood what was wrong with Victoria. From the moment Victoria called her, Natalia could tell that she was anxious. Victoria was usually confident about her appearance, but she had been working on her make-up throughout the journey. Zoe wondered, ¡°She even asked me if she looks pretty?¡± ¡°Oh my God! Victoria, a natural beauty, is actually asking someone else¡¯s opinion about her own looks? Is this a distortion of human nature or a moral degeneration??¡¯ Victoria seemed to be aware of her own perversity, and smiled awkwardly. After a while, she tugged at the corner of Natalia¡¯s shirt, squirming, ¡°He wille today.¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes were widened in shock. There was no need for Victoria to exin who the ¡°he¡± she was talking about, because Zoe understood naturally. After all, the two were sharing the same desks since high school, and they eventually became BFF (best friend forever). Over the years, they have shared their views practically on everything, and rarely kept secrets from each other. Besides, the fact that Victoria had a crush on their high school senior Charlie Peck had be a hot topic for discussion six years ago, so everyone was well aware of it. Over the years, she had slowly changed from that open and enthusiastic, arrogant and domineering young girl of an influential family into a silent and introverted, noble and elegantdy. Others thought the gossip about her was only an impulsive act during her youth, so it ebbed away with the passing of time. But, only Victoria¡¯s best friend, Zoe, knew the guy still had a ce in her heart, and it had always been there. It is said it was difficult for a guy to pursue ady, but easier for ady to pursue a guy. However, after pursuing him for six years, Victoria did not get any closer to Charlie, and the distance between the two seemed more distant. Thinking of this, Zoe could not help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. They reached at the parking lot soon. Zoe parked her car then turned her head to Victoria, reaching out to straightened her slightly messy hair, and set the corbone ne on her neck. Then, she examined Victoria carefully with a serious face. Once she was done, she took the lipstick from her bag and passed it to Victoria. ¡°Change the color now! You¡¯ll look tender in this color.¡± Victoria was dissatisfied. ¡°I look tender now!¡± ¡°Well, you do, but this color should be more to his liking.¡± Victoria was dubious. She asked in doubt while she epted the lipstick. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Well, trust me, I promise!¡± Victoria didn¡¯t doubt it. She wiped off the original lipstick with a wet tissue, and then applied the new color on her lips while looking in the mirror. When she was done, she realized that the color reallyplemented her makeup and dressing today. She immediately smiled brightly and leaned over to hug Zoe. ¡°Zo, thank you.¡± Zoe smiled and clenched her fist to cheer her up, ¡°Wish you all the best! Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll definitely try my best to win over my handsome guy back ASAP!¡± Afterward, the two of them got off the car.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The venue was already packed with people. There were eight teamspeting tonight, so there are more people at the venue than usual. At his time, the cheerleaders and the judges had already entered, and many fans, mostly young men and women, holding small gs or banners in their hands, mored while standing in their respective zones. However, the car racers had not yet shown up, probably waiting for the race to start before they woulde out. Victoria was fully equipped as she wore a mask and a peaked cap. She lowered her head as she pulled Zoe into the crowd, and quickly found her way to the zone behind one of the car-racing teams. ¡°Zo, this is Charlie Peck¡¯s team, and he was the one who established it. They¡¯ve won many championships these few years both at home and abroad. They are marvelous!¡± Zoe nodded at her. A girl turned around and noticed them and asked in a friendly manner, ¡°Are you Charlie¡¯s fans too?¡± Zoe was stunned, and was thinking how to answer the question appropriately so that she wouldn¡¯t be exposed. Unexpectedly, Victoria beat her to it and answered, ¡°Yes, yes! Did you bring extra gs? Can you give me one?¡± 42 The girl generously gave each of them a small g with the name of Charlie Peck¡¯s team on it. Afterward, she even reminded Victoria, ¡°For the sake that we are all fans of Charlie, let me kindly remind you. You don¡¯t need to cover yourself like this here, as it is easy to be mistaken for a spy sent by the opposing team.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I believe you. You look familiar at a nce, so I am sure you are not an undercover!¡± Zoe could clearly sense Victoria stiffened for moment. Victoria smiled embarrassedly. ¡°Is that so? Then thank you for your trust!¡± Zoe really couldn¡¯t hold back herughter and hurriedly changed the topic, ¡°How much longer we have to wait before the game starts?¡± ¡°8 p. m.¡± The girl looked at her watch, ¡°It¡¯s almost the time.¡± As soon as she said it, a loud whistle was hearding from across the street. Following that, thunderous cheers were heard as racers from the eight teams came out! Victoria went crazy all of a sudden! ¡°Ahhhhhh¡­He¡¯s out! He¡¯s so so so hot and handsome! Zoe, did you see him? In that blue car; his eyes are so deep, and his skin is so delicate and fair. I haven¡¯t seen him for a while, but he seems to have be more attractive! Ooooh, he¡¯s really cool and stylish! Oh!¡± The racers wore helmets sitting in their respective driver¡¯s seat. Victoria nced at them, but was only greeted with blindingly reflecting lights. How could she see whether Charlie was handsome or not? Feeling speechless, Zoe tugged Victoria¡¯s sleeve, whispered, ¡°Victoria, calm down!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget your identity.¡± ¡°Woo, an actress needs love too!¡± Zoe was speechless. She really could not stand her best friend¡¯s nymphomania, so she gritted her teeth and whispered, ¡°No matter what, you¡¯re the eldest youngdy from the Kaur family, and the No. 1 beauty in the entertainment industry. You¡¯ve chased after him for six years. Now you¡¯re waving a g and screaming with a bunch of fans. Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourselves?¡± Victoria turned to re at Zoe. ¡°You always manage to say the wrong thing!¡± As Zoe smiled triumphantly, her gaze past Charlie¡¯s team andnded on a ck racing car on the opposite side. The small gs and banners over there had Nathan Hales name on them. When Zoe looked for information rted to Nathan on the intest night, she inadvertently stumbled upon Nathan¡¯s other identity, a top-notch car racer in ck Horse Racing Team. Although Nathan was already a well-known director in the country, he normally kept a low profile; hence few people knew his hidden identity. Besides, the car-racing circle had always been rtively closed. People who did not pay attention to it would not follow its news, so only a bunch of people knew it. Zoe lowered her head slightly to ponder, and then told Victoria that she was going to the restroom. On the racing track, the whistle sounded, indicating that the race had begun. The 4-kilometer-long rallycross was divided into a qualifying round and the finals, making a total of three rounds! Among the eight teams, only the four teams that sessfully passed the qualification round had the chance to enter the final. The final consisted of two rounds. The forced ranking system would be adopted. In the final round, the racers wouldpete with each other and the first to reach the finishing line would be deemed the winner. Prior to this, Charlie had been the champion for four consecutive years. However, before Charlie, the championship had always belonged to ck Horse team. This time, Nathan personally represented ck Horse team, so the morale of its members was greatly boosted, and they were determined to reim the title this time. Soon, the qualifying round was over. The ck Horse was not surprised to advance into the next round. Together with ck Horse, Flying Eagle, with Charlie as its representative, and two other teams were qualified too. The finale was about to begin. In the Lounge, Nathan¡¯s teammates were helping him to rx when one of them suddenly came over and said, ¡°Bro, there¡¯s someone outside looking for you.¡± Nathan was surprised. ¡°Who?¡± That person scratched his head, not knowing why his face blushed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she¡¯s quite pretty.¡± Nathan was even more surprised.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°A female?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let her in!¡± Zoe was led into the Lounge, and saw Nathan, who was sitting on a chair at a nce. Compared to his appearance when he was a director, Nathan looked sharper at the moment. Even though he was in his forties, he looked as quick-witted as a hot-blooded teenage. Zoe smiled, calmly walked up to him and extended her hand. ¡°Director Hale, long time no see.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Nathan was taken aback. He knew Zoe. Five years ago, at the entrance exam of the Royal College of Art, he had seen her work as an examiner at that time. Nathan was amazed by her performance, only after Zoe was exposed for giarism, stealing her sister¡¯s work, and she was disqualified in the end. In Nathan¡¯s opinion, it was such a pity. There was nothing he could do because of the rules. Later on, he became busy with work, and didn¡¯t pay attention to that matter. He was not expecting to meet Natalia here. After a brief moment, Nathan showed a polite smile and stood up to shake her hand. Natalia smiled, ¡°Director Hale, It¡¯s such an honor for me to meet you again.¡± Nathan forced a smile. ¡°Did youe to see me today for something??¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not looking for you because of what happened five years ago. I indeed felt wronged, but the past is the past. Besides, no one wants to hold on to those boring old stuff, right?¡± Nathan frowned slightly and was about to say something. Zoe had already spoken in advance. ¡°I heard the ck Horse is fighting for first ce this time?¡± The moment she brought it up, everyone around her was instantly lifted. Zoe sessfully attracted Nathan¡¯s attention too. Nathan stared at Zoe and asked with a deep voice, ¡°So what if that¡¯s the case?¡± Natalia grinned. ¡°Director Hale, maybe it¡¯s not polite of me to say this, but it¡¯s true. ck Horse has a slim chance of winning the championship.¡± Once these words came out, everyone¡¯s face had sunk. Someone said angrily, ¡°How can you say that when we haven¡¯t evenpeted yet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I think you are deliberatelye to pick a fight! Believe it or not, I can kick you out now!¡± Zoe curled her lips, and remainedposed as she looked around the crowd. Next, she shared her analysis, ¡°Director Hale¡¯sstpetition was four years ago, when he lost to Charlie by 0. 5 second. In the end, his lost his title as the car racing god, and he hasn¡¯t participated in anypetition ever since.¡± ¡°Charlie has been the champion for four consecutive years, whereas ck Horse has been trying to reim the title. Director Hale has been practicing hard, and his speed has been reduced from 2 minutes and 3 seconds four years ago to 1 minute and 54 seconds. ¡°I have to say, this is indeed an astonishing achievement in the 4 km rally, but do you know Charlie¡¯s result when he participated in a foreignpetitionst month?¡± Nathan¡¯s face changed slightly. Zoe smiled and said word for word, ¡°1 minute and 48 seconds.¡± Everyone in the room drew a cold breath. Though it was only a 6-second difference, everyone knew how tough it was to close the gap. At such a high level, almost everyone had unleashed their potential to the limit, and it was nearly impossible to advance further. However, 1 minute and 48 seconds was such an incredible result! 43 Be it in domestic or internationalpetitions, nobody had ever achieved this result in a 4- kilometer rallycross! Everyone¡¯s faces changed once more, but Nathan seemed calm and collected. He looked at Zoe with a sober face. ¡°So what? If you¡¯re telling me this just to get me to give up this game, then I am telling you, it¡¯s never going to happen!¡± Zoe chuckled. ¡°You misunderstood me! I don¡¯t mean to ask you to give up. I¡¯m just telling you very objectively that with the current strength of ck Horse, it¡¯s simply impossible for you to regain the championship.¡± ¡°You!¡± A hot-tempered member could not hold back anymore, and made a move to lunge at Zoe. However, he was stopped by Nathan. He looked calmly at Zoe. ¡°Then what do you mean?¡± Zoe smirked spontaneously. ¡°I can help you win the championship.¡± ¡°What?¡± Everyone showed an expression of disbelief. Zoe continued, ¡°As long as you promise me something, 1 guarantee ck Horse will be the champion this time.¡± Nathan sneered, ¡°I understand what you mean, but I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not interested in your offer and I don¡¯t believe what you¡¯re saying. I admit that Charlie is indeed a worthy opponent, but he¡¯s not strong enough to make me shrink.¡± Zoe wanted to say something else, but was interrupted by him raising his hand. ¡°Alright, you may leave if there¡¯s nothing else you¡¯d like to say. I¡¯m going to prepare for the race.¡± Zoe frowned. Seeing that Nathan was determined, she could only leave for now. The finale started very soon. Race cars from four teams entered, and then a whistle sounded, indicating the start of the race. With that, the cars zoomed away like arrows leaving their bows. The cars rushed out like arrows from the string. The racetrack was abuzz with excitement while ck Horse members kept their eyes locked on their car. At this moment, someone behind him suddenly tapped his shoulder. The man turned his head back, and when he saw the person standing behind him, he immediately frowned tightly. ¡°Why are you here again? You haven¡¯t left yet, huh?¡± Zoe smiled, pointed at the screen on the racetrack. ¡°Look, your boss is already in third ce now. Even if he barely passes this round, he¡¯ll only end up in second ce, no matter how hard he tries in the next round. He can¡¯t finish first.¡± The man was furious with her, but Zoe was telling the truth, and he couldn¡¯t say a word to refute her. It was undeniable that Nathan was very capable four years ago, but there were always neers in this circle and car racing was a sport that tested racer¡¯s reaction and physical coordination. Nathan was¡­ getting old. Situations from various road sections were shown on the screen. Nathan was constantly in third ce, and was clinging to the second ce. He was left behind by Charlie, who was in first. Nathan¡¯s teammates were slowly bing dispirited. ck Horse had been preparing for four years so as to avenge the shame in the past. During the past four years, they suffered endless ridicule and snobbish looks and endure them silently. It was so that they could win thispetition in the right way, and reim their glory! They wanted to convince those who belittled them that the championship belonged to ck Horse! As always! But now the situation¡­ Was it really not possible this time? Eventually, the excited team members gradually be worried and uneasy. The result was announced when the first half of the race was over. Charlie was ranked first with a time of 1 minute and 48 seconds; the next racer came in second with a result of 1 minute and 54 seconds; Nathan ranked third with a result of 1 minute and 55 seconds. The result was quite obvious. Following that, the referee announced that the three teams would enter the grand finale, which would begin in half an hour. Although ck Horse managed to qualify for the final round, the team members were depressed as they surrounded Nathan heading to the Lounge. Inside the Lounge, everyone nced at Nathan.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. One of the team members probed carefully, ¡°Bro, what are the chances of us winning the championship this time?¡± Nathan nced at him. His face was gloomy for a moment before he said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I might have to let you guys down this time.¡± Just now, he had tried his best, but he only managed to finish third. He did not want to admit it, but he was indeed getting old. Even though Nathan¡¯s skill was still top-notch, the reaction speed of his hands and feet was unable to keep up. Besides, he could hardlypete with the top-notch racers in their twenties. When the team members heard him say this, they were all a bit overwhelmed for a while. ¡°Bro Nathan, don¡¯t say that. We believe in you. You can definitely do it!¡± ¡°Yes, even if you don¡¯t win the championship, it doesn¡¯t matter. You will always be our boss!¡± Nathan smiled. He knew his teammates were sincere in saying these words, but it was unavoidable for him to feel regretful. After all, Nathan was already 42 years old. If he lost again this year, he would basically never be able to return to the racetrack to witness ck Horse regain the championship. At that moment, there was a sudden knock on the door. A beautiful figure shed in. ¡°Director Hale, what do you think? After experiencing it first hand, did you realize that what I said is true?¡± Nathan held his forehead as his head ached when he saw Zoe. ¡®Why is this girl here again?¡¯ ¡°Zoe, what exactly do you want?¡± ¡°I said, I want to help you guys get the championship.¡± Zoe said confidently. Nathan looked up at her and frowned. ¡°Racing is not a child¡¯s y. Not to mention the result, given that you¡¯re inexperienced, there is also a high risk of injury. Are you sure you still want to go?¡± Zoe smiled and leaned forward slightly. She stared into Nathan¡¯s eyes and uttered word by word, ¡°I¡¯m sure. If you don¡¯t believe me, we can make a bet. If I lose, you can do anything you want; if I win, reserve Kallie Franklin¡¯s role in ¡®The Youth¡¯ for me. What do you think?¡± Nathan¡¯s pupils shook slightly. ¡°You¡¯re here for The Youth?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± The atmosphere suddenly quieted down. Nathan and Zoe stared at each other, but neither of them was willing to give way. It was only after a while that Nathan fiercely gritted his teeth. ¡°Okay, I agree.¡± ¡°Bro Nathan!¡± ¡°Nathan, you can¡¯t do it!¡± The others tried to change Nathan¡¯s mind, but he raised his hand and stopped them. ¡°But I also have a condition, that is, if you win, you have to join the ck Horse from now on, and for at least five years, you cannot leave!¡± Everyone around was taken aback. Sure enough, Nathan really cared about his team. In the past few years, he watched as Flying Eagle, Heavenly Hunter, and a few other teams growing stronger and stronger. More and more talents emerged, and Charlie, who was as an underdog, had be the champion for four years consecutively. The young man was incredibly capable, and he could not be easily challenged. On the contrary, the ck Horse had declined slowly over the past four years. It used to be an outstanding team in the country, but they ended up failing to defend their title. One could imagine how concerned and dismayed they were. 44 ording to Nathans condition, if Zoe lost, it would just be another year of defeat for the team. If she won, ck Horse was able to defend the title, and get a new superb racer. And for at least five years, ck Horse would not have to worry about its situation. After five years, new blood and fresh talents would naturally fill the vacancy, so it did not matter if Natalia was staying or not. Needless to say, the older, the wiser! What Nathan proposed directly blocked Zoe¡¯s way back. Nheless, since Natalia had the guts to propose the bet in the first ce, why would she flinch? She smiled and reached out her hand. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s a deal!¡± ¡°Deal!¡¯ As they high-fived each other in the mid-air, the bet was set. Half an hourter, the final round was about to start. Racers from the three teams made their way to the racetrack one after another. However, when everyone saw a new female face in ck Horse¡¯s racing suit instead of Nathan, they were startled. ¡°Who is she?¡¯ ¡°Why is she wearing the suit of the ck Horse Team?¡± ¡°Did the ck Horse change their racer?¡¯ Charlie was slightly stunned when he recognized Natalia. He furrowed immediately after. Zoe approached him and waved her hand with a smile. ¡°Charlie, long time no see! How are you?¡± Having studied together for three years, Charlie naturally knew Zoe. Not only did he know her, but he also knew that she was that woman¡¯s best friend. Charlie frowned and looked around him, then he asked with a deep voice, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Zoe shrugged, and said with an innocent expression. ¡°To race, of course!¡± Charlie face immediately sank. Not far away, Victoria noticedZoe too. Her eyes widened in disbelief and she hurriedly trotted over through the crowd and ran toward Natalia. ¡°Zoe, what are you doing? Stop fooling around, ande back with me quickly!¡± Victoria was so anxious that she shrank from behind and tried to pull Natalia back. When Charlie saw Victoria, he recognized her at once, although she was wearing a hat and mask and hiding behind Jing Ning, he recognized her at once. His already cold and sullen handsome face instantly turned colder. Zoe secretly tugged Victoria while she looked at Charlie calmly. ¡°Why? Are you surprised to see me, Senior Charlie? You¡¯re not afraid topete with me, are you?¡± Charlie sneered, turned around and walked away. ¡°Mr. Charlie Peck, where are you going? Are we not going topete with me?¡± Charlie replied coldly, ¡°She¡¯s not from ck Horse. Since Nathan doesn¡¯t have the guts to take part, this round bes invalid.¡± ¡°What?¡± Everyone else was baffled. Zoe frowned but said loudly, ¡°Charlie, who told you that I¡¯m not a ck Horse member? Can¡¯t 1 join it at thest minute? On the other hand, aren¡¯t you afraid of being embarrassed if word about you running away from apetition spreads out?¡± Charlie halted. He turned to cast a cold look at Zoe. Zoe continued in a hurry, ¡°How about we make a bet? If I lose today, ck Horse will quit the race and will never participate in any future rallies in the country¡¯ but if I win¡­¡± She paused and suddenly yanked Victoria toward the front. Following that, she smiled with her eyes squinted. ¡°You can have a meal with my bestie here. What do you think?¡± The moment these words came out, there wasughter and whistling all around. Victoria¡¯s face blushed right away. She lowered her head and tried to cover her face with her cap as she uttered, ¡°Natalia, I¡¯m not going to dine with him. Stop it, and let¡¯s go!¡± Zoe gritted her teeth and whispered, ¡°Can you be more mature? Having a chance to have a meal together is better than always being a backdrop among a bunch of fans. If there happens to be a spark of love between you, your long-cherished wish will be achieved! Victoria the beauty!¡± Victoria¡¯s face changed. Her face turned vaguely pale when a thought crossed her mind. Behind them, members from the ck Horse felt nonchnt when they heard that they might have to withdraw from the tournament from now on.. Someone stepped forward and tried to stop Natalia, but Nathan blocked him. Nathan said as he looked at Natalia¡¯s back and said in a deep voice, ¡°1 trust her; I believe she won¡¯t joke about the future of the whole team.¡± The team members had to hold down the dissatisfaction in their hearts and retreated. With that, the other members could only hold back while they suppressed their dissatisfaction. On the other hand, Charlie took a quick look at Victoria after he heard Zoe¡¯s suggestion. His eyebrows made him look indifferent, and he gave off a feeling of contempt as he spoke, ¡°You want to have dinner with me?¡± Victoria trembled gently. Zoe did not notice Victoria¡¯s unusual behavior. She encouraged her best friend while she tugged her arm, ¡°Victoria, this is a crucial moment, don¡¯t be a wimp!¡± Only then did Victoria finally raise her head. She stared at the man in front of her. His dark blue race suitplemented his tall figure, lean legs, and wild eyebrows, and it emitted a cold and domineering feeling. Victoria pursed her lips. It took her a while, but in the end, she still hadContent is property ? N?velDrama.Org. the courage to stand out and said loudly. ¡°So what if it is? Do you dare topete with me or not?¡± Although she had plucked up her courage, she stammered because shecked confidence and was nervous. Charlie reacted like he had heard some funny joke. He sneered suddenly and nced over Victoria mockingly, and then he walked toward his car, holding his helmet in his hand. This meant that he agreed to the bet. The people around them jeered. Even though Victoria wore a hat and a mask, based on her eyes and her great figure, it was not difficult to imagine that the face under the mask must be beautiful. On the racetrack, it was always a war of hormones. Women were like good race cars, and they were targets for men to conquer. Victoria held onto Natalia¡¯s hand tightly, trembling badly due to tension. When the man walked past her, a light and low and cold voice came from overhead. ¡°You¡¯ll never have this chance again!¡± Victoria¡¯s face became as white as a sheet of paper. Due to the cheers and loud noise in the venue, and the fact that Charlie lowered his voice deliberately, Victoria was the only one who heard him. Seeing that her face was a little off, Zoe asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Is everything okay?¡± Victoria shook her head. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Natalia, you¡¯ve never raced before, is it really okay??¡± She was concerned. Zoe patted her shoulder with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just wait for the candlelight dinner with your Mr. Perfect!¡± After saying that, with a confident toss of her hair, Zoe put her helmet on and headed for her race car. Once the racers took their positions, the whistle was blown, and the race started. Three cars rushed out at the same time, but Charlie was soon ranked first for the time being. Zoe followed steadily behind Charlie, and she went past a few obstacles smoothly while she constantly stayed closely behind him. The two of them quickly grew far ahead of the racer in third ce, but when Charlie noticed through the rearview mirror the car behind him, he could not help but frown. The third ce was soon left behind by the two, Charlie saw the car behind through the rearview mirror, frowning. 45 Charlie had always thought that Zoe could not drive a racing car at all. That was why he rejected her request without hesitation when she first brought it up. Later, although he agreed to the bet, he didn¡¯t expect too much in his heart. Who knew, Natalia was really good at car racing! When Charlie looked at the car that was tailing him, he naturally thought about thedy who wore a mask and hid shyly behind Zoe a few minutes ago. Her eyes were like a pair of hook made of aged wine, and it easily evokedplex and painful emotions from the bottom of his heart. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°How dare she show up in front of me!¡± Charlie punched the steering wheel, and his face was gloomy as hell. ¡°She wants to have a meal with me?¡± ¡°Hah! In her dreams!¡± He curled his lips into a grim smile as he looked into the rearview mirror once more. The car behind him continued following him closely, which made it evident that the racer was rather skillful. Nheless, so what if Natalia was skilled? He would not lose! Charlie was determined not to give that woman the chance to get close to him again and hurt him!! Thinking of this, Charlie¡¯s foot hit the elerator to speed up. In the car behind, Natalia looked at the car that suddenly picked up speed in front of him with a calm face. ¡®Tsk, buddy, you seem very agitated. Looks like you¡¯re set on winning!¡± ¡®Sadly, you¡¯re unlucky to meet me today!¡± Soon, there would be a 90-degree sharp turn ahead. Since Zoe had been keeping track of the time, she figured that it was about time. A stern look could be seen on her face as she suddenly stepped on the elerator and swished to the side of Charlie with a beautiful drift turn. Inside the car, the man was obviously surprised. The grave expression on his face seemed colder than before. Charlie pressed his foot on the elerator to speed up again. Zoe followed suit. Outside the track, members from both teams were stupefied when they watched the game through the big screen. ¡°Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!¡± Finally, someone¡¯s on par with Charlie! It was so frightening! It was so exciting! Although there was no winner yet, at least someone had broken the myth that Charlie was an unsurpassable racer. Of course, the members from the ck Horse were the most excited. Originally, they were not optimistic about Natalia¡¯s performance, but they didn¡¯t expect that they would be given such a huge surprise! ¡°Oh my God, the speed of hand movement, her calmness! Even Bro Nathan four years ago wasn¡¯t this great, okay?¡¯ ¡°Ah, Bro Nathan is forever the best¡­ Mm¡­ Although that¡¯s only what we think.¡± The two racers were near the finishing line, but they were still next to each other, neither of them willing to give way to the other. Charlie secretly picked up his speed again to make a final spurt. However, the car beside him suddenly rumbled, and his opponent moved faster and swooshed past him. Charlie widened his eyes. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°That woman beat me to it!¡± It was toote for him to further speed up, and they passed the finishing line almost at the same time. In the end, ck Horse Team won with a 0. 04 seconds lead! Everyone was dumbfounded. UnbelievableN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The car-racing god, who had been the champion for four consecutive years, was actually surpassed by a girl! ¡°Oh my god! What breaking news is this? It¡¯s so exciting!¡± The crowd fell silent for a few seconds before cheers and screams flooded the venue. It happened so fast that everyone could not react to in time. Once the crowd realized what happened, they saw Charlie exit his car with a dark face. Zoe also got off the car, wearing a smile. She removed her helmet, flipped her long ponytail in a cool manner, causing countless men to be enchanted by her heroic charm. Holding the helmet, she went to the ck Horse Team and said to Nathan with a smile, ¡°How was it? I did not lie to you, did I?¡± Nathan looked at her with aplicated look. As for the other team members, they were more exhrated. A group of people surrounded Natalia. If it was not because the gender difference, they would have raised her up and hurrahed. The awards ceremony took ce after the race ended. Zoe, the well-deserved champion, was pushed onto the stage by her teammates. Despite that, the participants joined thepetition as a team; hence the glory naturally went to her team. When Zoe received the award, Charlie and his teammates had already left. ¡°Director Hale, will you fulfill your promise?¡± Nathan looked at her and nodded firmly. ¡°You made it, and I¡¯ll keep my word too, but I have been working on The Youth for many years. If the second supporting female role acts not well, it may ruin the whole y.¡± ¡°So I only give you a chance for a fairpetition. If you have the talent, you will have the role. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you have it even if I¡¯ll be used of eating my own words.¡± Zoe chuckled. ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t expect to win the role with a single race anyway. You can rest assured. I just want a fair chance topete. When will you be avable? I will bring someone to the audition.¡± Nathan nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s do it tomorrow morning! I¡¯ll wait for you at my office.¡± ¡°Okay, deal!¡± After making the appointment with Nathan, Zoe finally remembered Victoria. Nevertheless, she could not spot her best friend no matter how many times she looked. Zoe thought Victoria was with the Julio Eagle team. But she only saw Charlie with a gloomy face went inside, surrounded by his teammates. there was no sign of Victoria. Zoe could not help but frown. Where did Victoria go? Zoe took out her phone to call Victoria, but nobody picked up. Feeling helpless, she could only ask the ck Horse members to help look for her best friend Victoria. After all, the racetrack was at a rather remote ce. Victoria was a young female celebrity, so it would be difficult to manage if something happened. Natalia and the others were looking for Victoria everywhere¡­ In the parking lot. Victoria bent over as she quietly made her way to her car. She took the key out of her pocket and unlocked the car so that she could get in. All of a sudden, an arm reached over the top of her head as someone mmed the door down. Victoria¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, when she turned around, she saw the man standing behind her with stern eyes. It was silent around them. Compared to the morous scene at the racetrack, the parking lot was deste. The dim streetmps shone from afar, like a few cooked egg yolks in the pitch-ck night sky. Instead of being bright and warm, they gave off a cold and lonely feel. Victoria forced a smile and straightened her back. ¡°Why did youe out?¡± She lowered her head to avoid Charlie¡¯s eyes. Though she was trying hard to stay calm, the tension in her body and the quiver in her voice showed her nervousness. Charlie withdrew his hand and put it into his pocket. He looked down at her from above in a domineering manner. The handsome man did not seem gentle at all; a cold and wild look could be seen on his craggy face. When he kept a straight face, he seemed indifferent and chilly. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to have dinner with me? She won the champion, why are you running away?¡± 46 Victoria was stunned. She wanted to say it was not her who made the bet! But Zoe was her bestie and she did it for her sake so that she could have a date with Charlie. Besides, when the bet was made, she had stood out earlier herself, so she could not go back on her words now.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Victoria tucked her hair behind her ears and cleared her throat.. ¡°Uhm¡­ I wasn¡¯t running away! I j-just came to get something. Yes, I came to get something?¡± She even repeated herself to confirm what she said. Charlie sneered in disdain. Since the door was unlocked, he pulled the door open and got into the passenger seat. Victoria was baffled. Seeing the woman still standing there, Charlie stared coldly at her and asked impatiently, ¡°Why are you still standing there? Where are we going to eat?¡± Victoria didn¡¯t know how to answer his question. ¡°Oh,¡± she responded as soon as she regained her senses. Nheless, just as Victoria wanted to enter the car, she remembered that the car belonged to Natalia If she drove her car away, how could Natalia go hometer? Therefore, Victoria could only ask softly as she looked at the man, sitting in the passenger seat and closing his eyes, ¡°This isn¡¯t my car. Can we go in your car?¡± Charlie didn¡¯t reply. Then Zoe received a phone call from Victoria. Victoria told her she had to leave first and that she had given the car keys to the security guard in the parking lot. Then she hung up the phone. Zoe initially wanted to ask if Victoria wanted to wait for Charlie so that he could fulfill his promise, but Victoria hung up so quickly that she could not say it in time. However, sheter heard that Charlie left right after thepetition ended. She took a look at her watch and realized the timing matched, so she immediately figured out what happened. Hence, she did not bother her again. She went to get her car after she set a specific time for the appointment with Nathan, then she left. When she got home, it was ten p. m. Surprisingly, Henry was not home. Considering how Henry drove to herpany to pick her up when she forgot to inform him about having to work overtime, Natalia sent him a text in advance. But she did not expect that she was not the only one who arrived homete. Zoe looked for Mrs. Dottie, who exined to her with a smile, ¡°Mr. Han called at dinner time, saying that there is a very important video conference in thepany, so he won¡¯te back so early.¡± Zoe nodded. She went straight upstairs without saying anything else. After a long and tiring day, Zoe wanted to take a bath and have a good rest. She entered the restroom with her pajamas. On the other side, Victoria and Charlie arrived at the restaurant. It was an open-air candlelit restaurant. The restaurant was situated on the second floor, with bright moon and cold wind overhead and vast river in a distance. It was surrounded by romantic candlelight. An elegant cellist was seen ying a melodious and graceful piece on a small stage. If Victoria ignored the cold-faced man in front of her, the restaurant was indeed the most suitable ce for a romantic date. When the waiter came with the food they ordered, Victoria expressed her thanks in a low voice. At the restaurant, she didn¡¯t need to fully disguise herself anymore. She removed the mask but was still wearing the cap. The broad brim covered her eyes, leaving only her straight nose and pink lips exposed, and her graceful chin raised slightly. Without saying a word, she had a noble and sophisticated look, as if she was above all beings. Charlie¡¯s eyes were dark and hollow, and a hint of coldness could be seen deep inside them. All the way from the racetrack, Victoria had gradually eased down from the tension. Even so, she felt uneasy. They were dinning outside, but she felt the pressure of the air around her. It seemed that even the space was cramping and suffocating. The atmosphere was silent and awkward. However, it was worth noting that many couples dined at the open-air restaurant. In contrast with the affectionate couples, Victoria and Charlie looked even more estranged from each other. A waiter with roses in his hands approached them. He bent slightly and smiled respectfully, ¡°Sir, would you like to buy a bouquet for your girlfriend, as roses symbolize always and forever?¡± Charlie cast a cold look at the waiter. ¡°No!¡± The waiter felt they were indeed a strange couple. They were dining together, but seldom talked to each other. The man seemed extremely fierce. To lighten the mood, the waiter smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Sir, how about you request a song for your girlfriend! Given the environment that you¡¯re in, it¡¯s romantic to listen to a song requested by your lover!¡± Charlie raised his head and red at the waiter. That look, like a wolf in the wilderness, shed faint cold light in the darkness of the night. The waiter shivered and felt a chill down his spine. Following that, Charlie uttered slowly word by word, ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend. How many times do I have to tell you? Get lost now!¡± The waiter finally realized that the man in front of him was not only fierce, but also had a bad temper! The waiter¡¯s face changed and he hurried away with the roses. Victoria was embarrassed about what happened. She informed Charlie softly, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± Then, she got up and left in a hurry. Looking at her back, Charlie did not say a word, but his eyes darkened. In the restroom, Victoria desperately took deep breaths. It seemed that only in this way could she temporary ease her heart, which had been suppressed for a long time. Suddenly, her cell phone in the bag rang. When she reached for it t, she noticed that Zoe was calling her. Victoria¡¯s eyes were sour and she forced back her tears, which were about to roll down her cheeks. ¡°Hi, Zo.¡± ¡°How is it, Victoria? Is it fun to date the man in your dreams?¡± Victoria forced a smile. Fun? Maybe!!!! Unfortunately, he looked so unhappy! ¡°Perhaps in this life he hated me the most. I promised to stay out of his sight forever, but now I broke the promise, and forced him to have a candlelight dinner with me. He must hate me to the core now!¡¯ Victoria felt that her eyes get sour again. She held back her tears quickly once more. She could not cry. It took her more than two hours to finish her makeup. If she cried, it would be ruined, right? She looked up and it was several seconds before she could hold back the tears. On the other end, Natalia thought something had happened to Victoria because she did not say a word. ¡°Victoria? Are you all right?¡± Victoria replied at once, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I am in the restroom!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Then, how are you getting on?¡± ¡°Nothing much. You know he can be quite cold, and sit for hours without saying a word, so what can I do?¡± Zoe scoffed disdainfully. ¡°You can break the ice first!! You are the most popr star in J City, aren¡¯t you always good at starting conversations? Think about the men who¡¯ve desperately pursued you; believe in your charm! As long as you show a bit of your charm, you will make it!¡± Victoria was amused by her and burst intoughter. 47 Eventually, Victoria became less depressed. ¡°Well, you¡¯re right, but I¡¯ve forgotten how to use my charm. Why don¡¯t you teach me?¡± Zoe was not afraid of being stimted by her and responded, ¡°OK, I am doing this for your happiness. Wait, Let me hang up and make a video call.¡± She hung up the phone, clicked on the video and it was soon connected. Victoria holding her arm leaned on washbasin and watched at her with a smile. ¡°Come on, Zo! Start your show.¡± Two people had grown up together, and in private they did not care much about their images in the front of each other. Zoe put the phone on the bookshelf, and began her performance in front of her phone. She started with some disgusting and exaggerated lines from prime-time shows, as well as some pickup lines. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for years. I miss you so much.¡± ¡°They think there are many people in my world, but I¡¯m the only one who knows that you¡¯re my world!!¡± ¡°You are the white moonlight in my heart, and the colors in my life.¡± ¡°Without your permission, I have liked you for so many years, I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°A man falls in love with a stream, because he has never seen the sea. And now I¡¯ve seen the Milky Way, but you are still my only star.¡± When Zoe recited these lines, she did not notice that the door to her room was slowly opened behind her. When Henry came back from work, he heard that Natalia was already home. So he untied his tie and went upstairs. Unexpectedly, he opened the door and was greeted with such a scene. Under the dim yellowish light, a woman in pajamas was caressing her body in front of the bookshelf. While twisting her delicate waist while touching herself, she was murmuring some lines. ¡°You are my dearest, you are my darling, and you are the three-quarter of my life.¡± ¡°Without you, it is like the darkness losing light, or fish out of water; my life is meaningless.¡± ¡°I love you like a flying moth darting into a me, your heart is where I want to go to the most¡­¡± Uhm¡­ All in all, it was hard to exin in a few words. In the video, Victoria was fully immersed in Zoe¡¯s show at first. But then she started to look a bit strange. Noticing her distraction, Zoe stopped and said, ¡°Hey, Victoria, I¡¯ve been acting so hard. Could you give me some attention and respect my performance?¡± Victoria smiled awkwardly. ¡°Zoe, do you¡­have you got a new boyfriend?¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Victoria pointed behind her. Zoe froze at once. She looked at bottom right corner of her phone screen. In the next second, her pupil erged, and she became stiffened on the spot, as though she was struck by lightning. Henry holding his coat and his tie in one hand stood behind her with his straight figure. The man smirked and teased her with his eyes. He simply stared at her without moving an inch. Zoe suddenly had an urge to die! She immediately ended the video call and turned around to re at Henry. Henry forced to hold back hisughter, then put his coat and tie on a nearby chair before he approached Zoe. ¡°Honey, I really did not know you miss me so much when I am not at home.¡± Zoe pouted her lips and almost cried because she was too mad. ¡°Henry , why didn¡¯t you knock on the door before you enter the bedroom?¡± ¡°This is my house, and we are married. There is nothing I can¡¯t see. Why should I knock on the door?¡± Henry raised his eyebrows. Zoe was so mad! ¡°But his words seemed to have a point. What should I do?¡± She wanted to cry but had no tears, whereas the smile in Henry¡¯s eyes was growing deeper. ¡°Honey, in fact, if you really have your needs, just tell me. Don¡¯t be shy, I will definitely satisfy you. It you lock yourself in a room to relieve yourself, the effect is not good and it is bad for your body.¡± Zoe blushed right away. Realizing he had misunderstood her, she tried to exin. ¡°I, No, it¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s not what you think!¡± ¡°So, what is it then??¡± Henry walked slowly towards her, step by step. In a few steps he came up to her. When Zoe sensed the strong male hormones and the cold breath that belonged to Archie, Natalia flushed. She hemmed and hawed, not knowing how to exin herself. ¡°I am not, I didn¡¯t. Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± She bbered ¡°Nonsense?¡± Henry chuckled and suddenly leaned over. He touched the side of Natalia¡¯s face with one hand and retrieved a photo beside her phone with the other hand. ¡°In the middle of the night, you stayed in the bedroom by yourself to say such cheesy words while looking at my photo. How dare you say you didn¡¯t miss me? Huh?¡± His voice was deep and slightly husky, which was incredibly sexy. Zoe was flushed from cheek to neck. Just now she found a ce to put her phone randomly. She did not notice his picture was there. Nheless, it would not matter if she exined herself. For all she knew, the narcissistic man was already imagining things! She could only back off and change the subject. ¡°I, I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore. I¡¯m going to bed!¡± Following that, she turned to leave. However, her wrist was suddenly grasped by the man. Zoe was startled, and noticed that she had finally retreated to the side of the bed.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Her leg bumped against the edge of the bed, which hurt so much that she screamed. As soon as her knees went weak, she fell backward onto the bed. Henry originally wanted to catch her, but Zoebgrabbed his cor out of panic. As a result, his center of gravity was suddenly changed, and fell onto the bed with her. The two of them fell heavily on the bed. Before either of them could react to the situation, Zoe widened her eyes because she felt something soft on her lips. When feeling a soft and tender touch, Zoe immediately widened her eyes. The room was dead silent. Under the dim light, Henrywas on top of her. Henry was stunned too. His lips were on hers. The warm and tender touch sent an electric current to his brain. At that moment, the bedroom door was not closed, and footsteps were suddenly heard. ¡°Sir, you have a call from the capital¡­ Ah!¡± A short scream was heard. When Zoe finally regained her senses, she pushed the man away, stood up and saw Mrs. Dottie waving her hands nervously. ¡°I¡¯m s-sorry. I came in because the door was left ajar, I-I¡­ Sir, Madam, please go on! I¡¯ll go downstairs!¡± Mrs. Dottie fled as fast as she could. Zoe closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Next, she turned to stare at Henry in a vicious and merciless way. ¡°You!¡± Henry shrugged his shoulders innocently, indicating that it was not his fault and he did not expect it too. Zoe was so furious that her stomach hurt. In the end, Zoe went downstairs to exin to Mrs. Dottie. Henry was not bothered. Zoe could exin all she wanted, but in any case, they were husband and wife, a married couple. Besides, Mrs. Dottie was someone who had the experience, so she would probably not believe what Zoe said. Thinking of that kiss, Henry reached out and touched his lips. The tender touch was still there, as sweet and wonderful as ever. He curled his lips into a smile as he made his way to the study. 48 Zoe went downstairs, trying to exin to Mrs. Dottie. However, Mrs. Dottie did not believe what she said at all. On the contrary, she gave her a suggestive look, ¡°I understand, Madam. You don¡¯t have to be shy about it. It¡¯s a great thing for couples to share a good rtionship. Soon, a little young master will be on the way, and all the hustle and bustle in the Mansion.¡± In short, she rambled on but refused to believe Zoe about it being a misunderstanding. Zoe gave up when she found that Mrs. Dottie was difficult to get through. Technically speaking, Henry and she was a legally married couple. So it was nothing out of the ordinary for them to be engaging in a little intimacy. It was quite awkward to be caught red-handed by elders but it was not a big deal. Zoe decided to abandon her n to forgo the chance to restore her uppity image in Mrs. Dottie¡¯s mind. Instead, she poured herself a ss of milk and headed upstairs. When she passed by the study, she suddenly heard someone talking inside. It seems that Henry was talking on the phone. Not minding the slightest, Zoe was about to pass by, but she suddenly heard a gentle soothing. ¡°Oh baby, be good. Listen to me, take the medicine, then go to bed early today. Okay?¡± Her body stiffened. She was nailed to where she stood. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Be a good girl, and I¡¯ll apany you when I get back, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, of course Anne is the most adorable baby in the world.¡± The sweet talk continued in the study. The conversation mostly involved gentle hushes of the man in an incredibly gentle tone that Zoe had never heard before.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. She could even imagine Henry smiling with an affectionate look on his face. It was a sweet scene, but she felt as though a ssh of water hit her, sending chills down to her spine. Zoe even heard Henry chuckling with delight. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll miss you too. Good night.¡± The call ended. The room went back to silence for a moment. Then, there was the sound of footsteps. Henry was heading out. Zoe¡¯s face turned into blue. Out of impulse, the strange coincidence had her turn tail and run. She ran into the bedroom and mmed the door backhanded. She sprinted all the way to her bedroom and mmed the door behind her in a wham. Coming out of the study, Henry witnessed a whirlwinding through from afar, and the next thing he knew, the bedroom door was closed shut. He was petrified, and then he frowned as if he realized something. Coincidently, Mrs. Dottie came upstairs at this time. Henry stood in the corridor and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Madam??¡± Mrs. Dottie got confused by his question. ¡°Madam juste upstairs, right? She was alright!¡± The frown on Henry¡¯s face deepened. Without another word, he turned around and walked towards the bedroom. In dimmed light, Zoe was leaning against the headboard, flipping through an entertainment magazine. Henry trod over and asked in a causal way, ¡°Did you just go by the study?¡± Zoe took a nce at him and made a dry cough, ¡°Yes, just passing by. Why are you nervous?¡± Henry didn¡¯t answer her. Even without looking at him, she could feel his sharp gaze hounding her with inquiry. Zoe got tired of this topic somehow. So, she intentionally yawned and put down the magazine in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s toote. I¡¯ll hit the sack now.¡± Then, shey down and pull up the quilt up. With her back facing him, she closed her eyes. As she snuggled under the covers, Henry¡¯s eyes darkened. Without further exnation, he headed to the bathroom to take a shower. With the splitter-sttering sound of water going on the other side, Zoe couldn¡¯t fall asleep at all. Those flirting words she heard outside the study were echoing in her mind. They sounded so intimate. She wouldn¡¯t believe it if she hadn¡¯t heard it with her own ears. Then, Zoe recalled what Henry said when he forced her to get the marriage license, and the scenes of these days. She felt bitter in her heart. Fortunately, they had only been together for a short time. Although they were namely husband and wife, they were more like business partners. Zoe would try her best to y the role as his wife, while he fulfilled his role as her husband when necessary. It was for the better. For someone who was betrayed once, Zoe no longer counted on meeting her true love. So all was good¡­ right? Zoe kept reassuring herself and finally her nerves were alleviated. However, a piece of her heart remained missing, dampening her spirits. When Henry finished his shower, Zoe was still awake. She nestled in the quilt, eyes closed, but her curled eyshes fluttering. It was obvious that she was pretending to be asleep. Henry smirked but did not expose her. He dried his hair and drew near to the bed. Zoe knew he was back. The sound of the man blow-drying his hair and walking was reminding her of his existence. Was he trying to draw to her attention? She took a shuddering breath, feigning ignorance. It was not long before the other side of bed dipped a bit and she was greeted with a refreshing fragrant dampness. Zoe frowned. She didn¡¯t notice Henry¡¯s smell before, for she usually fell into sleep very soon. But today, the man¡¯s presence was rather intense, making the big bed small and narrow. Especially when Henry approached her on purpose, she felt more insulted by his threatening vibe. She held her breath in and tensed her body muscles, She almost held her breath and tensed her body muscles, muffling her impulse to escape All of a sudden, she felt the room darkened. Henry must have turned off the lights. Amid the darkness, the human senses tended to be sharper than when there was light. Their bodies were not touching, and there was even a tiny gap between them. Nheless, the man¡¯s vivid presence could hardly be ignored. Time passed Zoe let out a mumble before turning over to roll to the side. The gap between them was stretched to half a meter. The distance did release the tension in the air at all. Zoe secretly let out a sigh of relief but she felt warmth behind her soon. Henry moved over as well. Zoe frowned. Even with her back facing him, she could map out the outline of the man¡¯s chest. This weird position¡­ Gritting her teeth, Zoe tried another tumble. Sticking like a barnacle, the man shoved over. She opened her eyes and in darkness, she picked up the man¡¯s spaced breathing as though he was sound asleep. Not sure whether Henry was asleep or pretending to be asleep like her, Zoe dwelled in her thoughts for a moment. In the end, she took a deep breath in and scooted towards the side of the bed. No matter how big the bed was, three times a tumble had her hanging at the edge of the bed. Another inch forward, she would be tumbling to the ground. Nevertheless, the man seemed determined to embarrass her. She just stopped when the person behind stuck close to her again What is more, it came with a sinuous arm huddling over her supple waistline. 49 With a stiffened back, Zoe dared not make any sudden movement. Amid the darkness, her eyes widened in the darkness. Was he¡­ really asleep? He usually kept to his side of the bed. What was all the sprawling around the bed today? Was he pretending to be asleep? Zoe waited for a moment, and Henry stopped fidgeting too. The pin-drop silence with the man¡¯s faint breathing in the background drew out a frame of tranquility and serenity. When she was sure that the man behind her was indeed asleep, she carefully lifted his arm, trying to move it away. However, the action immediately resulted in murmursing from behind her.. And the arm rested on her waist tightened to wrap her. What¡¯s more, Henry¡¯s whole body pressed on her, his handsome face burying in her long hair, as if she was hisrge-sized pillow. She was totally imprisoned by him now. Nestled in his embrace, Zoe was left breathless from suffocation while her bodyy stiffened. The faint breathing spewing between her hair and warm cirction curling her neck aroused a tingle of trembling numbness, electrifying her entire body like a surge of current. With her head buzzing, Zoe¡¯s mind almost went nk instantly. Yet, the man behind her remained unaware of her reaction, as he glided his arm over her waist, tightening his grasp over her. Zoe gritted her teeth. This intimate posture was way past the line of flirting. It could be said as risky. Unable to bear it further, she clutched onto his hand to put it away, regardless of the fact that the action would wake him. However, the arm on her waist suddenly strengthened its grip and she could not pull it away no matter how hard she tried. Just as she was going to give it another try with all her might, she heard muffles ofughter behind her. Dumbstruck like a blow to the head, Zoe finally realized something. She turned her head over. The light in the room was turned on instantly. Zoe stared at the man lying on the bed, stunned and speechless. He stopped ying dumb now that he had been discovered, but his arm still clung to her waist. Henry grinned at her, his other arm propping his head on the pillow, ¡°You finally quit pretending?¡± There was unmistakable banter in his voice. Zoe said angrily, ¡°You are awake at all the time, right?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you, too?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Knowing that she was wrong, Zoe didn¡¯t know how to retort. So she grumbled, ¡°So what? I did not get on your nerves pretending to be asleep, but why did you have to try my patience when you are faking it?¡± Henry stared at her quietly. The woman¡¯s downcast eyes revealed faint guilt and fluster. Her embodiment of a lost deer tugged on his heartstrings. She really was not the type to lie. Just a little lie was already biting so much on her conscience. Henry smirked before asking her, ¡°What did you hear outside the study earlier?¡± Zoe didn¡¯t know how to answer him for a while. Zoe paused and lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. His eyes were profound and murky, like the finest ck jade. Under the dimmed lighting, the seemingly prating eyes spoke of cidity and serenity. Zoe felt uneasy at his gaze. Henry was the one at fault but his calm gaze suggested as though she was to me! She got a little annoyed at the thought of this. Making up her mind, she clenched her teeth and red back. ¡°What did I hear? Anything and everything I¡¯m not supposed to hear! What are you going to do about it? Mr. McCathy, are you going to exin to me?¡± Henry got amused by her angry look. He extended his arm to shuffle her hair, messing up her sleepy head. Zoe jumped like a puffed-up cat. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Henry chuckled with glee as if he got more delighted by her annoyance. After all, no one would have thought that Zoe, who was always reversed and distant to others, would be like this in front of him. It was not for everyone in the world but only his eyes to see. It was as ifyers of facade built throughout the years were ripped apart, revealing her one true self Zoe was at the end of her tether with his constantughter. As she could not rest in bed, she got up and cast him aside, preparing to go out. Retracting his smile, Henry pulled her back. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Zoe blurted coldly, ¡°Go on with your giggles! I¡¯m going to sleep in the guest room.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Zoe got irritated again. ¡°Henry Han! Don¡¯t cross the line! Although we didn¡¯t get married for love, we are both consenting adults!¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have respect for my feelings even as a business partner? Putting aside the fact that you were flirting with another woman in front of me, I can¡¯t even sleep in the guest room?¡± Henry stared into her eyes, his eyes beaming. ¡°Mrs. Han, can I take your behavior as jealousy?¡± Zoe choked, and her eyes opened wide. An unfamiliar emotion agitated within her, throwing her into panic and confusion. She had the urge to run from it. She shook off his arm. ¡°Who said I¡¯m jealous? Only an idiot would be jealous! You know you¡¯re free to hook up with anyone. I¡¯m not your wife for real anyway. We can just divorce as soon as you work it out.¡± She grabbed her pillow and headed for the door. Seeing she was really angry, Henry hold her hands. ¡°Alright, alright it¡¯s my fault! You aren¡¯t jealous. It¡¯s all my fault, Okay?¡± Zoe ignored him. Henry continued to exin, ¡°It really is a misunderstanding. I never had another woman apart from you, let alone any Tom, Dick, or Harry out there. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can check it out, or ask Brian.¡± Smirking, Zoe threw him a nce. ¡°Brian works for you. Do you think I am so stupid to ask him?¡± Henry choked on her words. But her retort sounded reasonable at a second thought. Well, she was indeed a hard nut to crack. And at such critical moment, Even a man as brilliant as him could be a bad problem-solver. Indeed, soothing the nerves of one¡¯s wife was a life-saving skill. Even a man as smart as him could make a blunder in a pinch. How did hee up with such an idea? He changed his approach andforted her, ¡°Well, whatever you say makes sense, but I swear that I never had another woman other than you. If any of my words don¡¯t ring true, I deserve a painful death¡± Before Henry could finish her words, Zoe¡¯s eyelids throbbed. For some reason, she had a sinking feeling in her stomach, and before she knew it, her hands were already over his mouth.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Henryughed. Zoe red at him. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t bother fooling me with your tactics. The world wouldn¡¯t have that many douchebags if promises did any good.¡± Seizing the opportunity, Archie grabbed her hands and smiled. ¡°Yes, promises aren¡¯t worth anything but those words came from my heart. Honey, now that I¡¯m married to you, I won¡¯ty a finger on another woman. My moral senses and upbringing won¡¯t allow me to do such a thing. Do you believe me?¡± 50 She may have a round face, but she was natural and adorable. At first, her bearing and face shape did not work in her favor against a strong and perseverance character such as Nicole Block. It never crossed anyone¡¯s mind that she woulde out looking good after styling. She not only inspired Nicole Block¡¯s forbearing temperament, but also had a kind of natural indifference and conceit. This was a fairlyplicated person. After all, she was once a princess of an empire, high above the masses. There was no one above her other than the emperor. Her arrogance was bred in the bone. Even with her country and family in ruins, she could not get rid of it, despite falling in the hands of the enemy. Hence, she had to hide. But she could not hide them all, so he made such a character with all kinds of temperament. After Laura came out, Nathan nodded approvingly. The first scene was yed by Marie. This was a fight y. A middle-aged actress would be running the lines with them. The captured princess was thrown into the Imperial correction chamber in Kyrma Empire to be a courtesan, and the middle-aged actress acted as the correction matron, in charge of taming the disobedient Nicole and subduing her. The performance soon began. The correction matron sat upright there while Nicole was forced onto her knees by a few strong men. Fixing her gaze at her, the matron adopted a stem outlook. ¡°¡±I heard you refuse to learn dancing?¡± Nicole Block just entered the pce. Although her country and family were in shambles, she had the bearings of a royal attitude and conceited. She stared at the matron indignantly. Her eyes were firm and cold. ¡°I am a princess of the Yepa Empire. why should I acquire the lowly expertise of a performer? Kill me as you please, but you can never break my spirit!!¡± Just then, a whip fell on her body. Nicole felt the pain and snorted, and the matron sneered. ¡°Princess? The Yepa Empire has long gone, and now you are just a humble sinful ve. His Majesty was merciful to spare your life and put you into training. Instead of thanking your lucky stars, you¡¯re stupid and stubborn to im yourself a princess. Do you want a rebel?¡± The matron¡¯s tone was stern. Nicole¡¯s face turned pale out of pain. After a while, she bit her teeth and spit, ¡°Pah!¡± The provoking demeanor threw the matron into a rage. She raised the whip, assuming the position for another go when she was held back by the pce attendant beside. The pce attendant whispered in her ear, ¡°Matron, His Majesty specifically pardoned her and sent her to be taught in the correction chamber. His Majesty may one day summon her. We¡¯d be in a tight spot if we hurt her.¡±Eyes fixating on him, Zoe was sort of bought into it. However, at the thought of those sweet nothings in the study, she found it hard to let them go. Her face sank. She looked at Henry seriously and said, ¡°Archie, I don¡¯t know why you married me or how long this marriage willst, but I hope that if one day, you wish to end this marriage, you¡¯ll let me know in advance. I don¡¯t mind you falling for another woman, neither do I mind a divorce, but I take offense when ites to betrayal, no matter what kind of rtion we are, as couples or business partners. Do you understand?¡± Henry ¡®s face sank. He darted a cold stare at her and solemnly replied, ¡°You don¡¯t mind me falling in love with another woman?¡± Zoe felt like she got a stab in her heart. Zoe could not make out why she had this feeling. She and Henry weren¡¯t a real couple, and they were only together because of another reason. She had no right to stand in the way if he found his true love one day. Hence, she nodded. ¡°And you don¡¯t mind getting divorced?¡± She nodded again. Henry sneered. Her gentle face became cold and gloomy. He got up and went out. Zoe was a little taken aback. Before she snapped out of her thoughts, Henry came back with two red booklets. These were their marriage certificates. Zoe¡¯s eye was twitching. She didn¡¯t know what Henry was going to do, but, her gut was telling her that it would not be to her liking. He walked towards the front of a table and picked up a lighter. Suddenly the two red booklets were set aze. Zoe widened her eyes. ¡°Henry Han, what are you doing?¡± She pounced, trying to snatch the ignited marriage certificates. Nevertheless, Henry stopped her. Grabbing her by the hands, he pressed her against the wall. ¡°Zoe, I¡¯ve told you, I, Henry Han, will only have one woman and marry once in this lifetime. Since you always think I¡¯m kidding, I will prove it to you today. Our marriage certificates are burned. From now on, don¡¯t you dare to divorce me! Never! Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Zoe merely made a passingment. Why did he make a fuss? She didn¡¯t mean it seriously. She felt her wrist hurt by his strong clutch. She turned at the wrist with difficulty, only to find that she could not pull away from his clench. Thus, she surrendered. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ve got it. Will you let me go first?¡± But Henry didn¡¯t loosen his grip. Keeping an eagle eye on her, he said roughly, ¡°Then, are you still thinking about divorce?¡± Zoe rolled her eyes. ¡°Mr. Han, it was you who had an affair. Who gives you the right to ask me about it?¡± Henry finally broke intoughter. As if he was reminded of something, Henry rubbed her hair and murmured, ¡°Silly girl!¡± Zoe was confused and speechless. Fortunately, Henry finally let her go and exined, ¡°She¡¯s an important person in my life but not the kind you¡¯re thinking of.¡± Zoe was suspicious of his words. Seeing her questioning look, Henry smiled again. ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to Eqitinter. Then you¡¯ll know I¡¯m telling you the truth.¡± There was a quick change in Zoe¡¯s facial expression. Back to Eqitin? She opened her mouth, trying to say something but held her tongue. He came up to her, took her hands and pressed her to sit on the bed. Then, he leaned over to kiss her cheek. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go to sleep. Good night!¡± She enjoyed sound sleep until the break of dawn. The next day, Zoe took Victoria to Nathan¡¯s office as promised. Annie and Julia were also at Nathan¡¯s office. Annie was taken by surprise to see Zoe. ¡°Sister, why are you here too?¡± Zoe faintly threw her a nce. Annie adorned a proud princess look today, wearing a white dress matched with a jacket of the same color. Following behind her was another girl. Zoe knew her. She was Annie¡¯ss distant cousin, named¡­ Marie Witt? Marie rose to fame as an online celebrity and signed with Annie¡¯s studio. Her rtionship with Jessica and their resemnce on appearance earned her the title as Annie Jr. Because of this title, she was doing well in the entertainment industry. Annie was also d to cultivate her. After all, nothing could highlight her beauty and excellence more than a AnnieJr. Zoe sneered in her heart at the thought of it, and coldly blurted. ¡°Is this your office?¡± That meant, why couldn¡¯t I be here? Annie¡¯s face froze. She got embarrassed by Zoe¡¯s mocking. But she was not in a position to take Zoe face on. After all, she had been keeping the image of ady and socialite in the entertainment industry and there were many reporters at present. Making a scene in public would ruin her image. Compared to her scruples, Zoe was at ease. She was not a celebrity anyway, so she could do as she pleased. Julia came forward and stretched out her hand to Zoe. ¡°Long time no see, Ms. Zoe.¡± No matter how reluctant Zoe was, she shook hands with Julia. Julia was a veteran in this circle. Although she wascking in moral standing, she deserved respect due to her seniority. Nathan had arrived earlier. Knowing that they all arrived, he ordered his assistant to take them to the studio at once. The party of five entered the studio and found the equipment set up. Two groups of actors were performing on a spacious stage, seemingly here for audition as well. Nathan, with several other staff, was sitting in the auditorium watching their performance. When they walked by, Annie greeted him gently, ¡°Director Nathan, here we are.¡± Nathan then looked up and swept a nce at her before his gaze fell on Zoe. He smiled, ¡°Everyone is here now. Have a seat!¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Then, he pointed to the seats around him and told the deputy director next to him to pass him several copies of the script. Distributing the scripts to Marie and Victoria, he said, ¡°Take a look at the script first. If you two have no problem, you can go for hair and makeup. Let¡¯s start with a line each and go from there.¡± On hearing this, Marie¡¯s face changed. ¡°Director Nathan, I thought this role was already mine? Why do I need an audi¡­?¡± Before she could finish, Julia shot her a cold look. Nathan assumed a scowling face. ¡°I did promise Annie to give you a chance for audition, but I didn¡¯t say I would adopt you without an audition. Nicole Block might be a supporting role, she is critical too. Don¡¯t even think of this role if your acting isn¡¯t up to standard!¡± As Marie¡¯s face went through a series of colors, anger stirred her to clench her fist. By right, although Nathan never promised the role to Marie during their discussion, the situation should not be far off from it. After all, she was joining the cast, bringing funds along with her. It was no easy feat for Nathan in preparation of this project these past few years. Naturally, he wanted to seed in this make-or-break moment. Her eyes scoured the room and finallynded on Natalia. She suddenly knew something. The matron seemed to be aware of this, and could only suppress her temper. For a moment, she sneered. ¡°If I can¡¯t teach you a lesson, but I can do so to others. Bring them to me!¡±¡± There was silence on the stage. No one came up. Marie stared at the vast stage dumbfounded. Natalia curled her lips. In costume dramas, many scenes were difficult to set up, so most of the time they needed to act in front of the green screens. Nathan was testing them in mind on their acting without props. For a moment, Marie seemed to realize this and she wore a sullen look.. She was a online celebrity, and had not learnt acting skill. she never went through formal acting ss. Although she was involved in a few ys throughout the years, these were small productions. The actors she worked alongside with were basically of the same level. She was not fond of learning, and made no progress in acting. Moreover, she did not carry any passion for this drama. Costume drama needed hard work. The boundless war and fighting scenes in this drama wereborious. If it weren¡¯t for the importance of the role and the production, she wouldn¡¯t do it! Because of this, she didn¡¯t take it seriously at all. She thought she could make it without much effort. Nheless, how was she to act without any supporting actors? The matron was already onto the next line. ¡°I can¡¯ty a finger on you because you¡¯re the princess of Yepa Empire, but they are merely enved prisoners. No one will say a word even if they die. Today, you¡¯ll learn. They¡¯ll live if you behave well. Otherwise, don¡¯te ming me then!¡± 52 With these words, she gave the whip a violent blow in the air. The exploding crisp noise made Marie jump. Owing to her nervousness, she stuttered and forgot her lines. ¡°If youy a hand on them, I, I¡­¡± What was it again? Marie¡¯s face turned pale. In the auditorium, Nathan furrowed his brows. Annie¡¯s face was gloomy too. She spent a lot of efforts to persuade Nathan so that Marie could take on the role, but today there was apetitor and Marie failed to live up to her expectation! It was not that she was good to Marie, but these years she was in the entertainment industry alone, and she felt more or less isted. Marie was not only her cousin, but also signed up to work in her studio. Even if she became popr, she could only be a marite in her hand. Not only that, a lot of things she could not deal with could be settled by Marie. She was really a rare good pawn. Thinking of this, she turned her head and said to Nathan with a smile, ¡°Marie has been working hard all the time. It¡¯s her first time she takes part in your y. She is nervous.¡± Nathan was still gloomy on face, but he said nothing. He saved Annie¡¯s face. Behind, Zoe silently hook her lips. She knew that sometimes even if she did nothing, the enemy had already messed up That was the power gap. Marie finally remembered the lines, stumbling through thest half of the performance. But the effect¡­ well, that was a matter of opinion. Next, it was Laura¡¯s turn. With her downcast eyes veiling her thoughts, Annie suddenly uttered, ¡°Director Nathan, I¡¯ve been acting for so long, but I¡¯ve never tried to y the matron. How about I run the lines with her?¡± Nathan frowned and didn¡¯t think it was a good idea. But he was not in the position to say no, he lifted his head to nce at Laura. ¡°What do you think?¡± Laura was taken by surprise. If Nathan was not in the position for a refusal, as a junior, she could not refuse. She could only nod, ¡°Ok.¡± Annie grinned. After changing her clothes, she sat down in a chair. Acting as Nicole Block, Laura was detained by a few strong men.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Compared to Marie¡¯s pompous and mboyant performance, Laura disyed a calmer and introverted nature. Darting a sharp gaze at the matron sitting above, Laura¡¯s eyes conveyed her burning rage without words. The matron coldly blurted, ¡°I heard you refuse to learn dancing?¡± Nicole was on her knees and although her hands were tied, her head was held high. She distinctly enunciated each word. ¡°I am a princess of the Yepa Empire. Why should I acquire the lowly expertise of a performer? Kill me as you please, but you can never break my spirit!¡± ¡°Snap!¡± The whip was wielded. Following a grunt, Nicole quivered out of pain. In the audience, Zoe suddenly changed her face. When Marie was auditioning earlier, although the matron waved a whip the whip was skillfullyshed to an empty spot beside her. Although the sound was rming, the whip never touched her. Yet, Annie whipped Laura? Caught off guard by her, Laura gawked at Annie but thetter was already running through her next lines. The searing pang on her arm distorted her face, but she quickly snapped back and resumed her acting. Gritting her teeth, she red at the matron on high and spat. ¡°Blegh!¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t teach you a lesson, but I can do so to others. Bring them to me!¡± It was the same actions without props. Compared to Marie¡¯s fluster, Laura clearly made adequate preparations. Even if there was no one acting with her, she was able to bring the character to life. Facing the air, she was angry and heartache, with endless pain and determination in the red eyes, but there was a hint of control over the helplessness. ¡°Caitlin Hardin! Should one day the tables be turned, I swear on the blood of my people, I will tear you to pieces for what you did to the Blocks today!¡± The furious roar echoed the stage as Nicole was dragged away by the group of strong men. The audition was over. There was a burst of apuse from the audience. Zoe stood up and smiled at Nathan. ¡°How is it, Director Nathan? Did the actress I rmended disappoint you?¡± Nathan nodded with a smile. ¡°Very good, her performance is on point and she¡¯s able to deal with a sudden turn of events with a swift response. She¡¯s an actress in the making.¡± Zoe blinked her eyes, watching as Jessica returned from the stage. ¡°Sorry, Director Nathan, I was too immersed in the role to hold my hand back.¡± Nathan waved his hand, ¡± It¡¯s alright but be careful next time. Although we seek role immersion, it¡¯s imperative to remain rational, especially when ites to the safety of other actors?¡± Annie smiled, ¡°Yes, you are right.¡± Then she looked at Zoe. ¡°Sister, congrattions on getting the part for your actress.¡± Zoe looked at her, curling her lips into a sneer. ¡°When I heard you won an awardst year, so I was under the impression that there must be some improvement to your acting! Today it seems you were too immersed in the role by a newbie actress that you¡¯d forgotten what you were doing. I think you are not that good as a movie actress.¡± Annie¡¯s face stiffened. At this time, Marie and Laura returned after they changed their clothes. She took a deep breath and smiled, ¡°I can understand your love for your actress, but I did that to better stimte her mood. Laura, don¡¯t you think so?¡± She said, turning to look at Laura. Laura looked at Annie, then at Natalia next to her. Although she was in grievance, she was only a unknown actress. Despite feeling wronged, she might stir trouble for Zoe if she were toy bare. She was just a measly actress after all. She could only nod, ¡°Yes, you are right.¡± let out a satisfied smile. Nathan found Zoe was angry, so he said with a smile. ¡°Well, it is settled. Zoe, bring her along to draw up a contract when you find the time. Annie, don¡¯t forget to study the script. We will start shooting next month. The shoot must run smoothly!!¡± Annie nodded, ¡°Ok.¡± Annie¡¯s eyes turned, and she suddenly said, ¡°Director Nathan, I have always liked the role nna Nelson. I noticed that there¡¯s a scene on sibling rivalry. Can I try the part?¡± Marie, who just had her role taken away, was not one to back down. Hearing that Zoe wanted to take part in, she immediately said in disdain, ¡°You are not even an actress, why bother?¡± ¡°Am I not allowed to get a kick out of acting? Annie is always nice to me, so I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t mind doing a simple favor by running the lines with me, right?¡± Zoe threw a meaningful look at Annie. 53 Annie¡¯s face stiffened slightly. If she refused, she would be considered stingy. Fortunately, she had been acting for so many years, while Zoe had never engaged in acting, so it was conceivable that she knew anything about acting at all. If she wanted to be humiliated, let her be. Thinking like this, Annie smiled with confidence. ¡°Ok!¡± Seeing this, Nathan agreed. He sat back down behind the monitor with a vague sense of anticipation. After all, although he chose Annie to act as nna Nelson, but to be honest, Annie was not the perfect candidate in his mind. However, without a better candidate on deck, he had to put up with such an arrangement for now. As for Zoe, he was amazed at first sight. She had calm and indifferent temperament, which was simr with that of nna Nelson in his mind. That calm yet distant demeanor and the chilling presence presented by the slight furrow between the brows was a simr resemnce to the nna Nelson in his mind. But Zoe was not an actress after all, and did not seem to have any intention to venture into acting. Therefore, even if Nathan had some ideas in his heart, he could only hold it back. After all, performing arts was not a walk in the park anyway. Although there was editing involved in theter stages, the acting skills of an actor or actress was still very important. Although Annie was not the perfect candidate in his heart, he believed, as long as he trained her, she could make the role alive. Nevertheless, it was for the best to have thempete on the same stage. He wanted to see which one was better, the nna Nelson in his mind and the candidate he chose. Before long, Annie and Zoe changed into the outfit and walked out from the backstage respectively. Zoe was wearing an armor suit, while Annie was wearing a bright crimson imperial wear. They were going to take on the most dramatic scene in the whole y. Zoe was ying the role of the heroine nna Nelson while Annie took on the role of nna¡¯s sister, Prisci Nelson nna Nelson and Prisci Nelson were originally daughters of the prime minister in the Yepa Empire. After the fall of the Yepa Empire, they were marched to the Kyrma Empire with the princess Kallie Franklin. nna had learnt martial arts since her childhood, and was a good friend of Kallie Franklin. She shouldered the responsibility of protecting Nicole and her sister secretly. Yet to her dismay, their stay in Kyrma Empire had not been long when Kallie Franklin willingly became a concubine to the emperor for the sake of their mothend. She and her sister Prisci gradually ran in opposite directions due to the disparity in values and views. Prisci fell in love with the crown prince of the Kyrma Empire. In order to be his wife, she did not hesitate to betray nna and revealed the hidden ces of the survivors to the prince. Cutting ties with Prisci, nna fled from the pce and traversed six empires before leading thest of her people to raise the g in the Northwest, establishing the first female-ruled empire, Yemoa Empire. This scene was about nna led the troops into the Kyrma Empire. After many years, Prisci had be the Empress Dowager. When they met again, it was time for farewell. With the sound of ¡°Action¡±, the scene unfolded. Prisci sat upright on high. With the emperor passed on at this point and the new ruler still blossoming, she took on the reins of ruling as the empress dowager. However, a soldier outside the hall came to report an emergency. ¡°Empress Dowager, Yemoa Empire¡¯s army has invaded!¡± There was amotion in the hall. ¡°What should we do? We¡¯d better run!¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote. The North, South, East, and West gates were breached by the army of Yemoa Empire. They are everywhere.¡± ¡°Where is General Wace? And the soldiers in the Fort Norma? Where are they?¡± ¡°Th¡­ they have been killed!¡± The ministers were in a great uproar, but Empress Dowager, who was sitting on the throne, remained expressionless and calm. It was then the pce gate was opened. Soldiers in ck armor rushed in. ¡°Kill them all, except those who surrender!¡± The stage echoed with the sounds of cries and weapons shing. Staring at the figure walking through the pce gate, Prisci¡¯s unperturbed face finally wavered. nna was of such mighty presence, dded in ck armor and equipped with a spear. Her furrowed brow addressed a chilling bearing that could only be of Hades from Hell, casting the arrogance and imperiousness of worldly disdain! Back in the auditorium, Nathan was looking at Nataliaing, and his pupils shrank. That was¡­ The picture in his head ovepping with his sight stirred quite an emotion in him. This¡­ this was nna Nelson in the flesh! The woman whose homnd and family were in ruins, was left to dwell in troubled times. Having experienced the difficulty of life and her family lost in the mes of war, she gradually learned to put her feelings aside. Ditching needlework, she picked up the spear and rode on a warhorse to take back thend! At the very end, she finally returned, haughty and contemptuous! Both Nathan and the rest of the crew stared in awe! They never knew a girl looked so good in armor! Not at all delicate, the sense ofbativeness was instead brought out in her without seeming too masculine. A hint of fiery and domineeringness added to that feminine beauty, making her overbearing andmanding poise honed through years of leadership conspicuous and eye-catching God! What a sight!! Sitting above the hall, Prisci gazed at the woman beneath clenching her fists in her sleeves. ¡°Here you are.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. These simple words were somewhat ironically bleak. nna darted a cold nce. The look prompted one of the men to drag Prisci down from her throne. ¡°Let me go! I can walk on my own!¡± She struggled a little, but she got a merciless p! The person who hit her was nna. nna blurted coldly, ¡°This is for your betray fifteen years ago!¡± Fifteen years ago, Prisci had already crawled into the crown prince¡¯s bed while nna was plotting her escape from the pce. Prisci had promised to help her, but she betrayed her and disclosed her ns to the crown prince. She was nearly killed by an arrow at that time. Annie¡¯s face hung to one side, as she did not expect that Zoe would hit her. However, she quickly realized that it was payback! Zoe was getting back at her for cracking the whip at Laura. She was a film star after all. Althoughcking in skills, she got the fundamentals down. After a swift show of fury, Annie resumed herposure. ¡°Sister, do you know why I sold you out?¡± nna Nelson looked at her, indistinctly having the answer in her mind. She said slowly, ¡°Since childhood, you have always been the best and the most beautiful girl. Dad and Mom loved you the most. Even as enved prisoners, His Majesty the crown prince fell for you first.¡± ¡°What is it in me that I am not as good as you? When ites to poetry and painting, I am skillful than you. Although I can¡¯t do martial arts, it is a male thing. Why do they all like you? ¡°I swear to myself that I¡¯ll never live in your shadow. I swear I¡¯ll climb to the peak and trample you under my feet on day!¡± 54 ¡°I did it! But why? Why you havee to destroy me again?¡± ¡°Do you know how hard it was for me to be the empress? How much I had to endure to be an empress dowager?¡± ¡°Finally, I sat high above the masses, without being held in contempt. Why couldn¡¯t you allow me to indulge a little longer?¡± Crying, shouting, Prisci¡¯s tears finally let out. nna didn¡¯t say anything. Gazing at her once beloved sister for a moment, nna cracked into a smile. ¡°You said nobody loves you? When you were a child, you stole father¡¯s jade fan. Who was the one to get beat for you?¡± ¡°When you were ten years old, you fell into a pond and nearly drowned. Who risked the life to save you? ¡°When you were fifteen years old, we were escorted to the Kyrma Empire¡­¡± There was a sudden break in her voice, as if she had been reminded of some terrible memory. Those clear and cool eyes caught a scarlet, with deep disappointment and hatred. ¡°Who was the one who came in the way when countless tried to defile your innocence during the journey of a thousand five hundred kilometers towards the East? Who grabbed a knife and fought them to the death? Whose innocence was trampled on for your safety?¡± Prisci stood there dumbfounded. She stared nkly at nna Nelson. Events of the past sprung to her mind following nna¡¯s ims. They were still young at the time when trouble fell upon their family. Before Prisci realized what was going on, she was escorted to the Kyrma Empire with her sister. While on the way, nna taught her to rub mud on her face to conceal her beauty from bad guys. However, she was too fond of her appearance. Although she said yes, she was not the least bit willing to follow her words. Finally, while everyone was sleeping one night, she quietly washed away the mud on her face. Shebed her hair as she admired her beautiful face in the water. But at that moment the soldiers behind saw her and rushed towards her as if they had found a rare treasure.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. She was so frightened that she kept screaming as hard as she could. In the end, her sister came out to save her. She did not know what her sister had told the soldiers. Later, the group of soldiers stopped pestering her and took her sister to the woods behind. She resumed her beauty sleep. The next morning, her sister returned with bruises and wounds on her face. Although her clothes were tattered and her hands covered in blood, she never talked about what happened the night before. Prisci never gave a second thought but found it strange that the few soldiers had not appeared since then. The young girl then may not know what had happened, but she was in her thirties now. She already knew what had happened that night in the woods. It was just that she was not willing to admit and face it, as if the truth that made her regret would not exist as long as she avoided it. Prisci looked at her sister and suddenly began tough. And theughter turned into tears. It was like a wild animal¡¯s crying, with a shrill anguish and remorse. A soldier came trotting up with a wooden box in his hand. ¡°Your Highness, the imperial jade seal is found.¡± nna picked it up and took a nce before nodding. She led her men and walked away. A sudden shrill cry was heard from behind. ¡°Sister!¡± nna stopped in her tracks but did not turn back. The setting sun radiating into the pce, veiling a golden shimmer on the young general, her straight back reminded Prisci of the time when nna taught her how to use the spear. ¡°Sister, I was wrong! I was wrong! Please forgive me! We¡¯re sisters! You can¡¯t kill me. I¡¯m your sister!¡± She fell on her face and crawled all the way, with tears and snot mixing. She no longer looked like the Empress Dowager of Kyrma Empire. The woman in thebat wear still did not look back, but her eyes, which were covered in the sunset glow, were stained with twinkles of red. Her face tightened, and the hand holding the seal trembled slightly. Scenes of their younger days ¨C taking her sister to climb over walls, on trees, and y with mud but was met with her sisters dislike, shed in her mind. Nevertheless, these scenes were soon reced by images of their innocent people dying in her hands. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a long time, she said in a cold voice, ¡°The Empress Dowager Prisci of Kyrma Empire is found guilty beyond forgiveness for absence of virtue, going rampant and oppressing the people! She is hereby sentenced to death!¡± The sky thundered and a thunderstorm began to sound. Prisci stood still and stared in disbelief at the woman standing outside the pce gate. The woman reached into her bosom and brought out a bottle of poison andid it on the ground. ¡°This is poison extracted from the heptad snake. You were bitten by this type when you were younger. I risked my life sucking the poison out for you. As a result, I was stuck in bed for three months. I almost lost my life. Now¡­ take this!¡± With that, she left withrge strides, not paying her more attention. The scene finally came to an end. Strangely, it was eerily quiet in the auditorium. Zoe was feeling awkward. Was her performance that bad? Impossible! She had integrated all her understanding of the character into the role. Suddenly, a burst of apuse broke out. Looking up, she saw Nathan. He stood up from behind the monitor, with a look of disbelief, looking at Natalia excitedly. ¡°Great! It was awesome!¡± As he spoke, the rest of the audiences pulled themselves out of the action, and then began to apud. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful! Fancy acting is like that!¡± ¡°Right, I thought it was real for a minute.¡± ¡°I¡¯m moved to tears!!¡± Zoe breathed a sigh of relief. Apart from payback for thesh, her suggestion earlier to y this part stemmed from the impression left in her when she firstid eyes on the script. She wept for sisterly feud and was regretful for the strong-willed and forbearing female general. It was never her intention to rule the world at the end of the day! However, things that were within reach of normal people, the most ordinary family affection and sibling harmony was, to her, unattainable. For some reason, Zoe felt a sense of loss even though the performance was a sess. Nathan came forward and smiled, ¡°You did great. It was refreshing and captivating!¡± Annie intentionally covered a face and forced to smile, ¡°Director Nathan. You tter me!¡± However, Nathan did not pay much attention to her now. She didn¡¯t even notice she was covering her face. Instead, he stared at Zoe closely and even asked with an ingratiating smile, ¡°Zoe, do you really like this film?¡± Zoe was confused. She didn¡¯t know why he asked her that. She honestly nodded. ¡°Yes, I read the script two years ago when it was first out. I liked it then.¡± As if he discovered treasure, Nathan rubbed his hands excitedly. ¡°Great to know that you like it.¡± Watching as the event unfolded, Annie had a bad feeling in her stomach. Was he trying to get Zoe to act in this film? 55 Was it for real? It was a production cost four hundred million dors, and he wanted a newbie with no experience to act in it? Nathan must be out of his mind Annie believed this was impossible. Zoe was indeed great in her performance, but the way she saw it, it was because she guided Zoe into her role. So, she didn¡¯t give it a second thought. But she said to Nathan with a sweet tone, ¡°Director Nathan, you only praised my sister and forgot me.¡± Nathan noticed her now and said with a smile, ¡°Annie, you are great too. What happened to your face?¡± Seeing he finally noticed her face, Annie forced a smile. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, my sister just pped me. It is Okay.¡± Zoe looked at her and smiled, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I was way too immersed in the role to hold back. You can¡¯t deny that I managed to invoke stronger emotions in you. Don¡¯t you agree, sister?¡± She returned the same words Annie said to Laura. Annie¡¯s face was stiffened. At this time, Nathan finally realized that there was something wrong between the two. The exchange of words¡­ He could smell the gunpowder in the air! Nevertheless, they were biological sisters. Any personal vendetta had nothing to do with him as an outsider So, he said with a smile, ¡°Zoe is without experience for her first attempt in acting. Annie, please excuse her. It¡¯s time to leave now that the audition is over. Annie, when will you bring her over to sign the contract?¡± Zoe said with a smile, ¡°Any time.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it this afternoon, then. I¡¯ll give you a callter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After fixing the appointment, Zow left with Laura first. On the other end, a sense of doubt crept into Annie¡¯s mind over Nathan¡¯s overenthusiasm. Unsettled, she asked with anxiety, ¡°Director Nathan, why did you ask my sister about the film? What are your thoughts on this?¡± Nathan cast a nce at her. To be honest, if Zoe didn¡¯t show up, Annie was indeed the only person in the entertainment circle who was suitable for the role of nna Nelson. But now it seemed that she acted well as Prisci! Compared with the cool and aloof character of nna, Annie was better off ying Prisci who looked weak on the outside but scheming on the inside. Nheless, Nathan was not in the position to reveal many details as nothing was set in stone yet. He did not want to count his chickens before they hatched. Thus, he let out a smile. ¡°Nothing. Don¡¯t think too much of it. Study the script when you have the time. Don¡¯t just set your sights on one role. Observe the inner conflict of other roles, and it¡¯ll help you in the future.¡± Annie thought he meant that studying other characters would help her portray nna Nelson in a better way. So she didn¡¯t think much about it and nodded. Once everyone made their departure, Nathan went to McCathy Corporation with hisptop in one hand. The biggest investor in this film was Annie International. In other words, it was Henry Han. Henry was having his lunch when Nathan came looking for him with hisptop. He was busy. Usually if there were no visitors, Henry usually let Brian call takeaway and he would have lunch in the office. So, when Nathan arrived, he saw Henry sitting on the sofa in the office, eating takeaway.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. He hurriedly walked over and said with a smile, ¡°Uncle, you are having lunch?¡± Henry looked at him with a raised eyebrow and continued eating. ¡°Is there anything to talk about?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rush, let¡¯s talk after you finish it.¡± Then holding theputer he sat down on the single sofa opposite Archie. Henry was picky about food. After he was in Julio, besides food Mrs. Dottie cook, he only had the food from Mountain Club. So, every day at noon, Brian sent someone to bring the food in advance. The staff members over there would pack it in an insted box, and when it arrived, it would be just right in color and taste. Nathan looked at the delicious food and could not help but swallow. His tummy rumbled. He had been busy since early in the morning, going through several auditions in one sitting. He did not have a bite to eat and the time was half past twelve in the afternoon! But in front of Henry, he did not dare to be presumptuous. Henry took another look at him and saw him staring eagerly at the dishes on the table. Saliva was on the verge of dripping out of his mouth. Although amused, his facial expression showed no emotion. He pressed a button on hisndline. ¡°Brian, bring a set of cutleries in.¡± Nathan was stunned and waved his hand, knowing what Henry wanted to do. ¡°It-it¡¯s okay. Uncle, I¡¯ve eaten!¡± ¡°Oh, Brian, no need for the cutleries! Put them back.¡± Nathan swore he was only being polite. His uncle sure took things seriously! Nathan wept without tears. A minuteter, he suddenly understood when Brian came in with a brand new set of cutleries. He turned to look at Henry and was greeted by a teasing smirk reflected in thetter¡¯s eyes. Nathan took over the tableware and said, ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± Henry was almost done but Nathan was a distant nephew after all. Although Nathan was older than him by almost twenty years, Henry could not let him wait with an empty stomach. Putting down the bowl and chopsticks, he took a napkin to wipe his mouth and said, ¡°Clean up when you finish, I gotta take a break.¡± With that, he was about to go into the lounge. Seeing this, Nathan quickly got up. ¡°Wa¡­ wait a minute.¡± Henry turned his head. Nathan swallowed the food in his mouth in a rush. Without a care for the meal, he grabbed hisptop and trod over. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m here on business.¡± Henry frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I want to change the actress!¡± Next, Nathan put theputer on the table, clicked on the scene recorded earlier this morning, and turned the screen toward Henry. ¡°I swear, I¡¯m really not trying to be fickle-minded. It¡¯s just this actress is too superb! She has the skills and quite a beauty too! Most importantly, she¡¯s a replica of the nna Nelson in my mind!¡± This actress has everything but a chance. If she¡¯s signed on to Annie International and ys the female lead in this film, I can guarantee you she¡¯ll be fame soon! She¡¯ll definitely be the most valuable money maker under your leadership!¡± Without a word, Henry fixated his gaze on the screen. A woman in ck armor carried herself with a chilling presence. Her slick movements and resolute gaze made here to life on the screen. It created such an impact, pulling at the audience¡¯s heartstrings! The end of the recording saw the screen froze at the woman¡¯s receding figure at the pce gate. The sunset kindled on her lonesome but pine-like staunch figure. Taking her once ideals and lost family with her, she set on her path to be a ruler! At the end of the video, Nathan gazed at Henry with expectant eyes. ¡°How is it?¡± 56 Henry sat back in his chair, giving Nathan a half-hearted smile. ¡°As I have told you, I¡¯m only responsible for investment. I¡¯m not involved in the cast or filming.''¡± Nathan smiled with embarrassment. ¡°I know, but this is a special case!¡± He swallowed a mouth of saliva, and his courage was wearing out. Henry scoffedzily. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s so special?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this. My current thought is for Zoe to y nna Nelson, as she¡¯s the perfect fit. If Annie agrees to this arrangement, she can y Prisci. However, erm¡­ she might pull the funds¡­¡± He smiled embarrassingly, but his intentions were self-exnatory. Henry raised his eyebrows. ¡°You want me to invest more?¡± Nathan nodded. ¡°All right!¡± Henry pulled open the desk drawer, took out his checkbook. Then, he wrote a check and mmed it at Nathan. ¡°I can invest another 50 million dors personally with one condition, that is, Zoe is not allowed to act in the film!¡± Nathan¡¯s eyes widened. Nathan nced at the check on the table, and then at Archie. He could not believe his own eyes. ¡°No, wh¡­why?¡± He already had a n in his mind about how to persuade Zoe to join the cast. From today¡¯s performance, he was sure that Zoe was absolutely the best. There were two kinds of actors, those born with innate skills and those nurtured. Thetter acquired and honed their acting skills through practicing and hard work, but for the former, they were born to be on the screen and in the spotlight. He had been doing this for decades and could not be mistaken. Natalia was really gifted in performing art! With his polishing, the film would be a huge hit. He couldn¡¯t figure out why Henry refused him! Henry sat there, looking at him and sneering. ¡°For the actress in the leading role, you can choose anyone but her! I don¡¯t need to exin myself to you. You can leave now!¡± Nathan¡¯s face was constantly changing. He had the urge to throw a tantrum but he did not have the guts. Nathan wanted to reason, but Archie had made it clear that was it. Finally, he got up and walked out in anger. Nathan was halfway to the door when he realized something. He turned back and retrieved the check and hisptop before leaving. Henry sneered, as Nathan stormed out. Was he kidding? How can he let his woman act in the film? What if she got injured engaging in so many fight scenes and was exposed to the weather? On top of that, there were intimate sex and kissing scenes? Humph! On the other side, Zoe did not know she had been denied a chance by someone. After lunch, she took Laura to his office after receiving a message from Nathan. She was about to leave after signing the contract, but Nathan looked at her with guilty and said a lot of irrelevant words. Zoe was confused. However, she didn¡¯t think more about it. Now that Laura had a job, she had to find an assistant for her. The personnel department in thepany was in a total mess. In the afternoon, she returned to thepany and sorted things out. She finally felt relieved after arranging a seemingly quick-witted and honest assistant for Laura. As for Stephen¡¯s case, there were some prosperous clues. In the wake of her reminder, Stephen followed the money and findrge funds deposited in his girlfriend¡¯s ount. The person who remitted money to her was none other than Stephen¡¯s mother, Henry¡¯s aunt, Bailey Wall. What a cliche! It called to mind a certain plot about a future mother-inw forced her son¡¯s Cindere girlfriend away with money. However, logically speaking, even if his mother wanted to force his girlfriend away, or if she wanted them to be enemies and never see each other again, there was no reason to risk his son¡¯s future. Zoe felt confused, but further questioning revealed that Stephen¡¯s mother was against him entering the entertainment business in the first ce. In Bailey¡¯s opinion, the highest achievement after a lifetime in entertainment business was just a slightly influential celebrity status. Compared to the Han family who was high above the masses, that status was basically worthless but putting Stephen at the mercy of others. His mother intended for him to join his cousin in business, but Stephen was not interested in doing business. Having no other alternative, Stephen¡¯s mother came up with this n. After listening to this, Zoe was at a loss of words. What the hell was this? Stephen, on the other hand, was calm and collected. Through the phone, he said very politely that it might not be convenient to expose his mother. In other words, he could noty bare the truth to the public. Hence, they had to find another way to solve the issue. Zoe agreed to his idea. When she dug deeper, she found that she had already found a new boyfriend. At that time, she probably thought she would break up with Stephen anyway, and it would be good to make some money, so she agreed to her mother¡¯s request. Zoe soon got in touch with the girl. ying her cards well, Natalia obtained the edited audio and video clips before forcing her to confess publicly on Weibo that she had lied. Zoe gave her some leeway. She did not say she epted money for framing, but made up lies since she was not willing to break up. After all, a girl who was not willing to give up on her boyfriend was much easier to be forgiven than one who framed her ex-boyfriend for money. Of course, there were still some loose ends to pull. Although the apology video was posted online and made public, Stephen¡¯s image had been damaged to some extent. Nevertheless, Stephen had a major production to be released. Zoe had heard positive feedback about this drama. Stephen¡¯s praise-worthy performance should win back his good reputation. She wrote a few pieces of public advertorial and released them through her private verified ount. As expected, the effect was satisfactory. Gradually, many people said Stephen was wronged. Many fans voiced their grievance on behalf of Stephen. It took time for the storm to pass overpletely. After all this, Zoe knew that the follow-up would not have any problems, so she felt relieved. Now it was time to take care of her personal business! In the evening, it was still early when Natalia returned home. Dinner had not been ready yet. It was not even six o¡¯clock yet. Henry wouldn¡¯t be back for more than half an hour. Zoe went into the kitchen and found Mrs. Dottie and several servants were busy in the kitchen. Everyone looked at her curiously as she came in.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Zoe said, ¡°Ignore me. I¡¯m just looking around.¡± Mrs. Dottie smiled, ¡°Madam, it is greasy in the kitchen. You¡¯d better go out and have a seat! If you¡¯re hungry, I can pour you some soup to take the edge off. Master should be home soon.¡± Zoe smiled. ¡°What are you serving tonight?¡± Although Mrs. Dottie did not know why she asked, she truthfully answered. ¡°Braised bamboo shoots with mushrooms, fish in vinegar, diced spicy and sour lotus root, lily and lotus seed soup, dumplings with three fresh shrimp¡­¡± Hearing the names made her mouth water. After listening to the menu, Zoe pointed to the two dishes. ¡°Are these two dishes ready?¡± Mrs. Dottie was stunned and then replied, ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°All right, then I¡¯ll cook these two dishes.¡± As soon as she said it, Zoe changed her clothes, put on her apron and walked into the kitchen. A group of servants, though surprised, were relieved when they heard that she was cooking for Henry. Henry and Zoe had a close rtionship, and they made a perfect couple with their outstanding appearance. Soon, the mansion should wee a young master! 57 The servants¡¯ hearts were gaily pleased. They were good-looking, and surely their baby would be very cute! Zoe did not know what they were thinking. She was still thinking about how to mention it to Henry when he came back. At 6:30, the ck Rolls-Royce pulled into the courtyard, and Henry came back. The servants had already served the dishes the table. Zoe changed the clothes, obediently sitting in front of the table, waiting for him. It was the first time that Henry saw her so lovely. He was a little surprised. He nced at the food and found two dishes that were different from the previous ones. But he said nothing, pretending not to notice them. Zoe greeted him with a smile. ¡°You are back! Sit down and eat!¡± Henry nodded, took the hot towel from the servant and wiped his hands before sitting down. The first dish was the mushroom braised bamboo shoots made by Zoe. These years Natalia had been taking care of herself, so she was good at cooking, but Henry was picky, she was not confident to make him satisfied. Years of taking care of herself had hone Zoe¡¯s cooking skills, yet she was not sure whether she could please a picky eater like Henry. The uing negotiation would be more hopeless if she failed to woo him with her cooking. Henry took a piece of bamboo shoot and put it in his mouth. Zoe looked at him and became nervous when she found him frowned. ¡°How is it? Is the taste¡­ okay?¡± Henry looked at her, ¡°You made it?¡± Er¡­ Zoe did not know whether she should admit it. What if he did not like it? As she wanted to deny, Mrs. Dottie said with a smile, ¡°Sir, Madam made two dishes especially for you, the dried mushroom braised bamboo shoots and sweet and sour fish!¡± Mrs. Dottie sure had a mouth on her. She had to show an embarrassing smile, ¡°I was just trying it out. Don¡¯t eat it if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Then she reached out to move the two dishes away. But no sooner had she reached out her hand than she was stopped. Henry looked at her with smiling eyes. ¡°When did I say I didn¡¯t like it? Zoe was stunned. He took a piece of sweet and sour fish in the bowl and had it slowly, as if he was enjoying it. So why did you frown then? Mrs. Dottie¡¯s recipes basically avoided the food they didn¡¯t like, so even if Zoe casually picked two of them, it would be fine. Coincidentally, she and Henry had simr tastes. They didn¡¯t like spicy food. Zoe preferred sweet and sour food, and Henry didn¡¯t like it or dislike it. Since he did not reject the food, Zoe was finally relieved. Henry looked at her with a smile and asked, ¡°Do you need you help?¡± Zoe smiled sheepishly, ¡°I want to discuss something with you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk after dinner?¡± After dinner, Henry went to his study to take a phone call. Zoe went to the kitchen and cut a te of fruit, then went up with the fruit te. As soon as she entered the room, she saw him sitting behind aputer desk in what looked like a video conference. Zoe was hesitating about whether to enter the room or not. Then Henry looked up and waved at her. On the screen of hisputer showed an office beyond the Antic Ocean, where executives from the overseas branch of arthy Properties were reporting to him collectively. Zoe dared not to disturb him. He walked to the sofa and sat down, and then put the fruit te on the coffee table. Having been abroad for three years, Zoe was proficient in English and French, but she still had trouble understanding theplex technical terms in the video conference. Time passed slowly. Bored, Zoe sat on the sofa, holding her chin with one hand. She picked up a fork and casually feasted on the fruit. Behind the desk, Henry looked at her. Henry stared at her exquisitely red lips opening and closing. His Adam¡¯s apple rolled. The usually hour-long meeting ended in a tight squeeze of forty minutes.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You said you have something to discuss with me. What is it?¡± Seeing that he was done, Zoe got up in a hurry and said, ¡°As you know, I¡¯m taking over Star Entertainment right? The situation in thepany is not good, so I want to discuss with you if I could attach thepany under Annie International. You know, to share resources and something else.¡± The more Zoe talked, the more abashed she became. Needless to say, Annie International didn¡¯t have to cooperate with such a smallpany as Star Entertainment since it had reached its current scale. Henry was not short of her measly shares. However, Zoe really could not think of any other better way. Thepany was almost in a standstill state. If there were no good resources, the future would not be prosperous. Most importantly, no matter what happened next, she did not want to stand on the opposite of Annie International. Therefore, it was better to cooperate with it in advance. Henry looked at her and chuckled. ¡°You want my help?¡± Zoe squeezed an ingratiating smile and nodded. ¡°Hmm¡­ It could be done.¡± The man sat in his leather chair, fingered the arms, and casually asked, ¡°How are you going to bribe me?¡± Zoe was stunned. Henry looked at her, with a smile in his dark eyes. A deep blush crept over her face as she thought of something. She dropped her eyes slightly and mumbled, ¡°How can I bribe you¡­¡± Smiling, Henry leaned closer to her and lowered his voice. ¡°Mrs. Han, if you really want to bribe me, there are many ways. I am sure you get what I mean¡± The men were very close, and the clear smell was on the tip of her nose, with the heavy smell of male hormones. With the man approaching, a fragrant cold breath lingered around her nose, carrying with it a heavy scent of testosterone. Sheter thought that she must have been blinded by lust to be shamelessly giving him a peck at that moment. Henry¡¯s pupils dted. Without further dy, he reeled her in the moment she pulled back. Having lost her footing, Zoe fell into his arms. The next second, the back of her head was held down as a passionate kiss ensued. Henry kissed her fiercely. It was in his nature to be distant and aloof. Zoe was taken aback, but did not realize what happened. By the time she returned her senses, his tongue was in her mouth. The man fiercely attacked her mouth, which was extremely inconsistent with his domineering manner. It had been a long time. Henry finally released her. Zoe was panting. Her face flushed. Her clear eyes were wet, like a poor little beast. Her swollen lips from the kiss sparkled of wet glistening. Henry stared at her, feeling a lump on his throat. He wanted to kiss her again. ¡°Mrs. Han, are you seducing me?¡± He muttered in a raspy voice. 58 Zoe was stunned for a moment, but finally she came back to her senses. She could not believe she could not resist the temptation of this man and have such a kiss with him, even in such a provocative and dangerous position! She let out a cry in rm and tried to get up. But the chair Henry had been sitting was close enough to his desk. She jumped to her feet and her waist bumped into the corner of the desk. She cried in pain and fell back to his arms. Henry¡¯s face also changed drastically. He caught her and hurriedly reached over to rub her waist that just got hit. ¡°Why you are so careless? It must hurt so much! Let me take a look!¡± His palm then rested on her waist with a thinyer of fabric between them, and she could feel the scorching heat from his palm. In an instant, her body stiffened. She then held the hand he had reached over to check her waist, and she shook her head. Tears had welled up in her already misty eyes, but she insisted in pain, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡± Henry knitted his arrow-shaped eyebrows. He did not say any more words. Instead, he just sullenly held her up in his arms and walked towards the bedroom. She was frightened. She struggled but to no avail, and then she grabbed him by his clothes and blurted, ¡°What are you doing, Henry? Put me down!¡± The servants in the vi were all watching them downstairs! But Henry ignored her, passed through the corridor in the eyes of the servants and walked back to their bedroom. The moment she was ced on the bed, she jumped to her feet again. Henry did not force her though. He cast a cold nce at her and turned over to take a tube of cream from a drawer. ¡°Lift your clothes up!¡± He said coldly. But she just held the hem of her clothes, her face like two ripe tomatoes. She kept her eyes down and did not even dare to look at him. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± She said, and reached over for the tube. Then she heard his giggles. He avoided her hand, and lifted her clothes before she could realize what happened. ¡°AHHH! What are you doing!¡± She screamed but immediately her hands were caught by the man and lifted up above her head. Her entire body was flipped around by the man on the bed and her tender legs were also locked by his knees. Her voice of resistance was dull in the pillow and became more like just whimpering. His expression was cold when he saw the red marks on her otherwise snow white skin. It was just two minutes, and the bruises were already forming. Expressionless, he open the cap of the tube single-handedly, squeezed some cream to his hand and then pressed his hand on her wound. ¡°Ouch ¡­ Ouch¡­¡± He could hear her indistinct screams. Then he scold in a cold voice, ¡°So it hurts after all! When are you being so careless then? Just how old are you? Didn¡¯t you see the desk?¡± She felt so aggrieved. It was he who took advantage of her and kissed her. And after she was injured, he even scolded her! Since she didn¡¯t answer him, he said again, ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± She then turned her head to the side and yelled angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore!¡± Her red face and teary eyes made her look like a fiery lion cub whose fangs were pulled off. Henry could not help butugh. His somewhat coarse fingers felt her tender skin. It was as smooth as silk, or as milk, and he felt reluctant to put away his hand. And his breath turned somewhat heavy. Deep down in his body, the heat that had just been suppressed not long ago seemed to be rising again. She also realized something gradually. She could feel the ambiguity and danger pulsing from his fingers and she was immediately in a panic. She said hurriedly, ¡°Are you done? Let go of me!¡± This time, Henry did not insist. After all, he was not sure what would happen if they continued like this. After he left the bed, Zoe also got up to her feet and tidied up her clothes. Henry then turned around and walked to the bathroom. And he came out after a long time. Zoe had a vague idea what he was doing inside and her face blushed even more.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! She could not help but think, the longer she stayed with this man, the more dangerous the situation would be. But to some extent, it also proved what a gentleman he had been. He did not break the promise he made before their marriage. He just would not touch her without her consent. Come to think of it, she could not help curling her lips. Henry then walked out and poured two ssed of water for both of them. He stared at her with a serious face. ¡°I can allow Star Entertainment to join Annie International. But I have got conditions.¡± ¡°What kind of conditions?¡± ¡°I want you to join Annie International and lead the Public Rtions Department.¡± Zoe was stunned. She did not expect he would make such a request. Henry then exined, ¡°Annie International is rising very quickly, but being quick has its drawbacks. We have a lot of resources but since we are developing quickly, we don¡¯t have enough talents for our departments, especially the Public Rtions department. So I hope you cane over and help me build an efficient PR team.¡± Zoe was stunned. As for the weak points of the Public Rtions department of Annie International, she already had a vague idea when she was dealing with the case of Stephen Rogers. If they really had a capable PR team, such a case would not take half a month, since it was not somethingplicated. Finally, they came to her for help. But knowing it was one thing, hearing what Henry told her today was another thing. Actually, she had some worries. First, she still had to take care of Star Entertainment. She might not have enough time if she also joined Annie International. Second, if she really became the head of the Public Rtions department of Annie International, she would be a subordinate of Archie. Among other reasons, she just didn¡¯t quite like being a subordinate of Archie. Just as she hesitated, Henry added suddenly, ¡°If you are willing to join mypany, I can let you to choose the resources of Annie International before anyone else.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°OK, deal!¡± There was a huge difference between sharing resources as a subsidiarypany and holding a priority in the use of resources. Being a subsidiarypany meant you got the leftovers not wanted by others while thetter allowed you to pick from the same pot! For Star Entertainment, it just gave thepany a ride upwards, and it was even a VIP seat. Zoe could not hold back the pleasure in her heart. Even if it meant she would have to work in the samepany with this man, she would just have to face it! Seeing the happy face of the woman, Henry curled his lips. ¡°So you just sold yourself like that? You don¡¯t need to think twice?¡± Zoe blinked her eyes. Her delicate and serious eyes was fixed on him, ¡°So will you bully me?¡± Henry was stunned. ¡®So this girl also knows how to make fun of me now!¡¯ Seeing that he made no answer, Zoe put on a smile and took two steps backwards and waved her hand at him. ¡°Chairman, then this is a deal. We can talk about our contract tomorrow. You cannot regret it! I¡¯ll be taking a shower now.¡± At that, she sprinted into the bathroom with her clothes. Watching her back disappear into the bathroom, Henry broke into chuckles. 59 The next day, Zoe went to Annie International directly. After a series of contracts were signed, Star Entertainment was now officially a partner of Annie International. As the order was given by Henry directly, though the managers in thepany were all surprised, they dared not say much about it. After signing the contracts, Brian took Zoe to the Public Rtions Department and announced her role as the manager of the department. In the past two years, Zoe had already made herself quite famous in Century Entertainment. Though she had tried to keep a low profile, most of the people in this business had known her and recognized her capability. Now that their boss had invited her over, they all felt pleased. Of course, there were still some people who had been in thepany for many years and felt so happy when there was finally a vacancy in such a position thinking they might have a chance. But now someone from nowhere came and took the position, as if from them. They felt upset, but now that everyone was weing this new manager, they did not dare to say anything against it. Before she left thepany, Zoe first went to meet the people in the department and told them she would start from tomorrow. After that, she came back to Star Entertainment. When she first took over thepany, she had contacted Elsa. And today happened to be the day Elsa quitted Century Entertainment and officially joined Star Entertainment. For the arrival of such a capable assistant, Natalia certainly felt happy. With Elsa and Mr. Norris here, she thought she might not be too worried about thispany for the time being. After she took Elsa to get familiar with thepany, Zoe received a call, and the other end of the call said they wanted to take a look at her store. Only then did she remember that she had already put her store in the market for sale and she hadn¡¯t had the time to take care of it yet. Were it not for the call, she might have long forgotten about this matter. After work, she didn¡¯t go back to the Han Mansion directly, but went to the store. The buyers were already there and it turned out they were M¡¯s rtives. M had kept the store for her for such a long time, and thus she knew about the profit pretty well. Since there was such a chance, she sure could not wait to inform her family. When Zoe knew what happened, she just smiled and didn¡¯t say much. In the end, she even gave them some discount. The transfer went on smoothly. After everything was done, it was already eight in the evening. Zoe had called Mrs. Dottie and told her not to prepare dinner for her. And Henry needed to work overtime tonight, so maybe he wasn¡¯t back home yet either. When she walked out of the store, it was already raining out there. As it waste autumn, she could already feel the chillinessing from the north and the rain made her feel even colder. Clenching onto her sweater, she took strides to the garage while sending Archie a message. As expected, the man was still in thepany, and she then drove to the Mountain Club. When she prepared the dinnerst night, she also learned about what this man had liked. She knew this man was picky enough to only eat food made by Mrs. Dottie and the chef in the Mountain Club. So even though it had beente, she still went to the Mountain Club herself. Fortunately, it was not much of a bother as there were not many cars on the road at night and the restaurant was not far away from where she was. After ordering a few takeaways from the restaurant, she drove directly to the Han Group. In his office, he was still engaged in a meeting. As the chairman of the Han Group, for sure he would be busy since he would have to take care of everything in thepany. Moreover, the overseas branches had recently made some progress in the digital technology they were developing. Henry had paid most of his attention to their work and felt it necessary to know about everything about it before he could even feel at ease. As a result, he had a lot of meetings with the overseas branches recently. When Zoe got there, she could see the office of the other side from the giant screen in the office. She was stunned for a moment. When she realized what happened, she just walked in quietly without making a sound. Henry saw hering in and ended the meeting almost immediately. He stood up. ¡°Is it raining?¡± Seeing her clothes were kind of wet, he asked knitting his brows. Zoe smiled and wiped off the water on her hair casually. She ced the takeout on the desk and said, ¡°Just a little, the winter might being after the rain.¡± Hearing what she said, Henry did not say anything more, and simply turned the air conditioner up a bit. Zoe then continued, ¡°I know you haven¡¯t eaten yet, so I went to Mountain Club and ordered some takeovers for you? How is that? So you know how much I care about you, right?¡± Henry smiled. ¡°I feel so honored and happy to be cared so much about by Mrs. McCarthy.¡± The cheesy remarksing from the man¡¯s smiling lips sent chills down her spine. She had to put a stop to the topic she just brought up herself. After they finally finished the diner in the office, Archie poured a ss of warm water for her and packed up the leftovers on the desk. Only then did he say, ¡°I still need a while. Why don¡¯t you take a rest here and we can go home together?¡± For some unknown reason, she also felt especially tired today, and therefore she didn¡¯t n to drive back herself at the beginning. So she nodded. Henry ruffled her hair with a smile before he finally returned to the desk and resumed his unfinished work. Zoe sat on the sofa, holding a ss in one hand and used her phone with the other. After reading some news and checking her social media ounts, her eyes grew heavy, and she was soon nodding off. Perhaps she was just so tired today, she thought, and it seemed that it might take a while before Henry could finished his work. She put down the ss, took the pillow next to her over and lied down. When Henry finally fished his work, an hour had gone by. With Zoe here, he did not want to work toote, so he shut hisputer down and stood up. Only then did he notice that Zoe had been long asleep. Henry knitted his brows slightly and walked towards her. He bent down and patted her gently on her shoulder. ¡°Zoe, we should go home.¡± The woman on the sofa just frowned and remained motionless. He then reached over to feel her forehead. It was a bit hot. He frowned slightly and the next second his hand was pped. Unhappy with the disruption, the sleeping woman lifted her arm to p him on the back of his hand while mumbling in her dream. Henry burst into chuckles. He turned to look outside the window. It was still raining. Though the heater was on, she might easily catch a cold to sleep here like this. He then turned to get his coat, draped it over Natalia, and finally held her up in his arms. ¡°Mr. Han, are we going home?¡± ¡°Em.¡± Henry held Zoe down in his arms. Even after they got in the car, she did not wake up. And he didn¡¯t want to wake her up either. He just let her sleep in his embrace but simply asked Brian to turn the air conditioner up a bit when they were halfway home. There was only silence in the car. Zoe only woke up slowly when they were almost home. ¡°Em? Why am I in a car?¡± She rubbed her eyes and gazed outside the window in a daze. From above her head, there was a light chortle of a man, ¡°Are you awake?¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. 60 Zoe was stunned, looked up and saw the handsome face of Henry. With a slight start, she was about to sit up and wanted to leave. However, the space in the carriage was quite limited, and the man was tall enough, when she straightened up from hisp, her head hit the roof of the car. ¡°Look out!¡± Fortunately, Henry had a quick reaction and put his hand between her head and the roof of the car. Zoe bumped into his hand. Henry held her on hisp and said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t move. We¡¯ll be home soon.¡± Zoe had no choice but to stay still and then she asked in confusion, ¡°I fell asleep?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve caught a cold. When you get home, ask Mrs. Dottie to prepare some ginger soup for you.¡± Zoe frowned and raised her hand to her forehead. Indeed, it seemed to be a little hot. After the car arrived home, they got off. Archie ordered Mrs. Dottie to cook ginger soup and ordered her to go back to her room immediately for a hot bath. The air conditioner was on in the room, and the hot bath could also help her feel better, so Zoe just did as she was told obediently. But unexpectedly, he heard a scream from upstairs just immediately after she went up. ¡°AHHHH!!¡± The expression on Henry¡¯s face changed drastically and he hurried upstairs. The bedroom door was open, and the bathroom door was shut tight, but the light was illuminating from the other side. Henry frowned and knocked on the door. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Zoe?¡± For a moment, from the inside came Zoe stuffy voice, ¡°I¡¯m OK! Leave me alone!¡± The sound of her voice could not muffle the forbearance and pain in her tone. Henry¡¯s face became darker. ¡°Open the door!¡± There was no more answer from the other side of the door. Then there was the indistinct sound of rustling. Still, with a cheerless expression, Henry decided not to wait. He found the key to the door and open it up. At the moment the door opened, his pupil shrank. He was riddled by both amusement and dejection. Wrapped in a towel, Zoe had taken a fall. With her head still covered in bubbles, she lied next to the bathtub in a rather awkward position. Seeing him, Zoe reached out the hand that was rubbing her leg to cover her embarrassed face. Henry walked in. ¡°Mrs. Han, is it a bathing show?¡± He crouched down beside her. ¡°Get out! Get out of here!¡± Zoe was so embarrassed, and at that moment, she just wanted to dig a hole and hide. She didn¡¯t even care about her face and wanted to push him away. Henry took hold of her wrist and, seeing that one of her legs was lying in an eerie, straight position, he reached out and grabbed her ankle. ¡°Have leg cramp?¡± Zoe did not want to admit it, but still she nodded. She turned away in embarrassment, breaking away from his gaze. Henry¡¯s eyes darkened for a moment, and then he picked her up in his arms and put her on the vanity stand next to him. Zoe hurriedly wrapped the bath towel on her body even tighter. The man did nothing but take her by the ankle and rub it. He had quite the technique, using just the right amount of pressure. Soon, the tension was released from her cramped leg. ¡°Better?¡± He asked in a gentle voice. Zoe nodded. With the light turned on in the bathroom, the temperature got warmer and warmer. Henry found the woman who only wrapped herself in a bath towel biting her lips. Aggrievance, unwillingness and an awkward helplessness were all written on her face. For some reason even unknown to himself, he just felt his throat hot and dry. He straightened up and put his hands at her sides. ¡°Mrs. Han, if you want to seduce me, can you try another time? I don¡¯t want to do it with a patient.¡± Zoe¡¯s blushing face suddenly became crimson. ¡°Henry! When did I seduce you?¡± Henry smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t get excited. Your towel may just fall off.¡± He said, and his gaze dwindled on her front on purpose. Zoe immediately tightened her hands that had been grabbing the towel. The cheer in Zoe¡¯s eyes broadened, but he did not continue making fun of her, thinking that she was a patient after all. Finally he held her up in his arms and put her back to the bathtub before he turned to leave. When Zoe came out of the bath, there was a bowl of ginger soup and a few cold pills on the table in the bedroom. Henry sat down on the sofa and pointed at the soup and medicine. ¡°Drink it all.¡± Zoe frowned. She hated everything with such a pungent taste and smell all her life. She sneaked a glimpse at the man on the sofa with the corner of her eyes. He did not raise his head but said lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t mind to feeding you personally.¡± Zoe was stunned. She picked it up, pinched her nose and drank it all. After drinking the soup, she also took the medicine. Henry was finally satisfied. After sending the bowl downstairs, he came back, put her on the bed, and covered her up with the quilt. ¡°Sleep well and tomorrow you will be fine.¡± Feeling out of it and without the energy to say anything more herself, Zoe fell asleep very quickly. When she woke up the next day, she did get better. Henry had already got up and was waiting for her in the dining room downstairs. Zoe went downstairs and greeted Mrs. Dottie who was serving the breakfast, ¡°Mrs. Dottie, thank you for the ginger soupst night, I feel much better today.¡± Mrs. Dottie answered with a smile. ¡°You are wee.¡± But Henry cast a cold nce at her.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He was the one who had asked Mrs. Dottie to prepare the ginger soup, why didn¡¯t she thank him? Zoe deliberately ignored the dissatisfaction in his eyes, walked to sit down opposite him. Mrs. Dottie served her the breakfast. She thanked her with a smile and gave a provocative look at the man opposite her. Henry was silent. It seemed that this girl had been so sure that he just would not do anything to her and had been acting more and more wantonly these days, he thought. He felt that it was necessary for him to do something to resurrect his position in the family! After breakfast, the two went out together. Today was her first day in Annie International. As they walked out, they saw Brian standing next to the car door. She smiled and greeted Brian, ¡°Good morning, Brian!¡± ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Han.¡± Brian pulled open the door for her, smiling, ¡°Please get in the car, Mrs. Han.¡± She looked back at Henry and smiled. ¡°No, I¡¯ll drive myself.¡± ¡°Are you sure your car is at home?¡± Henry¡¯s voice came from behind her. Zoe was stunned. Then she remembered that she had parked the car in the parking lot in the Han Groupst night, and she came back in Henry¡¯s car. She didn¡¯t drive the car back. There were plenty of cars in the garage, but they weren¡¯t hers. She felt slightly embarrassed. Finally in Brian smiling eyes, she got into the car helplessly. Annie International was next to the Han Group. But when they were still far away from their destination, Zoe let Brian stop the car. She opened the door and got out of the car. She patted her wrinkled trousers and smiled, ¡°Thanks! Drop me here, and you can go!¡± Henry took a look at her, but his face showed no emotion. He just asked Brian to drive forward and went to the Han Group. Zoe breathed a sigh of relief. As a neer, she didn¡¯t want others to know about her rtionship with Henry to avoid people¡¯s gossips. She then walked all the way to thepany. Because yesterday she had met her colleagues, although today was her first day to work, she didn¡¯t have to do those procedures again. At half past eight in the morning, she held a department meeting directly. 61 In the meeting, Zoe analyzed some of the cases that thepany was working on, as well as some past cases. She also distributed the work and was busy until twelve o¡¯clock, when the meeting was finally adjourned. Those who had doubts about her at the beginning were now basically all convinced of her capability. After all, those cases were all the toughest cases they had ever met, and yet Zoe managed to propose solutions in a brief meeting. And these solutions were absolutely feasible without any error. Just like that, it did not take long for Zoe to establish a firm foothold in the public rtions department. At the beginning, Henry was worried that someone would think she was young and secretly cause troubles for her, so he had sent Brian to keep an eye on her. However, in just half a month, they found that the staff in public rtions department did not elbow Zoe out as they had expected. Instead, they all seemed to have readily epted her leadership. After receiving Brian¡¯s report, Henry curled his lips. He found that she was even more outstanding than he had ever imagined. She always looked cool and indifferent, but whenever she began to work, she immediately became decisive, imposing and domineering. Whether it was her capability in general or the methods she had used in handling matters, she was by no means inferior to anyone. He just could not describe how proud he was. After all, such an outstanding woman was his Zoe. Since Archie was happy, Brian also shared his joy. However, there was something he didn¡¯t quite understand. He sneaked a nce at Henry and noticed that Henry was in a good mood today. Then he asked curiously, ¡°Mr. Han, you have been quite against office romance, saying that it would affect the work, but why¡­¡± Henry darted a stare at him. There was some inexplicable obscurity in his eyes, but a momentter, he smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Brian was stunned. ¡®How can I understand if you don¡¯t say it, huh?¡¯ Henry waved his hand. ¡°All right, I have my ns for this. You don¡¯t have to ask.¡± Brian could only give up, knowing that Henry just would not tell him anything. Time flew, and a month had passed. Winter was here already. Although Julio was in the east of the country, winter always came early. It was barely just one month into the winter, and the snow was already piling up outside. It was the weekend, so Zoe did not have to go to work. In the morning she went to Star Entertainment for an inspection, and in the afternoon, she could not be bothered to get out so she just nest in the sofa reading a book. A few days ago, Henry went back to Eqitin. He had wanted to go back with Zoe, but she rejected. She hadn¡¯t decided whether to go back with him to meet his family or not. She always felt that it would be somewhat awkward for her to go to Eqitin, considering their rtionship. Henry did not force her, because he knew what she was thinking and he also knew her that if he forced her, it might just backfire. So he could only give her time to think. Fortunately, she was always by his side, and she was not going anywhere, so there was nothing to worry about. It was all about time. He had got all the patience in the world. It was five in the evening when Zoe received the call. She cast a nce at the screen and a gleam of surprise shed across her eyes.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. She picked it up in a hurry and heard a familiar voice. ¡°Have you arrived?¡± Henry answered with an ¡°em¡± before he added, ¡°I had just got off the ne, but I need to go to thepany to deal with an urgent matter, so I may not be able to go home immediately. Why don¡¯t youe over to thepany and wait for me there? We can go to the Mountain Club to have a meal in the evening.¡± Zoe thought it was a good idea. So she agreed. After hanging up the phone, she returned to the room and put on a coat. She then went downstairs to inform Mrs. Dottie before heading out. There were tiny snowkes in the sky and a biting chill in the air. Zoe drove the car to the Han Group, but she did not go up. She sent a message to him and then sat in the car waiting. Henry replied and said he woulde down soon. When Zoe was waiting, she caught a glimpse of a Christmas tree in a luxury store by the side of the road. She suddenly realized that it would soon be Christmas. The luxury shop was clean and tidy, with fashionable and high-end suits hanging behind the windows. She nced down the shelves next to the suit and paused her eyes on an item. Then she turned off the engine and got off. It was a dark gray cashmere scarf. The design was simple in general but the hand-sewn logo of the same color on its end gave out an air of nobility. Zoe had never seen Henry wearing a scarf before, but looking at this one, she just somehow thought it would suit him very much. She almost had a picture in her mind of the man wearing it, and the more she thought about it, the more handsome the man in her mind became. At this time, a clerk came to her. She pointed directly to the scarf and said, ¡°I¡¯d have this, please.¡± The clerk nced at the scarf and smiled. ¡°Ok, please wait a moment.¡± She had never given Henry any gifts, but hemonths of their marriage. Feeling a sense of guilt, she hoped to surprise him this Christmas! When she followed the clerk to the counter and was about to pay, from behind suddenly came a surprised voice. ¡°Zoe Gil?¡± She paused slightly and turned her head. A young man and a young woman came down the stairs, and it was the girl who called to her. ¡°Is it really you? I thought I was wrong!¡± The girl walked down quickly with a surprised look on her face. Zoe threw a faint nce at her, and a slight coldness shed between her eyebrows. Finally, she did not answer. She took a card out of her purse and gave it to the clerk. had bought a lot of things for her within two After swiping the card, the clerk said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s 34, 800 in total. Here¡¯s your scarf, Ma¡¯am.¡± Zoe nodded and thanked the clerk, and then turned to go out with the scarf that had been wrapped up. The girl who just came down from upstairs found Zoe incredibly ignored her and immediately smirked in disdain. ¡°What¡¯s with the attitude? I heard you broke up with Steven. Did you find a new sugar daddy or what? Now you are buying a thirty-thousand-dor scarf. Is it for your sugar daddy?¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes became cold suddenly. She turned to the girl and said coldly, ¡°Tammy Stein, if I were you, I would watch my mouth!¡± The girl then said with a smug, ¡°So you know me? Didn¡¯t you just pretend that you don¡¯t?¡± Tammy Stein went to the same high school. They were in the same grade but in different sses. However, Zoe did know her. When she just met Steven, Tammy also liked Steven. But Steven gave her the cold shoulder and did everything he could to pursue Zoe. After they were together, Tammy held a grudge against Zoe for a long time. But it still surprised Zoe, after six years, she still could not let it go. Zoe considered her coldly and then showed a sarcastic smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I pretended I could not see you because I really don¡¯t think it¡¯s such a good thing to know you. Are you satisfied with this answer?¡± 62 Tammy¡¯s face changed instantly, ¡°You!¡± The man she was with came up to her and asked curiously, ¡°Your friend?¡± Tammy was so angry, pulled his arm and said in an aggrieved tone, ¡°We are not friends! Carlos, you don¡¯t know her, right? She is the abandoned daughter of the Gil family.¡± ¡°She not only robbed my boyfriend, but also stole her sister¡¯s works just in order to get into the Royal College of Art. You should definitely stay away from such a shameless woman. Or you might be taken in!¡± Carlos was surprised. The president of the Royal College of Art was his grandfather. So he had heard of the scandal of five years ago, though he had not seen it himself. He had always thought that the person who did such a thing must have an ugly face and a vicious heart, and he did not expect the woman to look so cool and elegant. Zoe curved her lips and smiled. ¡°If I remember correctly, there is CCTV in this store, right?¡± Tammy gave her a vignt look, ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± ¡°Nothing, I just want a copy of the CCTV footage as evidence against you for ndering in the future.¡± Tammy could not say a word, and it was only after a while that she added. ¡°Zoe, stop your pretense! I heard that Shawn dumped you because you could not keep your hands to yourself! If I remember correctly, you went abroad five years ago also because you hooked up with some bigshot, right? Do you nowe back with a tail between your legs because your sugar daddy dumped you?¡± ¡°It was totally OK though. If he did dump you, just tell me. I know a lot of rich guys who would help you out. I will surely help you! We went to the same high school, after all!¡± Zoe took a look at her and smirked. ¡°No need, Miss Stein, please keep those generous bigshots all for yourself! After all, it is not easy for you to befriend them with your look. Isn¡¯t it a waste to give them to someone else?¡± ¡°You!¡± Tammy was ballistic, but Zoe did not want to talk to her again. She simply headed out with the scarf. ¡°Wait!¡± Tammy called out to her suddenly. Zoe¡¯s patience was running thin. She turned to her and said coldly, ¡°Anything else?¡± Tammy took a breath deeply, walked forward and suddenly showed her a wicked smile. ¡°Do you know, Zoe? There¡¯s something I¡¯ve wanted to do five years ago. I just have never had the chance. But now I can finally do it.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± A loud p tilted Zoe¡¯s head to the side and her cheek became swollen in no time. Her face suddenly turned freezing cold. The next second- ¡°Smack! Smack!¡± Two ringing ps could be heard even from afar. Tammy covered her face and looked at Zoe in disbelief. ¡°Zoe, dare you hit me?¡± ¡°I was just returning what you gave me. Normally, when you get bitten by a mad dog, you certainly should not just bite it back, but I always feel that some animals cannot be spoiled. Otherwise, they will forget who they are.¡± ¡°AHHH! You b*tch!¡± Tammy charged at her like a mad bull. The clerks in the store were also stunned. They did not know whether to call the police or to stop her first. Zoe¡¯s eyes were cold. She took a step back and snapped, ¡°Mr. Phelps, so you are just going to let your girl make a scene here?¡± Carlos came back to his senses and hurriedly came forward to pull Tammy. ¡°Tammy! That¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pull me, this b*tch hit me! Zoe, I won¡¯t let you get away with it today!¡± Tammy broke free from Carlos and continued to rush toward Natalia. Zoe¡¯s face changed drastically. She was wearing a dress today, which was not suitable for a fight. Now Tammy was like a mad dog, anyone with sanity would be afraid. Zoe retreated towards the door. Having lost her mind, Tammy suddenly grabbed a vase at the door and threw it towards Zoe ¡°B*tch, I will kill you!¡± Just then, someone grabbed Zoe by her wrist and pulled her aside. Zoe barely managed to avoid the vase, which hit the ground and broke into pieces. Everyone was shocked and their faces all changed drastically. This woman was out of line, running like a mad dog. Zoe¡¯s face turned pale with fear. She looked back and saw the person behind her. She said in surprise, ¡°Henry? What are you doing here?¡± Henry¡¯s face was gloomy. In the store, Tammy found that she had missed just now and grabbed another vase trying to throw at her again, but Carlos snatched the vase over. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Tammy, calm down!¡± ¡°This b*tch hit me, how can I calm down?¡± Tammy was born in a rich family and was the only child in her family. She was used to having her way and had never been treated like this. She would not give up if she could not return the two ps to Zoe today. Carlos¡¯ face darkened and when he was about to speak, a low voice came from the door. ¡°Now that you can¡¯t calm down on your own, I don¡¯t mind helping you.¡± Suddenly a man showed up from nowhere and gave Tammy two whacks on her cheeks. Tammy was reeling with shock. Her head was light.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Carlos¡¯s face whitened. ¡®Henry Han ? Why is he here?¡¯ Henry walked in through the door holding Zoe¡¯s hand. Brian jilted his wrist and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Han, this is the first time I hit a woman, but this woman deserves it! I feel no guilt at all.¡± Henry curled his lips. Tammy came back to her senses at this moment. Touching her rapidly swelling face, she screamed. ¡°Who are you? How dare you hit me? Do you know who I am? I¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough! Shut up!¡± Carlos turned pale and pulled her back. Tammy didn¡¯t know Henry, but he did. Although he did not know the rtionship between him and Zoe, but he had been holding Natalia¡¯s hand, so they must be close. ¡°Mr. Han, I didn¡¯t know you are here. I¡¯m really sorry. There was a little quarrel between the girls.¡± He came forward and apologized. ¡°Oh? A little quarrel led to throwing a vase?¡± Carlos did not know what to say anymore. ¡°Carlos, why do you apologize to him? She hit me!¡± Still screaming, Tammy was not having it. Carlos had almost run out of his patience. He had never regretted taking her out as much as he was that day. He gnashed his teeth and said, ¡°This is Mr. Han, from Han Group.¡± ¡°What?¡± Tammy finally came back to her senses. She looked at Henry in disbelief as if she had seen some monster. She herself also grew up in a business family, and when the elders in her family were chatting, they also mentioned this Henry Han sometimes. But in the eyes of Tammy, Henry was more like someone in the legend and was too far away from her, just like the star in the horizon, which could never be reached. A man like him was not part of her reality. So she never expected to actually meet him in real life. Her gaze then rested on the hands that were holding together. Her lips began trembling, but it took a while for her make a sound. ¡°How, 63 ¡°What do you mean? How can it be? Apologize to Mr. Han and Miss Gil right now!¡± Tammy came back to her senses. Although she did not want to, although her hatred towards Zoe had run down to her bones, she knew that she could not afford to cross Henry Han. So, she said reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Han.¡± Henry raised his eyebrows. ¡°I could not feel any sincerity from your apology.¡± Tammy clenched her fingers. She was humiliated the first time she had a chance to meet this extraordinary man. But it was still ok if that was just it. But Zoe was also here. Intense unwillingness and resentment surged in her heart, but after she met the cold gaze of Henry, they were all pressed down. She took a deep breath and repeated, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Han. I was wrong.¡± ¡°Sorry for what?¡± ¡°For what I have done to Mr. Ha¡­¡± Before she finished, Tammy understood what he meant and took a nce at Zoe, ¡°Miss Gil.¡± Zoe then curled her lips. ¡°What did you say? I didn¡¯t hear you. Speak up, please.¡± Tammy was even more nervous. Henry also curled his lips happily. Holding Zoe¡¯s hand, he added in agreement, ¡°Well, I could not hear you, either.¡± Tammy felt helpless and angry, but she dared say nothing, and could only raise her voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zoe. I was wrong. Please forgive me!¡± Zoe smiled in pleasure. ¡°Now that¡¯s right!¡± She raised her hand to feel her face. Though her cheek still felt hot, seeing the seriously swollen cheeks of Tammy, she was not angry anymore.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go!¡± Zoe shook Henry¡¯s hand and said. Henry gave her a deep look. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Well, if you get bit by a mad dog, you just need to beat it up. Do you really want to bite it back?¡± Henry was amused by her words. ¡°Well, then, if you say so.¡± Hand in hand, they walked out together. Behind him, Carlos was slightly shocked looking at this scene. Everyone knew that Henry never had a woman and he had never heard of any scandals about Henry in these years. Unexpectedly, he and Zoe were together! Tammy found him staring at the backs of the two and pushed his arm in discontent. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± He came back to his senses. ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± Tammy said angrily, ¡°I told you! Zoe is a foxy woman! In those days, Steven was fascinated by her, and now she has hooked up with Mr. Han. What a shameless b*tch!¡± Hearing her scolding, Carlos¡¯s face changed slightly. Looking at her again, there was a trace of disgust and impatience in his eyes. Tammy seemed to realize that she had crossed the line today. It was Zoe¡¯s fault, and if Zoe didn¡¯t deliberately provoke her, how could she show such a side in front of Carlos, she thought. She quickly showed an expression of grievance, acting in a peevish way and pulling his sleeve. ¡°Carlos, my face hurt, can you take me to the hospital? I¡¯m afraid my face will be ruined if it¡¯s toote.¡± Carlos¡¯s voice lowered, ¡°I still have something to do tonight, so I don¡¯t have time to apany you to the hospital. Take this card and go by yourself!¡± He took a bank card out of his pocket and gave it to her. Then he turned and walked away. Tammy was stunned and then gotpletely furious. What did he mean? Would she ever be with him were he not the only son in the Phelps family? Would she ever be with him if the two family had not tried extremely hard to set them up together? Now she had a problem, and he gave her a bank card and ran away? She rushed out angrily, and found Carlos was already in the car and drove the car away without even looking back. She was so angry that she threw the bank card straight out. ¡°F*ck! You coward won¡¯t speak up when your girlfriend is beaten up! Get away from me if you can, and never let me see you again!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, Zoe and Henry got into the car together. ¡°Mr. Han, where are we heading?¡± Henry looked at Natalia¡¯s face, frowning, ¡°Go to the hospital first.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Han.¡± Zoe took a breath and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m all right. There¡¯s no need to go to the hospital.¡± ¡°No talking.¡± Henry ignored her and Zoe could only shut her mouth at his insistence. The man held her face in his hands and looked at it closely. The face, once delicate and fair, was now slightly swollen, and there were clear marks of the five fingers of Tammy. His eyes grew cold again. ¡°You did a good job today, but the next time you meet one of those mad dogs, don¡¯t beat it yourself, call me, ok?¡± Zoe looked at him and curled her lips, ¡°Tammy has always been like that. When she was in the high school, she liked to bully other girls in school. I did not expect to meet her here. Hiss-¡± The wound on her face was touched by Henry¡¯s fingers and she made a hiss. Henry had to let go of her and she continued, ¡°You have just helped me. Besides, she pped me once, and I pped her twice. That¡¯s not a loss, so don¡¯t be angry.¡± Henry sneered. ¡°Just what is she to get me angry? I am angry because of you. You didn¡¯t call me first. I came in time today, but should Ie anyter, what should I do if that vase really hit on your body.¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°No way, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°Heh!¡± Henry said nothing more. He then turned to the bag at the side and found a ck scarf inside. His eyebrows slightly knitted. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Oh, this is for you.¡± Zoe said, while taking out the scarf, ¡°Originally I did not want you to know and give it to you for Christmas. But now it was ruined, so you can just take it!¡± Henry looked at the scarf of apparently high quality. He then looked at Zoe. ¡°Did you pick this for me?¡± Zoe nodded and looked at him expectantly, ¡°How is it? Do you like it?¡± The man curled his lips, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll put it on you!¡± ¡°Ok.¡± The man bent slightly, and Natalia ced the scarf around his neck in a fashionable circle. After putting it on, she looked at it carefully. Today, Henry was wearing a knitted shirt with a ck cashmere jacket over it, which was just the right match for the scarf. ¡°Do I look good?¡± He asked. Zoe smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, very handsome.¡± ¡°Thanks, Honey.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± In the front, Brian was driving and thought in his mind. ¡®So it doesn¡¯t really hurt your conscience to say all those nice words after all, if it¡¯s for your wife.¡¯ He had been around Henry for so long, so he sure knew that his boss never wore a turtleneck or a scarf. Well, sure enough, the power of love¡­ The car soon arrived at the hospital. Henry left Zoe to the doctor for the treatment, and then walked out of the office of the doctor. He stood in the hallway and made a phone call. ¡°Within a week, I want the Stein family to disappear from the city of Julio!¡± When he was speaking, his handsome face was no longer gentle as he was with Zoe. All that was left was cruelty and coldness. After giving the order, he hung up the phone. He lowered his eyes to look at the scarf around his neck, and a momentter, he smiled in satisfaction. 64 The injury on Zoe¡¯s face was nothing serious. The doctor gave her a check, applied some medicine, and let her leave. As soon as she walked out of the door, she found Henry standing in the corridor. With his back to the door, she could not see his face and did not know what he was thinking. So she called out to him and he looked around. ¡°Is it done?¡± Zoe nodded. Seeing him holding his phone, she asked, ¡°Were you on a phone just now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Henry stared at her face carefully for a while. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± ¡°Not that much.¡± The medicine the doctor had given her had worked well. It felt cool and refreshing and the pain soon passed away. Only then did Henry feel relieved. Finally, they went to Mountain Club to have dinner as nned. Meanwhile, after Tammy learnt that Zoe and Henry were in a rtionship, she felt afraid but at the same time, she had doubts. She had always held herself in high esteem and had looked down upon Zoe in her schooldays. Since Steven she liked was taken away by Zoe, she held deep hatred towards Zoe. Fortunately, just before long, the Gil family had an ident and Zoe went from being a rich youngdy to a homeless wandering dog overnight. Only then did Tammy feel better back then. Later, she heard from Katya that Steven had already broken up with her, and she felt even better. But she did not expect that she could actually climb up to Henry Han after all these years. Tammy just could not help cursing fate for being unfair. After thinking for a while, she finally made a call to Annie Gil. ¡°Hello, Ann, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Rest? Oh, not something important. I just want to ask you something.¡± Tammy told Annie how she met Zoe in the shop in the afternoon. However, she omitted the part where she was beaten, and only said that she saw Zoe was with a man, who seemed to be Henry Han. Annie was quite surprised by Tammy¡¯s call. But she would by no means let go any chance to make troubles to Zoe. So just over the telephone, she told Tammy how Zoe had broken up with Steven, and how she immediately hooked up with Henry as soon as they broke up. Then she even sighed. ¡°Actually, if my sister really likes Mr. Han, it would be fine for her to be with him. I just worry that she should want something else. You know, my sister¡­¡± Tammy sneered, ¡°Of course I know, such a woman of vanity. So many people chased after her, but she chose Steven. Wasn¡¯t it just because he has a rich and powerful family?¡± Hearing that, Annie¡¯s eyes flickered. She said nothing, and Tammy asked, ¡°Annie, are you sure they are married already? I just could not help but feel it rather unbelievable.¡± Annie forced a smile. ¡°I am not sure about that either. We haven¡¯t been in touch for a few years, but ¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard about her getting married.¡± Tammy frowned. She pondered for a while. Annie didn¡¯t seem to want to continue the topic, so she asked, ¡°By the way, the anniversary party of our high school is next week. Will you go?¡± ¡°Of course, how about you? ¡°I will have a show there. The principal invited me.¡± ¡°So you will go too. All right, see you then.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± After hanging up the phone, Tammy pondered for a while longer holding the mobile phone. Annie said she did not hear the news of Zoe¡¯s marriage. Did that meant that they were not married actually, she wondered. Since Henry had been such a bigshot to begin with, it was normal if he didn¡¯t marry her, so¡­ A sh came across her eyes and she hurriedly dug out a number from the phone and made a call.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. After the call went through, she forced a smile and asked in a sweet voice, ¡°Mr. Nixon, are you free? I¡¯ve got a few questions¡­¡± A few minutester, Tammy hung up the phone. She looked out of the window with a triumphant smile. Just as she had expected, how could Zoe marry Henry? How was that possible? She had just made it clear over the phone that it had never been heard that there was a new Mrs. Han. Not only that, it was said that Henry had already had a fiancee, who was the daughter of the Kawn family. As for the Kwan family? In the capital, Eqitin, there were four great families, namely, the Han family, the Bissel family, the Kawn family and the Nixon family. Each of them was powerful enough to change the life of everyone in the country of Ambario. Just what was Zoe against a Miss Kawn? She could not help but find the whole thing ridiculous! After making the matter clear, Tammy finally felt much, much better. She had just ¡®identally¡¯ revealed the news, and she believed that it would not be long before Natalia got into great trouble! But she didn¡¯t mind causing a little trouble to her before she got into the really big troubles! As she was thinking, she showed a wry smile, picked up the mobile phone and made a call again. ¡°Hello, Charlotte, this is Tammy. Will you all go to the school anniversary? Everyone in our ss will of course be there! Have your ssmates been informed? Have you informed Zoe? She¡¯s long gone home! Good, if you find her contact, just tell her, you are ssmates after all¡­¡± The next day, Zoe received a call from Charlotte Neal. Charlotte Neal was always the leader of the ss when they were at the school. But still, Zoe was surprised to receive the invitation to the school anniversary. After all, her reputation had already been tarnished by the incident when she was in high school. She had heard about the school anniversary but had not been officially notified, so she did not n to go there at the beginning. But unexpectedly, she received a call from Charlotte. Zoe had little interest in such an activity, and she had few friends in her student days, let alone any old memories to cherish, so she didn¡¯t want to agree. But Charlotte repeatedly persuaded her, and finally agreed to go. After that, Zoe put the matter out of her mind and thought no more about it. Unexpectedly, a few dayster, she received a phone call from Victoria, who also asked about this matter. ¡°Zo, I heard that you will go to the anniversary, is it true?¡± In high school, Victoria was in the same ss as Zoe, and it was from Charlotte that she got the news. When she received the call, Zoe was looking through a document and she answered casually. ¡°Well, yes, why?¡± Victoria paused for a moment. It was as if she hadn¡¯t decided how she should tell her what was in her mind. ¡°You know what they invited you for. Why did you agree?¡± Zoe was stunned. Of course she knew why Charlotte was trying so hard to invite her. However, she was not that Zoe Gil five years ago. Back then, in the face of the rumorsing from everywhere, she could not defend herself and could only bear the humiliation and watch her reputation get ruined. But it was different now. She had her strength and ws now. Should anyone try to bully her again, she would pay them back tenfold! She was not afraid that they mighte to her but that no one woulde to her. At the thought of this, she gave a smile and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. It¡¯s just a school anniversary. They wound not do anything to me in front of so many people.¡± ¡°That is why I don¡¯t want you to go. You know for the scandal of five years ago, everyone thought you did it!¡± ¡°Who else would believe you but me? Charlotte invited you just to humiliate you in public!¡± ¡°I even suspect that it was they who had spread the news back then!¡± ¡°How would they just let you off when they¡¯ve got a chance?¡± 65 Zoe¡¯s eyes slightly deepened. She was silent for a moment, and she then said in a grim tone, ¡°Isn¡¯t that even better? It¡¯s been five years, and I didn¡¯t want to pursue it anymore. But if someone has to provoke me in my face and make troubles to me, I shouldn¡¯t just let them off, should I?¡± Victoria was stunned. ¡°Zo, have you thought of a way to deal with them?¡± Zoe curled her lips. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Time flew, and a week passed quickly. Christmas was in two days. Henry looked at the scarf hanging on the shelf in the his office in Han Group and a smile appeared on the corner of his lips. He dialed the internal line and called Brian in. ¡°Mr. Han, you need me?¡± ¡°Have you finished what I have asked you to do for me?¡± Brian was stunned and then quickly understood what he meant. ¡°It¡¯s all done,¡± he replied hurriedly. ¡°Well, take me to have a look after work.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Han.¡± After a short pause, Brian suddenly thought of something and took out an invitation from his pocket. ¡°Mr. Han, this is an invitation from the Riverside High School. It¡¯s about to celebrate its 70th anniversary this weekend. They would like to invite you for the anniversary party. Will you go?¡± Henry was slightly shocked. The name of the school sounded familiar to him. Brian hurriedly reminded him, ¡°Mrs. Han went to this school before.¡± Henry finally remembered that this seemed to be the case. Yet he remained expressionless. ¡°Is she going?¡± ¡°I believe she is.¡± ¡°Then I will go too!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Han.¡± In the evening, when Zoe returned home and came out from her bath, Henry asked, ¡°I heard that you are going to the anniversary party of your high school the day after tomorrow.¡± Zoe looked back and saw him sitting on the sofa. She nodded, ¡°Yes, why?¡± The man¡¯s gaze seemed slightly bitter. ¡°It is Christmas the day after tomorrow.¡± Zoe froze. Somewhat bewildered, she pointed to the scarf he had been wearing almost every day for the past week on a coat hanger. ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you the present?¡± Henry did not answer. He felt hurt. But he decided to struggle a bit more. ¡°Well, so I will return the favor. Shall we have dinner that night?¡± ¡°No, I made an appointment with Victoria, and we need to go to the school anniversary after dinner!¡± Henry was thenpletely speechless. ¡®Forget it. I give up. On the weekend, Zoe got up very early. She was not in a hurry, but she needed to deal with business of Star Entertainment. She had to seize the time so that she could have the time for the anniversary party. When she finished all her work, it was three in the afternoon. Victoria had called her several times.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She picked up the phone, ¡°Victoria, I have already finished my work, and now I am on my way. Wait a moment, OK?¡± Victoria was dissatisfied, ¡°I have been waiting for you for two hours, my dear Zoe. It is the school anniversary. Since you have promised to go, can you take it seriously? Not for the sake of the reputation of the school, but for that you can look amazing in the party! Why don¡¯t you even dress up a little beforehand?¡± Zoeughed, ¡°I still have three hours.¡± ¡°My god!¡± Victoria was like hearing a joke, ¡°You need to try on your dress, put on makeup, and style your hair! Three hours are not enough! I¡¯ve been working on it for two hours, okay?¡± Zoe smiled, ¡°That¡¯s just because you are a celebrity who¡¯s taking part in the performance in the evening. I am just part of the audience sitting there apuding you. I don¡¯t need to dress up.¡± Victoria urged impatiently, ¡°OK, I don¡¯t care if you dress up. Hurry over. I have been waiting for you here for a long time.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± When she arrived at the studio where Victoria did the make-up, Zoe saw her sitting there. Her hair had been done and she was having her makeup done. Seeing her here, Victoria hurriedly said, ¡°Now, you must listen to me today! You wear whatever I tell you to wear, and you put on whatever makeup I tell you to put on, without any objection orment.¡± Zoe didn¡¯t even have the chance to say anything. Before she answered, two stylists came over. Victoria pointed at Zoe and gave them orders. ¡°That¡¯s her, my best friend. You must dress her up today. If anyone outdoes her tonight, it means you have a problem with your skills, and I¡¯ll fire you all!¡± The stylists agreed hurriedly. Zoe was confused. ¡°Victoria, what are you doing here?¡± Victoria gave her a mysterious smile. ¡°Zo! You see? How nice am I to you! Don¡¯t those bitches look down on you and want to make fun of you? I just won¡¯t let them! Tonight, you must be the most beautiful woman in the whole party!¡± She said, reaching out to tease Zoe. Zoe couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°Ok! I will just do what you say.¡± She knew Victoria was doing all these for her. Besides, she had no n to keep her head low tonight, so she just let Victoria do as she wanted to. Three hourster, both of them were ready. What the stylists picked for Zoe was a sky-blue handmade embroidered long skirt. It was a tube-top dress, and the chest, neck, and half of the arm were made of tulle. On top were hand-drawn floral designs iid with tiny diamonds that shimmered and glittered. The lower part of the dress used a fishtail design. From the chest to the thighs was arge blue ocean, but when it reached the calves, it turned into a transparent mesh that looked like stars that spread all the way to the hem. It was also full of hand-embroidered patterns that made it so that whoever looked at it could not help but admire the ingenious workmanship. Zoe naturally had a good figure shape, but Victoria only found that today. This fishtail dress really brought out all her curves and lines. Putting aside the curve on her bottom, her back was slender and straight, and her waistline were also highlighted with a different kind of sexiness because of the open-back design. In Victoria¡¯s words, that was just gorgeous! Zoe looked at herself in the mirror, and also felt entranced for a moment. You could really make a huge difference with a little bit of dressing up. The stylists then picked a pair of silver high heels for her, paired with a handbag and a set of jewelry, which made her more bright and charming. Victoria nodded her head and said, ¡°Zoe, you will certainly overwhelm the people there tonight, I promise!¡± Zoe smiled. She did not care about overwhelming the people there, but thought that since even she was invited, someone should also show up in the anniversary party! Those people had wrung their fingers every day hoping that she would have a bad life, but how could she just let them do as they pleased? 66 Riverside High School was on the outskirt of Julio. Although it was in a suburb, it was prosperous because of the vigorous development efforts in recent years and several higher education institutions were in the neighborhood. Because it was the 70th anniversary of the school, so Riverside High School held a special anniversary party this year. In addition to the social elite that had graduated from the school, the school had also invited a lot of celebrities. The whole party was literally star-studded. Zoe and Victoria arrived together. When they were still sitting in the car, they had found that the school gate had been upied by luxury cars. Except for a red carpet aisle in the middle, it was full of all kinds of luxury cars. There were many fans of Jessica and Victoria who had gathered on both sides of the carpet. In the school were dozens of media reporters. Screams, people¡¯s conversations, the sound of the sh of the camera, and the clear voice of the host made it an unprecedentedly grand asion. ¡°Annie! AHHHHHH! Annie is so beautiful!¡± ¡°I love you, Annie!¡± ¡°Annie and Steven were such a match!!¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°The skirt that Annie wears tonight is very beautiful, I like it very much!¡± ¡°Annie is the fairy in the legend! She¡¯s so beautiful!¡± There was no rush to get off the car, as there was only one red carpet and those who hadete would have to wait in line for those in the front to pass. Even so, waves of screams could be heard. Through the window, Annie and Steven were walking on the red carpet. Annie was wearing a white bouffant dress tonight. It was a corset spreading from the chest, nicely covering her three-month pregnant belly. The gauze on the dress was like a sea of sand and looked generous, indeed a good choice for Annie. Shawn, perhaps to match her look, wore a white suit tonight. His handsome yet gentle face in the sh was like a prince from the Middle Ages. In just a short ten seconds, he captured the hearts of many girls. Victoria withdrew her eyes and rolled her eyes. ¡°What a shameless couple. Are they blind? Why do they just have to love this foxy woman!¡± Zoe showed an ironic smile. ¡°But you¡¯ve to admit she did put on a good show in front of her audience. After all, she earned herself the role of a pure fairy.¡± ¡°A pure fairy? I can¡¯t see how pure she was when she climbed up to the bed of her sister¡¯s boyfriend?¡± After Victoria said that, she realized that she had slipped her tongue. She nced at Zoe¡¯s face and was relieved to see that there was no sign of sadness on her face. Zoe hang down her eyes and said in a moment, ¡°In fact, I should thank Annie.¡± After all, if not for her, how could she know the true color of Steven? Sometimes she dared not imagine, if that night she did not catch their adultery in the act, would she be still in the dark and believe that he was in love with her? Victoria seemed to realize this too, patting her hands reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it anymore. Anyway, you know it now. And I heard that Mr. Han loves you very much!¡± Since thest time she saw Henry in the video, Victoria had never stopped ¡°questioning¡± her. Zoe had no choice but to tell her the truth. Although the matter between her and Henry had been known at Annie¡¯s birthday party, because Annie made an order, no one on the scene dared to reveal the rtionship between them. So Victoria, who did not attend the birthday party, had no idea what happened between them. Now that she spoke about him, Zoe could not help revealing a smile. He was really kind to her. He spoiled her. Sometimes she wondered if Heaven had sent him to save her because He could not bear to see her alone. It was Christmas today. She didn¡¯t know if he was still working overtime in thepany. If the party was over early, maybe she still had time to say Merry Christmas to him face to face! While Zoe was thinking wildly, the people in front of her had entered the school. It was their turn to get off. A staff member opened the door for them. Victoria got off first, but before Zoe could get down, a flood of cheers and screams was heard outside. ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! it¡¯s Victoria! I see Victoria!¡± ¡°Victoria is so beautiful! Victoria is the most beautiful woman in the world!¡± ¡°Victoria is gorgeous!¡± Victoria was known as the ¡°most beautiful woman in the entertainment industry¡±, and for sure she was beautiful. Fortunately, she was used to such asions already, so she was cool. She turned around and stretched out her hand. ¡°There is someone in Victoria¡¯s car, who is that?¡± ¡°Is it a man?¡± ¡°No, no, no! Victoria is still single! Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± ¡°Yes! We only love Victoria! We won¡¯t allow it!¡± Soon, all the people saw clearly, it was a woman holding Victoria¡¯s hand to walk down. Everyone gasped uncontrobly. God! Who was that? How beautiful! She was tall and slim, wearing a long bluece dress, which gave a clear view of her delicate body. Her maroon hair was in great curls. One side of her hair was pinned up with a blue diamond clip, while the other was hanging lightly over her shoulder and quivering in a jaunty way as she walked. Her skin was fair in themplight, and her delicate features made her like a fairy out of some drawing. She was so perfect. At that moment, countless people thought about the same question in their minds. Who was she? Was she some celebrity? Why hadn¡¯t they seen her before? Zoe had always been used to staying behind the scene, and it was her first time to step forward to enjoy the attention of so many people, so she felt unease. Victoria held her hand and kept the typical celebrity smile on her face. She whispered in her ear, ¡°I spent so much effort to dress you up today. Don¡¯t be timid! At least you should defeat that b*tch in front!¡± That b*tch in front¡­ It was Annie. Zoe did not resist but gave a light giggle suddenly. Before she smiled, the crowd was just admiring her in a low voice. However, that smile was astonishing, as if even the brightest fireworks tonight lost color in front of her. ¡°Dear me! Who the hell is she? Come on! Look it up, I¡¯m choking on her beauty!¡± ¡°Compared with her, Annie was like a vige girl, don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Will you stop? Annie is pure, they are not in the same style at all, you just can¡¯tpare them.¡± ¡°Gee, Victoria is a ssical beauty, but Victoria is as beautiful as her when they are standing together. Just admit that Annie is not as beautiful as she is.¡± ¡°You!¡± 67 Not far away, Annie had walked to the autograph wall. However, her face changed drastically when she noticed the two womening from the red carpet entrance. Zoe? Why was she here? That incident five years ago was so sensational that everyone in the Riverside High School knew about it. It was the 70th anniversary celebration of the school today. Almost all the students came back to celebrate their alma mater. Naturally, they would meet many acquaintances. And she even had the nerve toe? Standing Nearby, the host asked with a smile, ¡°Miss Gil, both you and Mr. Anderson are alumni from Riverside High School, and you were studying here almost at the same time. Why haven¡¯t we ever heard of your rtionship?¡± Annie withdrew her gaze, came back to her sense and said, smiling, ¡°Steven and I got engaged and witnessed by the elders a long time ago. We were both students at that time, and were just worried that publicity would have a negative effect on the school, so it was kept as a secret. Please forgive us!¡± Her voice was warm and soft, with a faint hint of shyness. The hostughed, ¡°Annie, you are really sensible. It is no wonder you were able to get such excellent grades back then. I heard that you originally wanted to go to the Royal College of Art at that time, but you missed that opportunity for some reasons you. Was it true?¡± Speaking of this, the smile on Annie¡¯s face obviously dimmed. She forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s true, but that¡¯s all in the past. We are here today for the school celebration, so let¡¯s not talk about that.¡± Such considerate move immediately won the favor of countless people. Even those who had mocked her forck of beauty had fallen silent. Annie was really polite and well-mannered! Even if she was sad, for the sake of everyone around her, she endured it silently! For such a kinddy, if she was not pretty enough, what was the matter? At least, she was beautiful inside! Annie paused and said suddenly, ¡°So many years had passed; I believe my sister has already realized her mistakes, so I do not me her.¡± As she spoke, she nced down the aisle at the two who were slowly approaching the autograph wall. An imperceptible flicker of provocation shed in the bottom of her eyes. Naturally, Victoria noticed it and was furious. Zoe calmly held her hand and said without changing her facial expression, ¡°Hey, Miss Celebrity, pay attention to your image!¡± Victoria knew that as well. The red carpet was so long that she just could not hit Annie even if she ran over her. She could only secretly take a deep breath and mutter a curse, ¡°B*tch!¡± Not far away, Tammy who had been hiding in the crowd suddenly said to the people around, ¡°Do you know about what the host asked earlier?¡± The people around her looked confused. After all, although the incident was sensational, it was limited to students of the same year and teachers, as well as some students in the Royal College of Art. Many of those present today were former alumni, so they did not know much about it. Seeing this, Tammy deliberated revealed a surprised expression. ¡°You don¡¯t even know about that? Really?¡± ¡°What is it? Just tell us if you know. Don¡¯t keep us guessing.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Tammy smiled, ¡°It is nothingplicated. Five years ago, both Annie and her sister were studying in Riverside High School and intended to enter the Royal College of Art together. But on the day before they were to submit their works, her elder sister found her work was not asown work and stole Annie¡¯s submission. She even knocked Annie unconscious.¡± ¡°Annie failed to participate in the exam, and naturally lost her qualification. That¡¯s why she had to attend the film school and entered the entertainment industry.¡± The people around her looked incredulous after they heard what she said. ¡°Dear me! How could there be such a wicked person in the world?¡± ¡°Yeah! They are sisters! No matter how jealous she was, she shouldn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°What kind of person knocks someone else unconscious after stealing her work? What a vicious woman she is!¡± ¡°She literally shattered me!¡± Listening to the criticism aroused around her, Tammy showed a smile of satisfaction. perfect as Annie¡¯s, so she destroyed her ¡®Zoe, how dare you humiliate me?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going to let you experience what it¡¯s like to be pointed at by the nose in front of everybody!¡¯ It had been a week since she was humiliated by Zoe at the luxury store. For a week, her teeth tingled with hate at the thought of that day. She was the eldest miss of the Stein family. When had she ever experienced such kind of humiliation? Zoe was just a shady mistress relying on Henry¡¯s support. Now that Zoe had bullied her, how could she ever turn a blind eye to her? After hearing about Henry¡¯s rtionship with Miss Kawn from a friend in Eqitin, Tammy concluded in her heart that Zoe was nothing but a mistress. She had intended to take revenge on Zoe with the power of her family. But she didn¡¯t know why there were so many misfortunes in her family business recently. Her dad didn¡¯t say much to her, but she could tell from the atmosphere that thepany was in serious trouble recently. However, Tammy didn¡¯t care about that. Her dad and uncles would deal with it, and she just needed to be her usual self. Thinking about it, Tammy took a deep breath and got more and more confident.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°By the way, who is her sister? Is she a student at our school?¡± ¡°I think so! Didn¡¯t they take the exam together?¡± Someone asked curiously. Tammy showed a sinister smile looking at the two people on the red carpet. ¡°Her sister is Zoe! Oh, she is right there, the one in the blue dress walking down the red carpet now!¡± There was uproar all around. On the red carpet, Victoria noticed the stares from the crowd and sensed something was wrong. ¡°Zoe, be careful, I feel those people over there have malice against you.¡± Zoe said softly, ¡°I noticed.¡± Even if Tammy had tried hard to hide herself, she still could not hide from Zoe. However, she didn¡¯t bother with them now, because they would know they were wrong! Soon they reached the signature wall. Annie had gone over the process of the interview, but she stood there without leaving. She seemed to be waiting for them. When she saw theming, she said with a smile, ¡°Sister, Miss Kaur, you are here too.¡± Victoria grunted, ignored her, turned her head and took the pen to sign. Some of Annie¡¯s fans in the crowd snorted with disdain. ¡°She¡¯ pretty, so what? She has no manners at all! B*tch!¡± However, Victoria¡¯s fans outnumbered Annie¡¯s. ¡°Are your eyes just for show? Does Victoria even know her? Hypocrite! What¡¯s she doing saying hello to everyone she sees?¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°What? Obviously, she did not want to talk to Annie, don¡¯t you understand? She signed and finished her interview, but she was still lingering there like she is some sort of big shot!¡± 68 ¡°Yeah! I don¡¯t give a dime if she is a carpet star overseas, but she even was not willing to leave a red carpet for a school celebration. It is pathetic to see how she¡¯s begging for attention. I advise you to save your strength and go back home to raise some money for your white lotus!¡± ¡°It is nonsense! When did Annie even upy the red carpet? She was invited by the organizer!¡± ¡°Yeah, she is not involved in any of the works but has been invited year after year. And she was shameless enough to run over like this.¡± ¡°Right, Victoria is different. She refuses to go unless she has a work that is shortlisted for an award. s! Victoria was thin-skinned!¡± ¡°Although Annie had no work making to the final, what is wrong with the organizer inviting her?¡± ¡°Yeah! A bunch of sour grapes! You went too far!¡± There was a lot of noise over at the fan sector. Some of Annie¡¯s fans almost cried out of anger. On the red carpet, the smile on Annie¡¯s face stiffened for a moment. However, she pretended not to hear the fleers and restored her original look. Seeing that Zoe did not intend to pay attention to her, she turned to Steven and said, ¡°Steven, it¡¯s cold here. Let¡¯s go and sit at the guest area.¡± As she spoke, Annie embraced her bare tender arms. After several seconds, however, there was no response from Steven. She frowned slightly and looked up. Shawn was staring at Zoe, as if he was amazed. Annie¡¯s face darkened immediately. Her fingers tightened on her arms, and she was discontent and angry, as if the volcano in her heart was about to erupt, but she still managed to put up with it. She forced a smile and said, ¡°Steven, what are you looking at?¡± At this moment, Steven finally came to his senses. ¡°Nothing,¡± he said quickly. A touch of sarcasm and hatred shed across Annie¡¯s eyes. She took a deep breath, and looked back at Zoe with a soft smile on her face. ¡°My sister is pretty tonight, isn¡¯t she?¡± Steven was in a trance. He was tempted to nod his head and admit that she was really beautiful. She was even more beautiful thanst time when she was in Annie¡¯s birthday party. Since she left him, she seemed like a pearl that was originally covered with dust and was now gradually polished, bing more and more dazzling. It really made him unpleasant and felt sort of regretful! However, Steven shook his head. He withdrew his gaze, lowered his head to look at Annie with a smile. ¡°Not as pretty as you.¡± Annie snorted gently. ¡°But everybody praises her! Steven, you won¡¯t regret it, will you?¡± In Steven¡¯s eyes a dark light shed quickly. He shook his head and reached out to take Annie¡¯s hand. ¡°How is that possible? Since I have chosen you, I will not regret it. Besides, even a beautiful face will grow old one day. It is your character I like, and you are gentle, sensible, and noble.¡± Annie looked into his eyes. A momentter, she smiled gently. ¡°I knew it. You love me the most.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Steven tried to control his absentmindedness, and when he noticed that she kept her arms folded, he took off his suit jacket. ¡°You must be cold! Come on, get dressed and let¡¯s go and sit inside.¡± ¡°Well, thank you, Steven.¡± Victoria and Zoe did note down from the autograph wall until they had left together. Victoria sneered, ¡°It was inconvenient wearing a skirt, or I really want to go up and p the b*tch! It¡¯s disgusting to see them!¡± Unlike Victoria, who was getting angry, Zoe seemed to be much calmer. She took the dress and went to the guest area with Victoria.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. As they were walking, she said, ¡°As the saying goes, b*tches are just meant to be with their dogs. It is good that they are together, lest they harm others!¡± Victoria smiled suddenly, ¡°You are right.¡± They found their seats in the guest area. Fortunately, Annie was far away from them, so they didn¡¯t have to have to be disgusted anymore. They were quite satisfied now. Soon almost everyone who was supposed toe was there. The lights on the stage were suddenly turned on. The host came to the stage and introduced the history and culture of the school, as well as the schedule for the 70th anniversary celebration. As one of the performers tonight, Victoria would y zither. Not long after the party began, a staff member came over and asked her to get changed and be ready. Zoe told her a few words and watched her leave with the staff. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Annie¡¯s seat was empty. She should be in the backstage to get ready as well. Zoe lowered her eyes and then showed a smile. ¡°Next, let¡¯s wee graduate of the 65th ss, Victoria Kaur. She will give us a zither performance the Phoenix.¡± After the host finished announcing, Victoria walked up slowly with a zither in her arms. A scream went up from the crowd. There were many fans of ¡°the most beautifuldy¡± present. Victoria was good at ying musical instruments. Martin Kaur, the chairman of the Ambario Prosperities, doted on his daughter and let her have anything she wanted in her life. However, there were two things that he had been strict to his daughter, that is, her career and rtionship. Whenever a male artist got involved in a rumor for scandal with Victoria, he basically disappeared in the entertainment circle not long after. Martin did not want his daughter to enter the entertainment circle, but he could not resist Victoria¡¯s insistence, so he had to make concession. However, he was always protecting her. The name of the Ambario Prosperities could be seen in the investor section in all the movies and TV series Victoria starred in. Victoria was a good actress. She performed her roles well in the movies and was good at ying zither. In addition, she also studied painting during her spare time. As long as she did not lose her temper, she was like a perfectdy from a rich and noble family. Because of this, Martin was very satisfied with his daughter. Therefore, he felt no one deserved his daughter. Anyone who dared to approach Victoria would be banned. Victoria was indifferent to her father¡¯s protective attitude. Anyway ¡­ she did not like those men who were trying to approach her. And who she liked¡­ Who she liked didn¡¯t want to approach her, either! On the stage, Victoria gave a bitter smile. The strings seemed to be endowed with life and the song she yed was sad and touching. ¡®Phoenix, phoenix, I havee to my homnd, after roaming over the sea just for a mate.¡¯ In the corner, a young man with a grim face stood against the wall, staring silently at the stage. He was wearing a ck cap. His face was barely visible in the dim light, but his cold, wild aura was obvious. Someone identally bumped into him when they passed by, and hurriedly apologized. ¡°Sorry. Hey! Are you¡­¡± 69 Standing in the darkness, he gave the man a cold nce. And the man immediately shut up, and stared at him in disbelief. The finger that was pointing at him began to quiver, and then dropped quickly. ¡°Nice to meet you, Charlie.¡± In a corner no one had noticed, the man bowed his head and saluted to him. Charlie coldly curled his lips, his eyes filled with a shuddering intensity. His fine thin lips moved, uttering cold and brusque words. ¡°Get away!¡± The man was about to leave but was stopped suddenly. ¡°Wait!¡± The man looked back with a terrified bitter look on his face. ¡°Charlie, I didn¡¯t mean to bump into you. If I knew you were here, I would have turned around the corner ¡­¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Charlie impatiently interrupted him, looked into the direction of the stage with darkened eyes. ¡°All right, I am not talking about that. Don¡¯t tell anyone I am here tonight. Understand?¡± The man was shocked, as if he did not understand why Charlie said so. However, he agreed obediently. Charlie waved his hand and let the man leave. Although Charlie graduated from Riverside High School five years ago, the legend he left behind still remained on campus. The reason was quite simple. During his school years, Charlie was known for his ruthless and bad reputation. In other words, he was a super school bully rarely seen in the school history, probably the only one in a decade. The fights he engaged outnumbered the exams he took, and the fights were so fierce that he became the nightmare of his peers and teachers. After five years, this nightmare was still a force to be reckoned with. As a matter of fact, everyone would turn the other way at the sight of him. Apart from Victoria, no one dared to approach him these years. Unfortunately, it was just an unrequited love. Born into a prestigious family, Victoria was endowed with both wealth and beauty must be insane to take a fancy to Charlie, who has nothing but a handsome face. Despite her efforts, Victoria was ignored, and Charlie turned her down directly. For this matter, many boys who admired Victoria secretly were indignant for her sake. Unfortunately, Victoria did not care about them, so they naturally had no position to air their opinions. Finally, Victoria¡¯s performance on the stage came to the end. She stood up and bowed to the audience, and then retreated to the backstage. As apuse took over the auditorium, Charlie standing in darkness looked toward the direction where the woman headed. Then he turned to walk out, his dark eyes clouding up. The next performer was Jessica. As the goddess of countless men, Annie was not as beautiful as Victoria. However, her innocent girl-next-door persona did stir quite the hype. Her piano performance won her favor and a round of apuse. There were crazy male fans who went upstage presenting bouquets of flowers, and they were so excited. Maintaining a shy character, Annie stood on the stage and delivered praising words that bathed the school, teachers and students in good mood. Everyone loved to be praised, including the principals and teachers. An appreciative smile lit up on their faces. Zoe, however, was not interested in watching her performance. After sending Victoria a text message and knowing that she was backstage, Zoe got up and left. In the backstage, Victoria was changing clothes. She wore traditional costume for performance on the stage, and was changing into her own evening gown for the party. Zoe waited for her at the door. After changing clothes, they went to a nearby hotel hand in hand. The anniversary celebration tonight was divided into two segments, and the performance and red carpet was just segment one, whichsted only an hour and a half. After that, everyone went to a five-star hotel next to the school, which was the venue for the dinner party tonight. Those who were not interested in watching the performance would go there first. Although it was still early, the hotel was lively and packed with people. Zoe and Victoria took their room cards from the reception and went back to their rooms before going to the banquet hall. The luxuriously decorated banquet hall was graced by a gorgeously dressed crowd, stirring a bustling scene. Most of the celebrities and dignitaries who were not graduated from Riverside High School had long gathered here. They were drinking and talking under the dazzling chandelier. What a bustling sight! The arrival of the duo attracted the attention of many people. Victoria was a show stopper, but the woman next to her was just breathtaking. Who was that woman? How beautiful she was! She was in a ss of her own style and not inferior at all when she stood next to Victoria, the famous beauty in the entertainment circle. Different from the kind of ssical beauty on Victoria, Zoe was dressed in a blue gown, looking cool with the aesthetic feeling of orchid. A handful of her acquaintances were also amazed by her presence. Zoe? How could it be her? In the past, Zoe was always dressed up in professional attire from head to toe, an embodiment of capability and resolution. Although she was pretty, her appearance was overshadowed by her domineering way of doing things. Most people would express admiration towards her ability, while her appearance became second. They saw a new side of her today. Zoe looked around the banquet hall, and her eyes fell on a grey-haired man not far away. ¡°That is Director Hamlin Hall,¡± Victoria whispered. ¡°He is quite entric. Sometimes he just won¡¯t show any consideration for other¡¯s feeling. Be careful when you talk to him. Zoe nodded. ¡°I see.¡± Victoria looked around and whispered, ¡°I see some acquaintances over there. I want to go over and say hello, so I won¡¯t go with you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After Victoria left, Zoe secretly took a breath and went to Hamlin with a ss in her hand. ¡°Mr. Hall.¡± Hamlin Hall was the most famousedy director in the circle. His works were funny, but in private he was a serious, entric, low-key person, and rarely engaged in social parties. Owning to his identity as alumni of Riverside High School, and the principal had a good rtionship with him, he attended the event today. Hearing the voice, Hamlin turned round. He was surprised to see Zoe. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Hall, my name is Zoe, and I am currently in charge of Star Entertainment.¡± Zoe handed over her business card with respect. Hamlin epted it with an indifferent look. ¡°Star Entertainment? I heard about its acquisition. So it was you. What¡¯s up?¡± Such asions were originally used for social intercourse, and few would talk about business. Apparently, Hamlin didn¡¯t even bother to the exchange of pleasantries. He would not have attended the dinner party today if the principle had not pleaded for him toe. Zoe was not angry about his response, but said with a smile, ¡°I know you are not a fan of socializing. I am here for business.¡± She came straight to the point, which did surprise Hamlin. After sizing her up, Hamlin looked at her and asked, ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°I heard that you are casting a female lead for a new movie. I am wondering if you have any candidates in your mind right now?¡± 70 Hamlin¡¯s new project had been started for a month, and Zoe learned about the news not long ago. Hamlin was the most prestigious A-list director with guaranteed box office. Naturally, a role in his movie was undoubtedly sought-after by numerous. Not only ordinary actors, but also A-list actors and actresses were vying for a role in his work. But Hamlin was a director of principles. He never paid attention to the celebrity¡¯s status, but only cared about whether he or she fit for the role. He was particrly fond of using newbies, as the veteran actors had painted colorfully with their unique personal styles, while the newbies were easier to be taught and moulded in the way he envisioned in his work. Because of this, he was well-known for his preference for new actors. Hamlin was one of the reasons why Zoe had attended the party tonight. As she was smiling, Hamlin nced at her and frowned. ¡°Why are you asking it for?¡± ¡°Mr. Hall, you know, I have taken over Start Entertainment. I ask you this question just because I want to rmend the suitable candidate to you.¡± Hamlin smirked lightly. ¡°Does Star Entertainment have any capable actors at all?¡± It was no secret that Star Entertainment was at the verge of bankruptcy. Any promising actors would have left thepany long ago. Who would stay behind anyway? Zoe, however, remained a smiling face. ¡°Almost all the roles in your new film ¡®Chase the Wind¡¯ have been confirmed, except the supporting female role, Rhea. I know you always pursue perfection in art, and even if the shooting schedule is postponed, you will not give it up.¡± ¡°I have an actress at hand. She is quite suitable for the role. If you could give me a chance, I would like to take her to the audition. Trust me, you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± Zoe¡¯s words sounded just like she was exaggerating in the ears of others. As the people around began to whisper something, Hamlin merely frowned, staring at her without a word. ¡°Who does she think she is? How can she ask for such an important part like this?¡± ¡°Yes, Star Entertainment is a shabbypany, how dare shee to Mr. Hall and ask for the role? Does she have any idea about her own status?¡± ¡°Even Annie failed to im that role. If she has artists under her, they must be newbies! How can a newbie get that role?¡± ¡°SHH! Mr. Hall always likes to give opportunities to new actress¡­¡± Someone said that, and soon there was no sound around. Hamlin sized up the woman in front of him. The aloof and calm nature amid hermunicated to him and inexplicably he trusted her. There was nothing to lose for him, as it was just an audition. With this thought, he nodded and was about to give his word. At that moment, there was a burst of merryughter from the door. ¡°Annie, your performance tonight is amazing, better than anyone else! Did you see how those boys looked at you? Just like a pack of hungry wolves!¡± ¡°Annie is charming. Your looks and talent are all first-ss, they love her of course!¡± ¡°It is a pity that Annie is no longer avable. Even if they love her, they dare not get close to her!¡± ¡°Ha-ha, if your words are heard by Mr. Anderson, be careful, you might get beaten up.¡± ¡°Mr. Anderson is a gentleman. He won¡¯t do that to me!¡± ¡°Alright, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Everyone was good tonight. I just took a long time to learn the act, and it was not a big deal.¡± ¡°Annie is really modest.¡± Perhaps it was because she was standing so close to the door that almost all the people on this side heard her remarks, even if it was not too loud. At a nce, Zoe saw Anniee in with a group of people. Annie was in the middle, surrounded by Marie Witt and Tammy Stein. Annie¡¯s white gown ented her noble aura and delicacy, just like a princess in need of protection. She found Hamlin was standing not far away. She was surprised and walked over, lifting her dress. ¡°Mr. Hall, you are here.¡± Hamlin nodded faintly. Marie and Tammy were pleased to see Hamlin and followed to greet him as well. The group behind them also forced their way up to pay formalities. ¡°Hello, Mr. Hall, I¡¯m Marie Witt. I¡¯ve seen your film and really like them.¡± ¡°Mr. Hall, I¡¯m Iona, I am your fan!¡± A group of women flocked in, and soon surrounded Hamlin. They scrambled to introduce themselves, hoping to leave a good impression on him. In this way, Hamlin might remember them should there be a suitable role avable someday. However, Hamlin did not like the hustle and bustle. He attended the event for the sake of the principal. How could he possibly bear being besieged by a group of noisy women? His brows furrowed. Considering the asion, it was not appropriate for him to turn around and leave as he wished. Seeing this, Zoe said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Hall, didn¡¯t you just say you had something to do? In that case, we shouldn¡¯t bother you. Please go ahead.¡± Hamlin nced at her, and his eyes spoke of abstruseness. A momentter, he nodded his head and turned to leave. After taking two steps, he paused before turning to her, and said, ¡°Contact my assistant tomorrow and he¡¯ll tell you the time.¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes brightened. She nodded with a smile, ¡°Ok, thanks, Mr. Hall.¡± Hamlin walked out. Marie and the group were fuming. ¡°Zoe! What do you mean? You did it on purpose, right? Ask Hamlin to leave as soon as wee in! Are you afraid he¡¯ll chat with us for a little longer?¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Zoe folded her arms and said faintly, ¡°Who am I? Can I ask him to leave? You think too highly of me.¡± Marie choked but unwilling to back down. Then she retorted, ¡°Just now you reminded Mr. Hall of going first for something?¡± ¡°Yes! Don¡¯t think we can¡¯t see that. You are afraid that Mr. Hall might find us adorable, and you just cannot take it!¡± ¡°Yeah! What a scheming b*tch!¡± Zoe smiled and did not take their indignant usations to heart. Her eyes fell on Annie. ¡°You think so too?¡± Annie let out a faint smile. ¡°Mr. Hall dislikesmotions, and Marie had no idea that she might annoy Mr. Hall. Sister, you stopped her in time, I should thank you.¡± Zoe showed a mockery smile. ¡°Mr. Hall asked you to contact his assistant tomorrow, may I know why?¡± Zoe raised her eyebrows. ¡°What do you think?¡± Annie secretly clenched her fingers. She forced a smile reluctantly, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it is for the role Rhea in Chase The Wind?¡± 71 Zoe looked like she suddenly understood something. ¡°So you know the role too!¡± OMG! She had been fighting for the role for a whole month, but failed, how would she not know it? However, Zoe seemed to have her mind set on ying dumb and Jessica could do nothing about it. Taking a deep breath, Annie said in gruff tone, ¡°This role requires great acting skills. The newbie under you are not qualified for it, and you know better than me. Why do you still want to humiliate yourself?¡± Zoe smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t know whether I¡¯m bringing disgrace on myself until I try, will I?¡± She paused and took a nce at Annie. The twinkle in her eyes was dripping with sarcasm. ¡°I did hear that somebody had been fighting for the role to no avail, yet still not giving up. It sounds more like bringing disgrace upon themselves. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°You!¡± Unable to remain calm, Annie could not help but feel angry. She could put up with Zoe stealing the supporting female role Kallie Franklin in ¡®The Youth¡¯. Was she here to steal yet another role in ¡®Chase The Wind¡¯. Did Zoe just have to take every role she had her eye on? Annie had the feeling that Zoe was deliberately doing this against her. Staring at Zoe¡¯s smiling face, Annie swallowed her anger after a moment. She squeezed a smiling face and croaked, ¡°Since you won¡¯t listen to my advice, let¡¯s justpete for it! We¡¯ll see who would get the role.¡± She failedst time because of Marie¡¯sck ofmitment. This time, she would handle it herself. Was she going to be outshone again? That would be ridiculous! Hamlin may prefer to use newbies in his movie, but he would have to take the box office into consideration! After all, she had be quite a celebrity with a huge fan base. Even if she did nothing, a lot of people had known her already. Thus, she was in urgent need of a work with good box office; otherwise, she would never put herself in such a humble position for a role! As the film was shot from the male perspective, the proportion of female roles did not ount much as a whole. Because of the age, a middle-aged film star had been cast as the female lead. Therefore, the only chance left for her was the role of Rhea, the sister of the male lead, a supporting female role. It was just a supporting female role. However, it was ultimately Hamlin¡¯s production, which was good enough for a popr celebrity like her to bask in the glory. And it was a role that matched her age and temperament. Therefore, Annie was confident that she would get it. Zoe remained quiet, even though she knew what was on Annie¡¯s mind. As she turned around to excuse herself, there came a voice of a man behind her. ¡°Zoe?¡± She turned her head and saw Stevening in. ¡°Steven.¡± Annie showed a joyous face and advanced to cling to his arm. She said in a tender voice, ¡°You are here!¡± Shawn nced at her before nodding, ¡°Yes, I just finished chatting with my friends. What were you talking about?¡± Of course he could smell the gunpowder in the air. And he was fully aware of the discord between Annie and Zoe, so he just asked casually. Unexpectedly, before Jessica said a word, Tammymented angrily, ¡°Mr. Anderson, you should back Annie up. Zoe crossed the line! She robbed Annie¡¯s role. Moreover, she sent Mr. Hall away when she saw using, for fear that Annie would have more talks with Mr. Hall. God knows what was on her mind?¡± Annie smiled reluctantly, ¡°Tammy, don¡¯t say it like that. It was definitely not my sister¡­sister¡¯s intention.¡± Not her intention? So she might indeed have asked Hamlin to leave so as not to let her talk to him! Zoe threw a meaningful nce at Steven, and sure enough, his face became sour. He stared at Zoe with a furrow between his arched eyebrows and said in a deep voice, ¡°Zoe, Annie has been studying the role for a long time and really love the character, don¡¯t fight with her for the role.¡± Zoe gave a slight sniff. ¡°Steven Anderson, what makes you think that I would do as you said?¡± Steven was stunned. In fact, Zoe was not obliged to follow his words. But after all, they had been together for six years, during which she had always been obedient to him and never opposed to anything he said. Therefore, he subconsciously took it for granted that she would listen to him. There was a faint sense of embarrassment in the air. A girl next to Annie said in disdain, ¡°Who do you think you are? Annie doesn¡¯t fuss over you; otherwise, with your scandal five years ago, Mr. Hall would just ignore you!¡± Annie¡¯s facial expression changed slightly, and she muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t bring it up.¡± However, the girl was not convinced, ¡°Why not? It is true! She tried every effort to take away anything you desired, right?¡± ¡°Just like five years ago, she was not able to enter the Royal College of Art, so she stole your works. Only you still protect her, a trash who turns her back against her sister for her own benefit.¡± ¡°If my words count, I¡¯d let everyone know what she¡¯s done and let them see her true face, so they won¡¯t be deceived by her appearance!¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± A murmur of discussion rose around them. ¡°What happened five years ago? What does it have anything to do with the Royal College of Art?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? They are sisters, it is said that five years ago, the elder sister was jealousy of the young sister¡¯s talent and stole her work for the submission in her own name. She was caught red-handed in the end! In that way, she failed to be admitted to that school, neither did the younger sister.¡± ¡°Ah? Really?¡± ¡°It was circted all over the Riverside High School and the Royal College of Art. It is the truth!¡± ¡°What a wicked woman! The Royal College of Art only recruits students once every three years. What a rare opportunity!¡± ¡°Yeah, it is known to all.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If she failed to be admitted to that school, it only means she was not good enough. How could she steal other people¡¯s works? What a despicable woman!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Marie raised her eyebrowscently upon hearing the voices of the people around. Seeing this, Annie showed a flurried expression on her clear and beautiful face. She exined immediately, ¡°Please stop that, it is not true. Zo¡­ Zoe did not do it on purpose!¡± ¡°Annie, you are just too kind! Why are you still covering it up for such a person!¡± ¡°Yes, she is always taking advantage of you! And you still speak for her. She would not be grateful. Don¡¯t be silly!¡± ¡°No, my sister is not that kind of person.¡± ¡°Annie, you are too soft. If I were you and have such an elder sister, I will reveal the truth to the world and fight tit for tat so that she will feel ashamed for the rest of her life!¡± 72 The surrounding area was suddenly plunged into an uproar. Everyone was pointing fingers at Zoe, and the look they casted were not as stunning and appreciative as before.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Instead, they were full of contempt and distain! Zoe¡¯s face was expressionless. The criticism around her did not stir a single surge of emotions in her still deep eyes. As a matter of fact, her eyes remained serene as if nothing had ever happened. ncing at Zoe¡¯s indifferent reaction, Annie sneered secretly. Just keep pretending! How long could you keep it like this? She paused and was ready to say more. But before she said anything, Steven¡¯s angry voice was heard. ¡°Enough! Are you here today for the party or for gossips? It¡¯s the entrance. Don¡¯t make a scene gathering around here! Get lost!¡± Naturally, everyone was not willing to leave, as a show was unfolding. Someone could not help but said, ¡°Mr. Anderson, your fiancee is the victim. As her boyfriend, why don¡¯t you help your fiancee but an outsider?¡± Steven¡¯s back stiffened. The expression on Annie¡¯s face froze. With silent fear and unwillingness creeping inside her, she turned to nce at Steven and saw a sh of panic in his eyes. Steven took her hand and exined in a low voice, ¡°Annie, you know I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Annie clenched her fist. Something was surging in her heart, arousing deep resentment. However, a smile was on her face, as said softly, ¡°I know you don¡¯t want me to have a bad rtionship with my sister. It¡¯s all for my own good, I understand.¡± Steven was too afraid to look into her eyes. He nodded. ¡°It is good that you know.¡± Standing at the side, Marie was still not reconcble. She added, ¡°Mr. Anderson, even if you don¡¯t want to inquiry into what happened five years ago, are you going to turn a blind eye to the fact that Jessica¡¯s roles have been robbed by her again and again?¡± Annie smiled gently. ¡°Sister, you may not know the importance of this film to me. I¡¯ve done my homework for a whole month to get the role. I know you want to promote the artiste under you. How about this? Let me have this role, and I will have Steven arrange a role for her in another film invested by Century Entertainment. How do you think?¡± There was uproar at once. ¡°This Annie is way too nice! Despite what her sister had done to her, she¡¯s still trying to help her get a role!¡± ¡°Yes, she was easy to be bullied!¡± ¡°Oh, she is too soft in temper. Fortunately, Shawn is here to protect her. Otherwise, God knows how much of a fool the sister¡¯s going to take her for?¡± ¡°Exchange a supporting role for a leading role? She lost nothing. It will be embarrassing if she doesn¡¯t agree to it!¡± Listening to the whispers, Zoe curled her lips and forced a smile. She gazed at Annie with mockery in her eyes. ¡°Are you done acting?¡± Annie was stunned. With a forced smile, she said, ¡°What do you mean, sister?¡± ¡°Are you tired of being an actress and nning to switch your career to talk show?¡± ¡°Zo! Don¡¯t go too far!¡± Marie stood out again. Annie¡¯s face darkened suddenly. She darted a sharp nce, and said in a cold voice, ¡°What does it matter to you if I go too far or not? Who are you to tell me what to do?¡± Marie was shocked by her cold aura and froze for two seconds. It took her a while to recover, and then her face changed. She couldn¡¯t believe she was shocked by her. She said angrily, ¡°Even if I have no qualifications, I am better than you. Besides, I am Annie¡¯s best friend. So what if Ie forward for Celine¡¯s sake?¡± Zoe sneered. ¡°Crosstalk can¡¯t satisfy you? What, do you want to demote yourself to be some inte celebrity?¡± The crowd around froze for a moment and was unable to snap out of it. Annie glowered. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it true? I always thought you have no conscience and are always scheming, but you have a good taste. I did not expect you to make friends with the like of these people. If you do not want to be an inte celebrity, why do you make friends with such a third-rate inte celebrity?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Really? A third-rate inte celebrity? Who? Marie shed panic in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Who is the third-rate inte celebrity?¡± ¡°You, of course!¡± Sniggering out of mockery, Zoe shook her head, ¡°Look at you two singing in the same tune. Are you setting up a stage to sing a Chinese Opera? It¡¯s a pity that a prick-teaser like you cannot even y the part well. You are too eager to pin me down with abel that it backfired¡± Marie¡¯s face changed. ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand a word you are saying!¡± Zoe let out a scoff. ¡°Do you think a change of clothes and painted face can mask a girl dwelling in the outer edges of the D list to a socialite? Your ID is ¡®Marie in the Sky¡¯, right? You only get attention by being sweet. Last month, you cheated aizen for a huge sum of money, which is confiscated now, out of aizen. Do you really think that no one can recognize you offline?¡± By now, everyone hade around with the revtion. They took a look at the girl called Marie again seriously and felt she looked familiar! An inte celebrity like her was no different from others. Because they didn¡¯t have any real skills, they could only rely on skirting to gain attention. So, every time they were streaming live, they just put on some strange makeup. Coupled with additional filter effects, they looked totally different from the way they were in daily life. What was the saying again? Goddess online and a matron offline! Although Marie did not hit it big, her ordinary look wasparable to an average joe, putting her in the same ss as a matron. After being alerted, the crowd soon recognized her. After all, no matter how well she disguised, she could hardly change her face and eyes. There was almost a gasp of surprise from everyone, especially the young men who were into the Lolita-goddess fantasies online. ¡°Dear me! She¡¯s ¡®Marie in the Sky¡¯! Why is she so ugly?¡± ¡°My God! I gave her gifts worth tens of thousands dors! I might as well visit a prostitute if I had known it earlier! At least, the prostitutes are prettier than her!¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t trust my aesthetics anymore! Why did I regard her as my goddess? God!¡± ¡°You are not alone. If possible, I really want to take back all my gifts!¡± ¡°Forget the gifts! I will thank the gods If she just disappear from my sight ASAP!¡± 73 There was a tidal wave of cynicism rushing toward Marie She was panicked. Looked at the crowd around, she made a futile attempt to exin, but was unable to find the proper words. She turned to Annie for help, but Annie¡¯s head hung low. Annie held Steven¡¯s arm tightly, refusing to meet Marie¡¯s gaze. It was like the two were total strangers. Marie was in despair. Click! Click! Someone fished out the phone to take pictures. Then more and more people followed suit to snap pictures of her. Frightened, Marie waved her hands, and finally covered her face with them. ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t shot me! Please don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Why? Such a piece of earth-shattering news requires photographic proof! Otherwise, no one will believe that ¡®Marie in the Sky¡¯ is you!¡± ¡°Yes! That is right. Don¡¯t tell me you still want to go on with your game of cheating?¡± A bunch of hedonistic boys from rich families were jesting around, trying to make news for fun. As for how Marie felt, they were not interested in it. Anyhow, some wanted to take revenge. After all, they had indeed invested a lot in the disguised female divinity online, and were unable to ept the discrepancy in her appearances. When everyone had had with photos, Annie stepped in. ¡°Enough! Stop taking pictures! She did not do it on purpose. She is just trying hard to support her life. Can¡¯t you let her go?¡± Upon hearing that, everyone stopped finally. In fact, they had already taken plenty of photos. Marie was sobbing. No one could bear to be publicly humiliated in this way. Annie consoled her, ¡°Marie, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m sorry. It is all my fault. If I have not stepped on her toes, she won¡¯t be against you.¡± Hearing that, Marie quickly nced at Zoe with hatred. Zoe curled her lips and showed a sarcastic smile. In such a state, Marie was really stupid for not realizing who the dirty hand behind her misery was. She deserved such an end! Steven frowned at such a scene. He didn¡¯t want to make it big. After all, it was the 70th anniversary of the school. After a while, various leaders of the school and the city were about to arrive, and it was not a sight to behold. Hence he asked everyone to walk away. At this point, everyone knew that the show was basically over, and there was nothing more to see here. Thus they didn¡¯t say anything anymore and walked away. Annie offered Marie a few words offort before asking Marie and Tammy to apany her to a guest room upstairs to take a rest. After everyone left, Annie finally turned back and stare at Zoe.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Now, sister, you must be content to cause such a ruckus!¡± Zoe raised her eyebrows. She gazed at Annie with an amused look on her face, ¡°Are you saying I start it?¡± ¡°I admit, what Marie and Tammy said started it, but didn¡¯t I exin it on your behalf? Why are you still being pushy and mean to Marie? Don¡¯t you know she was from a poor family and became an inte celebrity to make a living?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in listening to your version of her dirtyundry!¡± Zoe interrupted her bluntly. With obvious disappointment on her face, Annie covered her chest in pain. ¡°Sister, when did you be like this?¡± Steven revealed faint disappointment in his eyes too. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t say anything. Supporting Annie with his hand, Shawn reminded in a soft tone, ¡°Annie, the principal ising. Let¡¯s move on and take a seat!¡± Annie wiped her indistinct tears from the corner of her eyes and muttered, ¡°Steven, you¡¯d better go in first! I want to go upstairs and check on Marie. I will be right back after I make sure she is all right.¡± Steven nodded. ¡°Ok.¡± Steven left. Annie and Zoe were the only left there. ¡°All right, since everyone¡¯s gone, stop acting!¡± Zoe said faintly. Annie finally tucked away her grief face. She straightened her back. She looked distressed and heartbroken a moment ago, but now she wore a proud smile on her face. ¡°I really underestimated you, but do you think exposing Marie¡¯s true identity will have any influence on me? Oh! She¡¯s just a brainless fool, and I wouldn¡¯t have taken her with me if she hadn¡¯t been trying to curry favor with me. She¡¯s so stupid and easy to use!¡± Zoe gave her a faint look. ¡°So? What did you want to tell me?¡± Annie smiled gently, stepped forward, and whispered in her ear, ¡°Do you think you can capture Steven¡¯s heart again? Let me tell you, I could send you to hell five years ago, and I can do the same now!¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes turned cold, yet Annie continued. ¡°No one likes a venomous woman who persecutes her sister! It is no exception for Steven! You know what he loves about me? My appearance? Oh, no, it¡¯s my kind heart and mile temperament that he loves best. As long as I keep it up, he¡¯ll never fall for you, understand?¡± Zoe sneered. ¡°Annie, what magic spell does Steven have you under? Why are you so confident that he was charming enough for me to bear him in my heart?¡± Annie¡¯s face changed slightly. She looked at Zoe with hatred in her eyes. ¡°You still deny it? If you¡¯re really over him, why do you dress like this, knowing that he will be here? Don¡¯t fool me about what you¡¯re thinking! You¡¯ll never have him!¡± ¡°Tonight, I¡¯ll show you what it tastes to relive a nightmare! I¡¯ll destroy the reputation, confidence you¡¯ve been working so hard to build up over thest five years. You will end up just as poor and lost as you were five years ago.¡± As she said this, the rage and jealousy smothering in her chest were finally released for a moment. She straightened up and looked at Zoe with a confident face, as well as the winner¡¯s pride and arrogance. Zoe gazed at her for a moment before shaking her head slowly. Then, she said with deep sympathy, ¡°Annie, you are too naive! You n to make a scene on an event that happened five years ago and trap me in a situation beyond redemption?¡± Annie said in a cold voice, ¡°It is your fault! How dare youe out on such an asion today?¡± Zoe smiled. ¡°Why not?¡± Annie frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing! I just feel sorry for your confidence.¡± Annie¡¯s pupils dted Zoe took a step closer to her and whispered, ¡°Are you really so sure that the manuscript you stole from myputer five years ago was the original?¡± 74 Annie was stunned. A frozen silence trailed along the air between them. A few secondster, she burst into a smile. She looked up at Zoe and blurted coldly, ¡°You think you can fool me?¡± Zoe shook her head, ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Annie¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What exactly do you mean by saying this?¡± ¡°Nothing, it is great if you can understand, but it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t. I just want to remind you, you brought me down five years ago because I was off guard, but now it is different!¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Do you really think I am so silly toe without fully prepared, knowing that you and Tammy are trying to set me up and destroy my reputation again?¡± Annie¡¯s face changedpletely. She shook her head in disbelief. ¡°It is impossible! If you had evidence, why didn¡¯t you disclose it five years ago?¡± Zoe smiled with faint mockery. Without another word, she turned around and was about to go inside. Caught in a panic suddenly, Annie reached out her hand to pull Zoe. ¡°Stop! Make it clear¡­¡± However, a figure rushed over at this moment and bumped into Annie. ¡°Ah!!¡± Amid the scream, Zoe hurried over to hold Victoria, and found that Annie¡¯s gown was stained with red wine. ¡°Oops! I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. I failed to stop in time running here and bumped into you by ident!¡± Victoria smiled and took out a handkerchief to wipe the red wine for her. How dare Annie let her wipe the stains for her? She was afraid that she would push her intentionally, so Annie retreated quickly. ¡°Don¡¯te over!¡± ¡°Tsk! It is you who don¡¯t allow me to wipe it for you! Don¡¯t me me for not apologizing!¡± With that, she felt at ease and withdrew her hands. Annie¡¯s face turned blue with anger. Victoria said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s only a dress. It is so ugly that it makes you look like a fat old nanny. I have done you a favor to get it dirty. At worst, I will buy you a new one.¡± Annie was speechless. ¡°Besides, pregnant women shouldn¡¯t be angry. What if your anger has an negative impact on the baby? This is the only bargaining chip you have to marry into the Anderson family! Be careful.¡± Annie was fuming. Marie who had sent Marie into the room was worried about Annie and came downstairs to her. At the sight of Annie¡¯s¡¯s gown ruined with red wine, she quickly ran over. ¡°Annie, what happened to you?¡± Annie said nothing but stare at Victoria, as if she wished to eat her alive. Victoria turned a blind eye and said to Marie with a smile, ¡°Nothing. Her skirt got dirty identally. Since you are here, we will leave her to you. Pregnant women should be taken care of, we will leave you alone. Bye.¡± With that, she pulled Zoe to walk away. Marie was left behind, speechless. Zoe did not expect that Victoria would suddenlye over. As long as she thought of the fact that Annie got spilled with red wine, she could not help butugh. She tugged at Victoria¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Hey, where were you? What took you so long?¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°I just talked to a few people I know.¡± Victoria switched the topic to avoid continuing discussion about it. ¡°Did you tell Jessica?¡± Zoe smiled, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did she believe it?¡± ¡°I am not sure, but at least she doubts it.¡± With her eyes casting slightly down, Zoe said quietly, ¡°Sorry to trouble you tonight.¡± Victoria sniggered, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I may not be able to help you with other things, but I can handle this. Rest assured! If anyonees tonight, I will get her to you.¡± Seeing her confident look, Zoe nodded, smiling. On the other side, Annie, in thepany of Marie, came back to the guest room to change clothes. As the entire hotel was booked for the celebration, most attending guests present were allocated with separate guest rooms so that they could stayte in the evening. There was no rush for them to leave. Both Annie and Marie¡¯s rooms were on the eighth floor. After entering the room, Marie could no longer hold her tongue anymore and shouted angrily, ¡°They crossed the line! How could they pour the wine at you in public?¡± Annie¡¯s face turned sour too. ¡°Zoe dared not. It¡¯s Victoria.¡± ¡°That b*tch!¡± Marie was so angry that she gnashed her teeth and said, ¡°It is just because her father is the chairman of Ambario Prosperities. What is it? A public disy of power?¡± Annie sneered. ¡°Her identity as the daughter to the owner of Ambario Prosperities is powerful enough! At least she is way more powerful than you and me!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°That is enough. It is the end of the conversation, and get a gown for me now. Steven is still waiting for me downstairs. I must get down at once.¡± Marie dared not say anything anymore and had to help her to find a dress. After Marie left, Annie went into the bathroom and thought of something as she was washing her hands. After that, she looked at her pretty face in the mirror and got slightly distracted. Zoe¡¯s words echoed in her mind again. ¡°Are you really so sure that the manuscript you stole from myputer five years ago is the original?¡± The certainty and confidence in her face seemed to be obvious, and she became nervous. No, No way! She had literally copied the manuscript from herputer, and by rights, she couldn¡¯t have had another copy! But why was the uneasiness brewing in her heart? She knew Zoe so well! She could not have uttered such words in front of her if she had not been so sure! She would never put on a show! But what if it was not true? What good did she get by lying to her? Trying to scare her? To ask her to stop getting her into trouble? Not likely. Zoe frowned and her brain was so messy that she could not figure it out. She felt panic. In the past five years, outsiders thought she had a good life, but they didn¡¯t know she had paid a lot for it. Marketing alone could not go far, and she did put in solid efforts and hard work. She had worked so hard to get to where she was now and how could she give it up easily again? She had spent so much effort to drive Zoe out of the family, to seize Steven, to get the life she wanted, how could she allow it to be destroyed so easily? No, no! She took a deep breath at the thought. There came a knock on the door. 75 Marie¡¯s voice came through the door. ¡°Annie, are you still inside? I brought you a gown.¡± Annie resumed her expression before turning around to open the door. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Smiling, Marie noticed her abnormal look and asked with concern, ¡°Annie, are you alright?¡± Annie forced a smile and shook her head. Although she was shaking her head, everything on her face indicated that there was something on her mind, making her sad. How could Marie not see the hint? She said in worried tone, ¡°Annie, did Zoe that b*tch bully you again? What did she tell you?¡± Annie still shook her head. After a pause, she took Marie¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m just worried.¡± ¡°Worried about what? ¡°I¡­¡± Annie hung her head and her eyes sparkled. ¡°Annie,e on, speak it out to me?¡± Annie said in a gentle voice, ¡°You probably won¡¯t believe it. I find it unbelievable as well. I did not expect my sister to be like that, I really¡­¡± Her voice gradually choked up with sobs, as she was about to cry soon. Her delicate and pretty face was clouded over. Marie could not stand it anymore and said, ¡°I knew it! It must be that b*tch bullying you again! What did she do?¡± Shaking her head, it took Annie a while to recover her mood. Then she continued, ¡°After you escort Tammy to the guest room, she stopped me and said that the manuscript I drew five years ago is in her hand, and she can prove that it is her work, as long as she takes out that manuscript tonight.¡± Marie widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°Damn! What a b*tch? Wouldn¡¯t that make you the bad guy ndering her?¡± Annie nodded. ¡°What a shameless woman!¡± ¡°Marie, you are my best sister, and I only dare to tell you about it. I really don¡¯t know what to do. You know, my sister is good at talking, and I¡¯m really afraid that she will take out that manuscript to nder me, and then I¡¯ll be totally screwed.¡± Marie said indignantly, ¡°Annie, don¡¯t worry! Since she dares to say so, it means she has brought that manuscript with her tonight. As long as we get that manuscript out before she disys it, everything will be all right.¡± Annie looked at her nkly, taken by surprise. ¡°Steal, steal it?¡± Marie nodded with certainty. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But ¡­ will it be not good?¡± ¡°Nothing good or bad. That¡¯s what she¡¯s done!¡± Atst, Marie noticed the dilemma in Annie¡¯s¡¯s embarrassed eyes. She patted her chest irritably. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You don¡¯t have to do it. I¡¯ll take care of it for you. All you have to do is to help me keep her from going back to her room.¡± Annie looked at her with hesitation for a long time. Finally, she said, ¡°Well¡­alright!¡± ¡°Go get changed first, I will go out now.¡± ¡°Well, thank you, Marie.¡± After Marie went out and closed the door, Annie got up. All the earlier hesitation and weakness disappeared from her pretty face. Instead, all that left was disdain and loathing. She swore in a barely audible voice, ¡°idiot!¡±, and then nced at the dress in disgust, which was obviously an improvised, ill-fitting one, and get changed. As the event in the school was over, people began to gather in the ball room. Zoe skillfully walked through the crowd, talking andughing. She was never fond of such asions, but two years as the PR director in Century Entertainment had taught her to socialize and then she gradually got used to it. The previous farce in such a lively atmosphere was not mentioned by anyone, as if it had never happened. After all, no matter how popr the headline became, it was none of their business. It was just a topic for gossiping, but today it was obviously not the asion for it. Most guests present were either rich or powerful, then who would be mindless to talk about trifles happened in school days. What¡¯s more, Zoe was elegant, and many were subconsciously reluctant to associate her with that girl in the scandal of five years ago. In short, the past was in the past. Since the person involved was not willing to bring it up, they would naturally be happy toply. Therefore, they didn¡¯t turn a cold shoulder to Zoe because of that, and a few rich and young men came to greet her because of her stunning appearance. Zoe did not refuse and responded in a gentle and polite manner. She had been in the circle for years and knew all too well the way how the world worked. A lot of people might look like a yboy, but actually, they could have very deep connections. One day maybe she would need their help. One more friend was better than one more enemy. Not far away, Steven stared at her shuttling around in the crowd with a somber face. Then, a clear, gentle voice came from behind. ¡°Steven.¡± Steven turned and saw Annie. Putting down the wine ss in hand, he pulled her over. ¡°Have you seen her? Is she alright?¡± Annie shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, she¡¯s just a little sad. I have left Tammy up there with her. She will be all right soon.¡± ¡°Good.¡± With that, the conversation between them ended. Steven said nothing after that, and took another ss of wine, taking one sip after another.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Annie was disappointed to see him like this. ¡°Steven, do you have anything to tell me?¡± Steven froze and looked at her, ¡°Tell you what?¡± Annie did not know what to say. With bitterness creeping in her heart, her eyes gradually tainted with wetness. She forced a smile and bent her head slightly. ¡°I thought you would be worried about me and asked why I changed my clothes.¡± Steven was stunned. He took a careful look, only to find that Annie was wearing another dress. His face changed. Feeling embarrassed, he let out a dry cough. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t notice because I was thinking about something. What¡¯s wrong? Why did you change your clothes?¡± His unease tone and gaze made Annie heartbroken. She stared at Steven and found obvious nervousness in his eyes. She felt sad in the heart. ¡°Nothing, I identally got spilled all over with wine.¡± She said in an angry tone. She didn¡¯t mention who did it, supposing that he could guess the perpetrator by himself. 76 As expected, Steven frowned. Annie secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Anyway, he still cared about her. Since now he had known that she was wronged, he would certainly help her take revenge! However, to her surprise, Steven only said in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯d better stay away from her in the future!¡± Annie was stunned and widened her eyes in disbelief. She looked at Steven in disbelief as if she had heard somethingpletely impossible. ¡°What¡­ What did you say?¡± Steven said impatiently. ¡°Every time you two meet, you will quarrel with each other like foes of life. It seems that she is unreasonable, but actually, it¡¯s always you who took the initiative to provoke the fighting. Annie, it¡¯s already a mistake for us two to be together, so definitely she hates you for that. Why do you still take the initiative to provoke her and get yourself annoyed?¡± Annie was stupefied. She looked at the man in front of her and couldn¡¯t believe what he had said just now. Tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Steven, do you think¡­ Do you think I have always made trouble for my sister on purpose?¡± Steven frowned. Then he exined helplessly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I just asked you to keep a distance from her.¡± ¡°How can I keep a distance from her? Do you mean that I shouldn¡¯t go anywhere she goes in the future? Steven, how could you say something like that? I know I should say sorry to her, but I¡¯ve tried my best to make it up. What else do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Will it satisfy both of you if I go to hell now? If so, why did you even bother toe to me before? Since you love her so much, wasn¡¯t it better for you to be with her?¡± Annie broke down with tears. Steven¡¯s face changed instantly. He covered her mouth in a hurry and looked around. Then he lowered his voice and said anxiously, ¡°Keep it down!¡± Annie just cried, feeling so wronged that she couldn¡¯t even speak. Steven also could not help feeling sorry, when he saw his girl crying so poorly. He held her in his arms andforted her, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. How could I love her? I only love you, and nobody else. I said that just because I don¡¯t want you to have any conflict with her ever again.¡± ¡°You should know how kind you are. If you have a conflict with her, you will always be the one who suffers. Then I will also be worried. Do you understand this?¡± Annie cried, ¡°I think you are just worried about her!¡± ¡°Of course not! Nonsense!¡± Steven coaxed softly, ¡°Of course I only love you. After all, you are not only my fiancee, but also the mother of my child.¡± As he spoke, he gently rested his hand on her belly. Annie didn¡¯t really want to break up with him. After beingforted by his gentle words, she knew better than to continue the fuss. However, the jealousy and anger at the bottom of her heart were like a volcano awakened, and she could no longer control it. Why would just everyone like Zoe? She had already broken up with Steven, but she still upied an important ce in this man¡¯s world.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. And she had worked so hard herself, why couldn¡¯t she get anything at all? But then again, she felt fortunate. That woman was stupid enough to be so arrogant. After she got the real manuscript, no matter how hard Zoe tried to defend herself tonight, she couldn¡¯t get away with the crime of theft and framing! At the thought of this, Annie took a deep breath and suppressed the surging hatred in her eyes. In the meanwhile, at the guest room department on the twelfth floor, Marie sneaked out of the elevator and found room No. 1201. She had just asked the receptionist for Zoe¡¯s room. And Annie had asked someone to get the room card for Marie. All Marie needed to do was to go in and steal the manuscript from theptop. Thinking of this, Marie put the room card on the door. With a light ¡°beep¡±, the door opened. She was delighted and looked around to make sure that no one would ever see her. Then she shed in. It was pitch dark inside. Marie didn¡¯t dare to turn on the light. She turned on her shlight instead, fumbled for theptop and turned it on. It took a while to turn on theptop. She waited patiently, but suddenly she heard a very light noise from behind. Startled, Marie turned around subconsciously and shouted, ¡°Who is it?¡± But there was nothing in the dark room. Her face changed slightly, her heart somehow pounding. She began to have a feeling of uneasiness. But now that she had started the n, there was no turning back for her. Since she hade, she couldn¡¯t just leave with nothing. She must get the thing she¡¯s here fore. Thinking of this, Marie took a deep breath and encouraged herself to continue looking for the manuscript on theptop. Theptop that Zoe brought here was the one she usually used at home. There were not many documents in it. Soon, Marie found something that looked simr to a hand-painted design drawing. She was so surprised that she quickly took out the USB drive and copied the document into it. Unexpectedly, just at this moment. With a ¡°p¡± sound, all of a sudden, the lights in the room were all turned on. A cold voice of a woman came from behind. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Marie was almost scared out of her wits. When she turned around, she saw a young woman standing in the doorway. It was not Zoe, but Victoria! ¡°Why ¡­ Why are you here?¡± Victoria gave a cold sneer. ¡°This is my room, so why do you think I am here?¡± ¡°Your room? Isn¡¯t it¡­¡± She suddenly opened her eyes wide and realized something wrong. She looked at Victoria in disbelief. ¡°You set me up!¡± ¡°Humph! It¡¯s toote to know it now. ¡± Seeing that the situation was not as expected, Marie hurriedly jumped to her feet for the door. However, as soon as she ran to the door, she was stopped by several security guards who had already ambushed around. Victoria looked at her coldly and then smiled. ¡°Well, never try to run again. Since I knew you woulde here, definitely I¡¯ve prepared well! Just stop and surrender!¡± In the spinning hall on the second floor. The banquet hall was still lively and peaceful. To Zoe¡¯s surprise, besides the big shots from Julio, Amy, her favorite fashion designer, also came to the party today. It was said that Amy was a friend of the principal¡¯s granddaughter. She originally came to Ambario for a trip. Coincidentally, the school anniversary was held when she was here, so she was invited by the principal¡¯s granddaughter. Zoe was undoubtedly excited to learn about such good news. Unfortunately, since Amy entered the hall, she had been surrounded by all kinds of people who wanted to make friends with her. Natalia wanted to say hello to her, but there wasn¡¯t even a chance for her. Just then, a waiter came downstairs in a hurry. He walked quickly to the manager and said something. The manager¡¯s face changed and left in a hurry. Zoe smiled silently. She put down the ss in her hand and walked towards the elevator. ¡°Zoe.¡± Annie¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°The party is not over yet. Why are you leaving now?¡± Zoe looked back at her with a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I want to go back to have a rest in my room. Is there anything wrong?¡± Annie forced a smile. ¡°No, it¡¯s still too early. There are many celebrities here tonight. Don¡¯t you want to stay a little longer?¡± 77 As expected, Steven frowned. Zoe raised her eyebrows. She raised her wrist and looked at her watch to check the time. It was already half past ten at night. Although it was not veryte, it was definitely not early. She curled her lips and said, ¡°No, but it seemed like you are having great fun here, you can stay here. Enjoy yourself!¡± Then she walked towards the elevator without looking back. Annie¡¯s face darkened. She wanted to stop Zoe again, but Zoe seemed to have made up her mind and ignored her voice. Annie was pissed off. ¡®Damn it! Why hasn¡¯t Mariee down yet?¡¯ Steven frowned beside her. ¡°Annie, don¡¯t force her if she just wants to leave. Let¡¯s go. There are still people waiting for us over there.¡± Annie looked panicked. Seeing the elevator door was about to close, she gritted her teeth and suddenly rushed forward. ¡°Zoe!¡± Steven¡¯s face changed dramatically. Even Zoe, who had already entered the elevator, couldn¡¯t help frowning slightly. After a sh, Zoe pressed the open button with one hand and supported Annie with the other. With a livid face, she snapped, ¡°Stay away from me if you want to die. Just don¡¯t get me into trouble!¡± Steven rushed up and held Annie with a long face. ¡°What are you doing? You even had no idea how dangerous it was just now!¡± How could Annie not know the danger? Now she was still a little scared, but she had no choice. Marie hadn¡¯te down yet. She couldn¡¯t let Zoe go back. Thinking of this, she was about to say something, but at this time, a middle-aged man ran over from the outside. He nced at the three, and finally fixed his eyes on Zoe. He said respectfully, ¡°Is this Miss Zoe Gil?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Zoe nodded. ¡°Excuse me, your friend, Miss Kaur, on the twelfth floor has met some trouble. She wants you to go upstairs.¡± ¡­ Zoe followed the staff to the guest room department. Annie and Steven naturally followed them. As soon as they walked out of the elevator, they felt that the atmosphere on the whole floor was a little strange. At the door of one of the guest rooms, there were several security guards surrounding, and some other people were talking about something loudly inside. Annie¡¯s face changed slightly. Steven didn¡¯t know what had happened. He just followed Zoe subconsciously, because he saw the strange expression on the staff¡¯s face when the staff talked to Zoe. At this time, he heard the crying and arguing inside and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What happened there?¡± Zoe looked back at him and then fixed her eyes on Annie with a faint smile. ¡°I have no idea. Annie, do you know what happened?¡± Annie could only force a smile. ¡°Even you don¡¯t know that. How would I know?¡± Noticing that she didn¡¯t look well, Steven asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you feeling ufortable?¡± Annie¡¯s eyes twinkled. The woman¡¯s voice inside was so loud that everyone could hear it. Maybe others couldn¡¯t know, but she certainly knew whose voice it was. It was Marie. ¡®Has Marie been caught?¡¯ It was impossible. At this time, everyone was in the banquet hall downstairs. Who would have caught her? But for the sake of her own safety, she didn¡¯t want to go any closer, so she forced a smile and touched her forehead. ¡°Steven, I have a headache. I might catch a cold.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Oh, a headache? You should have a rest in my room then! I happen to have some medicine for headache in my room.¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± ¡°Annie! Are you afraid? ¡± Annie¡¯s back went stiff. She looked at Zoe and saw the familiar indifference and determination in Zoe¡¯s eyes. Annie couldn¡¯t help but feel flustered. When she was about to refuse again, Steven also said beside her. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and have a rest. You are pregnant now, and it¡¯s not good for you to walk around. If you still feel pain after a rest, I¡¯ll ask someone to drive you to the hospital.¡± Now that he had said so, Annie had no choice but to agree. Finally, she followed them to Zoe¡¯s room. In the room, Victoria was sitting on the sofa. Next to her were four security guards, all of whom were private bodyguards arranged by Victoria in advance, not from the hotel. Marie was on her knees in the middle of the living room, with her hands and feet tied up. Her face was covered with tears, and her makeup was messed up, quite embarrassed. Not only the three of them came over, but also some onlookers were gathering up even earlier. It was so noisy that many guests hade to check the situation. Therefore, when they arrived, there were even many people surrounding the room, as if waiting for some good drama. Annie¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Oh, what happened?¡± Zoe asked lightly. Seeing her, Victoria stood up and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re finally back. I caught a thief for you today. Look, it¡¯s even someone you know!¡± Zoe looked at the person at the center of the living room. Pretending to be surprised, she asked, ¡°Marie? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± At this time, Marie naturally knew that she was fooled. She could only falter, ¡°I just went to the wrong room. How could you tie me up and frame me as a thief? Zoe! What do you mean by doing that?¡± Zoe raised her eyebrows. ¡°The wrong room?¡± She sneered, ¡°If I remember correctly, your room should be on the eighth floor. How could you go to the twelfth floor by mistake?¡± Marie was speechless. Flustered, she looked at Annie and exined stiffly, ¡°I ¡­ I was drunk, okay?¡± ¡°Drunk?¡± Victoria sneered, ¡°You were drunk, and you still came here to rummage around her room? You should think twice before you decide to tell a lie! Besides, you were certainly very sober when you copied the files in theptop with the USB drive!¡± Marie panicked. She pretended not to know anything, ¡°What files? I don¡¯t know what you are talking about!¡± Victoria didn¡¯t want to waste her breath for the nonsense anymore. She asked the bodyguard to search for the USB drive on Marie¡¯s body. ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡± Since the USB drive was also found on her body, Marie had no reason to argue anymore. Now that the thief didn¡¯t say anything, Victoria asked Zoe, ¡°What do you think we should do with her?¡± Marie red at Zoe angrily. There was even a hint of warning and threat in her eyes. Zoe sneered, her eyes cold. ¡°Let the police deal with this case then!¡± ¡°What?¡± Marie screamed, ¡°Zoe Gil, you can¡¯t be so arrogant! Once I tell the truth, neither of us two will be able to be fine in the end!¡± With a sneer, Zoe said, ¡°I¡¯d like to hear how much pain I will suffer from your so-called truth.¡± At this time, more and more people who got the news came here. Many people gathered at the door and whispered to discuss. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on? How could Marie juste there to steal a file?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Is it some kind of business secret?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, stealing business secrets is quite a serious crime and she will be in jail for many years, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but she deserves it! How dare she be a theft. She¡¯s so shameless.¡± 78 The onlookers¡¯ discussion had thrown Mariepletely out of her wits. As expected, Steven frowned. Zoe raised her eyebrows. She raised her wrist and looked at her watch to check the time. It was already half past ten at night. Although it was not veryte, it was definitely not early. She curled her lips and said, ¡°No, but it seemed like you are having great fun here, you can stay here. Enjoy yourself!¡± Then she walked towards the elevator without looking back. Annie¡¯s face darkened. She wanted to stop Zoe again, but Zoe seemed to have made up her mind and ignored her voice. Annie was pissed off. ¡®Damn it! Why hasn¡¯t Mariee down yet?¡¯ Steven frowned beside her. ¡°Annie, don¡¯t force her if she just wants to leave. Let¡¯s go. There are still people waiting for us over there.¡± Annie looked panicked. Seeing the elevator door was about to close, she gritted her teeth and suddenly rushed forward. ¡°Zoe!¡± Steven¡¯s face changed dramatically. Even Zoe, who had already entered the elevator, couldn¡¯t help frowning slightly. After a sh, Zoe pressed the open button with one hand and supported Annie with the other. With a livid face, she snapped, ¡°Stay away from me if you want to die. Just don¡¯t get me into trouble!¡± Steven rushed up and held Annie with a long face. ¡°What are you doing? You even had no idea how dangerous it was just now!¡± How could Annie not know the danger? Now she was still a little scared, but she had no choice. Marie hadn¡¯te down yet. She couldn¡¯t let Zoe go back. Thinking of this, she was about to say something, but at this time, a middle-aged man ran over from the outside. He nced at the three, and finally fixed his eyes on Zoe. He said respectfully, ¡°Is this Miss Zoe Gil?¡± Zoe nodded. ¡°Excuse me, your friend, Miss Kaur, on the twelfth floor has met some trouble. She wants you to go upstairs.¡± ¡­ Zoe followed the staff to the guest room department. Annie and Steven naturally followed them. As soon as they walked out of the elevator, they felt that the atmosphere on the whole floor was a little strange. At the door of one of the guest rooms, there were several security guards surrounding, and some other people were talking about something loudly inside. Annie¡¯s face changed slightly. Steven didn¡¯t know what had happened. He just followed Zoe subconsciously, because he saw the strange expression on the staff¡¯s face when the staff talked to Zoe. At this time, he heard the crying and arguing inside and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What happened there?¡± Zoe looked back at him and then fixed her eyes on Annie with a faint smile. ¡°I have no idea. Annie, do you know what happened?¡± Annie could only force a smile. ¡°Even you don¡¯t know that. How would I know?¡± Noticing that she didn¡¯t look well, Steven asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you feeling ufortable?¡± Annie¡¯s eyes twinkled. The woman¡¯s voice inside was so loud that everyone could hear it. Maybe others couldn¡¯t know, but she certainly knew whose voice it was. It was Marie. ¡®Has Marie been caught?¡¯ It was impossible. At this time, everyone was in the banquet hall downstairs. Who would have caught her? But for the sake of her own safety, she didn¡¯t want to go any closer, so she forced a smile and touched her forehead. ¡°Steven, I have a headache. I might catch a cold.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Oh, a headache? You should have a rest in my room then! I happen to have some medicine for headache in my room.¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± ¡°Annie! Are you afraid? ¡± Annie¡¯s back went stiff. She looked at Zoe and saw the familiar indifference and determination in Zoe¡¯s eyes. Annie couldn¡¯t help but feel flustered. When she was about to refuse again, Steven also said beside her. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and have a rest. You are pregnant now, and it¡¯s not good for you to walk around. If you still feel pain after a rest, I¡¯ll ask someone to drive you to the hospital.¡± Now that he had said so, Annie had no choice but to agree. Finally, she followed them to Zoe¡¯s room. In the room, Victoria was sitting on the sofa. Next to her were four security guards, all of whom were private bodyguards arranged by Victoria in advance, not from the hotel. Marie was on her knees in the middle of the living room, with her hands and feet tied up. Her face was covered with tears, and her makeup was messed up, quite embarrassed. Not only the three of them came over, but also some onlookers were gathering up even earlier. It was so noisy that many guests hade to check the situation. Therefore, when they arrived, there were even many people surrounding the room, as if waiting for some good drama. Annie¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Oh, what happened?¡± Zoe asked lightly. Seeing her, Victoria stood up and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re finally back. I caught a thief for you today. Look, it¡¯s even someone you know!¡± Zoe looked at the person at the center of the living room. Pretending to be surprised, she asked, ¡°Marie? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± At this time, Marie naturally knew that she was fooled. She could only falter, ¡°I just went to the wrong room. How could you tie me up and frame me as a thief? Zoe! What do you mean by doing that?¡± Zoe raised her eyebrows. ¡°The wrong room?¡± She sneered, ¡°If I remember correctly, your room should be on the eighth floor. How could you go to the twelfth floor by mistake?¡± Marie was speechless. Flustered, she looked at Annie and exined stiffly, ¡°I ¡­ I was drunk, okay?¡± ¡°Drunk?¡± Victoria sneered, ¡°You were drunk, and you still came here to rummage around her room? You should think twice before you decide to tell a lie! Besides, you were certainly very sober when you copied the files in theptop with the USB drive!¡± Marie panicked. She pretended not to know anything, ¡°What files? I don¡¯t know what you are talking about!¡± Victoria didn¡¯t want to waste her breath for the nonsense anymore. She asked the bodyguard to search for the USB drive on Marie¡¯s body. ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡± Since the USB drive was also found on her body, Marie had no reason to argue anymore. Now that the thief didn¡¯t say anything, Victoria asked Zoe, ¡°What do you think we should do with her?¡± Marie red at Zoe angrily. There was even a hint of warning and threat in her eyes. Zoe sneered, her eyes cold. ¡°Let the police deal with this case then!¡± ¡°What?¡± Marie screamed, ¡°Zoe Gil, you can¡¯t be so arrogant! Once I tell the truth, neither of us two will be able to be fine in the end!¡± With a sneer, Zoe said, ¡°I¡¯d like to hear how much pain I will suffer from your so-called truth.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! At this time, more and more people who got the news came here. Many people gathered at the door and whispered to discuss. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on? How could Marie juste there to steal a file?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Is it some kind of business secret?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, stealing business secrets is quite a serious crime and she will be in jail for many years, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but she deserves it! How dare she be a theft. She¡¯s so shameless.¡± And Zoe also looked unwilling to let her go, so suddenly Marie shouted, ¡°That¡¯s enough! What kind of business secret? It was just a simple design draft.¡± ¡°Zoe, you stole Annie¡¯s design five years ago and told everyone it was your own, so that she has missed the opportunity to be admitted to the Royal College of Art.¡± ¡°Now, you still want to use the original draft of five years ago to frame her again! Do you think it is really yours? You are so vicious. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being punished by God?¡± Hearing this, everyone was stunned. What? The design draft in her hand was the one that caused Zoe to be involved in the scandal of five years ago? What did she mean by that? Someone had realized what Marie really meant. They turned to look at Zoe with strange looks. Zoe framed Annie with the original draft five years ago and imed that the design was hers, which meant¡­ Victoria¡¯s face also changed as she heard this. She looked at Zoe and asked her with eye contact. ¡®Zo, you only asked me to y this show for you , but you didn¡¯t tell me this!¡¯ Of course, she didn¡¯t think that Zoe was trying to frame Annie. But she didn¡¯t expect Marie to say so. After all, there was no evidence for that case at that time, and that was also why Zoe was unable to prove herself. If everyone should just buy what Marie had said today, this farce would not only be turned back against themselves but also get Zoe involved in the scandal again! Victoria was restless, but Zoe just sneered. ¡°Do you mean the design draft in this USB drive is the one of five years ago?¡± Marie looked confident and replied, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Heh!¡± Zoe smiled coldly and said nothing. She went straight to the table next to her, turned on theptop and inserted the USB drive into it. Soon, the file was opened up. ¡°Annie, since you are here, why don¡¯t youe and check what this file really is?¡± Annie was a little shocked when she was asked. She tried her best to calm herself down and walked over. When she saw the colorful design draft on the screen, she widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°The origin draft of Amy¡¯stest work?¡± Zoe raised her head slightly. ¡°Yes, I found it online. I saved it and wanted to study hertest inspiration and style, but I didn¡¯t expect you also to be so interested in it! You should have told me before, since you also like it. I would have asked someone to send you a copy. Actually you had no need to steal it. Do you think so?¡± Annie¡¯s face changed dramatically, so did Marie¡¯s face. The matter was out of their control. Just now, even if Marie was caught, Annie still didn¡¯t give up hopepletely. After all, in the eyes of the public, she was the victim of what had happened five years ago. As long as she insisted that it was Zoe¡¯s n to frame her, and that she asked Marie to steal the original draft just to ensure a self-protect, everyone would be on her side. But now¡­ How could it be like this? Squinting her eyes, Zoe smiled. ¡°Annie, you look so disappointed!¡± Annie couldn¡¯t put on the right expression anymore. She felt a chill down her spine when she thought that she had been tricked by Zoe from the beginning to the end. Beside her, Steven also sensed that something was wrong. He lowered his voice and asked, ¡°Annie, what¡¯s going on?¡± Those onlookers might not know the real rtionship between Marie and Annie, but he certainly knew it. However, Annie didn¡¯t say anything. Victoria said impatiently, ¡°Well, since everything is clear, let¡¯s call the police!¡± Marie shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t call the police!¡± ¡°Who do you think you are? Why should we listen to you?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t call the police!¡± All of a sudden, Marie pounced over and pped down on the phone that Victoria was taking out. Fear and panic filled all over her face. Zoe said in a cold voice, ¡°Since you think I wanted to frame you and Annie, isn¡¯t it just right to call the police? Let the police figure out who wants to frame whom. Isn¡¯t it fair?¡± Marie shook her head, ¡°No, no!¡± She was an unknown actress, but anyway, she also had fans. It was not easy for her to get to this position today. If Zoe called the police and her crime of thief was proved to be true, her career that had just begun would be over at once! Zoe sneered. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want us to call the police. Tell me what did you want to do here today?¡± Annie secretly clenched her fists beside them. She stepped back quietly. Pretending not to see her, Zoe reached out her fingers and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. If you don¡¯t tell me the truth, then there will be really no chance for you. Just let the police deal with this case if you don¡¯t speak the truth!¡± ¡°One.¡± ¡°Two.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you!¡± Marie said suddenly. There was an uproar outside. It seemed that there was really something behind it! Noticing that the situation was dangerous, Annie covered her forehead and fell on Steven. ¡°Steven, my head hurts. It¡¯s so noisy here. Can you help me out?¡± Steven didn¡¯t want to leave. After all, the case was about Zoe and Marie. He also wanted to know what was going on. However, looking at Annie¡¯s pale face and twisted expression, he finally frowned and wanted to help her out. ¡°It¡¯s Annie! She asked me toe here. She said that you stole the original draft of her work five years ago and wanted to make the matter clear tonight. She didn¡¯t want you to take it out, so she asked me toe here and steal it. It was none of my business. It was all her n!¡± Everyone was stunned. For a while, no one could believe what Marie had said. What? Annie? Steven was also stunned. He looked down at the woman in his arms and saw that Annie¡¯s face suddenly turn deadly pale and her lips twisted. Before he could say anything, he heard Zoe¡¯s extremely cool voice. ¡°Annie, since she has talked about you, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not appropriate for you to leave now.¡± Annie and Steven froze. In the eyes of everyone, they turned around stiffly. Annie forced a smile and looked at Zoe. ¡°I even don¡¯t know what she is talking about.¡± Marie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Annie, you can¡¯t say that. You said that Zoe had just the original draft five years ago and asked me to take it back for you. How can you deny it now?¡± Annie took a deep breath and pulled a long face. She looked at Marie with a sad face. ¡°Marie, Zoe is my sister. We have also made clear the matter five years ago. I don¡¯t want to argue with her anymore. I believe that she has already changed as well. Now that we are in a good rtionship now, how can I frame her?¡± ¡°Marie, I warn you. Never make up stories just to turn us against each other!¡± Marie was stupefied. She couldn¡¯t believe that Annie would say something like that. 79 Marie suddenly understood. It turns out that Annie did it on purpose. Annie said those words on purpose to provoke her to steal the file. And she got free from the case afterward. Then the case now had nothing to do with her. Even if the truth was revealed, Marie would be the only one to be punished. Marie looked at Annie in disbelief, as if it was the first time that she had really known this woman. ¡°Annie, watch your mouth! You got your clothes dirty. It was me who brought you new clothes. You told me in the room that you would hold Zoe back and not let her go back to her room, and asked me to steal the manuscript for you. You must admit it!¡± Annie frowned. This idiot! Why was this idiot still holding on to this? Didn¡¯t this idiot understand that only when she was innocent and stayed outside could she help her out of the jail? But now Marie just wanted to drag her into the mire. How could there be such a stupid person? Annie was furious, but she had no idea how she could stop Marie. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I have told you already that I don¡¯t even know what you are talking about.¡± Marie nodded in disappointment. ¡°Good, very good. You refuse to admit it now, huh? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will tell them everything you have done before?¡± Annie¡¯s face changed dramatically. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± However, Zoe asked yfully, ¡°What kind of things? Tell me. Maybe I won¡¯t call the police, if you can amuse me.¡± Marie looked at her and asked, ¡°Are you serious?¡± Raising her eyebrows, Zoe said, ¡°As long as I¡¯m sure what you said is true and I¡¯m interested in it, of course I will give you a chance.¡± Annie screamed, ¡°Shut up!¡± But how could Marie listen to her at this time? Marie sneered, stared at Annie with resentment and said in a low voice, ¡°Maybe you guys don¡¯t know yet. The pure fairy in your eyes, Annie Gil, is actually a bitch, a mistress, who has stolen her sister¡¯s boyfriend!¡± What? As soon as her words came out, everyone was in an uproar. A mistress? What did she mean? Wasn¡¯t Annie¡¯s boyfriend Steven? It was said that the two of them had been engaged since childhood. How could Annie suddenly be a mistress? Marie smiled viciously and said, ¡°Surprised, right? In fact, there is nothing to be surprised about, because Syeven¡¯s original fiancee was not her, but her sister, the eldest daughter of the Gil family, Zoe Gil. It was Annie who took away from her elder sister the position of the noble youngdy of the family, and even her sister¡¯s boyfriend! Then she told the public that she was just Steven Anderson¡¯s fiancee. Anyway, they were both just Gils, so those people who didn¡¯t know the truth definitely would trust her.¡± Hearing this, even Steven¡¯s face changed. ¡°Marie, are you crazy? What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Marie said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not crazy!¡± There was a slight sound of crying in her voice. ¡°Annie knows how hard my life is. And it was her idea to begin with. She asked me to steal the manuscript for her, but in the end, she wanted me to be the scapegoat. She knows that even if she stood out to admit it, she wouldn¡¯t be punished severely, but she was even timid enough to let me take all the responsibility.¡± ¡°Why! Why should I take all of these? Why should I take the me for you? You would only be scolded for a few words if you admitted it. But once I don¡¯t tell the truth, I will go to jail!¡± ¡°Do you know what it means to be arrested? It means that everything I get now will be ruined because of this! I¡¯m not stupid. Since you want to give up on me and be so selfish, of course I have to fight back!¡± At this moment, Annie just wanted to find something to cover Marie¡¯s mouth. But it was toote. The crowd burst into an uproar, and everyone found the whole thing unbelievable. Then the way they looked at Annie and Steven carried a hint of contempt. ¡°How could this be? I always thought Annie and Steven were the right matches. I didn¡¯t expect her to be ¡­ a mistress.¡± ¡°Unbelievable! And she pretended to be innocent and pure. Now thinking about it, it¡¯s really disgusting.¡± ¡°Speaking of this matter, it reminds me of one thing. It seems that Annie and Zoe have the same father but different mothers. Annie¡¯s mother was also a mistress, who even forced the original Mrs. Gil to die!¡± ¡°What? Is that true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been years. When I was a student, I heard it from my parents.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the original Mrs. Gil Zoe¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°Oh my God! What¡¯s this? A mistress had stolen her mother¡¯s husband, and the mistress¡¯s daughter stole her boyfriend. Zoe is so miserable!¡± ¡°If I were born in such a family, I would have been driven crazy!¡± Countless discussions almost drowned the whole room. The faces of the people standing in the living room kept changing. Marie looked at Zoe cautiously. ¡°Zke, I¡¯ve told you the truth. Can you let me go now?¡± Zoe smiled, but her eyes were still cold. ¡°I thought you were going to say something sensational. It¡¯s not interesting.¡± Marie grabbed Steven¡¯s hand. She knew Zoe¡¯s mercy was herst chance. She begged, ¡°You love Steven much, right? I¡¯ve told everyone the truth now. You will have a chance to be with him again in the future. Can you just let me go? I promise you that I won¡¯t help Annie set you up again. I beg you.¡± Zoe shook off her hand coldly. She nced at Steven, who was standing beside Annie with a livid face, and said in a low voice, ¡°I have never thought of taking back what I have thrown away. As for you,¡± She smiled faintly, ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Marie was stunned for seconds before she realized that Zoe decided to let her go. She was overjoyed. On the other hand, when Steven heard her saying that she had never thought of taking back what she had thrown away, he was shocked and his already pale face turned even paler. Just then, a noise came from outside. ¡°I heard there was a theft being caught? What happened?¡± It was the headmaster of Riverside High School. The headmaster and other celebrities wereing! As soon as Annie and Marie heard the headmaster¡¯s voice, their faces changed again. ¡°Why are you all here? Where is the thief? Didn¡¯t you say you had caught her? Why can¡¯t I see that?¡± ¡°Mr. headmaster, the thief is inside!¡± The crowd made way for him. An old man with gray hair walked inside surrounded by a group of people. The headmaster of the Riverside High School, Shew Wright, the eldest son of Mrs. Wright, and the head of the Wright family now. When he saw Zoe standing in the living room, he was slightly stunned, as if he didn¡¯t expect her to be here. Then he smiled. ¡°Zoe, it¡¯s you. What happened? Did someone steal your things?¡± Today, the whole hotel was booked by the school. He subconsciously thought that the thief was a hotel staff. Unexpectedly, Zoe pointed at Marie. ¡°Yes, she is here.¡± Marie was stiff. When she came to her senses, she quickly waved her hand and exined. ¡°No, no, Mr. headmaster. I didn¡¯t steal anything. I, I just came here to help Annie get something. I have exined it clearly just now.¡± Annie said angrily, ¡°You are talking nonsense! There is no truth you¡¯ve said! No one will believe you!¡± 80 Marie wanted to retort but was stopped by the headmaster. He frowned, nced around the crowd and finally fixed his eyes on Victoria. ¡°Victoria, tell me about what¡¯s going on.¡± Victoria told him everything in detail. With so many people present, she said it objectively and fairly. She didn¡¯t exaggerate or lie. Shew frowned after he heard all of those. ¡°So, Annie, is it correct that, you think, Zoe stole the original draft of your design five years ago and tonight she wanted to shake her crime and then frame you again, so you sent Marie here to steal the draft back. Am I right?¡± Annie was stunned. After a while, she took a deep breath. She knew that it was useless to argue at this time. She could only say, ¡°I admit that I did unintentionally mention it to her before. My sister took away my original draft and might use it to frame me, but I didn¡¯t ask her to steal it back for me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to do that tonight. If I had known it earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed.¡± The headmaster raised his hand and interrupted her. He turned to look at Zoe and asked, ¡°What about you? What¡¯s your exnation?¡± Zoe sneered. ¡°You said I¡¯ve stolen your original draft¡­ Annie, tell me, when did I steal it?¡± Annie frowned. ¡°How do I know?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know it yourself. Why do you tell others so casually to frame me?¡± Annie was stunned. After a while, she took another deep breath and suddenly showed a smile. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s just take it as my fault and I wronged you this time. I apologize to you here. But it was you who did it five years ago, wasn¡¯t it! I was just worried that you would frame me by all means as before because of what happened in the past. I was a little sensitive. Is it also my fault to be too sensitive?¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Annie said with a smug smile. Even if Zoe forced Marie to say that she had stepped into the rtionship between Zoe and Steven, so what? In the world of love, the one who was not loved was the one who stepped in! After all, now she understood. Obviously, what Zoe had said to her in the banquet hall was just to deceive her. Huh! She had already destroyed that original draft. There was no original draft in the world! As long as she held on to what happened five years ago, no matter how capable Zoe was, it would be impossible for her to turn the tables. As expected, the people¡¯s gossip around them changed again. ¡°It¡¯s reasonable. If I was set up like this before, I would also be worried. It¡¯s normal for Annie to suspect Zoe.¡± ¡°Is this called post-traumatic stress disorder?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this family? It¡¯s getting more and more chaotic.¡± Hearing this, even the headmaster frowned. He also knew what happened that year, but after so many years, nobody should remember this already! However, he didn¡¯t say anything. He just nced at Zoe. With a smile at the corners of her mouth, Zoe said slowly word by word, ¡°I remember that I have never said that it was me five years ago.¡± There was a moment of silence. It seemed that the onlookers needed time to get the meaning of her words. Annie¡¯s face darkened. Zoe repeated in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve never said that I stole Annie¡¯s work and knocked her out in order to take her ce to get admission to the Royal College of Art, right?¡± The crowd burst into an uproar. What did she mean? Five years had passed, and everyone knew that she had done it. But now¡­ Everyone was stunned and then realized that what she said seemed to be true. Five years ago, the news spread like wildfire. Everyone in the two schools knew that Zoe had stolen Annie¡¯s work and knocked her out in order to get admission to the Royal College of Art. However, the protagonist of the matter had never appeared to speak. Since Zoe was taken away at the examination center, she had never shown up in public, let alone to admit or exin anything. In the past, everyone thought that she didn¡¯t dare to speak out of shame. But when they thought about it now, they also felt something was wrong. No matter how ashamed Zoe was, she couldn¡¯t hide forever. There should have been news about herter! But it was strange that since that day, there was no information about Zoe, as if Zoe had disappeared from the world. What¡­ What happened exactly! Looking at the surprised and curious eyes of the people around her, Zoe slowly said word by word, ¡°Five years ago, I didn¡¯t have the chance to tell the truth. Five yearster, today, I won¡¯t allow myself to be wronged and insulted again. I swore to my dead mother that I would take back everything that had been taken away from me, and those who had ndered me should take back all the nders on me. If they don¡¯t, I will force them to kneel in public, and exin the truth to everyone!¡± She nced at the people in front of her coldly and harshly. Her voice was sonorous and powerful. Everyone was shocked by her imposing manner. It seemed that she had made up her mind to figure out the truth. Some of them even looked at her with admiration. Oh my God! It was so imposing! The more they listened, the more they felt that what she said might be true. After all, without really being ndered so much, she couldn¡¯t have such cold and resolute eyes, nor could she say such imposing and powerful words! Some of the onlookers had quietly begun to believe Zoe. Annie said angrily, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zoe sneered. ¡°I mean, it wasn¡¯t me who stole the work, but you! It was also you who framed me, not the other way around! You¡¯re just a vicious woman who envied your sister¡¯s talent and used the self-injury trick to set me up! You didn¡¯t want me to get anything that you were never able to get!¡± Everyone was shocked. ¡°What? Do you mean that it was Annie who set you up?¡± Someone couldn¡¯t help asking. Zoe nodded. ¡°The day before the exam, she identally found that my work was better than hers, so the next morning, she deliberately broke her head and stole the original draft in myputer. Then she called the school and falsely used me of stealing. In this way, everyone would think that I stole her work, and she, a poor girl who has been injured by her own sister and missed the precious chance to get admitted to the Royal College of Arts would easily get sympathy from everyone. Am I right?¡± Annie¡¯s face turned pale. She shook her head repeatedly, but Steven beside her just frowned. ¡°Zoe, Annieis not that kind of person¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Zoe shouted coldly, ¡°She¡¯s not that kind of person, so I am, huh? She wouldn¡¯t hurt her sister and frame her sister, so I could hurt my sister and steal her work, huh? Steven Anderson! Open your eyes wide and see clearly. It was not me who sneaked into my room today and wanted to steal the draft in theptop. It was Marie! As for the rtionship between Marie and Annie, you know much more about that than me!¡± 81 The onlookers¡¯ discussion had thrown Mariepletely out of her wits. And Zoe also looked unwilling to let her go, so suddenly Marie shouted, ¡°That¡¯s enough! What kind of business secret? It was just a simple design draft.¡± ¡°Zoe, you stole Annie¡¯s design five years ago and told everyone it was your own, so that she has missed the opportunity to be admitted to the Royal College of Art.¡± ¡°Now, you still want to use the original draft of five years ago to frame her again! Do you think it is really yours? You are so vicious. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being punished by God?¡± Hearing this, everyone was stunned. What? The design draft in her hand was the one that caused Zoe to be involved in the scandal of five years ago? What did she mean by that? Someone had realized what Marie really meant. They turned to look at Zoe with strange looks. Zoe framed Annie with the original draft five years ago and imed that the design was hers, which meant¡­ Victoria¡¯s face also changed as she heard this. She looked at Zoe and asked her with eye contact. ¡®Zo, you only asked me to y this show for you , but you didn¡¯t tell me this!¡¯ Of course, she didn¡¯t think that Zoe was trying to frame Annie. But she didn¡¯t expect Marie to say so. After all, there was no evidence for that case at that time, and that was also why Zoe was unable to prove herself. If everyone should just buy what Marie had said today, this farce would not only be turned back against themselves but also get Zoe involved in the scandal again! Victoria was restless, but Zoe just sneered. ¡°Do you mean the design draft in this USB drive is the one of five years ago?¡± Marie looked confident and replied, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Heh!¡± Zoe smiled coldly and said nothing. She went straight to the table next to her, turned on theptop and inserted the USB drive into it. Soon, the file was opened up. ¡°Annie, since you are here, why don¡¯t youe and check what this file really is?¡± Annie was a little shocked when she was asked. She tried her best to calm herself down and walked over. When she saw the colorful design draft on the screen, she widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°The origin draft of Amy¡¯stest work?¡± Zoe raised her head slightly. ¡°Yes, I found it online. I saved it and wanted to study hertest inspiration and style, but I didn¡¯t expect you also to be so interested in it! You should have told me before, since you also like it. I would have asked someone to send you a copy. Actually you had no need to steal it. Do you think so?¡± Annie¡¯s face changed dramatically, so did Marie¡¯s face.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The matter was out of their control. Just now, even if Marie was caught, Annie still didn¡¯t give up hopepletely. After all, in the eyes of the public, she was the victim of what had happened five years ago. As long as she insisted that it was Zoe¡¯s n to frame her, and that she asked Marie to steal the original draft just to ensure a self-protect, everyone would be on her side. But now¡­ How could it be like this? Squinting her eyes, Zoe smiled. ¡°Annie, you look so disappointed!¡± Annie couldn¡¯t put on the right expression anymore. She felt a chill down her spine when she thought that she had been tricked by Zoe from the beginning to the end. Beside her, Steven also sensed that something was wrong. He lowered his voice and asked, ¡°Annie, what¡¯s going on?¡± Those onlookers might not know the real rtionship between Marie and Annie, but he certainly knew it. However, Annie didn¡¯t say anything. Victoria said impatiently, ¡°Well, since everything is clear, let¡¯s call the police!¡± Marie shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t call the police!¡± ¡°Who do you think you are? Why should we listen to you?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t call the police!¡± All of a sudden, Marie pounced over and pped down on the phone that Victoria was taking out. Fear and panic filled all over her face. Zoe said in a cold voice, ¡°Since you think I wanted to frame you and Annie, isn¡¯t it just right to call the police? Let the police figure out who wants to frame whom. Isn¡¯t it fair?¡± Marie shook her head, ¡°No, no!¡± She was an unknown actress, but anyway, she also had fans. It was not easy for her to get to this position today. If Zoe called the police and her crime of thief was proved to be true, her career that had just begun would be over at once! Zoe sneered. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want us to call the police. Tell me what did you want to do here today?¡± Annie secretly clenched her fists beside them. She stepped back quietly. Pretending not to see her, Zoe reached out her fingers and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. If you don¡¯t tell me the truth, then there will be really no chance for you. Just let the police deal with this case if you don¡¯t speak the truth!¡± ¡°One.¡± ¡°Two.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you!¡± Marie said suddenly. There was an uproar outside. It seemed that there was really something behind it! Noticing that the situation was dangerous, Annie covered her forehead and fell on Steven. ¡°Steven, my head hurts. It¡¯s so noisy here. Can you help me out?¡± Steven didn¡¯t want to leave. After all, the case was about Zoe and Marie. He also wanted to know what was going on. However, looking at Annie¡¯s pale face and twisted expression, he finally frowned and wanted to help her out. ¡°It¡¯s Annie! She asked me toe here. She said that you stole the original draft of her work five years ago and wanted to make the matter clear tonight. She didn¡¯t want you to take it out, so she asked me toe here and steal it. It was none of my business. It was all her n!¡± Everyone was stunned. For a while, no one could believe what Marie had said. What? Annie? Steven was also stunned. He looked down at the woman in his arms and saw that Annie¡¯s face suddenly turn deadly pale and her lips twisted. Before he could say anything, he heard Zoe¡¯s extremely cool voice. ¡°Annie, since she has talked about you, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not appropriate for you to leave now.¡± Annie and Steven froze. In the eyes of everyone, they turned around stiffly. Annie forced a smile and looked at Zoe. ¡°I even don¡¯t know what she is talking about.¡± Marie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Annie, you can¡¯t say that. You said that Zoe had just the original draft five years ago and asked me to take it back for you. How can you deny it now?¡± Annie took a deep breath and pulled a long face. She looked at Marie with a sad face. ¡°Marie, Zoe is my sister. We have also made clear the matter five years ago. I don¡¯t want to argue with her anymore. I believe that she has already changed as well. Now that we are in a good rtionship now, how can I frame her?¡± ¡°Marie, I warn you. Never make up stories just to turn us against each other!¡± Marie was stupefied. She couldn¡¯t believe that Annie would say something like that. 82 Zoe didn¡¯t say anything, just holding the hot milk and smiling. Henry said a few words. Looking at her smile, he didn¡¯tin but also smiled. ¡°Tell me! Have you already nned it for a long time?¡± Zoe nodded. Henry¡¯s appearance today was an ident, but his proposal was simr to her original n. She also wanted topete with Annie again. But with his help this time, thepetition would be easier and fairer. Henry seemed to have thought of this as well. He smiled and said, ¡°It seems that I shouldn¡¯t havee here.¡± Zoe hurriedly shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s good that you are here.¡± She didn¡¯t speak more. Although she had already made a n, she was not confident enough. The Wright family¡­ She wouldn¡¯t trust them anymore. Five years ago, it was just Shew Wright who convicted her in person. No one knew whether thepetition would be really fair five yearster without a fair judge. So it was good that he was here.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. It felt like suddenly having someone behind her and she felt more confident! Victoria walked out of the hotel and said with a smile, ¡°Oh, I see something I shouldn¡¯t have seen, right? Zo, why don¡¯t you introduce him to me?¡± Pursing her lips into a smile, Zoe pulled Victoria over and introduced her to Henry. ¡°This is my best friend, Victoria Kaur.¡± ¡°Victoria, he is Henry Ha my¡­¡± She paused, and her ears turned rosy red with blush as if they were dyed with rouge. Finally, she said in a low voice, ¡°My husband.¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What? You, you get married¡­ ¡± Zoe quickly covered her mouth. ¡°Shh! Keep your voice down!¡± She exined in a low voice, ¡°A secret marriage.¡± Victoria nodded. After Zoe let go of her hand, she looked at Henry and then at Zoe, giving a thumbs up. ¡°A naughty young couple. It¡¯s such a short time, but you¡­ Well, you have my admiration.¡± Zoe smiled awkwardly. Henry was very dissatisfied with Zoe¡¯s attitude. She even felt embarrassed to introduce him to others, as if he was unpresentable. So he didn¡¯t say anything and expressed his dissatisfaction with his silence. Victoria asked, ¡°Zo, to be honest, it has been five years. How much do you remember about that drawing? It will be a mess if you can¡¯t redraw it tomorrow.¡± Zoe smiled. She took out a colorful hand-painted drawing from her handbag and said, ¡°I¡¯ve prepared it already. I drew it with my hands ording to my memory, and it¡¯s the same as the one of five years ago. I was afraid I would forget it, so I drew it myself. I just need to draw it again tomorrow.¡± Victoria nodded with relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. Then I have no need to worry about that. It¡¯ste. I have to go back first. I¡¯lle to see you tomorrow.¡± Zoe nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± Just as Victoria left, a shadow shed in the dark and disappeared into the boundless night. Looking at the hot milk in her hand, Zoe took a sip and suddenly said, ¡°Henry, I suddenly wanna go to the restroom. Can you wait for me here for a moment?¡± Henry said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°No need. The restroom is just on the first floor. I can go there myself. Just take the milk for me.¡± Henry frowned. But under her gaze, he didn¡¯t say anything but nodded. Zoe went to the restroom on the first floor. The handbag was a handheld one, so it was inconvenient to take it into the restroom. She handed her handbag to the waitress standing at the door of the restroom and said, ¡°Can you keep it for me for two minutes? I¡¯ll be out soon.¡± The waitress often encountered such things. They stood here just to provide such a service to the guests. So she nodded and respectfully took over Zoe¡¯s handbag, returning her a number te. When Zoe came outter, she could take her bag back with her number te. Zoe went out of the restroom soon. Aftering out, she took out her bag with the number te and left the hotel. At the corner of the stairs, a tall figure looked at the direction the woman went, and then looked at the colorful hand-painted drawing in his hand. He sneered. The next day. At ten o¡¯clock in the morning, Zoe and Annie arrived on time. Compared with her pale face yesterday, Annie looked much better today. There was even a hint of confidence in her eyes. On the contrary, Zoe had been frowning after she came here. When she saw Annie, her face was full of anger, as if she wanted to tear her apart. But she couldn¡¯t lose her temper in front of everyone, so she had to suppress it. Seeing Zoe¡¯s anger, Annie became more confident. Henry and Shew, who were also the judges of thepetition, also came. There were also three teachers from the Royal College of Arts. They were all the examiners of that year and they were all invited by Henry. The rules of thepetition were very simple. The two of them should stay in different rooms and had one hour for theplete reappearance of the work five years ago. At that time, whoever made the most simr work to the original work of five years ago would be the winner and naturally the owner of the original work. Zoe knew that Annie had seen her work only the day before the exam five years ago. Although maybe it had left a deep impression on Annie¡¯s, she could never remember it even better than herself. Moreover, five years had passed, so Annie could not possibly imitate all of those details since she didn¡¯t draw it herself in the first ce. Besides, Zoe had given her a giftst night¡­ She must be very happy now, Zoe thought. Thinking of this, Zoe sneered coldly. In the meanwhile, her hand was already on theptop¡¯s hand-drawing board without hesitation. Her fingers were as agile as snakes. Time passed fast. About forty minutester, the door of one of the rooms suddenly opened and Annie walked out. ¡°I¡¯ve finished.¡± Shew nodded. Of course, Steven was also there. Seeing here out, he walked to her and asked with concern, ¡°How was it? Did you redraw it well?¡± Annie smiled confidently. ¡°Of course, I have sent the file to the mailbox of the headmaster. Steven, I¡¯ve told you that I drew it myself. Are you still suspecting me?¡± Seeing that she was so confident, the suspicion in Steven¡¯s heartpletely dissipated. ¡°Nonsense! I have been trusting you.¡± Next to him, Henrycurved his lips coldly. Ten more minutester, Zoe came out of the room. Compared with Annie¡¯s confidence, she didn¡¯t look easy. She said to Shew, ¡°The file has been sent to your e-mail. But after five years, there may be some tiny details that I couldn¡¯t remember clearly. But¡­ It should be probably the same.¡± Hearing this, Shew frowned and looked at her worriedly. Finally, he didn¡¯t say anything. He called the three examiners over to check the two files together. When they looked at the two pictures, their expressions became strange. 83 Annie stood there and said proudly, ¡°It took me a lot of effort to draw this work at that time, so I remember it very well. Zoe, you might have seen my work and it might have a deep impression on your mid, but you can¡¯t possibly remember it better than I do, since I was the one who drew it. I think you¡¯d better give up. You can¡¯t redraw it better than me.¡± Zoe smiled, ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course. You can ask the headmaster if you¡¯re not convinced.¡± ¡°Mr. Wright, is that so?¡± Shew looked at Zoe in shock, with a strange expression on his face. Annie thought she was right. Zoe was such a fool that she had already totally forgotten the design draft five years ago. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t havee up with such a stupid idea to try to remember the details by redrawing it before thepetition. Therefore, the strange expression of the headmaster must be because he had found out that the painting Zoe drew was totally different from the draft five years ago! Thinking of this, Annie couldn¡¯t help but feel more confident. Henry¡¯s said in a low voice, ¡°Well, let¡¯s announce the result! We should tell them whose work is real.¡± Annie stood straight with confidence and waited for them to call her name. However¡­ The three examiners said at the same time, ¡°Zoe Gil.¡± ¡°What?¡± Everyone eximed in disbelief. Shew repeated awkwardly, ¡°Yes. After carefulparison, Zoe¡¯s drawing is almost identical to the work of five years ago, while Annie¡¯s ¡­ is barely simr.¡± ¡°How could this be?¡± Annie rushed to theptop in disbelief. When she saw the two pieces of design with the same color butpletely different contents, she was stunned. How could this be? The two drawings were totally different! Except for the main color, blue and white, they had nothing inmon, neither style nor details. How was that possible? An idea urred to her. Suddenly, she realized something. She turned around and looked at Zoe in disbelief. ¡°You, you set me up?¡± Zoe sneered. ¡°It¡¯s just a trap. I even couldn¡¯t trap you, if you were not so scheming.¡± ¡°You!¡± At this point, Shew couldn¡¯t say anything more. He announced on the spot, ¡°Zoe Gil wins thispetition. With such a great difference between the two drawings, it can be concluded that the work five years ago must have been drawn by Zoe. All these years¡­ we all have misunderstood her.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the three examiners beside him also showed a guilty expression. After all, they were also the ones who had believed Annie¡¯s words and agreed that Zoe had stolen the design. Victoria was so excited that she almost cried. She rushed over and hugged Zoe, crying excitedly, ¡°Zo, I know you can prove your innocence. You have done it. You have really done it.¡± Zoe smiled. Compared with Victoria¡¯s excitement, she was much calmer. Some things were engraved into her bones and could not be wiped away. Just like now, even if she had proved her innocence, who would be responsible for the grievances and sadness she had experienced all these years? Henry stood up and walked towards her.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t be with you when you suffered, but I promise that no one can frame and bully you in the future.¡± Zoe stared at him. The man¡¯s eyes were peaceful and gentle, with strong confidence and firmness. Her heart seemed to be struck by something. She suddenly felt morefortable and moved. She nodded then, firmly. Victoria smiled through tears. ¡°Is it really good for you to show off your love like this? I think I¡¯d better step aside. It¡¯s strange for me to stand between you two!¡± As she spoke, she really stepped back. Amused by her, Zoe couldn¡¯t helpughing. At this moment, a scream suddenly came from the side. ¡°Annie! Are you okay? Annie!¡± Everyone turned around and saw Annie fainted on the ground. Shawn rushed over and hugged her. Under her white fur dress, deep red blood flowed down her thighs. Zoe hurriedly said. ¡°Victoria, call the ambnce!¡± Annie was sent to the hospital. After the check, it was found that she could not bear the abrupt change of emotions, and she just broke down. It was nothing serious, but it influenced her pregnancy, and the baby in her belly was ¡­ gone. It was the next day when Zoe heard the news. Zoe didn¡¯t think much about it. Although Annie got such a result because of her, she wasn¡¯t the one who caused all this. She had made a concession, but the reality told her that if she kept onpromising, her enemy would only get worse schemes. She was neither amb to be ughtered nor a punchbag that could endure any bullying. She was not that generous to make a concession all the time. She quickly forgot about it. There was no other reason. She was too busy. She had a lot of things to deal with for both Star Entertainment and Annie International. In particr, she should deal with the case about the role she had discussed with Hamlin before. Because thepetition with Annie, she didn¡¯t have the time to find Hamlin¡¯s assistant. Although she had an appointment with the assistant in the afternoon after thepetition, they hadn¡¯t reached an agreement on the specific details. They needed to talk more in depth. So she took Laura to have a dinner with Hamlin this night. Coincidentally, Henry was on a business trip to the neighboring city that day and woulde back in the evening. Therefore, the two of them had made a deal. When he came back, he could pick her up at the restaurant, and the two of them would go home together. The reason why Zoe rmended Laura to Hamlin and helped Laura to get the role in the film, Chase the Wind, was not entirely for the sake of thepany. She had read the script. Laura¡¯s appearance and temperament were really suitable for this role. Hamlin was able to stand out from so many outstanding well-known directors, so he must have his own abilities. One of them was his sharp eyes. In the evening, they had a nice dinner together. Zoe asked Laura to show him how she would interpret the role, and Hamlin liked her performance very much. The case about the role was settled soon. Just the payment was lower than the market price, but there was no other problems. But Zoe knew that with Laura¡¯s current status, it was not easy for her to get this opportunity. The payment was not important. Other soft benefits from the movie were long-term, so she agreed without hesitation. The three of them chatted happily in the private room. At the end of the meeting, Zoe¡¯s phone in her bag suddenly vibrated. Afraid of disturbing the meeting, she muted her phone before. Although she said she wouldn¡¯t drink much tonight, she was slightly tipsy. Zoe picked up her handbag and asked to be excused. Then she went out to the restroom. However, as soon as she went out, she ran into thest person she ever wanted to see. ¡°Eh? Zoe Gil, why are you here?¡± Katya Anderson walked out of the opposite room with her friend. The two bumped into each other. Zoe looked at her coldly and didn¡¯t answer. She turned around and walked to the restroom. ¡°Zoe! Stop!¡± 84 Katya Anderson quickened her pace to stop Zoe. Zoe frowned slightly. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°Problem? How dare you to ask? Tell me! What did you do to Annie? You made her like this!¡± Shew had promised to help Zoe announce the truth to the public, and prove her innocence. But because of Annie¡±s current situation, the doctor said that she couldn¡¯t be stimted anymore, or she would be in danger. Although Zoe didn¡¯t care whether Annie would be in danger, she didn¡¯t want to be charged with murder. She could only agree to postpone the announcement. So until now, Katya still didn¡¯t know the truth. She only knew that the reason why Annie became like this was all because of Zoe. As soon as she looked at Zoe, she gnashed her teeth in hatred. Zoe smiled faintly. She looked at Katya as if she was looking at an idiot. ¡°Kat, you know what? Having a stupid brain is also a kind of disease which needs to be cured!¡± Katya flew into a rage. ¡°Zoe Gil! Did you mean I¡¯m insane? How dare you!¡± Zoe shook her head helplessly. ¡°It seems that you are really insane.¡± Seeing Katya be irritated. The girl next to her hurriedly stepped forward andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Katya. That¡¯s not worth it.¡± Then she turned to Zoe and said, ¡°Zoe, how can you say that? Even if you hate Annie, you can¡¯t vent your anger on Katya! After all, she is Steven¡¯s sister. Your words were too sharp!¡± Zoe nced at her and even didn¡¯t want to talk to her. She might be d to satirize Katya. As for a passer-by who she didn¡¯t know, it was a waste of time to talk too much. So she ignored the two and walked past them towards the restroom. Seeing Zoe even ignore her, how could Katya endure this? She grabbed Zow¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Stop!¡± Zoe frowned. Her body had reacted earlier than her brain, and she skillfully shrugged Katya away. Katya stumbled two steps back and looked at Zoe in surprise. The girl rushed forward and held her up. ¡°Katie, are you okay?¡± Katya finally came to her senses and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± At this moment, a voice suddenly came from behind. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± Zoe stopped. She turned around and saw Steven walking over from the other side of the corridor. When he saw Zoe, his pupils shrank, and his feelings were a littleplicated. ¡°Zoe, why are you here?¡± Zoe smiled. ¡°Does this restaurant belong to you? Why can¡¯t I be here? Someone¡¯s fiancee is still in the hospital, and he is also here.¡± Steven was choked by her sharp words. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± When Katya saw him, she seemed to have someone to protect her in an instant. She immediately walked to Steven and held his arm, acting like a spoiled child. ¡°Steven, you are here just in time. She bullied me just now!¡± Steven nced at her. ¡°Forget it! I would thank God if you don¡¯t bully others. How could she bully you?¡± Steven knew her sister very well. Katya felt both angry and aggrieved. ¡°It¡¯s true! She pushed me just now!¡± Steven looked at the girl next to her. The girl smiled awkwardly. ¡°Perhaps Miss Gil did not do it on purpose.¡± Her words also implied that Zoe had pushed Katie. Even though Zoe had already known they were shameless, she still felt amazed again. Steven frowned and looked at Zoe. He wanted to question Zoe why she pushed his sister away, but when he saw her cold eyes, he couldn¡¯t help holding back his question. Katya urged him anxiously, ¡°Ste, ask her to apologize!¡± After a pause, Steven said in a deep voice, ¡°Zoe, the thing between us has nothing to do with Katya. I think you should apologize to her!¡± Zoe burst intoughter. She looked at Steven and sneered, ¡°I knew you are not smart, but I didn¡¯t know you are so stupid. No wonder Katya and Annie could deceive you with a few words when they worked together. You¡¯re ¡­ so stupid.¡± What Steven hated the most were her arrogance and sarcasm. His face darkened. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you peacefully. Do you feel better only when you satirize me like this?¡± Zoe chuckled, ¡°Talk peacefully? You¡¯ve just judged the case with their words, but have you heard any of my opinions?¡± Steven said coldly, ¡°Indeed, sometimes, Katya is a little arrogant and domineering, and it¡¯s possible for her to tell a lie. But since Wanda also said so, it must be true. You pushed my sister. We won¡¯t me you, but you should admit your mistake and apologize!¡± Wanda? Oh, she wondered why this girl looked familiar. It turned out to be the Wanda Kawn from the Kawn family in Eqitin. Zoe sneered again. ¡°You trust her so much, huh?¡± ¡°She is my friend. Of course I trust her.¡± ¡°Huh! I used to be your girlfriend. Why can¡¯t you trust me even a little?¡± Steven was speechless. Anyway, Zoe was a little disappointed. Although she had already known the true color of this man, they had been together for six years. Sometimes, she really didn¡¯t want to think too bad of him. But now she began to realize that the problems between them were just there all the time, even if she refused to think about it. The old dream had been broken, and no one would care about the feelings of the person in the dream again. They only cared about the person in front of them, because this was the person thhe cared about at the moment. Zoe smiled sorrowfully. She didn¡¯t want to argue with them anymore, so she turned around and left. Just then, Steven¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Wait!¡± Zoe took a deep breath and stopped. ¡°Anything else?¡± Steven looked around with suspicion. ¡°Are you here alone today?¡± ¡°Does it have anything to do with you?¡± Steven¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I just want to kindly warn you that even if I don¡¯t know how you hooked up with Henry, but as far as I know, he already has a fiancee in Eqitin, and it¡¯s impossible for him to really marry you. You ¡­ don¡¯t hurt yourself, for our affairs.¡± Hearing that, Zoeughed out while feeling furious. She turned around to look at Steven, her eyes full of sarcasm. ¡°Steven, why are you so confident that I will hurt myself for you?¡± Steven frowned. ¡°Zoe, don¡¯t be so stubborn. I know what kind of person you are. I don¡¯t believe that you will fall in love with another man so soon after we broke up.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry for you but I¡¯ve given you thepensation you deserve. I heard that you sold twopanies and the money you have now should be enough for you to live afortable life. You don¡¯t have to find another man in such a hurry¡­¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Enough!¡± 85 Zoe¡¯s face suddenly became sharp. She was really angry. She really couldn¡¯t figure out why this man could say such words to her! ¡°Steven Anderson, I think you have overestimated yourself too much. To a man like you, after we broke up, I have no need to still be loyal for the rest of my life. How shameful are you to have such an illusion?¡± Steven had been satirized by her several times, which made him a little restless. ¡°Zoe, don¡¯t be stupid! Do you know what kind of person Henry is? Do you know him well? It¡¯s just impossible for an ordinary woman like you to get engaged to Henry Han. Have you ever thought about what will happen to you if the person who is engaged to him knows about your rtionship?¡± Zoe smiled faintly. ¡°Whether I know him or not has nothing to do with you. And I think, even if we haven¡¯t known each other for a long time, I know enough about him. At least I know his nature very well. He is upright and righteous. He is not someone who can bepared with some jerks who have abandoned their girlfriends.¡± ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not afraid that his wife wille to me. Don¡¯t ask me why. I don¡¯t want to tell you, but I have the confidence. So please don¡¯t be so hypocritical and so pretentious. I only feel disgusted!¡± ¡°We are all adults. It doesn¡¯t matter if we have an affair or not, or if we love or not. It¡¯s nothing important, but you can¡¯t care so much for your ex-girlfriend in the name of your deep love in the past, after you betrayed her! Maybe Annie feels it¡¯s good, but I can¡¯t stand that!¡± After saying that, Zoe didn¡¯t care about their reaction and left. Steven stood still, his face pale with anger. Katya stared at the direction where Zoe went in disbelief as if she had seen an alien. It took her a long time toe back to her senses. ¡°Steven, how dare she scold you? When, when did she be like this? She used to be obedient to you, didn¡¯t she?¡± It would be better if she didn¡¯t mention it, since when she mentioned it, Steven got angrier. Who knew why Zoe, who had been obedient to him before, would be like this? As soon as she spoke, she became like a hedgehog. No one could escape from her sharp words! Was her gentleness before all fake?This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Sure enough, he had seen through that woman¡¯s true color. Compared with Annie¡¯s gentleness and softness, her temper was just like a stone in the toilet, stinky and hard, which everyone around her had found extremely annoying. With a cold face, Steven didn¡¯t say anything but turned around and went straight into the box. Katya got angrier as she didn¡¯t get an answer. ¡°Wanda, do you think my brother still had some feelings for that woman? She cursed him like that, but he didn¡¯t respond!¡± Wanda¡¯s face froze. After a while, she forced a smile. ¡°Mr. Anderson and Miss Gil have been together for a long time, and it¡¯s normal for them to still have some feelings for each other.¡± Katya¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Wanda, even you think so? Is she really going to be with my brother again?¡± Wanda secretly frowned and a hint of sorrowness shed across her eyes. After a while, she forced a smile again. ¡°No, she won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because¡­ You¡¯d better ask Annie about it! I think she knows more than me.¡± After saying that, Wanda turned around and walked into the room, as if she didn¡¯t want to continue the topic. Katya stamped her feet with anger thinking that both of them just refused to tell her the truth. Just then, a waiter came over. Katya snorted. When she saw the waiter, she suddenly came up with an idea. With an evil smile on her face, she stepped forward and stopped the waiter who was about to enter the opposite room. ¡°You! Come with me.¡± ¡­ After going out of the restroom, Zoe found that there were two missed calls on her phone in the handbag. She checked it and found it was from Henry. She had muted the phone, so she didn¡¯t hear it. So she called back immediately. Henry didn¡¯t answer the phone at once. After a few seconds, the phone was finally picked up ¡°Hey, are you back?¡± Henry said in a low maic and attractive voice, ¡°Well, I almost get to the downtown. Have you finished?¡± ¡°Not yet. Are you tired? You should go home and have a rest first if so. I can take a taxi hometer.¡± There was a moment of silence on the other side. After a while, the man¡¯s calm voice came again, ¡°No, where are you? I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± ¡°All right! I¡¯ll send you the address.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up the phone, Zoe breathed a sigh of relief. She raised her wrist and looked at her watch. It was almost nine o¡¯clock. It was time to get the dinner over. She washed her hands and walked out. When she returned to the private room, Laura and Hamlin were still there. Hamlin seemed to be a little drunk and Laura was pouring some tea for him. ¡°Mr. Hall, Sorry. It took me so long.¡± Hamlin smiled at her and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s have thest drink. After that, I should go back.¡± His suggestion was just what Zoe wanted. Zoe took her ss and said, ¡°Okay, Mr. Hall. I¡¯d like to propose a toast to you.¡± Zoe drank it quickly. But after drinking it, she felt that the wine in her mouth tasted a little strange. She took a look at Laura and asked, ¡°Have you changed the wine?¡± Laura was a little confused. ¡°No, it¡¯s still Hennessy. The waiter just brought it in. No one else has touched it.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. I might have drunk too much.¡± Zoe didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. After all, she was a little drunk at this time, and it was normal for her to have a bad taste. Hamlin stood up. After Zoe sent him away in person, she returned to the private room. Taking a look at the time, since Henry had just got off the expressway, it would take at least an hour. So she sent Laura out and waited in the private room alone. The room was big, with a table and a small sofa for temporary rest. Zoe sat on the sofa and took a sip of water. However, not long after she drank it, she suddenly felt unbearable heat all over her body. A strange and limp feeling came from the lower part of her body, and instantly spread all over her limbs and bones. At first, she just thought she was drunk, so shey on the sofa and prepared to have a rest. However, the longer shey down, the hotter she felt, and the dizzier she felt. There was a strange sense of itch on her belly. Zoe frowned. Something was wrong! She was not some naive girl who had just entered the dangerous society and knew nothing. On the contrary, she had got a lot of social experience within the three years when she was abroad and within the first two years after she came back. If she still didn¡¯t understand what had happened at this time, then the past five years would be in vain! Zoe struggled to sit up. The drug had worked. Her body was so soft that she couldn¡¯t use any strength. The unbearable heat grew stronger and stronger, and a thinyer of sweat formed on her delicate skin. Her beautiful face also turned attractively red. She tried hard to hold back the impulse surging in the deep corner of her mind, stood up and stumbled towards the door. However, before she reached the door, she heard a voice from outside. ¡°She¡¯s inside. You guys serve her well tonight! You will get what you deserve after that. Remember to take photos after you finish! Got it?¡± ¡°Got it!¡± 86 Zoe¡¯s face changed drastically. It was Katya¡¯s voice. Damn it! Hearing that the footsteps outside getting closer and closer, she knew those people were about to rush in, and she quickly rushed forward and locked the door. Then she quickly took out her phone and dialed a number. ¡°Eh? I can¡¯t open the door.¡± ¡°Howe? Let me try it.¡± There was the sound of the doorknob being twisted from outside, but since it was locked inside, it was impossible to open the door without a key outside. Katya immediately understood. ¡°Huh! It seems that the b*tch knows it and thinks that she can stop us with a door. It¡¯s impossible!¡± She took out her phone and made a call. ¡°Ned, give me the key to room 8823. Cut the crap! If you dare to say one word to anyone, you won¡¯t have to work here tomorrow.¡± Hearing the arrogant voice outside, Zoe suddenly remembered that this hotel seemed to belong to the Anderson family. She gritted her teeth with regret. Damn it! Why did she, among so many restaurants, choose a restaurant that belonged to the Anderson family?All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. In fact, it was not her fault. The ce was chosen by her assistant. Besides, the Anderson family had a wide range of businesses in this city. If she didn¡¯t investigate it intentionally, how could she possibly know that thispany belonged to the Anderson family. She could only put her hope on the phone. While dialing the phone, she thought to herself, ¡®Answer it! Answer it!¡¯ Fortunately, the man seemed to never let her down. He answered the phone immediately after four rings. ¡°Zoe, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Henry, help me!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± The man¡¯s voice changed. ¡°I ¡­ I was drugged. I¡¯m in room 8828 of the restaurant that I told you just now. Come here quickly!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the door was suddenly opened. Then, Zoe only felt a dazzling white light shooting towards her. She subconsciously closed her eyes and raised her hand to block it. Suddenly, her phone beside her ear was pped down. ¡°p!¡± The phone fell to the ground. On the phone, there was a man shouting anxiously, ¡°Zoe! Zoe!¡± However, the next second, a foot stepped on the phone and smashed the screen. ¡°Zoe! Finally, finally you¡¯re in my hands!¡± Katya walked in with a smug smile. Behind her were four burly bodyguards. With a straight face, Zoe staggered two steps back. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Katya said with an evil smile on her face. ¡°Of course I want to help you. Don¡¯t you feel ufortable now? You must feel hot and itchy now. You must be in such a desperate need of men who can make you feel better, right? Look, I¡¯m so kind to you. I brought the man here as soon as I knew you need them.¡± As she spoke, her eyebrows suddenly knitted, and her eyes turned cold. Shemanded the four bodyguards. ¡°What are you waiting for? Go ahead!¡± The four bodyguards answered in unison, ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Zoe¡¯s face turned pale when she saw theming over. ¡°Katya, I used to think you were just a spoiled girl. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so vicious. Aren¡¯t you afraid that Henry will seek revenge against you if you do this to me?¡± Katya smiled with confidence. ¡°Zoe, do you really think you are something valuable? You know what? All men have amon shoring. Henry likes you now because of your pretty face, but if he finds out that you are a dirty woman who has been yed by so many men, he won¡¯t care about you anymore.¡± ¡°As for me, I¡¯m the noble daughter of the Anderson family, beautiful and rich. Every man knows what they should choose. Do you think Henry will want you, a bitch, or the daughter of the Anderson family?¡± Zoe¡¯s face darkened. At first, she thought that Katya just wanted to avenge Annie, but she didn¡¯t expect that what Katya wanted was always Henry. Zoe could not help but feel her heart sinking. Katya said in a cold voice, ¡°Well, I won¡¯t talk nonsense with you anymore! If you can give up your resistance, you will suffer less. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be responsible for any of the consequences you may suffer.¡± As she spoke, she ordered the four bodyguards, ¡°I¡¯m gonna leave. Remember what I want.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Katya turned around and walked out. The door was closed again. Looking at the four burly men in front of her, Zoe took two steps back with a pale face. ¡°Think it over. I¡¯m Henry Han¡¯s woman. Can you afford the consequences if you hurt me?¡± The man in the leadughed ferociously. ¡°Come on! You¡¯re Henry Han¡¯s woman? Then I¡¯m Henry Han¡¯s father! Guys, hold her down. I¡¯ll be the first, and then you guys after me.¡± ¡°Okay, boss!¡± Those men came forward obscenely. When they let their guard down, Zoe rushed out. ¡°Bitch, you want to run away?¡± A man pulled her back forcefully and threw her hard on the sofa. Then, there was the sound of cloth tearing. Zoe screamed and struggled desperately, but her hands and feet were quickly pressed down. As a woman, even if she had some skills, she was weak all over because of the drug. How could she be a match for the four men? She could only grit her teeth to try to stay conscious, and at the same time, she raised her head suddenly and bit the man in front of her out of blue. She was so fast and the man didn¡¯t even manage to dodge away. ¡°Ah!¡± The man who was about to tear her clothes covered his ears and stepped back. ¡°p!¡± Then a loud p fell on Zoe¡¯s face the next second. She felt dizzy and her ears were buzzing. The man shouted angrily. ¡°Damn it! How dare you bite me? I will kill you today!¡± Hearing his words, Zoe felt a chill on her back and struggled even harder. Just at this moment, ¡°Crack!¡± The clothes on her upper body were torn into pieces, revealing her pink underwear. The man grinned hideously and pounced on her. ¡°This woman looks thin, but actually her figure is so hot. Brothers, we are so lucky tonight!¡± Finally, Zoe couldn¡¯t help but cry out of fear. She struggled and shouted in disgust, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Get your dirty hands off me! Get out!¡± ¡°Bitch, don¡¯t be in such a hurry to curse us. Maybe you will want to thank uster when we serve you well!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We are good at this. We will definitely serve you well. You¡¯ll reach paradiseter!¡± ¡°Ha-ha¡­¡± ¡­ In the meanwhile, in the car. After he received the phone call, Henry¡¯s face had been gloomy and freezingly cold. He asked Brian to drive as fast as possible while making a phone call. ¡°Hello? Send some people to room 8828 of Pearl International Restaurant right now. Make sure she¡¯s safe!¡± ¡°Find out who did it to her tonight!¡± ¡°Pearl International Restaurant belongs to the Anderson family, right? Ask them to send someone to room 8828 right away and tell them that should she be hurt even just a little, I will ruin the whole Anderson family!¡± After several phone calls, Henry put away his phone and took a deep breath. He asked Brian in his freezing cold voice, ¡°How long before we can get there?¡± 87 Brian also knew how serious the matter was. He quickly replied, ¡°Mr. Han, we will get there thirteen minutester, if we keep the fastest speed.¡± It took an hour from the airport to the Pearl International Restaurant at a normal speed. They had already driven for a while, and it would take at least forty minutes to get there. Brian had tried his best to make it thirteen minutes. After all, a car was not an airne. No matter how excellent its performance was, it was impossible for it to fly over. Obviously, Henry understood this matter. He tightened his lips and didn¡¯t say anything. At this moment, Michael Anderson received a phone call from his subordinate and frowned. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll make it clear right now.¡± After hanging up the phone, he called his son Steven first. ¡°Steven, are you at the Pearl International Restaurant today?¡± Steven didn¡¯t know what had happened. He asked in confusion, ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Do you know who is in room 8828?¡± ¡°8828?¡± Steven was stunned, and then her eyes widened. ¡°I know. What happened?¡± ¡°You¡¯d better go there and have a look. I don¡¯t know what happened exactly, but the people there must be safe. Otherwise, the whole Anderson family will be ruined.¡± Steven frowned with displeasure. ¡°Someone is threatening you? Who can be so powerful to threaten you?¡± The cold voice of Michael then came from the other end of the line, ¡°Is Henry Han powerful enough?¡± Steven was speechless. He suddenly thought of something and his expression changed. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± After hanging up the phone, Steven stood up without any words, took his clothes, and ran out. However, before he even reached the door, he was stopped by Katya ¡°Steven, where are you going?¡± Steven¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I have something to deal with. You and Miss Kawn just stay here to finish your dinner. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Katya pouted and refused, ¡°No! You promised that you would take us out for dinner. Why did you run away halfway? Brother, I did not mind when you did it in the past. But today is my birthday. You can¡¯t leave no matter what you say.¡± Steven said impatiently. ¡°I wille back as soon as possible. There seems to be something wrong in the room opposite. Zoe is still inside. I just want to go there to have a look. It¡¯s only a few steps away. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Katya¡¯s face changed slightly as she heard this. She stood in front of the door more stubbornly, gritted her teeth and said, ¡°No, you can¡¯t go.¡± Steven frowned and looked at Katya suspiciously. ¡°Kat, did you do something behind my back?¡± Katya felt a little nervous. She blinked her eyes and said imposingly. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I just don¡¯t want you to find that woman. Steven, there are not only me here, but also Wanda. If you just go to look for that woman, what do you want Wanda to do? How can you do that?¡± Wanda smiled awkwardly. ¡°Katya, don¡¯t say that¡­¡± However, Katya just ignored her. The more she said, the more she felt wronged. ¡°Annie is still in the hospital and her baby is gone. It¡¯s all that woman¡¯s fault. You still protect her after she has done so much. Are you still a man?¡± Steven frowned tightly. After a while, he took a deep breath. ¡°Dad just called and said that Henry had threatened the Anderson family. I suspect that something has happened to Zoe.¡± Wanda was stunned and her face changed slightly. However, Katya got excited at once. ¡°What did you say? Henry threatened our family for that bitch? Why would he care about her so much? Is it worth it for him to do this to a dirty bitch?¡± Steven¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Katya! What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Katya was stunned. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything to Zoe for six years when I was her boyfriend. Dirty? What are you talking about? Who taught you to say these words?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Wanda hurriedly stood up and grabbed Steven¡¯s arm. ¡°Mr. Anderson, Katya was just talking nonsense. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for you to go there now.¡± Steven frowned. ¡°Miss Kawn, even you choose to ignore her danger? Although her words are always sharp and cold, what if something really happens to her¡­¡± The expression on Wanda¡¯s face froze for a moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I just¡­¡± Wanda leaned over and whispered in Steven¡¯s ear. Steven¡¯s face changed a lot. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Wanda nodded seriously. ¡°So, you can¡¯t go there, at least for Annie. Can you understand?¡± Steven didn¡¯t say anything more after that. ¡­ There were no sounds from the opposite room. Henry arrived ten minutester. The distance of at least thirteen minutes was shortened by three minutes by him. Brian swore to himself that he had never driven so fast in his life. He stepped on the gas as hard as he could, and the car almost left the ground and flew up. As soon as they entered the Pearl International Restaurant, a waiter greeted them warmly. ¡°Sir, have you booked a room? Or¡­¡± ¡°Where is room 8828?¡± The waiter looked at Henry¡¯s sullen face and was stunned. He was a little nervous. ¡°Sir, what do you mean?¡± ¡°I asked you where room 8828 is.¡± Henry¡¯s eyes were as cold as ice. Brian shouted strictly, ¡°Tell us! Now! You want to die?¡± The waiter trembled and came to his senses. ¡°On the eighth floor. Then go straight to the left.¡± Henry strode towards the elevator. The elevator arrived soon. Before the door was closed, a hand suddenly blocked the door which was about to close. ¡°Wait!¡± It was a group of people, all panting. When they saw Henry and Brian, they were shocked. ¡°Mr. Han, you are here.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Henry stared at them coldly. Everyone lowered their heads with guilt. They were just the group of people Henry had ordered to go here on the phone when he was in the car. However, they were far away from here tonight and there was a traffic jam on the road. Therefore, they had run all the way here. But they were stillte. Henry curled his lips and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid everything will already be done, if I only count on you guys.¡± The group of people lowered their heads, like pupils being scolded. ¡°Mr. Han, sorry. We know our mistakes.¡± Henry¡¯s lips tightened slightly, but he didn¡¯t say anything more. When they arrived on the eighth floor, Henry took the lead and walked out, followed by the others. The waiter didn¡¯t recognize them. He was surprised to see a group of people rushing in aggressively. A waiter came forward and asked, ¡°Sir, what are you doing?¡± ¡°F**k off!¡± Someone pushed him away and soon found room 8828. The door was locked from inside, and there was a dead silence inside. Henry stood at the door, gritting his teeth tightly. His handsome face at the moment was as long as a fiddle that would break just any moment. With a cold face, he said in his freezing cold voice, ¡°Open the door for me.¡± Seeing this, the rest of them already had a rough idea what had happened inside, and were all silent. 88 One of them had already got the key and opened the door. With a click, the locked door immediately opened. Almost at the moment the door opened, everyone turned around in unison. As long as they thought of what might have happened in the room, almost everyone¡¯s face showed an expression of pity. However, Henry just stood there quietly without moving. Someone felt something was wrong and looked back in confusion. The next second, he widened his eyes in surprise. In the private room, four burly men were lying on the ground. Their heads were bleeding, and one of them even got one of his fingers broken. They had passed out, and the blood prated the carpet, dyeing the beige carpet dark red with blood. Zoe curled up on the sofa, with a broken bottle in her hand. She wrapped her arms around her knees and curled up on the sofa. Her hair was in a mess, and her two arms were full of scars. Her fingers holding the bottle were also stained with blood, probably cut by ss. When she had heard some noise, with her blurred eyes, she turned to look at the door. Her consciousness was in a mess, but her face still showed a vignt expression subconsciously. She sat up like a frightened rabbit. ¡°Who is there?¡± Henry walked inside step by step. ¡°Stay away from me!¡± Zoe growled in a low voice. She was already a little unconscious. The alcohol and the drug made her look extremely embarrassed and chaotic. However, she was still holding the bottle high, like a soldier rushing to the front to protect herself. She would never fall down until thest moment. Henry ¡®s eyes darkened. When he passed by a man lying on the ground, he just stepped on the man¡¯s hand mercilessly. ¡°Ah!¡± Another scream came. As if she had heard the voice of the man, Zoe trembled and her back bent. She waved the bottle in her hands a few times randomly, staring ahead without any focus. She roared in a hoarse voice, ¡°Don¡¯te over! Or I will kill you!¡± Henry continued walking forward. Zoe seemed to realize that the enemies this time were not as easy to deal with as they were just now. She fumbled for her phone in a hurry. ¡°I¡¯m gonna tell Henry Han. I¡¯m calling Henry Han . Don¡¯te over, or Henry won¡¯t let you go. He won¡¯t let you go. He won¡¯t ¡­ Ah!¡± Henry suddenly held her hand. ¡°Let me go! Let me go!¡± ¡°Zoe, it¡¯s me.¡± He tried to control her waving hands, and meanwhile, he was also careful not to touch the wounds on her hands. In a low and deep voice, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Zoe. It¡¯s me. I¡¯m here.¡± However, it seemed that Zoe couldn¡¯t hear or see anything. She was still struggling, waving the bottle and stabbing at him. ¡°Don¡¯te over. Don¡¯te over¡­¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Brian stood at the door, and was nervous. For several times, because Henry was afraid of hurting Zoe, he was almost scratched by the ss of the bottle. Brian couldn¡¯t help warning, ¡°Mr. Han, how about letting the bodyguards do that? Mrs. Han is not conscious now. If she hurts you¡­¡± However, Henry didn¡¯t seem to hear what he said. He grabbed the bottle from Zoe¡¯s hand and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Zoe, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m Henry. Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡± He kept repeating the simple and monotonous words. After a long time, Zoe finally calmed down a little. She looked up at his face in disbelief. Her delicate face of unworldly beauty was now full of tears and flushed. She looked extremely spiritless and awkward. ¡°Henry, is it really you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Henry looked at her and held her hand to touch his face. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, you can touch my face. It¡¯s really me.¡± With blood on her fingers, Zoe touched his eyebrows, his straight nose and thin lips. She suddenly burst into tears. She threw herself into his arms and held his waist tightly. ¡°It¡¯s really you! You¡¯re finally here! Why are you sote? Do you know that I was almost ¡­ almost¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Henry held her tightly, put his hand on the back of her head and held her head in his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s all right now. You are brave. They didn¡¯t make it to do anything to you.¡± ¡°Henry¡­ Oh¡­ I was so scared¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. No one dares to bully you again.¡± Zoe sobbed and nodded. Her tears and snot were all rubbed against his shirt. Henry didn¡¯t mind. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her. Then he lifted her up into his arms. ¡°Dear, let me take you home, okay?¡± ¡°Emm.¡± Zoe buried her head in his chest and Henry walked out with Zoe in his arms. When he arrived at the door, he stopped and ordered expressionlessly, ¡°Break all their arms and legs. I don¡¯t want to see them again in this city.¡± Everyone was shocked and quickly answered, ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°The Anderson family needs to learn a lesson. Brian, tell them that we will break off all our connections with the Anderson family. From now on, whoever cooperates with the Anderson family will be my enemy.¡± Brian was shocked and nodded hurriedly, ¡°Yes.¡± Henry didn¡¯t stop and left with Zoe. After Henry¡¯s back hadpletely disappeared into the elevator, Brian raised his head and coldly looked at the four men lying in the room. He smiled coldly and said to the bodyguards behind him, ¡°Since they have seen something they shouldn¡¯t see and touched someone they shouldn¡¯t touch today, they should no longer have their hands and eyes. Do you know what to do?¡± The bodyguards immediately replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do it outside! After all, we¡¯re in a society ruled byw, huh!¡± Thest sound was a sarcastic mock. Then Brian left after he finished giving the order. He had to deal with the matter to stop all cooperation with the Miller family, so he had no time to stay here. Meanwhile, Henry got into the car with Zoe in his arms. He put her in the passenger¡¯s seat and fastened the seat belt for her. Then he walked to the other side and sat in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Henry, I feel so ufortable. I felt so hot.¡± Zoe kept tugging at the man¡¯s coat that she was wrapped in. Henry¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked at her flushed face and blurred eyes. He reached out and covered the clothes that she had pulled away back on her. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Hold on. I¡¯ll send you to the hospital right away.¡± He started the car and it drove away like a sh of thunder. However, Zoe only felt very ufortable. It seemed that there was a fire burning in her body, which was so hot that she was about to explode. She moved back and forth on the chair and somehow moved to the side of the man. All of a sudden, she seemed to find an iceberg and immediately pressed her face against it. ¡°Henry¡­ Let¡¯s not go to the hospital¡­ I¡¯m so hot¡­ I want to drink water¡­¡± 89 The woman¡¯s little face rubbed against his arm. The scorching her from her face brought a sense of ambiguous sexiness. Henry¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Okay, wait a minute.¡± He pulled off the car at the side of the road, took out a new bottle of mineral water from the trunk, and returned to the car, carefully feeding the water to her mouth. ¡°Zoe, drink some water.¡± Zoe held his hands and took several gulps. The heat in her throat was temporarily diluted by the cold water, but in just a few seconds, more numbness, itch and heat came continuously. She couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She reached out to unbutton her cor and rubbed against the chair. ¡°I feel so bad¡­¡± Henry fastened the seat belt and said in a low voice, ¡°Hold on. We almost get to the hospital.¡± All of a sudden, Zoe fell to his side and her head fell on his shoulder. If it weren¡¯t for the seat belt, she would have fallen into his arms. ¡°Henry.. I can¡¯t stand it anymore¡­ Can you help me? Don¡¯t go to the hospital.¡± As she spoke, she grabbed her clothes and rubbed her face against his neck like a kitten. Henry felt that her scorching body was like a fire, instantly ignited his skin. As he drove, he reached out his hand to hold the woman. ¡°You have wounds on your body and need to be dealt with. Good girl, You will be fine after a while.¡± ¡°No¡­ Hen¡­ Henry, help me¡­ I feel so bad¡­¡± She kept humming, and her voice was soft and lustful, with a faint trace of desperation. Any man would be unable to control himself when he heard such a voice from a woman. Besides, she was already his woman! Henry tightened his hands holding the steering wheel and looked at a group of premium apartment buildings not far away. He remembered that he seemed to have a suite there, so he drove over. The car soon arrived near the apartment, and suddenly there was a very light ¡°p¡±. It was Zoe who unfastened the seat belt. ¡°Henry.. Your body is so cold¡­ Let me hug you, okay?¡± The woman wrapped her arms around his neck and wrapped her whole body around him. Because of her actions and words, Henry tensed up even more. He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Zoe, sit down. I¡¯m driving.¡± ¡°No¡­ Henry¡­ I¡¯m so hot¡­ Can you help me? Help me!¡± She unconsciously rubbed against him and finally pounced on him. Henry had no choice but to hold her with one hand and press her head on his shoulder. ¡°Then you just sit here and don¡¯t move. We¡¯ll be there soon.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Honey¡­ My husband¡­¡± The hot kiss suddenly fell on his neck, and then the woman suddenly opened her mouth and bit his Adam¡¯s apple. Creak! The screeching sound of car brakeing came through in a hurry. Henry almost lost control of the steering wheel. He gulped nervously. ¡°Zoe!¡± ¡°What?¡± The woman in his arms raised her head in a daze and looked at him with a pair of misty confused eyes, like a lost deer. Henry¡¯s words were about toe to his mouth, but when he felt her affectionate and watery eyes, they were all shattered into pieces and swallowed back. After a long time, he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Don¡¯t move. Two minutes more, okay?¡± Zoe seemed to understand what he meant and nodded obediently. ¡°Can I just hold you like this?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± As she had promised, Zoe stopped moving. She wrapped her arms around his neck obediently and hung herself on his body like a ko. Henry drove the car into the underground parking lot of themunity. Before getting out of the car, he called Brian and asked him to bring a doctor here. Then he carried Zoe out of the car. Zeo curled up in his arms and put her arms around his neck to kiss his lips. ¡°Honey¡­ I want you¡­¡± Henry was even amused. He turned his face away slightly to avoid her kiss. Zoe was instantly a little angry and looked at him angrily Henry sneered, ¡°You want me only at this time? I¡¯ve never seen you so enthusiastic before.¡± Zoe was speechless. She suddenly felt a little guilty, but the guilt was so weak in the effect of the medicine, and it was soon suppressed by waves of lusts. Zoe said cheekily, ¡°It¡¯s all because I¡¯m drugged now, okay? Otherwise, how could you take advantage of me so easily?¡± The sneer on Henry¡¯s lips deepened. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t take advantage of you today.¡± Zoe was annoyed. She opened her mouth and bit him hard on the shoulder. But the man didn¡¯t seem to feel the pain. When the elevator went up, he just held her without moving. Finally, Zoe felt that her mouth was sore, so she let go of his shoulder and punched the hard muscles on his body. ¡°What muscles! It hurts!¡± Archie said with a faint smile. ¡°Without these muscles, your joy tonight will be reduced by half. Are you willing to do that?¡± Zeo was speechless again. Bah! Shame on you! She thought. How could he be so shameless? She really felt terrible now! Wasn¡¯t this man always very enthusiastic? Although nothing had happened between the two since that night, she could see that he wanted something to happen. But why didn¡¯t he do anything now? Shouldn¡¯t hee up to strip her and get straight to the point? Zoe was so angry that she almost cried, but she could do nothing to him. She could only put her arms around his neck and constantly rubbed against his chest. She pleaded in a soft voice, ¡°Honey, I¡¯m so ufortable. I¡¯m going to explode¡­ Please help me¡­¡± With a faint ¡°Emm¡±, the elevator door opened. He walked out with Zoe in his arms.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. The door of the apartment was a password door. Henry pressed the password he had remembered deep in his heart. Sure enough, the door opened. He walked in with her in his arms. As soon as the door was closed, the woman eagerly kissed him and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck. Henry had never known that this woman could be so fierce. But wasn¡¯t her kiss too rough? It was not a kiss? It was obviously a bite! And a so fierce bite that would almost bite off a piece of his flesh! In a daze, Zoe only knew that Henry had taken her to a room. As for whether it was a room in a hotel or somewhere else, she had no time to care at all. The scorching kisses went down from his lips to his Adam¡¯s apple. A man¡¯s groan came from the darkness. The next second, there was a ¡°crack¡± sound. The lights in the room were turned on, and the warm yellow light shone down from the top. The woman in his arms was flushed and her eyes were blurred. The coat had already fallen to somewhere, and her clothes were already torn open by her, revealing her fair yet flushed skin. Henry¡¯s eyes darkened drastically. 90 Even if he had a strong will, he still found it hard to control himself at the moment. After the suffering, the woman in his arms was even more beautiful and seductive. She was now like a bottle of top-grade red wine, and he could hardly hold back the desire to get drunk. He took a deep breath, pinched her chin and controlled her kissing lips. Her voice was already hoarse, like a taut string. ¡°Be a good girl, and then I¡¯ll give it to you, okay?¡± Zoe looked at him with her misty eyes. She seemed to understand what he meant and nodded obediently. Henry then carried her into the bedroom and put her on the bed. Zoe¡¯s clothes had been torn into pieces, but her trousers were still intact. Henry gently took off her clothes and examined her wounds carefully. Except for her hands, there were only some bruises on her body. She was in a good condition. He breathed a sigh of relief and pulled the quilt to wrap her in case she caught a cold. ¡°Dear, wait for me here.¡± Then he stood up and was about to leave. However, Zoe suddenly stopped him. As soon as Henry turned around, he met her aggrieved eyes. ¡°Honey, are you leaving? Don¡¯t you help me?¡± Henry¡¯s eyes darkened, but a smile appeared on his lips. ¡°Are you so afraid of me leaving?¡± Zoe nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking at a kernel of corn on the ground. ¡°Then listen to me and stay here. I¡¯ll get you a towel ande back soon.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Henry quickly came back with a warm towel, carefully avoiding the wound on her hand and wiping her face and hands. Zoe fought against the four strong men at the Pearl International Restaurant. Her body was covered with wine and vegetables. It was so terrible. After wiping her face, Henry took her to the bathroom to wash her body. In order to avoid touching the wound, he had to ask Zoe to raise her hands during the cleaning. However, the woman took the opportunity and wrapped her arms around his neck, ¡°biting¡± him crazily again. Henry elt like he was going crazy. Fortunately, at this time, the doorbell rang. He picked up Zoe from the bathtub, put her on the bed in the bedroom, and wrapped her with a quilt before he walked out to open the door. Brian brought a female doctor with him. Henry let her in, while Brian stayed outside. It was not that he didn¡¯t know how to deal with the wound, but the woman¡¯s skin was very delicate, and several parts of her hand were deeply scratched by the ss fragments. He had to find a reliable doctor to deal with it to avoid leaving a scar, and after that, she would still need a few tetanus shots to prevent tetanus infection. The doctor quickly handled the wound for Zoe. However, the drug effect hadn¡¯t been removed yet. The doctor came in a hurry and didn¡¯t bring enough medicine. There was a medicine in her hand that could help Zoe relieve, but the side effects were very serious. Henry waved his hand and decided not to use it. After asking Brian to send the doctor back, he returned to the bedroom. In the bedroom, the woman sat there quietly. Her ck long hair fell over her shoulders like a waterfall, and her skin was white and delicate, like a charming fairy. When she saw him, she immediately raised a big smile, jumped out of bed and rushed to him. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re finally back! I miss you so much.¡± Henry only felt a little heavy on his body, and the woman hung directly on his waist, putting her hands around his neck and acting like a spoiled child. ¡°Honey, I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time. I miss you so much.¡± Henry even had no word to say. The veins on his forehead throbbed several times, and he looked straight at the woman in front of him with his dark and deep eyes. ¡°You miss me so much?¡± ¡°Yes, honey. I¡¯m so tired. Let¡¯s sleep together!¡± Henry held her and walked towards the bed. However, as soon as he reached the bedside, the woman on his body suddenly loosened his waist and pulled him down with a force. Henry was surprised. Zoe turned over and began to pull his shirt with her hands in a mess. Her little face was pressed against his neck. She was not the soft and obedient woman just now anymore. Henry finally realized that she had changed a way to seduce him by force! Since being rough turned out useless, she now began to use a soft method. At least, she would coax him to the bed first. Zoe felt helpless. Sensing the woman¡¯s eagerness, he teased, ¡°Well, Mrs. Han, you are so impatient. But isn¡¯t your skill of untying clothes too bad?¡± Zoe was so annoyed that she almost cried. She tried hard to unbutton the man¡¯s belt, but it seemed that it had a grudge against her. She couldn¡¯t unbutton it anyway. Finally, she decided to bite it with her teeth. Facing the wet and hot air from her body, the man gasped and his eyes darkened. ¡°Zoe.¡± ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t untie it¡­ Honey¡­¡± ¡°What a temptress!¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. As soon as he finished speaking, Zoe suddenly felt dizzy. Then, the positions of them were reversed, and she was fixed under the man. The man pinched her chin hard, and his voice was no longer as calm as before. ¡°Tell me, who am I?¡± ¡°My honey.¡± ¡°Who is your honey?¡± ¡°My husband, Henry Han¡± Just like that, they had a crazy night. 91 The next day. Zoe woke up in shock. She opened her eyes and looked around in horror. When she found that it was a strange room, her heart sank. Then she saw her clothes and a man¡¯s shirt on the ground. Suddenly, something urred to her. She bent down to pick up the clothes. The shirt looked familiar. It seemed to be Henry¡¯s. Henry? He was here? So she wasn¡¯t¡­All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Zoe was overjoyed, but she looked around and didn¡¯t find the man. She got out of bed and wanted to find him. However, as soon as she moved, she only felt pain from some part of her body. She couldn¡¯t help but hiss and frown. Henry came in at this time. ¡°So you are awake?¡± He looked at the woman sitting on the bed, with a tray in her hand, on which there was breakfast with a warm aroma. Zoe stared at him nkly for seconds before she realized what was going on. She blushed and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Henry looked at her with a meaningful look. He put the breakfast on the table next to the bed, walked over and lifted the quilt, preparing to hug her. ¡°Have breakfast first.¡± Zoe took a step back and said, ¡°No, thanks. I can get up and eat by myself.¡± Henry smiled. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s convenient for you to walk now?¡± Zoe was speechless. She bit her lips and red at him. ¡°Shame on you! It was all because of you¡­¡± ¡°You wronged me. Who tried every means to sleep with mest night? I did it once, but you still weren¡¯t satisfied and you wanted it again and again. You even scolded me if I moved a little slightly and slowly! Mrs. Han, it seems that I have to keep exercising to keep my strength. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t satisfy you in the future.¡± Zoe¡¯s face turned blushed because of his words. She hemmed and hawed, not knowing what to say. After she knocked down the four menst night, her consciousness waspletely lost, and what happenedter was also unclear and she could not remember clearly. She didn¡¯t even remember when she was saved by Henry. As for what happenedter, she could not remember a thing, actually. She had been so drunk, and she took the philter, so her head was still aching! Henry had a bad feeling when he saw her pounding her head and frowning. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you even don¡¯t remember what happenedst night.¡± Raising her head to look at him, Zoe said in a daze, ¡°No, I remember that I was set up by Katya Anderson at the Pearl International Restaurant. She drugged me and found four men to rape me, but I beat them all down.¡± Henry¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Then?¡± Zoe looked at him in confusion. ¡°Then¡­ You saved me?¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Henry gave a sinister smile. He even gave up the idea to help her up for the dinner. He took his coat and turned around to leave. ¡°Hey! Where are you going? You haven¡¯t answered me yet!¡± The answer to Zoe was the sound of the door closing. Gloomy, Zoe touched her nose and felt that this man had a strange temper. He had been delighted before, but just in one second, he turned to be angry. It was so strange! 92 But she was not in the mood to argue with this man now. She had consumed too much strengthst night, and her stomach was growling at this time. She got out of bed and sat down on the chair after moving for a long time. The breakfast Henry prepared for her was literally sumptuous. There were porridge, crab buns, and deep-fried dough sticks, all of which were her favorite. Zoe was full after the dinner. she felt much better and didn¡¯t feel so sore and ufortable. Then she went to the bathroom to wash her face. There was a woman¡¯s dress on the bedside table, presumably prepared for her. After changing her clothes, Zoe walked out of the bedroom. She had thought that Henry had left just now since he had been so angry. However, as soon as she walked out of the bedroom, she saw him sitting on the sofa in the living room and dealing with business with hisptop. Zoe was instantly overjoyed. ¡°So you didn¡¯t go!¡± Henry snorted with a long face.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Zoe hurriedly ran to him and sat down next to him. ¡°I was just kidding. How could I not remember? Thank you for saving mest night. Thank you!¡± The woman pulled his sleeve with a ttering smile. Henry nced at her with his lips curled slightly. ¡°Now I finally know you.¡± ¡°Ah? What?¡± ¡°Huh! Every time you need me, you will call me honey husband so tteringly. When you don¡¯t need me, you ask me to respect and keep a distance from you. Well¡­ This is woman!¡± Zoe was speechless. Henry closed theptop and stood up. ¡°Brian!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Han.¡± Zoe even didn¡¯t know when Brian came. He had been standing at the door so Zoe hadn¡¯t noticed him. ¡°We are going back to thepany.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Han.¡± Henry left with Brian. Zoe just watched him leave. She didn¡¯t know what she had done wrong to annoy this man. She didn¡¯t even know if she should follow and stop him. What was more, she didn¡¯t know where she was at all. Her phone seemed to be brokenst night, and her wallet was not by her side. How could she go back if he left her alone here? Zoe gritted her teeth and felt a little depressed. However, before long, the doorbell rang. Zoe thought that the man hade back again, so she quickly opened the door with joy. However, when she opened the door, she found that it was a woman in a ck suit, cold and sharp. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mrs. Han. My name is Nancy Mayes, a bodyguard. Mr. Han wants me to protect you.¡± Zoe was surprised. Considering what had happenedst night, Henry couldn¡¯t rest assured when Zoe was doing business outside alone, so he specially sent one of his confidants, Nancy Mayes, who had been funded by the Han family since her childhood, to protect Zoe. Nancy was a student from the military school and was good at fighting. She had once served in the army and worked for the Han family after she retired. She had been responsible for the security of Henry all these years. The fact that Henry could send her to protect Zoe had showed that Zoe was so important to him. On the way back, Zoe asked about the information of Nancy and sent Henry a message to confirm that he had sent someone over. Henry replied briefly, ¡°Yes. Wherever you go, you must take Nancy with you.¡± Then he didn¡¯t reply to her anymore. In Zoe¡¯s opinion, this man could be really good to her if he should want to. He was so good that he made her feel warm and relieved. But his temper was so bad. She just slept with him once against night! Oh, not once, but ¡­ many times? She didn¡¯t remember that. Anyway¡­ It wasn¡¯t a loss for him to do such a thing! Why did he feel that he was wronged and suffered losses? How could he even be angry? Thinking of what had happenedst night, Zoe felt even more depressed. Her eyes turned cold. She took out her phone and dialed a number. ¡°Hello, is it the Julio Police Department? I want to report something!¡± Zoe sent Steven and Annie to the police station one and a half months ago, and that afternoon, she sent Katya there again. When Michael learned what Katya had donest night, he was so angry that he broke a priceless antique vase at home and rushed to the police station to get Katya out. From Nancy¡¯s words, Zoe had already known the fact that Henry had ordered his men to cripple the four bodyguardsst night. Therefore, she also knew that the matter could not be further investigated. She just wanted to teach Katya a lesson and warn her that she was not a pushover. So when Michael pleaded with her, she didn¡¯t say anything more. She just said that she didn¡¯t want to see Katya again in Julio. At the beginning, she just said it casually. She knew clearly how important Katya was to Michael. Maybe Michael looked angry, but in fact, he was very protective of her daughter. He might not be willing to send her abroad. Unexpectedly, Michael agreed. With a straight face, he pleaded with Zoe, ¡°Zoe, I know you have suffered a lot these years because of what we did. I don¡¯t have any reasons to defend myself on this matter. But in the past few years, I have been good to you, haven¡¯t I? Even just for the sake of the friendship between your mother and me, please let Katya go and forgive the Anderson family, okay?¡± Zoe was stunned. Confused, she looked at Michael and said, ¡°Mr. Anderson, are you kidding me? Why do you ask me to forgive the Anderson family? I didn¡¯t do anything to you!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Michael felt awkward. He only knew that he had been informed this morning that all cooperation projects between the Anderson family and the Han family had been suspended. Not only that, but his other partners had also called to terminate their cooperation with the Anderson family one after another. There were several projects that were under negotiation before, and they were almost close to signing the contract. 93 Unexpectedly, all those partners suddenly stopped the negotiation and chose to cooperate with other suppliers. If it happened just once, Michael would not doubt it. But it happened over and over again. Michael definitely knew that something must have happened or he had offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have. Sure enough, only God knew how angry he was when he knew that Katya drugged Zoe, and provoked Henry. But no matter how angry he was, Katya was his daughter, and he had to protect her. He had thought that Zoe had asked Henry to do all these things, but to his surprise, judged from her reaction just now, she seemed to know nothing at all! Henry had done so much for her, but she even didn¡¯t know anything¡­ It surely indicated how important she was to Henry¡­ Michael didn¡¯t dare to think about it anymore. He felt a little regretful. If only he hadn¡¯t let Zoe leave back then. Maybe she couldn¡¯t bring any benefits to the Anderson family, but at least the Anderson would not have offended such a big enemy as Henry. At the thought of this, Michael felt bitter. He persuaded humbly, ¡°In that case, you probably don¡¯t know it, but it doesn¡¯t matter. You just need to go back and tell Mr. Han that the Anderson family has no intention of putting you in a difficult position. Please ask him to let us go. I will discipline my children from now on and won¡¯t let them provoke you again. You just need to say that.¡± Zoe was stunned for a moment, and then she understood. With a smile, she said, ¡°Okay. But you have to keep your word. Otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee that I can help you again if something should happen next time.¡± Michael hurriedly promised, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Zoe nodded and said, ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll let it go. I gotta go now. You can go get her yourself!¡± Michael smiled and said, ¡°Okay, thank you, Zoe.¡± Without saying anything, Zoe turned around and left. When she left, she happened to see Katya being taken out. As soon as she saw Zoe, she immediately rushed towards Zoe crazily. ¡°Zoe Gil! You bitch! Stop there! How dare you send me to jail? I must kill you. I won¡¯t let you go. I won¡¯t let you go!¡± With a sarcastic smile on her lips, Zoe took a look at her as if she were looking at a piece of trash. Without any hesitation, she strode away. Katya was still cursing, but she couldn¡¯t get rid of the two policemen. She roared, ¡°Why are you catching me? You should catch that woman! She crippled four of my bodyguards. I haven¡¯t gotten even with her yet! Are you all dead? She hasmitted such a serious crime. Why don¡¯t you guys arrest her bute to make trouble for me? Shouldn¡¯t you follow thew?¡± The two policemen were expressionless. Hearing that, Michael felt a headache and couldn¡¯t help shouting angrily, ¡°Shut up!¡± Katya screamed, ¡°No! Dad, you also just let her do whatever she wants! Have that bitch used some spells on you and my brother? Why did you let her go after she did so much to me?¡± Michael couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and pped her across her face. Katya turned her head and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Dad! You¡­ You p me?¡± Michael gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I think I should have pped you a long time ago! I thought a girl should be doted on. Now I think it¡¯s just because I spoiled you too much that you be so rebellious!¡± Looking at Michael¡¯s livid face, Katya realized that her father was really angry this time. She immediately softened her attitude and cried, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t be angry, okay? I¡¯m just angry that she always bullied Annie and tried to seduce my brother. I¡­ I just want to teach her a lesson.¡± Michael didn¡¯t want to find out the reason anymore. He rubbed his aching forehead and said wearily, ¡°You can go abroad with your cousin next week! Stay there for a couple of years and learn something. Don¡¯te back soon.¡± Katya¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? Dad, you¡¯re going to send me abroad? I won¡¯t go!¡± Michael vsaid in a cold voice, ¡°You have to go this time, no negotiation!¡± ¡°Dad! Are you going to abandon your own daughter just for that woman? I won¡¯t go! I won¡¯t go even if I die!¡± Michael didn¡¯t want to talk to her anymore. He called two bodyguards in and sent her home by force. Then he turned around and went out. After getting in the car, the driver asked respectfully, ¡°Mr. Anderson, where are we going now?¡± Michael rubbed between his eyebrows and said wearily, ¡°Go back to thepany. I need to have a look there.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± After the driver started the car, Michael looked out of the window. Thinking of what Katya had just said, he sneered. For Zoe? Huh! How could he abandon his own daughter just for Zoe? It was for that man! That man¡­ He was so powerful that a local merchant family like the Anderson couldn¡¯t afford to offend him. But why did such a person stay in Julio for such a long time? It had been half a year! What the hell was he doing here? Michael was lost in his thought. ¡­ Meanwhile, Zoe returned to the Han Mansion, took a shower and changed her clothes. After that, it was already six in the afternoon. Mrs. Dottie had prepared the dinner and asked her to have it. Zoe looked at the watch and asked doubtfully, ¡°Won¡¯t Henrye back for dinner today?¡± Mrs. Dottie smiled and said, ¡°He has to work overtime today. He called me just now and said that he wouldn¡¯te back for dinner today.¡± Zoe nodded and rolled her eyes. Work overtime? She didn¡¯t know whether it was true or not. Since she had nothing else to do today, she might as well go and have a look. Thinking of this, she said to Mrs. Dottie, ¡°I have an idea. Please help me pack the food up. I¡¯ll bring it to him. Oh, also put mine along with it.¡± Mrs. Dottie was happy and surprised to hear that. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it right away,¡± she said hurriedly. It was a good thing that Mr. and Mrs. Han had a good rtionship, and she was so happy that she walked even faster. Zoe went back upstairs and took her bag. She nned to go shopping when she came backter, where she could buy a new phone and a new phone card. When she went downstairs, Mrs. Dottie had already packed the food. Zoe walked out of the door with the hamper in her hand. Mrs. Kylee sent her out to the door and said with a smile, ¡°Mrs. Han, let the driver send you there!¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Zoe shook her head. ¡°No, thanks. I can drive myself.¡± ¡°Okay, take care.¡± Zoe put the hamper on the passenger seat, started the car and drove out. In the Han Properties. Henry was having a meeting. The atmosphere in the meeting room was a little heavy. Almost all the senior executives of thepany were present. Facing the man sitting on the main seat, no one dared to rx. They all braced themselves up to listen to him. Although the meeting hadsted for the whole afternoon, no one dared toin. The project manager was reporting his work in front of the projector. After reporting, he saw that Henry¡¯s face was getting darker and darker, which made him nervous. 94 ¡°Is this your n for this year?¡± The man¡¯s voice was low and cold, with the authority of a superior. The project manager lowered his head, with cold sweat on his forehead. ¡°Mr. Han, the n for this year is to maintain the situation. Now the market economy is generally down, so we don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to expand too fast, so¡­¡± ¡°The market is down¡­ so to maintain the situation?¡± Henry sneered and suddenly threw the n out of his hand. The paper rubbed against the project manager¡¯s face. The manager closed his eyes in pain. The meeting room suddenly became quiet, and everyone held their breath. Henry snapped, ¡°So you fool me with such a thing that even a new graduate can make? Maintain the situation? Julio branch has been taking this n for three years, but it keeps declining every year. I have given you many chances! Now I¡¯m sitting here. How dare you still say that to me? Do you think the Han Properties needs you much or do you think I¡¯m too stupid to understand the current market situation?¡± The project manager¡¯s face turned pale with fright. He hurriedly exined, ¡°Mr. Han, I¡­¡± ¡°Enough! I don¡¯t think you are capable enough of taking this position. From tomorrow on, you don¡¯t have toe here again.¡± The project manager¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Mr. Han! Sorry¡­ I¡­ You can¡¯t fire me. Mr. Han¡­¡± However, Henry didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore. He asked the guard to drag him out and then said coldly, ¡°Go on!¡± The next manager went up to report the work gingerly. The atmosphere in the meeting room was extremely depressing. Fortunately, the manager was capable and reported well to Henry . But the next one was not so lucky. Because of the calction mistake of data, the manager was so scared that he almost knelt down when Henry pointed it out immediately. ¡°Mr. Han, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll take it back and make it up.¡± Henry sneered. Everyone thought that this man¡¯s career in the Han Properties hade to an end. Unexpectedly, at this time, there was a buzz of the phone ring. Everyone was stunned. Who dared to take his phone in when Mr. Han held the meeting? Everyone looked at each other. Then they saw the boss sitting on the main seat frown and suddenly take out his mobile phone from his pocket. Everyone was speechless. They lowered their heads in silence, pretending not to see it. Henry didn¡¯t like to be disturbed at work, so he was very dissatisfied with someone calling him at this time. However, when he saw the caller ID on the phone, his expression immediately changed. It only took one second from the dark clouds to the bright sunshine. He immediately stood up and walked outside to answer the phone. Everyone looked at each other. As soon as he went out, they began to discuss in a low voice. ¡°Who is it? ording to Mr. Han¡¯s expression, it seems to be good news.¡± ¡°Whoever dares to call Mr. Han at this time and make him so surprised must be an important person.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a big deal of tens of billions.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Tens of billions are nothing to Mr. Han. He wouldn¡¯t be so surprised.¡± Brian, who had been standing behind Henry all the time, saw the caller ID on his phone. Hearing the whispers of the senior executives, he couldn¡¯t help but twitch his lips. ¡°Miss Gil, in everyone¡¯s eyes, you are more important than a big deal of tens of billions!¡± He thought like this. Sure enough, the power of love was great. Henry walked outside and answered the phone. His voice suddenly changed from low and cold to warm and gentle. ¡°Henry, are you still in thepany?¡± ¡°Yes. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you?¡± Holding the phone in his hand, Henry looked out of the window and said, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Mrs. Dottie has cooked a lot of delicious foods. I¡¯ve brought them all to you. If it¡¯s convenient, please ask Brian to pick me up! I¡¯m afraid that the receptionist of yourpany doesn¡¯t know me and won¡¯t let me in.¡± She didn¡¯t forget that she was stopped by the receptionist at the Anderson¡¯s groupst time. The Han family was an internationalpany. The rules in such a bigpany would only be more than that in the Anderson group. No one knew her identity, so she wasn¡¯t sure whether she could go up by herself if Brian didn¡¯t pick her up. Henry¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°You are here?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ask him toe down right away.¡± Henry hung up the phone and went back to the meeting room. Everyone immediately ended the gossip and sat upright to continue the serious meeting. However, the boss just picked up his coat on the seat and then ordered in a deep voice, ¡°The meeting is over.¡± What? They even didn¡¯t know what was going on.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The manager who had just reported the wrong data was also a little stunned. He stammered, ¡°Mr. Han, then, then I¡­¡± Henry stared at him. ¡°Send it back and redo it. Submit it to me tomorrow morning.¡± The manager was stunned and then nodded immediately with relief. ¡°Yes, Mr. Han. I will make it before tomorrow morning.¡± Henry left with Brian. After returning to Henry¡¯s office, Henry said to Brian in a deep voice, ¡°You go downstairs and pick up Zoe here.¡± Brian pursed his lips, trying to hold back hisughter. He knew it must be Miss Gil there. Otherwise, Mr. Han wouldn¡¯t have been so easy-going. Brian nodded obediently. When he was about to turn around and walk out, Henry stopped him. ¡°Wait!¡± Brian turned around. Henry frowned slightly. After a pause of two seconds, he ordered, ¡°Tell the receptionist that if Zoees here again in the future, just bring her to my office.¡± Brian was shocked. Was Mr. Han going to make it public? He didn¡¯t dare to ask more, so he answered yes and left respectfully. In the hall on the first floor. When Zoe arrived, Brian was already waiting for her in the hall. As soon as he saw her, he immediately greeted her with a smile. ¡°Mrs. Han, you are here.¡± Zoe handed the dinner hamper to him and asked with a smile, ¡°Did I interrupt your work since Ie at such a time?¡± Brian¡¯s lips twitched. He really wanted to tell Zoe that Mr. Han stopped the meeting just because of her. But he didn¡¯t dare to say it out, so he smiled and said, ¡°No. did you bring food for Mr. Han? Just Mr. Han is also hungry. Just now, he said he was going to have dinner somewhere.¡± The two of them chatted andughed and then entered the elevator. The receptionists gathered as soon as they entered. ¡°Hey, have you seen the woman who just went in?¡± ¡°Yes. So she is just the woman who Mr. Simpson is talking about just now! She is pretty. Maybe a noble youngdy from a powerful family.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rtionship between her and Mr. Han? Mr. Han doesn¡¯t allow any women toe to his office. How could he make an exception for her?¡± ¡°Yeah. Mr. Simpson specially told us that we should directly take her to Mr. Han¡¯s office whenever shees. It seems that they have a special rtionship!¡± ¡°Is she Mr. Han¡¯s girlfriend?¡± ¡°No way! Mr. Han¡¯s girlfriend is from the Kawn family¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about during working hours?¡± 95 A cold voice came, and the lobby manager came over. When the receptionists saw their manager, they immediately returned to their original positions, like some mouse seeing the cat. ¡°Manager, we didn¡¯t talk about anything.¡± ¡°Yes, we didn¡¯t say anything.¡± The lobby manager scolded them just because he saw them gather together. He always turned a blind eye to their cking offs. So he also didn¡¯t want to take it seriously this time. He said in a low voice, ¡°Now Mr. Han is in charge of thepany. You should be more careful at work than before! If your cking offs are caught by him, even I can¡¯t protect you guys.¡± Hearing his warning, everyone knew that he was telling the truth and quickly nodded. ¡°Manager, we will never dare to do that again.¡± The lobby manager was satisfied. ¡°Okay.¡± Then He left. ¡­ The elevator directly got to the forty-eighth floor. ¡°Ding!¡± After the elevator arrived, Brian took Zoe out and went straight to Henry¡¯s office. It was not the first time that Zoe hade to Henry¡¯s office, but it was different from thest time. Last time, it was at lunchtime, and all the people in the secretary¡¯s office had left, so no one knew she had been here. But today, Henry had stayed to work overtime, so the people in the secretary¡¯s office didn¡¯t dare to leave first So she had to bite the bullet and walked out under so many inquiring eyes. She felt a little regretful. She just wanted to please that man to make up for what she had donest night, but she forgot that everyone was still working at this time. If she came here in this way, she would definitely be seen by others. By that time, her rtionship with Henry might no longer be concealed. At the thought of this, Zoe couldn¡¯t help but want to retreat. ¡°Well¡­ Mr. Simpson, could you please help me send the dinner to him? I won¡¯t go in.¡± Brian looked at her and said. ¡°Mrs. Han, Mr. Han has known that you are here. If you don¡¯t go to find him, Mr. Han will be very disappointed.¡± Zoe smiled awkwardly. ¡°But¡­ There are so many people in your office¡­¡± Brian smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m in charge of the secretary department now. I¡¯ve carefully selected the people in it. All of them are reliable and non-gossipy, so no one will tell others about youring.¡± Hearing this, Zoe breathed a sigh of relief and felt a little relieved. In the office. Henry was busy with his work. After Brian knocked on the door, Henry said in a low voice, ¡°Come in.¡± Brian pushed the door open. He didn¡¯t enter, but turned to Zoe and said with a smile, ¡°Mrs. Han, please go in.¡± Zoe nodded, took the dinner hamper from his hand and walked in. Henry looked up at her. She was wearing a pinkish dress, which was long enough to reach her ankles, a thin coat of the same color, and a pair of pinkish ts. She looked more gentle anddylike than usual. He smiled and said gently, ¡°Sit down for a while. I¡¯ll finish this soon.¡± Zoe nodded. She could find that he was really busy. She sat obediently on the sofa by the door, casually picked up a magazine and read it. In Henry¡¯s office, there were usually financial or military magazines or newspapers. It could be judged that he was only interested in these aspects, but it was rare for him to have an entertainment magazine under the tea table. The cover of the magazine was Selena Kawn, the famous first-ranked actress who had won many greatest awards in one go in recent years, and was praised as the most beautiful movie queen. In fact, Zoe liked this Selena very much. After all, Selena was beautiful and had good acting skills. She was not on the same level as those popr actresses whose acting skills were a mess.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Besides, it was said that she came from a well-known family. She was the kind of person who could easily shake the Eqitin city. She had everything she needed, and being an actress was just her dream. Because of this, she had never been involved in any scandal. Those dirty things in the entertainment circle had nothing to do with her. Anyone would like such a great star. While Zoe was reading the magazine with great interest, Henry had put down his pen and stood up. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± He walked towards her. Zoe raised her head and smiled, waving the magazine in her hand. ¡°Entertainment magazine.¡± Henry nced at the cover of the magazine and frowned imperceptibly. Zoe clicked her tongue and sighed, ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything about entertainment in your office before. I thought you were not interested in it. It seems that it¡¯s not necessarily true! Do you also like Selena Kawn?¡± With a straight face, Henry washed his hands in the restroom and said in a low voice, ¡°I don¡¯t like her.¡± ¡°Then why do you have a magazine about her?¡± ¡°Maybe someone that is blind casually put it here after reading it.¡± It seemed that Henry didn¡¯t want to talk about it too much. Aftering out, he sat opposite her and smelled the fragrance from the heat-preservation hamper. ¡°What did you bring to me?¡± His new topic immediately distracted Zoe¡¯s attention. She put down the magazine and opened the hamper. ¡°It¡¯s all your favorite food. Mrs. Dottie is so thoughtful. Maybe she found you have been very busy these days, so she cooked a lot of delicious food.¡± She opened the boxes in the hamper. The dishes inside were really beautiful and delicious. Just smelling them made Henry feel hungrier. Henry put the bowls and chopsticks and the table for her. He unbuttoned his sleeves when he washed his hands just now. At this time, his sleeves were half rolled up, revealing half of his strong arms. Holding the bowl and chopsticks, he looked particrly sexy and attractive. Zoe filled a bowl of soup for him and said, ¡°Have some warm soup first, to activate your stomach, before you start eating.¡± Henry nodded. Seeing that she was also drinking a small bowl of soup, his eyes darkened. ¡°Why do you bring me dinner today? Mrs. Han suddenly decided to be considerate?¡± Zoe almost choked on the soup as she heard this. She raised her eyes and red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you like this kind of style? I¡¯ll change it tomorrow.¡± Henry smiled. ¡°No need to change it. I like it very much.¡± Zoe snorted. Henry suddenly added, ¡°But l prefer the foods cooked by you.¡± Perhaps it was because she was too excited that Zoe suddenly choked. She coughed and looked at him in surprise. ¡°Do you want to eat the food I cook?¡± Henry said in a low voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for a wife to cook for her husband?¡± Zoe smiled weirdly. ¡°Ha ha¡­ I can cook it, but I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t dare to eat it.¡± Henry paused. He looked at her affectionately. ¡°I dare to eat anything you cook.¡± Not long after that, Mr. Han would know what his boast would bring to him. Zoe smiled awkwardly and stopped this topic. After dinner, she saw that Henry seemed to be busy again, so she cleared the table and said, ¡°You can go ahead with your work. I¡¯ll go back by myself.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Henry stopped her and suddenly took out a box from the drawer and handed it to her. Stunned, Zoe took it over. She opened it and found a new phone in it. Her eyes turned bright and she asked in surprise, ¡°For me?¡± Henry said, ¡°The one you used before can¡¯t be repaired anymore, but the phone card has been repaired for you, and the data in the previous phone has also been copied into the new one. Check if there is anything wrong.¡± Zoe turned on her phone in a hurry. After checking it, she found that not only the data but also all the photos had been copied. She couldn¡¯t help but feel delighted. ¡°Thank you.¡± Henry smiled. ¡°If you really want to thank me, stay with me here and wait for me to go back, okay?¡± He got close to her, wrapped his arms around her waist naturally and took her into his arms. Zoe couldn¡¯t help blushing. She thought that she had nothing to do at night even if she went back alone, so she didn¡¯t refuse. 96 In the following couple of minutes, Henry continued to work, while Zoe sat on the sofa and began to study the new phone she had just gotten. She first sent a message to Victoria, and then went to browse the micro-blog. As a well-known PR staff, it was necessary to know what was going on in the entertainment circle at any time. In addition to some of her private paparazzi, most of the time, she had to know thetest news of other artists through the Inte. On the top search list of micro-blog, there was a promotion notice of The Youth. Zoe clicked in and had a look. The y had been very popr on the Inte in the past two years, so when it was published that it was about to shoot, theizens were all very excited. Today¡¯s release was just a simple poster notice, on which the names of the movie and the main characters were written. It was estimated that the poster with the determined makeup would be released in a couple of days. In the y, Annie Gil, the heroine, and Moze Hahn, the hero, were the most well-known. Therefore, they were the most popr in thement area. After them was Wendy Shell, the supporting actress. In contrast, Laura Davies, who was also the supporting actress, was much more neglected. Her name didn¡¯t even appear in thement area. But it was not surprising. After all, although Laura was not a neer, she was not famous at all. Zoe reposted the promotion notice with her official ount, and mentioned Laura, with the following words: The path is long, and the starting point is just there. After closed down the micro-blog, Victoria sent a message back. Her new y was going to be finished in a few days. At such a critical time, she had to shoot many scenes to make up for the ws, so she was very busy. She knew from others about the matter of Zoe before. Julio was not a big city. The Anderson family was suddenly targeted, which was such a piece of big news. As a local powerful family, definitely the Kaur family knew must about it. Fortunately, nothing serious had happened to Zoe in the end, which made Victoria relieved. However, Zoe¡¯s phone was broken and Victoria couldn¡¯t get in touch with her. At this time, she suddenly received a message from Zoe, so she immediately replied and asked about the details. Zoe smiled and told Victoria that she was safe now. Victoria was still angry and cursed Katya in the text. If the Anderson family hadn¡¯t sent Katya abroad, maybe Victoria would have found someone to teach Katya a lesson. The two of them chatted for a while. Victoria had something else to do, so she didn¡¯t reply anymore. Perhaps it was because Zoe was here, Henry didn¡¯t work for a long time. About half an hourter, he finished his work. On the way home, Zoe suddenly received a call. It was from Mrs. Wright. She was a little surprised. Last time at Annie¡¯s birthday party, Mrs. Wright fell out with her in public because of the matter between her and Steven. Since then, Zoe had never contacted her again. She didn¡¯t know if Mrs. Wright had known the truthter, but anyway, something had happened, and she couldn¡¯t pretend that it hadn¡¯t happened. In the past, because of her mother, Zoe still had some affections for Mrs. Wright. After that incident, the sight affections gradually dissipated. After all, she was a cold-blooded person. She didn¡¯t care much about others except for a few people who really cared and trusted her. As for Mrs. Wright¡­ She didn¡¯t need it. Zoe answered the phone. The old and kind voice of the olddy came from the other side. ¡°Zo, are you busy now?¡± Zoe pulled her lips and said, ¡°No. what can I do for you?¡± The undisguised alienation in her tone made the other side silent for a few seconds. Mrs. Wright sighed then. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have med youst time. I wronged you. Are you still mad at me?¡± ¡°No.¡± No matter what, Mrs. Wright had helped her mother a lot and also had taken care of her when she was a child. It was impossible for Zoe to me Mrs. Wright. However, she had once regarded Mrs. Wright as someone she could trust, but she then found that the so-called trust was just so, which probably made her a little disappointed. Mrs. Wright said, ¡°I¡¯ve been too ashamed to call you these days. I just felt that I shouldn¡¯t have wronged you in front of so many people that night.¡± ¡°The night before yesterday, your uncle told me about yourpetition with Annie Gil. I knew that you were wronged five years ago. My child, you have suffered for so many years.¡± Zoe was silent for a moment. A faint sense of bitterness spread in her heart. She forced a smile and said lightly, ¡°Thank you for your concern. It¡¯s all history. I won¡¯t remember it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you won¡¯t remember it. You are a good kid. You will have a better life in the future.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Zoe didn¡¯t say anything more, and the olddy was also silent. A stiff atmosphere was lingering between the two. She didn¡¯t mean to do that, but Zoe really didn¡¯t know what to say. She didn¡¯t really me Mrs. Wright, but she couldn¡¯t trust Mrs. Wright and say anything to her as before. It was quite a whileter, and Mrs. Wright finally spoke. ¡°I heard that you are with Henry Han now?¡± Zoe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She nced at the man who was driving next to her and inexplicably felt a little guilty. But now that Mrs. Wright had known it, there was no need for her to hide it. ¡°Yes.¡± The olddy sighed. ¡°He is not a good match for you.¡± Zoe frowned. Subconsciously, she was somewhat disgusted with this judgment. But she didn¡¯t say anything. There was always something that she shouldn¡¯t have to exin to others. She knew it well, and that was enough. ¡°Anything else do you want to say?¡± Seeing that she was unwilling to talk about this topic, Mrs. Wright sighed and said nothing more. The two of them chatted for a while and then hung up. Henry asked, ¡°Is it from Mrs. Wright?¡± Zoe was stunned and looked at him in surprise. ¡°How do you know that?¡± Henry smiled without saying anything. Zoe looked at her phone suspiciously. ¡°You didn¡¯t install a bug for me, did you?¡± Henry was speechless. ¡°Mrs. Han, although you two didn¡¯t speak on the phone in a loud voice, the space in the car is limited. I¡¯m still young and have a good hearing. So it shouldn¡¯t be strange for me to hear the voice on your phone, right?¡± Zoe, ¡°Fine.¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°Mrs. Wright said that you are not a good match for me.¡± Henry was speechless again. His eyes twitched and his face darkened. Squinting her eyes, Zoe said half-seriously and half-jokingly, ¡°Maybe she thinks that I¡¯m too inferior to you, or that you still have some secrets that I haven¡¯t known and they all know, so she beat around the bush to remind me.¡± The man subconsciously tightened his grip on the steering wheel. With a straight face, he said coldly, ¡°Nonsense! Don¡¯t contact such a kind of person anymore! If they dare to talk nonsense to you again, I will force them to stay in another city.¡± Seeing that he was serious, Zoe couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. Why are you so serious?¡± 97 Zoe turned to look out of the window. It was already December. The new year wasing after half a month. The shops on the street had been decorated with festive stickers. The streets were bustling with people, showing the vitality of the city on the cold winter night. She said in a low voice, ¡°Over the years, I have often warned myself not to have the will to get something, because once I have the will, I will be very depressed when I lose it.¡± ¡°So I know what she meant. I will keep my heart and prevent the worst situation from happening. But If it really happens one day¡­ I believe I will also go on well.¡± Suddenly, her hand was held by a warm hand. She was stunned and turned to look at Henry, only to find that he was also looking back. His deep eyes were deep and firm. ¡°You won¡¯t be depressed and there will be no the worst situation. I promise.¡± Zoe¡¯s heart seemed to be pinched by something. It was a slight pain, but meanwhile she was surprised and touched. She made a big smile. ¡°Okay.¡± the next day. Annie Gil was discharged from the hospital. ording to the agreement between Annie and Zoe, Shew Wright had posted the truth about the matter five years ago on the school¡¯s website. After the message was released, there was a strong response. On the night of the anniversary of the school, most students were present. Although not all of them had seen the whole process of the incident with their own eyes, some of them who saw the incident spread one to another, and the matter had long been known to all. Therefore, when this matter was announced by the official voice, the forum was full of discussions. Soon, theizens found out the case five years ago. When they learned that it was Annie Gil who had plotted all this, and it took Zoe five years to find out the truth, theizens all cursed Annie. The news spread fast. Not long after, the news spread from the campus forum to other websites. The entertainment media and the famous bloggers would not let such explosive news go from their hands. Soon, there was a wave of gossip on micro-blog. The top searches were all about the case five years ago. There were all topics about Annie Gil, like #Annie Gil¡¯s performance in the exam five years ago, #Annie Gil, the scheming woman, #The n Annie Gil directed and acted herself, and so on. The speed of spreading was astonishing. Both the fans and the public rtions team had no time to react to such a swift and fierce scandal, let alone to have any ns to deal with it. When they finished making the announcement, the tide of discussion had already reached its peak, and the top searches also could not be removed. As onlookers, theizens were naturally interested in such discussions. Annie¡¯s fans also had a lot of internal strife because of this matter. After all, it was an official statement of the school, which was very credible. Those who liked Annie Gil because of her gentle and kind image felt that they had been deceived. It turned out that the fairy they had been protecting, chasing and loving was actually such a person! She was narrow-minded and vicious. Because of jealousy, she even used harmful tricks to frame her half-sister, who had the same father but a different mother, and made her innocent sister suffer for five years! The huge reversal and the ugly reality were, like an invisible big palm, pping the fans¡¯ faces! Arge number of fans were very disappointed with Annie. A lot of Annie¡¯s fans refused to follow her again, and all kinds of Annie¡¯s scandals that had been suppressed before came out like mushrooms after rain. Putting on airs, pretending to be innocent and fragile, hyping up an image of being dedicated, bullying the actresses in the same group¡­ Of course, there were also some fans who insisted on following Annie. Even if they had seen the official statement of the school with their own eyes, they still insisted that their fairy, Annie Gil, had been framed. Annie was so delicate and innocent. She had gained her reputation at such a young age. There must be a lot of people jealous of her! Therefore, it must be a trick yed by those vicious people who were jealous much of her! They didn¡¯t believe it! They trusted Annie! They had to hold on until thest minute. Unless Annie admitted it herself, they wouldn¡¯t believe it! There was a storm of arguments on the Inte, and almost all social websites were affected. There was news about Annie everywhere. Originally, the passers-by didn¡¯t know much about this matter and had no interest in it. However, they found that wherever they went, there would be Annie Gil¡¯s stubborn fans curing everyone. As long as someone talked about this topic, Annie¡¯s stubborn fans would curse and argue, which really annoyed the passers-by and made them had a bad impression on Annie. What kind of people were Annie¡¯s fans? They were all impolite and domineering, which could also reflect Annie¡¯s personality. Did they grow up by eating sh*t? Where were their mouths so stinky? The idol would pay for what his or her fans did. No matter who keep cursing, they were all Annie¡¯s fans. As a result, almost all the passers-by felt disgusted with Annie. At the same time, in Gil¡¯s vi. Looking at the overwhelming news on the Inte, Annie was so furious that she smashed herputer. In the past few days, she had been in a bad mental state because of the heavy blow. The miscarriage and scandal almost broke her down! Her agent, Julia, called her this morning. Julia said that several offers that she had been negotiating were denied. The scandal was still spreading, and the brands who invited Annie to endorse the products were also a little anxious now. If she couldn¡¯t solve this matter soon, they would probably end the contract with her and she would even face a huge amount ofpensation. Annie felt like her brain was going to explode! ¡°Mom, it¡¯s all because of that b*tch! She made me so miserable! I want to kill her! I want her to die!¡± Annie sat on the bed, clenched her fists and roared, her eyes turning red. Helen also felt depressed. ¡°Annie baby, I know you hate her much, but your health is the most important thing now. Come on, eat the food. We can discuss thister, okay?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t eat!¡± Annie swept the food served by Helen to the ground, grabbed Helen¡¯s hand and asked anxiously, ¡°Mom, has Stevene here today?¡± ¡°He¡­¡± Helen didn¡¯t say anything, with a trace of embarrassment on her face. Annie¡¯s heart sank. Her face turned pale in an instant. ¡°He didn¡¯te?¡± Helen nodded awkwardly. ¡°He¡­ He doesn¡¯t want toe?¡± ¡°Annie, don¡¯t think too much. He might be very busy these days¡­¡± ¡°Ha ha¡­ Busy? What is he busy with? His fiancee is being bullied like this. My child was lost and my reputation was ruined! How could you tell me that he might be very busy?¡± Annieughed sarcastically. The great panic and anger made herugh crazily like a beast in a desperate situation. In the end, sheughed so hard that her whole body trembled and tears streamed down her face. Helen felt her heart was being wrenched as she looked at Annie¡¯s miserable face. She hugged her daughter tightly, tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Mom, tell me. Does he want to abandon me? Or does he fall in love with someone else?¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, he won¡¯t. You have been engaged. He can¡¯t go back on his word. Annie, listen to me. Don¡¯t think too much, okay?¡± With Helen¡¯sfort, Annie finally calmed down after a long time. Her pale face was covered with tears, but her eyes were filled with endless hatred. ¡°Mom, it was not easy for us to get everything we have now. We can¡¯t just let it be destroyed like this. It¡¯s all Zoe¡¯s fault! I will never let her go! Never!¡± Helen seemed to think of something and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We still have onest trump card to y. Someone in Eqitin has contacted us. It won¡¯t be long before we can send that b*tch to hell!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± 98 On the other side. When Zoe was working, she suddenly received a call from Henry. He asked her if she was free at noon and asked her to find him. Someone wanted to see her. Zoe was a little surprised. Actually, she didn¡¯t have anything else to do at noon, so she agreed. At noon, Zoe went to the Han Properties. As soon as she entered the office, she found that besides Henry, Nathan was also there. She was a little surprised and asked with a smile, ¡°Mr. Han, why are you here?¡± Nathan looked at her with a smile. The more he looked at her, the more satisfied he was. How could she be so beautiful? Her eyes and nose were exactly the same as nna Nelson¡¯s in his imagination. Taking a look at Nathan, Henry said in a low voice, ¡°He is here for you.¡± ¡°For me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Henry said to Nathan, ¡°Tell her yourself!¡± Nathan was cheered up. Zoe was confused. ¡°Mr. Han, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just want to ask if you are interested in acting.¡± Zoe smiled. ¡°Yes! Do you have any new y?¡± Nathan¡¯s eyes turned bright as he heard Zoe¡¯s answer. ¡°No, I¡¯m busy with The Youth. Laura Davies you introduced before is excellent. She is much better than other actresses of the same age both in terms of skills and attitude. So I have to thank you for your rmendation!¡± Zoe had a vague feeling that Nathan came here today not just to thank her. But she didn¡¯t say anything. She just smiled. ¡°In that case, how about I introduce some more skilled actors to you?¡± Nathan waved his hand. ¡°No, I don¡¯t need any other actors. I just need one for an important role. No one else can y this role.¡± ¡°Oh? Which role?¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°nna Nelson.¡± Zoe was stunned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you choose Annie Gil to y nna?¡± At the mention of this, Nathan couldn¡¯t help frowning. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I just couldn¡¯t find a more suitable actress, and she also took the investment to join the group, so I agreed to let her try this role. I didn¡¯t expect such a big scandal to happen now, which makes her so infamous. If I continue to use her, I¡¯m afraid it will have an impact on the y, so after I carefully considered, I decide to find another actress.¡± Zoe smiled. ¡°Then who do you want to choose?¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Me?¡± Zoe pointed at herself in surprise. When she met Nathan¡¯s serious eyes, she realized that he was not joking. She turned to look at Henry, but he said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ve refused for you, but he didn¡¯t give up and insisted on asking you face to face.¡± Zoe was moved and even amused. ¡°Mr. Han, I¡¯m not an actress and I¡¯ve never acted in a y.¡± Nathan didn¡¯t care about it at all. ¡°So what? You are talented, and with my training, I believe you can make a great performance in this y.¡± As he spoke, he patted his chest, as if he was really well prepared. Zoe shook her head again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Han. I can¡¯t agree to your request.¡± Hearing this, Nathan turned to be disappointed. He stared at Zoe nervously and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t have the n to be an actress, and I don¡¯t like being watched.¡± It sounded great to be a star. However, Zoe, who had been in this circle for a few years, knew clearly that it was not easy for those stars to enjoy the glory on the surface. No matter how popr the star was, she or he was just a money tree in the hands of the capitalists. Under the gaze of the public, the star was just a puppet that everyone liked but was always being controlled. She didn¡¯t like this feeling. Therefore, she would try her best to respect the thoughts and choices of all actors and actresses in herpany. But she didn¡¯t want herself to be trapped in it. Seeing her firm attitude, Nathan felt a little bit disappointed. With an idea that she suddenlye up with, Zoe smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Han, how about I introduce a suitable actress to you?¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± Nathan asked in depression. ¡°It¡¯s Victoria Kaur. Have you met her before?¡± ¡°Victoria Kaur?¡± Nathan frowned. He knew this actress. After all, she was beautiful and famous, but he heard that she had a bad temper and a deep background, and was difficult to get along with. To be honest, as a famous director who was so reputable, he was no longer willing to amodate himself to any actor, so he had never thought of inviting that bad-tempered nobledy. Zoe nodded and said, ¡°Victoria is really easygoing. The rumors about her are all fake. If you agree with that, I¡¯ll ask her about this! I think you¡¯d better offer such an important role to her rather than me, ayman. She is more suitable to y nna Nelson than me.¡± Nathan nced at her with a sad look. ¡°Alright! Help me to ask her about this first. If she is willing, I will contact her.¡± ¡°Okay, deal.¡± After sending Nathan out, Zoe also didn¡¯t want to stay here any longer. There were still a lot of cases waiting to be dealt with in the PR department, so she said goodbye to Henry and was about to leave. But the man stopped her. ¡°There¡¯s a gathering tonight. Go with me, okay?¡± Zoe was stunned. ¡°But I have work to do tonight¡­¡± Henry frowned. He stared at her with his deep eyes and said bitterly, ¡°I find that it seemed to be a wrong decision to ask you to work in the Annie International.¡± Zoe was a little confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You are so busy that you even have no time to apany me.¡± Zoe was speechless. ¡°Zoe, I think you should stop managing those mess there, and just take care of your Star Entertainment. It will be easier¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Zoe interrupted him without hesitation, ¡°You invited me here by yourself. There¡¯s no way for you to go back on your words now!¡± She had been working in the Annie International for a period of time. To be honest, she liked the atmosphere there. She didn¡¯t like to give up anything halfway, especially her work, so she couldn¡¯t leave there at this time. Zoe waved her hand and said, ¡°Alright. You just want me to go to the gathering with you this evening, don¡¯t you? I will go with you.¡± Henry finally smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick you up tonight.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Zoe left the Han Properties. At six o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Henry came to pick her up. They didn¡¯t go to other ces, but directly drove to the Mountain Club. Zoe didn¡¯t know who she was going to meet tonight, but she sensed that this man was in a good mood. She had asked him, but he refused to answer, so she became more curious about the gathering tonight. In the Supreme Room of Peony of the Mountain Club. Several young men were sitting on the sofa. York Nixon crossed his legs and looked at the door with expectation. He smiled and said, ¡°Henry said today that he would bring his girlfriend here and introduce her to us. Let¡¯s guess who she is.¡± Next to him, Stephen Rogers raised his eyebrows proudly. ¡°You don¡¯t know that, do you? Hey! I¡¯ve seen her before. Are you jealous of me? So do you want me to tell you first?¡± York rolled his eyes at him and snorted disdainfully. ¡°What are you proud of? I won¡¯t ask you. I¡¯ll know it myself soon.¡± 99 It never urred to Zoe that the gathering mentioned by Henry would be a meeting of his friends. Therefore, when she stepped into the box and saw the young men sitting there, she was a little confused. ¡°Henry, Zoe, you are here!¡± Stephen was the first one to greet her. When the others saw Zoe, they were first stunned for a while and then came to their senses one by one. They followed Stephen greeted her in a hurry. ¡°I¡¯ve always heard that Henry has hidden a stunner in Julio. I finally see her today.¡± ¡°Hello, Zoe . My name is Max Nixon.¡± ¡°Hello, Zoe. I am Jake Bissel.¡± Zoe was surprised. Facing their enthusiasm, Zoe smiled stiffly and nodded in response. Secretly tugging at the corner of Henry¡¯s clothes, she said in a low voice with a stiff smile, ¡°Henry, why didn¡¯t you tell me that wee here to meet them?¡± She had heard of these young men. As the descendants of the four families in Eqitin, they and Henry grew up together. It was obvious that they had a good rtionship. The most important thing was that each of them would make countless women scream crazily. It was rare for them to gather here today. Henry smiled and held her hand. ¡°Since you refuse to go back to Eqitin with me on new year¡¯s day, I have to ask them to meet you in Julio. ¡± Zoe didn¡¯t know what to say. The new year woulde after half a month. Henry had asked her once if she wanted to go to Eqitin. She refused at that time. Although the rtionship between them was growing day by day, it was not the time yet.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Hearing what he said now, although she thought this man was a little childish, she also felt sweet at such a time. After all, it was obvious that these people were very important to Henry. He had specially asked them to meet her here, which proved that she was also important to him. Zoe smiled slightly and nced at him. Then she pinched his waist quietly. The man didn¡¯t show his pain, but the smile on his face became deeper and deeper. They all sat down again. Henry introduced Zoe to them seriously again and then ordered the servants to serve the dishes. With his friend around, Zoe was restrained at first. Fortunately, the group of people was about the same age, and Max was good at activating the atmosphere. Not long after, Zoe became familiar with them. It was well-known that these young men were hard to get along with for other people, but they were very easy-going to someone of their group. Zoe had met Stephen before, so she knew much about him. As the second son of the Nixon family, Max had been studying advanced AI technology, and he had even given a cute little AI toy dog to Zoe as a gift for her. Jake didn¡¯t follow his father¡¯s path. Instead, he chose to study medicine. Although he was young, he was already a famous surgeon. He was steady and didn¡¯t talk much. He always smiled lightly, giving people a sense of warmth like a spring breeze. They had a happy dinner. Halfway, Zoe went to the restroom. On the way, she met Den Wright. As the most outstanding person in the young generation of the Wright family, Den had always been valued by Mrs. Wright. When Zoe was a child, she had a good rtionship with Den. However, as Den grew up, he went abroad to study for a few more years. As a result, they were estranged from each other. Den was a little surprised to see her. ¡°Zo, why are you here?¡± Zoe didn¡¯t dislike him. She smiled and said, ¡°Come out for dinner.¡± Den nced at the box behind her. Peony. His eyes darkened. There was a private room in the Mountain Club that had never been opened to the public. It was just Peony. It was said that it was booked by someone for many years. Even if the person did note, it was not open to the public. He once identally inquired about it and knew that the person was Henry Han. Den looked at her and said, ¡°You get along well with him.¡± Zoe knew who he was referring to. Mrs. Wright didn¡¯t agree with her to be with Henry, so Den must have known it. Therefore, Zoe had no intention of talking to him more, but nodded slightly. ¡°If there is nothing else, I¡¯ll go in first.¡± Then she turned around and walked to the box. Two stepster, she heard the voice of Den behind her. ¡°He has a daughter. Do you know that?¡± Zoe stopped in her trac ¡± I don¡¯t know if that child¡¯s mother is just Selena, but at least, until now, the engagement has not been terminated.¡± ¡°Zoe, we grew up together. I don¡¯t want you to be cheated, nor do I want you to be hurt. So I¡¯ll tell you this. As for whether you believe it or not, and how you will deal with it, you should decide it by yourself!¡± After saying that, Den left. Zoe stood there with a nk mind. Her face also turned pale. A chill ran up from the soles of her feet, straightly to her head! Her whole body was cold and her heart was pounded! He has an¡­ engagement? And a child? After a while, the door of Peony opened from inside. Henry walked out and saw her standing in the corridor. He walked over. ¡°Why are you standing here?¡± When he approached her, he found that she didn¡¯t look good. He couldn¡¯t help frowning. He touched her forehead and asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling ufortable?¡± Zoe stared at him. The man frowned, with undisguised concern and worry on his face. But at this moment, it was suddenly full of irony. She shook her head, looked away and said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Then she turned around and walked into the room. In the following hours, Henry felt that the woman beside him was obviously absent-minded. She was no longer happy as before. Instead, she was preupied with something. Thinking that she had gone to the restroom before, the man seemed to understand something. But he said nothing. After returning home in the evening, Zoe went to the bathroom to take a shower early. When she came out, she found that the man went to the study and said that there was something urgent to deal with in thepany. She didn¡¯t care and went to bed. That night, she had a dream. Many things happened in her busy dream. Some were about the memories when she was a child, some were about the matters when she was abroad a few years ago, and some vague pictures about the man. Finally, the words Den said to her in the dark corridor and his eyes with sympathy and worry were fixed in her dream. Zoe suddenly woke up. Outside the window, the sun was shining. It was already ten o¡¯clock in the morning. She was shocked and turned around. The bed was empty. The cold temperature reminded her that the man had left for a long time. 100 Or¡­ he even didn¡¯te in at all? Zoe scratched her hair and rubbed her face. The scene in her dream gradually faded away with her brain waking up. Her temples throbbed and she had a headache. She rubbed her forehead gently with her fingers and then got out of bed. ¡°Mrs. Han, you are awake!¡± Mrs. Dottie just came in and smiled at her. Zoe forced a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯mte. Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± ¡°Mr. Han said before he left that you were not feeling well and asked us not to wake you up, and to let you have more rest.¡± Zoe was stunned. She looked at Mrs. Dottie, whose face was full of gratification. She asked, ¡°Where did he sleepst night?¡± ¡°Mrs. Han, don¡¯t you know that? Mr. Han worked tootest night, so he just slept in the study.¡± Zoe was silent for a moment. It turned out that he really didn¡¯te back. An indescribableplex feeling arose in her heart. She didn¡¯t know what was going on. She had thought from the beginning that she should keep her feeling well. No matter what the final goal and end of this marriage were, she couldn¡¯t let herself be trapped by it. But¡­ Why was she a little disappointed now? Zoe didn¡¯t look good. Mrs. Dottie observed her expression and asked cautiously, ¡°Mrs. Han, do you want to have breakfast?¡± Zoe came to her senses and shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯ll go to thepany directly.¡± Perhaps Henry had ordered Brian to ask for a leave for her in advance, so even if Zoe waste, the people in thepany were not surprised, as if they had already known it. When she got to thepany, she dealt with the work as usual. For the whole day, Henry didn¡¯t send her a message or call her. Zoe tried her best to suppress the strange feeling in her heart. She knew that she couldn¡¯t ask for too much. This marriage was not based on love from the very beginning. Whether he had a girlfriend or not, or even had a child, it had nothing to do with her. So she didn¡¯t have to be upset or ask. Yes, that was it. Even if she seemed to have a crush on him because of what happenedst time, it was just a little. Maybe it was because of this that God let her know in advance what she shouldn¡¯t have known and reminded her of the existence of the truth. Zoe closed her eyes and scratched her hair in boredom. At this moment, her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up with a frown, but when she saw the caller ID, her expression changed. ¡°Mr. K?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± The voice on the other side of the line was hoarse and full of vicissitudes. He said in a deep voice, ¡°I have found something that you asked me to investigate for you. It¡¯s not convenient to tell you on the phone. When are you free? Let¡¯s talk about it face to face!¡± Zoe¡¯s breath tightened. Her fingers holding the phone were a little pale, and it took her a long time to calm down. ¡°Okay, send me the address. I¡¯lle to see you this afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± In the afternoon, Zoe got off work ahead of time and went to a cafe as scheduled. Mr. K was a bald middle-aged man with sunsses. He had arrived ahead of time and was sitting at a table by the window. Seeing Zoe, he nodded to her. Zoe walked over and sat down opposite him. ¡°What¡¯s that? What did you find out?¡± She asked straightforwardly as soon as she sat down. Mr. K looked at her through his sunsses and said in a deep voice, ¡°As you guessed, the car ident five years ago was not a natural ident.¡± Zoe¡¯s breath froze. Mr. K took out a folder from his pocket and took out a few photos from it and put them on the table. ¡°The wreckage of the car has been cleaned up, but the traffic police still keeps the police records of the case that year. I asked someone to get detailed photos of the car that year. Look, there are obvious traces of human damage in this ce.¡± Zoe looked carefully at the ce on the photo he pointed at and saw there was a clear cut on the car. ¡°Is this¡­ a brake pad?¡± Mr. K nodded. ¡°When Mrs. Gil had an ident, her car was burnt to ashes on the spot. Many pieces of evidence were lost, butter the police still took some pictures of its remains.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I picked out these photos from hundreds of them. The perpetrator was very smart. He knew that the car would burn and all the evidence would be burnt. But unexpectedly, when the car burned, it would directly break through the bridge and fall into the river. Instead, it extinguished a part of the fire, leaving some evidence.¡± Zoe¡¯s face turned pale. Her eyes, which were always clear and cold, now became deep and meaningful, and no one could judge from it whether she was angry. ¡°Who did it? Have you found it out?¡± Mr. K shook his head. ¡°I was in a hurry to inform you as soon as I got the photos. I haven¡¯t had the time to check who did it.¡± ¡°Is it difficult?¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s difficult.¡± He frowned and said, ¡°it has been a long time. The person who got involved in this matter may have already left Julio. The people behind it also won¡¯t let anyone find out the evidence. I guess they have dealt with the ws already. If we investigate it now, it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.¡± Zoe was silent for a moment. After a while, she sneered with cold eyes. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t need to investigate. I know who it is.¡± She stared at the broken brake on the photo and sneered, ¡°The person who got the most benefits must be the murderer.¡± Mr. K was also silent for a moment. ¡°Unfortunately, as long as we can¡¯t get direct evidence, we can¡¯t ask thew to send her to prison.¡± Zoe smiled coldly. Law? Even if she couldn¡¯t seek help from thew, so what? As long as she proved that her mother was indeed killed, and it was not an ident, she would be able to force the mother and daughter to speak out the truth personally. Her eyes were filled with cruelty and mercilessness. Mr. K looked at her and kept silent for a while. ¡°What¡¯s your n now?¡± Zoe said in a low voice, ¡°Of course I will let them pay for that!¡± ¡°You alone?¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Mr. K wanted to say something but stopped on second thought. Zoe nced at him and frowned. ¡°When did you learn to hold on when you wanted to say something?¡± Mr. K was speechless. He said helplessly, ¡°I heard that you are with Henry Han now. Why don¡¯t you ask him for help? It¡¯s a piece of cake for him to destroy the Gil family.¡± Zoe sneered. Mr. K didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion. He found that when he mentioned that man, Zoe¡¯s eyes were colder than before. ¡°It¡¯s my business, and I don¡¯t need someone irrelevant to help me.¡± After a pause, she stood up and said, ¡°Okay, I see this matter. Thank you. I will transfer the money to youter.¡± After saying that, Zoe turned around and walked out. At the same time, a ck Rolls-Royce passed by the cafe. The person in the car inadvertently looked out of the window and saw a familiar figure. The woman was wearing ck and white casual clothes and a peaked cap. She was walking out with her head down. He was slightly stunned and ordered Brian to stop the car. When he was about to get off the car, he saw a man quickly walking out of the cafe and stopped Zoe. 101 ¡°Seven! Wait!¡± Zoe stopped. She looked back at Mr. K. ¡°Anything else?¡± Mr. K hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Recently, the Dragon Club is in trouble. Many people are looking for you in secret. Be careful!¡± Zoe was stunned. After a while, she smiled. ¡°I see. Thank you.¡± Mr. K also smiled. ¡°We¡¯re the only two who know the other offline, so I just remind you casually. You¡¯re wee.¡± Zoe nodded and said nothing more. Then she turned around and left. In the Rolls-Royce. Brian was a little shocked when he saw the two say goodbye at the door of the cafe not far away. He turned his head to look at his boss and cautiously asked, ¡°Boss, are we still going there?¡± Looking at the petite figure fading away in the evening light, Henry frowned. After a while, he said, ¡°No.¡± Then Brian closed the door again and drove the Rolls-Royce away. Due to the wrong angle, Zoe didn¡¯t see the Rolls-Royce on the other side. After she got in the car, she received a call from Archie. The man¡¯s voice was a little cold and hoarse. He asked, ¡°Where are you?¡± Raising her eyebrows, Zoe looked around at the traffic and asked in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m in thepany. What¡¯s wrong?¡± The man on the other side paused for a moment. Somehow, Zoe felt a little uneasy. She looked around again and made sure that there was no familiar face or car. Then she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she asked, ¡°Are you off duty?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Go back to your work. See you tonight?¡± ¡°Okay, see you tonight.¡± After hanging up the phone, Zoe breathed a long sigh. Looking at the darkening screen of the phone, she suddenlyughed at herself. What was she afraid of? That man was not her real husband. Even if she had slept with him two times, so what? Even if they had the marriage certificate, so what? Wasn¡¯t he also hiding something from her? Why did she have to be faithful to him? Zoe tried her best to persuade herself. After a long time, she calmed down a little and finally suppressed the strange uneasiness and guilt. On the other side, after hanging up the phone, Henry thought of the figure he had just seen at the door of the cafe, and the lie that the woman had casually said on the phone. His eyes were slightly cold. He sneered and ordered Brian. ¡°Go and find out who that person was just now.¡± Needless to say, Brian knew who the ¡°person¡± he was referring to. Brian said yes immediately. In the evening, when Zoe got home, Henry was already at home. When Zoe entered the room, Mrs. Dottie happened to wee her. Mrs. Dottie smiled and said, ¡°Mrs. Han hase back. The dinner is ready. Mr. Han is waiting for you in the dining room!¡± Zoe nodded and entered the dining room. In the dining room, Henry sat upright in a white shirt. His handsome face was meticulous, and the corners of his eyes and brows were rare cold and sharp. Seeing here in, he only slightly lifted his eyelids and said nothing.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Zoe keenly sensed that there was something wrong with the atmosphere today. She took a look at Mrs. Dottie. Mrs. Dottie was standing behind Henry and secretly winked at her. Today, Mr. Han was in a bad mood, so everyone should be cautious! After sitting down, Zoe smiled and asked, ¡°Have you been busy recently? Are you tired?¡± Henry didn¡¯t answer. His face was as cold as ice. In fact, anyone with eyes could see that this man was in a bad mood, even if Mrs. Dottie didn¡¯t warn her. However, even if he was in a bad mood, most of the time, he didn¡¯t show his emotions on his face, let alone me the servants. But today, it was so obvious¡­ Zoe rolled her eyes and soon understood. She smiled silently and asked, ¡°Are you in a bad mood? Something happened in thepany?¡± Henry finally looked at her seriously. It would be better if he didn¡¯t look at her, but that nce made Zoe a little shocked. The man¡¯s eyes were so prating that it seemed to see through her eyes to get her mind. Zoe felt a little ufortable. She looked away. The man finally spoke, ¡°Where did you go this afternoon?¡± Zoe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She tried to calm herself down, looked at him and said in a deep voice, ¡°Why do you ask this?¡± ¡°Mr. K is a famous underground private detective. He has superb skills and boundless connections. He is especially popr in Julio. What did you want from him?¡± Zoe froze there. She looked at him in disbelief, and the details of her meeting with Mr. K shed through her mind. She did not find anything wrong and could not help frowning. ¡°Are you spying on me? Nancy?¡± Henry sneered. ¡°You can ask Nancy if I have asked her to spy on you.¡± Zoe didn¡¯t know what to say. It was not until then that she remembered that she had deliberately sent Nancy away when she was going to meet Mr. K this afternoon. Maybe Nancy knew she went to the cafe, but Nancy didn¡¯t know who she had met. Thinking of this, Zoe looked at Henry again, with a trace of inquiry in her eyes. ¡°So, are you questioning me now?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I question you as a husband being cheated by my wife?¡± Zoe smiled coldly. ¡°If you really think that a couple should be honest to each other without any privacy, then Mr. Han, please do it well yourself first.¡± After saying that, she felt that she had no appetite tonight. She put down the bowl and chopsticks and was about to leave, but was stopped by Henry. ¡°Stop!¡± Zoe paused and looked at him with a frown. ¡°What do you mean? Make it clear!¡± Zoe sneered. The grievance and anger that had been suppressing for the whole day suddenly burst out. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying? Your rtionship with your fiancee and your child. In your opinion, as your wife, should I also have the right to know that?¡± There was an instant silence in the dining room. It was so quiet that even a needle dropping on the ground could be heard. The servants widened their eyes in disbelief. It seemed that at that moment, they even stopped breathing, but really admired Zoe¡¯s courage! They had never seen anyone who dared to shout at Mr. Han like this. Mrs. Han was the first one! Did Mr. Han¡­ also get angry? They turned to look at Henry and found that his handsome face was gloomy and dark. The cold air around him almost froze them. Oh, God! Mr. Han also got angry, so what should they do? Before the servants could react, Henry said coldly, ¡°You all get out!¡± Everyone looked at each other and a few secondster, they all got out quickly. Zoe stood there and looked at him with cold eyes. There was a trace of regret in her heart. She had told herself that she shouldn¡¯t care. Why was she so angry at that moment? How could she be so angry that she couldn¡¯t help asking him directly? If the truth was just she had heard, what should she do then? It was so ashamed to do that, even if she just thought of this scene! 102 Zoe scratched her hair, feeling annoyed. Seeing that he didn¡¯t say anything for a long time, she said impatiently, ¡°Do you have anything to say? If not, I have to go now!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Henry stood up and walked towards her. Somehow, Zoe¡¯s breath tightened. The man stopped in front of her and looked at her with his hands in his trouser pockets. He noticed the regret on the woman¡¯s face. Although his face was still stiff, there was a faint smile in his deep dark eyes. ¡°Last night, you were angry with me just because of this?¡± Zoe was stunned. She looked up at him in astonishment. Henry added lightly. ¡°It was someone of the Wright family who told you that, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Zoe¡¯s pupils dted again. How did he know everything? Was he the eyes of God? Henry quickly solved her doubts. ¡°The engagement between me and the daughter of the Kawn family is very secret. In Julio, only Mrs. Wright, who has a close rtionship with the Kawn family, knows it. You didn¡¯t see herst night, and she didn¡¯t tell you about it on the phone before. So I guess that she doesn¡¯t want to tell you.¡± ¡°But if she didn¡¯t say it, someone would say it for her. As Mrs. Wright¡¯s favorite grandson, Den might have heard about it by chance. He and you have known each other since childhood. Seeing you are going to be trapped by this, he naturally told you the truth. Am I right?¡± Zoe opened her mouth in astonishment. The shock in her heart was beyond words. This man¡­ How could he know everything just through a simple inference? But after a short period of astonishment, she quickly calmed down. She stepped back and looked at him coldly. ¡°So what? Do you want to say that what he said is not true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± His answer without hesitation stunned Natalia again. Then there was a burst of anger. ¡°So? Why did you stop me and what do you want to say?¡± She was really going crazy! She had never seen a person who could be so righteous after doing something wrong! He had been too domineering! Although she had never expected that the two of them would really be the real couple, at least for the time being, she was still the nominal Mrs. Han. Even for the sake of the rtionship between two partners, shouldn¡¯t he be honest to her on this matter? She should have the right to know it! Looking at the furious woman in front of him, Henry didn¡¯t know why he suddenly felt a strange sense of satisfaction. ¡°Are you¡­ Jealous of it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m jealous of what?¡± Zoe waspletely pissed off. She pushed the man in front of her and roared, ¡°Get out of my way! I don¡¯t want to argue with you. Whether you have a fiancee or a daughter, it has nothing to do with me! Get off!¡± She seemed to bepletely irritated, and her eyes were even red. Henry just stared at her. The woman¡¯s slightly red eyes reflected his face, and there wereplex waves of anger hidden in her calmness. Then she pushed him away and ran upstairs. Zoe went straight into the bedroom. Henry followed her closely. His eyelids twitched when he saw her begin to package her clothes angrily. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He held her hand. Zoe red at him. Henry¡¯s breath stopped for a moment. ¡°Let me go!¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°Henry, don¡¯t make me totally lose my temper!¡± Zoe was really going crazy with anger! She had never been so furious before! Why did this man think he could lie to her like this? Henry looked at her and said in a low voice, ¡°Give me a chance to exin.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your exnation!¡± ¡°Zoe!¡± ¡°Let me go! Em!¡± An unexpected kiss was pressed down hard and stopped her from saying anything. The man kissed her fiercely, with the power to destroy her mind. He pressed one hand on the back of her head, and the other hand encircled her waist, tightly holding her into his arms, as if to integrate her into his bones and blood. At first, Zoe tried her best to resist, butter she found that it was useless. Moreover, this man¡¯s skill was getting better and better, and he could attack and plunder without giving Zoe time to react. Soon, her mind was in a mess. She couldn¡¯t think of anything, and she also couldn¡¯t do anything. After a long time, Henry finally let her go. He lowered his eyes and looked at the little woman in his arms. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were red. She was shy and angry. He could not help butugh in a low voice. ¡°It turns out that you care about me so much, which makes me happy.¡± His voice was low but it was mixed with a sexy lure. Zoe red at him. ¡°Who cares about you?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t care about me, then why are you angry?¡± ¡°Whoever is cheated will be angry, okay?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t cheat you.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°I did have an engagement with the daughter of the Kawn family, but it was made when I was five years old. Moreover, the child who was engaged to me had long passed away, so this engagement was naturally not counted. Selena is just the adopted daughter of the Kawn family, and she is not qualified to marry into the Han family.¡± Zoe was stupefied. She stared at him with her watery eyes. Henry continued to exin, ¡°And as for the kid, I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you. Last time you asked me who I was calling, and I told you that it was an important person in my life. I originally nned to take you to see her in Eqitin, but you dyed it again and again. It should not be my fault, right?¡± Zoe opened her mouth.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She was shocked, and the huge shock made her unable to react. After a while, she stopped staring at the man and said in a low voice, ¡°Then you can tell me in advance.¡± ¡°I thought you knew it.¡± Indeed, he had a child. Although it was not known to all, anyone who was familiar with him should know it. Zoe had stayed in Han Mansion for so long. She got along with Mrs. Dottie and other servants every day, who had been in the Han family for more than ten years. He thought that she had heard about it. Also thinking of this, Zoe even didn¡¯t know what to say. The atmosphere was inexplicably awkward. She always felt that there was something wrong with this matter. Logically, it seemed that what he had said was true, but she felt that something was still wrong. But she didn¡¯t know what it was. Henry looked at her and smiled. ¡°Since I have told you the truth, shouldn¡¯t you tell me now what you want from Mr. K?¡± Zoe looked up at him. The man¡¯s eyes were deep, and his dark pupils were like two bottomlesskes, unfathomable. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°I came to him just to investigate the truth of my mother¡¯s death.¡± Zoe frowned imperceptibly. ¡°Do you think there is another reason for mother¡¯s death?¡± Zoe red at him. ¡°That¡¯s my mother!¡± ¡°Your mother is my mother. Is there anything wrong with my calling?¡± Zoe was speechless. ¡®forget it. I don¡¯t want to argue with him.¡¯ Zoe thought like this. She nodded, ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t have any evidence, so I wanted someone to help me investigate it. Later I heard that he is very good at this, so I asked him to help me. Today he asked me to meet because he had some clues, so he wanted to talk to me face to face.¡± 103 Henry stared at her with his dark eyes. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Or what? What do you think it is?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± His eyes wereplicated, and it was obvious that he had hidden something else. Zoe secretly tightened her fingers, and felt a little flustered for no reason. But she was always good at camouge. After she looked away, she quickly calmed down and did not show any traces on her face.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Have you found anything?¡± ¡°Yes, I have.¡± Speaking of this, Zoe had nothing to hide. She took out the photo that Mr. K had given her. ¡°Someone did something to my mother¡¯s car, and the brake pad was cut in advance. I suspect that was just why the ident happened.¡± A sh ofplex light was in Henry¡¯s eyes. It was a faint cold light. ¡°Do you need my help?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± Zoe answered straightforwardly, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself. I don¡¯t want to rely on anyone else.¡± Her mother had always been the one she loved most in the world. Five years ago, she was still young. For her mother¡¯s sudden death, she could do nothing but be at a loss and doubt. But now it was different. Since she had the ability, she must find out the murderer by herself! She would never let that murderer go! Henry looked at her for a while and then nodded. He touched her head and said softly, ¡°Okay, if you need anything, you must let me know.¡± Zoe nodded. Now that the misunderstandings had been cleared up, she had to eat food. But when she went downstairs, Zpe felt a little embarrassed. Henry smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. Mrs. Dottie was happy to see that they made peace so soon. She asked the servants to heat the cold food and take it back as soon as possible. After dinner, Henry went to take a shower, while Zoey in bed in a daze. She was still thinking of what the man had said before. Selena was the adopted daughter of the Kawn family? She had never heard of this before. Then she thought of his daughter, who should be very young. Where was her mother? Where did she go? Was she Henry¡¯s ex-girlfriend? Or¡­ Could the daughter be the result of a one-night stand? Thinking of this, Zoe suddenly felt disgusted. Although she still felt a little ufortable, she knew that everyone had a past, not only Henry, but also her. So she didn¡¯t have to dig into it. It waste at night. Zoe couldn¡¯t help yawning. Just then, Henry¡¯s phone rang. He put his phone on the bedside table and didn¡¯t take it into the bathroom. Therefore, as soon as Zoe sat on the bed, she could see the caller ID on the screen. There were several simple letters on the screen. -Baby. Zoe¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Baby? Was it¡­ his daughter? She took a look in the direction of the bathroom. It wasn¡¯t long after Henry went in. It should take a while for him toe out. She was wondering whether she should give him the phone or not. The phone was suddenly hung up. Looking at the darkening screen, she thought for a while and was about to go back to sleep. However, a few secondster, the phone rang again. It was that number again. She hesitated for a moment, thinking that there might be something wrong with the child calling again and again. So she picked up the phone and went to the bathroom. Zoe knocked on the door and said, ¡°Archie, answer the phone.¡± There was only the sound of water, and no one responded. Zoe knocked a few more times, but the man didn¡¯t hear it, probably because the sound of water was too loud. She had no choice but to go back and tell him when he came out. However, when she put down the phone, she didn¡¯t know which ce on the phone she had pressed, and the phone was answered at once. Zoe was shocked. Oh, God! She just questioned him, and then she answered his phone. Wouldn¡¯t it make him misunderstand that she didn¡¯t trust him at all? That was so rude! But it was toote to hang up now. And even if she hung up, it would be recorded. It was simply useless. Zoe almost cried. ¡°Hello? Why don¡¯t you speak?¡± A sweet voice came through the phone. Zoe was stunned. Really a child? Maybe because the kid didn¡¯t get any response from the phone, she said again, ¡°Hello! Daddy, why don¡¯t you talk to me? Are you angry again? I¡¯ve taken the medicine obediently today. Why are you still angry? If you are still angry, I won¡¯t take the medicine next time.¡± Zoe panicked. She didn¡¯t know if she should call Henry out or just hang up. ¡°Humph! Daddy! You even don¡¯t talk to me! I also won¡¯t talk to you anymore!¡± As she spoke, she suddenly hung up the phone. Zoe stood there, holding Henry¡¯s phone in a daze. It took her a long time to react. What¡­ what should she do now? She seemed to have answered a phone call by ident and caused a big misunderstanding! At this moment, there was a light sound from the bathroom door, and the man wrapped in a bath towel came out. Although it waste winter now, it was not cold because the heating was on in the room. He didn¡¯t wear any clothes, and his strong figure was well proportioned. A big white bath towel with a golden edge around his waist covered the lower part of his body. With the other hand, he wiped his wet short hair with a towel. Water drops slid down his abdominal muscles along his chest muscles and disappeared at the edge of the bath towel, bringing a sexy smell. Zoe didn¡¯t know if it was her illusion. As soon as the man came out, the whole bedroom suddenly became cramped. The space of the room was over a hundred square meters, but he stood there with a strong aura as if it had filled the surrounding space, making Zoe feel a sense of oppression for no reason. Zoe nced at him and slowly looked away with a blushed face. It was not that she didn¡¯t want to see this scene. It was just that the scene was so sexy that she was afraid that she would get a nosebleed. Henry had been observing her reaction all the time. Seeing that her face was red and the color almost reached her ears, but she just turned her face away to cover it. He suddenly raised his lips. He untied the bath towel and began to change his pajamas directly. Even if Zoe looked away, she couldn¡¯t help ncing at the scene from the corner of her eyes. Her face turned even redder. Sheined, ¡°Can you go to the bathroom to change your clothes? There¡­ there are still people here! Don¡¯t you feel ashamed?¡± Henry raised his eyebrows. ¡°Mrs. Han, we are husband and wife.¡± Zoe had nothing to refute. She bit her lips and muttered after a long while, ¡°We are not a real couple. Anyway, we will divorce sooner orter!¡± Although her voice had been lowered to the most, the man still heard it clearly. He paused and his eyes turned cold. The next second, he quickly put on her shirt and came over. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°What? Nothing.¡± Zoe pretended to be confused with a pair of innocent eyes. ¡°Huh!¡± The man sneered. He bent over, pinched her chin, and said word by word, ¡°You want a divorce? There¡¯s no way. You¡¯d better stop thinking about it. To be Mrs. Han is not a kind of y, so you can¡¯t run at will. What do you think I am?¡± 104 Zoe looked at him dully. She blurted out the words as she was angry, but she didn¡¯t expect that he would take it so seriously. Feeling the pain from her chin, Zoe let out a light groan and said unhappily, ¡°What are you doing? It hurts.¡± ¡°Answer my question.¡± The man¡¯s tone of voice was overbearing and cold lights shed across his eyes. Zoe was a bit scared by his stare. She knitted her brows, ¡°What do you want me to answer?¡± ¡°Who am I?¡± Zoe was speechless. Was he mentally handicapped? Why didn¡¯t he know who he was? Pitifully, she could onlyin this in her heart. She couldn¡¯t say it out. Zoe curled her lips into an ingratiating smile and replied honestly, ¡°You¡¯re Henry Han.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Zoe was speechless again. Was it wrong? She then replied tentatively, ¡°Mr. Han?¡± Henry was taken aback hearing what she said. ¡°Heh,e on, you won¡¯t be asking me to call you Mr. Chairman, right??¡± Seeing the quick change in the man¡¯s tensed expression, Zoe knew that she had given a wrong answer again. ¡°Heh, I will give you thest chance. Give me a satisfactory answer, okay?¡± Zoe bit her lower lip. ¡°Don¡¯t bite your lip!¡± When she bit her red lip with her white teeth, she just looked so pitifully beautiful, which stimted his impulse to plunder her. Hence, the man quickly pinched her chin to stop her. Feeling the sharp pain, Zoe groaned with dissatisfaction. Right at this moment, she suddenly had a light-bulb moment. Seeming to figure out something, she looked at him in disbelief. She then stammered an answer tentatively, ¡°You¡¯re my¡­ my honey.¡± Henry sneered. ¡°Remember this then. Although your words were unintentional, I don¡¯t want to hear those words again!¡± The man¡¯s gaze was a bit cold and he said in a deep and warning voice, ¡°Understand?¡± Although Zoe was a bit dumbfounded, she still knew better than to say anything more and just nodded her head. Only then did Henry loosen the grip on her chin and walk to the other side of the bed. When he prepared to get onto the bed, he saw his phone that was ced on the bedside table. He knitted his brows and shifted his gaze onto Zoe. Zoe came to her own sense and hurriedly exined it, ¡°You got a call just now. I¡¯ve told you, but you didn¡¯t answer me. I answered the call only identally.¡± Speaking of this, Zoe became a bit guilt-stricken. Henry didn¡¯t say anything. He picked up his phone and took a nce. ¡°What did she say to you?¡± Zoe smiled awkwardly. ¡°Nothing. Er¡­ She¡¯s your daughter, right?¡± Henry turned around and shot a nce at her. After two seconds of silence, he corrected her words, ¡°She¡¯s our daughter.¡± Zoe really don¡¯t know what to say. Luckily, she wasn¡¯t drinking water now; otherwise, she would definitely spurt out the water in her mouth. However, after a second thought, since she and Henry were already officially married, of course his daughter was also her daughter. Now she suddenly had a daughter. Initially, Zoe was dumbfounded, but now she suddenly became cheered up. ¡°That¡¯s true. If that¡¯s the case, seems like it¡¯s not a bad thing.¡± Zoe didn¡¯t hate the idea of having a child at all. Moreover, upon hearing the voice from the other end of the phone, she inexplicably had a cordial feeling although she had never met that child before. Zoe felt it fantastic. At a second though, she was a bit amused. ¡°I wondered whether she¡¯s cute or not. Hmm¡­ it would be the best if she don¡¯t have your temper. You really have a bad temper. You¡¯re so temperamental. It will be bad if the little girl is like this.¡± Henry fixed his eyes on her, ¡°Then whom do you expect her to be like?¡± ¡°Of course she should be like her mother.¡± Come to think of it, Zoe suddenly realized that she even didn¡¯t know who the little girl¡¯s biological mother was. She hurriedly asked, ¡°Is she your ex¡¯s child? Oh, had you ever been married before?¡± Henry, ¡°¡­¡± Could he borrow Thor¡¯s hammer from him? After blurting out the question, Zoe also realized that it was impossible. After all, if it was his second marriage, she would have known it when they came to the marriage bureau to apply for marriage certificates. Zoe smiled embarrassedly. Henry didn¡¯t say anything else. He even agreed to her opinion. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s quite like her mother.¡± He paused and then picked up his phone and walked to the balcony, ¡°I will call back.¡± Zoe nodded her head. She watched him walking to the balcony. In the endless dark night and under the warm, yellow lights of the house, the man, who was clenching his phone and standing straight, was talking into the phone gently. Lying face down on the bed, Zoe held her cheek in one hand and studied the man carefully. She suddenly felt that this man was not as cruel and merciless as he was in the rumors. At least he was good to her. And she could tell that he was a responsible good father for the way he treated his child. Zoe unconsciously curled her lips into a smile. Henry spent lots of time on the call. He had no choice as he pampered his daughter Anne a lot. He didn¡¯t answer her call just now. Although Zoe answered the callter, she didn¡¯t say anything. So Anne was angry because she thought that Henry was deliberately ignoring her. Henry put in good words to coax Anne. After a long while, this little demon finally forgave him. Henry said in a soft voice, ¡°It¡¯ste now. Be a good girl and go to bed, okay?¡± The kid¡¯s cute voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Okay. But you must answer my call in the future.¡± Henry rubbed his brows helplessly. ¡°Sometime when I¡¯m at a meeting, I would mute my phone. So I can¡¯t hear it.¡± ¡°I will call you when you¡¯re not at a meeting.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. Grandma has told me that Daddy is busy with work and it¡¯s tiresome. She asked me not to bother you. That¡¯s why I always call you in the evening.¡± Henry didn¡¯t expect that this naughty kid would also be so thoughtful. He chuckled and replied in a soft voice. ¡°I see. I will not miss your call in the future.¡± Only then was the kid satisfied. But soon, her voice was tinged with a trace of dejection. ¡°Daddy, actually I called you because I missed you.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Henry paused. It felt like his heart was gently hit by something. Anne continued, ¡°But Grandma doesn¡¯t allow me toe to find you. Daddy, when will youe back to see me? I miss you so much! Other kids have father and mother, but I have none. I¡¯m so pitiful! No one likes me, a¡­¡± Henry knew that Anne was pretending, as he had specially flown to visit her when he was on a business trip not long ago. However, hearing her soft and childish voice and her pretentious crying tone, his heart uncontrobly softened. ¡°Good girl, Daddy wille back soon.¡± ¡°Soon? How long will that be?¡± Anne was a shrewd girl and she wouldn¡¯t be fooled around easily. ¡°About one month.¡± ¡°A¡­ Daddy, you don¡¯t like me anymore. Are you going to abandon me? Boohoo¡­¡± Anne, who was at the other end of the phone, cried miserably. Henry touched his forehead helplessly. Nevertheless, he had no choice as this was his beloved daughter even though she was spoiled by him. He coaxed her patiently, ¡°One month is already the bottom line. If you keep on crying, I will note back one monthter. Not just me, but also the mother I have found for you will note back either.¡± Anne immediately stopped crying. 105 ¡°Mummy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Really? Did you really help me find my mummy?¡± Henry chuckled, ¡°Do you want to see her?¡± ¡°Sure! I want to see her!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s end here. I will send you her photo. But you shall go to bed after seeing her photo, OK?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Henry then hung up his phone. He found out a photo of Zoe which was taken by him by ident and sent it to Anne. At the other end of the phone, when receiving the photo, Anne immediately became excited. Was this her mummy? ¡®Oh gosh, mummy is so beautiful! Her skin is so fair! Her eyes are so beautiful! Her nose is so high! And her mouth has a good shape!¡¯ ¡®Mummy looked exactly the same as me!¡¯ ¡®Oh¡­ Grandma, this is my mommy! I¡¯m her daughter! I feel so happy!¡¯ Anne eximed in her heart. Clenching the phone, Anne ran to the living room to find her grandma. Unexpectedly, when she just ran out of her bedroom, she was stopped by a maid who was responsible for taking care of her. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s already ten o¡¯clock. Didn¡¯t you promise me that you will be a good girl and go to bed? How can you run wildly?¡± Anne took a nce at her and paused. She rolled her ck-pearl-like beautiful eyes and pressed her pink small lips together. After a short while, she suddenly turned around and ran towards the bedroom. ¡®No way! Mummy is so beautiful and I can¡¯t let others know her!¡¯ ¡®Otherwise, they will snatch my mummy from me.¡¯ ¡®Mummy belongs to me only and no one is allowed to snatch her from me!¡¯ ¡®Humph!¡¯ Anne thought to herself. Watching Anne running back to her bedroom, the maid thought that she must have realized her mistake and therefore she would go to bed obediently. She didn¡¯t think too much of this. The maid followed Anne into the bedroom. Watching her sliding into the bed, she walked over, tucked the quilt for her and then coaxed her softly, ¡°Miss, have a good dream. I will only go out when you¡¯ve fallen asleep.¡± As expected, Anne closed her eyes obediently and she soon fell asleep. Generally speaking, kids would fall asleep quickly, so was Anne. The maid didn¡¯t dare to take away the phone clenched by Anne just now as she was afraid that she would make a fuss. But now, seeing that she was still clenching the phone and since that she was sleeping, the maid gently took the children¡¯s mobile phone away from her hand. In sleeping, the kid called vaguely, ¡°Mummy¡­¡± The maid was stunned. She leaned forwards and put her ear near Anne¡¯s mouth. Only then did she hear clearly what Anne was calling. Her gaze towards the kid becameplicated as a gush of bitterness surged in her heart. She didn¡¯t know how she should think about this kid¡¯s fate. Was she lucky? Or was she pitiful? She was lucky because she was a child of the Han family, a top-ss powerful and rich family. She wouldn¡¯t need to worry about clothing and food in her whole life as she could enjoy the endless wealth. She was pitiful because she didn¡¯t have a mother. After all, those who had stayed in the Han family for more than five years all knew that this kid was taken back from abroad by Henry back then. At that time, Henry only brought back this little girl and her mother was not by her side. At that time, she was still a newly-born baby. Maybe it was because she had left her mother since young, Anne had been quite week since childhood. She had been at herst grasp due to illness for several times. The Han family hired several doctors for her, requiring them to live in the family. Even the renowned doctor, Ian Rankin, also had lived in the family for a period to stabilize Anne¡¯s health condition. Afterwards, she was pampered by the whole family as they were afraid that she would get any slight hurt. As she gradually grew up with the meticulous care of the family, her health condition was gradually improved. When thinking of this, the maid took a nce at the little kid lying in the quilt. She heaved a long sigh. s! Her mother was so cold-hearted that she even abandoned such a cute kid! The maid didn¡¯t stay in the room any longer and she left the room cautiously without making any noise. Meanwhile, Zoe had a dream that night. She dreamed of a scene in which she was lying on a snow-white bed surrounded by cold steel-grey equipment. Some cold metal instruments were moving in her body. The man¡¯s low, deep voice sounded near her ear. ¡°Give birth the child for me. I will give you everything you want.¡± ¡°No! Please! No!¡± Zoe woke up. It was already broad daylight outside and it was about seven in the morning. There came some water sshing sounds from the bathroom. It seemed like someone was taking a shower. Lying on the bed, Zoe closed her eyes to get rid of the horrifying dream. After a long while, when she heard that the door of the bathroom was pulled opened, she finally opened her eyes. ¡°Awake?¡± Henry was drying his wet hair with a towel. Zoe knew that he had a habit of having morning exercise and she thought that he must have just finished the exercise. Zoe replied with a light ¡°emm¡±, seeming to be a bit upset. Henry raised his brows. He causally tossed the towel onto the back of the chair and walked over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you feel ufortable?¡± When speaking, he reached out and touched her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Zoe yawned, ¡°It¡¯s just that I had a strange dream.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that dream?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Zoe pondered for a while with her brows knitted. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you were too tired yesterday. Would you like to have some more rest?¡± Zoe shook her head.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°No thanks. I have to go to thepany to deal with something today.¡± Henry didn¡¯t insist on it, ¡°Then get up and go downstairs to have breakfast.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± As the New Year was drawing close, she got more and more things to be dealt with in thepany. Annie International didn¡¯t have too many affairs to take care of as its artists had all behaved well and didn¡¯t cause too many troubles. So the public rtionship department didn¡¯t have too many tasks. However, it was another story for the Star Entertainment. Laura hade to the crew and was now shooting ¡®The Youth¡¯. Annie Gil had also lost her role as her scandal was disclosed. After weighing the gains and losses, the director Nathan finally decided to let Victoria y the leading character of ¡®nna Nelson¡¯. Naturally, this increased Annie¡¯s hatred again. Pitifully, she had no choice. Although several days had past and the gossips about the scandal in her school had been suppressed, it had somehow damaged her reputation. She lost the opportunity to film ¡®The Youth¡¯. What was worst, many brands also cancelled her qualification to be the ambassador of their products. Julia had asked her to remain low-key for a month, saying that at least she should keep a low profile until the New Year. After the New Year, there would be a charity party. At that time, since her scandal would be a past, she would try to restore her reputation by doing charities. Although Annie Gil was resentful, she had no choice and could only listen to Julia¡¯s arrangement. Some of the artists of the Star Entertainment left thepany after Zoe¡¯s notice. The four artists left were all singers. They were good at both singing and dancing and hoped to be idols. Zoe wasn¡¯t in a hurry tounch their debut; instead, she hired some professional teachers to improve their singing and dancing. She hoped that they would disy their skills in the idol reality show after the New Year. Time passed under such a busy and boisterous ambience. When it was only four days before the New Year, thepany finally announced the beginning of the holiday. Zoe had announced the arrangement of the holiday in the Star Entertainment in advance, while in the Annie International the arrangement was made on the next day. Before the holiday, Zoe¡¯s colleagues suggested to go out to have a gathering and rx themselves, saying that it could be regarded as a team building activity. Zoe agreed and generously said that she would pay the bill. Naturally, the colleagues in her department were cheered up when they heard this. At eight o¡¯clock in the evening, after finishing the dinner, they came to a KTV. 106 Naturally Zoe also came with them. She didn¡¯t have too much interest in activities like this. However, as the head of the department, she couldn¡¯t spoil their moods. Therefore, after several sses of wines, Zoe left the private room for some fresh air. The KTV was selected by a staff in the department. The decoration and furniture here were all quite unique. Outside the private room was a winding corridor and outside the corridor was a garden and awn. With some well-arranged buildings, it looked like a private holiday vige. Standing on the winding corridor, Zoe stretched out her armszily. The breezes in the evenings of winter were chilling. Although Zoe had worn thick down jacket, cold breezes still drilled through the jacket onto her neck. Standing there for a while, Zoe thought that she felt much more sober and prepared to go back to the private room. Unexpectedly, when she turned around, she saw a familiar figure walking towards her from the other end of the corridor. It seemed like Wanda also didn¡¯t expect that she would meet Zoe in this ce. Both of them were a bit surprised. At the next moments, Wanda smiled politely at Zoe. Zoe also slightly nodded her head. ¡°What a coincidence. We meet again.¡± ¡°Yep, what a coincidence.¡± Looking at Wanda, Zoe suddenly thought of something and smiled. ¡°As far as I know, Miss Kawn, you¡¯ve been staying in Eqitin all the time. What brings you to Julio now?¡± Wanda¡¯s fingertips shivered slightly. She then curled her lips into a gentle smile. ¡°Ie here to deal with a matter. Coincidentally, I bumped into Steven Anderson. Since we were ssmates several years ago, we felt so happy meeting each other and therefore I decided to stay here for some more time.¡± Back then, Steven went to a university in Equitin after graduating from his high school. The reason why Zoe knew Wanda was because he often mentioned a Wanda Kawn when having a call with Zoe. Although Wanda was a member of the Kawn family in Equitin, her family were already several generations away from the direct line of descent. Therefore, her family was not that powerful. Nevertheless, she was brought up well by the family. She was well educated and had good manners. Not to mention her beauty and literacy, her good temper was also known by all. Many women in the Equitin had a better family background than Wanda, but few of them were more popr than her. Back then, Steven hadplimented this junior schoolmate for so many times when he was having a call with Zoe. When thinking of this, a touch of interest shed across Zoe¡¯s eyes. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I will not bother you.¡± After finishing the words, Zoe was ready to leave. But Wanda suddenly stopped her. ¡°Ms. Gil?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Wanda pointed at the ne around Zoe¡¯s neck and said, ¡°Your ne looks good.¡± Zoe was a bit stunned. She wore a white down jacket today and wore a light-colored low-cut sweater under it. Maybe it was because she felt so stuffy just now that she had unintentionally dredged up the ne which was covered by the cloth in usual times. Zoe subconsciously clenched the ne and slightly pressed her lips together. After a short while, she spoke, ¡°Thank you.¡± Wanda chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s such a beautiful thing. You should protect it well.¡± Zoe was a bit stunned. However, Wanda seemed to have no intention to continue this topic after finishing the words. She smiled amicably at Zoe and then left. Zoe then came back to the private room. She was still thinking of thest sentence Wanda said just now as she felt it was so strange. Sitting onto the sofa, she pulled down the ne and studied it carefully under the dim light. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t find anything special of it. This was left to her by her mother. By rights, Wanda shouldn¡¯t have seen this ne. But why did she remind her to protect it out of no reason? What did she mean? Zoe furrowed her brows. She pondered it for a more while and still couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡­ When the gathering of the department was over, Zoe also went back. And it was already twelve o¡¯clock in the midnight when she arrived home. As Henry was on a business trip in these two days, most of the maids in the house were allowed to go back home for the New Year holiday in advance. However, as Mrs. Dottie¡¯s son was studying abroad and her husband had died long ago, there was no other person in her family. Therefore, she didn¡¯t need to go back home and decided to stay in Julio to spend the New Year together with Zoe. Zoe was a bit drunk today. After drinking the sober-up pills sent by Mrs. Dottie, she felt sleepy and went to the bed. But her phone suddenly rang. Zoe knitted her brows. She was so sleepy now and initially she wanted to ignore it, but the ringing tone seemed to have no stop unless she would answer the call. Having no choice, Zoe sat up in a trance, pulled her bag and took out her phone from it. She then answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Zo, are you at home?¡± It was Victoria. Zoe immediately became sober. Victoria¡¯s voice from the other end of the phone was a bit shaking and it even seemed like she was about to cry. Zoe¡¯s expression changed dramatically. She hurriedly replied, ¡°I¡¯m here. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°May I live in your home tonight? Is it convenient for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s convenient. Where¡¯re you? I wille to pick you up.¡± Victoria told her the address. Zoe was so anxious that she didn¡¯t ask other questions. After ending the call, she casually took a coat from the hanger and walked towards outside. Originally, Mrs. Dottie had nned to go back to her bedroom to have a sleep. When she saw Zoe running downstairs, she was a bit shocked.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Mrs. Han, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Mrs. Dottie, I have to go out now.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zoe paused and then realized that she had drunk some wine tonight and it was inconvenient for her to drive a car. She gave an order, ¡°Call me a driver.¡± Mrs. Dottie was still bewildered. But Zoe didn¡¯t have time to exin it to her. Although Victoria was from a noble and rich family, she had always been a strong girl. Just now when she was having a call with her, her voice was so weak and shaking. Zoe had never heard such a voice of her over the years. Something bad must have happened to her. The driver Zoe sent to the address given by Victoria soon. It was a five-star hotel. Zoe asked the driver to wait for her downstairs and went upstairs alone. When she arrived at the room, she knocked at the door first. However, she didn¡¯t get any reply. Then she gently pushed the door and found that the door was not locked. Zoe walked into the room. The lights in the room were so dim. The cushions and other decorations were all thrown onto the ground. There were traces of sex from the bathroom to the bedroom. The whole room was in a mess. Zoe¡¯s pupils shrank. She walked into the bedroom and found Victoria in a dark corner. She was wounded all over. She was sitting on the ground with her head buried in between her knees. Her hair was messy. Although Zoe couldn¡¯t see her, she could sense that she was shivering all over. Zoe widened her eyes and gently called her name in disbelief, ¡°Victoria?¡± Victoria looked up at her. Initially, her face was so delicate as if it was an artwork of God, but now, her face was full of tears under the dim light. There was a red wound around her mouth corner and there were also wounds on her wrists and ankles. It seemed like they had been tied up with something before. There were densely-packed bruises from her neck down her body. She was only wearing a red slip dress which had been torn apart. Zoe could imagine what Victoria had experience without being told. Her pupils dted. Looking at Victoria, Zoe¡¯s expression was became livid due to anger. After a long while, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I will call the police right away.¡± ¡°No.¡± Victoria stopped her. When she spoke, Zoe found that Victoria¡¯s voice was so husky, which was totally different from her voice in usual times. Zoe felt her heart wrenched. ¡°What the hell had happened? Who did this to you?¡± 107 Victoria shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t call the police.¡± She took a deep breath as if she was trying to calm down herself. ¡°Zoe, can you help me get my clothes over?¡± Zoe looked at her withplicated emotions. She knew that ordinary people would not dare to treat Victoria like this knowing her family background. Moreover, she had bodyguards following her at any time, so no ruffians could get close to her. But she looked so miserable now. Zoe thought that there must be some reasons she didn¡¯t want others to know. Zoe didn¡¯t say anything else. She turned around to find Victoria¡¯s clothes and then picked them up. She then supported Victoria to the washroom to give her a simple wash and then took her out of this ce. In the Han Mansion¡­ Seeing that Zoe brought a girl back and that she had seen this girl on the TV, Mrs. Dottie became so happy. ¡°Mrs. Dottie, this is my friend Victoria Kaur. She will live here in these days. Please prepare some light dishes for us now.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Zoe supported Victoria into the bedroom. ¡°Zoe, I want to take a bath.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The guest room hadn¡¯t been used before and therefore it had everything she would need. Zoe prepared the water for her and asked her to take a bath inside. She then turned around and asked Mrs. Dottie to find a doctor. Ever since Zoe moved into the Ham Mansion, they hired one more standby female doctor. Although it was almost the New Year, as that female doctor¡¯s home was in Julio, and it was not far away from the McCarthy Mansion, it was convenient for her toe over. When Victoria finished the bath, Zoe asked the doctor to give her an examination. ¡°She is our doctor. Rest assured. She won¡¯t talk.¡± Zoe exined when noticing Victoria¡¯s vignt eyes. Only then did Victoria feel relieved. The doctor asked her to take off the clothes. Feeling unbearable to see the scene, Zoe turned around and left the room. In about ten minutes, the doctor came out and told Zoe that it was over. Zoe asked several questions and learned that except for the wounds on her body, Victoria also had somecerations in her private part. Zoe vaguely knew what was going on in her heart and didn¡¯t ask any other questions. She asked the doctor to prescribe the medicines and then let her leave. When she walked into the guest room again, she found that Victoria had put on her clothes. She was leaning against the head of the bed and looking out of the windows dully. ¡°What happened? Can you tell me now?¡± ¡°Zo, I don¡¯t want to talk about this.¡± Her face was a bit pale, her eyes having no focus and her voice so feeble. She looked extremely weak. Zoe knitted her brows tightly. ¡°I¡¯m so hungry. Do you have anything to eat?¡± It seemed like Victoria had sensed that Zoe was angry, she turned around and smiled weakly at her. Although Zoe was a bit annoyed by her suffering in her heart, she still said, ¡°You can still feel hungry. Looks like you won¡¯t die easily.¡± With that being said, she still came downstairs and took the dishes prepared by Mrs. Dottie upstairs. Victoria was already exhausted after finishing the dishes. Zoe didn¡¯t want to bother her any longer. Moreover, since Victoria didn¡¯t want to mention this matter, she must have her own reasons behind this. Therefore, although Zoe still felt somewhat angry, she didn¡¯t say anything else and just asked Victoria to have a rest. On the next day¡­ It was the Eve of the New Year. Henry gave her a call, telling her that he woulde back in the afternoon and apany her for the New Year. Zoe was a bit surprised. Henry told her that he would go back to Eqitin before, so she thought that he woulde back to Eqitin for the New Year. She had been drifting from ce to ce homelessly and miserably over the years. Even though she came back to the countryter, she didn¡¯t have any family or any friend. Steven Anderson had toe back to the Anderson family to celebrate the New Year, so naturally it was impossible for him to stay with her. Therefore, she gradually lost the interest and mood to celebrate the New Year. She always thought that living alone was not that bad. But now she thought that it was probably a habit. Naturally Mrs. Dottie was so happy when she learned that Henry woulde back. She prepared several more dishes for the dinner and also prepared a bottle of wine. It was a lively and hearty dinner for the Eve of the New Year. Henry arrived home at five in the afternoon. When he arrived home, he immediately noticed the shoes at the door and quickly learned that they had a guest. As expected, at the next moment, Victoria walked down from the stairs with a ss in her hand. ¡°Hello, Mr. Han. We meet again.¡± Henry knitted his brows tightly. ¡°Why is she here?¡± He was asking Mrs. Dottie who was standing aside. Mrs. Dottie was a bit bewildered. ¡°Mr. Han, Ms. Kaur is Mrs. Han¡¯s friend. She will live here for two days.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°No way!¡± Just as he had finished the words, Zoe walked out of her bedroom. ¡°Why can¡¯t she live here?¡± She walked over, wrapped her arm around Victoria¡¯s arm and raised her brows, ¡°Victoria is my good friend, so I want her to stay here with me for the New Year. She won¡¯t bother you. Why can¡¯t she stay here?¡± Henry¡¯s expression was a bit hideous. Zoe knew that this man had a bad impression of Victoria dues to the things that had happened before. But now that such a bad thing had happened to Victoria, she couldn¡¯t leave her alone. Therefore, she walked to Henry in strides and pulled his cloth. She said meekly in a low voice, ¡°She¡¯s my friend. Please show me some face.¡± When had she ever talked to him in such a soft voice? And it somehow sounded like she was begging him! Henry immediately failed to remain hisposure. He took a nce at Zoe and in the end, he said in a cold and intense tone, ¡°Only two days.¡± Victoria sneered, ¡°Rest assured. I will only stay here for two days. Two dayster, I will not stay here even though you ask me to stay for more days.¡± After finishing the words, she swaggered back to her room. Henry¡¯s face became gloomier. Zoe smiled awkwardly and tried to ease his anger. ¡°You must be tired after flying for the whole day, right? Hurry up to have a seat. Wait a minute, I will pour some water for you.¡± Victoria had recovered a lot after sleeping for the whole night. The wounds were almost all over her body and as she was wearing a high-necked sweater, no one could see the wounds. Therefore, for those who didn¡¯t know what happened, Victoria looked just as the same as she was in usual times except that her face was a bit pale. Victoria still refused to tell Zoe about the truth, and Zoe couldn¡¯t do anything to it. It was just that Brandon Kaur, the owner of Ambario Prosperities and Victoria¡¯s father, made a phone call to Victoria in the afternoon. Zoe happened to walk past the room and vaguely heard the quarrel from inside the room. She guessed that this was the reason why Victoria didn¡¯t want toe back. Although she worried about her a lot, she could only put aside this thing in the end. Today was the New Year¡¯s Eve. Although fireworks had already been banned in the urban areas, fireworks were allowed in the suburbs. After the meal, Zoe wanted to walk around to help digest the food. So Henry brought her to Oak Park in the suburbs to watch the firework show. Victoria, however, could not be bothered to go out and decided to stay in the room for sleeping. Zoe and Henry drove there. When they arrived at the destination, they found that there were already many people. Henry had booked a table in a revolving restaurant on a high floor, where they could not only watch the firework show but also the endless stream of people and cars on the street in the New Year¡¯s Eve. It would be a unique experience. ¡°Mister, Miss, these are the drinks you ordered.¡± A waiter walked over with a tray. Zoe was looking out of the windows and she didn¡¯t pay attention to him. When she reached out to take the ss of drink, she suddenly felt something touching her finger tip. She was a bit stunned. When she turned her head, her eyes met with the waiter¡¯s meaningful gaze. Her expression changed slightly. Luckily, Henry was having a call now and he didn¡¯t notice them. She hurriedly withdrew her hand. When the waiter left reverently, she still felt that her finger tips were shivering slightly. ¡°Wait a minute. I want to use the toilet. I wille back soon.¡± Zoe said to Henry and then stood up. She walked all the way to the toilet. She closed the door of the toiletpartment and then finally opened the note in her hand. There were only some simple and scratchy words on the note, ¡°Seven, long time no see.¡± Zoe¡¯s expression changed dramatically. Was it him? 108 She only came out of the toilet ten minutester. Henry had finished the call and was now waiting for her at the table. Zoe took a deep breath to adjust her mood and then walked over. ¡°It¡¯s been so long. Are you okay?¡± Zoe shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The firework show hadn¡¯t begun yet and a violoncellist was ying a melodious song in the restaurant. The romantic candle lights around them appeared to be uniquely romantic and touching in such a night scene. Henry took a nce at her and smiled, ¡°Mrs. Han, would you like to dance with me?¡± Zoe was a bit stunned. The man had already stood up. He walked to her and bent down. Looking at the palm in front of her, Zoe was a bit amused while at the same time in a dilemma. ¡°Henry, I¡¯m not wearing an evening dress now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not wearing a business suit either.¡± Regardless of her scruples, he held up her hand and pulled her up from the chair. The music yed by violoncello was gentle and melodious. The two of them, both in their down jackets, danced trippingly in the space in front of the restaurant. Maybe they had booked the whole floor as there were no other guest this floor. The cold breezes of the winter were held back by the windows and this scene even gave people a warm and securing feeling. With her hand being held by him, Zoe danced with his tempo. The man¡¯s palm was hot and she could clearly feel the strength behind it. Initially, she felt restless after receiving that note, but now, she gradually calmed down herself under such a circumstance. ¡°What¡¯s in your mind?¡± Henry suddenly asked. Zoe came back to her own sense and hurriedly shook her head. ¡°Nothing.¡± Henry looked down meaningfully at her. Zoe felt a bit uneasy under his gaze. She slightly turned her head and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like to see you being absent-minded.¡± Zoe was a bit stunned. At the next moment, the man continued, ¡°It makes me feel like I¡¯m not that charming.¡± Zoe, ¡°¡­¡± In the end, she couldn¡¯t withstand it any longer and let out a chuckle. She pressed her lips together and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not so. You¡¯re so charming.¡± The man¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not ustomed to this. I haven¡¯t celebrated the New Year seriously for several years. In the past, I would stay in the bedroom alone to watch TV or directly go to bed. I¡¯m not used to celebrating the New Year like this.¡± The man¡¯s eyes became moreplicated. There was a trace ofplicated emotion in his unfathomable eyes. Zoe couldn¡¯t tell what it was. ¡°Rest assured. I will celebrate every New Year with you in the future. I won¡¯t let you stay at home along to watch TV any longer.¡± Zoe was a bit stunned. She looked up at him and found that the man¡¯s expression was serious. It seemed like he was not joking. Her heart softened and she said with a smile, ¡°Thank you.¡± Bang- There came a loud sound. A firework suddenly exploded outside, the violoncellist stopped ying the music. He put down the violoncello, walked over and said with a smile, ¡°Mister, Miss, the firework show begins.¡± Henry nodded his head and waved his hand to gesture the violoncellist to leave. He then pulled Zoe to the windows. The fireworks were like trees in the sky blooming one by one not far away. There were many colors, including blue, yellow, white, purple, green, and so forth. Countless colors of fireworks rocketed up the sky. They intertwined with each other and exploded like the blooming flowers in the end. Even Zoe, who had always been used to a quiet life and didn¡¯t like the boisterous scenes at all, was also shocked by such a prosperous scene. She widened her eyes, went closer to the window and eximed in a low voice. Henry hugged her from behind andid his head on her shoulder. ¡°Is it beautiful?¡± ¡°Yep, it¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°If you like it, I can give you a firework show every year.¡± Zoe was a bit stunned. She turned around and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°You arranged this for me?¡± Henry smiled and nodded his head. She didn¡¯t know that although ying fireworks was allowed in the suburbs, normally people would only y some more ordinary fireworks for the festival atmosphere. But tonight¡¯s firework show was so beautiful, and it could even be regarded as a spectacr one. Zoe¡¯s heart inexplicably softened. She slightly lowered her head. After a short while, she looked up with a pair of red eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡± Henry¡¯s heart softened when he saw this. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so courteous with me.¡± He reached out and wiped away the tears round the corners of her eyes and then said in a low voice, ¡°I hope that we can feel as warm and happy as we are every year.¡± Zoe fixed her eyes on him. After a long while, she heavily nodded her head. ¡°Okay.¡± The firework showsted for half an hour. When it was finished, it was exactly twelve o¡¯clock in the midnight. The New Year¡¯s bell rang. The man embraced her from behind and whispered into her ear, ¡°Honey, happy new year.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Zoe¡¯s heart waspletely softened. She curled her lips into a smile and said in a low voice, ¡°Happy new year.¡± Right at this moment, in an inconspicuous dark ce, a dejected man was standing there. Looking at the couple who was hugging with each other affectionally under the fireworks, a trace of indifference and coldness shed across his eyes. A waiter walked over and reminded him, ¡°Sir, we are not opening today. I¡¯m sorry but you can¡¯t enter here.¡± The man turned around and shot an indifferent nce at the waiter. The waiter widened his eyes in shock when he saw the man¡¯s face clearly. At the next moment, the man turned around and walked towards the outside and soon disappeared in the dark night which had no lights. Zoe almost forgot how she came back home. When the firework show was over, they decided toe back. She was so sleepy that she fell asleep soon after getting into the car. She only woke up in the next morning. Lying on the soft queen-sized bed, she found that the man sleeping beside her was still closing his eyes. His handsome face shed across the lights of gentleness under the sunshine of the morning. He was still in sound sleep. Zoe narrowed her eyes, propped up her body and prepared to get out of the bed. However, just as she moved, the man reached out and pulled her back again. ¡°Sleep a little longer.¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded a bit sexy and husky as he just woke up in the morning. Zoe chuckled, ¡°It¡¯ste now. I want to have a look at Victoria.¡± ¡°She has left.¡± Zoe was a bit stunned. Archie finally opened his eyes. There was a trace ofziness that people always had when they woke up in the morning in his unfathomable eyes. With one hand below his head, he said in a t tone, ¡°She leftst night. But you were in sound sleep at that time so she didn¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Where did she go?¡± Henry didn¡¯t reply. But his eyes were questioning Zoe how he would possibly know about Victoria¡¯s whereabouts. Victoria was not his wife, so how would he care about where she was going? Zoe then realized that she could not ask him about this. She hurriedly got up from the bed, picked up her phone and then dialed Victoria¡¯s number. After a long while, the call finally went through. Victoria¡¯s clear voice sounded from the other end of the phone. ¡°Zo, you¡¯ve woken up?¡± ¡°Where did you go?¡± ¡°I came back home.¡± ¡°Back home?¡± ¡°Of course. He¡¯s my father, so I can¡¯t hate him forever, right? Today is the first day of the New Year, so of course I shoulde back and celebrate the New Year together with my father.¡± Zoe, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°All right. It¡¯s great as long as you¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°Rest assured. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m doing quite well. Happy New Year! Let¡¯s stop here now.¡± Zoe chuckled, ¡°Okay, happy New Year!¡± They then ended the call. Zoe heaved a sigh of relief and walked to the bathroom to take a shower. On the other side, Victoria put down her phone and looked towards the man who was sitting on the sofa. She immediately pulled a long face. ¡°Dad, I won¡¯t marry him. Just forget about it!¡± 109 With a darkened face, Brandon Kaur patted on the desk violently. ¡°Bullshit! You don¡¯t want to marry Mr. Wright. Whom do you want to marry? That gangster? That Peck fellow?¡± Victoria creased her brows. She wanted to exin but the slight pang at the bottom of her heart stopped her from speaking it out. After a long while, she said in a deep tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t marry him either.¡± He and she could never be together. That man hated her to the core. He even disdained toy a finger on her. How would he be willing to marry her? Victoria held back the soreness in her eyes and continued, ¡°I just want to concentrate on acting. I don¡¯t want to think about anything else. Besides, I¡¯m too young to get married right now. Probably several yearster.¡± After finishing her words, she turned around and walked upstairs. Her attitude literally pissed Brandon off this time. He roared towards upstairs, ¡°If I know you meet that Peck bastard again, I¡¯ll break your legs. I dare you to try me if you don¡¯t believe!¡± ¡­ During the New Year¡¯s holiday, both Henry and Zoe had a few days off. They felt quite bored in Julio, so they decided to spend the holiday in a southern city.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. However, an hour right before their departure, they received a call from Eqitin. They were told that the old Mr. Ham, the grandfather of Henry, was dying. On that morning, he was sent into the emergency room for rescue. It was not certain if he could make it this time or not. Henry¡¯s expression changed immediately. They could only dy their holiday n. Henry immediately went back to Eqitin to check on his grandfather. Zoe wasn¡¯t disappointed, though. She didn¡¯t like traveling that much. Besides, it was about Henry¡¯s grandfather, whose health always came first. After Henry went back, Zoe felt bored staying at home, so she decided to work. Right then, nothing important had happened to artists under Annie International or Star Entertainment. After all, it was during the New Year¡¯s holiday, so everyone kept a low profile. Zoe felt happy to have a little spare time for herself, so she found some ssic cases in the past to read and to kill her time. One afternoon, when she was reading the materials while nestling on the sofa, she received a call from Elsa. It was just the third day of the holiday, and they wouldn¡¯t go back to work until two dayster. She wondered why Elsa called her right then. Zoe swiped to answer. Once the call went through, she heard Elsa¡¯s excited voice. ¡°Mrs. Han, do you have time now? Could youe to thepany now?¡± Zoe was startled. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Something good! A superstar likes ourpany. He wants to sign the contract with us!¡± Zoe gaped. It wasn¡¯t because she had no confidence in herpany. However, Star Entertainment had just started up not long ago. It had limited strength. She couldn¡¯t help wondering which superstar was willing to sign a contract with her. Although she was doubting, she made a move immediately. While walking upstairs to get changed, she asked, ¡°Who is this superstar?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know it when youe over.¡± Elsa deliberately kept her in suspense and hung up the phone. Zoe frowned, feeling quite weird. She didn¡¯t overthink. After getting dressed, she drove to thepany. It was still during the holiday, so no employees were working there. She took the elevator all the way to the sixteenth floor. From afar, she heard Elsa¡¯s delighted voice. She seemed to be receiving the guest. Zoe strode over. ¡°Mr. Chapman, look, this is the promotion video we made earlier. Although we¡¯re still a smallpany, we have the investment from Annie International, so we have a certain strength. If you¡¯re willing to sign the contract with ourpany, I can guarantee with the best resources.¡± A proud voice was heard. ¡°Gee! If weck resources, why would we choose such a shabbypany? We can go directly to Annie International instead. Can¡¯t they give the resources to Mr. Chapman?¡± Elsa¡¯s expression was stiffened. On the business battlefield, some secrets shouldn¡¯t be exposed. Since the agent had been so straightforward, Elsa could not find a way to continue the negotiation. When she was in the dilemma, she heard the crick-crack of the high heels. Elsa¡¯s eyes lit up. Immediately, she trotted to the door and sure enough, she saw Zoe. ¡°Hi, Zoe. Here you are!¡± Zoe nodded. Casting an expressionless nce aside, she saw the man sitting on the sofa. She paused her pace. ¡°Zoe, let me introduce this is Curtis Chapman. Mr. Chapman, this is our boss, Zoe Gi.¡± The man sitting on the sofa turned around. And that was a literally breath-taking face. Although Zoe had seen him several times, when she saw him again, she was still stunned. He had exquisite, or even impable, facial features on his thin and chiseled face. His slightly-messed hair rested on his forehead just above his beautifully nted eyes. Even he just cast a casual look, his eyes seemed to contain some affection, which would make any woman¡¯s heart hammer. Zoe couldn¡¯t help but swallow. After a long while, she found her voice finally. ¡°Curtis Chapman, why are you here?¡± With a smile, Curtis stood up from the sofa. ¡°Hi, Zoe. Nice to see you again.¡± Elsa was shocked. ¡°Mrs. Han, do you know each other?¡± Zoe put on a wry smile. Of course, they knew each other. However, if she could choose again, she¡¯d rather not know this idiot at all. She turned around and said to Elsa, ¡°Thanks, Elsa. You may leave now.¡± Elsa was a bit confused. Her gaze swept between Zoe and Curtis. Without speaking anything, she walked out obediently. Curtis also waved to his agent behind him. ¡°Bob, you can go out and wait for me outside.¡± His agent seemed to be reluctant. But after Curtis cast a firm nce at him, he finally left the room obediently. When all of them were gone, Zoe and Curtis were left alone. Zoe took a deep breath, holding her arms. ¡°Tell me. Why did youe to me?¡± Curtis raised his eyebrows and cast her a nce. He was pretty handsome. As an Asian actor who could be popr worldwide, he certainly had a face that could make countless girls crazy, and people just loved him regardless of their ages. Different from the newly manufactured idols, he was pretty professional. He was only in his twenties, but he had already released eight albums. All of them were just global best-sellers and many of the songs in these albums had been greatly popr. He was a talented and good-looking superstar. No one could resist his charm. However, nobody knew that, when he was not in front of the camera, this good-looking man was also a branch manager of a huge underground racing club. ¡°Seven, you are talking to me like talking to a stranger. We used to fight together. I came all the way to you, but why are you treating me like this?¡± As he spoke, Curtis covered his chest with his palm, pretending to be heartbroken. Zoe rolled her eyes at him. She wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk nonsense with him. She turned around and was about to leave. ¡°Tell me or not. Or, I¡¯ll leave now.¡± ¡°Oh! Stop!¡± Curtis pulled her. Under Zoe¡¯s impatient gaze, he put on a solemn look. ¡°Luke died.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dragon Club, the biggest underground racing club of Othua, was founded by a man from Ambario in the legend, and most of its members were from Ambario as well. When Zoe was abroad, if not just for surviving, she joined them in a strangebination of circumstances. 110 In those three years, her life had a tremendous change. It could be said that joining this club had almost changed her whole life. Later, because of some ident, she left the club and went back to Ambario alone. In the recent two years, she almost had cut off all means of contact with Dragon Club. Except for Mr. K, who was in charge of the underground businesses when he was in the club and had also left Dragon Club earlier, nearly no one knew where she was. However, in the past two years, Zoe had been keeping an eye on this club. She had noticed that there were a lot of internal conflicts in Dragon Club. However, she was pretty far away from them, so she didn¡¯t know many details. Much to her surprise, it turned out to be quite serious. If not mistaken, she could remember that Luke was one of Curtis¡¯s students. Luke was an orphan. Curtis used to sponsor her to go to school. By ident, he found that she was talented in car racing, so he let her join Dragon Club. She was just eighteen or neen, still a college student. She had only been in the club for three years. Zoe wondered who on earth wanted to kill her. ¡°What on earth happened?¡± Zoe pulled a long face. Curtis shook his head. ¡°She was murdered. Her body was found in theke. We haven¡¯t caught the murderer yet.¡± ¡°Have you offended someone?¡± Curtis snorted. ¡°We¡¯ve offended a lot of people. Over the years, no one dared to take revenge on us.¡± Zoe quieted down. What Curtis said was true. Although inside Dragon Club, the conflicts and fights were serious, the members were quite united when they were dealing with outsiders. After so many years of development, it had be deeply rooted and quite powerful. Not many people could afford to offend them, let alone murdering one of them. Seeing that Zoe looked annoyed, Curtis smiled. ¡°All right. I just want to inform you of the news. She¡¯s my student, not yours. You don¡¯t need to look as if you are in a deep hatred.¡± Curtis rubbed her hair, quite yful and cheeky. Zoe red at him. However, she realized that she had already quitted. Although something happened now, she couldn¡¯t do anything to help. Hence, she didn¡¯t continue the subject. She asked, ¡°Then tell me. What on earth do you want since youe to me?¡± Curtis raised his eyebrows, looking quite yful. With a smile, he said, ¡°Certainly for supporting your career.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°TSK. You¡¯ve dumped your car racing career and be a businesswoman. As your good friend, I shoulde back to support you, shouldn¡¯t I? It just happened that I also nned toe back to Ambario for my career recently. I don¡¯t want to make a choice. Please let me work in yourpany.¡± Zoe looked at him in confusion. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Or what?¡± Curtis smiled cheekily. ¡°I know you¡¯ve married Henry Han, and you won¡¯t care much about my little support, but I told myself to follow my heart. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t mind that you are a married woman¡­¡± Before he finished his words, Zoe violently attacked him with her elbow. Curtis had predicted it already. He dodged aside while grinning. He mocked her, ¡°TSK. Why did your ears turn red? I¡¯m just kidding!¡± With a cold look, Zoe asked, ¡°How did you know things about me?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hide it intentionally. Is it so difficult to know about them?¡± Zoe thought for a while. She had to admit that his words made sense. Although her rtionship with Henry wasn¡¯t exposed in public, she didn¡¯t deliberately hide it. They had attended a lot of activities together. Those who had paid attention should have known it. Curtis had argework, so it wouldn¡¯t be weird for him to know it. She said in a cold tone, ¡°That¡¯s good then. You¡¯d better put away your nasty thoughts. Except for your work, don¡¯t disturb me during the spare time.¡± Curtis smiled meaningfully. ¡°TSK. We had an agreement to not stop until we die. What¡¯s so important you¡¯ve married? You can divorce, anyway!¡± As he spoke, he wanted to touch her again. She grabbed his hand. ¡°Behave yourself!¡± Seeing that her face darkened, Curtis didn¡¯t dare to get too far, so he put away his smile. ¡°Okay. Give me your answer. Will you sign with mypany or not?¡± Zoe snorted slightly. ¡°Yes!¡± He was a cash cowing to her on his own. Of course, she would ept it. As she answered, she went out and asked Elsa to get a copy of the contract. Curtis stared at her back, and the smile on his face faded away. A deep andplicated light was twinkling in his affectionate eyes. Zoe soon came back with a contract. ¡°Show it to your agent. Read through all the conditions carefully. You can¡¯t me me should anything happen.¡± Curtis didn¡¯t call his agent at all. He raised his big hand and signed on it. ¡°Not necessary. If you¡¯re willing to set me up truly, I¡¯ll be overjoyed.¡± After going through the procedure, Zoe didn¡¯t stay in thepany for a long time. She left the following up issues to Elsa and Curtis¡¯s agent. Then she left thepany. When she walked out, Curtis followed her. With a cheeky smile, he asked, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time. I finally managed toe back from abroad. Why don¡¯t you treat me to a wee dinner? If not, we can at least have a wee tea together.¡± Zoe checked the time on her wristwatch and answered expressionlessly, ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°TSK. You are so heartless.¡± She suddenly stopped and remembered something. She turned to look at him. ¡°Where do you live now?¡± Curtis¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Why? Do you want toe to my ce? That¡¯s awesome. We can have a candlelight dinner and then we can chat overnight¡­¡± ¡°Enough. You don¡¯t need to tell me. I¡¯ll ask your agentter. Remember, behave yourself when working for me. Don¡¯t get me into any trouble, especially you can¡¯t let me see your tidbits. Otherwise, I¡¯ll teach you a good lesson.¡± Curtis looked as if he would shed tears. ¡°Zoe, you should know it those women all cling to me desperately. You are the only one in my heart. You must believe me.¡± Zoe wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk nonsense with him. After reminding him, she left.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She was quite surprised that Curtis suddenly came back. However, she didn¡¯t overthink. After all, he always did things at his will. Recently, artists all love to develop their career back in Ambario, so it wasn¡¯t weird. After arriving home, Zoe received a call from Henry. William was aged. During this New Year¡¯s holiday, except for Henry, all other family members went back home with their children. It was supposed to be a happy holiday, but his disease broke up all of a sudden. Fortunately, his condition had been stabilized. It was his old disease, which couldn¡¯t be curedpletely. The doctor asked him to recover at home and not to be too worried and anxious. Zoe could hear that he still hadn¡¯t finished his words, so she asked, ¡°Do you have something to talk to me?¡± ¡°Ehn.¡± Henry didn¡¯t deny it. After a few seconds, he continued, ¡°Zoe, let¡¯s make our rtionship public.¡± Zoe was a bit taken aback. Making it public? Should she go back to Eqitin? In fact, she didn¡¯t need to worry about anything. They had been together for almost half a year. During this period, Henry had been doing very well. Although she wasn¡¯t clear what kind of feeling she had for him, she was sure about one thing she wouldn¡¯t deny spending the rest of her life with him. Zoe looked down, pressing her lips. After a moment, she answered, ¡°All right. When I finished my mother¡¯s matter. I¡¯ll go back with you.¡± 111 On the other end of the line, Henry asked in surprise, ¡°For real?¡± ¡°Yeah, for real.¡± Upon getting the answer he wanted, the man hung up the phone in satisfaction. Zoe exhaled. She thought of something and called Mr. K. ¡°Hell, Mr. K. How is your investigation going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still watching. So far I haven¡¯t got any clue yet.¡± Zoe creased her brows. She felt somewhat disappointed. However, she knew that it had been five years, so the investigation must not be that easy. Hence, she didn¡¯t give any remarks. Much to her surprise, Mr. K suddenly asked, ¡°By the way, Zoe, do you have any family or friends in Eqitin?¡± Zoe was taken aback. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked. ¡°Recently, I found the Gil family frequently contacted someone from Eqitin and it was not about business. So far I haven¡¯t found the identity of the other party, so I was just asking.¡± Eqitin? As far as Zoe knew, before Jaden Gil married her mother, he was just a college student without any money. Years ago in Julio, the Hawkins family was the richest in town. They have only one daughter, so they wanted her to marry a live-in husband. Zoe¡¯s grandfather liked Jaden¡¯s shrewdness andpetence, so he brought him and Zoe¡¯s mother together. What happened next was known by the public. Jaden Gil disguised himself for almost twenty years, deceiving everyone, including his father-inw and wife. After Zoe¡¯s mother died, he changed the original Hawkins Group to Hil Group,pletely taking over the wealth of the family. A lot of people disdained him for what he had done to obtain the wealth. Although Jaden had some achievementster, it was the best he could do to use the remaining influence of the Hawkins family and developed hispany in Julio. Zoe didn¡¯t believe that he could know someone from Eqitin. She frowned slightly. After thinking for a moment, she could not think of an answer. ¡°I don¡¯t know about it. Does it have anything to do with my mother?¡± ¡°Not quite likely. I just think it¡¯s quite weird. That person always wore a ck windbreaker and mask whening over, usuallying at midnight. If it were for business, why would the person choose to visit at midnight?¡± Zoe slightly shook. She also smelt something fishy in this matter. She said, ¡°I agree with you. Please continue to keep an eye on them for me. Hopefully, you can find who the person is¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try my best. The person doesn¡¯t look like an ordinary one. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that easy to find out.¡± ¡°Please try your best effort. Thank you so much.¡± After hanging up the phone, Zoe fell into the silence. She recalled what Jaden had said before since her mother died, the Gil family had been declining in Julio. Later, Ambario Prosperities also began to suppress it, so he could never expand his business in Eqitin. That was why Zoe didn¡¯t think the person who visited at midnight was for business. She wondered what the person¡¯s purpose was. She frowned. In the evening, she didn¡¯t go back home immediately. Instead, she went to the training studio to check on the trainees who were about to participate in a talent show after the holiday. Although it was still a holiday, since the talent show was approaching, the training schedule was quite tight. Hence, none of the trainees had gone home for the holiday. Zoe bought them some gifts as reward. She also said a few words of encouragement to them before leaving. When she was heading home, it was nine o¡¯clock in the evening. It was a cold winter, quite chilly. However, there were still a lot of cars and pedestrians on the street, making it more crowded than usual. It was the rush hour for people who were going home. There was traffic. While the car moved forward slowly, Zoe felt bored and peered out of the window with one hand supporting it. Suddenly, she saw a familiar car not far away in the front of hers.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. It was a champagne Bentley. She was quite familiar with the car te. If it was not mistaken, it should be Annie¡¯s car. Since the incident of the high school anniversary, Annie had been quieted downpletely. In the past half month, she didn¡¯t make any movements. Zoe knew that Annie wanted to lie low until the trouble was over. Unfortunately, even if she had stayed away from the trouble, in the future, this incident would still be the biggest stain in her career. Zoe wondered what Annie was doing here sote at night. Her car wasn¡¯t heading towards the Gil house. Of course, it was not on the way to the Anderson¡¯s. Zoe felt quite confused. Generally speaking, the most important thing Annie should do was to stay at home, keep a low key, and wait until the trouble was over before taking any actions. Now it was almost midnight and she appeared here in the downtown. Zoe thought it would be a suicide should anyone take a photo of her. With curiosity, Zoe drove up and followed the car. The champagne Bentley was driven along the avenue. When it reached the intersection, suddenly it turned left and went into ane. It was a bit dark in thene. Zoe was afraid that she would be found, so she kept quite a distance away from it. After going through thene, she followed the car for almost another twenty minutes, only to find the champagne Bentley stopped in front of a townhouse. The door of the car was opened. A ck figure got off the car in a hurry while lowering her head. In the night mist, Zoe could see that person was wearing a ck bucket hat. The brim of the hat was so low that the person¡¯s whole face was almost hidden in the shadow. With something in her hand, she was heading towards the townhouse quickly while keeping her head down all the time. Shortly after, someone came out of the house. Since they were quite far, Zoe couldn¡¯t see that person¡¯s face clearly, but seemingly the person treated Annie extremely respectfully. Zoe frowned. Thinking for a long while, she couldn¡¯t find out anyone who could be so respectful to Annie. The person took Annie inside. After the door was closed, Zoe was sitting in the car. Apparently, she couldn¡¯t just get closer to find out what was going on there. After a long while, Annie still hadn¡¯te out yet. Zoe didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to continue waiting, so she was about to leave. However, right then, she heard a child¡¯s cry. Zoe was taken aback for a moment. In the beginning, she thought that she misheard. She opened the car window and listened carefully. Then she confirmed that there was indeed a child¡¯s cry. Zoe pulled over her car on the street, which was distant from the townhouse. Along the wide street were all newly nted bushes. Zoe got off the car and walked towards the cry. After taking a few steps, she saw a child about three or four sitting on a tree stool, crying sadly. Zoe was startled. It waspletely dark around here, and only the moonlight fell among the spaces of the branches and leaves. Since it was so quiet, the child¡¯s cry sounded extremely loud. Under such a circumstance, Zoe felt quite creepy. She swallowed. Plucking up her courage, she approached the child step by step. ¡°Hey, little girl. Are you alright?¡± she said to the child. The little girl sitting on the tree stool turned around, exposing her pretty little face. In the dark under the moonlight, Zoe could see that she was wearing a white dress and a pink lint coat. Her hair was slightly curled. Her pretty face was half-hidden in the white fur cor of her coat, making her look like a delicate and lovely elf. Zoe couldn¡¯t help liking her as soon as she saw the little girl¡¯s face. Her eyes lit up. 112 Right then, the little girl also saw her. She blinked her watery eyes, curiosity and alertness were written all over her pretty little face. While Zoe was about to say something, suddenly, the little girl yelled, ¡°Mommy!¡± Zoe gaped. The next second, the little girl stood up and rushed to her excitedly. ¡°Mommy! I¡¯ve finally found you!¡± Zoe was still agape and speechless. She wondered what was going on. How could she suddenly be a mother at midnight? Zoe gaped at the little girl in pink who threw herself in her arms. She finally returned to her senses after a long while. ¡°Little girl, I¡¯m not your mommy.¡± ¡°Mommy, I miss you so much! They told me that I can find you here only. I didn¡¯t believe them. Whoa! You are truly here!¡± The little girl seemed to be quite delighted. Her arms were wrapped around Zoe¡¯s leg tightly, unwilling to let go at all. Zoe was extremely embarrassed. However, she could understand from the little girl¡¯s words that she came here to find her mother. Probably she had got lost. Under such a circumstance, she didn¡¯t know how to exin, so she decided to change the subject. Zoe looked around and didn¡¯t find anyone else. She asked, ¡°Are you here alone? Where is your family?¡± ¡°I came out with Grandma, but I got lost. I can¡¯t find my family.¡± Zoe heaved a sigh secretly. It turned out just the same as she had guessed. This ce had been quite far away from the downtown and was almost the suburbs. She couldn¡¯t help ming the child¡¯s family for leaving such a little girl here. Feeling a bit irritated, she bent over and carried the child in her arms. ¡°What¡¯s your name, little girl?¡± ¡°My name is Anne.¡± ¡°Anne, don¡¯t be afraid. Let me take you to the police station. The policeman can help you find your family.¡± The girl looked at her, blinking. Her crystal-clear big eyes were full of confusion, looking watery. Zoe felt as if her heart was melting. ¡°Mommy, are you going to ask the policeman to arrest Grandma?¡± Zoe was taken aback. Inwardly, she agreed with it and really wanted to have the irresponsible grandmother arrested. However, she knew that it wasn¡¯t possible. Judging from the child¡¯s outfit, Zoe could tell that she was from a wealthy family. Probably she just got lost. Hence, she shook her head. ¡°Nope. I just want to ask them to help you find your grandpa.¡± ¡°But all the policemen have gone home, right? I¡¯m so tired and sleepy. Mommy, can you take me home. I want to go home and sleep.¡± Zoe was silent. She cast a nce at the child in her arms. She could see the sleepiness from Anne¡¯s watery big eyes. She didn¡¯t have the heart to say no. Hence, she decided to take her to the police station the next day. It would just be one night. She decided to take the little girl home. After Anne woke up the next morning, she would take Anne to find her family. Thinking of that, Zoe carried the child back to her car. Then she headed back to HanMansion. Mrs. Dottie took a day off today. Other servants hadn¡¯te back to work because of the holiday. Hence, Zoe was the only one at home. She carried the little girl to the guestroom. Since she hade to a new ce, Anne was curious about everything. She looked around and touched everything, her pretty eyes full of delight. ¡°Mommy, is this your house? Your house is so beautiful!¡± Zoe corrected her with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not your mommy. You can call me auntie.¡± Anne looked at her in a grievance. ¡°But, you are really my mommy-¡± Zoe was taken aback. Looking at Anne¡¯s slightly reddened eyes in a grievance, she felt a sharp pang in her heart as if it was stung for some reason. She couldn¡¯t understand why she had such a feeling. It was the first time she met Anne, but faintly, she felt quite familiar with her as if they had met long ago. Zoe heaved a sigh. She didn¡¯t have the heart to correct the little girl again. Squatting down, she looked at Anne and said tenderly, ¡°Okay. It¡¯s quitete now. This is your room. You should go to bed now.¡± Anne nodded obediently. ¡°Mommy, will you sleep with me?¡± Zoe hesitated for a moment. She had never taken care of a child before. However, this girl was so young, so she couldn¡¯t rest assured to let her sleep alone. Zoe nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Seeing she agreed, Anne looked extremely excited. Immediately, she pulled Zoe to lie down. She said, ¡°Mommy, could you tell me a bedtime story?¡± Zoe was stunned. Telling a bed story? She didn¡¯t think she could do it. Zoe wanted to refuse, but when meeting the little girl¡¯s expectant and watery eyes, she didn¡¯t have the heart to turn Anne down. In the end, she bit the bullets and nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Yeah! I want to hear the story of the Snow Queen.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Okay.¡± Fortunately, Zoe had seen this cartoon by ident. Although she couldn¡¯t remember the full story, she recalled and made some parts up while telling. Time passed. Shortly after, Anne fell asleep. Zoe stopped telling the story. Looking at the child¡¯s peaceful sleeping face, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. That night, the child slept quite soundly. Zoe, however, couldn¡¯t fall asleep at all after lying on the bed for several hours. Until the second half of the night and it was almost dawn, she finally fell asleep. On the second morning, Zoe and Anne had breakfast. Then they went to the police station. The little girl was quite sensible. She knew that Zoe was helping her find her family, so she didn¡¯t make any trouble on the way. When they arrived at the police station, after the police heard that Anne was foundst night, they recalled a report of a child missingst night. Immediately, they contacted the other party. Zoe was sitting on the bench with Anne, waiting for her family. Shortly after, a gray-haired granny trotted over. ¡°Anne!¡± ¡°Grandma!¡± The little girl looked delighted. Jumping off the bench, she trotted to the granny. The old and the child hugged each other, and Zoe was finally sure that the granny was Anne¡¯s family. She breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Excuse me, Miss. Did you find our Anne?¡± the granny asked Zoe. Zoe nodded. After a pause, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Anne is so young. You are too careless. How could you leave her in that kind of ce? What if something happened to her?¡± Although she was scolded by Zoe, the granny wasn¡¯t angry. She nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes. Yes. We¡¯ll pay attention next time.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Zoe couldn¡¯t me her more. After all, Anne was their child. She could tell that Anne and the granny got along very well. Zoe was just an outsider. She had been nosy when ming the granny. If she insisted, Zoe would be too unreasonable. Hence, after signing the statement, Zoe was about to leave. However, the granny stopped her. ¡°Wait, Miss. You¡¯ve helped us this time. This is a small gift. Please do ept it.¡± The granny pulled out an envelope. Without opening it, from the shape, Zoe knew what was in there. 113 Zoe frowned, looking a bit annoyed. ¡°No, thanks. It was just a lift of a finger. Please keep it to yourself.¡± She helped Anne because she felt that they had fate. She liked Anne at the first sight. It wasn¡¯t for money.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. The granny¡¯s eyes lit up subtly. She didn¡¯t insist. With a smile, she said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t insist. Thank you so much, Miss.¡± Zoe nodded and was about to leave. Anne suddenly tugged her sleeve. Zoe looked down, only to find the little girl had raised her pinky tender face to look at her, full of innocence and cuteness. Zoe, who was a bit upset, suddenly became delighted. With a softened heart, she squatted down and asked gently, ¡°Anne, anything else?¡± ¡°Mommy, will we meet again in the future?¡± Zoe smiled It seemed that not only was she reluctant to leave Anne, but also Anne was reluctant to leave her. However, she didn¡¯t think they would have a chance to meet in the future. She didn¡¯t have the heart to tell Anne about it. Reaching out to rub the little girl¡¯s head, she said, ¡°If we have fate, we will.¡± ¡°Could I have your phone number, please? If I have time, may I call you?¡± Zoe was stunned. Seeing that, the granny hurriedly echoed, ¡°Yes. Yes. I can see Anne likes you a lot. Please leave us your phone number. If she misses you, she can call you.¡± Zoe thought for a moment and agreed. She told the little girl her phone number. Anne matter-of-factly saved her number in her grandmother¡¯s cell phone as ¡°Mommy¡±. When Zoe saw it, her eye corners twitched. It turned out the little girl truly believed that she was her mother. Zoe wondered what Anne¡¯s mother would think when seeing it. However, Zoe didn¡¯t try to correct her. After all, she had repeated several times that she wasn¡¯t her motherst night, but the little girl didn¡¯t correct it. Hence, she did not expect she should make it right now. After leaving the cell phone number and seeing the granny and Anne off, Zoe drove to herpany. On the other side, the little girl and the granny watched Zoe¡¯s car leave, looking quite excited. ¡°Grandma, I truly had found my mommy. She¡¯s really my mommy!¡± The granny said with a smile, ¡°Congrattions, Anne! Did you get along well with Mommyst night?¡± Anne nodded hard. ¡°Yeah. Mommy¡¯s embrace is so soft and fragrant. She also told me a bed story. Her voice is so nice. I don¡¯t want to be separated from Mommy.¡± The granny nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve tested her just now. She¡¯s indeed a nice woman. No worries. When your daddyes home, you won¡¯t be separated anymore.¡± Hearing what she said, the little girl frowned. ¡°But, Daddy didn¡¯t know that we¡¯ve sneaked out. If he knows it, will he forgive me?¡± The granny cast her a nce and smiled meaningfully. ¡°He will. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡­ On that night, Henry went back to Julio. The servants also gradually came back to work after the holiday. The next morning, employees would have to go back to work, and everything would just go back to normal. At the beginning of the year, Zoe had be bustle and hustle. The talent show that the artists of Star Entertainment participated in had officially started online. Before that, to increase their exposure, Zoe also let them participate in a fashion show. The fashion show would be held by several A-listed domestic designers. Generally speaking, the new artists shouldn¡¯t be qualified to join such a fashion show but Zoe managed to find several seats for them. The sponsor of the fashion show was Annie International. As a partnerpany, Star Entertainment was also behind the show. Besides the artists who were originally in herpany, there was also Curtis, who just returned to the country. The major brand of this fashion show was U. MAX, with who Curtis had an endorsement contract. Since Curtis hade back to Ambario and his image also matched the branch¡¯s strategy to aim at the market of the younger generation in Ambario, Curtis was the most important guest of the show. In the afternoon the following day. U. MAX officially held their spring release event in Times Mall,. When they knew that Curtis would also participate in the show, the entertainment industry and his fans in Ambario went excited. After all, Curtis had been developing overseas. Although he had a lot of fans in Ambario as well, he didn¡¯t have many activities domestically. Besides, since they had kept it a secret, so few people knew he had returned to the country. And now, all of a sudden, it was announced that he would attend the fashion show. It wasn¡¯t until then did someone find from hearsay that Curtis hade back to Ambario several days ago and that he had signed with a small agency nobody knew, which was also one of the partnerpanies of the fashion show Star Entertainment. Instantly, different news about Curtis overwhelmed the social media tforms with all kinds of discussions. Everyone checked on this Star Entertainment for more details. They wondered why their idol liked thepany so much. However, much to their surprise, Start Entertainment was exactly thepany that had been quite famous ten years ago. But over the years, thepany had declined gradually and was on the verge of bankruptcy. Recently it was even acquired by someone. They also found that there were only less than ten artists in thispany. Except for Laura Davies who was a bit famous, the rest were at best just trainees. It wasn¡¯t some big, famous agency at all, not to mention its resources. They wondered why Curtis had chosen to sign with Star Entertainment. Was he ruining his own career by doing so? His fans couldn¡¯t remain calm any longer, raising an uproar on the social media tforms. On the other side, Annie Gil also heard of it. Recently, she dared not to show up in public, nor did she contact Julia. Suddenly, when she heard the news, she thought it was a rumor. She didn¡¯t confirm it until she had called Julia. Annie Gil gritted her teeth in anger. She knew Zoe was in charge of Star Entertainment. She wanted to see how Zoe made fun of herself, but much to her surprise, Zoe had sighed with Curtis Chapman. Curtis was truly the cash cow. Every agency just craved for him. Even Julia was quite angry. Julia had been in the entertainment business for many years and had argework. Earlier, she heard her friend abroad say that Curtis had a n to develop his career back in Ambario. Originally, Julia wanted to take this chance to make him sign with Century Entertainment so that Century Entertainment would have the strength to be against Annie International. Unexpectedly, before she made the move, Curtis had signed with Zoe. Julia disdained Star Entertainment a lot. She wondered if Curtis signed with it simply for charity. Julia couldn¡¯t figure out what was in Curtis¡¯s mind. Once she thought about it, she had a migraine. However, Julia could do nothing. Curtis had already signed the contract, so she couldn¡¯t grab Curtis over. She decided to concentrate on what¡¯s in her hands for the time being. At the thought of it, she asked Annie Gil, ¡°Have you prepared what I have told you?¡± Annie hummed. ¡°No worries. I¡¯ve prepared everything. There should be no problem.¡± ¡°Okay. Remember, this is the only chance that you could turn the tables around. You can¡¯t make any mistakes. Understand?¡± ¡°I got it. With the help from those people in Eqitin, I¡¯m sure Zoe can¡¯t stop me from myeback no matter how powerful she was. Besides¡­¡± Looking out the traffic outside the window, she sneered. ¡°Her doomsday ising. By then, I¡¯ll smile and watch her turn into a disowned dog and kneel to beg me!¡± Upon hearing her words, Julia seemed to also think of something. With a sneer, she said, ¡°I truly look forward to that day!¡± 114 Zoe was busy today. She had made preparations for theunch in advance, but she knew how important such an event could be for a new brand making its debut. Moreover, the brand had decided to use some new models in this show. She must do a lot of extra work in advance just in case. It could be easily imagined how busy andplicated that would be. Therefore, Zoe couldn¡¯t help getting nervous. But she could always control her emotions. However nervous she was, she looked just at ease. When the show was about to begin, she went tofort the models and have a chat with the designer. The designs of U. MAX were known for their mix and match style and their focus on the younger generation. The main target of the brand was people aged eighteen to thirty, the group of people who had the strongest spending power for fashion products. This time, the models would wear ten of their gship items and a score of other items in the show. Only after Zoe had checked on the designer clothes her artists were about to wear did she feel relieved. Theunch began at two in the afternoon. With the lights on and the music yed, the models showed their runway walk. Under the dreamlike lights, the models in good shape walked out one by one. Every item on them looked elegant and graceful. As a superstar and the brand ambassador, Curtis was thest one toe on the stage. He was wearing a leather jacket, looking casual and handsome. Plenty of his fans were present and waves of purple bulbs had already flooded around the stage supporting their idol. When he came out, screams and cheers went up from the crowd. Zoe looked at it behind the stage and curled her lips. Then there was an organizer who came to talk to her, ¡°Miss Gil, you can even sign with a superstar like Curtis. I am a bit envious.¡± He was the senior manager of Annie International and they sometimes worked together, so he was no stranger to Natalie. Zoe smiled and said, ¡°I am just lucky.¡± Nobody knew that Curtis and she were old friends. They just thought that Zoe was lucky enough to sign with Curtis. Even so, it would be more than enough to get plenty of people envious. As they continued talking, Zoe¡¯s phone buzzed a few times. She looked down and took a glimpse at the screen and her gaze turned cold. As Zoe¡¯s phone rang, the manager waved goodbye to Zoe and got down to his own business. Zoe answered the phone with a cold expression. ¡°Where are you?¡± When Zoe picked up the phone, she heard a very powerful and bossy voice of an old woman. Zoe sneered, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have a guest tonight. You shoulde home.¡± Zoe frowned. A guest? Did it have anything to do with her? The rtions between her and her family had been very tense since theirst fight. What kind of guest were they having and they needed her to be there? She refused without hesitation, ¡°I am busy.¡± ¡°Zoe Gil, now you have hooked up with Mr. Han, and you dare to refuse to listen to my words. Anyway, I am your grandmother. You¡¯re a member of the Gil family. I can let you do whatever you like to do in the outside, but what you¡¯ve done recently has damaged the reputation of the Gil family. I can¡¯t let you do it at will, so you muste back tonight!¡± Zoe frowned. ¡°What are you talking about? Damaging the reputation of the Gil family?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when youe back. Now is not a good time.¡± Zoe paused for a moment. Zoe suddenly thought about the ce where she tailed after Annie. She rolled her eyes and replied, ¡°I see.¡± After hanging up the phone, Zoe sent a text message to Henry. She told him that she couldn¡¯t go back home for dinner and mighte backte. Unexpectedly, as soon as the message was sent, her mobile phone rang. Zoe was slightly astonished and answered the phone. The man¡¯s low and sexy voice came from the other end. ¡°You are going to meet your family?¡± Zoe said yes. ¡°Do I need to keep youpany?¡± ¡°No need. I can go back myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Henry was silent for a while and didn¡¯t push in. He was better than anyone that Zoe was a tough woman. However, he still reminded her, ¡°Be safe and call me if anything happens to you.¡± ¡°Well, got it.¡± ¡­ At six in the evening. She called it a day and went to the Gil family by car. As soon as she got off the car, she saw a ck Bentley parked not far away. She was somewhat surprised. Zoe had never seen anyone in the Gil family drive such a car. There seemed to be a guest in the vi. She gazed at the vi, deliberating, strode out and walked into it. ¡°Miss Zoe, wee back.¡± It was David that opened the door. He kept smiling when he saw Zoe. Zoe had no idea whether David was sincere or not. However, David was the only one that would smile at her in the Gil family. She didn¡¯t reply but put on a faint smiled and nodded. ¡°They are waiting for you in the living room!¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alright.¡± Zoe put on her slippers and walked into the living room. As expected, not only Ciara, Jaden and Helen, but a fat middle-aged man was there. Zoe knew that man, a partner of Gil Group, named Randy Kruf. He had wide contacts. He did well in both underworld and the business field. His connections reached both the authority and the underworld. It was said that he got married once. His wife couldn¡¯t stand being tortured andmitted suicide jumping off a building. Zoe didn¡¯t know if it was the fact, but she didn¡¯t think it further. She walked in and greeted them. ¡°Grandma, Dad.¡± Zoe ignored Helen. A hint of embarrassment shed across her face. Helen stood up and said with a smile, ¡°You talk. I go to the kitchen to check on the dinner.¡± Ciara didn¡¯t me Zoe for showing no respect as usual but nodded. ¡°Go ahead. By the way, call Annie and Steven and asked them when they coulde back.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After Helen left, Zoe walked to the other side of the sofa and sat down. ¡°Why do you call me back?¡± Ciara fixed her gaze on Zoe. Looking at the delicate and cold look, and her good figure, Ciara had mixed feelings in her heart. To be honest, Zoe was more beautiful than Annie. If Zoe yed her part well, she could help the Gil family go further and became more prosperous. However, Zoe had such a quirky mother, who had made her so headstrong and willful since she was still young. And for what happenedst time they met, Ciara hated Zoe to the core now. 115 Since Zoe was not dutiful at all, as her grandma, she didn¡¯t have to be kind and merciful. Thinking about it, Ciara said, ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen a man sitting here? You don¡¯t know him? Why don¡¯t you greet him?¡± Zoe frowned. She was never engaged in the family¡¯s business, so she didn¡¯t know that man, nor did she think it necessary to greet him. She looked at the man staring at her with a gentle smile. In the end, she didn¡¯t want to make Ciara embarrassed in front of an outsider, ¡°Mr. Kruf.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so serious. I am just a few years older than you, you can call me Randy.¡± This Randy then put on a kind smile and tried to please Natalie. Zoe was lost for words. A few years older than her? He should be ten years older than her or more. If she remembered correctly, Randy was nearly forty years old! Did he just shave off his beard and have his hair dyed and think he was merely in his early twenties? How could he be so brazen-faced?. But she neither put it blunt nor literally called him by his name. She just looked at Ciara. ¡°I¡¯ve something else to do tonight. Please be brief.¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Ciara said in a deep voice, ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? I call you back for dinner. The dinner is not yet prepared but you are in a hurry to leave. Ridiculous.¡± After that, Ciara turned around and said with a smile. ¡°Mr. Kruf, I am sorry. Zoe is just a spoiled girl. Please do not have hard feelings.¡± Randyughed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I love the straightforwardness of Miss Zoe.¡± Zoe frowned and felt something different from their conversation. Just then, a sweet voice came from outside. ¡°Grandma, whose car is that? Is there a guest at home?¡± Then, Annie Gil walked in the vi with Steven, linking her arms with his. Zoe¡¯s gaze turned cold when she saw Annie. But Annie pretended to be quite happy. ¡°Zoe, I¡¯m d that you¡¯re here!¡± With that, Annie let go of Steven and ran over with a pleasing look. Then she saw the man on the sofa. ¡°Who is he?¡± Ciara kept smiling at the sight of Annie. Then she introduced Mr. Kruf to Annie. ¡°This is Mr. Kruf. He is the owner of Julio Commerce. He has helped the Gil family a lot. You can call him Randy.¡± Hearing that, Annie said with a smile, ¡°Randy.¡± Randy smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard your story long before. You¡¯re just as gorgeous as I had imagined. I¡¯m d to see you.¡± With that, he stood up and shook hands with Annie. Randy turned surprised as he looked at Steven. ¡°You must be Mr. Anderson, right?¡± Steven nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here. I am so d.¡± Steven didn¡¯t like this fatty man who had tried his best to please others, but he nodded his head slightly for the sake of the Gil family. ¡°You too.¡± Just then, Helen came out and asked them to go to the dining room as the dinner was ready. They stood up and walked to the dining room. Zoe didn¡¯t move until they were all gone, as she didn¡¯t want to walk side by side with them. However, Randy slowed down as well as if on purpose. He sneaked a peek at Zoe, found the woman was just as unapproachable as a snow-covered high mountain, and an unworldly aloofness was emanating from her whole being. Her disposition made her already delicate face even more attractive, and he could not wait to rip her aloof pretense off and ravage her fiercely under his body. When he thought that, his gaze went more and more passionate. He put on a ttering smile, ¡°Miss Zoe, you don¡¯t live here but live alone?¡± Zoe looked straight and ignored him without even throwing a nce. Sensing the weird gaze of the man, she finally came to realize that Ciara had asked her back for selling her out. But¡­ Ciara wanted to establish contacts with Henry through her, didn¡¯t she? Since Ciara knew the rtions between her and Henry, why did Ciara introduce her to other men? Did she go crazy? Zoe frowned and was confused about what Ciara wanted to do. Randy put on a sinister look after he was ignored. However, the next second, he put on his disguise and his gentle and ingratiating smile came back to his face in just a second. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so cautious. You must have understood what your grandmother thought. I always respect women. If you don¡¯t agree, no one can force you. Even if we can¡¯t be together, we can make friends, right?¡± Hearing that, Zoe finally nced at him. She curled her lips with a faint mocking look. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know that. We just take it as a small dinner party and we won¡¯t disturb each other in the future. What¡¯s your opinion?¡± Though he had sensed that Zoe wasn¡¯t into him, he looked a bit embarrassed when hearing that. He gritted his teeth and said with a rigid smile, ¡°Zoe, you don¡¯t think it twice? Ciara introduces me to you because she knows me well and thinks we are a good match. Though you are quite good in any way, it¡¯s difficult for you to get married into a truly wealthy and influential family.¡± ¡°I am not that rich and powerful, but at least people know my name in Julio. Even the Anderson family and the Kaur family need to show respect for me or ask me for support. You don¡¯t lose anything if you marry me.¡± Zoe smiled. ¡°So, you think I should agree now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. I understand your worries. It must be a major decision for girls to choose a good husband, so you should consider it.¡± ¡°I just hope that you don¡¯t refuse me without hesitation. You know my past. I have an ex-wife, but she has died and I have no child.¡± ¡°As for you, Miss Gil, you can never escape the past. Now, few people know your past and you still maintain a good reputation. Once they know that, do you know the consequences?¡± He paused, looked at her as if implying something and added, ¡°Zoe, to be honest, we are indeed a good match and he¡¯s not right for you. You¡¯d better let it go.¡± Zoe was speechless. She had never seen such a bold-faced man before. A good match? Was this some kind of joke? 116 He was not right for her? Who did Randy even refer to? Steven or Henry Han? She was amused and didn¡¯t bother herself to continue the dialogue but sped up. Randy also quickened to catch up with her, and he held Zoe¡¯s wrist to support her when they entered the dining room. ¡°Zoe, be careful.¡± Zoe subconsciously pulled her hand back and red at Randy. She was quite familiar with the path from the living room to the dining room. Though she had not lived here for several years, she wouldn¡¯t stumble that easily. That man did it on purpose. He flirted with her to show they were on intimate terms. As expected, Annie¡¯sughter came from the dining room. ¡°Well, we wait for you for a while. It turns out that you two stayed behind on purpose. Randy, my sister is gentle and soft. You can¡¯t bully her.¡± Randy smiled and said, ¡°No, Zoe is so beautiful that I just can¡¯t love her enough. How can I bully her?¡± Looking at it, Ciara was apparently pleased. She nodded in satisfaction, ¡°It¡¯s good that you take a fancy to each other. Come here and sit down!¡± Randy turned around and said to Zoe with a smile, ¡°Zo, let¡¯s go over.¡± Zoe frowned. She felt so disgusted that she wanted to vomit. When Zoe stood still, Helen stood up hurriedly. ¡°Zoe,e to sit next to Annie.¡± Helen seemed to be considerate enough to help her out. However, Steven was on Annie¡¯s left side. If she did sit next to Annie, she would be very embarrassed. To watch how they loved each other at a close distance? Maybe they didn¡¯t find it awkward, but she felt disgusted. Zoe said nothing but strode out to sat to the right of Jaden. Helen sat there before. After she stood up, the seat was avable. Zoe looked at Helen and said with a faint smile, ¡°Helen, you should have no objection to me sitting here. The smile on Helen¡¯s face froze. Ciara put on a sullen look. ¡°Zoe! That¡¯s Helen¡¯s position. Zoe said lightly, ¡°My mom used to sit here. I miss her, so I want to sit here for a while. Can¡¯t I?¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Ciara was fuming with anger. Jaden was unhappy, too. Since her mother died, Zoe had changed a lot. Every time they met, she would mock or ridicule him to enrage him. With her sitting beside him, it meant that he wouldn¡¯t finish this meal peacefully. Thinking of that, Jaden put on a long face and said, ¡°Zoe, sit there. Here is Helen¡¯s seat.¡± Zoe insisted, ¡°It¡¯s my mother¡¯s seat.¡± ¡°You!¡± Helen came to mitigate the tensions. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s just a seat. It¡¯s what Zoe want. Just let her sit there. I can sit here.¡± With that, she sat at the other end with an aggrieved look. Helen seemed to give in, but the whole table stared at Zoe in dissatisfaction because of Helen¡¯s words. Even Randy, who had taken a fancy to Zoe, couldn¡¯t help frowning. He had heard how willful Zoe was before. He just thought it a rumor. Now it seemed to be true. Helen was her elder. Though she was Zoe¡¯s stepmother, she was very nice with Zoe. However, Zoe forgot herself and returned evil for good. Even so, looking at the cool and unworldly face of Zoe, Randy just couldn¡¯t suppress his desire. Well, he didn¡¯t mind that she was arrogant. She was like a wild cat that had showed its teeth. He loved that. He could feel more sessful than conquering a gentle woman. Thinking of that, he smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to make Mrs. Gil feel wronged. Since Zoe was unwilling to sit with me, I¡¯d better sit at the end of the table. Mrs. Gil, you may sit back.¡± Hearing that, Helen was somewhat embarrassed, and gave Randy an apologetic and awkward smile. ¡°Randy, thank you so much. It¡¯s really quite embarrassing.¡± ¡°Never mind. Zoe is straightforward. I like such kind of girl.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you like her.¡± Helen seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and turned her gaze at Zoe. Zoe remained a cold look. Regardless of what she thought, they discussed her as if she was just something they were about to sell. She put on a cold smile as she had never expected Ciara to be so shameless. What was Ciara doing? Pimping her granddaughter out? Selling her granddaughter out? She came to realize that Ciara must have heard some rumors and thought the rtion between her and Henry was unreliable. Therefore, Ciara asked her back to see other people. She lowered her head andughed as if she had thought of something. Ciara happened to ask her, ¡°Zoe, I heard that Henry didn¡¯t take you when he went back to Eqitin?¡± Zoe answered faintly. Ciara was gloating, ¡°As expected, he is not right for you. Luckily, you are young. It¡¯s easy for you to find someone better.¡± Randy echoed. ¡°Yes, you are so young and beautiful. So many people like you. You don¡¯t have to waste time on unrealistic expectations.¡± Zoe threw a nce at him and Ciara. ¡°Have you heard something?¡± Ciara paused. Then she mocked, ¡°Since you know that, I can drop thest veil. Henry has a fiancee in Eqitin. He didn¡¯t take you back, so you should know what he meant. Zoe, though the Gil family is not wealthy and influential, it enjoys a good reputation in Julio.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your choice to be with whoever you like, but I can¡¯t let you be a homewrecker and damage the reputation of the Gil family. So, you¡¯d better break up with this Henry and get married to a good man. We will still admit you are part of the Gil family if you do so.¡± Zoe looked at Ciara with a mocking gaze. ¡°There happens to be a homewrecker that wormed her way into my family. You don¡¯t bring her to ount bute to criticize me?¡± ¡°You!¡± Ciara was too angry to refute. Helen¡¯s face reddened with embarrassment. ¡°Zoe, how can you say something like that!¡± ¡°I am just being frank. Before you teach me a lesson, you should not make the same mistake yourself, should you?¡± ¡°You-¡± As they were about to quarrel, Annie came to mitigate the tensions. ¡°Dad, Zoe, stop arguing. We still have a guest here.¡± They finally realized Randy was still here and stopped going further. Annie turned her gaze at Zoe with a kind smile. ¡°Zoe, I know that you have a problem with me and my mom. We can¡¯t deny our mistakes or beg for your forgiveness. But our grandma did it totally for your benefit. You can hurt us, but you can¡¯t let our grandma down.¡± 117 Zoe looked at Annie coldly, ¡°For my benefit?¡± She sneered, ¡°If so, why doesn¡¯t she just introduce Randy to you? After all, you are her favorite granddaughter, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Zoe!¡± Jaden Gil rebuked in an angry voice. ¡°Zoe, I already have Steven. How could you say that. Our grandma loves you all the time, but you¡­¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Ciara interrupted Annie and turned her gaze at Zoe with a cunning look.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Just tell me you agree to marry Randy or not.¡± Zoe looked at Randy. He was staring at her. Even after all the words she just said, he did not flinch. It seemed that her rtionship with Henry had been exined to Randy. Since he was not fear of death, she could fulfill his wish. She said softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t disagree.¡± Ciara¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°So you agree?¡± ¡°I can agree, but I need to live here for some time.¡± Annie immediately frowned, ¡°Zoe, don¡¯t you have your own ce?¡± Zoe looked at her with a half-smile. ¡°You think that I am just a fancy woman of Henry, don¡¯t you? So, I have to move out anyway.¡± ¡°But you have your own house¡­¡± ¡°So you forbid me moving in? Since that¡¯s the case, just forget what I said!¡± While Zoe was speaking, Ciara hurriedly said, ¡°I agree!¡± She paused and said in a deep voice, ¡°You are a child of the Gil family, so you should marry into another family from the Gil family. It¡¯s a deal. No one can raise any objection.¡± Annie was a bit annoyed about the fact that Zoe would move back, but she could not help being excited when she thought Zoe would marry a man like Randy in no time. Randy was also excited. The woman was harsh on him just now and suddenly agreed to marry him. He felt himself so lucky. His face flushed with excitement, and he kept rubbing his hands. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s fix a time!¡± Helen said, ¡°What a coincidence. My friend named this weekend for her daughter¡¯s marriage because it was a good date. But it would be quite a hurry for the preparation.¡± ¡°No, we have a week.¡± Jaden said at once. Hearing that, Randy got more excited. ¡°It¡¯s a little hasty to hold a wedding this weekend, but I can make it. I¡¯ll make preparations for it as soon as I get back. I won¡¯t make you feel aggrieved anyway.¡± Zoe put on a cold smile and said nothing. Ciara said with a smile, ¡°Sorry to trouble you. A lot of young people favored getting married quickly. When the day for your weddinges, you will have known each other for a week. It¡¯s not hasty at all.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jaden echoed, ¡°Mr. Kruf, if you don¡¯t want to wrong Zoe, maybe you can prepare more gifts for the guests.¡± After that, Helen threw Jaden a warning look. He stopped talking immediately and turned his gaze at Zoe to observe her. Zoe, who should be angry or a bit upset, was drinking her soup with a spoon with an indifferent look. It was as if what they were talking about had nothing to do with her. Jaden was a bit stunned. Randy smiled, ¡°Sure I¡¯ll prepare enough gifts when I go back. I promise I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Jaden came to his senses and smiled happily. ¡°Well, let¡¯s make a toast for it.¡± With that, everyone raised their sses. Annie said with a smile, ¡°I thought that I would get married before Zoe, but she makes a quick way. I am really happy for you, Zoe. Let me toast you.¡± Zoe raised her head and looked at Annie with a half-smile. She did not say anything, but picked up the ss and drank the wine without chinking sses with Annie. Annie twitched her mouth. She couldn¡¯t suppress her joy and also drank the wine. Only Steven did not raise his ss and frowned tightly. ¡°Zoe, have you really decided to get married?¡± He had got a hunch that something was wrong. Steven didn¡¯t know Randy well, but he had heard of Randy. Randy was very rich but had a ratherplicated background. He was rted to the underworld. Though Randy looked gentle and polite, he had a vicious character. It could been seen from his ex-wife¡¯s death. Though Zoe didn¡¯t get along well with her family, her family should not introduce her to such a man! However, Steven hadn¡¯t married Annie, so he shouldn¡¯t interfere in it as an outsider. Though he was puzzled, he couldn¡¯t put it blunt. So, he could only raise such an ambiguous question. Hearing that, Zoe put down the ss and smiled at him. There was a touch of redness on her face that set off her fair skin. She tilted her head slightly, her cheek resting on her hand. She was smiling, like a budding flower. ¡°You care about me so much. Do you still like me?¡± It was suddenly so quiet. They were silent and looked at Zoe, astonished. Ciara frowned. ¡°Zoe Gil! What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Zoe pursed her lips, as if she had been drunk. ¡°Nothing! Steven always thought for me. I¡¯m thinking about if he still likes me. Steven Anderson, if I hadn¡¯t caught you and Annie in the bed, would we be together now?¡± Annie¡¯s expression faded away gradually. Steven put on a long face and said in a cold voice, ¡°Zoe, it¡¯s the past. Why bring it up at this time?¡± Only Randy was very astonished. Ciara only told him that there was something between Zoe and Henry and she was a bit worried since Henry had a fiancee. But Ciara never told him that Zoe was Steven¡¯s girlfriend before. He looked nkly at Zoe, then at Steven, and asked, ¡°What are you talking about? Mr. Anderson, aren¡¯t you Miss Annie¡¯s boyfriend? Why¡­¡± Annie held back the anger and smiled reluctantly. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not feeling well, so I¡¯ll go upstairs to rest.¡± Then Annie stood up and hurried to leave. Seeing this, Steven also got up and ran after her. ¡°Annie, wait for me.¡± As he left the dining room, he paused and looked back at Zoe. ¡°You always mistake kindness for viciousness. I won¡¯t mind your business anymore. Watch your back!¡± With that, he left angrily and chased after Annie. 118 Zoe clenched the ss tightly, and her fingers also became bloodless. Her nose twitched and her eyes turned bleary red. She sneered suddenly. Ciara could not help but frown when she saw Zoe like this. ¡°Zoe has drunk too much. Helen please help her upstairs to have a rest.¡± Helen forced a smile and stood up, ¡°OK.¡± She came over and helped Zoe up. Zoe did not refuse. Zoe didn¡¯t want to stay here anymore and felt a bit dizzy. She was not a heavy drinker, but she couldn¡¯t drink wine. She got drunk easily if she drank red wine. Just now, her ss was half full of strong 52% red wine, so it was not surprising that she would get drunk after drinking it. With the help of Helen, Zoe went to the second floor. Her previous living room went empty, so Helen took Zoe to the guest room, helped her to lie down and brought her a ss of water. ¡°You lie down here to rest, and call us if you need anything.¡± Zoe said nothing. She turned over and turned her back to Helen.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Helen¡¯s gaze grew cold as she looked at Zoe¡¯s thin back. But her voice was still gentle ¡°I¡¯ll go down.¡± Zoe gave a brief reply. The door was closed gently and Helen left. She felt very dizzy. The red wine seemed much stronger than what she had ever drunk She was afraid that she couldn¡¯t go back tonight. She had to tell Henry about it lest he feel worried. Thinking about that, she fished out her mobile phone and sent him a message. Then she felt at ease, closed her eyes and fell asleep. In the dining room downstairs. Randy sat in a chair and looked at Ciara with a serious look. ¡°Mrs. Gil, shouldn¡¯t you exin to me? You said that Zoe had been in love only once. Why was she together with Mr. Anderson before?¡± If Zoe was not so beautiful, he wouldn¡¯t think about getting married to her since she had an affair with Henry Han. Ciara was a little embarrassed and forced a smile. ¡°It is a long story. I¡¯m being honest with you. Zoe liked Steven Anderson before, but they haven¡¯t been together. Zoe went abroad five years ago because she knew Steven was Annie¡¯s boyfriend and it was impossible for her to be with Steven.¡± Randy sneered. ¡°She lived abroad for five years but had been in love only once. Are you kidding me?¡± Ciara hurriedly said, ¡°I won¡¯t. If you do not believe me, you can check by yourself.¡± Hearing what she said, Randy finally nodded in satisfaction. ¡°I believe you for the time being, but I need to add one more condition.¡± Ciara was stunned. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind her affair with Mr. Anderson or Mr. Han, but I need to check if she is a virgin or not. If she is, I will send someone here to pick her up tomorrow. If not¡­ Huh, I just don¡¯t like women used up by another man. You got me, right?¡± A hint of anger shed across Ciara¡¯s face. Even if Ciara didn¡¯t like Natalie, she felt Randy¡¯s proposal a humiliation to the Gil family. After all, Zoe was the child of the Gil family. It was all the fault of Zoe. Ciara thought that Zoe would have a very good rtionship with Henry and wanted the Gil family to be more prosperous with the help of Henry. But unexpectedly, Henry had a fiancee. Needless to say, his fiance must havee from a wealthy and powerful family. Ciara was not confident about Zoe knowing how cold she had ever been. She didn¡¯t believe that Henry was serious about his rtions with Zoe. Henry just wanted to have an affair with Zoe because of her pretty face, she thought. If it was discovered by his fiancee, he would kick away Zoe immediately. Henry¡¯s fiancee may even vent her anger on the Gil family. In the end, the Gil family didn¡¯t establish rtions with Henry but offended another rich family. It was unworthy at all. Thinking of this, Ciara put on a more gloomy look. Although Randy was rude, he was really wealthy and had a lot of solid contacts. Ciara would rather seize this opportunity in front of her than have some foolish fantasy. Come to think about it, Ciara finally calmed down. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I can agree, but you can¡¯t go back on your words.¡± Randy immediatelyughed after obtaining her consent. ¡°Rest assured! I am not such a rogue. I indeed like Miss Zoe. Her face alone is fascinating enough, so I won¡¯t go back on my words.¡± Hearing that, Ciara was finally relieved. ¡°I need to make some preparations. Mr. Kruf, you can go to the guest room and get ready for it.¡± She said and let the servant take Randy to the guest room. ¡­ Zoe did not sleep soundly. Anyone who had ever been drunk would know how dry her mouth was and how thirsty she felt in the midnight. She wanted to pour herself some water, but her head was so heavy that she could not manage to get up. Sure enough, red wine was not her thing. She was lying there, ready to endure it for the night. However, she felt someone came in when she was in a daze. She vaguely remembered a maid named Anna were in the charge of these guest rooms. She called in a hoarse voice, ¡°Is that Anna? I want some water.¡± A soft voice sounded, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get it to you right away.¡± In a short time, a cup of warm water was held to Zoe¡¯s mouth. Anna helped Zoe up, put her against the head of the bed, and said softly, ¡°Miss Zoe, here is the water.¡± After several sips, she finally felt better in her throat, so she opened her eyes to smile at Anna. Anna was slightly stunned, and a sh of struggle could be seen in her eyes when she saw Zoe¡¯s half-drunk smile. Atst, Anna looked down and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee. Miss Zoe, you drunk too much. Shall I help you to take a bath?¡± People familiar with Zoe knew that she didn¡¯t like getting dirty or having weird smell on her body. Sure enough, Zoe nodded. ¡°Well, thank you.¡± Anna helped Zoe up and went to the bathroom. Anna had prepared bath water for Zoe and held Zoe into the bathtub. Then she said, ¡°You can take a shower now. Call me when you are done.¡± Zoe nodded. After Anna went out, Zoe rxed against the bathtub. Feeling the hot steam around her, she just felt the pores of her body had all stretched. Though she felt dizzy, she was not dead drunk, so she could take a bath herself. She poured hot water on her body and washed herself up carefully. She had no idea if she was too rxed in the hot water, or she just was too tired after a busy day. Halfway through the bath, she felt soft all over and a bit drowsy. 119 There was a slight sound of footsteps from outside. She shook her head, thinking it was Annaing in, and shouted out loud, ¡°Anna, I¡¯m not ready yet. Can you wait for me a while longer outside!¡± After saying that, she braced herself and tried to stand up for a shower. However, the tingling sensationing from her body made her knees go weak, and she nearly fell. Zoe¡¯s face turned pale as she snapped awake. How could she not know what was going on with this familiar sensation? Damn it! How could that be? She remembered no one had ever touched anything she had eaten this evening. And there was no way something should happen to that cup of wine. Could it be¡­ She widened her eyes and suddenly remembered the cup of warm water Anna had just given her. Her eyes turned freezing cold, and the raging anger was about to explode in her chest. So these people just ¡­ would never fail to surprise her whenever she decided to go easy with them. They had treated her in such an underhand and stupid way repeatedly, thinking she was just a weak cat! Zoe bit her tongue hard, and the taste of blood spread in her mouth, temporarily clearing her mind for a few moments. Then, she struggled to get out of the bathtub on her hands and knees. ¡­ The sound of footsteps outside grew closer and closer. At the next second, someone opened the bathroom door from the outside. Randy Kruf walked in with ascivious smile on his face, looking around excitedly as he pushed the door open. However, the bathroom was empty. The bubble-covered bathtub was stillden with a steaming mist, but the person who should be in there was nowhere to be found. He was puzzled and let out a shrill. Then, he nced over the corner of the bathroom, where a pair of slippers could be found under the hem of the curtain, and the curtain seemed to have just moved a little. He got it immediately. He walked over and chuckled, rubbing his hands together excitedly. ¡°My dear, what are you doing hiding behind the curtain? Come on, let me take a good bath with you! After you¡¯ve bathed, let me sleep with you, okay?¡± Hisscivious and nasty words were so disgusting. He quickly walked to the curtain. He had his heart in his throat at the thought of a gorgeous naked beauty standing behind it. He gripped the corner of the curtain with excitement and said, ¡°Here I am!¡± Then, he opened it with a swish. He froze the next moment. There was nothing behind the curtain, except for the open window, blowing in chilly breezes. His face changed. ¡°Damn it! How dare you trick me!¡± He subconsciously thought that Ciara was fooling him. He was about to turn around and go down to settle the score with her. However, just then, ¡°Bang!¡± ¡°You-¡± He looked incredulously at the woman standing in front of him, covering the back of his head as he fell limply. Zoe sighed in relief, looking at the man lying on the ground. She dragged him behind the curtain with great effort and took a rope to tie the man up before she changed her clothes and walked out. The bedroom door had been locked up from the outside, and she couldn¡¯t open it after several attempts. She had not expected Ciara to go this far to prevent her from escaping. Zoe furrowed her brows tightly. Now that things hade to this point, there was no way to leave. She thought for a while and fished out her mobile phone to call Henry. Meanwhile, Henry was eating out at the moment. Almost all of the most prestigious noblemen in Eqitin were inside the luxurious private room. Though they hade from different backgrounds, politics, army, and business, all of them were just elites, the best of the lot. They were all Henry¡¯s best friends and had grown up in the same block. At this moment, they wereughing and discussing something. Henry sat at the side of the round table and didn¡¯t join their discussion. His face was tinged with a slight flush due to the wine he had drunk. But even so, his handsomeness was still unhidden. On the contrary, he looked loose and passive because of the alcohol. The way he leaned slightly askew against the back of his chair made him look even more like an aristocrat in the legends. A man filled the ss of wine in front of him and said with a smile, ¡°Henry, you are the host this time. We havee all the way here, and you must have a few more drinks with us.¡± The man pouring the wine was called Gordon Rogers, the second son of the Rogers family in Eqitin, who usually liked to gather and have fun. It was his idea for them to gather in Julio this time. Henry didn¡¯t refuse. He just smiled, and drank the wine in front of him. Seeing this, another man also went forward and filled his ss for him. He was the only son of the Bowers family in Eqitin, and his name was Peter Bowers. He was quite close to Archie because his family was doing business too. At this moment, he squinted while pouring the wine and said, ¡°Henry, I heard Stephen say that you found a wife in Julio, is that true? Howe you didn¡¯t bring her with you tonight?¡± The rest of the group was surprised when they heard this.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°What? Henry has married?¡± ¡°How is that possible? I don¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°Neither I. Henry has always been uninterested in women. He would only find a woman when pigs fly!¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ You guys are so outdated! And I have evidence. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Henry yourselves.¡± After saying that, everyone looked at Henry curiously. Henry smiled. He looked calm and gentler than usual. He yed with his wine ss with one hand and smiled faintly, ¡°She¡¯s busy today. I¡¯ll bring her out to see you guys some other time.¡± ¡°What the hell? Really?¡± ¡°Gordon, pinch me and see if I¡¯m dreaming or not.¡± ¡°Hiss! Be gentle! It hurts!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all over. It¡¯s such a dumpster fire!¡± The private room was abuzz, and everyone found it unbelievable. After all, Henry was well-known for being ascetic all these years. They had never seen any women appear around him despite the fact that he was almost thirty. It was rare for him to encounter women even at work. Even his secretaries and assistants were all men to avoid certain women with weird intentions. At first, people thought he had a secret love, so he deliberately stayed away from these people. Later on, after years of watching him, it turned out that he was not in love but just not having any interest in women. Gradually, a rumour spread that although Mr. Han was handsome, tall, powerful and stunningly wealthy, he was, unfortunately, a gay man. It was such a waste for him to have that gorgeous body that broke every girls¡¯ heart in Ambario. It was said that Mr. Han was a real man! How could a real man like him go down on a girl? A real man had to fuck a man! In short, this matter had been passed on as a joke to this day. In addition, everyone knew how much he had spoiled his little test-tube brat, and they felt that Henry disliked women and even hated them so much that he had no hope of having a baby if not in such a way. Now, Henry Han, who hated women, had actually had a wife? 120 Not to mention Gordon and the others, even Louis, who had always been calm and reserved, also couldn¡¯t help but feel stunned. He held up his gold-rimmed sses and asked, ¡°Henry , is that true? Or had you deliberately made up such a person just to stop those rumours?¡± Although Louis was not so close to Henry, he was the one who knew Henry¡¯s body the best. This was because he was from a doctor family, and his family was so prestigious that it only treated the leading figures of the country. As he had a good rtionship with Henry and his friends, he would also take care of their health. Because of this, he knew very well that Henry was no gay at all. Henry was normal in terms of sexual orientation and function! As for why he didn¡¯t look for a woman, perhaps there were other reasons. Henry gave him a look and smiled faintly, ¡°You¡¯ll know it when you see her next time.¡± Louis gave a start, realizing that this was true, and was interested in it instantly. ¡°It seems that Julio was such a good ce. You haven¡¯t met any women for decades in Eqitin and in all those countries. But now you have just came back to Julio for less than half a year, you even have a wife. Way to go!¡± Henryughed, ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous. You won¡¯t find one that way.¡± Louis felt a sharp knife stabbing deeply into his heart. Gordon said, ¡°I¡¯m curious to know which family¡¯s daughter will be able to catch your eye. Bring her out next time. I want to have a good look.¡± ¡°As she is your wife, when will you bring her back to Eqitin? Let¡¯s gather together and have a good time!¡± ¡°Yeah. You guys are going back to Eqitin, right?¡± Henry nodded, ¡°Yes. Just some timeter!¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll wait for you in Eqitin then.¡± ¡°Why bother? I want to see her tomorrow.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so anxious, Gordon. Hahaha¡­¡± The atmosphere in the private room was harmonious and cheerful. And just then, Henry¡¯s mobile phone rang. Gordon immediately joked, ¡°Could it be your wife urging you to go back?¡± Peter, who was sitting closest to Henry, leaned over and took a nce. And he did see the name on Henry¡¯s phone. My Dear Wife. ¡°It¡¯s so mushy for using such a lovey-dovey name.¡± Henry snorted, ¡°Can you get one even if you wish for it?¡± Peter was speechless. Why did the singleton babble so much? Henry ignored them, got up, and walked outside to answer the phone. ¡°Natalia, done with your work?¡± His voice was so gentle that nobody had ever seen him being like this before. However, the voiceing from the other side wasn¡¯t Zoe¡¯s usually calm and clear voice, but with a hint of anxiety and feebleness. ¡°Henry, are you free toe out now?¡± Henry could feel something not right by the way she talked. He knitted his brows. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve been drugged at the Gil Mansion.¡± Henry¡¯s face turned pale constantly. ¡°I¡¯ll be right over.¡± Henry hastily entered the private room, grabbed his clothes and hurriedly headed out, not even having the time to talk to the people inside. When the crowd saw that he didn¡¯t look right, they hurriedly stood up too. ¡°Henry, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Henry¡¯s face was gloomy as he said, ¡°Something happened to Zoe!¡± ¡­ Zoe didn¡¯t just sit on the bed and wait after making the call. She walked over to the window and looked downstairs. The Gil Mansion had three floors in total. The room she was in was on the second floor, which wasn¡¯t too high from the ground. She estimated the distance and then went back into the room, attaching the bed sheet to the duvet cover. Soon, a long piece of cloth rope was ready. Zoe tied one end of the cloth rope to the corner of the bed and the other end to her waist. She then slowly climbed down. The kitchen was just below the window, and some maids were washing dishes in there. Zoe stayed in mid-air for a while and thennded on the ground quietly only when they turned back and went out. As soon as shended, she immediately untied the rope and ran outside. The Gil Mansion was in the richest block in the center of the city. The block was surrounded by mountains andkes, with all thendscapes and gardens you would ever expect inside. It was a staggeringly enormous area considering how expensive and scarce thend was. Luckily, Zoe had lived here since she was a child and was very familiar with the surroundings. Soon, she found the nearest road and ran out. It was alreadyte at night, and she didn¡¯t dare to stay around much longer for fear that someone from the Gil family would find out that something was wrong and chase after her. So, as soon as she reached the road, she stumbled to the roadside and hailed a taxi. The driver, a middle-aged man with a stout body and whiskers, couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at first sight of her. When Zoe came out, she wore her own clothes, but it still couldn¡¯t hide her excellent figure.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Besides, her face was so pretty and delicate as if it had been drawn by God with the greatest care. Even in front of those celebrities, she did not look even slightly inferior at all. He opened the car door for her and asked, ¡°Miss, where are you going?¡± Zoe stumbled on her feet, with her face flushing in a strange way, and rushed into the car. ¡°Number 13, Riverside Avenue, Han Mansion.¡± The driver widened his eyes, hearing her words. He turned back to look at her again with a lustful look. ¡®The Han Mansion, heh!¡¯ That was a ce where the rich lived. Zoe only felt that her body was ufortably weak, paying no attention to the driver¡¯s strange look at all. After giving the address, she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. The driver thought she was drunk seeing her like this. He smiled and osted her, ¡°Have you had too much to drink? A girl shouldn¡¯t drink so much when being outside alone! What if you meet a bad guy?¡± Zoe still had her eyes closed and leaned back in the back seat, not saying anything. A momentter, her phone rang. It was Henry. ¡°Zoe, are you alright? Can you still hold on?¡± He raised her hand to cover her forehead and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯m out and in a car now.¡± ¡°Where are you now?¡± Zoe tilted her head to look out of the window, ¡°It seems to be near the Rosemary Market! I¡¯ve given the address of Han Mansion, and I should be home soon.¡± The more she said, the more her voice trailed off. The drug had taken effect in the end. Even though she had been biting the tip of her tongue and trying to stay awake and sane with the help of the pain, it wasn¡¯t a permanent solution after all. On the phone, Henry had heard the abnormality in her voice and said tensely, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Zoe passed out after hanging up the phone. Perhaps it was because Ciara was in a hurry and was unprepared for the night. The drug that Ciara gave her was not really something strong like the one that Katya Anderson had given herst time, but an aphrodisiac that could make her drowsy, simr to those used between couples. 121 Such a drug would only work when it was used with alcohol and the people who took the drug must be sexually aroused on their own. Otherwise, once the effect of the drug wore off, it would just be in old ecstasy. Although it would still make the body feel ufortable, it wasn¡¯t as strong as an aphrodisiac. Zoe didn¡¯t know the nature of this drug. As she leaned back in the back seat, she only felt that her head had been dizzy and she felt so close to losing her consciousness. Her eyelids were getting so heavy, and she couldn¡¯t open them. She tried to force herself to wake up several times, but she failed in the end. Even if she just wanted to bite the tip of her tongue, her teeth seemed to have lost their strength, and she couldn¡¯t bite at all. The driver in front finally noticed that something was wrong with her from the rear-view mirror. ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± Zoe didn¡¯t say anything. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to talk, but she really didn¡¯t have the strength to. The driver asked again, ¡°You seem to be unwell. Are you sick? How about I send you to the hospital?¡± Zoe remained silent. Her consciousness was getting blurred, and her brain seemed to be in a state of chaos. Her body was so weak that she couldn¡¯t exert any strength and she began to feel dreamy. Even her senses of the surroundings seemed to have be blurred. The driver waited for a while but still didn¡¯t get any answer from her. When he looked through the rear-view mirror, there was a glint in his eye when he saw that she seemed to have fainted. Such a pretty girl could actually be so drunk. Could it be that she had been drugged and that was why she looked so terrible and her face flushed like that? He had been a taxi driver for many years and had seen all kinds of women.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Apparently, she was a hussy, he thought, or why was she going to a high-ss ce like the Han Mansion in the middle of the night like this. She was probably a mistress of some rich man. The rich were really good at enjoying themselves. This girl was a beauty that ordinary people could never hope for in their lifetime but could be casually toyed with by the rich. His eyes grew more and more lustful as he was thinking of this, especially when he saw Zoe¡¯s fair and delicate legs exposed under the hem of her skirt. A fire was ignited in his heart, and he finally gave up his resistance. The car went under a bridge and entered a rtively isted and deserted road. The driver gritted his teeth and pulled up at the roadside finally. He got out of the car, walked to the back seat and pulled open the door. ¡°Miss, wake up! Wake up!¡± He reached out and patted Zoe¡¯s face. However, she was already entirely unconscious with her eyes closed, showing no sign of waking up. The eyes of the driver grew dimmer. He looked around to make sure no one was around before he got into the car and closed the door. ¡­ Henry drove in the direction of the Han Mansion. He didn¡¯t let Gordon and the others follow him and only instructed Brian to find out what had happened at the Gil family tonight while he drove his car alone along the road to the Han Mansion looking for her. However, he could not find anything strange along the way. His phone was unanswered when he called her. He called back to the mansion, and it was Mrs. Dottie who answered. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Has Mrs. Han returned?¡± Mrs. Dottie froze for a moment, ¡°No.¡± Henry furrowed as he hung up the phone. His car drove over a bridge, and he saw a taxi parked at the roadside from afar. Henry didn¡¯t care about it, and his ck Maybach quickly drove past. However, it didn¡¯t take long before it backed up again. His face terribly gloomy, as soon as he parked the car, he got out and walked towards the taxi. Inside the taxi, the driver was looking at the unconscious beauty in front of him. He was getting excited and was about to reach out to undress her. Just then, there was a knock on the car window from outside. The driver was stunned for a moment and unhappily opened the window, growling, ¡°Who the hell?¡± Before he could see who was standing outside the window, he heard a loud bang. The car window was smashed to pieces, and countless shattered ss flew inwards. The driver screamed out in pain. The next moment, the car door was opened. The driver was pulled out of the car by a great force and thrown onto the ground heavily. Henry looked icily at the woman and her now untidy clothes. He then turned back at the driver who had fallen to the ground. The taxi driver was not some tough brute after all and had never been into something like this before. He dared to do so only because he saw Zoe had lost her consciousness. He knew that he had made a big mistake after being thrown out of the car. He then realized that he had messed with the wrong person when he saw the Maybach parked next to him. He quickly knelt and begged for forgiveness. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. I was wrong. I didn¡¯t do anything to her. I just wanted to see if she was alright and wanted to take her to the hospital. I didn¡¯t mean to do anything to her.¡± Henry sneered. His voice sounded just like some cold demon at night. ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to do anything to her? Do you think I¡¯m blind?¡± The driver was so scared that he knocked his head on the ground repeatedly and begged for mercy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had lost my mind. Please forgive me!¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Henry didn¡¯t bother to listen to his nonsense and kicked the man away, who then dropped heavily on the ground. Seeing that he wouldn¡¯t let him go, the driver covered his chest, coughing a few times, before he got up and ran. Henry didn¡¯t bother to chase after him. He just took down the taxi¡¯s number te and fished out the driver¡¯s license from the case in front of the driver¡¯s seat. Only then did he return to the back seat, take off his coat, wrap it around Zoe, and carry her out. Zoe was somewhat conscious of all this movement. Only having a dim consciousness, she still vaguely felt the man¡¯s scent. That familiar warm embrace with a hint of faint fragrance that no one else would have except for Henry. She hummed softly and wrapped her arms around his neck, ¡°Henry, is that you?¡± The man nced at her with a gloomy look. ¡°I feel so dizzy. It¡¯s so awful!¡± Zoe hummed softly while Henry put her on the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt before saying, ¡°Sit still. We¡¯ll be home soon.¡± Zoe nodded obediently. Henry called Brian. ¡°Bring a doctor over here at the Han Mansion.¡± As soon as Brian heard this, he knew that Henry had already found Zoe, and he hastily agreed. They drove back to the Han Mansion smoothly. Zoe was very quiet on the way back, except for a few times when she almost fell due to her weak body but she was held by Henry quickly. The ck Maybach stopped at the entrance of the mansion. Mrs. Dottie was worried that something might have happened after Henry¡¯s call. So she had been waiting at the door. She hurriedly walked over when seeing him carrying Zoe down from the car. ¡°Mister.¡± Zoe buried her face into his chest, and her face flushing red. Mrs. Dottie was startled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Mrs. Han?¡± 122 Henry said in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Fetch me a basin of hot water over.¡± Mrs. Dottie hurriedly responded, ¡°Okay.¡± After carrying Zoe back to the bedroom, Mrs. Dottie had also brought in the water. Henry told her to leave them in the room, then wrung a hot towel and wiped Zoe¡¯s face, hands and body. After some examination, Zoe was still unconscious, but she didn¡¯t seem to have suffered any injuries. Henry breathed a sigh of relief. Not long after, Brian came over with the doctor. After some examination, it was found that there was nothing serious. Although she had been drugged, the drug was not strong, nor was it the particrly vicious kind. After all, the Gil family was quite a decent background. So naturally, they wouldn¡¯t keep some vile stuff at home. The doctor gave Zoe a shot of antidote and reduced her fever before she left. Brian had been waiting in the living room downstairs. After Henry made sure Zoe was alright, he covered her with a nket and went downstairs. ¡°Did you find out what happened at the Gil Mansion tonight?¡± Brian looked embarrassed when Henry mentioned this. He nced at Henry and said in a deep voice, ¡°The drug was given to Mrs. Han by the old Mrs. Gil because¡­¡± Brian told Henry everything that had happened in the Gil Mansion tonight. Henry¡¯s face became even darker and gloomier after hearing the whole incident. ¡°Mr. Han, everyone from the Gil family was present tonight including her father, but they still did this to her. Do you think we should¡­¡± Henry sneered. ¡°I will handle this myself. Now, I have something else I need you to do for me.¡± He said and handed the driver¡¯s license to Brian, ¡°Go check out thispany and this person. I don¡¯t want to see them in Julio again in the future.¡± Brian was startled. He took the driver¡¯s license to see. Although he didn¡¯t know how this person had offended Mr. Han, he didn¡¯t dare to ask too many questions. He answered respectfully, ¡°Okay.¡± Brian then left. Mrs. Dottie came over worriedly and said in concern, ¡°Mr. Han, is Mrs. Han all right?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Henry turned around and went upstairs. Just as he stepped onto the steps, he halted. ¡°Make a cup of honey water and bring it to me.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Han.¡± Zoe was already awake when he returned to the bedroom again. The antidote the doctor had given her was effective. She was already awake in just half an hour. She was in a trance for a moment when she saw Henry, and she asked, ¡°How did you find me?¡± At the mention of this, Henry was a bit angry. He stepped forward, gently cupped her chin and said in a deep voice, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just wait for me there?¡± Zoe froze, looking at him in confusion. ¡°I was afraid that they would find out! I couldn¡¯t stay there any longer. If they found me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape then.¡± ¡°You can find a safe ce to hide.¡± Just thinking that she had the nerve to get into a stranger¡¯s car under such circumstances and nearly got herself into danger, how could he be not angry? Zoe pouted in aggrievance, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this! I was in such a panic that I couldn¡¯t even think about it.¡± As she said, she nced at his expression before she wrapped his arm with her hands and begged coquettishly. ¡°Honey, I was wrong.¡± Henry¡¯s originally frozen heart melted a little. Zoe then held his wrist again and said pitifully, ¡°I thought you¡¯d find me soon! How could I have expected that driver to be so nasty? I¡¯m fine now, am I not? No bad guys would dare to bully me with my wise and powerful husband around!¡± Although he knew she just pretended to sound soft and mushy, it didn¡¯t give rise to any resentment. Instead, it was even pleasant to hear. Henry snorted. He let go of her chin and said icily, ¡°You¡¯re just lucky.¡± He couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen if he hadn¡¯t noticed something wrong with that taxi at that time, or he had simply missed it. His eyes turned gloomy just whenever he thought about it. However, Zoe was oblivious to all this. She just had a narrow escape, and after a struggle, the dinner she had had long been digested. She touched her belly and said in a low voice, ¡°Honey, I¡¯m hungry.¡± Henry froze. A strange light shed across her eyes when he looked at her, ¡°Hungry?¡± ¡°Yea, I¡¯ starving. I didn¡¯t eat muchst night, and after such a big mess, is there any leftover or just anything for me to eat at home?¡± ¡°Why do I feel that you want to eat me out more than having dinner?¡± Zoe was speechless. What was all the straightforwardness for? She blushed and said in embarrassment, ¡°Ahem, no thanks. The doctor gave me the medicine, and I feel much better now. It doesn¡¯t have to be that.¡± Henry just smiled, not sure if it was mockery or what. He then went out. ¡°Come down if you want to eat.¡± Zoe was stunned.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Oh.¡± In the dining room downstairs. Henry had asked Mrs. Dottie to prepare some food, and Zoe ate it there alone. Meanwhile Henry was ying with his phone on the sofa in the living room. Zoe nced at him and felt aggrieved, seeing that he seemed to be angry again. She was the victim, but why was he being angry again? Unreasonable! However, she was indeed angry when thinking about what had happened tonight. Since Ciara had brought things to this point, their rtionship hadpletely turned sour. She thought idly as she sipped her soup. She had initially wanted to take this opportunity to go back to live with the Gil family and at the same time investigate the rtionship between the Gil family and the power from Eqitin. She always had a vague feeling that there was something fishy about this. She wouldn¡¯t feel at ease until she investigated it. However, she never thought that she would slip up and got set up. She was filled with so much anger by just thinking about what happenedst night. Just at this moment, her mobile phone rang suddenly. Zoe picked it up and saw that it was Elsa. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Miss Gil, early this morning, a few people iming to be your grandmother and father came over and said they wanted to see you. We couldn¡¯t stop them, and now they¡¯ve gone to your office.¡± Zoe was stunned, and her expression changed slightly. And that was followed by a grim smile. Very well. They still had the nerve toe for her. She said in a deep voice, ¡°Alright. I¡¯lle over immediately.¡± After hanging up the phone, Zoe drove straight to Star Entertainment. The news of the Gil familying over early in the morning to make a fuss had long spread around thepany, so everyone was looking at Zoe with a gossipy look. Zoe ignored their eyes and went straight into the lift. As soon as she left, several employees who came inter immediately asked the receptionist, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on? Our president¡¯s family came looking for her?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± The receptionist looked awkward. They apparently had something to say but finally thought better of it. Those few employees were smart enough to know that they must be hiding something. They hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Tell us now.¡± 123 ¡°s! I should not tell you this but it¡¯s indeed too appalling. Do you know? As soon as her family came, they said that a man outside had kept her as a mistress. They also said that she had soiled her family name as she had gone out of her way to be a mistress for money. They thought that she¡¯s undutiful as she disobeyed her elders at home and persecuted her sister, in short ¡­ tsk, it¡¯s just too frightening.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be! Miss Gil does not look like that kind of person.¡± The receptionist added, ¡°I don¡¯t know about this, but they gave so many details. It just may be true. They also said that they had taken great efforts to find a good husband for Miss Gil. They asked her to go for a blind date but she¡¯s not willing. Not only that, but she also ended up beating the man.¡± ¡°So barbaric!¡± ¡°Yea. It¡¯s said that for the power of the rich man who supports her secretly, even they are her family, they do not dare to say anything. They have been quite angry at her.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the boss behind her?¡± ¡°Who knows? But judging from the fact that he dares to offend the Gil family, he must be a very powerful person!¡± ¡°Huh ¡­ this is too disgusting! How can she do that?¡± ¡°Yeah, I once thought that she was a really tough businesswoman, but it turns out that she relies on men to get to the top, she¡¯s simply shameless!¡± ¡°What can you do about it? She¡¯s pretty and lofty. You know what? The richer and more capable a man is, the more he loves this kind of woman. Just like people always say, you always want what you can¡¯t have. The more you make it difficult for a man to get you, the more the men will like you.¡± ¡°Heh! I really wish I can see who the man behind her is.¡± ¡°These days, most of the men who keep young girls are old, married men. I guess she¡¯s no exception.¡± A few miles away, Henry, the ¡°old man¡± in the mouth of the people discussing him, sneezed fiercely. Damn it! Who was cursing? The receptionist who had just shared the story with themughed and said, ¡°I saw that the Gil family were quite angry when they came here today. It makes sense. Of course, they would be angry. The Gil family is quite prestigious in Julio. Now, they shall be very angry as they have such a shameless daughter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. We can enjoy a good show today. Let¡¯s go and have a look.¡± The group of people went into thepany with the intention of watching a good show. On the other hand, when Zoe just entered the office, she could keenly feel the gaze of the people around her was not quite the same as usual. Some of them were contemptuous, some mocking, some sympathetic and some envious. She frowned secretly. When she walked to the door of her office, she could hear the shouting and cursing inside and immediately she knew what was going on. Her delicate cool face darkened immediately. ¡°Bang!¡± The door of the office was pushed open vigorously. Everyone inside the office was startled. The original nderous shouting came to an abrupt halt. Zoe looked at the circle of people sitting in the office with a cold face. Well, Ciara, Jaden, Helen and Annie were here! All the members of the Gil family were here! They had reallye here to hold Zoe responsible for what happenedst night! She sneered and walked over, throwing her handbag on the desk with a ¡°bang¡± sound. ¡°Just don¡¯t stop! Why don¡¯t you go on cursing? Aren¡¯t you talking about me? I am right here to listen! What did you say just now? Who¡¯s shameless and who¡¯s hitting people?¡± Zoe was dressed in a ck suit. She stood there with her arms sped and her cold heroic aura was about to explode. Ciara looked at her condescending attitude and shivered with anger. ¡°Good, you¡¯re finally here! Great, I thought you would hide from me and you don¡¯t even dare toe to the office anymore! Looks like you don¡¯t have that many guts!¡± Zoe sneered. ¡°Why I dare note to my ownpany? I¡¯m not like someone who deliberately spread rumors to the public to ruin my reputation. I have recorded them one by one. When I¡¯m freeter, I will definitely go and sue her for ndering. I believe it shall not be difficult!¡± When these words were spoken, the entire office was silent. Ciare was so angry that her face turned livid. Jaden also felt somewhat timorous. Seeing this, Annie hurriedly came forward and took Zoe¡¯s arm. She said softly, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be angry. We are all family. Grandma is your elder. What would she say about you in the public? It¡¯s just some angry words, no one will take them seriously.¡± Zoe tilted her head to look at her and curled her lips cynically. ¡°Oh? Is that so? Then why don¡¯t I take you out for a stroll now, I¡¯m sure there are plenty of people who haven¡¯t shut their mouth up yet and we can still hear something from them.¡± Annie was speechless. She lowered her head with an embarrassed face, then looked at Ciara with bewilderment. Ciara had already calmed down by now. She stared sharply at Zoe and she tried to stabilize her breath. Only then did she say in a cold voice, ¡°Alright! You don¡¯t have to threaten us. We didn¡¯t deliberately nder you. Do you dare to say that what we said is not true? You¡¯ve been misbehaving and hooking up with men outside, do you still me us for saying something that¡¯s true?¡± Zoe found it funny. Sheughed and asked with interest, ¡°I¡¯d like to hear from you that how I¡¯ve misbehaved? Who have I hooked up with?¡± Ciara sneered disdainfully, ¡°You shall know what you¡¯ve done! If it isn¡¯t because of this issue, why would I have gone to all the trouble of finding you a husband? If you want to die, no one will stop you, but don¡¯t put the Gil family into trouble!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay for you to let me down, but it¡¯s wrong for you to injure Mr. Kruf that heavily. Do you just have to get the Gil family killed?¡± Zoe raised her eyebrows with a little surprise. To be honest, someone like Randy Kruf deserved to die. But because she had been drugged yesterday, her hands were weak and feeble, so she did not hit him with much force. Also, she had hit the man in the right ce. Logically, the man would only lose his consciousness temporarily. It was impossible to cause any hurt. Before Zoe could say anything, by her side, Annie added, ¡°Yes, sister, Mr. Kruf is still lying in the hospital. You two were getting along quite well before. Even if you really have some conflicts, you should go and visit him. It¡¯s good to bury the hatchet.¡± Zoe¡¯s eyelids were twitching.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! She was extremely angry but she refrained herself from kicking them all out. ¡°Were we getting along quite well? With which eye did you see that?¡± Annie put on her usual innocent pretense and said, ¡°We all saw it! Yesterday, you were talking andughing with Mr. Kruf. He even held your hand, and you didn¡¯t reject him, right?¡± ¡°You knew that we had called him over to arrange a blind date for you, but you didn¡¯t object at all. You even agreed to get a marriage license at the weekend. Doesn¡¯t that show that you like him too?¡± Zoe felt the veins on her temples popping out. Sheughed with anger, ¡°You are speaking up for him and calling him ¡®Mr. Kruf¡¯ with such affection, it is you who like him more.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, you always like whatever I have! Isn¡¯t Steven just an example?¡± Annie¡¯s expression changed drastically and turned slightly pale. Ciara suddenly said in an angry tone, ¡°Shut up!¡± 124 She stood up and stared at Zoe with her sharp eyes. Her voice was cold and stern, ¡°I always thought that your biological mother died when you¡¯re young, so I could not bear to be harsh to you. However, I don¡¯t expect to spoil you to the extent that you have such a vicious and stubborn mind now!¡± ¡°Steven Anderson and your sister are in love with each other. It¡¯s okay for you to feel jealous of your sister, but it¡¯s wrong for you to interfere with them. Not only that, but you have also bullied your sister and distorted the truth, saying that she stole your man!¡± ¡°Zoe, let me ask you, do you have any conscience? Your sister has always been good to you and has put up with all the humiliation at home, but what about you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re very domineering and unreasonable. Now, you¡¯ve even beaten Mr. Kruf up and he is now in the hospital! What exactly do you want?¡± Outside the office, a group of employees who had crowded over for the breaking news were all surprised at what they had heard. Then, they revealed a look of contempt. It was really unexpected that Zoe, who usually looked so gentle and reasonable, would have such a face in private. After she had got all the support of her sugar daddy, she was still out here to hook up with all kinds of young men. Not only that, but she also wanted to steal her sister¡¯s rich boyfriend. That¡¯s not all. When her family introduced her to a blind date for the sake of her reputation, she even beat the man up and put him in hospital. God! How could she be such a person? She was impudent and evil! The secrets of the rich families were always the subject of much discussion. The employees in thepany were no exception. With so many people hearing these words today, it was for sure that not long after, all the people in the Julio city would know about it. Just then, a stern shout suddenly came from behind. ¡°It¡¯s working hours! Don¡¯t you all have to do your works? It seems like you don¡¯t want your job anymore?¡± Everyone was startled and turned back. It was Elsa who was shouting at them. Elsa was having a cold face, and her gaze was as sharp as an ice de as she swept over everyone. ¡°Go back to your positions and do your work!¡± Only then did the crowd leave in a hurry. It was in the office. Zoe looked at the people with smug faces. She sneered inside her heart. She could not help but felt the chill. She had heard the angry shouting outside just now. Ciara must have said the words deliberately as she knew that the curious employees were gathering outside of the office. Not only did she want to embarrass her, but she also wanted to create the impression in front of everyone that what she said was the truth and that Zoe was just unforgivably guilty. Furthermore, hearing her words, people would just think that the Gil family was driven to endure beforeing to thepany and bringing up these ugly issues! After they left, those people outside would spread the her words out very quickly. They would not bother whether they were true or false. Sometimes, it did not matter what the truth was. What really mattered was actually how well you could act. Moreover, she was the old Mrs. Gil. People would believe in her without hesitation. Zoe sneered silently. She had already seen this trick five years ago. She had used the power of public opinions to suppress her own granddaughter, forcing her to drop out of school and leave the country, and to hide herself in the crowd and never dare toe out again. How naive she was at the time, thinking that if she exined clearly, someone would believe her and she would be able to prove her own innocence. So, she tried hard to beg those people, begging them to believe her and begging them to give her a chance to prove her innocence. Ah ¡­ there were some people and some things in this world that you had to see with your own eyes and experience them yourself before you could know that they were just evil. They did not care about justice and truth. They could distort the truth in order to achieve their own goals and interests. They would dip the human blood to enjoy their buns. Even if the person they were going to persecute was kneeling right in front of them and begging them, they would not be moved or even just look back. Zoe took a deep breath. Ciara was still the same Ciara as five years ago. She was selfish and ruthless. Unfortunately, she was no longer the same Zoe five years ago, who was fragile, innocent and at the mercy of others. ¡°Ciara, I guarantee that you will regret every word you uttered today.¡± She spat out every word coldly. Her ice-looking eyes glittered with a harsh, cold light. Somehow, Ciara was surprised by her appearance. For a moment, a feeling of fear arose in her heart. How could this be? No, it could not be. She was the head of the Gil family. Everyone in the Gil family had to listen to her, including this woman in front of her! Even her mother, such a tough woman, died just because she did not listen to her. What big trouble could a little girl like her make? Thinking of this, Ciara settled down and then said in a cold voice, ¡°What? Are you threatening me?¡± She paused because she lost her confidence under Zoe¡¯s cold gaze. She said in a deep voice, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do anything else. I just want you to go to the hospital with me and apologize to Mr. Kruf. No matter what, you had beaten him, so you shall apologize to him.¡± Zoe hooked her lips coldly. ¡°Apologize? Fine, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Ciara was stunned again. She looked at Zoe¡¯s cold yet sneering look. For a moment, she could not tell whether it was her true intention or not from her words. ¡°You, you¡¯re really willing to go?¡± ¡°Of course. Why? I¡¯ve already agreed, but you don¡¯t dare?¡± ¡°I have nothing to be afraid of!¡± Ciara frowned secretly. Damn it! What was going on today?Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. To her surprise, she had been suppressed by this little girl several times today. She had much more experience than her. How could she be afraid of her? Thinking of this, she gritted her teeth. ¡°Fine, then we¡¯ll go over there now.¡± After saying that, she took the lead and headed out. Jaden and the others hurried to follow. Annie walked at the end of the group. As she passed by Zoe, her soft and gentle face suddenly shed with smugness and ridicule. ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t expect you to be able to bear all these. I used to think you had integrity, but when I look at you today, you¡¯re just a simple person! This Mr. Kruf did something like that to you, and you¡¯re willing to apologize ¡­¡± ¡°Tsk, does Mr. Han have really fallen in love with another woman and abandon you? That¡¯s why you¡¯re so anxious to find a new man that you cannot even bother to mind what he has done? You even can¡¯t wait to hold on to such a man like Randy Kruf.¡± Zoe looked at her lightly. She did not say anything, but that gaze was clearly like she was looking at a retard. Normal people were toozy to strike up a conversation with a retard, after all ¡­ just nobody should argue with fools! When had Annie ever been stared at with such a look? She was extremely angry at that moment. She gritted her teeth. After a while, she took a deep breath to suppress her anger and sneered. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m just being nice and reminding you to be careful! A mistress has a tough life. I¡¯ve heard that Mr. Han¡¯s wife is the daughter of a powerful family in Eqitin. She¡¯s not someone you and I can afford to offend. I would suggest you just to leave the man right now. Although this Randy Kruf is bad, he¡¯s rich! I can guarantee that you will live a carefree life for the rest of your life.¡± 125 This time, Zoeughed. She looked at Annie and said in a light voice, ¡°A mistress has a tough life ¡­ Is this from your personal experience? After all, you¡¯re a mistress for so many years, you shall have some insight and understanding, right?¡± Annie was stunned. Her face was instantly pale and then livid. Zoeughed again, ¡°Luckily you have the self-awareness to know that you are not good enough for Mr. Han and havepletely cut off that idea. As for me, you don¡¯t have to worry. Instead of bothering my business, you better care about your business. After all, you don¡¯t have a child now, so you have lost your bargaining chip to marry into the Anderson family. If Steven regrets, I don¡¯t know what you can do!¡± At these words, Anniepletely changed her face. ¡°Zoe!¡± She gritted her teeth, ¡°The reason why Steven hasn¡¯t married me yet is because I¡¯m not ready. It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t want to!¡± Zoe shrugged indifferently, ¡°If you say so!¡± It was a fact that she was pregnant before she got married. It was also true that the baby had gone. Annie was furious. Zoe did not bother to pay attention to her anymore. She took her handbag and went outside. Ciara and the others had already gone down. In the office, everyone saw that she and Annie came out one after the other. They all could not help but quietly cast a gossipy gaze. Zoe ignored them. She looked directly at Elsa who had walked towards her and instructed, ¡°Elsa, I¡¯ll go out for a while. If there is any busybody in thepany, you shall write down the names for me.¡± Everyone¡¯s face instantly turned pale. Elsa held back herughter and respectfully replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Zoe turned around to look at the staff in the office and said aloud, ¡°I never bother to do anything against my conscience. However, some people just enjoy putting some ridiculous usations on me. I really don¡¯t know what to do with that.¡± ¡°I understand that people all like to gossip, but I hope that you will not spread some rumors, or things might get quite embarrassing should it turn out to be false. More importantly, it might affect the rtionship between colleagues. That¡¯s all! I¡¯ll leave now. Let¡¯s all think over it.¡± After saying that, Zoe turned around and walked out in big strides. The people in the office looked at each other in disbelief, all panicking for a moment. After learning the shocking news just now, a few people who had prejudice towards Zoe had already spread the news via Facebook. She was not really going toe to them for this, right? A few of them were uncertain about what to do. At this moment, Elsa gave a clear cough and stepped forward. ¡°Everyone has heard the words that the president just said, so just go to work and don¡¯t gossip, got it?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The crowd responded obediently. Only then did Elsa leave. On the other hand, Zoe followed Ciara and arrived at the hospital together. After Randy Kruf was knocked unconscious by Zoest night, he found that his hands and his feet were tied up and a smelly rag was stuffed in his mouth when he woke up. In order not to interfere with his business, Ciara had driven all the maids on the entire second floor away. So, no matter how hard he banged on the door and called for help, no one could hear him. It had been several hours when Anna found him. Anna figured out that it was about time and she followed Mrs. Gil¡¯s instruction to check on the situation. When Randy Kruf was finally set free, though he was not hurt in any way, he was furious. He shouted that he would definitely get Zoe into trouble, and he would never spare the Gil family either. Ciara was furious on the spot. On the one hand, she was angry at Zoe¡¯s disobedience. On the other hand, she was also afraid of Randy Kruf¡¯s anger. After all, Randy Kruf was not like the Gil family and the Anderson family, who were all decent businessmen and merchants. He had some underworld background, and it was heard that he did many bad things in the past. She was not worried if he came to them directly, but she was afraid that he might use some nasty tricks on them. When the time came, the Gil family and the Anderson familybined would not be his match. Ciara was so angry but she still tried her best to calm him down, saying that she would definitely ask Zoe to apologize to him in person. Only after a long day of persuasion did Randy Kruf stop being angry. At the same time, in his heart, he secretly hated Zoe even more. Damn it! Bitch. It was fine she did not like him. But the embarrassing fact that he had lost the meat that was already in his mouth and was even tied up by Zoe had made him so mad. If he did not take revenge, he would not be Randy Kruf!Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Therefore, when the door of the ward was pushed open and he saw the Gil family, Randy Kruf showed his dull face. ¡°Yo, who is it? It¡¯s Mrs. Gil. Why? Your granddaughter didn¡¯t beat me up enough yesterday, and you¡¯vee to see my joke today too?¡± There was a huge difference between the careless and casual look of the man on the bed with the civilized and polite appearance at the dinner tablest night. ¡°Ah ¡­ Mr. Kruf, what you¡¯re talking about? I would like to make thousands of apologies to you. How could Ie tough at you? Zoe knows that she did the wrong thingsst night and specially asked me to bring her over to apologize to you.¡± With that, she turned her head to look at Zoe who had been standing in the doorway. Her gaze contained a hint of warning. ¡°Zoe,e in quickly!¡± Only then did Randy Kruf notice that Zoe was really here, standing right in the doorway. She was wearing a simple ck professional suit. Her hair was tied into a ponytail behind her head. It was obviously a very simple outfit. However, when she stood there, she was like a brightndscape, looking cool and intellectual. She was like a delicate flower on the snowy mountain, and he could not help but pause to admire. Randy Kruf was stunned for a moment. He was surprised to find that he was very angry before she arrived. However, as soon as he saw she appear at the door, her wless and delicate face had chased his anger away in just an instant. As long as she admitted her mistakes, apologized to him and was willing to be obedient to him, he was willing to get her regardless of his past grudges. Randy Kruf¡¯s gaze grew hot. ¡°Yo, Miss Gil, you¡¯re really here. I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t see you. Someone like Miss Gil must feel so much aggrievance foring and apologizing to me.¡± Randy Kruf was clearly happy, putting on a condescending face. Zoe smiled faintly and walked over. ¡°You¡¯re right, apologizing to you is indeed such an aggrievance to me.¡± Randy Kruf lifted his eyelids. He sized her up smugly. ¡°Then is Miss Gil going to apologize to me or not?¡± Zoe tilted her head slightly and thought for a moment. ¡°Well ¡­ I¡¯ve never enjoyed aggrievance, so I might as well just tell the truth!¡± She said while pulling over a chair and sitting down with a calm attitude. Behind her, Cuare shouted warningly, ¡°Zoe!¡± Zoe had a casual attitude and said indifferently, ¡°Mrs. Gil, you asked me toe here today, so don¡¯t worry, I will tell Mr. Kruf exactly what you had instructed me to tell. I will never miss any of your words.¡± 126 Ciara then slightly calmed herself down, ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand that Mr. Kruf is already being very generous, willing to give you this opportunity to apologize, so you better be grateful.¡± Zoeughed mockingly. She looked at Randy Kruf, who was lying on the sick bed with a subdued and gentle smile on her face, but at the bottom of her eyes, she was cold and without a trace of smile. ¡°Randy Kruf, I don¡¯t know where you got the confidence to think that I will definitely like you or even marry you, oh, probably because Mrs. Gil had given you some support!¡± ¡°After all, just now in the car, she persuaded me in earnest, and she said that you¡¯ll be very useful to the Gil family. The power that supports you would enable the Gil family to have in sailing in Julio in the future and the Gil family will no longer have to worry about other forces.¡± ¡°If it is not because of this, she won¡¯t bother to deal with a vulgar, rude and uncaring bastard like you!¡± ¡°She also said that you lost your wife when you were young, lost your son in your middle years, and you are now alone, so you look like a short-lived man, and as long as I am willing to give birth to your son, the fortune of the Kruf family will be mine in the future.¡± ¡°Tsk, to be honest, this was quite tempting when I first heard about it but it¡¯s too bad that I¡¯m not interested in you, so I can¡¯t agree with her.¡± ¡°Regarding what had happenedst night, I have talked to mywyer and he has already got the evidence. We will soon file awsuit against you for your attempted rape. I know, the Kruf family is very powerful.¡± ¡°Many merchants and businessmen dare not mess with you, but I¡¯m sorry that even if it is an iron te, I will kick it today. If you don¡¯t believe me, we will see!¡± As she spoke, everyone in the room gradually changed their faces. Ciara shouted angrily, ¡°Zoe! What are you talking about? When did I, when did I say¡­¡± ¡°Mrs. Gil, if you dare to say it, you better dare to admit it. It is not good to say one thing in front of one¡¯s face and another behind one¡¯s back.¡± Zoe smiled as she stood up. She patted the non-existent dust on her skirt before turning around and walking towards her. She looked at her from amanding position. Smiling, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve finished what Mrs. Gil asked me to say, is there anything else you want to deliver?¡± ¡°You, you!¡± Ciara was so furious that her face turned white. As she pointed at her, her fingertip was trembling. Randy Kruf¡¯s grim voice came from behind. ¡°Zoe Gil, are you sure you want to fight with me?¡± Zoeughed. Ignoring him, she said to Ciara, ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± With that, she walked out with elegant steps. When she reached the door, she suddenly stopped. She looked back at Randy Kruf with an enchanting smile, who had an angry face on the sick bed. ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell Mr. Kruf one thing. I have actually got married a long time ago.¡± She frowned and made a distressed and helpless look, ¡°I don¡¯t know why Mrs. Gil introduced me to you knowing that I was married¡­ Probably ¡­ in her eyes, Mr. Kruf is just a generous fool she could mess around with easily. However, it seems to be true.¡± After Zoe finished speaking, she put on a sorry expression towards him before leaving. There was dead silence in the ward. Randy Kruf slowly turned his eyes and looked at Ciara with a grim and cruel face, who was standing opposite him. Ciara smiled awkwardly. At this moment, it made no difference to exin more. More exnation would only make her look even more powerless. But Ciara still forced a smile, ¡°Mr. Kruf, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. I didn¡¯t say anything like that. She¡¯s clearly stirring up trouble, you mustn¡¯t be fooled by her.¡± Randy Kruf sneered. ¡°Is that so? What about the fact that she has been married?¡± The smile on Ciara¡¯s face froze. ¡°That, that¡¯s absolutely impossible! She was lying to you. She is my granddaughter. Would I not know if she was married?¡± Randy Krufughed sarcastically. ¡°I think Mrs. Gil doesn¡¯t know your granddaughter well enough either. If she had gotten married secretly, you won¡¯t necessarily be aware of it.¡± Ciara was speechless. ¡°Alright, I will go and find out the truth. I will also make a note of what had happened today. Mrs. Gil, you must take care of yourself!¡± After saying that, Randy Kruf shouted, ¡°Send the guest out!¡± Instantly, four brawny bodyguards came over and reached out their hands to guide her out. They stared at her angrily and said, ¡°Mrs. Gil, please!¡± Ciara¡¯s face changed several times. In her entire life, she had never been treated like this. It was such a humiliation for her! It was all Zoe¡¯s fault! She had lied to her in thepany and said that she woulde over to apologize, but after she arrived, she told him all the nonsense. Now not only was the problem between the Gil family and Randy Kruf not resolved but he had all the more reasons to hate them. Damn it! Ciara¡¯s face was as gloomy as the darkest cloud. Only after a while could she manage to suppress her anger. ¡°Should that be the case, Mr. Kruf shall rest well. I will visit you again.¡± Ciara was then ¡°escorted¡± out by the bodyguard. On the bed, Randy Kruf looked into the direction she left and his gaze dimmed. Zoe ¡­ Gil¡­ Heh! Interesting! No one dared to make him so embarrassed in the city of Julio. She was the first one. He ¡­ would certainly remember her!!! When Ciara walked out of the ward, Annie and the others who had been waiting outside the ward immediately rushed forward.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Grandma, how is it going?¡± ¡°Mum, is Mr. Kruf satisfied now?¡± Ciara red at them angrily. ¡°What can I say? We¡¯ve been tricked by that wicked girl!¡± ¡°What?¡± Everyone¡¯s face turned pale. A dark aura shed across Annie¡¯s eyes. She worriedly walked forward to hold the old Mrs. Gil, ¡°Grandma, do you mean that Zoe deliberately tricked us and didn¡¯t apologize to Mr. Kruf?¡± Ciara said angrily, ¡°Not only did she not apologize! She even said a whole lot of nonsense, offending him even more.¡± At this moment, she suddenly turned her head to look at Annie, ¡°Earlier on you told me that Henry had an engagement in Eqitin and that it was impossible for him to marry Zoe, are you sure this is true?¡± Annie was stunned. The rest of the people were also stunned for a moment and turned their gazes towards Annie. Annie¡¯s face changed and she secretly tightened her fingers. ¡°I guess! Wanda told me all these things. She is one of the Kawn family, so she shouldn¡¯t be wrong.¡± Hearing her words, the old Mrs. Gil finally let out a sigh of relief. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s said that Mr. Han is engaged to a daughter of the Kawn family! There must not be any mistake.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯m relieved! As long as she doesn¡¯t be Mrs. Han, she¡¯s still a member of the Gil family. Even if Henry wants to protect her, he¡¯ll have a lot of concerns and will not make the issue known by even more people! He certainly knows how powerful the Kawn family is. Anyway, their rtionship just will never go public, so I don¡¯t have anything to be afraid of. Hum, Zoe, I thought you¡¯re really something. It turns out it¡¯s just like that!¡± 127 ¡°Grandma, so what should we do now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s calm down for a while. I still have to think of a way to deal with this Randy Kruf. Everything else can be dealtter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The Gil family left the hospital. Meanwhile, Zoe also got into her car. She took out her phone, which had been buzzing for quite some time in her bag, and answered the call. ¡°Are you still at the hospital? How are things being handled?¡± As soon as the call was answered, the man directly asked her. Zoe was stunned for a moment. She felt a little surprised that he knew about her whereabouts. ¡°I just came out from the hospital. Well¡­ I think the thing has been settled. I reckon the Gil family should be about to die of anger at this moment.¡± Feeling the pleasure in her tone, the man was also influenced, and he could not help but smile. He finally felt relieved. ¡°I will deal with that Randy Kruf. As for the Gil family, what are your ns?¡± Zoe was stunned. She just wanted to say that she did not need him to intervene, but as she thought of the power behind Randy Kruf, even if she really sued him for attempted rape, everyone in the Gil family would give statements in favor of him. If they really did, she may not be able to sue him sessfully. Just now, she was just saying it on purpose to piss him off. But now when she looked back, she realized that it was indeed a little difficult to do so.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. So, she did not refuse the man¡¯s suggestion. She thought for a while and said, ¡°I want to cut off the rtionship between me and the Gil family.¡± She should have made this decision five years ago. At that time, it was a pity that she still had a slight hope towards this family even though she was in deep pain and misery. After all, they had loved her and doted her when she was child. They also called her ¡®good girl¡¯ and held her in their arms back then. The warm affection of being a family stored in her memories could not be erased so easily. But it was only until this time. Now, she finally gave up. Some things just could not be retained just how much she had wanted to. Time had already cause it to deteriorate. From the moment Annie and her mother came to the Gil family, her grandmother was no longer her grandmother, and her father was no longer hers either. The situation hade to this point, so things should end as the way it should be. Since she decided to leave, there was no need to turn back. Henry had never expected that she would be so decisive. Moreover, women always took affection seriously. They must have hurt her so deeply that she had made such a decision. His eyes were dim. Then, he said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± ¡°No, leave it to me! I want to do this myself.¡± At the other end of the line, the man went silent. Zoe exined, ¡°I not only want to cut off rtionship with them, but I also want to take back all the things that belong to me. Those usations they put on me, I want them to take back their words. Henry, I don¡¯t want to leave this matter to others. If I can¡¯t even handle this little thing, I don¡¯t deserve to stand by your side.¡± The man¡¯s deep and pleasant voice came through the phone. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything to stand by my side.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll feel uneasy. I am not a weak girl that needs protection. Henry, please trust me.¡± There was a brief silence on the phone, and time passed slowly like the sand flowing in an hourss. After an unknown duration of time, she finally heard his voice. ¡°Okay.¡± A simple ¡®okay¡¯ made her felt relieved instantly. She was really worried that he would not agree to it. After all, she knew the man had a strong desire to control everything, but she also clearly knew that although he agreed to it now, he might still intervene in the future. But she was still very happy because he chose to respect her decision. Thinking of this, Zoe couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°But there¡¯s one thing you need to promise me.¡± Henry said suddenly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I will only give you one month to deal with it. After one month, you muste back to Eqitin and be my real wife.¡± Zoe, ¡°¡­¡± She was sitting in the car, and she was somewhat stunned. His real wife? Her heart was actually touched by his request. In the end, she bit her lip and promised him, ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up the phone, Zoe returned to the office. The office was extremely quiet, and everyone seemed to be working hard to hide their guiltiness. Zoe walked into the office without any facial expression and ordered Elsa toe over. When Elsa arrived, Zoe had just sat down on her chair. She looked up at her and asked, ¡°How it is? Have you taken down the names of those who spread rumors in thepany?¡± At the door, an employee was about toe in to report his work. The corner of his mouth twitched when he heard this. Elsa could not help splitting her mouth slightly into a smile. She knew that Zoe said this on purpose to frighten those people outside. So, sheughed cooperatively and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s all written down.¡± ¡°I guess they won¡¯t have their bonuses for this month!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The door of the office was close. Those people outside were agitated when they got the news. It turned out that the president really meant what she said! She was not joking at all. Some people started to regret, and some people gloated over their punishment. Undoubtedly, everyone recognized the fact that although Zoe looked soft on the outside, she wasn¡¯t a weak person that could be bullied easily. Fortunately, they lost their bonuses this time, but they didn¡¯t dare to think what the punishment would be next time! Since then, those who had been so curious just now had turnedpletely silent, and thepany no longer had any rumors spread among the employees. Three dayster. The online talent show began. Except for Laura, the rest of the artists in thepany were all sent to the program. Zoe saw potential in them. Since they were participating in the program, she would spare no efforts promoting and building a good image for them. Currently, thepany had limited manpower, and these were the most important artists that Zoe had. For the time being, Zoe felt that it was not safe to leave these things to others, so she wanted to do everything by herself. In addition, the news of a famous artist from Annie International getting into a rtionship brought a big blow to thepany. It became a hot topic instantly and was posted on the trending topic list several times. No one in her department couldn¡¯t handle the situation. Hence, the case was passed to Zoe. Naturally, Zoe became extremely busy these days. When she finally settled the things on this side, another problem arose in the artist department of Star Entertainment. Hence, working overtime until dawn became a mon thing to Zoe. Sometimes, she would directly sleep in the office for several days to deal with urgent cases and did not have time to go back to the Han Mansion. Atst, when Henry did not see her at home for three days straight, he could not tolerate anymore. It was already nine in the evening. As usual, Zpe had to work overtime and did not leave thepany. Suddenly, she received a call from the man. ¡°Go back yourself, or I will go to thepany to pick you up.¡± At the other end of the call, she could feel, the voice of the man was hardly friendly. It seemed as if he had tried to hold back his anger for quit long a time. She was stunned, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°What happened? Do you even know how many days you have been out?¡± Zoe, ¡°¡­¡± She felt like she was more like a busy husband being scolded by her wife for not going home¡­ No, no. no. It must be an illusion. Just think about how bossy this man had been! She must not think of him as some needymb just because some silly words he said, she thought. 128 Zoe cleared her throat and smiled guiltily, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been rather busytely¡­¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± At the other end of the line, the man gave a cold sneer. When Zoe heard this from him, she knew that her reason did not satisfy him. She hurriedly changed the topic and said, ¡°Hmm¡­ I was nning toe back home today. I was just about to leave the office and then you called!¡± The man¡¯s tone sounded like he was sneering, ¡°You are about to leave?¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ Very well. I¡¯ll give you half an hour. If I don¡¯t see you at home, you will have to bear the consequence on your own.¡± After saying that, he directly hung up the phone. Zoe looked at the screen, which turned ck when the call was hung up, and her small face darkened slightly. ¡®Does he need to be so dominant?¡¯ thought Zoe. Half an hour? It took at least 20 minutes to drive from the office to Han Mansion. Did she just have to leave immediately? She looked at the mountain of iplete work in front of her. Zoe rubbed her forehead tiredly and sighed. ¡®Forget it, I¡¯ll do it tomorrow!¡¯ thought Zoe. Come to think of it, she turned off theputer, packed up her things and stood up. Before she stood up, she did not realize that she had been sitting here for the whole day. She even ate dinner here without leaving the chair. Hence, as soon as she stood up, she felt that her back was stiff and sore. Zoe frowned and reached behind to knock her backbone. She took her bag and walked out of the room. Because she had lots of things to do recently, there were a lot of employees who stayed and worked overtime. Although it was already 9 o¡¯clock at night, the office was still brightly lit. Everyone was sitting in front of theirputer and working very hard. When Zoe walked out of her room and saw this scene, she somewhat felt touched as she watched them working hard for thepany. They were not the same as herself. Thepany was her own business. However, thepany was more likely to be just a job to them. Zoe pped her hands, and everyone was attracted by the sound. They turned around and looked at her. ¡°Attention please. You all have been busy working for so many days. The time now is already quitete, just go back to rest now! Leave those unfinished work and continue tomorrow!¡± The employees cheered immediately. ¡°Yeah! Finally, I can get off work! That¡¯s great!¡± Zoe smiled, and only then she left the office. When she reached Han Mansion, it was exactly half an hour. She got out from the car and sheepishly peeked inside. As she noticed that the man was not in the living room, only then she went in hastily. Mrs. Dottie came in from outside and saw her changing her shoes at the door. She said in surprise, ¡°Mrs. Han, you¡¯re back!¡± Zoe smiled awkwardly, ¡°Yes. Is Henry at home?¡± ¡°Yes, he is upstairs in the study.¡± Mrs. Dottie paused suddenly. Then, she approached her mysteriously, ¡°Madam, you should be careful when you go upter. It seems that Mr. Han is in a bad mood recently. He even lost his temper this evening! He didn¡¯t eat much during dinner too.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Zoe was a little surprised. As far as she knew, although Henry wasn¡¯t a good-tempered person, but in fact, he rarely lost his temper, let alone venting his anger on the maids. He was an extremely cultured and restrained person. Furthermore, because of his status and aura, people usually did not dare to offend him. Hence, everyone was very careful when they were dealing with him, and he had never been harsh to his subordinates. What happened today? Zoe was puzzled. Mrs. Dottie continued, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Mr. Han will be hungry at night, and he might have a stomachache, so I kept his favorite seafood porridge warm in the kitchen. They are all light dishes. Later, if you see he¡¯s in a better mood, persuade him toe down and eat some of it! He¡¯s been working so hard. How can he refuse to eat dinner?¡± Zoe nodded, ¡°Okay, I got it. I will persuade him to eat.¡± As she said, she finished changing her shoes and went inside. Upstairs, there was no one in the bedroom. Zoe loosened her hair that had been tied up all day to let her scalp rxed a little. Then, she changed into her casual clothes and headed to the study. The study was dimly lit, with an orange floormp emitting a warm glow in the room. Beside the floor-to-ceiling window, there was a recliner. The man wasying on the recliner with his legs ovepped. He was holding a book in his hand and quietly flipping through. His figure was slender and elegant. The floormp shone above his head, resulting a long shadow covering his face. Thus, his delicately outlined features became more attractive under the dim light. She walked over to him gently. She had been trying to keep her steps as soft as they could be, but somehow, just when she was about to reach his back, he noticed her. ¡°Finally, you¡¯re back.¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Zoe was stunned. She looked around but did not see a mirror or anything reflective as she had expected. He did not turn around and she had also kept her steps quiet. She was stepping on the thick carpet and made no sound. How did he notice her? Her original intention was to sneak up on him and prank him, but she was discovered, which made her felt a little embarrassed. She rubbed her nose and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Hmmm¡­ You¡¯re the one who told me toe back.¡± Henry turned around. Under the light, the man¡¯s face was as fair as a pure jade, his chiseled face and sharp features were masculine, and his ck eyes were as calm as a riverside boulder, as if they were going to blend into the night sky. Zoe was inexplicably panicked by his gaze, and she somewhat lost the confidence to look straight at him. Stared at by his emotionless eyes, she lowered her head with a guilty conscience and stood there like a child who had made a mistake. After quite some time, the man finally spoke. ¡°Come here.¡± Zoe froze. She looked at him in confusion, but she still obeyed and walked towards him. When she was close, her wrist was grabbed suddenly. She cried out in surprise and when she finally understood what had happened, she had fallen onto hisp. ¡°You¡­ What are you doing?¡± This position was so ambiguous, and she subconsciously wanted to resist. Unexpectedly, her slim waist was pinched by the man. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Zoe¡¯s body stiffened and she didn¡¯t dare to move anymore. Henry looked at her face closely. Her delicate face, which could only be the masterpiece of God, looked exhausted after several days of hard work. Her beautiful eyes were no longer as clear and bright as they used to be. There were faint dark circles under her bloodshot eyes. Zoe was feeling very uneasy when he examined her face. She twisted her body, ¡°What¡­ What are you looking at?¡± Henry said lightly, ¡°As your husband, I support your career because that is what you like, and I don¡¯t want a shell without a soul and dreams.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that I will allow you to work so hard until you neglect your health and forget about everything else. Mrs. Han can have dreams, but I don¡¯t need a workaholic wife, do you understand?¡± He lifted his hand and held her chin, forcing her to tilt her face up to look at him. 129 Zoe frowned. She subconsciously resisted his strong way of conversation and the posture of the two now. ¡°But you are also always busy! Besides, I¡¯ve only been busy for a while, not all the time.¡± ¡°No way.¡± In some ways, this man was too domineering. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Because I¡¯m a man, whose duty is to take on the responsibility of supporting a family, but you are different. You just need to be a qualified Mrs. Han. If you are interested in something, or you¡¯re free, you can develop your own hobbies or career, but remember, you should be a wife first.¡± Zoe was not convinced by what he had said. ¡°You mean your work is very important, and my work is dispensable! Henry Han, don¡¯t be so male chauvinist!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you that I¡¯m not a canary in the cage. You can¡¯t require me with your standard.¡± ¡°Yes, maybe my work is nothing in your eyes, but it is very important to me. I don¡¯t want to be an essory to anyone, and I will never give up my career!¡± The woman became more and more excited, and in the end, she almost said that angrily. After saying that, she pursed her lips and turned her head away with a sullen face. Henry¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°When did I ask you to give up your career?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that? I should be a wife first! If I am free, then I can develop my career.¡± She stressed the four words ¡°if I am free¡± as if to remind him how unreasonable his words were just now and how much it had hurt her pride. Henry looked at the angry woman in his arms, who was now like a startled cattie. He even suddenly smiled. Zoe was in a fit of anger. As she saw his smile, she got even angrier. Was he evenughing at her? She struggled hard in his arms. ¡°Let me go! I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore. I¡¯ll go back and sleep!¡± Then she tried to break away from his hand. However, the man¡¯s palm was like an iron mp pressing on her, and she could not move no matter how hard she tried. Zoe almost cried because of great anger. She was not only angry but also aggrieved. Finally, she helplessly threw her hand down and turned her head away. ¡°Henry! You bully me!¡± Finally, Henry couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°Little girl, what a bad temper you have. I didn¡¯t say anything scolding, so why are you so aggrieved? Huh?¡± He let go of her waist and pinched her chin with one hand, forcing her to turn around. Zoe struggled several times, but failed. On the contrary, her chin was pinched so hard by the man that she was forced to turn around to face him. The little woman¡¯s face was full of anger. Her clear eyes were red at the moment, and there were evenyers of misty moisture in her eyes, as if she was holding back her tears. As long as he said even one more word, she would cry out immediately. Henry was stunned. Looking at her red eyes, he seemed to go through history again. Many years ago, that stubborn girl in the rainy night, walked forward step by step in the mud, and refused to look back no matter how hard he shouted. His heart was touched by that scene as he looked at her red eyes. He pursed his lips, let go of her chin, and wiped her tears with his hand. ¡°These couple of days, you are so busy and even don¡¯te back home. I didn¡¯t me you. I just tried to persuade you. Why are you crying? Does it make you so aggrieved?¡± His tone softened with a hint of helplessness. Zoe didn¡¯t want to cry at first. Actually, she seldom cried, but she was too busy these days and she was in a very nervous mood. As soon as she came back home and faced the familiar environment, she immediately rxed. Then she was scolded by this man in such a situation. All the bitterness and grievance umted in the past few days were immediately released.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Soon, she cried harder and harder, without making any sound. However, her tears were like a downpour smashing down. Henry was amused by her look. But it also made him helpless. He had no choice but to take some tissue from the side and keep wiping her tears. Actually, he loved her look now. Her face was full of grievance and stubbornness, which was so cute. She had no idea how cute she was now. She was no longer cold and proud as she always was, nor as vignt and strict as usual. She put down all her defenses and showed the most vulnerable part of her body in front of him without reservation, just like a child. After a long time, Zoe finally stopped crying and felt tired. She grabbed his sleeve and wiped her tears and snot on his sleeve, just like a kid getting into mischief. Henry was stiffed. Raising her eyebrows, Zoe looked at him and smiled wickedly. ¡°Mr. Han, never offend a woman next time. Look, this is the consequence of offending a woman.¡± After saying that, she gave a heavy snort, like a proud winning peacock. Henry was speechless. Looking at his expensive sleeve stained with tears and snots, he was more speechless. After taking revenge, Zoe stood up and was about to leave. However, as soon as she lifted her body, the man¡¯s wrist tightened and she had been pulled into his arms again. ¡°Ah! What are you doing?¡± Henry held her tightly in his arms and approached her with his handsome face. He stared at her with a pair of deep jade-like eyes and said in a dangerous tone, ¡°You want to run after ying such a trick to me, huh?¡± Being stared at by his gloomy eyes, Zoe found the danger in front of her. But she still tried to be proud and said, ¡°It was you who bullied me first. I was just taking revenge.¡± The man sneered. ¡°Revenge? It¡¯s a good excuse. It seems that I should also take revenge.¡± Then he lowered his head and kissed her on her lips. Zoe was shocked and her eyes widened. The man¡¯s kiss was domineering. Even if she struggled hard, she couldn¡¯t get herself free. On the contrary, it made the man take the opportunity to forcefully open her lips and teeth, and then invade her mouth. All of a sudden, his unique and cold breath came to her face, with a strong sense of monopolizing and domineering. Zoe was suffocated by his kiss. Just when she wanted to push him away, the man stepped back a little. However, when she came to her senses again, before she could say anything, her lips and tongue were immediately upied again. She didn¡¯t know how long the kisssted. Zoe was in a daze, and her brain seemed to be in a mess, and shepletely lost her mind. A light scream came from outside. Zoe was shocked. She looked up and saw Mrs. Dottie standing at the door with several midnight snack boxes in her hands. Mrs. Dottie looked so embarrassed that her face flushed. She stood there and didn¡¯t know whether she should leave or go in. ¡°Sir¡­ Sir, madam, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± She said and was about to leave in a hurry. Henry¡¯s face darkened as he snapped, ¡°Come back!¡± 130 Mrs. Dottie stopped, gritted her teeth behind them and cursed herself for being so stupid toe here at this time. She knew that Mr. and Mrs. Han were in the study room. A handsome man and a beautiful woman were alone in one room in the middle of the night. They must have done something romantic. Why was she so stupid toe here to send the midnight snack? Could the snack be more tasteful than the beautiful woman? Blushing, Mrs. Dottie turned around and walked in again awkwardly. ¡°Sir, madam, Ie here to bring you some night snack.¡± Mrs. Dottie smiled stiffly and looked at Zoe, who was still sitting on Henry¡¯sp, of course, being forced. She raised her hand to cover her face and hid her head in the man¡¯s arms with her back to Mrs. Dottie, looking ashamed and indignant. The smile on Mrs. Dottie¡¯s face suddenly deepened, and her eyes were filled with a trace of relief. She put the tray in her hand on the table beside. Henry didn¡¯t say anything more. He just ordered, ¡°Don¡¯te in carelessly when she and I are alone in the room.¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Yes! I see.¡± ¡°Okay, you can go now.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Mrs. Dottie turned around and walked out of the room. She walked so happily as if she had won a lottery of five million. She was even considerate enough to close the door for them when she left. After Mrs. Dottie left, Henry looked down at the little woman in his arms. Her sexy thin lips curved up, and his eyes were full of smiles. ¡°Still hiding? She has left.¡± Zoe peeked at the door and saw that Mrs. Dottie had really left and even closed the door. Then she breathed a sigh of relief and raised her head. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡± She punched the man on the shoulder, embarrassed and angry. Henry chuckled, ¡°Well, it¡¯s all my fault.¡± His pampering and pleasant look made Zoe unable to release her anger. She just stared at him with her beautiful eyes. Henry had been being the winner tonight and was in a good mood. He didn¡¯t want to trick her anymore, in case that it would really piss her off. So he pinched her soft waist and asked, ¡°Do you want to eat something?¡± Although Zoe had dinner at night, she was busy with her work, so she didn¡¯t eat enough. Now she was really hungry. But she still remembered that she was still angry with him just now, and he even suddenly kissed her when she was angry. It would be too embarrassing to eat with him now. The man seemed to see through her mind, and the smile in his eyes deepened. He even couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. So how about having some with me?¡± Zoe rolled her eyes up and down. She was thinking. Finally, she said with guilt, ¡°Okay, for the sake of your request, I¡¯ll eat with you!¡± Henry smiled, let go of her hand, and then walked out. There were two bowls of seafood porridge on the table, which looked delicious and smelled well. Zoe just felt a little hungry before, but now when she smelled the delicious porridge, her stomach suddenly growled. It was silence in the air for a moment. Her expression froze. She looked up at Henry and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Well¡­ You misheard. There is a frog outside!¡± Henry nodded meaningfully, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a frog¡¯s voice.¡± However, the undisguised ridicule and smile in his eyes were clearly telling her that he had heard it. It was her stomach growling. Zoe was so ashamed. She didn¡¯t know what to do. Fortunately, as long as she could be brave enough and pretended not to see his expression, the man would not expose her. The two of them finally finished their midnight snack in peace, and Zoe was very satisfied. She took the initiative to clean up the bowls and chopsticks. When she came back, Henry had already gone to the bathroom to take a shower. Zoe casually picked up a fashion magazine and leaned against the headboard to read it. It was thetest issue of this season, which published thetest style released by her favorite master Amy. After all, Amy was a world-famous designer and the model was also internationally famous, so the pages of it were big and long. Zoe turned a few pages casually. Her eyes suddenly froze. It was a photo of Selena Kawn in the magazine. Selena, a pure goddess in the dirty entertainment circle, highly educated, beautiful, and rich. As the only daughter of the Kawn family, one of the four most powerful families in Eqitin, Selena had a unique advantage. Although she graduated from a famous university abroad and had several degrees, she was obsessed with acting and chose to be an actress. Perhaps it was because of her age that her acting skills were not the best, but she was also outstanding among other female stars of her age. At least, she had starred in several popr movies, and the literary movie she acted inst year also won the international prize. What was more, she was quite famous, but very friendly and low-key in daily life. In the past seven years after she started her career, she had never been involved in any scandal, nor any defect that people found. She was like a perfect existence. It was hard for Zoe to believe Henry¡¯s words that Selena was just an adopted daughter of the Kawn family. She didn¡¯t know much about the Kawn family, but she also knew that Mr. Kawn and her wife were in a good rtionship. As one of the most famous painters of this age, Mrs. Kawn often attended various public activities. And Zoe also had seen her on TV several times before. Mrs. Kawn was a stunning and gorgeous woman. Although her face was engraved with the marks of time, it did not affect her beauty at all. Instead, it brought more charms to her. Such a woman must have an excellent child! Thinking of the previous misunderstandings, Zoe suddenly smiled. She couldn¡¯t forget it, but since she had chosen to believe him, there was no reason to think too much. Thinking of this, she put the magazine aside and didn¡¯t read it again. A few dayster. The first snow after spring came to Julio. The snowkes were very small and turned into the water when they fell on one¡¯s fingertips. Obviously, it was much warmer than the heavy snowy day before the new year. Even so, it was easy to catch a cold in the early spring, when the weather turned a little warm just now, and was still a little chilly. For example, Zoe fell ill because of the sudden snow. ¡°Sir, madam just caught a cold, not a serious illness. You don¡¯t have to be so nervous.¡± Mrs. Dottie kindly advised, as she looked at Henry, who had been keeping a long face since he got up in the morning without showing any smile. Henry took a look at her, but his face was still sullen. He walked straight to the doctor who was checking on Zoe and asked, ¡°How is she?¡± The doctor quickly stood up and replied respectfully, ¡°It¡¯s just a cold. Take some medicine and have a rest. Then she will be fine.¡± Hearing this, Henry¡¯s face softened a little. When the doctor went out to prescribe medicine for her, Zoe looked at him and couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡°I¡¯ve told you that I¡¯m fine. You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s making a fuss. I just caught a cold. Don¡¯t make everyone as nervous as you!¡± Henry red at her. ¡°How dare you say that? Who didn¡¯t listen to mest night and even went out in the cold wind?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Zoe paused and felt a little guilty. 131 In fact, it was also because Zoe had been busy for such a long time, and she finally finished all the things in the past two days. Her tense nerves suddenly became soft. Coincidentally, it snowed yesterday. After dinner, Zoe took Henry to have a walk in the yard. The cold wind blew for a while, and then she got sick. Zoe knew it was her fault, so she didn¡¯t dare to say anything more. After the doctor came in with the medicine, she took it obediently. Her delicate and vigorous face now became pale. Henry knew she was not feeling well, so he didn¡¯t say anything. He told her to have a good rest at home and told Mrs. Dottie to take good care of her before he went out. Zoey at home in a daze for half a day. It was not until noon that she felt better. However, there was a loud noise downstairs. Zoe was a little surprised. As Henry¡¯s personal residence in Julio, the Han Mansion had seldom been visited by outsiders except for the servants. And the servants knew that she liked a quiet environment, so they would not make such a loud noise. Who wasing? When she was about to get up, she saw Mrs. Dottie running in a hurry. ¡°Madam, something bad happened.¡± Zoe frowned and asked, ¡°What happened? Why is it so noisy downstairs?¡± Mrs. Dottie looked embarrassed. She said, ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Han¡¯s aunt.¡± Zoe was stunned. She knew that Henru had an aunt called Faye Han. It was said that Henry¡¯s parents died at an early age in an ident. It was this aunt who brought him up. Normally, Henry bshould be very close to such a person. But for some reason, she had never heard Henry mention his aunt to her since the two of them had been together for so long. Even this aunt¡¯s existence was known to Zoe by ident from somewhere else. As Zoe changed her clothes, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with hering here? You look as if you are facing a formidable enemy.¡± Mrs. Dottie was indeed a little nervous. ¡°You don¡¯t know. It¡¯s hard to get well with her. Every time shees here, she will find excuses to scold us. For the sake of her kindness to Mr. Han, we don¡¯t dare to say anything, but we also don¡¯t dare to ignore her orders.¡± Zoe nodded and said nothing. After changing her clothes, when she was about to go downstairs, she heard a woman shouting and cursing. ¡°All of you are so stupid. Do you always serve your young master such a kind of tea? Is it because he treated you too well that you forget the rules?¡± Zoe frowned and walked down.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. In the living room, a middle-aged woman in white was scolding several servants. On the floor in front of her, there was a broken porcin teapot. The tea was scattered all over the ground, in a mess. The servants lowered their heads and didn¡¯t dare to speak. A few steps away from the door, there was another person standing. Zoe raised her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°What happened?¡± She walked slowly down. When the servants heard her voice, they immediately looked at her excitedly as if they had seen a savior. The woman standing in the living room also noticed Zoe. She frowned and asked unhappily, ¡°Who are you?¡± Mrs. Dottie hurriedly exined, ¡°Madam, this is Mrs. Han.¡± Hearing this, Faye became even more displeased. She frowned and looked at Zoe inquisitively and vigntly. Zoe smiled and stretched out her hand gracefully. ¡°Hello, you can call me Zoe, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Unexpectedly, the woman sneered. ¡°It turns out that you are the b*tch that Henry lives with here. I thought you were something great, but it seems that you are just so so! Look at you! What are you wearing? Is it junk you picked up from the stall? The beggar on the roadside is better dressed than you!¡± Zoe was wearing a home dress at home. When she heard that a visitor hade, she changed into a new one casually. In fact, it wasn¡¯t a bad dress. Henry always bought good dresses for her in this aspect. The cloakroom at home was almost as big as the area of three bedrooms in other families, but she liked wearingfortable clothes at home. All the clothes in the bedroom were her favorite casual clothes, which were not particrly cheap. A set of clothes cost hundreds. The fabric wasfortable and the style was simple. She liked it very much. But in Faye¡¯s eyes, they were nothing but cheap goods that couldn¡¯t evenpare to a beggar¡¯s clothes. Zoe smiled and didn¡¯t want to exin anything. After all, this woman was Henry¡¯s aunt. As Henry¡¯s wife, she was more or less unwilling to have a conflict with Henry¡¯s aunt. Seeing that Zoe didn¡¯t say anything, Faye thought this girl was scared, so she sneered again. ¡°I heard that you have been with Henry for a period of time, right? It¡¯s not easy for you. You are from an unknown family. You must have made a lot of effort to get close to Henry! However, there are always some things that people like you can¡¯t get. Selena, do you think so?¡± Faye turned to Selena Kawn who was standing not far away and said. Holding her handbag, Selena walked up to Faye with a gentle smile and said, ¡°Henry, you are joking again.¡± Her voice was extremely pleasant to hear. She looked gentle and demure, and the smile on her face was always gentle and polite, which made people involuntarily have a good impression of her. Especially when she stood beside the arrogant Faye, her gentle temperament became more outstanding, soft and quiet. Faye pursed her lips unhappily. ¡°You are too reserved. You will never say out what you are thinking. If it weren¡¯t for this, you would have been with Henry long ago. There would be no chance for those little b*tches outside.¡± Everyone knew who she was referring to. Some of them couldn¡¯t help feeling a little angry. After all, Zoe and Henry were legally married. Zoe was always good to the servants and never treated them harshly. If the servants had any request, she would also help. Everyone was convinced by Zoe. Everyone would feel ufortable if they heard someone was cursing Zoe like this. However, Zoe just smiled lightly, as if she hadn¡¯t heard anything. She asked the servant to clean the residue on the ground and bring cups of tea here. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you and Miss Kawn woulde here. I¡¯m sorry for my neglect! Henry doesn¡¯t like tea at home, so the tea you drank just now is usually made by me to kill time. Try this one, please.¡± She said and poured two cups of tea for each of them. Faye spoke so much for a long time, but Zoe didn¡¯t respond at all. It was like a fist hitting soft cotton, which made her a little boring. Faye snorted, picked up the cup of tea and took a sip. The next second, she screamed and the teacup in her hand flew towards Zoe. ¡°B*stard! Are you trying to scald me by giving me such hot tea?¡± 132 Everyone was shocked. It was boiled tea water, and it would blister if someone touched it a little bit, not to mention that the whole cup of tea was poured directly on Zoe. Everyone looked nervously at Zoe, only to find that she had already dodged to the side, unharmed, and the teacup had fallen onto the opposite wall and shattered to pieces. Everyone was relieved. When they looked at Faye, they were even more indignant. Zoe was also a little angry. She respected Faye and didn¡¯t want to argue with Faye because Faye had raised Henry before. But that didn¡¯t mean that Faye could do whatever she wanted. Zoe couldn¡¯t stand that Faye targeted her again and again without any reasonable excuse. With a cold face, Zoe said in a deep voice, ¡°Aunt is old enough anyway. Don¡¯t you understand that you have to wait until the tea is cold?¡± ¡°Children in the kindergarten all know it, but you don¡¯t know it. You still me the person who poured the tea. Where are your eyes and fingers? Can¡¯t you see the white steaming from it and feel its temperature with your fingers? Why don¡¯t you know it¡¯s hot until it goes into your mouth?¡± Faye didn¡¯t expect that Zoe would say that. As the youngest daughter of the Han family, she had always enjoyed ttery and praise. She had never been humiliated like this before. But now, the woman in front of her dared to scold her! The children in the kindergarten were even better than her? God, who gave this woman so much courage? Did this woman know who she was? Not only Faye, but also Selena and a group of servants were shocked. They really admired Zoe¡¯s courage. In the days without parents, Faye was very likely to be a mother for Henry. If that was the case, then Faye would be Zoe¡¯s mother-inw! How dare Zoe talk to her mother-inw so rudely? What a brave woman Zoe was! Faye was so angry that she screamed loudly, ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you talk this to me? Do you know that I brought Henry up? You will never be here again as long as I said this to him!¡± ¡°I know you brought Henry up, so I have been so polite to you. But in this world, not everyone knows to respect others even if they are treated politely. There are always some people who are arrogant and domineering in others¡¯ ce, just relying on their kindness before. In that case, I think I don¡¯t need to tolerate them anymore.¡± ¡°You! You!¡± Pointing at Zoe, Faye couldn¡¯t speak anything. Her face turned red with anger, but she still had no reason to refute Zoe. Seeing this, Selena frowned, went forward, and held Faye up. ¡°Auntie, are you okay?¡± It took Faye a long time to calm down. She pointed at Zoe and nodded repeatedly. ¡°Good, very good! It¡¯s my first time to meet someone who dares to talk to me like this. Just wait and see! I¡¯d like to see who Henry will choose between you and me.¡± After saying that, Faye left angrily with Selena. The servants were so scared that they didn¡¯t dare to make any sound. It was not until the sound of the engine of the car outside had gone far that Mrs. Dottie walked up to Zoe and said worriedly, ¡°Madam, I¡¯m afraid that she won¡¯t forget this since she left so angrily like that. You¡­¡± Zoe lowered her eyes slightly. After a while, she said in a low voice, ¡°Let her go!¡± She got what she had today by her own efforts, not by ttering anyone. She would abide by the most basic politeness between people, but if someone wanted to bully her, Zoe wouldn¡¯t give in. No matter who it was! ¡°But¡­ Mr. Han¡­¡± Mrs. Dottie asked worriedly. Zoe smiled faintly. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t believe me, then we will have no need to be a couple.¡± Then she left directly. Mrs. Dottie stood still, confused. On the other side. In the Han group. The door of the Chairman¡¯s office was pushed open heavily. Henry frowned. As soon as he raised his head, he saw Faye in a gorgeous dress and Selenaing in. ¡°Henry, Archie is working. We¡­¡± ¡°Selena, don¡¯t stop me. That woman dared to do this to me. Shouldn¡¯t Ie to ask Henry for an exnation? He has to exin it to me today!¡± As the two of them spoke, they walked up to Henry. Henry stood up and took a look at Brian who was anxious but didn¡¯t dare to stop Faye. Then he withdrew his gaze and looked at Faye in front of him. With a smile on his handsome face, he asked, ¡°Aunt, when did youe?¡± Faye was wearing a white expensive suit. Although she was over forty years old, she still looked charming. But her angry look really affected her beauty. She took a deep breath and didn¡¯t answer Henry¡¯s question. Instead, she asked straightforwardly, ¡°Henry, what¡¯s wrong with you? We have introduced so manydies from famous families to you in Eqitin, but you don¡¯t like them at all. Now you picked so carefully yourself and even found such a ridiculous woman! What¡¯s her advantage? Why did you have to marry her?¡± Henry was stunned, but then his face darkened. ¡°Have you been to the Han Mansion?¡± Faye got even angrier when she saw that Henry didn¡¯t answer her question. Henry even asked her in an extremely serious tone. ¡°What? Is there any treasure hidden so I can¡¯t go there? Yes, I have been there, so what? Henry, what did that woman do to you? Why do you talk to your aunt in such a tone?¡± As she spoke, her eyes turned red with the grievance. Her resentment towards Zoe also deepened. Seeing this, Selena frowned andforted Faye softly. ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t say that. Everyone knows that Henry has always been the most respectful to you, right?¡± As she spoke, she looked at Henry and winked at him secretly. But Henry pretended not to see it. ¡°Aunt, Zoe is not a bad woman, nor is she that kind of woman. She is my wife, and Han Mansion is her home. When you came here, you should havee to thepany to find me first. You shouldn¡¯t havee to find trouble for her. Now you didn¡¯t make trouble sessfully, so you can¡¯t me anyone else.¡± His tone softened, but Faye refuted angrily. ¡°Henry Han! What are you talking about? What did you mean by saying that Han Mansion is her home? That¡¯s your ce! It¡¯s the Han family¡¯s territory! How can a woman with no use live there like its master?¡± ¡°Aunt!¡± Henry said with a long face. This time, he became more serious. With a cold face, he looked at Faye and said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ll repeat it for thest time. She¡¯s my wife!¡± Faye was speechless. Seeing that the atmosphere between the two was serious, Selena hurried out to mediate.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Henry, Auntie is just provoked by Zoe. Please don¡¯t take that seriously. And just now¡­¡± She bit her lips and said with difficulty, ¡°Miss Zoe is indeed a little aggressive. Of course, I didn¡¯t mean she is bad. But aunt is her elder, so she can¡¯t say those words anyway!¡± 133 Henry nced at Selena. ¡°Oh? What did she say?¡± ¡°She said¡­¡± Selena hesitated for a moment. ¡°She said that even the children in the kindergarten know more than auntie. She said auntie has no eyes and fingers, and said that auntie was arrogant and domineering¡­¡± Faye sobbed to cooperate with Selena¡¯s words. ¡°Henry, look, is this what a junior should say to an elder? Even if she doesn¡¯t care about the Han family, she should be polite to me for the sake of me bringing you up. But look at what she has done to me!¡± The more she said, the more aggrieved she became. Her tears were like the downpour that could not be stopped. Selena hurriedly took a tissue to wipe her tears andforted her, ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t be so sad. Henry will feel sorry for you if he sees you¡¯re so sad.¡± Faye took the tissue and wiped her tears. ¡°Will he feel sorry for me? He has already been obsessed with that woman. How can he care about me?¡± Henry paused and pinched between his eyebrows. ¡°Aunt, tell me, what did you say to Zoe?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Faye was speechless. After hesitating for a while, she bit the bullet and said, ¡°What can I say? You¡¯ve been hiding her there and refusing to take her home all the time. I was just curious about her so I went there to have a look. What else could I do to her?¡± Henry sneered, ¡°Really? Just go there to have a look?¡± ¡°Of¡­ Of course!¡± Faye¡¯s guilty expression was so clear on her face, which amused Henry. ¡°Well, aunt, you know what you have done. Since Zoe has fought back, I won¡¯t make a fuss about it. If you have nothing else to say, I¡¯ll go to work. I¡¯m busy!¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! After saying that, he sat back in his seat and really ignored the two women there. Faye was so angry that she wanted to say something, but Selena just pulled Faye¡¯s clothes to stop her. Selena smiled at her and shook her head. Faye managed to hold back her anger and left angrily. Although Faye left, Selena didn¡¯t leave in a hurry. She stood there, wearing a light Khaki cashmere dress and ck sheepskin boots. She looked light and fashionable. She looked at the handsome and cold man sitting behind the desk and felt her heart beating fast and fast like a dense drum, out of order. Feeling the burning sight from above, Henry finally raised his head impatiently. A pair of ck and cold eyes stared at her and asked, ¡°Anything else?¡± Selena paused for a moment. Her skin was extremely fair, with a trace of the abnormal color of disease. She forced a smile when she was stared at by Henry¡¯s cold eyes. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that we haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time. I even don¡¯t know that you have married a wife. Are you¡­ in a good rtionship?¡± Henry paused for a moment and stared at her with his deep eyes. Instead of refusing the question, he just sneered lightly. ¡°Miss Kawn, you¡¯re smart, so you should know if we¡¯re in a good rtionship.¡± Selena was speechless. There was an invisible embarrassment in the room. She forced a smile and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good. But I think Miss Zoe has a strong personality. Anne is still young. I¡¯m afraid that they won¡¯t be able to get along with each other. At that time¡­¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± The man¡¯s voice was ruthless and cold. Selena was shocked and looked at him in disbelief. It has nothing to do with you. How could these simple words be so merciless? The words had cut off her rtionship with himpletely. Her eyes turned a little red. After a long time, she said with difficulty, ¡°Henry, if you are ming me for leaving you alone five years ago, I apologize to you. But Anne is still a child. She is innocent. She shouldn¡¯t take the responsibility for the things between us adults¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Henry frowned unhappily and looked at her with obvious impatience. ¡°I mean, even if we have broken up, I have watched Anne grow up. If she is not happy¡­¡± ¡°Miss Kawn, I didn¡¯t know that you misunderstood our rtionship so deeply!¡± Henry interrupted her without hesitation, as if he didn¡¯t want to see her continue to be touched by herself. ¡°We have never been together. How could we break up? Besides, Anne is my daughter. Whether she is happy or not doesn¡¯t need an outsider to judge!¡± Selena didn¡¯t know what to say. She stayed therepletely. The man¡¯s cold face and ruthless words were deeply stabbed into her heart like a sword. She didn¡¯t expect that the rtionship between them after so many years became nothing to him. She shook her head, tears rolling down involuntarily. She opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but the man interrupted her impatiently. ¡°Well, you can go out if you don¡¯t have anything else!¡± ¡­ Finally, Selena cried and ran out. With a document in hand, Brian walked in and just brushed past her. Seeing that she cried and left, Brian touched his chest with lingering fear and then walked into the office. ¡°Mr. Han, why did your aunt and Miss Kawn leave like that?¡± Henry raised his eyebrows and nced at Brian. ¡°How is everything at home?¡± Hearing that, Brian was stunned for a while. Then he got his sense back and quickly answered, ¡°Everything is fine. I just called and asked Mrs. Dottie. Mrs. Dottie said that Mrs. Han is in a good mood and even ate much at noon!¡± Henry frowned. Just as Brian thought he was going to say something very serious, he suddenly said, ¡°How could she eat so much when she is sick? Didn¡¯t she know that she couldn¡¯t eat much when she gets sick?¡± Brian was speechless. ¡®Mr. Han, don¡¯t you think you have focused on an unimportant matter?¡¯ Brian thought like this. In the evening, Henry returned to the Han Mansion. In the afternoon, Zoey in bed for a long time. After taking the medicine, she had recovered a lot. At night, she was bored and even cooked several dishes herself. That was what Henry saw when he returned home. All the people in the kitchen were not allowed in. The little woman in the home dress was wearing an apron, standing there with a spoon stirring the soup in the pot. She scooped out a little and stretched out her neck as if she wanted to taste it. Half of her snow-white neck was exposed in the warm yellow light, and a few strands of ck hair fell cutely on her shoulders, swaying slightly with her movements. Henry felt a little itchy when he saw this scene. He waved his hand to ask Mrs. Dottie out, and then walked over quietly. Zoe had cooked soup today. She felt that no matter what had happened, she couldn¡¯t let it affect her mood to eat. When she was about to taste it, she suddenly felt someone approaching behind her. She thought it was a servant in the kitchen, so she didn¡¯t turn around and asked casually, ¡°What time is it? If it¡¯s about time, please bring the dishes to the dining room. The soup doesn¡¯t taste well and needs to be cooked a little longer¡­ ¡° 134 Before Zoe finished her words, she suddenly felt warm on her back. Then her waist was wrapped by a pair of hands. She was startled, letting out a scream. When she turned around, she saw the man¡¯s smiling handsome face. ¡°Henry?¡± Zoe breathed a sigh of both relief and shock, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me when you came in? You freaked me out!¡± As she spoke, she patted herself on the chest. She was wearing a loose v-neck t-shirt. When she bent down her head, Henry could see her delicate corbones. Henry¡¯s eyes were darkened. He didn¡¯t speak. Lowering his head, he pecked on her lips first and then started to kiss her eyebrows and eyes. Zoe was confused by his sudden enthusiasm. She was quite slim, trapped between his chest and the ss worktop. She couldn¡¯t dodge at all but only be forced to hold her head up and feel his kiss. Henry kissed her for a long while before letting her go. With his forehead pressing hers, he chuckled. Zoe gasped for several breaths and finally came back her to senses, still a bit confused. ¡°Why? What happened?¡± Henry seemed quite abnormal today. He was always enthusiastic to her, but he still paid attention to the asion. He wouldn¡¯t do anything intimate to her in a ce like the kitchen at all. Zoe wondered what was wrong with him today. Henry smiled. Reaching out, he tossed the hair behind her ear. He whispered to ask, ¡°Have you met my aunt?¡± Zoe was taken aback. Gazing at him with her watery eyes, she asked, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°She came to find me in mypany earlier.¡± ¡°Toin about me?¡± Henry was quite honest. He didn¡¯t hide it, nodding. Zoe felt quite amused. She slightly took a step back, leaning against the worktop. However, she was still in the man¡¯s arms. Holding her arms, she said with a faint smile, ¡°I¡¯ve offended your aunt who has brought you up. Mr. Han, how will you punish me?¡± Henry raised his eyebrows. ¡°Well, I must punish you.¡± Suddenly, he bent down his head, his face approaching her. When their lips almost touched, Zoe immediately moved back. Feeling guilty, she took a nce at the door of the kitchen. After ensuring that no one was peeping, she said in an embarrassed and angry tone, ¡°What are you doing? Stop it!¡± Henry giggled. He was quite tall with his long legs. His arms were stretching to each side of her body. His shadow almost covered herpletely. Even the air seemed to be fulfilled with happiness and sweetness. Zoe blushed for some reason. She didn¡¯t know what this man was doing. Seeing that he was motionless, she reached out to push his chest. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to do, just go out. I haven¡¯t finished cooking the soup yet.¡± Henry grabbed her hand. ¡°My aunt is quite short-tempered. She always believes others easily. But she¡¯s not a bad person. I do apologize on her behalf to you. It won¡¯t happen again in the future.¡± Zoe was slightly taken aback. Looking up at the man in front of her, she saw the soft light fall from above his head, covering his cool and handsome face with a hazy halo. She had never expected that he would say those words to her. Actually, she didn¡¯t feel aggrieved, but she felt quite ufortable. However, in her opinion, the rtionship between Henry and her was different from that between her and his aunt. Hence, even if he didn¡¯t exin, she wouldn¡¯t care at all. However, this man¡­ She felt warmth from the bottom of her heart, which warm up her whole heart. Zoe curled up her lips into a smile. Shaking her head, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t take it to heart. In fact, I also spoke some words that I shouldn¡¯t. After all, she¡¯s your aunt and has brought you up. I hope my words wouldn¡¯t hurt the rtionship between her and you.¡± Henry smiled. Reaching out to rub her hair, he said in a doting tone, ¡°Silly girl!¡± ¡­ They didn¡¯t leave the kitchen until a long whileter. In the evening, Mr. K called Zoe, telling her that his investigation had some progress. Five years ago, Helen transferred a huge amount of money to a bank ount. The ount owner was an auto-repair man, named Erik Spears. Back then, Kiera often went to the auto-repair nt Erik Spears worked in. As long as her car had any problem, she would send the car to that nt. Mr. K wanted to catch the man and let Zoe interrogate Erik Spears in person, but some ident happened on the way. He ran away. Upon hearing the news, Zoe felt as if her heart was pinched by a huge hand. After taking a few deep breathes, she finally suppressed the anger in her chest. She said solemnly, ¡°I got it.¡± Mr. Kforted her on the phone, ¡°Although we didn¡¯t catch him, we managed to have the evidence. Your mother¡¯s car ident must have something to do with that woman. What¡¯s your n next then?¡± ¡°She killed my mother. She should pay with her life.¡± ¡°But the evidence in your hand isn¡¯t enough to sue them for murder.¡± ¡°Ho! Really? Then we can do it step by step. I¡¯ll make them return all the things that they have snatched from my mother and make them pay the price for whatever they framed me before.¡± ¡­ On the second day. A shrill scream was heard in Gil Mansion suddenly. ¡°Bang!¡± The door of the bathroom was smashed open. Annie trotted out with a pale face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± Upon hearing the exim, Helen rushed over with the servants as well as Jaden, who had just got home. Holing the wall, with an extremely pale face, Annie pointed in the direction where the bathroom was with her trembling fingers. ¡°Blood¡­ So much blood¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Everyone raised their head and looked over at the bathroom, only to find that the white floor was covered with blood. The crimson blood came out from the corner, just like the equinox flower blossom in hell, impacting everyone¡¯s sight. All of them looked pale. Helen looked annoyed. Jaden roared in anger, ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Who cleaned the bathroom today?¡± A servant stood out in the crowd timidly. ¡°Mr. Gil, I did it.¡± Jaden pointed at the blood on the floor. ¡°What¡¯s this? Is that how you do your job?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. The servant immediately shook her head, looking quite shocked and horrified. ¡°Mr. Gil, I have nothing to do with it. I have cleaned the bathroom. I also don¡¯t know where the blood was from.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know, who else would? You¡¯re in charge of it. Except you, is there anyone in the house who hase in?¡± ¡°But I truly haven¡¯t done anything. Mr. Gil, I like my job here. Why would I have to do such a thing? It¡¯s really not me!¡± The servant was so panicked, almost bursting into tears. With a tightened face, after a moment of silence, Annie said in a deep tone, ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t think she has done it.¡± Of course, Jaden although thought so. However, he was quite panic and couldn¡¯t me anyone for it for the time being, so he vented his anger on the servant. 135 Upon hearing it, Jaden looked over at Annie nervously. ¡°Annie, what on earth is going on? How could such a thing appear in our house so suddenly? It¡¯s really a big sign.¡± Annie took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened either. However, since it appeared in our house, we should gather everyone together and do some investigation.¡± Jaden nodded. ¡°That makes sense. Just do what you suggested.¡± Right then, they heard Ciara¡¯s old voice. ¡°What happened? Why are you all standing here?¡± Seeing her, Jaden looked like a drowning man who had seen thest straw to save his life. He trotted over immediately. ¡°Mom, here you came finally! Come to have a look. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here.¡± As he spoke, he led Ciara to the door of the bathroom. Seeing the blood on the floor, Ciara immediately looked annoyed. She paced the floor with her walking stick heavily. ¡°Bastard! Who did it?¡± Helen exined, ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. Annie found it when using the bathroom in the morning.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t have any guests at home in the past two days. The bathroom was cleaned every day. It has to be someone in this house. Look into the matter! No matter who did it, we must find out the person!¡± The mansion became chaotic in an instant. Shortly after, someone found a clue. The blood on the floor was pig blood. At half past seven this morning, a delivery man sent over a few boxes. He used the bathroom. Of course, the servant didn¡¯t allow him to use the bathroom that Annie used. However, the bathroom that the delivery man used was pretty close to Annie¡¯s bathroom. At that time, all the servants were quite busy in the house, so naturally, they didn¡¯t pay any attention to it. Soon, the delivery man just left. Later, when Annie got up to use the bathroom, she found the blood. Since the truth was found out, all of them couldn¡¯t help but heave sighs of relief. Although they didn¡¯t know the motivation and purpose why the other party had done so, as long as it wasn¡¯t done by anyone in the house, they didn¡¯t have to be worried. Right then, Annie¡¯s phone started ringing. She pulled it out to take a look at the screen, and it was from Steven. Steven had known that she was taking a rest recently, so in order not to disturb her, he seldom called her so early. Hence, Annie was a bit surprised to receive his call. When the call was connected, she heard Steven say in a panic, ¡°Annie, have you checked the news online yet?¡± Annie was taken aback, feeling quite confused, ¡°Not yet. I just got up. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯d better check the news online. They are all about you. Call me after you¡¯ve read them.¡± After that, he hung up the phone. Annie was a bit confused. She logged on to Twitter and checked her news. Her expression changed dramatically. A lot of posts about her family background had appeared online. Some said her mother was a mistress and she was an illegitimate child. Some even said that they murdered Jaden¡¯s first wife just because she and her mother wanted to get into the rich family. She checked the very first post about her that day and found it was posted right after midnight. A lot of influential ounts had forwarded this post. Right then, there was an uproar about her online. There were even some trending topics. Annie wondered what was going on. Seeing that her expression was quite abnormal, Helen approached and took a look. When she saw that she was called a murderer, she could not help but tremble violently. ¡°Those¡­ those are all bullshit! All rumors! I¡¯m going to sue them!¡± Neither Jaden nor Ciara knew what happened. They frowned. When they pulled out their phones and read the news, their expressions changed as well. ¡°Who the hell is behind it? First, the pig blood was poured into our house. Now this kind of post was posted online. Obviously, it targeted Annie and our Gil family!¡± Ciara was furious. Jaden sneered. ¡°Who else could it be? Except for that damned girl, nobody else dared to post such news in public.¡± ¡°Do you mean Zoe?¡± Helen pretended to be surprised. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think it was she. What¡¯s so good for her if she had made the Gil family doomed?¡± ¡°Humph! Haven¡¯t you understood yet? As long as we don¡¯t have a good life, she¡¯ll be delighted. The damned girl! If I had known it, I shouldn¡¯t have kept her more than twenty years ago. Finally, I managed to get rid of that woman. Now, she¡¯s making trouble to me!¡± Before Jaden finished hisint, Ciara red at him fiercely to make him stop. He suddenly stopped and shushed. Ciara said in a solemn tone, ¡°No matter who has done it, we must resolve the current problems. Annie, call your agent as soon as possible. I¡¯ll also ask someone to rify the rumors for you. Ask the attorney to get prepared. They could send those people thewyer¡¯s letterter. As for thepany, although it¡¯s Gil Group now, a lot of senior shareholders were still from the original Hawkins Group. So far, we can¡¯t do anything to them yet. I¡¯m afraid the news can¡¯t be suppressed right now. We must convince them and calm them down. That¡¯s all. Go ahead.¡± Upon hearing Ciara¡¯s order, none of them spoke. They went to take action. However, Ciara went back to her room alone.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Jaden,e with me.¡± ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± Jaden followed Ciara into her room. Ciara sat on a dark red rocking chair. Rubbing her temples tiredly, she asked, ¡°Have you met that girl recently?¡± Jaden knew whom she referred to without asking. In a hurry, he answered, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Did Annie piss her off again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Annie is preparing for a new project, so she has been reading the scripts all day long. She seldom goes out.¡± ¡°Then she still hates us for what we didst time? Because of Randy Kruf?¡± Jaden sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t care if she hates us or not. Anyway, she always treats our family in this way. She never cares about what would happen to us. I regret keeping her back them. Now she has be such a disaster to me.¡± Ciara cast him a nce, her pale eyes full of shrewdness. ¡°You canin like this to me in private. You can¡¯t mention it again in the presence of Helen and Annie.¡± Jaden was startled. Then he curled his lips in disdain, muttering, ¡°We¡¯re family. Why do I need to hide it?¡± Although he was whispering, how could Ciara ignore what he said? She said solemnly, ¡°Your wife seems to love you a lot, but how can you know what she really thinks. Back then, she could drive the car to hit Kiera to death without any hesitation or a blink. She must be quite ruthless. Nowadays, people always changed their minds. You¡¯d better not tell her everything. As for Annie¡­¡± 136 Ciara paused a bit, heaving a sigh. ¡°She¡¯s a filial girl. Unfortunately, she¡¯s a girl and will eventually get married. I don¡¯t think she could inherit such a big family and business.¡± Jaden stiffened, looking at her gingerly. Ciare reached out and picked up the teacup next to her, taking a sip. Then she continued, ¡°Hubert ising back recently, isn¡¯t he?¡± Hubert Gil, Jaden¡¯s nephew, was the only son of Ciara¡¯s youngest son. He was Ciare¡¯s grandson. Since Jaden married Kiera, the daughter of the richest family in Julio, the Gil family also climbed up the socialdder rapidly. Unfortunately, the Gil family didn¡¯t have many family members. Ciara only had two sons. Jaden¡¯s younger brother, Percy had passed away because of an illness, leaving a pregnant wife. Later, Kiera sympathized with them a lot, so she helped them move to Julio and bought them a house. Percy¡¯s wife, Amy, was a cold and aloof woman. Although she and her son were staying in the same city with them, she seldom contacted the Gil or the Hawkins family. Kiera respected her. Since she knew that Amy didn¡¯t want to keep in touch with them, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to Amy and her son if there was nothing important. Only ten years ago, when Hubert was going abroad, Amy didn¡¯t have much money at that time, so Kiera helped them again. Although they should be quite close, they didn¡¯t keep in touch in the past, which was kind of weird. Upon hearing Ciara¡¯s questions, Jaden nodded, his eyes twinkling. ¡°Yes. I called him earlier. He said he¡¯sing back in April this year.¡± ¡°Good. As long as he¡¯lle back. He¡¯s a child of our Gil family, and he¡¯s a straight A-student, a smart kid. I believe Gil Group will develop better after he takes it over.¡± Jaden frowned subtly. Ciara didn¡¯t speak anything else. Waving her hand, she said, ¡°All right. Go ahead to deal with the things you should. I¡¯m so tired now. I¡¯ll take a nap.¡± Jaden nodded. ¡°Okay, Mother.¡± ¡­ On the other side. Zoe was fully concentrated on her work. Curtis had a pretty tight schedule recently, but those were some minormercial activities. After all, he had juste back to Ambario, he was still deciding on the bigger activities. The only big activity recently should be his concert, which was held particrly for his fans. It was a small concert, and would only be held once. It wouldst for two hours, and there were only a small amount of tickets, either. It wasn¡¯t amercial activity. He held such a concert just because he hade back to Ambario not long ago. Although he had a lot of fans, due to his limited domestic activities, he didn¡¯t have many loyal fans. Most of them only fancied his appearance or only showed their asional interests to him.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. The small concert that Zoe was nning for him was like a meet-and-greet for him, just for drawing him closer to the audience, so that he would have some loyal fans soon. After all, it was quite different in Ambario and overseas they must have the ability to protect Curtis from the anti-fans and fake fans. When Curtis was developing his career abroad, he didn¡¯t pay attention to those factors, so he didn¡¯t have much experience in being an idol. This concert was also a foundation for their efforts in the future. The concert was a big sess. As an experienced superstar in the entertainment business, Curtis knew how to obtain his fans¡¯ hearts very well. Just after he had sung a few songs, the fans offstage had screamed themselves hoarsely. The atmosphere at the scene was extremely good. Zoe kept an eye on the concert in person. Seeing such a result, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. When she was about to leave before the concert ended, she saw a familiar small figure in the corner of the auditorium. Anne? She wondered why the little girl was here. Zoe looked around carefully but didn¡¯t find any adult next to her. The little girl was sitting there alone, watching the stage concentrated. Her tender and fair face were covered by the ck shadow, making Zoe feel so sorry for her. In a hurry, Zoe strode over. ¡°Hey, Anne? Why are you here alone? Where is your family?¡± The little girl withdrew her gaze from the stage. When seeing her, Anne widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°Mommy!¡± She hopped off from the chair delightfully, pouncing at Zoe. Zoe hurriedly reached out and caught her. Meanwhile, an employee, who came to report to her, gaped. ¡°Is Miss Gil married already?¡± ¡°Miss Gil even already has a child?¡± Inwardly, the employee couldn¡¯t help but exim, wondering what a big gossip they had missed. Zoe didn¡¯t know what was going on in the employee¡¯s mind at all. She took over the report from the employee and asked her to go back to her work first. Then she put down the little girl. Looking at her seriously, Zoe asked, ¡°Anne, why are you here alone? Where is your great-grandmother?¡± Since she mentioned it, Anne curled her lips immediately. ¡°My great-grandmother and I got lost again. Mommy, why don¡¯t you take me home? Let me stay with you.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Zoe was startled and found it hrious. ¡°Anne, you can¡¯t speak such words to a stranger. It¡¯ll be quite dangerous. Tell me. Where did you get lost with your great-grandmother? I can take you to find her.¡± Anne tilted her head, blinking at Zoe with her big eyes. ¡°But, we¡¯re not strangers. Mommy, you are the best mommy in the world. How can you be a stranger?¡± Zoe smiled helplessly. She squatted down and exined patiently, ¡°But we¡¯ve just met each other not long ago. If I have an evil mind, you¡¯ll be in danger, won¡¯t you?¡± Upon hearing it, Anne looked as if she was thinking about her words carefully. After a long while, she nodded reluctantly. ¡°All right. I know you said that for my own good. I ept your kindness.¡± As she spoke, she patted Zoe¡¯s head seriously as if she was saying, ¡°All right. I know you don¡¯t believe there¡¯s true love in this world, but I don¡¯t mind. I respect your opinion.¡± Zoe found it all the more hrious. Since there was no one around, she lifted Anne. ¡°Okay, Anne. Tell me. Where did you get lost? I¡¯m taking you to find your great-grandmother now.¡± Anne seemed to be a bit reluctant, but she still nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay!¡± She showed Zoe that her great-grandmother and she were separated by the crowd when entering the concert hall. Upon hearing it, Zoe was so angry. How careless Anne¡¯s parents were! Anne was so little and they just let such an olddy take care of her. Zoe wondered why they could rest assured of that. Her great grandmother was old already, so she couldn¡¯t hold Anne for a long time. Anne was still a little kid. Once they went to a crowded ce, it was pretty easy for them to separate. Zoe wondered what was on the mind of Anne¡¯s parents. While inwardly cursing, Zoe asked the staff working at the front desk to help them look for the granny. Anyway, everyone who hade here for the concert should be in the hall right now and hadn¡¯t left yet. 137 After telling the front desk staff, since they might not be able to find the granny so fast, Zoe didn¡¯t think it would be so proper to stay at the entrance. Hence, she took Anne to the lounge backstage. Right then, Curtis happened to be taking a break. He had changed his costume and was drinking a bottle of water, taking the two-minute break. Seeing Zoe came in with a little girl in her arms and hearing the girl calling her Mommy, Curtis was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out. ¡°Wait! Zoe, you can¡¯t tell me this is your daughter. I heard you¡¯re married. But when do you have such a big kid?¡± Zoe eyed him fiercely. ¡°Shut up. I know you are not mute.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ No way¡­ Where did you get this little pinky girl from?¡± Zoe put the little girl to sit down and sent someone to buy some drinks that kids liked. She exined, ¡°I have the fate with this little girl. I¡¯ve met her twice, both because she got lost. Since I saw her, I can¡¯t leave her alone outside. I¡¯ve sent someone to find her family, so I just took her here for the time being.¡± Only then did Curtis understand. He asked curiously, ¡°But, why does she call you Mommy?¡± Upon hearing his question, Zoe felt a migraine. She didn¡¯t know why the little girl called her Mommy as soon as she saw her and kept calling her this way. Helplessly, she squatted down and looked into Anne¡¯s eyes, staring at her seriously. ¡°Anne, could you change the way to address me in the future?¡± Anne blinked her watery big eyes and asked in confusion, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m not your Mommy. If you call me in this way, your real mommy would feel upset. You don¡¯t want your mommy to be upset, do you?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Anne curled her lips. ¡°But, I don¡¯t have a mommy!¡± Zoe was taken aback. So was Curtis. They never expected that such a cute little girl didn¡¯t have a mother. Zoe just felt as if part of her heart was pinched fiercely, feeling a strong pain. Immediately, she hugged the little girl, who almost burst into tears. Patting her on the back, Zoe said, ¡°Good girl, Anne. Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s my fault. You can call me whatever you like in the future. It¡¯s alright.¡± Anne slightly sobbed. Then she raised her chubby hand to wipe off her invisible tears. Looking at Zoe in a grievance, she said, ¡°I won¡¯t call you Mommy from now on. May I call you Aunt, please?¡± Zoe nodded immediately. ¡°Of course. You may.¡± Curtis said with a smile. ¡°This little girl is so adorable. If I haven¡¯t known your rtionship, I would have believed she¡¯s your daughter. She looked like you. Why don¡¯t you be her godmother? She likes you so much.¡± Zoe turned around and red at him. ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡± Although she liked Anne as well, she wasn¡¯t familiar with Anne¡¯s family. If she wanted to be Anne¡¯s godmother, she must obtain her parents¡¯ permission. Curtis smiled. He didn¡¯t speak anything else. Bending over, he started teasing Anne. ¡°Little girl, do you know who I am?¡± Anne tilted her head, blinking at Curtis. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you before. You are Curtis!¡± Curtis immediatelyughed out. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m Curtis! Nice to meet you, sweetheart.¡± Then he bumped Zoe with his elbow proudly. ¡°Have you heard it? She called you Aunt but called me by my name. Zoe, you¡¯vee back to Ambario for two years. It¡¯s time for you to do some skincare. You can¡¯t keep going aged.¡± Zoe pinched him on his waist violently. ¡°Curtis, you have a death wish, don¡¯t you?¡± Curtis groaned and dodged. Then with a cheeky smile, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. I was just kidding. You are still pretty. No one canpare to you in my heart.¡± Zoe gritted her teeth. ¡°Stop being so proud. After all, I don¡¯t have such a big nephew like you.¡± Upon hearing it, Curtis was taken aback. The makeup artist couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter and only then did he understand what Zoe meant by tit. Since Anne called Zoe Aunt and called Curtis by his name, Curtis was in the same generation as Anne. Hence, Zoe could naturally treat him as her nephew in this case. Upon realizing it, Curtis looked annoyed. ¡°Anne, you can call me Uncle in the future, Uncle Curtis. OK?¡± Anne curled her eyes when smiling. ¡°Curtis, you are an idol. An idol can¡¯t get old. If I called you uncle, it meant you are aged, so I can¡¯t call you Uncle Curtis.¡± Curtis was rendered speechless. He was so annoyed. This little girl seemed to know a lot. Finally, he couldn¡¯t insist on it. Without any self-confidence, he clenched his fists and squeezed a few words between his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m an idol? I¡¯m an actor! An aplished star. Alright?¡± Right then, the field assistant came to urge him, ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Chapman, the break time is over. All your fans outside are urging you now. Please go back to the stage!¡± Curtis snorted loudly. Then he swaggered out arrogantly. Almost half an hourter, she received a call from the front desk. They said a granny asked them to look for a child. After asking her for the details, they believe it should be Anne¡¯s great-grandmother. Hence, Zoe held Anne to the front desk. Sure enough, she saw the gray-haired granny who she had metst time standing there, looking quite anxious. The granny was quite aged, almost in her seventies. However, she had been taken good care of, so she looked quite healthy and energetic. However, Zoe didn¡¯t have the heart to scold a granny. After all, if there would be anyone to me, Anne¡¯s father should be med. He was so irresponsible to let the granny and a little kid go out alone. It shouldn¡¯t be the granny¡¯s fault. Once she put down Anne, the little girl trotted to the granny enthusiastically. ¡°Great-grandmother!¡± ¡°Anne!¡± The granny hugged the little girl delightfully. Then she stood up and looked at Zoe with a smiley face. ¡°Miss, you helped me find Anne again. It seems we¡¯re destined to meet.¡± Zoe forced a smile. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s just a lift of finger.¡± ¡°Oh, it might be so to you, but for me, you helped me a lot. I don¡¯t know how to thank you. How about this? Will you be freeter? How about I treat you to a dinner?¡± Zoe subconsciously wanted to refuse. ¡°No, thanks, Ma¡¯am. I still have work in the afternoon¡­¡± Before Zoe finished her words, the little girl interrupted her, ¡°Aunt Zoe, please! Let¡¯s have dinner together. I want to have dinner with you¡­¡± She tugged Zoe¡¯s hand, swinging and shaking it slightly. Raising her small head to stare at Zoe with her ck eyes, she looked so pitiful that Zoe failed to reject. 138 Zoe¡¯s heart seemed to melt immediately. She looked over at the granny, who was also staring at her with a begging look. How could she turn the granny and the little girl down? Finally, Zoe gave up her appointed business dinner in the evening. She drove the granny and the little girl to a parent-child restaurant in the city center. The decoration in this restaurant was quite warm and harmonious. It was the first time that Zoe came here. Besides them, a lot of parents took their kids over for dinner. The dining tables were on one side of the restaurant, and on the other side was a small amusement park. After ordering the dishes, Zoe encouraged Anne to go y with other kids in the amusement park because it would take a bit of time to wait for the dishes. However, Anna shook her head. Looking at the kids over there, she looked disdainful and alert. Zoe also noticed it. Although the little girl looked enthusiastic, inwardly, she did not like being with people that much in nature. She wondered what her parents would be like. However, Anne was quite intimate with her since they first met, which made Zoe felt a bit weird. ¡°Miss, I can tell Anne likes you so much. Usually, she doesn¡¯t like getting closer to a stranger at all. Even in our family, except for the closest ones, she wasn¡¯t willing to let others approach her. However, since you first met, she has liked you so much. I believe that¡¯s called fate,¡± said the granny slowly. Smiles were written all over her face and eyes. Zoe also smiled. She turned around to look at Anne, stroking her hair gently. ¡°Exactly. I also believe that we have the fate. Not only she likes me, but I also like her.¡± Upon hearing it, Anne curled her smiling eyes at her joyfully, like a coquettish kitten. Zoe became so obsessed with her cuteness. The granny said with a smile, ¡°By the way, you¡¯ve helped us twice already, but I still don¡¯t know your name.¡± ¡°Zoe. You can just call me Zoe.¡± ¡°Oh, I like your name, Miss Gil. You looked so young. Do you have a boyfriend?¡± Zoe curled up her lips. ¡°I¡¯m married.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The granny looked quite surprised. Then she said with a smile, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not surprising though. You are such an outstanding girl. You must have a lot of admirers. Who¡¯s so lucky to marry you?¡± Zoe didn¡¯t intend to disclose so much information about Henry to an outsider. Hence, she said with a smile, ¡°He¡¯s an outstanding man. I¡¯m so lucky.¡± ¡°Well, I can tell that your manners are extraordinary, and your appearance is noble. Probably he¡¯s the lucky one.¡± Zoeughed out, but she didn¡¯t give any remarks about it. The dishes were served pretty soon. Zoe didn¡¯t like talking while eating, but the granny kept chatting with her. Hence, she had to echo the granny from time to time. ¡°Zoe, you are so pretty. I¡¯m sure your husband must treat you well. Have you got any n to have a baby?¡± Zoe almost got choked up by the food in her mouth. She hurriedly took a sip of the water and answered, ¡°So far we don¡¯t have such a n yet.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Zoe wondered if that was her illusion after she answered this question, the granny knitted her brows somewhat. Feeling the atmosphere was bing a bit awkward, immediately, Zoe changed the subject. ¡°By the way, did youe to Julio for a trip with Anne alone? Did you have any friend or family here with you?¡± Earlier, Anne told her that she came to Julio for a trip with her great-grandmother. The granny shook her head. ¡°Nope. Only two of us came here.¡± Zoe subconsciously frowned. ¡°Please excuse me if I¡¯m too rude although I don¡¯t know Anne¡¯s father, I believe he¡¯s too careless that he dared to let you take Anne here for a trip alone. What if something happens to you?¡± The granny exined with a smile, ¡°It won¡¯t happen. We¡¯re quite careful. Besides, there are always more kind people in this world. If we¡¯re in trouble, we can ask them for help. Didn¡¯t we meet a kind-hearteddy like you?¡± Looking at the optimistic granny, Zoe twitched her mouth corners but didn¡¯t give any remarks. She had experienced the dark side of this world a lot of times. However, in Anne¡¯s presence, she didn¡¯t want to mention them. It seemed that the granny also figured out what was in her mind. She heaved a sigh helplessly. ¡°Actually, I also wanted her father to take her on the trip, but her father is way too busy. Anne wanted to travel around, so the duty fell on my old shoulders.¡± Zoe smiled. She said considerately, ¡°It must be a difficult job. But please try your best to pay more attention next time. Anne is still young. If you got lost and she met someone bad, it would be terrible.¡± The granny nodded hard. ¡°I know it. Zoe, thank you for your kindly reminder.¡± Zoe didn¡¯t speak more words. They finished the dinner pretty soon. After dinner, the granny took the initiative to pay for the bill. However, she fumbled in her pockets but failed to get any money. Her expression also changed. ¡°Shoot! I seemed to have lost my wallet!¡± Zoe¡¯s expression also changed slightly. ¡°When did you lose it? Can you remember anything?¡± The granny shook her head. They walked back to their table and looked around but failed to find anything. The granny looked so embarrassed. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m so embarrassed. I originally wanted to treat you to a dinner, but I¡¯ve lost my wallet¡­ Well¡­¡± Zoe said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just a meal. It¡¯s my treat for you then.¡± As she spoke, she gave her credit card to the waitress and paid for the bill.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Then she asked with concerns, ¡°Do you need me to go to the police station with you? You should have some important documents in your wallet. In that case, I¡¯m afraid you should report the loss first. Otherwise, it might cause you some unnecessary loss.¡± The granny waved her hand to refuse. ¡°Oh, not necessary. I just put some changes to it. I left all my documents in the hotel. Besides, there is nothing important in my wallet. No need to report to the police.¡± Seeing that, Zoe couldn¡¯t force her. She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll drive you back to the hotel.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you so much, Zoe.¡± Zoe drove the granny and the little girl back to their hotel. In a surprise, she found that they were staying in the most luxurious five-star hotel in Julio. Earlier, the granny told her that Anne¡¯s father was too busy to take the little girl out for a trip. She also recalled that Anne didn¡¯t have a mother. Hence, subconsciously, Zoe thought that Anne¡¯s father was quite busy making a living. However, judging from the hotel they stayed in, she felt that she had made a wrong guess. Zoe didn¡¯t overthink too much, though. After all, safety came first for a granny and a little kid. It was normal for them to stay in a high-end hotel. Zoe walked them in. Much to her surprise, they were stopped by the hotel staff at the entrance. 139 ¡°Excuse me. Are you the guests of Room 6602?¡± All three of them were taken aback. The granny hurriedly said, ¡°I¡­ We have something emergent to deal with upstairs now. If you have something to say,e back to meter. All right?¡± After finishing her words, she dragged Zoe and Anne to trot inside. However, they were stopped by the staff again. This time, not only the staff in the lobby but also two security guards also stood in front of them. They all looked quite serious. The staff from the lobby gazed at the granny and said seriously, ¡°Excuse me, Ma¡¯am. You haven¡¯t paid for the room for two days. You said you would pay it today, so we agreed to let you and your granddaughter continue staying here. But since this morning, we have failed to contact you. If you don¡¯t pay today, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t let you continue staying here.¡± Zoe was startled. She turned around to look over at the granny. The granny looked quite embarrassed. ¡°Well¡­ I nned to pay today, but my wallet was lost when I was having dinner earlier. Could you give me another two days? After I¡¯ve found my wallet, I¡¯ll pay for sure.¡± The staff heaved a sigh helplessly. ¡°But, Ma¡¯am, you¡¯ve already said the same thing two days ago.¡± The granny was silent. Zoe had never expected to encounter such an awkward scene. Anne walked up to tug that staff¡¯s sleeve, shaking slightly. She raised her cute face and stared at the staff with her jade like eyes, blinking. ¡°Miss, have my great-grandmother and I brought you any trouble? I¡¯m terribly sorry for that, but we truly have lost our wallet. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can ask Aunt Zoe. She is our witness.¡± As she spoke, Anne pointed at Zoe behind them. Zoe was speechless. She wondered howe suddenly she became the focus. How should she answer? Seeing that Zoe was a bit hesitant, the granny immediately winked at her in secret. Zoe found it literally hrious. Right then, she roughly understood what happened. Without looking at the granny again, she asked the staff directly, ¡°How much do they owe you?¡± ¡°Three days, that would be seventeen thousand six hundred and sixty-four in total.¡± Zoe nodded. Grandview was a high-end resort hotel, so naturally it cost a little more. Without speaking anything, she pulled out her credit card. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for them!¡± In embarrassment, the granny said, ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m so sorry for bothering you.¡± Zoe twitched her mouth corners and didn¡¯t expose the granny¡¯s lie. She rubbed Anne¡¯s hair. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just take it as a gift that I give to Anne. We are destined to meet but I haven¡¯t given her any gift yet.¡± Seeing that, Anna widened her bright eyes. With a delightful smile, she said, ¡°Thank you so much, Aunt Zoe!¡± The hotel staff then took over Zoe¡¯s car for the payment. After it was done, Zoe asked the granny, ¡°What¡¯s your n now? Do you have any ce to stay?¡± The granny felt quite guilty. She wasn¡¯t so talkative as she was when they were having dinner. Shrinking backward, she stammered, ¡°No¡­ No, we don¡¯t.¡± Zoe paused a bit, feeling quite unhappy about the granny¡¯s behaviors. It was obvious that she was lying about losing her wallet or having a trip. The granny took Anne with her for free lunches and amodations, and she had even chosen such a high-end hotel. Zoe could understand that someone was leading a difficult life, but the granny had gone too far¡­ Heaving a sigh, Zoe didn¡¯t have the heart to scold her. She bent over and carried Anne in her arms. ¡°Well, in this case, you can stay in my house overnight. It¡¯s quitete now. Let¡¯s talk about your n tomorrow.¡± When the granny heard her suggestion, her eyes lit up. Anne also looked quite excited hearing her words. Wrapping her arms around Zoe¡¯s neck, she started to celebrate. ¡°Yeah! I can sleep with Mommy again!¡± Zoe was speechless. Anne had just changed the way to address her a few hours ago, but now she called Zoe Mommy again. Zoe felt quite helpless, but she wasn¡¯t in the mood to correct her again. Seeing that the granny agreed, she walked out with Anne in her arms. The car was driving steadily on the wide avenue. Zoe called Mrs. Dottie ahead, informing her that she was bringing two guests back home. Henry had a meeting at night, so Zoe knew probably he would stay in thepany till veryte as he had called her earlier. Hence, she didn¡¯t interrupt him but sent him a message. He should see it after the meeting. The car was pulled over in front of Han Mansion. Zoe got off the car, opened the door for them, and carried Anne out. Mrs. Dottie had already got prepared at home after receiving the call. Upon hearing the sound of the engine outside, she knew that Natalia had arrived home, so she hurriedly walked out.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you are back! Are the guests also he¡­?¡± She hadn¡¯t finished speaking thest word when seeing the granny and the little girl, and she gaped instantly. The granny cast her a nce, keeping calm. However, her shrew eyes were full of warnings. Mrs. Dottie immediately covered her mouth. Anne had been trotting into the house excitedly. ¡°Yeah! Here I am again! I¡¯ll sleep with Mommy tonight!¡± Mrs. Dottie¡¯s widened eyes became more widened. She noticed how Anne had called Zoe. ¡®Has Miss Anne and Mrs. Han met and known each other¡¯s identity already? ¡®What on earth is going on?¡¯ she thought to herself. Under Mrs. Dottie¡¯s shocking gaze, Zoe walked into the vi while holding the granny¡¯s and Anne¡¯s hands. ¡°Mrs. Dottie, this is Anne and her great-grandmother, Ariana. Please get me two guestrooms. They¡¯ll stay here tonight.¡± Mrs. Dottie swallowed. She truly wanted to speak something, but when she met Ariana¡¯s sharp eyes, Mrs. Dottie swallowed the words back. She turned around to clean the guestrooms. Ariana turned around and looked at Zoe with a smile. ¡°Miss Gil, I¡¯m so sorry for troubling you. Thank you so much for taking us in.¡± Zoe smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Anne is still so little. I can¡¯t let her suffer that much.¡± Anne tugged her hand. Zoe thought that she wanted to say something, so she subconsciously bent over to listen to her. However, the little girl tiptoed suddenly and pecked on Zoe¡¯s cheek. Zoe was stunned. Then, the little girl said in a clear tone, ¡°Thank you, Mommy.¡± Zoeughed out. After the guestrooms were ready, Zoe sent them to bed. Anne insisted on sleeping with her, but Henry woulde home tonight, so Zoe dared not to agree with her. She negotiated with Anne for a long time and promised that she would tell her bedtime stories and send her to sleep before leaving the room, Anne finally agreed. Mrs. Dottie watched them get along so intimately, and she felt soplicated. Thest time when Anne came here, Mrs. Dottie was on holiday, so she didn¡¯t know it. Right then, when she saw Zoe was fully obsessed with the little girl, Mrs. Dottie felt quite happy and a bit worried. She could tell that Miss Anne had admitted Zoe to be her mother, which was supposed to be a good thing. However, the old Mrs. Han insisted on hiding her true identity from Mrs. Han. Mrs. Dottie wondered how this farce would end finally. Thinking of that, she couldn¡¯t help pitying Zoe. 140 Although Mrs. Dottie pitied Zoe a lot, under Ariana¡¯s sharp gaze, she dared not to utter any beep. Shortly after, Henry arrived home. He had seen Zoe¡¯s message but he didn¡¯t think anything wrong as he just thought Zoe had invited her friends to stay overnight. He wasn¡¯t interested to know who the guests were. However, all his thoughts were broken in shock when he entered his house. In the living room, Ariana and Anne were sitting on the sofa. Since it wasn¡¯t bedtime yet and Zoe was taking a shower, the granny was ying some rope game with Anne. Mrs. Dottie was watching them with a smile while standing aside. On the TV was Anne¡¯s favorite cartoon. It was so warm and harmonious. ¡°You¡­¡± Henry said in surprise. ¡°Oops, you must be Zoe¡¯s husband. You are so handsome, young man!¡± Suddenly, Ariana stood up from the sofa, looking at Henry with a smile. Henry choked up and couldn¡¯t finish his words at all. Mrs. Dottie¡¯s mouth corners slightly twitched. In a hurry, she walked up to take over the suit jacket from Henry¡¯s hands. ¡°Good evening, Mr. Han. You¡¯re back.¡± Henry took an extremely deep breath to suppress the shock in his heart. When he was about to say something, he heard Zoe¡¯s voice from the stairs. ¡°Hey, Henry. You¡¯re back.¡± She had just finished a shower, wearing a nightgown. Her wet hair was wrapped in a towel. She walked downstairs quickly. ¡°Let me introduce this is Anne, and this is her great-grandmother, Ariana. They are my new friends and will stay here tonight. Is that OK?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Zoe was quite worried that Henry would say no. After all, this man looked quite easy-going, but he could be quite tough sometimes. She had found that he didn¡¯t like any outsiders toe into his home. Last time, when Victoria came over, Henry wasn¡¯t happy. Henry took another deep breath. He nced at Ariana, who kept smiling on her face. However, if anyone knew her well, he would find that her aged eyes were full of warnings and sharpness. Then he tilted his head to nce at the little girl sitting on the sofa. With fair skin and a pair of bright eyes, she looked like a priceless and fragile porcin doll, blinking her expectant eyes at him. She didn¡¯t look guilty at all after everything they had done. Henry felt quiteplicated for a moment. Seeing that he was silent, Zoe misunderstood that he wasn¡¯t happy but he couldn¡¯t express it for her sake. Hence, she approached him closer and tugged his sleeve slightly. She whispered, ¡°They are quite pitiful. Their family doesn¡¯t care about them. They came to town for a trip, but their wallet was stolen. Now they don¡¯t have any money and couldn¡¯t stay outside¡­¡± Henry sneered. Tilting his head, he looked over at Zoe. ¡°Quite pitiful? Their family doesn¡¯t care about them?¡± Zoe nodded seriously. Henry tries his best to suppress the unhappiness in his heart. ¡°All right. If they¡¯d like to stay here, just let them be. Come with me.¡± As he spoke, he walked upstairs directly. Looking at his darkened face and his fast-receding figure, Zoe felt a migraine. She rubbed her forehead. ¡°Zoe, are we disturbing you?¡± asked Ariana in embarrassment. Zoe smiled. ¡°Not really. That¡¯s just how he is. He looks cool but warm-hearted. He didn¡¯t mean anything. Please don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Okay. That¡¯s good then.¡± ¡°Ehn. It¡¯s quitete now. You should go to bed early. I¡¯ll go upstairs.¡± ¡°Uh, OK. Good night, Miss Zoe.¡± Afterforting the granny, Zoe followed Henry upstairs quickly. In the bedroom, second floor. Henry undid his tie. When turning around, he saw the woman sneaking in gingerly. Seeing how she was afraid he would be angry, he instantly found it hrious. He sat down on the bed, waiving at her. ¡°Come over!¡± Zoe knew that he wasn¡¯t happy, so she dared not to turn him down at this moment. She answered in a low voice and walked over. When she approached him, she felt her wrist was tightly grabbed. He pulled her to sit down on hisp, and she also fell into his arms. With a slight exim, Zoe subconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck. She asked shyly, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Henry looked at her solemnly. ¡°How did you meet them?¡± Zoe was a bit taken aback. She didn¡¯t expect that he would ask her such a question. Hence, she told him exactly how she had encountered Anne twice. Probably it was her illusion. The more she spoke, the more annoyed the man looked. She just thought that he wasn¡¯t happy because strangers came into their house tonight. However, she truly liked Anne. She couldn¡¯t kick the little girl out sote. Hence, she held his neck and begged, ¡°Just one night, OK? I promise I¡¯ll help them contact their family tomorrow morning. We won¡¯t trouble you!¡± Henry looked at her, chuckling This woman was way too innocent, and cute. Finally, he nodded in agreement, pinching her waist gently. ¡°Okay, how will you bribe me then?¡± Henry blushed. She knew what he aimed for. Approaching him, she quicklynded a peck on his lips. When she was about to move back, a big palm pressed on the back of her head. The man pulled her into his arms and the kiss grew wilder. After the kiss, Zoe opened her eyes, panting. She saw the man¡¯s handsome and wless face, on which his deep eyes were full of desire. ¡°Another half a month.¡± Zoe was slightly startled. When she understood what he meant, she bit her bottom lip. Her white teeth chewed the red bottom lip, making it look like an appetizing red cherry. Henry¡¯s eyes were deepened, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing. He suppressed the desire in his heart and said in a deep tone, ¡°You¡¯ve promised me. You can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± Zoe slightly nodded. Half an hourter, Zoe walked out of the bedroom and headed to the guestroom downstairs. In the room, Anne had already finished taking a bath under the servant¡¯s help. She was leaning on the bedhead, waiting for Zoe¡¯s bedtime story. When Zoe entered, she saw the little girl wearing a pink fluffy pajama, which was found by the servant out of nowhere. She looked extremely cute. It made the girl¡¯s snow-white skin more like a cute porcin doll. ¡°Aunt Zoe, you finally came!¡± The little girl always called her whatever she liked. Since she knew that the little girl didn¡¯t have a mother, Zoe didn¡¯t want to correct her anymore. With a smile, she walked to the bed and sat on the edge. ¡°Yeah, here I am. Anne, what story would you like to listen to?¡± ¡°I want to listen to The Snow Queen¡¯s story.¡± ¡°The Snow Queen again?¡± Zoe found that the little girl liked Snow Queen a lot. Last time, she also wanted to listen to this story. Fortunately, she had known itst time. Also, she had checked the story online when she was free. Hence, this time, she told Anne a moreplete story. The little girl nestled in her arms, listening to Zoe quietly. Soon, she fell asleep. 141 Looking at the little girl¡¯s peaceful and soundly sleeping face, Zoe felt her heart softened. She gently pulled out her arm and put Anne down. The little girl talked in her sleep. Subconsciously, she grabbed Zoe¡¯s hand and called her gently, ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Zoe was slightly taken aback, feeling a pang in her heart. She felt sorrier for Anne and liked her more. She decided to stay a bit longer, patting Anne on her back gently. Until Anne had slept soundly, she withdrew her hand, turned off the light, and left the room. Outside the door, Ariana was standing at the door. When seeing Zoee out, she put on a bright smile immediately. ¡°Anne has fallen asleep now. Please don¡¯t worry. You should go to bed earlier as well.¡± Ariana nodded. ¡°Miss Gil, it¡¯s so nice of you.¡± Zoe was stunned and then smiled.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. She didn¡¯t quite agree with the remark as she didn¡¯t think of herself as a nice person. However, she truly felt close to the kid by nature. Probably it was because Anne was so enthusiastic about her when they first met. Without overthinking, Zoe said good night to Ariana and went back to her bedroom. In the master bedroom on the second floor, Henry was sending his grandmother a message. Henry: ¡°What on earth are you doing?¡± Ariana: ¡°Shut up, you brat! If you dare to say a single word, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Henry: ¡°Grandma, if you want to meet Zoe, you cane over and meet her directly. Why would you have to take Anne and tell such a lie? You even taught Anne to lie!¡± Ariana: ¡°What do you know? If I weren¡¯t worried about your taste in women, would I need toe over to take a look at your wife? Humph! You don¡¯t appreciate my kindness at all. Just like your father, neither of you has a conscience!¡± Henry was speechless. He wondered why suddenly his father became the target. Henry: ¡°You¡¯ve seen her now. You should rest assured, right?¡± Ariana sent him a smiley emoji. ¡°Of course. I¡¯mpletely relieved. Zoe is a good girl. You can¡¯t bully her. Once I find that you don¡¯t treat her well, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Henry: ¡°You¡¯d better think how you would exin to her in the future.¡± After that, Henry didn¡¯t reply to his grandmother¡¯s message any longer. On the other side, Ariana put away her phone. Recalling what Henry just said, she felt guilty for some reason. Zoe was such a kind, considerate, and warm-hearted girl. Ariana wondered if Zoe would me her. The more she thought about it, the more unease Ariana felt. Anne didn¡¯t sleep quite deeply. In a daze, she woke up, only to find that her great-grandmother was standing there uneasily. Anne reached out to her. ¡°Great-grandma.¡± ¡°Anne, why are you awake?¡± Anne looked around but failed to find Zoe. Pouting, she asked, ¡°Where is Mommy?¡± ¡°Your mommy went to apany your daddy now. Sleep tight. I¡¯ll be with you.¡± Anne blinked. ¡°Mommy is apanying Daddy now. Are they going to give birth to my younger brother?¡± ¡°Exactly. Soon, you¡¯ll have a younger brother.¡± ¡°Okay. For my brother¡¯s sake, I won¡¯t be looking for Mommy now.¡± Anne felt relieved and fell asleep again. Ariana finally breathed a sigh of relief. Immediately she picked up her phone and sent Henry another message. ¡°Remember, you are not young now. You¡¯d better have a child as early as possible. Anne is so lonely. She needs apany.¡± Henry didn¡¯t reply to her at all. The next day. In the early morning, Zoe received a call from thepany. Something urgent happened to an artist, so she needed to deal with it as soon as possible. Originally, Zoe had nned to help Anne and her great-grandmother go home, but now she had to dy it. She needed to deal with the matter of herpany first. When leaving the house, Ariana saw her off with a smile. ¡°No worries, Miss Gil. Please go ahead with your work. You can help us after you¡¯re free.¡± Although Zoe felt weird hearing what the granny said, she didn¡¯t overthink, just nodding. Henry dyed his departure today intentionally or unintentionally. When Zoe was gone, his face finally went darkened. Looking at the elderly and the little girl in front of him, he asked seriously, ¡°Go back to Eqitin yourselves, or I¡¯ll ask someone to send you back. Choose!¡± Looking at his cold face, Ariana curled her lips unhappily. ¡°I have just met my granddaughter-inw and only stayed here for one night. How could I leave now?¡± The little girl also echoed while nodding, ¡°Exactly! I want to stay with Mommy!¡± Seeing that, Henry sneered. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll ask her toe back now and tell her the truth. As for the wording, you should know how to exin to her.¡± As he spoke, he was about to pull out the cell phone. Seeing that, Ariana¡¯s expression changed dramatically. She hurriedly stopped Henry. ¡°All right. All right. We¡¯ll leave, OK? You brat!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at him. With an extremely sad look, sheined, ¡°Since your childhood, I doted you so much and I brought you up. Now you are grown up, but you don¡¯t even let me stay in your house for a few more days. What an ungrateful grandson! If I had known it earlier, I should have left you on the street.¡± Henry looked at her, his face darkened. However, he was not in the mood to argue with her. He turned around and said to Brian, ¡°Send Mrs. Han and Miss Anne to the airport.¡± Brian nodded while answering. He drove the car over and opened the door for them with a smile. ¡°Mrs. Han and Miss Anne, please-¡± Ariana red at Archie and humped loudly. Then she took Anne to sit in the car reluctantly. Right after Zoe had arrived at thepany, she received a call from Ariana. She told Zoe that they had got in touch with their family, and they were on the way to the airport, ready to go home. Zoe was a bit surprised. However, since Ariana had got in touch with their family, there should be no problem. Still she asked them to take care of themselves. On the other end of the line, Anne said she woulde to visit Zoe again next time. Then they hung up the phone. In the airport, Ariana and Anne walked out of a convenience store, only to find two familiar figures not far away. Anne had a good sight. She called happily, ¡°Grandma Faye!¡± Then she trotted to the woman excitedly. Upon hearing the call, Faye Han looked back in surprise, only to find that a little girl dressed in pink rushed to and pounce at her. Faye was startled. Subconsciously, she reached out to hold the girl. When seeing Anne¡¯s face clearly, she gaped at her. ¡°Anne? Mom? Why are you here?¡± Standing aside, Selena slightly smiled and politely greeted them, ¡°Hi, Mrs. Han.¡± Ariana was also surprised to meet them here, nodding at them. She asked Faye, ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t you tell me you would go to watch a fashion show overseas? Why are you in Julio?¡± Faye stammered and couldn¡¯t utter a word, looking quite guilty obviously. Seeing that, Selena kept calm and said with a smile, ¡°The fashion show¡¯s schedule has been changed due to some ident. I heard thendscape in Julio is quite nice. Since we have time, I took auntie here for a trip.¡± 142 Faye finally returned to her senses. In a hurry, she echoed, ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s right. I came here for sightseeing.¡± Ariana cast a doubtful nce at her. ¡°For real? Why do I feel you are lying?¡± Faye kept silent. After all, Ariana was Faye¡¯s mother, so she knew Faye¡¯s character. As soon as seeing Faye¡¯s reaction, Ariana knew that she was lying. With a sneer, Ariana said, ¡°Faye, you went to bother Henry¡¯s wife, didn¡¯t you?¡± Faye was startled. Subconsciously, she wanted to deny it. However, Ariana suddenly interrupted her, ¡°All right. It¡¯s OK if you don¡¯t want to tell me the truth. I¡¯ve met Henry¡¯s wife. She¡¯s a good girl. I like her a lot. You can¡¯t meddle in between them or make any trouble to them. Understand?¡± Upon hearing it, Faye became angry. ¡°Mom, what are you talking about? What do you mean by making trouble? Do you know what kind of person that woman is?¡± ¡°Of course I know!¡± In Ariana¡¯s opinion, Zoe was a kind-hearted girl. She wasn¡¯t only a caring person but she also respected the elderly. Ariana had been observing her for the past few days. ¡°Mom, since you know it, why would you agree to her to be with Henry? Do you know what others say about her? If we allow this kind of woman to marry into the Han family, it¡¯ll be our shame!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Enough!¡± Ariana suddenly became angry. ¡°Those are just rumors! I don¡¯t care what others say. I only believe what I¡¯ve seen in person. You must go back to Eqitin with me right now! You can¡¯t stay here making trouble any longer. If you¡¯re not willing to go back, you¡¯d better note here anymore in the future!¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°Anne, let¡¯s go.¡± After finishing her words, Ariana took Anne away in anger. Looking at their receding figures, Faye was so angry that she almost puked blood. ¡°Selena, do you think my mother was bewitched by that woman? How could she trust that woman so much?¡± Selena slightly looked down, secretly clenching her fingers. After a moment, she smiled. ¡°Mrs. Han is always kind, so everyone looks kind-hearted to her. That¡¯s normal. Auntie, please calm down.¡± Faye rubbed her forehead, feeling a migraine. ¡°All right. All right. You don¡¯t need tofort me. I know in my mother¡¯s eyes, just anyone can be more important than me. Such a young girl! She hasn¡¯t married into our family yet and she can delight my mother and make my mother trust her so much. That¡¯s so ridiculous!¡± Selena asked tenderly, ¡°What should we do now?¡± Faye cast her a nce. ¡°What else can we do? My mother has given me the order. Of course, we should go back to Eqitin. Otherwise, I might not be able to enter the door of the Han house anymore.¡± Faye then took Selena back to Eqitin. On the other side, something happened to the Gil family again. This time, it happened at midnight. Right after Annie had fallen asleep, she suddenly heard a woman weeping outside the window. The cry, or more precisely, the whimpering, sounded like the cry of some small animal in the dark. Instantly, Annie woke up in fear. She widened her eyes, looking in the direction where the window was in the dark. All her nerves were tensed. The curtain moved, seemingly something lifted a corner of it. It was flying in the mid-air, looking like the outline of a woman. The outline flew towards her gradually just like a ck sharp paw, which was going to strangle her. ¡°Ah-!¡± letting out a horrified scream, Annie lifted her quilt and trotted outside of her room. Annie¡¯s bedroom was on the second floor, next to the bedroom of Helen and Jaden. Upon hearing her scream, they immediately put on clothes and trotted out to ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± They only found that Annie was wearing only her thin pajamas, her hair messy. With a frightened look, she red at the corner of her room, trembling all over in fear. ¡°She¡¯s here! She¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Who?¡± Everyone else was confused. The servants who trotted over after hearing the exim also looked puzzled when they saw the scene. ¡°What happened to Miss Annie?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡± Annie looked extremely pale. Suddenly, she grabbed Helen¡¯s wrist and said with widened eyes and in a trembling tone, ¡°Mom, she came back! She came back to kill me!¡± As soon as Helen heard it, her expression changed dramatically. Jaden snapped, ¡°What bullshit are you talking about? It¡¯s midnight. Who came back?¡± Helen cast him a sharp nce. All the servants around them looked nkly. Jaden suddenly realized something, and his expression also slightly changed. Right then, they heard a strict and old voice behind them. ¡°It¡¯s sote at night. What are you arguing about here?¡± With someone¡¯s help, Ciara walked over. Seeing her, Jaden said, ¡°It¡¯s Annie. There was something abnormal in her room. She ran out in fear just now.¡± When seeing Ciara, Annie looked as if a drowning woman had seen a piece of driftwood to save her life. Immediately, she trotted to Ciara. ¡°Grandma, help me! She¡¯s here. She came to kill me!¡± With a darkened face, Ciara looked around sharply. She snapped in a cold tone, ¡°Who came to kill you? A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder. Let me see who dares to y tricks in my presence today!¡± After finishing her words, she led a group of people into Annie¡¯s room. The delicately and luxuriously decorated bedroom looked the same as usual. When the light was on, except that the bed was a bit messy that showed Annie was lying on it earlier, everything looked normal. ¡°Annie, where is the woman you mentioned?¡± ¡°Near the window!¡± Annie gripped Ciara¡¯s arm, trembling all over while pointing at the window. ¡°Over there! I heard her crying. She also reached out to strangle me. I¡¯ve seen her.¡± Ciara frowned. Beside them, Helen said to two servants, ¡°You two, go take a look.¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Gil.¡± The servants walked over, pulled the curtain, and checked everywhere carefully, including the balcony outside. ¡°We¡¯ve checked everywhere. There¡¯s no one around.¡± Ciara turned to look at Annie. Thetter was standing there in a daze. She couldn¡¯t believe it at all. ¡°Impossible. I heard her voice, and I also saw her reaching out her hands to me¡­¡± ¡°Is it because you are too tired so you had an illusion?¡± Ciara loved this granddaughter a lot and she was even more so recently, since Zoe set her up and made her hide at home to avoid the scandal. Annie must feel quite stressed about that. Hence, although Ciara was woken up by her at midnight, she didn¡¯t be angry. Annie shook her head. ¡°But¡­ but I truly have seen her.¡± Helen looked over at the window. Frowning for a moment, she asked the servant to turn off the light. ¡°Mom, why did you ask them to turn off the light?¡± ¡°Annie, look! Are those the hands you¡¯ve seen?¡± Helen hinted at her to look over at the window. The next second, Annie started screaming. 143 ¡°Ah-Don¡¯te over! Don¡¯te over!¡± All the lights in the room were turned on. Annie huddled up in Ciara¡¯s arms. Ciara patted her gently on the back, heaving a sigh. ¡°Silly girl, it¡¯s nothing serious. Look carefully. That¡¯s just the curtain. You didn¡¯t close the window when sleeping, so the wind has blown the sheer curtain. The hands you mentioned were just the sheer curtain.¡± As Ciara spoke, she asked Annie to take a look herself. Annie looked over carefully for a while, only to find that the ghost that she mistook was truly the sheer curtain. She breathed a deep sigh of relief. ¡°Did I really have an illusion?¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°You must be quite stressful recently.¡± In fact, Ciare felt quite speechless when she saw how Annie was frightened by a curtain at the midnight and woke up everyone in the house. However, looking at Annie¡¯s¡¯s pale face, she didn¡¯t have the heart to me her. She patted Annie on her hand. ¡°All right. Stop thinking too much. Nothing is there. Go back to sleep.¡± Then, Ciara left with a group of people. Annie was standing motionlessly. Her lips parted, but she couldn¡¯t utter any word. Helen nce at her to calm her down and left. In the corridor, Ciara suddenly paused. She asked Helen, ¡°Has Annie been contacting people from Eqitin? How is it going?¡± Helen answered respectfully, ¡°The test has been done. They haven¡¯t given us the response yet, but that thing has been confirmed as real. I¡¯m sure there will be the feedback soon.¡± Ciara frowned, obviously unhappy about it. Hurriedly, Helen continued, ¡°After all, she¡¯s been missing over twenty years. It¡¯s normal for them to be cautious. That¡¯s a super-rich and powerful family. If they have confirmed that Annie was their child, they wouldn¡¯t ignore her.¡± Ciara snorted loudly. ¡°This matter is relevant to the whole Gil family. I can¡¯t let anything go wrong. Annie¡¯s future and the future of our family both rely on it. You better be more careful.¡± Helen answered immediately, ¡°I know, Mom.¡± Ciara didn¡¯t speak anything, walking away with the group of people. Helen gazed in the direction where Ciara had gone, exhaling gently. Jaden walked up from the back and sneered. ¡°It¡¯s me who managed to marry that Hawkins woman so that our Gil family could be rich and powerful now. But what does she do? She wants to give such a huge family and business to that brat. She doesn¡¯t care about me at all. How despicable!¡± Helen curled up her lips slightly. ¡°What¡¯s so important about the Gil family?¡± She looked down slightly, curling up her lips into a scheming smile. ¡°If this matter seeded truly, our Annie would be a rich and powerful girl. By then, not to mention the Gil family, even the Kaur family and the Anderson family would kneel to us and tter us. Jaden, you must have a long-term vision. If you always care about the small profits in front of you, you wouldn¡¯t have a good ending.¡± Jaden listened to her, and his eyes lit up. ¡°I agree with you. We must make this matter sessful. No ident is allowed.¡± When they walked back to their bedroom, enormously proud of their sess, Helen suddenly paused her pace. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± On the nightstand, there was a white delicate gift box, on which there was a bowknot made from a pink ribbon. Obviously, someone deliberately put it there. ¡°Jaden, is it you?¡± asked Helen delightfully. She thought that it was a gift from her husband, who wanted to give her a surprise. However, Jaden frowned. ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± As he spoke, he looked at Helen in confusion. Thetter¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Why are you looking at me? You and I were the only ones in this room. Neither of us put it here. Would there be a ghost?¡± As soon as she finished her words, they both felt a chill running down their spine. Their expressions slightly changed, and they started feeling creepy for no reason. In the end, Jaden coughed. ¡°All right. Open it and check what¡¯s in there. Then we may know who has done it. Don¡¯t just think too much.¡± Helen agreed. She walked over and opened the gift box. There wasn¡¯t any valuable gift in the box. Besides a piece of metal with worn paint, there was a note. With a frown, Helen picked up the note. The next second, her expression changed dramatically. ¡°Ah-¡± she let out a short exim. Taking a step back, she violently tossed the note onto the bed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s on the note?¡± Jaden picked it up curiously to read. When he saw the letters on it, his expression dramatically changed as well. On the sky-blue note, there were letters with pretty handwriting I¡¯m back! ¡°It¡¯s her. She came back. Her ghost hase to use for revenge!¡± Helen was in a panic. Jaden looked solemn. He fiercely rubbed the note into his hand. Then his gaze fell on the piece of aluminum in the box. It was a piece of aluminum whose paint had been scratched off after severe friction. Even they didn¡¯t know too much about vehicles, they could easily see that it should be from a certain vehicle. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! Damned ghost! Damned spirit! I¡¯m not afraid of living humans. Why should I fear the dead?¡± Upon hearing it, Helen also calmed down a little. ¡°But¡­ but why did these things appear?¡± ¡°Humph! Someone must have put it here intentionally to scare us!¡± As she spoke, he picked up the thing from the box, walking out of the room. Right then, another sharp and miserable exim was heard from a corner of the corridor. It was from Annie¡¯s room again. Their expressions changed, and walked towards her room together. Before reaching the door, they saw Annie run out of the room in a panic. This time, she was trembling all over and her face was covered with tears. As soon as seeing Helen and Jaden, she pounced at them as if she had seen the life-saving straw. ¡°Mom!¡± Helen immediately hugged her. Annie said while weeping, ¡°Mom, I heard that woman¡¯s voice again. It¡¯s so horrible. This time it¡¯s real. It¡¯s not my illusion. She has trulye back!¡± If it were earlier, Helen might not believer her again. However, after experiencing such strange things, she believed what Annie said naturally. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Let¡¯s go back to check.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Annie was still scared. Jaden snapped, ¡°What are you afraid of? If there was a ghost in your room, with so many people here, would it eat you alive? Follow me.¡± As he spoke, he walked into her room in the lead. The room looked as normal as usual. The light or the furniture was exactly the same as that when they came out. Nothing was abnormal except that the bed was messier because of Annie¡¯s sudden leave. Looking annoyed, Jaden walked to the French window and checked the curtain again carefully. 144 There was nothing wrong with the windows, including the balcony outside. Nothing was there other than some nts. To be sure, Jaden even sent someone out over the balcony rails to check outside, and no one was hiding underneath, either. From the looks of it, they shouldn¡¯t have seen anything else. Annie was in disbelief as well.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°How¡¯s that possible? I heard it. A woman crying, just crying and crying, like someone¡¯s wringing her neck. How how could there be no one there?¡± She walked in a trance over to the balcony, checking front and back in a panic. But in reality, in a space this small, anyone hidden would have been found already. It was impossible for them to have hidden until now. ¡°Was it¡­ really a ghost¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean ghost? I don¡¯t believe that nonsense!¡± Jaden red up and yanked the curtains down. At that moment, a small ck object fell from above. Followed quickly by the sound of sobbing. Everyone froze. Almost petrified. They stared at the little object on the ground. After a while, they finally understood that the crying hade from this thing. Helen stooped over and picked it up. It was a mini recorder. Someone had recorded the sound in earlier and set it on a timer. That¡¯s why Annie had heard the intermittent sobbing. ¡°Bastard!¡± She mmed the device on the ground, her expression turning ugly. ¡°Who was it? Who put something like this in Annie¡¯s room?¡± The servants who¡¯d followed inside saw what was going on and turned white in a panic. They hurriedly shook their heads, denying their involvement. Jaden shot a dark look at Annie. ¡°Who¡¯s been in your room today?¡± Annie was still dazed. She thought for a long while and shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s been too many, I don¡¯t remember.¡± All throughout the day, servants hade in and out of her room. If not half a dozen, at least three or four would havee and gone. How were they supposed to tell who the culprit was? ¡°Oho! Is that so? Then call the police! Have them all interrogated. We¡¯ll find out the truth.¡± Some of the servants started begging for mercy right away. ¡°It really wasn¡¯t me, sir. I¡¯ve never done anything like that.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve got no grudge with Miss Annie. Why would we do something like this? It doesn¡¯t benefit us!¡± Naturally, Jaden didn¡¯t listen. ¡°Enough, anyway, that¡¯s how we¡¯ll deal with it. Rx. If you really didn¡¯t do it, there¡¯ll be no consequences. But if I find out that we really have a rat in here¡­¡± He red at them and sneered. ¡°Heh! Don¡¯t me me for what happens next!¡± With that, he had the few servants who¡¯d been in Annie¡¯s room put in custody, ready to call the police when morning came. Then he left. At the Han Mansion. Everything was quiet in the bedroom when the phone at the head of the bed suddenly buzzed twice. Zoe opened her eyes. Her slender frame was being held tightly in the man¡¯s embrace. A thick, solid arm was wrapped around her. She could smell his fresh scent clearly in the dark. She lifted his arm lightly off her and leant over for the phone. It was an anonymous text, its contents simple. ¡°It¡¯s done. Wire the money.¡± Zoe smiled and didn¡¯t reply. She deleted the text and put the phone back. Behind her, the man grunted. Right afterwards, he reached out with a powerful limb and effortlessly scooped her back up into his arms. ¡°What is it?¡± He didn¡¯t open his eyes, and there was still sleepiness in his voice. Zoe chuckled quietly. ¡°Nothing. Just a spam message. Woke me up, that¡¯s all.¡± In the dark, Henry opened his eyes and looked at the woman before him. It wasn¡¯tpletely dark inside the house. Zoe didn¡¯t like the dark, so she left a small, warm orange floormp on a corner of the bedroom, giving a bit of warm light in the darkness. He looked at the delicate features of the woman in his arms and suddenly smiled. ¡°If you can¡¯t fall asleep while it¡¯s sote, sounds like you want to do some light exercise?¡± Zoe jolted, then realized the intentions of therge hand at her waist, and her body tensed. ¡°Stop messing around, Henry!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t sleep, right? I just have to tire you out.¡± ¡°Henry Han! Mhm¡­¡± ¡­ Four dayster, Laura¡¯s parts in ¡°The Youth¡± werepletely cleared out. Zoe had her put in the ¡°Chase the Wind¡± crew directly. Hamlin and Zoe were friends. ¡°Chase the Wind¡± might have been directed by Hamlin, but Zoe¡¯s figure was still behind production and investment. Zoe had been curious about the rtionship between Nathan and Henry, because she¡¯d seen Nathan in Henry¡¯s office more than once. If it¡¯d just been business, then that was fine, but they were just chatting. She knew better than anyone else how precious Henry ¡®s time was, which made her more curious as to what kind of rtionship allowed Nathan to justze around with him. Until one day, Nathan took a gift up to PR and said he was looking for her. Zoe went out to meet him, and Nathan said outright, ¡°Sorry, Aunt Zoe. I didn¡¯t realize who you were back then and didn¡¯t know your rtionship with my uncle. Forgive me if I¡¯ve offended you.¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°What¡¯d you call me?¡± ¡°Aunt Zoe!¡± Zoe sucked in a deep breath. Seeing that, Nathan understood that she¡¯d misunderstood and hurriedly exined, ¡°It¡¯s like this I¡¯m also part of the Han family in Eqitin, but just one of the branches, and more distantly rted, so most people don¡¯t know about it. I¡¯m supposed to call Henry uncle, so naturally you¡¯re my aunt.¡± Zoe couldn¡¯t feign a normal smile any longer. ¡°So¡­ that¡¯s how it is. You know about our rtionship too, then?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I know now.¡± Nathan put up a cautious and worried face, making Natalia wonder if he¡¯d done something she wouldn¡¯t like. ¡°This is just a casual present, Aunt Zoe. Please take it.¡± He passed up a box. Zoe took a step back. She stared at him dubiously. ¡°All right, enough with the aunt this and aunt that, it¡¯s awkward. Just call me by my name!¡± Nathan didn¡¯t insist. He smiled and agreed. Zoe pointed at the gift box in his hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to deserve that, so please take it back!¡± She said, striding off. Nathan hurriedly stood in her way. ¡°Aun¡­ Zoe, I¡¯m actually here because something¡¯se up.¡± Zoe looked at him in surprise. ¡°What?¡± 145 ¡°So it¡¯s like this. Laura Davies and Victoria Kaur are both splendid choices on your part. Young, capable, hard-working actors like them are rare nowadays. Especially Victoria her acting is not something you would expect from someone at her age.¡± Zoe listened quietly without interrupting, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She basically already understood what he was going to say. As expected, Nathan continued, ¡°The entire cast of ¡®The Youth¡¯ is going to be cleared off over the next two months. I have a friend who¡¯s got a new project to film, but he¡¯s a young director without much fame, and it¡¯s hardly any big production. But he¡¯s taken a liking to Victoria and wanted her to join the film as the female lead. As you¡¯re close with Victoria, could you help persuade her?¡± Zoe chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing! Why don¡¯t you tell Victoria herself? Don¡¯t you meet each other every day on set? You should have more chances to talk to each other!¡± Nathan showed an awkward face. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I won¡¯t lie, I already asked, but she didn¡¯t agree.¡± Zoe blinked, a little surprised. She knew Victoria. Even though she was part of the upper crust of the media world these days, she wasn¡¯t the sort of person who would only go for big projects, nor was she like some snobs that would look down on some up anding directors. With the Kaur family at her back, she didn¡¯t want for resources, and the team she had with her was well-connected. Essentially, she picked projects by how much she liked them, not the size of the production. And now that Nathan was willing to rmend it to her, the script itself should be decent. It was strange that Victoria didn¡¯t agree. Zoe nodded slightly. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, she must have her own considerations! I¡¯m just her friend and I can¡¯t make decisions for her, so I¡¯m afraid I might not be of much help with this matter.¡± Nathan hurriedly said, ¡°I know that much, and I¡¯m not asking you to force her, but I still want to try before throwing in the towel.¡± He rubbed his hands, looking both awkward and pressured. ¡°To be honest, this friend of mine has his eye set on having her as the female lead. I¡¯m not demanding that you persuade her, but could you please help me find out why she¡¯s not taking the project so we could know what to fix?¡± Zoe thought about it, felt that it wouldn¡¯t affect anything, and considered Nathan¡¯s sincere attitude. She agreed. Though she still reminded him, ¡°I¡¯ll say this first. I¡¯m only going to ask about why she¡¯s not taking the job and I don¡¯t n on persuading her for you. If the answer¡¯s still no, don¡¯t me me for it.¡± Nathan assented hurriedly, and with the talk over, he left thanking her profusely. He left the gift box on the desk as he excused himself. Slightly exasperated, Zoe gave Henry a call and told him about it. Unexpectedly, Henry only chuckled. ¡°I told him to bring a gift here. Just take it.¡± Zoe was at a bit of a loss for words. But since he¡¯d said that much, she didn¡¯t object. Hanging up, she gave Victoria a call and invited her out for dinner. Victoria agreed. At six in the evening, after getting off work, Zoe went ahead and drove to the mall she was meeting Victoria at. Victoria had been busy filming with her cast these days and rarely got out. Today was her chance to rx. Only, the moment they met, Zoe quickly sensed that Victoria didn¡¯t seem to be doing so well. Her face was pale, and her whole being seemed drowsy. Concerned, Zoe asked, ¡°What¡¯s with you? Is the work too hard, or are you sick?¡± She reached out to feel her forehead. But Victoria leant away slightly, looking a little guilty as she shook her head. ¡°Not much. Just not feeling very well, maybe because we¡¯ve had night scenes to shoottely.¡± Zoe didn¡¯t overthink it and nodded her understanding. Still concerned, though, she added, ¡°You are working so hard! Remember to take care of your body. Don¡¯t you have assistants with you? Have them make you some soup sometime!¡± Victoria forced a smile. ¡°I dismissed all my assistants. Other than Nina, there¡¯s no one left following me.¡± Zoe blinked, taken aback. Before, Victoria had servants at her beck and call wherever she went to film, like a spoiled princess. After all, with her authority and her resources, no one dared say anything. But now she only had one Nina besides her, anyone would find that unbelievable! Looking at her shocked expression, Victoria smiled a sad, self-deprecating smile. ¡°Surprised? It¡¯s nothing. People have to strike out on their own eventually.¡± Zoe paused, then asked, ¡°What do you mean by that? You¡¯ve been arguing with your old man?¡± Victoria didn¡¯t hide it and nodded. ¡°Why?¡± But Victoria only acted like she didn¡¯t care to discuss it anymore, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just some messy business. It¡¯s a rare chance to rx today, so forget it. Let¡¯s go walk around the mall.¡± Zoe could only nod. The two strolled about for a while and went to a finely decorated high-end restaurant for dinner. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t feeling well, Zoe ordered some of Victoria¡¯s usual favorites. But the dish had juste up when Victoria frowned. ¡°What is it? You really don¡¯t look well; do you want me to go to the hospital with you?¡± Victoria hurriedly waved her hand and forced augh. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Zoe was thoroughly worried, but seeing her determined look, she knew better than to insist. Not long after, the dishes had alle up.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Victoria had a slim frame and had a cold elegance about her, but in private, she was a thorough carnivore. It was just that she had to keep her figure for the camera, so she didn¡¯t allow herself to eat much meat. Having grown up together, Zoe knew that very well. That¡¯s why, the moment the dishes arrived, Zoe pushed a beef dish towards her, saying, ¡°You need to look after your body. You might have to keep your figure for your projects, but you can¡¯t eat nothing. Treat it as a holiday today and splurge a little. One big meal¡¯s not going to fatten you up that much, so rx!¡± Victoria looked at the meat in front of her, her brows furrowing subtly. But she didn¡¯t say anything and brought the meat up to her mouth. Before she could take a bite, though, just smelling the scent of the meat brought a wave of acid gushing up her stomach. She set down her utensils and hurriedly said, ¡°Excuse me.¡± Then she rushed towards the restroom. Before Zoe could react, she was gone. She sat there dully staring out to space for several seconds before she realized what had happened. This this reaction¡­ It couldn¡¯t be?!!! 146 In the bathroom, Victoria leant over the toilet, almost vomiting her guts out. Zoe ran in, looked at her state, and almost confirmed her spection right then and there. Her heart ached. She went out and took a ss of water in with a napkin. Stroking her back, she soothed, ¡°How are you doing? Are you okay?¡± Victoria waved it off, shaking her head. It took her a long while to find her voice. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m all right.¡± Zoe passed her the water. She took a sip, rinsed her mouth, and wiped her mouth off with the napkin before finally saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for ruining the evening.¡± Zoe shook her head hurriedly. ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re already like this, so forget the evening, okay?¡± After a while, she got a little mad. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me when something this important has happened? What¡¯s going on?¡± Victoria looked at her and knew she¡¯d already guessed it. She bit her lip. After a while, she said, ¡°You¡¯ve probably noticed I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Zoe nodded. ¡°With a reaction like that, anyone with a heart could have noticed.¡± Victoria forced a smile. The smile was full of endless loneliness. ¡°This is the reason why I argued with my dad.¡± Zoe frowned. ¡°What do you mean by that? Why¡¯d you argue with your dad? Who¡¯s the child¡¯s father? Why isn¡¯t he taking a stand?¡± ¡°The child¡¯s father¡­¡± Victoria murmured, then smiled sorrowfully. ¡°Never mind, forget it. Can you keep this a secret, Zo?¡± Zoe frowned, clearly unhappy with how she was dodging the question about the father. Still, she knew that Victoria was a grown-up. If she¡¯d decided not to tell anyone, as her friend, she could only respect her choice. Sighing, she nodded, ¡°Rest easy, I won¡¯t tell anybody about this. But what do you n to do with the kid? Your belly can¡¯t lie, and you have to go on camera every day!¡± Victoria was in a bit of a daze, helplessness in her eyes. After a while, she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, either. But there¡¯s only two months before we¡¯re done with the shooting. I¡¯ll try to hide it from everyone. As for what would happenter¡­ we¡¯ll see!¡± Zoe¡¯s frown deepened. But she didn¡¯t say anything else as she helped her out. The two returned to their seats, their moods having changed greatly. Zoe sighed. ¡°To be honest, I was asked by Nathan to persuade you to take part in that project he brought up with you before. Doesn¡¯t seem possible now.¡± Victoria nodded. ¡°He discussed it with me. The script¡¯s good and I liked it, but it¡¯s clear that I¡¯m in no condition to participate.¡± Zoe nodded back, her fingers ying listlessly with a spoon on the table as she sank into thought. The two had evidently lost their appetite. After a while, Zoe asked, ¡°So where do you live now? Nina¡¯s just a seventeen, eighteen-year-old kid. She doesn¡¯t understand a lot of things. Can she take care of you alone?¡± Victoria looked out the window. The lights hade on. Outside the window was a wide road. Traffic came and went from the road, making a scene of a bustling city night. But she felt nothing but cold. Now, it seemed only the sister in front of her could give her a little bit of warmth. She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. To force me back, my dad froze all the cards under my name. He¡¯s taken back all my houses everywhere including the ones on the east coast. I¡¯m living in the hotel arranged for the crew right now.¡± She paused, then smiled another pale smile. ¡°But it¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll see where things go! I won¡¯t die, at least.¡± Zoe took her hand, muttering, ¡°None of that nonsense! You still have me!¡± She thought for a while and took a bank card and a keyring out of her purse, pressing it into Victoria¡¯s hands. ¡°Take that card. The password is my birthday. It¡¯s not a lot of money, but enough for you to spend for now. As for whates after, we¡¯ll take it slow. The key is to the apartment I used to live in. It¡¯s not big, so you¡¯ll have to get used to it for a while. I¡¯ll stop by from time to time to visit.¡± She pursed her lips and continued, ¡°I don¡¯t approve of you giving the cold shoulder to Mr. Kaur. Blood is thicker than water, no matter what. That won¡¯t change. Besides, he¡¯s always been good to you. But I believe you¡¯ve got your own troubles in this situation. If you don¡¯t want to say it, I won¡¯t ask. That¡¯s all the support I can give you. I only want the best for you.¡± Victoria looked at her, eyes reddening. She couldn¡¯t hold the tears back. The droplets rolled down her cheeks. She bit her lip forcefully and lowered her head. After a long while, she said, voice trembling, ¡°Thank you, Zoe.¡± Zoe forced a smile herself, her eyes stinging. An eternityter, she wiped the tears off and chuckled, ¡°All right, quit acting like the world¡¯s going to end. That¡¯s not the Victoria I know. If you want to keep the child, go ahead and keep it. You child has got me as a godmother! There won¡¯t be any trouble. As for the kid¡¯s father, if he doesn¡¯t want to show up, let him rot!¡± Victoria knew she was trying tofort her. Even though her heart still ached, she loosened up a bit all the same. epting the goodwill, she chuckled herself. The atmosphere lightened by quite a bit. Finishing the meal, Zoe didn¡¯t allow Victoria to keep strolling around with how her body was. She took her back to the cast right away. After dropping Victoria off, Zoe drove home and phoned Nathan on the way. She didn¡¯t mention the pregnancy, just that Victoria wasn¡¯t in the best position to take the job. Over the phone, Nathan had been prepared, but hearing the answer, he still couldn¡¯t hide his disappointment. Zoe understood. Television was a subjective business. If the creator had decided for a person to y a role, they often consciously or subconsciously used that person as a temte during the creative process. If they found out that person couldn¡¯t participate afterwards, of course they¡¯d be disappointed.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Sheforted, ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about it at this point. You could have your friend try more actresses. Though you may not easily find someone like Victoria, but if you look hard enough, I¡¯m sure you can find a suitable candidate to rece her.¡± Nathanughed bitterly. ¡°I won¡¯t lie, I¡¯ve got a part in the production. We had our eyes on Victoria Kaur for the role even from before. We just didn¡¯t know enough about her to pop the question. After working with her in ¡®The Youth¡¯, we reaffirmed how much we wanted her for the role. How could we shoot properly if we scrambled to find a new actress now?¡± 147 ¡°Besides, this isn¡¯t like ¡®The Youth¡¯, it¡¯s just a small production. With actors like they are now, the ones with even a bit of fame won¡¯t take the job, while the ones who would like to take the job just can¡¯t act well enough. Actors like Victoria who don¡¯t pay too much attention to the size of the production and only care about the script are rarer than rare now.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. With that, he sighed. Zoe didn¡¯t have anything to say. After a while, Nathan continued, ¡°Actually, Annie Gil¡¯s been contacting me recently saying she wants to participate in the project. She¡¯s also interested in the female lead, but because of what happened with her before, I¡¯m not very confident in her. With her image, if we put in the costume work, she should at least manage to be better than other actresses, but I¡¯m still not sure. If she gets involved in another scandal halfway through production, it won¡¯t end well.¡± Zoe blinked, a little surprised. Her eyes darted slightly as she asked, ¡°Annie wants the role too?¡± Nathan replied, ¡°Yeah. To be honest, even though my friend¡¯s new to the field, he¡¯s got good technique, or I wouldn¡¯t be helping him. That¡¯s why there¡¯s still plenty of people who want to take part in the show, we just haven¡¯t found any suitable candidates. If we really can¡¯t manage, Jessica¡¯s a good choice. It¡¯s just that she¡¯s been in too many scandalstely and her image isn¡¯t too good but that can be a type of publicity as well. If the filming goes well, the overall effect should be positive. It¡¯s just a small production, after all. In the old days, a production this size managing to get someone like her on the cast wouldn¡¯t have been usible.¡± Zoe thought for a while, then smiled. ¡°All right, got it. If it¡¯s convenient, can you send me a copy of the script? I¡¯ll get back to you tomorrow.¡± Nathan jolted, a little surprised. He didn¡¯t know what she meant by that. But he didn¡¯t ask too many questions. He simply agreed and hung up. Zoe drove home. The moment she stepped inside, her phone beeped. She had a new email in her mailbox. As she changed out her shoes, she took a look. Nathan had sent her an electronic copy of the script. Henry was home already. He¡¯d known she was going out with some of her female friends today, so he didn¡¯t disturb her. The man had already finished his meal at this time and retired to the reading room. Changing her shoes, Zoe went upstairs and didn¡¯t go to Henry but went directly to the bedroom. Turning herputer on, she looked through the entirety of the script Nathan had sent her. The script wasn¡¯t long. It was just an eighteen-episode-long web series. But because she was paying attention to the details, it took her quite a bit of time. Henry went out of the reading room and saw her sitting in front of theputer. She looked focused, so he didn¡¯t disturb her. But when he finished his shower, cleaned up and went out, he found her still sitting there, totally concentrated. He shot a look at the time. It was past twelve at night and he couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Zoe was fully concentrating when the deep voice rang out behind her, and she jumped. Turning around, she saw that it was Henry and she sighed. ¡°Oh, nothing, just a script.¡± ¡°What script¡¯s so important you¡¯re staying up to read it now?¡± The man said, already bending over to look over her shoulder. He circled his arm around her and clicked the mouse, seeing the script¡¯s name. ¡°Strategies for Cannon Fodder¡± He cocked an eyebrow and Zoe couldn¡¯t help but blushed, stammering an exnation. ¡°It¡¯s just a temporary name, they¡¯re changing itter, er¡­ that¡¯s, this is the script for a web series. The production size isn¡¯t big, so I¡¯m just looking through it.¡± Henry chuckled. ¡°A script like that is worth staying up until this hour?¡± Saying that, he pointed deliberately at his wristwatch. Only then did Zoe realize it had gotten thiste. She made a sound of assent and followed him to bed. At the same time. In the Gil household. Annie was giving Nathan a call. It was past midnight, but for someone in their line of work, it couldn¡¯t be consideredte at all. In fact, it was even early. Naturally, Nathan was no exception. He was a famous night owl. He¡¯d just finished discussing points with a producer when he left the hotel and received Annie¡¯s call. ¡°Need something, Annie Gil?¡± Annie clutched her phone nervously, a forced smile on her face. ¡°It¡¯s like this, Mr. Han. I hear you¡¯ve got a script and you¡¯re looking for a female lead?¡± Nathan narrowed his eyes. He knew what Annie was calling for, and still made it out to be awkward. ¡°I do, but I¡¯m not the director, it¡¯s one of my friends. He¡¯s new in the business and doesn¡¯t have much experience¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. So long as the script is good, it doesn¡¯t matter who the director is.¡± Nathan chuckled. ¡°Is that so. Have you called that friend of mine, then?¡± That touched Annie¡¯s nerves. That up-anding director was called Vicente Langes or something. He wasn¡¯t very famous, but he had a big temper. She was one of the top-line actresses in the business. Even with all the scandals, she still had scores of fans. It was an honor to have her participate in his works, but he actually refused? That man didn¡¯t know what was good for him! But as things stood now, Annie didn¡¯t have any better choices. From her roles throughout her career, this character suited her all the more. Knowing that Vicente was Nathan¡¯s friend and Nathan was actually going to be on producing, she knew the quality wouldn¡¯t be bad. It was a web series, but web series were getting popr now. This might turn things around. Considering that, Annie took a deep breath, suppressed her discontent, and beamed, ¡°I called, but Director Langes doesn¡¯t seem to know me very well, and I¡¯m not too familiar with him. You know me, Director Han. Last time was just an ident. If you can give me a chance this time around, I¡¯ll put up a good performance. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± To be honest, Nathan was getting swayed. After all, with Vicente¡¯s personality, the whole shooting could be stalled if they didn¡¯t find the right candidate. People who thought they were the most obstinate person in the world probably hadn¡¯t met Vicente. If it hadn¡¯t been for how intractable he was, someone that talented wouldn¡¯t have found himself in a ce like this. He was middle-aged already, but still a new director. Thinking of that, Nathan sighed. He did want to help his friend out, so he said, ¡°I¡¯ll discuss it with him, then! If it¡¯s all right, I¡¯ll call you back.¡± If he put it like that, he was basically agreeing already. Annie heaved a sigh of relief. Smiling, she said, ¡°Thanks, Director Han.¡± Nathan grunted, didn¡¯t discuss it with her too much, and hung up. Morning the next day, he went to visit Vicente directly. Vicente had set up a small workshop. Or rather, a little homemade workspace. He was so poor he couldn¡¯t even afford proper equipment. Everything was rented. He had it rough. 148 Entering the office, Nathan sat down directly on the crinkled sofa opposite the desk. Sitting behind his desk, Vicente shot him a look and didn¡¯t speak. His fingers were working on whatever had the keyboard clicking and tapping all over the ce. Looked like he was typing something up. Nathan didn¡¯t disturb him. He sat there, legs crossed, lit a cigarette and waited. After half an hour or so, Vicente stopped, stood, and poured himself a ss of water. ¡°What are you here for? Out with it!¡± The blunt tone sent Nathan reeling, who snapped, ¡°What, I can¡¯t just stop by and see you?¡± Vicente chuckled. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be here for any reason but business.¡± Nathan had no words. ¡°¡­¡± They were college ssmates and had been friends from that time. Both talented souls, they¡¯d found things to appreciate about each other as they interacted. It was just that,pared to Vicente, Nathan was more flexible in his dealings, so he¡¯d made good after his debut. A few of his works hadter be blockbusters, and now he was a hotshot director. Vicente was different. He¡¯d had his chance early on, but his temper had got him in trouble with someone big, and he ended up ostracized. All these years, even with Nathan helping him, he¡¯d never found a good chance. Nathan knew what his friend was like, so he wasn¡¯t really angry. He tossed the documents in his hands onto the desk, muttering, ¡°There are some advertisements from the investors. Take a look.¡± Vicente shot it a look and didn¡¯t even flip through it. He just grunted without following up. Seeing that, Nathan found himself thoroughly annoyed. ¡°What the hell do you want from me, Langes? I set this up for you personally and you¡¯re here looking like you¡¯re above this business! There is an investor, so can you rein it in with the attitude? Do you know how hard it is to gather investors for this script of yours?¡± Vicente didn¡¯t get mad at the scolding. He picked up the paperwork and leafed through it casually. Then he tossed it to the side like he was done with his chores. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Nathan was speechless. ¡°¡­¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine, I can¡¯t change your personality. I¡¯m not asking for much. We can¡¯t go with Victoria for the female lead this time. But every other normal person is staying away and the people who¡¯reing in are all weirdos. I¡¯m giving you a choice here. Keep on waiting or pick Annie Gil. Make it yourself!¡± Vicente stirred, hiszy eyelids twitching. Then, very determinedly, he said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep waiting!¡± Nathan wanted to pick up the ashtray and throw it at him! ¡°Wait? You can afford to wait? What if the investors leave? Who¡¯re you going to get to invest in you again?¡± Vicente didn¡¯t reply. Nathan¡¯s brain was starting to hurt. He was his friend, but he had to baby this man like a father! Why did he even bother? Finally, he sighed and kept trying. ¡°The business is cruel, Vicente. It took you so much trouble to refine the script. You can¡¯t be content watching it waste away in your hands, right? With a subject like this, it might be fine for these couple of years, but another couple yearster, no one¡¯s going to pay attention to it. What then? Think about your dreams; are you willing to stay cooped up here forever? Is making a bit of concession really so difficult?¡± Hearing his words, Vicente¡¯s rock-carved mask of a face finally twitched a bit. He lifted his head and gazed straight at Nathan, his razor sharp lips finally parting under his messy mustache after a long while. ¡°I can switch out the actress, but I don¡¯t want Annie Gil.¡± Nathan flung out his hands. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not a good fit.¡± ¡°Then who is?¡± ¡°Dunno.¡± ¡°You-¡± Nathan almost sprang up from the sofa. Rubbing his temples, he shook his head. ¡°Fine, whatever, You want to keep doing this, then keep doing it. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re going to do when the investors all leave!¡± With that, he took his clothes and made to leave. But before he took one step out the door, Vicente¡¯s stubborn voice rang out from behind him. ¡°Lend me yourputer.¡± Nathan spun around and yelled in a rage, ¡°No! Don¡¯t you have one? Why do you have to use mine?¡± ¡°Mine¡¯s broken.¡± He turned the monitor around to face him. The ancient disy showed a ck screen with a long line of code. Nathan realized that the tapping wasn¡¯t him typing words, but code. He was so pissed he couldn¡¯t form coherent sentences. He pointed at Vicente, fed up. ¡°What do you want me to say? If you¡¯d only budge a little bit, do you think you¡¯d still be stuck here without a single work to your name? If you¡¯d just change that temperament of yours, do you think you¡¯d be troubled to buy something like aputer? You¡­ miserable old coot!¡± Vicente smiled and didn¡¯t take his words seriously. He stretched and said mildly, ¡°Have someone bring theputer over. I need it before four o¡¯clock.¡± Then he just got up and left. Nathan felt like snapping him in half and throwing him out the window! But at four in the afternoon, a brand newptop was still delivered on time to Vicente¡¯s office. Over the phone, Nathan sent him a vicious text. ¡°I had someone build this specifically for me, Langes! It¡¯s expensive! So be goddamned careful when you use it! If you break it or delete something by ident, I¡¯m going to burn those orchids of yours in their pots!¡± Vicente was still smiling. He didn¡¯t bother replying, simply taking up theputer and starting his work. First, he moved a video from the hard drive to his newputer. He clicked on one of the files absent-mindedly. There was a video in there. It would take time for the files to load. There was nothing to do while waiting, so he clicked on it.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. It was a stage performance. Looking at the scene and the setup, this should be an audition. In the picture, a woman in ck armor and a red feathered helm stood there, hefting a spear. Her brow was fierce without arching, and there was experienced determination in her eyes. Without making a single motion, she emanated power and authority. On the stage, a woman in courtly dress sobbed, voice trembling, ¡°You¡¯re here, after all!¡± The armoreddy lifted her chin, imperious gaze sweeping thend. She mmed the butt of her spear against the ground. ¡°Yes, I am here!¡± 149 Vicente was absolutely astounded! It was her! It had to be her! It seemed that she was born domineering and arrogant. She was just the heroine he was looking for! He was spiritless just now but suddenly got full of beans. He held theputer in high spirits, walked around the room, and then stared at the picture on the screen. He even wanted to wave his arms and stamp his feet in joy. The video wasn¡¯t long, and it came to an end soon. He hurriedly called Nathan and asked him who the person on hisputer was. Nathan was still a bit confused when he picked up the phone, so he asked, ¡°You mean who?¡± Vicente exined to him impatiently, ¡°I mean the woman who ys the role of the female general.¡± Hearing that, Nathan was even more confused. He couldn¡¯t remember that at all. The only one who had yed the role of a female general before was Victoria. But Vicente knew her. He didn¡¯t need to call to ask him! Nathan was at a loss for a while, then suddenly an idea came to his mind. He asked hurriedly, ¡°Are you watching an audition video?¡± Vicente hurriedly said, ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it! Who is the woman ying the role of the female general in this video? I want to find her.¡± What he said put Nathan in an awkward situation. After a while, he said, ¡°Vicente, to be honest, if you want her to be your heroine, I advise you to give up. It¡¯s impossible.¡± Vicente was stunned. He frowned and asked, ¡°Why is it impossible? I haven¡¯t seen her in the entertainment circle before. I think she must be a new actress, right? Don¡¯t worry. I promise I can make her popr. She is very suitable for acting. She is just a born actress.¡± Hearing his excited tone on the phone, Nathan responded with a sneer. ¡°You have just watched a video, and you haven¡¯t seen her yet! You talk big about her now. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you will regret in the future?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. In fact, when Nathan said these to him, he didn¡¯t feel good in his heart. He remembered Zoe had refused him relentlessly when he came to ask her to y a role in his drama. If it was a rose, it would bloom sooner orter. Thinking of this, he rolled his eyes and a wicked idea came to his mind. ¡°Vicente, you¡¯re interested in her, aren¡¯t you? Her name is Zoe. She is the head of the Public Rtions department of Annie International, not an actress. If you can persuade her to take the role in this drama, I will kneel down in front of you!¡± ¡°But if you can¡¯t do that, you must listen to me. I will determine who would be the heroine. How about that? Bet or not?¡± Nathan was obviously provoking him, and Vicente couldn¡¯t bear it. He sneered, ¡°Why not? Let¡¯s make a bet!¡± Seeing him get hooked, Nathanughed and said with pride, ¡°Okay, then it¡¯s a deal. You can¡¯t go back on your word!¡± Vicente snorted heavily. He didn¡¯t respond and directly hung up the phone. The next day, when Zoe had just arrived at the office, her assistant came over and told her that someone was waiting for her. She was a little surprised. It was just 8:30 in the morning. Most people in this circle rest in the daytime and came out only at night. Therefore, no one woulde to her at this time of the day. She didn¡¯t know who came here so early today. She headed for the reception room with curiosity. As soon as she entered the room, she saw a middle-aged man with a bristly unshaven chin sitting there. The man was wearing a gray checked fabric suit. He was thin and even slightly bent his back. At first nce, this made Zoe feel he should be an old man. It was not until she came to the front that she found that he was at most in his early 30s. She was a bit surprised because she didn¡¯t remember this person. She was subconsciously on the alert and asked, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Zoe. I heard you are looking for me, right?¡± Before Vicente came here, he had thought over what he should say to her. But when he saw her face to face, he couldn¡¯t help but feel stunned. She was exactly the image arising in his mind. Zoe treated Vicente politely, but without much enthusiasm. He could also feel her domineering charisma. Her eyes were like a piece of artworks that had been carefully carved by a craftsman. He could even feel her soul when staring at her eyes. Vicente could feel her eyes were full of emotions when she just stood there. Vicente quickly stood up and rubbed his hands nervously. He stared at Zoe with his sharp eyes and couldn¡¯t withdraw his eyes. His gaze on her grew way too hot that Zoe felt ufortable subconsciously. She turned her head and whispered to the assistant to go out before sitting down on the chair and asked, ¡°Get to the point, please. Don¡¯t beat around the bush. I have a meetingter. There are only 20 minutes left.¡± Then she deliberately looked at her wristwatch. It was not that Zoe wanted to look cool, but Vicente¡¯s hot and somewhat crazy gaze made her ufortable. Vicente nodded. He managed an overly warm smile and extended his hand to Natalia. ¡°Hello, my name is Vicente. I¡¯m a director.¡± Zoe was a little stunned. Vicente? His name sounded familiar. She must have heard of it before. She suddenly came to her senses that she saw his name in a script! It wasst night when she saw his name for the first time. Vicente was the chief director and scriptwriter of Strategies for Cannon Fodder. At that time, she was still wondering what kind of person could write such a bizarre and wonderful script! Zoe was surprised and hastily shook hands with him. When Zoe still felt surprised, Vicente rubbed his hands awkwardly and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t mind that I make such a bold visit today. I watched your performance video on my friend¡¯sputer and thought you were very suitable for the heroine in my new drama, so I wanted to ask for your opinion. Do you want to be an actress?¡± He looked serious and his tone was especially sincere. Zoe was a little confused by his question. After a while, she finally realized what was going on and was at a loss for what to do. ¡°May I ask, is this friend of yours Nathan Han?¡± Vicente hurriedly nodded his head. He even remembered to emphasize, ¡°I just saw it in hisputer unintentionally, not that he intended to leak the video.¡± Zoe waved her hand and did not mind, ¡°Since you are Mr. Han¡¯s friend, I¡¯ll put it straight. I¡¯ve read your script before. It¡¯s wonderful. I like it very much. In fact, if you don¡¯te to me today, I will still visit you some other day.¡± 150 Vicente was stunned and didn¡¯t quite understand what she meant. Zoe smiled shyly, ¡°To be honest, I also got this script from Mr. Han. I did not pay much attention to it at the beginning, butst night after I read it carefully, I found this script really good. I also like the heroine in it very much.¡± Vicente¡¯s eyes instantly glistened. ¡°Then you mean¡­¡± ¡°I am willing to take the role. I will be looking forward to working with you then.¡± Vicente froze. It waspletely unexpected that everything went so smoothly. For a moment, he couldn¡¯t even make any reaction. Then he immediately held Zoe¡¯s hand happily. ¡°Okay, thank you. Thank you for being willing to y in my drama.¡± Zoe was startled by his excited look. Vicente also realized that he had overreacted. He quickly let go of her hand and scratched his head embarrassedly. ¡°In fact, I ran into snags and was foiled everywhere before. I didn¡¯t expect that it would be so smooth today. Don¡¯t worry, Miss Zoe. I won¡¯t let you y in my drama for nothing.¡± Zoe knew what he meant and then smiled at him. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You may just call me Zoe directly.¡± Vicente agreed. After drawing up the contract with Zoe, he left happily. After seeing Vicente off, Zoe received a call from Nathan. Nathan was smug. He asked Zoe whether Vicente hade to her. Zoe just told him everything. After hearing what she said, Nathanughed out. ¡°I have told him that you would not agree, but he just would not believe. He even dares to bet with me. I really want to know how he would wind up this matter.¡± Zoe raised her eyebrows, ¡°Oh? What did you bet?¡± ¡°Nothing. If I win, I can determine who will y in his drama; if he wins, then I¡¯ll kneel down to him.¡± Zoe curled her lips, ¡°Then you can now go to kneel to him.¡± Nathan was stunned and got speechless. ¡°I have agreed.¡± Her words were like a bolt from the blue, hitting his head. Hepsed into long silences on the phone. After a long while, Zoe heard his trembling voice. ¡°Can I¡­ ask¡­ why you agreed?¡± Why? Why did she agree when it was Vicente, but not him? This put him in an awkward situation. He even made that damned bet with Vicente!!! Nathan seemed to be on the verge of derangement. Zoe couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I suddenly want to act again!¡± Of course, she wouldn¡¯t tell Nathan that the real reason was that Annie also liked this script. She had already known the truth. Since it was impossible to punish them with thew, then she would use her own way to take back what they have taken from her step by step! Annie wouldn¡¯t be able to finish anything she had wanted to do! She couldn¡¯t get anything she had wanted. She would lose everything she had cherished! Finally, she would lose everything and die painfully. ¡­Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Nathan finally hung up the phone in a mental breakdown. As for why Zoe would agree to Vicente, he dared not ask or say anything more. The assistant came in and asked him respectfully, ¡°Mr. Han, we are now ready for this evening. You can go back to the set at four in the evening.¡± Nathan thought for a moment and then waved his hand at his assistant. ¡°Get the car ready. We¡¯ll go back now.¡± The assistant was stunned and somewhat puzzled. After shooting for several months nonstop, Nathan had said he needed a rest, so he took a day off today and let the assistant director keep an eye on the set, and that he would go back at night. Why was he in such a hurry now? However, Nathan did not bother to exin to him. He quickly packed up his things and went outside. However, when he just walked out of thepany, he met Vicente, who had just gotten off the car. ¡°Nathan, why are you going back to your set in such a hurry?¡± Vicente was smiling. Maybe it was because he felt happy, his somewhat messy face looked even younger and more handsome. Nathan stared at him and said angrily, ¡°Vicente, don¡¯t be so happy yet! I admit that I have lost. Okay, I will kneel to you!¡± After that, he put his things down and was ready for what he had promised. When Vicente saw this, he raised his eyebrows and immediately came forward to stop him. ¡°All right. Even if you don¡¯t feel ashamed, I am afraid that I will get punished by God. You don¡¯t need to kneel to me. Just do me a favor!¡± Nathan looked at him suspiciously. ¡°What do you want again?¡± Vicente touched his nose andughed. ¡°Nothing. Now the heroine has been confirmed, but because it is not the same as what we talked about before, she is still new in this circle. Nobody knows her. So, you may have to help me talk to those investors.¡± Nathan¡¯s eyes widened. He looked so surprised. ¡°Enough, Vincente! You are the director, and it¡¯s also you who choose the heroine. But now you want me to talk to those investors?¡± Vicente froze. He coughed lightly, ¡°That, I just can¡¯t. I feel embarrassed talking to them.¡± ¡°So can I? You feel embarrassed but I just won¡¯t?¡± Vicente, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Or you can just kneel down.¡± Nathan suddenly felt a surge of anger so that he almost wanted to beat him. In the end, he said ferociously, ¡°Just wait!¡± Then, he left in anger. Vicente looked at his back and smiled. It was so good to have an intimate friend! Nathan had helped him get this opportunity. He couldn¡¯t fail again! Thinking about that, he looked serious. After a while, he took a deep breath, raised his head to look at the bright sky, and then stepped outside with a smile on his face. Annie had been waiting for Nathan¡¯s response for the past two days. She really didn¡¯t want to call Vicente again. He was just an unknown director. She heard that he had just directed several MVs and advertisement short films before. He did not have any famous works and he had been so picky and fussy. Although she had scandals now, she still had fame and poprity. If it was before, every director woulde and invite her to y in their drama. How could anyone refuse her? All in all, it was that bitch Zoe¡¯s fault! If it weren¡¯t for her, how would she have ended up in such a situation? The more Annie thought about it, the angrier she became. She clenched her fists tightly. When she felt the pain in her hands, there were already a few deep red marks on her fair palms, almost bleeding. Only then did she take a deep breath, slowly loosen her hands and call Julia. ¡°Julia, have you gotten any news from Nathan? Does he agree or not?¡± 151 Julia had just hung up the phone with Nathan. It was not long before she received a call from Annie. She was still thinking about how to tell Annie the truth. Hearing her ask about it, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°They have decided. The heroine of Strategies for Cannon Fodder is not you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Annie was shocked and her face changed drastically. No wonder she was surprised. After all, she was a popr top-line artist. Even if she had a scandal, she still had many fans, so the viewing rate must be good with her. Now she even demeaned herself to y in the unknown web series. It was okay if the director wanted to strike a pose to impress her and cut down her pay. But he really didn¡¯t let her y the role! Who the hell had gotten the chance, she wondered. Annie was so angry. Julia continued, ¡°In fact, it¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s just a web series. It¡¯s fine even if we don¡¯t get it. We can try other scripts.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say that!¡± Annie was furious, ¡°Now you also know what is going on! The director of those big-budget dramas won¡¯t choose me. Those small-budget dramas are all about the fight between wife and mother, or about some outdated stories. Do you want me to y in these kinds of dramas? What do you want my fans to think of me in the future?¡± Annie had always kept the image of a pure and elegant goddess. She usually took the leading rold in high-quality and big-budget dramas. If she really demeaned herself to y in those ridiculous boring dramas, it would be very difficult for her to take any leading roles again. Julia also knew that what she said was reasonable. In fact, no one wanted to miss such a good script, but they had no choice. ¡°So, what do you think we should do now?¡± Annie took a deep breath, and then said in a deep voice, ¡°Who is it? The leading role?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Nathan refused to tell me. It seems that Vicente chose that woman himself.¡± ¡°No matter who it is, go and figure it out.¡± Julia fell silent for a moment. In the end, she agreed, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell you when I find out.¡± After hanging up the phone, Annie angrily smashed everything in the room. Damn it! Damned snobbish! Anyone could oppose her now! Only when she finished smashing everything did she feel that the anger in her heart had been vented. Julia soon found out who the heroine chosen by Vicente was. After knowing the truth, she was in great shock and felt it unbelievable. Zoe? How could it be her? Wasn¡¯t she working as a PR? Why had she been an actress? When Julia knew Annie couldn¡¯t y the heroine this time, she was still calm, but after she knew the heroine was Zoe, she couldn¡¯t calm herself down anymore. She immediately called Annie. After Annie learned that the person who would y the heroine was Zoe, she couldn¡¯t believe it at all. Zoe had never acted at all. Why had she chosen to y in this drama? Was Vicente blind? He would rather give the neer a chance than choose her. Anger and frustration made Annie almost go crazy. She smashed many more things in the house, and only when Helen heard the noise and came in did she stop. ¡°Annie, what are you doing? Why did you smash everything?¡± Annie said angrily, ¡°That bitch Zoe! She had tried to trip me up before. I wouldn¡¯t make a fuss about the role in Chase the Wind with her. But she did it again now! I have prepared for this drama for a long time, but now the director has chosen her, not me! Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s ridiculous?¡± Helen frowned, ¡°How could this happen? Julia said that you can get the role, right?¡± ¡°Fuck! Someone else has been chosen, and now she told me! I think Julia is good for nothing. She could do nothing at critical moments.¡± ¡°Annie, don¡¯t say that.¡± Helen did her best to soothe her, ¡°Zoe has never acted before. What can she do? The reason why she can get the role is probably because she used other means!¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Heh! She should know better than to fight with you in this matter. Even if she can y the heroine, she will be scolded if she couldn¡¯t perform well. Then she would be the target of public censure!¡± After hearing Helen¡¯s words, Annie realized what was going on. It seemed to be reasonable. ording tomon practice, no one would choose a new actress and refused a famous actress who enjoyed great poprity, just like her. Zoe must have made some tricks! Yes, that¡¯s it! Thinking of this, a ghost of maliciousness shed across Annie¡¯s eyes. ¡®Heh! Zoe, do you want to be famous?¡¯ ¡®Okay, then I¡¯ll let you be really famous!¡¯ As she was thinking about that, Helen suddenly said, ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t there a supporting role in this drama? I have read the script before. That role is also quite good. Since you cannot y the heroine, then you can try to get this role!¡± Annie immediately got displeased. ¡°Are you crazy! You want me to take the supporting role when Zoe ys the heroine?¡± Helen shook her head, ¡°You can¡¯t think like that. People all think you are a selfish and malicious woman who can even hurt your sister to achieve your goal.¡± ¡°But if you y the supporting role, while Zoe ys the leading role, we can tell the public that Zoe wants to be an actress, and you, her sister, is willing to demean yourself to let her be the heroine.¡± ¡°At that time, people will think you are so sweet, and you can correct your mistakes. What¡¯s more, your acting is better than Zoe¡¯s. But you can only y the supporting role in this drama. Guess what those people would say?¡± Annie¡¯s eyes glistened. ¡°They will definitely think that Zoe must have made tricks to get the role!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Then we can aggravate theplicated situation! She¡¯ll just be condemned by posterity!¡± After hearing Helen¡¯s words, Annie suddenly became excited. It seemed she had already seen how Zoe was hated by everyone. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re smart enough to think about this. Then I¡¯ll have Julia call Nathan now for the supporting role?¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve checked it carefully. Although it¡¯s just a supporting role, its part is not much worse than the leading role. You can just y it as a double-heroine drama.¡± ¡°Well, I understand.¡± After making the decision, Annie immediately called Julia. Learning that she was going to strive for the supporting role, Julia was very surprised. After all, she knew very well what kind of person Annie was. She would never let herself suffer wrong for hereback. Let alone taking the supporting role while Zoe took the leading. 152 But she didn¡¯t think too much. After all, if Annie was willing to demean herself a little for the time being, it would be the best choice. Julia quickly called Nathan. Nathan did not answer her and let her ask Vicente. He had lost the bet, so naturally, he would not interfere with the decisions of the casting in this drama. Everything was up to Vicente himself. Julia felt helpless but still she had to call Vicente. Although Vicente was not quite easy going, he won¡¯t turn her down just because of his personal liking. When he heard that Annie wanted to y the supporting role, he thought about it for a little while and then agreed. When he agreed, Nathan was actually next to him. He came here to get hisputer back. Seeing him hang up the phone, Nathan smiled and asked, ¡°You said you didn¡¯t like Annie before. Howe you still agreed to let her y the supporting role?¡± Vicente was stunned and a little confused, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. I¡¯m not familiar with her at all.¡± ¡°But you refused her without even thinking about it.¡± Vicente pondered for a moment and replied, ¡°She is not suitable for the leading role.¡± ¡°Then is she suitable for the supporting role?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny that.¡± Vicente replied in a serious manner, ¡°She is quite suitable for it.¡± Nathan sat there in a daze. It took a long time for him to realize what he had meant. Immediately after, heughed out loud. ¡°Vicente, you, you¡¯re so mean!¡± Strategies for Cannon Fodder was actually a feel-good drama, where the heroine would fight against different rivals to climb up thedder, while the supporting role was just a contemptible rebel who added troubles all the time but did nothing sessfully in the end. It could be said that there was no more miserable supporting role than this in his drama. Although she almost had as many parts as the heroine, she was always suffering bearing. Vicente was a little puzzled and didn¡¯t know why heughed so happily. He frowned and said seriously, ¡°I am serious. She is suitable for ying the supporting role in my drama.¡± Nathan waved his hand, ¡°Okay, okay, I know. I can¡¯t stopughing if you keep saying this to me.¡± He stood up and patted the non-existent wrinkles on his suit, ¡°Well, since you have made the decision, then just shoot it. But I have to tell you, the rtionship between Zoe and Annie isplicated. You must be mentally prepared for that, in case something unexpected happens on set.¡± Vicente froze, not quite understanding what he meant. But he did not ask more questions. He was hardly interested in anything but shooting his drama. Therefore, he just nodded and sent him away. And meanwhile¡­ Natalia chose a good opportunity and told Henry that she was going to act in a drama. Henry¡¯s first reaction was that he didn¡¯t agree. Butter, Zoeinsisted on it, and he had read the script. He found it was just an ordinary feel-good short drama. While she did have some love lines, they were quite pure and she hardly had any kiss or sex scenes, so he agreed. What¡¯s more, it was the early spring and the weather was so good. A short y with more than ten episodes could only be shot for one or two months at most. It was just for fun, so Henry decided not to stop her. After getting Henry¡¯s permission, Zoe also arranged her work in Star Entertainment and Annie International, and then formally joined the crew. Not long after the actors were determined, Vicente had chosen a good time for starting up. There was still one month before the formal starting up. So, the actors had to shoot the official posters. Zoe went to the film studio early in the morning. Because she was the leading role, she was the first one to make up. The actor who was ying against her was Mac. He just graduated from university. He was also a new actor and didn¡¯t get much poprity. But he was handsome and especially polite. When those girls saw him smiling, they would remember their pure first love. If those young girls in their set could meet him, they would feel happy for the whole day. They two met each other in the studio and got to know each other. Mac had a good personality. Although he was a new actor, he was very professional. He shot his photos very quickly and efficiently. When shooting together with Zoe, he was also concerned about her feelings. The girls noticed it and quickly had a favorable impression of him. It was only after several main characters had finished their shooting that Annie arrived. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve all finished shooting. I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯mte.¡± She came in with a smile on her face. The photographer was waiting for her because he had to take a group photo of all the actors, and he still had other work. When he saw here in, he was unhappy and didn¡¯t say anything. Annie was taken for her makeup, and soon she came out to greet everyone.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. When she walked towards Zoe, she smiled especially cheerfully. ¡°Zoe, congrattions on getting this role. Don¡¯t worry. Since we are in the same crew, if you have any problem in the future, I will definitely help you.¡± Her tone was gentle, and her smile was iparably sincere. If people who did not know the inside information saw this, they would think they two were close sisters. Zoe was expressionless, and she just nced at her. And she did not answer her, but directly asked the photographer. ¡°People are all here now. Let¡¯s take a group photo!¡± The photographer nodded. Because Zoe was the heroine, she should stand in the center of the group. Annie stood by her side. Seeing how everyone respected her and treated her nicely, she clenched her fist ferocious. Zoe! Just wait for it! I would let you feel pleased with yourself for a couple of days, but after theunch¡­ I would let you fall into disrepute! The process of shooting photos was smooth. In the evening, a film festival was held in Julio. As the boss of Star Entertainment and the head of the Public Rtions department of Annie International, Zoe had already received the invitation card and would go there with Laura. Nathan and Hamlin would go with them too. Although the shooting of The Youth was almost finished, it hadn¡¯t been cleared out yet. Nathan came here to for advertisement in advance. Because Victoria was not feeling well, she couldn¡¯te over. So, Laura took on the responsibility of publicity. They arrived almost at the same time. After a simple greeting, Nathan and Hamlin left to talk with the people they knew. Zoe, on the other hand, took Laura with her. Laura wore a long ck dress today. She looked white and delicate. Because it was her first time attending a film festival, she still felt a little embarrassed. Zoe calmed her down gently. When they were talking with each other, they heard the eximing of a group of girls at the door. ¡°Mr. Nixon, I heard that you recently invested in a period drama. What role do you think I am suitable to y?¡± ¡°Mr. Nixon, you gave Lulu a diamond ne for her birthday. Today is my birthday. You can¡¯t be so biased.¡± They looked over and saw a tall and straight figure walking towards them surrounded by many people. Zoe was stunned, and also a little surprised. Max Nixon? Why was he here? 153 Laura also felt surprised to see Max here. Zoe noticed her expression had changed, so she asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you know him?¡± Laura nodded. It¡¯s not easy to tell from her face how she felt. When Zoe saw this, she didn¡¯t think much of it. After all, they were both in the entertainment circle. Maybe they had happened to know each other before. Max soon saw them, and immediately felt seeing his savior. He quickly pushed away the crowd and rushed to them. ¡°Zoe!¡± Zoe¡¯s expression changed. She tugged Laura¡¯s arm, and then whispered, ¡°Go! Hurry up!¡± They quickened their pace. However, they were wearing high heels, so how could they be as fast as Max? Soon, they were caught by Max.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Max gasped, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two? Haven¡¯t you heard me calling you? Why did you run faster and faster?¡± Zoe and Laura both turned around and both managed a weak smile. ¡°Mr. Nixon, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Max was stunned. He rolled his eyes at them unhappily. ¡°What do you mean? We are friends. But you didn¡¯t greet me after seeing me there. Do you deliberately avoid me?¡± Zoe thought in her heart that if they didn¡¯t go away, trouble woulde to them. Sure enough, that group of women came after them. ¡°Hey, Mr. Nixon, who are they? Why don¡¯t you introduce us?¡± The woman who spoke was wearing a purple dress with arge hole in her waist, showing her shapely curves. The hollow in front of her seemed to be more than enough to fit them in. She was so buxom that even Zoe and Laura blushed when seeing her moving forward. ¡°Oh, she is¡­¡± When Max was about to introduce them, Zoe red at him, so he immediately changed his expression. ¡°These two are my friends, Zoe and Laura. You guys can get to know each other!¡± That woman held her arms and looked them up and down. She was still on guard against them and they somehow felt a hint of despise in her eyes. ¡°So, you¡¯re Laura? Well, I¡¯ve heard of your name. But you¡­¡± After sizing Laura up, she said with a hint of mockery, ¡°Are you a new actress?¡± Laura nodded politely and extended her hand towards her, ¡°Hello, Molly. I¡¯m Luara. Hope to get well along with you in the future.¡± Only then did Zoe realize that the woman in front of her was Molly. It was indeed a shame. She should have known the actors and actresses in the entertainment circle since she was a PR. It¡¯s just that her energy was limited. The new actors in this circle were springing up almost without a pause, which made her unable to remember each of them at all. Even so, she had heard of Molly but she hadn¡¯t seen her in person before. She was quite famous in this circle and was almost a top-line artist. She had starred in many dramas and her acting was not bad. It¡¯s just that she didn¡¯t have any well-known works. She was very resourceful, but maybe it¡¯s because of her bad luck that she had never got the chance to star in a good drama. Someone beside them immediately spoke. ¡°Huh? Is it you who won the supporting role in Sound of Wind? Molly, did you forget it?¡± The person who said this was called Rayna, also an actress. However, she was not even nearly as famous as Molly, so she just liked to make friends with artists who were more famous than herself. At this moment, she bumped Molly¡¯s arm and winked at her. Her implication was obvious. Sure enough, when Molly heard what Rayna said, she put on a sullen look. ¡°So, it¡¯s you?¡± Laura raised her eyebrows, ¡°You know me?¡± ¡°Heh!¡± Molly sneered, ¡°What do you think you are? Are you even worthy of my acquaintance?¡± Laura, ¡°¡­¡± Zoe, ¡°¡­¡± Max, ¡°¡­¡± In this circle, it was not umon for two artists to fight against each other, either under or above the table. But there was also an unwritten rule. That was you could not insult people to their face. Even if you hated each other in secret, you still had to be polite and even pretended to get along well with each other in front of the media. But unexpectedly, today Molly offended Laura openly. Laura fell into embarrassment for a moment. Zoe put on a sullen look. She always held the principle of not causing trouble, and not being afraid of trouble. So, she said coldly, ¡°Yes, she is not worthy of your acquaintance. But it¡¯s a pity that the people you want to know also don¡¯t pay much attention to you. Just why do you think so highly of yourself?¡± Molly didn¡¯t expect someone dared to retort. Instantly, she was furious. ¡°And who do you think you are? You dare to talk to me like that¡­¡± Max was very unhappy to hear that, and his eyebrows knitted. He immediately interrupted her, ¡°Molly!¡± Anger was obvious in his tone. And then Molly found Max was talking to her. Looking at him, her face paled visibly, ¡°Mr. Nixon.¡± ¡°Do you know where you are? What do you think you are to make a scene here?¡± Hearing his words, Molly tightened her heart. She was so impulsive just now, thinking the role she had been trying to get for so long had been gotten by an unknown new actress. She didn¡¯t hold back her anger and said these to ridicule Laura. However, she forgot that Max was still beside her. She hurriedly lowered her head and said in a low voice, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Nixon, I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Max also didn¡¯t want to tangle with this group of women here. He originally wanted to find an excuse to go away when he moved forward to stop Zoe and Laura just now. So, he said coldly, ¡°If you dare to do this again, you don¡¯t need to attend this kind of activity in the future.¡± After saying that, he said to Zoe and Laura, ¡°Go. Let¡¯s go over there.¡± As she saw them leave, Molly was so angry that her fingertips were even trembling. Behind her, Rayna came forward and whispered, ¡°Molly, what is the rtionship between Laura and Mr. Nixon? I think he was defending her.¡± Another woman said, ¡°What kind of rtionship can they have? In this circle, how can she get that important role if she didn¡¯t have any support? I think, she probably has seduced Mr. Nixon. I found Mr. Nixon treats her differently.¡± ¡°No way! How could Mr. Nixon like her? Doesn¡¯t shee from some vige?¡± ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s also why she can go ahead regardless of everything!¡± ¡°It seemed that Cindere couldn¡¯t be a princess at all. Laura must have made some shady tricks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Molly finally couldn¡¯t hold back and shouted out. The crowd immediately stopped talking. Although Molly herself was only slightly better than those second-tier actresses, among this group, she was the big shot. She stared in the direction that the three left just now, and gritted her teeth, ¡°She is just a new actress. She must think she can have a meteoric rise after seducing Mr. Nixon. It¡¯s ridiculous!¡± ¡°Molly, she even dares to contradict you like this today. Don¡¯t you want to give her a lesson?¡± ¡°Yes. How can we let this continue? She¡¯s just a newbie! Does she even know how to respect?¡± 154 ¡°That¡¯s right, she dares to insult you so unruly and openly now. If she really gets famous one day, won¡¯t she bully you?¡± ¡°Right, you are her senior by years. She is really being disrespectful to you by behaving like this.¡± Molly looked over at them. ¡°Do you guys mean that you want me to deal with her?¡± The crowd hurriedly nodded unanimously. Molly sneered suddenly. ¡°You guys think that I¡¯m stupid? She¡¯s now under Mr. Nixon¡¯s protection, and you want me to mess around with her? Do you guys want me topletely offend Mr. Nixon, or do you want me to be forced out of the circle?¡± At the moment these words came out, the women¡¯s faces instantly changed. ¡°Molly, we didn¡¯t mean that.¡± ¡°You guys know exactly what you mean!¡± She sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve been in this circle longer than you, so don¡¯t expect to tackle me using that kind of provocation. Trying to make me a gun? You¡¯re still a bit too young!¡± After saying that, she gave a heavy cold snort and turned around to leave. ¡­ Zoe and Laura were pulled by Max into the open garden. ¡°Phew finally escaped from that hell, thank you so much!¡± Max kept on bowing to them, and Zoe and Laura could not helpughing. ¡°Come on, they say that all women love Mr. Nixon, and I finally saw it with my eyes today. The rumors are indeed true.¡± Max smiled and rubbed his head, ¡°Zoe, please stop teasing me, I can¡¯t help it, right? I sacrifice my beauty for the sake of business, I am very dedicated, right? Not even you don¡¯tfort me, you even make fun of me.¡± Zoe rolled her eyes. ¡°Come on, you sacrificed your beauty for business? It¡¯s obvious that you just enjoyed messing around with women as well as the trouble from them.¡± Ever since Zoe took her to meet with Max and a few of his friendsst time, Zoe had kept in touch with them. Stephen had set up a Facebook group with all his buddies in it. He had also invited her into it as well. They would asionally chat in their spare time, so they were not strangers to each other. When Max was teased by her, he did not get angry butughed instead.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. He then looked at Laura who was behind her. He rubbed his chin and smiled, ¡°Laura, it¡¯s been a long time since we metst time. You look pretty in this outfit today. You are very cold and elegant.¡± While saying that, he squeezed his eyes at her appreciatively. However, Laura looked away indifferently. ¡°Mr. Nixon, don¡¯t try to seduce me. I don¡¯t like you.¡± Max was speechless. He swore that he did not seduce her inwardly. He was just giving words of encouragement to her! Zoe could not help butugh. ¡°So, you guys really know each other, huh? I thought you¡¯re strangers to each other. Now it seemed that you¡¯re old acquaintances!¡± Laura nced at Max. She was a bit ufortable. After a pause, she exined, ¡°He and I were ssmates a long time ago. We yed together when we were kids.¡± Zoe was stunned and felt a little surprised. As far as she knew, Laura was not from a rich family. Her family could only be considered modest. As for Max, everyone knew that he was the only son of the Nixon family in Eqitin. One grew up in Eqitin and the other was born in Julio. Logically, they should not have known each other when they were children. However, she did not ask too many questions. After all, it was their privacy. Furthermore, since Laura did not say anything, she must not want anyone to know. It happened that at that moment, Nathan came over to find her and wanted to take her over to greet and get to know some bigwigs in the film industry. So, Zoe left with Nathan. As soon as she left, Laura also stepped forward to leave. However, Max pulled her back. ¡°Eh, wait.¡± Laura turned around and looked at him with raised eyebrows. Her cool face was pretty and had some aura and Max also felt awkward somehow. He did not know when he offended her. He felt that she showed a gloomy face to him once he entered the door today. He had just defended her. She was heartless! Max gave her a friendly smile, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we metst time, let¡¯s have a drink together.¡± Laura hooked her lips sneeringly. ¡°Are you not afraid that those girlfriends of yours will get jealous?¡± Max choked. He said exasperatedly, ¡°They¡¯re not my girlfriends.¡± ¡°Oh? However, they¡¯ll still be jealous, I don¡¯t want to put myself into trouble.¡± After saying that, she casually waved her hand at him as a farewell sign. Then, she walked away. She looked so decisive. It was the first time in Max¡¯s life that he got rejected and was treated indifferently in such an ungracious manner. At once, he was very angry that his chest hurt. Sure enough, she was heartless. Her turning him down made him even more desperately want to have a drink with her. Laura found that he was a totally different person today, following her wherever she went. Originally, she wanted to keep a low profile toe over to have a little show, promote the new drama,plete her mission and then leave. But with him following her like this, how could sheplete her mission? Everyone knew that Max was quite famous in this circle. Wherever he went, the media would follow him, and so do the gazes of the actresses. Just everyone seemed as if they wanted to throw themselves onto him. When they found out that he had been following Laura, those poking gazes were like knives, stabbing her one after another. Laura even felt the pain on her back due to the stabbing. Finally, she managed to finish the task of promoting the new drama with a few media interviews. She nned to leave immediately. However, at this moment, a figure darted over. Laura was unaware and was bumped. She fell to the ground at once. ¡°Ah, sorry, sorry.¡± The one who bumped into her was a waiter with wine in his hands. Seeing this, he hurriedly put the wine down and came forward to help her up. Laura gritted her teeth in pain. Fortunately, it was close to the entrance and less crowded. So, even if there were a few people who had heard themotion and looked over, it did not attract too much attention. She hurriedly stood up and the waiter helped her pick up her handbag and apologized to her. ¡°Miss, are you alright, I didn¡¯t mean to do that, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± That waiter was anxious. Laura rubbed her arm that was hurt by the bump and forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright, just be more careful next time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful next time, don¡¯t everin about me to our manager, please.¡± He looked as if he was in a hurry. She thought that probably tonight was too busy and the waiters were short-staffed. That was why he was in such a hurry. When she used to have a summer job, she also worked as a waitress in a bar and she knew very well that it was not easy to work here, so she did not say anything anymore. She only waved her hand at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯tin about you, just go and do your work.¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡± The waiter left with a thousand thanks. 155 Laura exhaled gently, rubbed her wrist that was red from the bump and checked her skirt. The skirt was borrowed from a sponsor in thepany, so it could not get dirty. Luckily, the waiter had reacted quickly. He had immediately turned the te in his hand around after realizing that he had bumped into her. As a result, even though she fell to the floor, her dress was still intact. She felt so lucky. Laura was relieved to see that nothing was wrong and was ready to leave. Max, who was not far away, saw that she was leaving and hurriedly tried to follow her. However, just at that moment, several guests from the businessmunity gathered around him. ¡°Mr. Nixon, it¡¯s been a long time since west met. I heard that you have recently been promoted to be the president of Nixon Group, congrattions.¡± ¡°Mr. Nixon, since we¡¯ve met today, why don¡¯t you have a drink with us?¡± ¡°Yes, we all want to meet you and have a talk with you. However, we¡¯ve never had the chance. So, today we have to have a good chat with us anyway.¡± Max was surrounded by several people and could not leave. He could ignore other people but not them as they were the bigwigs in the business world. Although he was the only son of the Nixon family, he could not afford to ignore them. Furthermore, they were all friends of his father and had a lot of business dealings with the Nixon family. With no choice, Max had to stay and smiled at them, ¡°I felt ttered. Let¡¯s talk over here.¡± He led them to the parlor inside. Laura, on the other hand, was feeling good as she had managed to get rid of him. However, just when she reached the entrance of the hotel, she was stopped by a few police officers. ¡°Miss, we have received a report that you are carrying arge number of prohibited items, pleasee with us.¡± ¡­ After following Nathan out to socialize, Zoe then returned to the lobby and turned around, but she could not find Laura. She simply asked a waiter and realized that she had already left. So, she did not think too much. It waste now, and Laura still had scenes to shoot tomorrow, so it was normal for her to leave early. At the same time, in a room right next to the hotel. Laura looked at therge bag of methamphetamine that had been searched out in front of her in a shock. ¡°Pop!¡± With a loud bang, a bright white light was turned on above her head, stinging her eyes and she felt pain. Laura subconsciously raised her hand to shield her eyes, and then lowered her hand to look at a serious-faced officer sitting opposite to her.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Her face turned pale. Although she did not know what was going on until now, one thing was for sure. She had been framed! However, who could it be? Who could have framed her with such a dirty trick? The prohibited items were retrieved from her bag while all her costumes and props today were provided by herpany. Herpany would not have framed her, so who would it be? She suddenly thought of the waiter who had just bumped into her. At the time she was knocked to the ground, it was the waiter who picked her handbag up, which meant that apart from the people in thepany and herself, that waiter was the only one who had touched her bag. ¡°Say it! Where did these thingse from!¡± As she was thinking, she heard the officer¡¯s serious voice. Laura snapped back to her senses and looked at him with a pale face. ¡°I don¡¯t know, this stuff does not belong to me.¡± The officer sneered, ¡°If it¡¯s not yours, can it be someone else¡¯s? Miss, I advise you to give an honest ount. You are a public figure, don¡¯t ruin your future!¡± Laura¡¯s face suddenly turned pale. In fact, no matter what she said, if this issue broke out, her future would be ruined. The person who had framed her was attempting to ruin her! Realizing this, Laura¡¯s face turned even paler. She took a deep breath to calm herself down slightly. Then, she said, ¡°Officer, this thing isn¡¯t mine. When I was outside just now, a waiter bumped into me. He must have taken the opportunity to put them into my bag. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go and watch the CCTV footage. Someone is obviously framing me.¡± The officer narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Framing you?¡± ¡°Yes! If you still don¡¯t believe me, you can give me a urine test and check if I have a history of drug use. If I don¡¯t have a history of drug use, why do I bring it here?¡± ¡°I know how important this asion is. Isn¡¯t it that I¡¯m asking for trouble bringing such things in? I don¡¯t take drugs as well! It¡¯s obvious that someone had framed me and wants to ruin my future.¡± The officer thought for a moment. Then, he lifted his eyes and looked at her. ¡°So, who do you think would have framed you?¡± ¡°Naturally, the one who had reported it should also be the one who had framed me!¡± The officer sneered. He suddenly pped the table and said angrily, ¡°Nonsense!¡± Another officer next to him also sneered, ¡°The one who reported you was an ordinary waiter. Why did he frame you? If you want to clear yourself, you better find a better excuse first!¡± Laura was stunned. Before she could do anything, she saw the officer waving his big hand. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t talk nonsense with her, bring the stuff and cuff her out!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The cold metal handcuffs were then put around her wrists. Laura panicked. No, she could not go out like this. If she went out like this, everyone would know that she had been handcuffed by the police at the party, then no matter what the reason was, no matter what the truth was, no matter she was innocent or not, she would be ruined forever. She was in a panic. Just then, the door was mmed open. Zoe rushed in together with Nathan. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± She had originally thought that it was normal for Laura to leave early. But then, after thinking about it carefully, she felt that something was not right. Laura hade with her, and she was not the kind of person who would leave without giving a proper exnation. If she left, she would have at least sent a message to her and said something. But now that she had disappeared without exining anything, Zoe immediately realized that something was wrong and grabbed two waiters for questioning, only to find out that she had been brought away by the police. Luckily, in order to make a body search, they temporarily found a ce in the hotel instead of cuffing her and directly taking her to the police station. Zoe asked indifferently, ¡°Officers, what do you mean by this?¡± The officer asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Nathan hurriedly stepped forward to introduce himself. The officer did not know Zoe but knew Nathan. After his words, they nodded. ¡°We received a report, saying that someone was hiding drugs here. We have just searched her body and this is what we found.¡± As the man spoke, one of his colleagues brought the packet of methamphetamine up to show it to Zoe. Zoe¡¯s face turned pale. 156 She turned her head to look at Laura, who desperately shook her head. She held back her tears that were about toe out due to panic and gritted her teeth, ¡°Zoe, I¡¯ve never had something like those, someone is framing me.¡± In fact, Zoe knew it even without her saying it. This was clearly a trap. She knew Laura well enough, not to mention that she would never touch these things that would ruin her future. One must be fool enough to bring such things to such an asion today. Natalia calmed herself down and said to the officer, ¡°I think the thing might not be so simple. I believe that she would not do such a thing.¡± The officer sneered, ¡°We will know whether the stuff belongs to her when we go back to the police station and check it out. This is not something you can say.¡± After saying that, he ignored Zoe and waved his hand, ¡°Take her away!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Zoe¡¯s face turned pale. However, she and Nathan could not stop them if they just insisted on bringing her away. Seeing that they had handcuffed Laura, Zoe quickly took out her phone and called Max. Archie had gone abroad on business these days and could not be counted on. Luckily, Max was here today. He was the son of the Nixon family and also had shares in Annie International. As Star Entertainment was under Annie International not, he would not walk away from this matter. Sure enough, in the parlor, Max was having a good conversation with a few seniors. He was shocked when he suddenly received a call. ¡°What? You said they found some drugs on her? She was already taken away?¡± ¡°Yes! But right now the people out there probably haven¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. I¡¯m going to deal with the emergency PR instantly. Max, you should hurriedly find a way to get her out first!¡± Zoe was so crisp and decisive that she did not give him time to react after the call. She hung up the phone with a snap. Max stood there and was unable toe back to his senses for a long time. It was the Mr. Jefferson behind him who patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Mr. Nixon, did something happen?¡± Only then did he jerk ande back to his senses, slightly changing his face, and look at the few people sitting on the sofa. ¡°Sorry, there¡¯s an emergency situation over there, I have to go immediately, we can talk next time.¡± After saying that, he left in a hurry. It was in the police station. Laura was sitting on a tin chair, waiting for the results of the urine test. The bag where the drugs were hidden had already been checked and her fingerprints were not found. In other words, it had been confirmed that the drugs were not hers, but a urine test was still needed to make sure that she really did not take them. Laura was in a very bad mood. She had never expected that something like this would happen. Not only had she been framed but she did not even have the chance to exin.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. When Max arrived in a hurry with his men, he saw her sitting alone on a chair in the corridor and with handcuffs on her hands. She looked helpless. He felt his heart twitched, so he hurriedly walked over. ¡°Laura, how are you?¡± Laura lifted her head and saw that it was him. A glimmer of hope appeared in her originally bleak eyes. ¡°Max! What are you doing here?¡± She stood up. Max tightened his eyebrows and he looked gloomy, ¡°I can¡¯te when something like this had happened to you?¡± Laura forced a smile, ¡°People that don¡¯t know the truth will think that you are my boyfriend or something.¡± Max stiffened his face when he heard that. After a while, he waved his hand, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about that. What¡¯s going on now? Hurry up and tell me!¡± Laura then told him how she was bumped into by the waiter, how she was taken away by the police and how the police frisked her. In fact, the matter was very simple. Max could understand it without much detail. After listening to Laura¡¯s ount, Max sneered. Such a tant conspiracy was full of loopholes, and the aim was never to frame her and to put Laura in jail. After all, if the matter was brought to the police station, the truth could be found out with a simple investigation. It seemed like a prank by some people, just to ruin her reputation and give her a hard time. As expected, the urine test results came out after a while. Laura did not take drugs and the blood sample showed that she had never taken any drugs either. She was innocent. Of course, she always knew that she had never taken drugs, but she still let out a sigh of relief when the results came out. When the officers saw Maxing, they finally decided to let her go. After all, it was already proved that Laura was innocent. So, the officer smiled and walked forward. He said to Max, ¡°Mr. Nixon, I¡¯m really sorry. It seems that this is a misunderstanding. Since Miss Davies is an artist under yourpany, there is naturally no problem. I¡¯m really sorry for bothering you to make this trip in the middle of the night.¡± Max looked at him indifferently and followed by a sudden smile. ¡°So you mean, this matter will be over just like that, officer?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± The officer gave Laura an awkward nce and then looked at him again andughed, ¡°Mr. Nixon, you mean¡­¡± ¡°Heh! My artist was being falsely used and you took her away in public without investigating properly. How would you pay for the damage to her reputation?¡± ¡°Annie International has spent hundreds of millions on the drama, and it is about to go on air in no time. However, just before it can evene out, the actress is in jail. How would you pay for our loss in viewing rates when news like this gets out?¡± The officer did not think about it much when he received a call to arrest her. And now, questioned by Max, he was immediately confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t it that Ms. Davies had been proved innocent? If Mr. Nixon is worried about the gossip, I cane out with an announcement and post it online.¡± Max pulled the corner of his mouth indifferently. ¡°If an announcement is enough, why there are still so many cases of reputations being ruined due to mistakes?¡± These days, it did not matter where the announcement was made, as long as the person was in the police station, there would be many rumors in the public. Especially if it was linked to a sensitive topic like drug use. If you went into a police station and did note out and the charge was valid, people would say that your private life was a mess and there were no good people in the entertainment circle. If you went into a police station and finally came out and the charge turned out invalid, people would say that you had strong support behind you and you must have taken advantage of the rtionship. So, it didn¡¯t really matter what the final oue of this matter was, or who hade out to announce her innocence. As long as someone saw Laura being taken away from the banquet hall, her reputation would be ruined. This was the world of the celebrities, and this was how the public opinions worked on the inte. Being too imaginary was a disease but there were no remedies for it. As soon as the officer heard Max¡¯s words, he knew that he would not give up easily. For a moment, he could not help but felt anxious. ¡°Mr. Nixon, you have to understand that this is our duty to handle this case in such a way. If it has got you and Ms. Davies into trouble, I¡¯m really sorry about it, but we are doing it ording to the formal procedure, I really did not expect ¡­¡± 157 ¡°Enough.¡± Max spoke out to interrupt him. ¡°I know that it¡¯s not easy for you guys either. Things have already happened, and the damage caused cannot be undone, I don¡¯t me you for that, but¡­¡± He paused for a while and looked at him with a stern gaze, ¡°You guys should be able to investigate something like reporting a false crime thoroughly, right!¡± The officer was shocked.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Logically, it could not be considered as a false report as they indeed found the drugs at the scene. It was just that they still needed to find out the real owner of the drugs they had found. As he was thinking, Max¡¯s voice came out again. ¡°The drugs do not belong to Laura, so they must belong to someone else. The drugs appear out of nowhere, so you must find out their source, right?¡± The officer hurriedly nodded, ¡°Yes, please don¡¯t worry about it, we will definitely find out the truth.¡± Only then did Max nod in satisfaction, ¡°So, can she go now?¡± ¡°Of course. Mr. Nixon, this way.¡± Only then did Laura leave with Max. As expected, just as they stepped out of the police station, they found the reporters and media had blocked their way. Their cars were parked outside. They could not get up there without passing through the media. ¡°Miss Davies, it was reported that you brought drugs with you at a party, is this true?¡± ¡°Miss Davies, may I ask how you are feeling now, after something like this happened and your new drama is about to go on air?¡± ¡°Miss Davies, is it because your agency has bailed you out that you did not get detention?¡± ¡°Miss Davies, may I ask how long you have been taking drugs?¡± It was the first time that Laura had encountered such a situation. She was scared and was stunned for a moment. At this moment, a cold and deep voice came from behind. ¡°Miss Davies brought drugs with her? Who told you this?¡± The crowd was stunned. When they saw that the person who came out was Max, everyone was shocked. All of them surged over. ¡°Mr. Nixon, may I ask, why are you here at this time of the day. Is it you who have bailed Miss Davies out?¡± ¡°Mr. Nixon, it seems that Miss Davies¡¯ involvement in the drug possession scandal is true?¡± They were all blocking Max. Max was indifferent. He said in a stern voice, ¡°Marvis!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Bring someone to clear the way!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Two rows of bodyguards immediately ran over and pushed the reporters away. Max hugged Laura and shielded her as he walked out. ¡°Mr. Nixon! Please give us an exnation.¡± ¡°Mr. Nixon, do you think you can veil the truth by not saying anything?¡± Max simply ignored them. After sending Laura to the car, he swished the door shut. He ordered the driver to drive her away first before he turned around and faced those media reporters. ¡°First of all, from the beginning, no one has ever said that Laura was taken away because of drug possession! I don¡¯t know where you had heard the news, but I¡¯m here to tell you about it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te here to bail her out. The police station has investigated clearly that what had happened today had nothing to do with her, it was just that someone wants to frame her.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, there is a police station behind you. You can go and ask for rification yourselves.¡± ¡°Since this is all a misunderstanding, I don¡¯t want to see any negative news about this incident from any of your reports.¡± ¡°If I see any of you distorting the facts, it is nder! For any mediapanies that damage the reputation of the artists of Annie International, we will sue them for defamation and will never let it go easily, you can try it if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± After he finished, he turned around to a bodyguard beside him and said loudly, ¡°Josh, go! Take down the names of all the media here, don¡¯t miss a single one!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After Max finished his words, he got into his car and left. The media were a bit confused by his words, but after a while, someone really came over and recorded their names one by one. Those people were so scared that their faces turned pale. ¡°Why are you recording our names? You are not following the rules!¡± ¡°Rules? Heh!¡± Josh sneered, ¡°You still talk about rules with me? You always distort the truth. Don¡¯t insult the word ¡®rules¡¯ by talking about it from your mouth!¡± With that, despite his resistance, he took the wallet out of his pocket. He fished out his ID card and wrote down his name. The man was so angry that he trembled. ¡°What do you mean by this? Threatening and intimidating?¡± ¡°Yes! We have nothing to say if you write down ourpany¡¯s name, but what are you doing with our names?¡± ¡°Do you guys want to take revenge?¡± Josh gave a sarcasticugh. ¡°Annie International is a regrpany. How would we such a thing? We are taking down your names just in case. After all, with such a piece of big news, if your names appear on the news, we have to have an impression somehow, right?¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened at once. ¡°How dare you say that you are not trying to take revenge! You¡¯re threatening us right now?¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± Josh did not bother to talk to them anymore. Soon, after taking down their names, he led his men away. The reporters looked at the back of the caravan leaving. They were anxious and angry. But they did not dare to do anything. They all knew Max. Though they were all from a wealthy family, unlike Henry, Max would not care about the consequences and would really go back to whoever had pissed him off. If it was Henry, they could still talk about it like a business. After all, they were just all entertainment media, so who would be willing to give up such a piece of breaking news? But then they met a guy like Max! This guy was always unconventional. If he was really pissed off, he might really take revenge under the table! Thinking of this, all the reporters did not dare to act rashly for a moment. In the end, they all returned to their ownpanies and reported the situation to their superiors before making a decision. At the same time, Max sat in his car and called the PR department. He ordered them to contact the heads of the major media who were at the scene just now, so that he could do Max a favor to suppress the news. Fortunately, although Laura had starred in ¡°The Youth¡± and ¡°Chase the Wind¡±, and ¡°The Youth¡± had always been very popr on the inte. She was a neer after all, unlike those famous celebrities. So, after discussion, the heads of the media were willing to do him a favor. After all, it was not really smart to offend a business tycoon just for this bit of news about a neer. Moreover, by letting go of this news today, Max owed them a favor that he would have to repay sooner orter. Because of this, the matter was resolved quite smoothly. After this was done, Max dialed Zoe¡¯s number. It was because some other people had seen Laura being taken away by the police. 158 Although this matter would not be reported on the media side, it was inevitable that some rumors were leaked out. They still had to do something on the public rtions aspect. After Zoe received the call, she was relieved to know that he had settled everything. As for the PR aspect, she had already made arrangement just in time to manage those critics online. As soon as there was a slight movement on the inte, it was immediately suppressed. At the end of the day, although they had officially announced that Laura would take a leading role in ¡°The Youth¡± and the trailer hade out, the drama had not yet been broadcast, so there were not many people who had known about it. Furthermore, she was just a neer with only about 200 Twitter followers. As long as the media and the bigwigs did not put her into trouble, there should be not much big deal.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. After settling all this, Max asked Zoe to see if anyone had taken any photos or videos at the scene. If there was indeed such a photo or video, no matter how much it cost, it must be destroyed. Otherwise, even if there was no trouble now, it might be a problem if someone brought this issue up in the future. Zoe knew it, so before he told her, she had already asked her men to deal with it. Max only had time to meet Laura when he had settled all the issues. They met at a crossroads. The driver parked the car at the roadside. Laura, who was wrapped in an overcoat, got down from the car. Seeing him, a few hints of guilt appeared in her eyes. ¡°Did I get you into a big trouble today?¡± Her tone was timid. It was the first time she spoke in such a tone to him. He smiled instantly. ¡°You know you¡¯ve caused me trouble?¡± Laura twitched her mouth and lowered her head in dissatisfaction. It was not what she wanted either, OK? She did not know if it was because she had offended Molly and the others at the party today because of him. After all, she had not offended anyone in this circle, so if someone had really framed her on purpose, it could only be because of what had happened tonight. Whatever, he was the culprit! Thinking of this, Laura could not help but looked at him with a gloomy face. Max had obviously thought of this as well. He looked ufortable as he gave a clear cough. ¡°Er ¡­ don¡¯t worry! I will find out the truth for you. I¡¯ll never forgive those who had put you into trouble.¡± Laura nodded. The weather was cool at night, and they were standing by the roadside, so it was not convenient for Max to talk to her anymore. He then waved his hand. ¡°Alright, you go back first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± When the car had left, he returned to his car. His assistant handed over hisputer, on which a CCTV footage was being yed. He exined, ¡°Mr. Nixon, we¡¯ve retrieved the CCTV footage throughout the lobby and we¡¯ve also seen the waiter who bumped into Miss Davies, but because of the angle, we could only see his back but not his face, so it might not be that easy to trace the person out for now.¡± Max nodded and did not say anything. ¡°Mr. Nixon, do you think we should hand this over to the police?¡± He shook his head, ¡°No need.¡± His eyes lingered on the video, dragging the progress bar back to half an hour ago. He could see that the waiter entered a private room, followed by Molly a few momentster. He sneered, as if talking to himself or sneering, ¡°How dare you y such tricks in front of me! You must be so tired of your life.¡± Laura did not pay any more attention to the progress of this matter. She only knew that two dayster, Molly, who was also an artist of Annie International, was suddenly being suspended for no reason. Unlike her, whose contract with Annie International onlysted for five years, Molly had signed a contract for ten years back then in order to get into thepany. She was only 26 years old now and was already a second-tier artist in the entertainment industry. Although she did not have any well-known works, she had quite a fame because she was good at hyping. With her current fame, if she could take on a few more well produced dramas, as long as her acting was not too bad, she would basically be able to survive in the second tier and still had a hope to strive for the first tier. However, at this very moment, she was suspended. Her fans did not know what was going on, but they¡¯ve noticed that her Twitter ount had not been updated muchtely. It also seemed that she had not appeared in many activities recently, let alone dramas. The president of Molly ¡®s fans club had ess to her schedule, but at this time, when she went to ask for it, the answer she got was that she had no scheduletely. Everyone was confused. Immediately afterwards, the official ount of Annie International released a statement. The gist of the statement was that Molly¡¯s activities had been suspended for an indefinite period of time as she had broken her contract. As soon as this statement was posted, there was an uproar on the inte. Annie International did not give much detail as to what she did. Some media had tried to poke around, but they could not find anything. As a result, spection grew. As soon as the spection started, some people got her into more trouble. As a result, all the shameful things that Molly had done in the past were exposed one by one. For example, how she slept with the producer to get a role, her secret affairs with a rich man and how she ostracized actresses in the crew even though they were from the samepany. It was also said that she used to be a prostitute. She had been a model before she became an actress and she had attended certain strange parties. In short, her ck history was getting exposed. Before Molly could understand what was going on, she was crushed by the waves of rumors out there. She sat at home, scrolling through the half-true and half-false scandals on Twitter. She was going to be crazy. She called her assistant, but her assistant, who usually treated her in a respectful manner, spoke to her indifferently this time. ¡°From today onwards, I¡¯m not your assistant. Go ask thepany yourself if you have any questions.¡± After saying that, she blocked her phone number. Molly was so angry that she almost smashed her phone. She trembled for a while and then called her agent Evan with trembling fingers. Evan was a veteran agent in this circle. In Annie International, the artists that he took care of would rarely have any problem. He had a wide range of contacts in this circle. Even though Molly was arrogant and domineering, she was still a bit afraid of him. When this kind of scandal broke out and the inte was in an uproar, she thought that Evan would call her and scold her like he used to do. But unexpectedly, he did not call her today. Her phone was very quiet. From the beginning to the end, not a single person called her. This deadly quietness made her even more frightened, and a bad feeling rose in her heart. This bad feeling continued until she saw the official statement from Annie International just now. Her head exploded with a buzz. Suspended for an indefinite period of time? Her eyes widened as she stared at those words in disbelief. 159 Those in the industry were well aware of how much damage these words might do to a celebrity.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. She had a ten-year contract with Annie International, with seven years remaining as of now. What would she be seven yearster when the contract expired if she had been suspended for seven years, with no works, events, ys, or movies? Who would remember her? What would be the sense of terminating the contract if she had turned into a middle-ageddy by then? Molly felt like she was going to die every time she thought of this. She needed to make an urgent phone call to find out what was going on! The call was connected in a brief moment; the other end was a bit noisy; she gripped her phone, ¡°Hello, is it Evan?¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± the guy on the other end of the line said quietly. The other side made a session of rustling sounds before bing quiet. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Evan was always cool and calm, which waspletely contradictory to Molly¡¯s impulsive and hot-tempered nature. He seldom lost his anger, but when he did, everyone was terrified. Furthermore, with years of expertise in this circle, he had his methods and had sessfully brought numerous superstars to prominence. Even though they did not renew the contract with him in the end, they left on good terms and remained friends. They would also be willing to help him with his new artists whenever he needed it. It demonstrated how well he had done in this circle as well as how extensive hisworks were. Molly didn¡¯t listen to anyone but him. She couldn¡¯t have gotten where she was today if it hadn¡¯t been for him, no matter how hard she worked. As a result, Molly held him in the highest regard. Only after the other side went quiet did she ask warily, ¡°Evan, I just saw thepany¡¯s official statement. What is going on exactly? Why would thepany suddenly suspend my activities?¡± ¡°Do you believe the choice was taken on the spur of the moment?¡± Evan stated coldly and tly. Molly skipped a heartbeat. But she defended herself until thest end and faked a grin, ¡°Evan, you know how impetuous I can be, but I never have the guts to do horrible things. I¡¯m not sure what I did and thepany made this decision.¡± Evan smiled. It was more of a mockery as if he was telling her that he knew everything. Molly¡¯s face became somewhat pale. ¡°Molly, I warned you not to covet things that don¡¯t belong to you and to act appropriately if you want to stay in this field. But did you listen? No, you didn¡¯t, and you pulled some dirty tricks. Not only did you fail to harm anyone, but you also dug your own grave. You asked for it. What¡¯s the point of sobbing in front of me now?¡± His statements startled Molly. ¡°I didn¡¯t, Evan¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do what? You didn¡¯t ask someone to put the drugs on Laura, or you didn¡¯t ask the media to report her scandal?¡± Molly widened her eyes and was astounded. Evan¡¯s voice grew colder and icier. She could not feel even a bit of warmth in his tone. ¡°You called to ask for my help, but you don¡¯t have the guts to acknowledge what you¡¯ve done. What else have you hidden from me? Do you think I¡¯m as stupid as you and will help you even if you don¡¯t tell me the truth? There¡¯s nothing else I could do now, regardless of whether I¡¯ll be able or willing to help. The decision was taken by the board of directors, and if you still have anything to say, you may talk to them directly! I¡¯m busy and have nothing further to say to you, goodbye.¡± He hung up right after. ¡°Hello, Evan, Evan!¡± Molly did not expect Evan to hang up the phone coldly, without giving her even a chance to speak. They had known each other for three years, he had treated her well and had provided her with several opportunities, but she had failed him every time and had yet to deliver a decent work. She assumed Evan would tolerate her and would not abandon her easily since, aside from her potential, he had invested a lot of time and effort in her. But she was mistaken he hung up on her! How could that be? Molly shouted a couple of times over a disconnected phone call, but it was futile. She called again, but he did not answer. Evan even turned his phone off after a few more calls from Molly. It was only now that Molly realized how serious it was. She copsed on the sofa, looking nkly at her empty house as if she had dropped into an unending void. She was well aware that she was doomed! Today marked the end of her career in the entertainment industry, for which she had fought tirelessly. However, after a long while, her self-pity eventually evolved to anger. Laura was to me for everything. That scumbag! She must have purposefully enraged her that night, causing her to lose control and behaved rashly! She was well-known in the field as a fiery-tempered person, and her hot temper earned her a tough image. As a result, the people around her would typically avoid getting into an argument with her. Yes, that must be it, she thought. Laura was aware of her bad temper and purposefully said something to set it off. She purposefully forced her to make mistakes to draw Mr. Nixon¡¯s attention away from her. So she could climb to the top. That was exactly what happened. She rose tall and swept everything on the coffee table to the floor, her eyes full of grudges and vengeance. She gazed forward, nkly, ¡°Laura Davies, you scumbag! I¡¯m going to have my revenge!¡± ¡­ Laura, on the other hand, had no idea she had turned into a thorn in Molly¡¯s eyes. Although she had finished filming ¡°The Youth¡±, she was still working on ¡°Chase the Wind¡±, so she was still quite busy recently. Zoe was about to join the crew, and the filming was scheduled to begin next Wednesday, Vicente said that it would be a wonderful day for theunch. Zoe didn¡¯t mind the date since Vicente had everything nned ahead of time. She stayed at home reading the scripts because there wasn¡¯t much to do at the office. Henry had returned from his business trip. He had been preupied with work recently but was free for the next few days. When he saw she was free, he approached her with a te of fruit and asked, ¡°When are you going to join the crew?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ It should be five dayster,¡± Zoe murmured, counting with her fingers. ¡°Where¡¯s the shooting again?¡± ¡°They said it would be close to the cinematic town.¡± 160 Hearing that, he frowned in displeasure.¡±Does it imply you¡¯ll be gone for a long time?¡± Zoe grinned as she knew he was correct. ¡°It¡¯s just going to be a few months, but time flies. Henry gave a grim smile. ¡°How about Egitin? You said you¡¯d go back with me.¡± Zoe couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Emm¡­¡± Could she im that she had just forgotten about it? His smile vanished in an instant, and she hastily added, ¡°I still have a few days until I start work, and I can go with you right now.¡± She took out her phone and instantly looked for flights to demonstrate her sincerity. ¡°We can catch the earliest flight tomorrow and still make it.¡± Henry grunted coldly and turned to walk upstairs, ignoring her. Sigh, Zoe assumed he was upset, but a few minutester he walked down the stairs and shoved a stack of vacation information at her. ¡°Pick a location. we will go tomorrow.¡± Zoe couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. ¡°I¡¯m not always free, and don¡¯t you want to go on vacation?¡± Henry said sternly. Zoe¡¯s eyes twinkled, ¡°Of course I do.¡± She quickly started going over the material and deciding where she wanted to go. As she looked over the documents, she asked if there was any ce he wanted to go. Zoe was fine with everything because she would start shooting soon and he wouldn¡¯t be able to visit her every day as he was busy, so they would be apart for a short time. So he wanted to spend as much time as he could with her now that he was free. Zoe was fast to choose a location. After all, she had traveled to numerous locations in thest several years. She chose a few less popr spots and showed him her choice. ¡°These are the locations I had wanted to go when I was alone. They are perfect for this season. You can have a look and choose one.¡± There are spots with gorgeousndscapes, ideal for a couple on vacation. He felt satisfied and chose a spot after thinking for a short while.¡±Here! We can have mountains and rivers, and it looks lovely near the sea.¡± Zoe went in for a closer look and immediately grinned, ¡°That¡¯s my favorite too, all right then, here is where we¡¯ll be going.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make arrangements tonight and let you know,¡± Henry said with a nod. Just like that, the decision had been made, almost in no time. They chose a tiny vige by the sea in a neighboring country, and they would be out of Ambario. That town was well-known for its stunning scenery, clean air, and pleasant surroundings. Every year, arge number of people went on vacation there. Furthermore, it was now spring, which was the ideal season for a trip. Despite the temperature difference between day and night, it was still pleasant. Zoe joyfully returned to her room with her tablet after dinner to continue her search for further information. Henry, on the other hand, began to make ns for their holiday. It would be a three-day, two-night trip, departing tomorrow morning. That night, Zoe had prepared numerous items that they would need during their trip. Henry went to the office for some work the next morning before picking her up and driving to the airport. She was ecstatic because it was her first trip with him. When they arrived at the airport, she discovered they¡¯d be traveling over Henry¡¯s private jet. ¡°I didn¡¯t manage to buy airline tickets becaus we were in a hurry, so this would save us time.¡± Henry stated as to why they would travel on a private jet. Zoe nodded and didn¡¯t give it any thought. She took a nap after learning that the flight would be three hours long after they boarded. Henry, on the other hand, was preupied with an investment proposal. He was on vacation, but still he had to make a lot of decisions for hispany, and he could not just walk away from these matters just because he was on vacation. Although he was not present at the workce, he needed to work. Zoe was filled with sadness as she thoug about this. All of the window shades were closed so she could sleep soundly, and just the reading light on top of him was turned in the front. Henry sat back in his chair, his gaze fixed or the paperwork in front of him. At times, he would knit his handsome eyebrows, and at others, he would sign or draw circles on the paperwork. Zoe was captivated by his excellent look. No wonder he was constantly surrounded withdies ¨C he was really charming. On the contrary, she was just an ordinary woman who had nothing special, but still he fell in love with her. Zoe vowed to work harder to be a woman worthy of standing next to him. She would not humiliate him at any cost. There was no one chatting on the ne. She sat in the softly reclining chair and turned to sleep on the side facing him. She then gently ced her hand on his waist before shutting her eyes.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Henry paused slightly and cast a nce at the hands around his waist. Zoe was lying on his side with her eyes closed and one hand on his waist. It warmed his heart since it was a sign of dependency him. He took her hand in his and kissed her on her cheek, saying, ¡°Sleep tight.¡± Zoe promptly fell asleep. After three hours. Henry woke Zoe as the jet touched down. She rubbed her eyes before following him down the jet. Because this trip was decided only in a whim, he didn¡¯t bring much with them, few people knew about it. As they stepped off the ne, their car was there waiting for them. He escorted her to the car and headed to the farmhouse Zoe had chosen. The little town was given the name Kima, which means ¡°Wondend¡± in the native tongue. They were both sitting in the car, staring at the windows. There were beautiful scenery and surroundings along the road ¨C rivers, mountains, and low-rise red-tile residences unique to this ce. Fruit trees were nted on both sides of the road, filling the air with a fresh aroma. It was such a rxing spot, with people cycling; beneath the trees andughing along the way. Zoe was fascinated with what she saw, as her attention was fixed outside the window. As he held her hands, Henry smiled at her. After a half-hour drive, they arrived at their destination. Although it was not arge and luxurious farmhouse, it was near the sea and had a serene atmosphere. The design was attractive and elegant, and it appeared to be an ideal location for a holiday. 161 Henry was preupied with the luggage, as Zoe Gil dashed in with a backpack. The instant she stepped into the vegetable-filled yard, she waspletely captivated. She had read about this ce, and she knew that they grew their own veggies here, and if they were interested, they could pick and eat them as well, just like a real farmer. They could buy meat and spices from the local market. She had been living avish life with Archie, and it was nice to experience life as a regr couple every now and again. Henry , who was standing behind her, was moved by her happiness. He sped up and carried their belongings into the home. Henry , it¡¯s lovely here. Hurry in and have a look. You will definitely love it.¡± Zoe went inside and hurried back out, clutching his arm, to tell him what she saw. Henry took a nce about ¨C it was modest but gave the impression of living in solitude ¨C and he nodded to her. They carried their belongings into the two-story vi with quite some history. Zoe stepped outdoors after walking around the house. She was overjoyed to discover a flower garden there. The owner should be someone who enjoys his life.¡± She stated this as she dashed down the path to have a better look at the colorful flowers in the garden. Henry , on the other hand, walked out with two sses of water and handed one to her. ¡°Our garden at home has more flowers than this one, but you¡¯ve never imed I¡¯m someone who enjoys my life. Natalia gave him a sidelong nce, saying, ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± ¡°You did not grow those flowers. Mrs. Dottie asked a gardener to take care of them. You will only nce at them when you are in a good mood and will disregard them most of the time. So, it¡¯spletely different, okay?¡± Henry realized she was correct and didn¡¯tOriginal content from N?velDrama.Org. argue. ¡°Hungry? Let¡¯s go for a walk and get something to eat!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Zoe gave a nod. Zoe prepared a couple t-shirt to change the way he dressed and let his CEO husband feel the satisfaction of being a typical couple. Henry came out shortly after changing. He appeared more rxed and cheerful wearing a casual white t-shirt. Zoe wore the same style but in a smaller size. She wore her hair in a bun, and they looked like a great match. Henry¡¯s eyes sparkled as he looked at her, and they went out hand in hand. They decided to have a look and eat anythin they wanted along the way. Soon after, they came into a delicate tiny bistro not far from the farmhouse. The street was rather quiet because there were few people at this time of day, but the scenery was lovely and the atmosphere was pleasant. They walked in and sat down. The owners were a couple in their thirties. They looked quite young with a six-year-old son. They were also from Ambario but moved here after falling in love with the ce. They made a living by running an Ambario bistro. The owner, Hannah Morris, was a delightful person who insisted them to just call her Hannah. Zoe was overjoyed to meet someone from her own country in a foreignnd and quickly grew close to her calling her just Hannah. Hannah came to take their order, while Zoe asked her what she would rmend. Hannah then rmended some of the finest dishes to them and . Zoe ordered three dishes after checking with henry. After handing off their order to her husband in the kitchen, she served them beverages and chatted with them. They were the only ones dining in the bistro because it wasn¡¯t yet mealtime. ¡°We primarily serve dishes from our hometown here. I¡¯m not sure if you will like them, but many people have stated that our dishes taste delicious. If you don¡¯t like any of the dishes, just let me know and I will make you something else.¡± exined Hannah. Zoe said, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to earn then. That¡¯s okay if they are not good, but if they are tasty, then your customers would have to lie to have more to eat!¡± ¡°Ha-ha, I won¡¯t say the same to everyone, but you don¡¯t seem to be someone who would take advantage of others,¡± she waved her hands. She paused and raised her brow, ¡°Are you students?¡± she said. ¡°You seem to be students who skipped ss for a vacation.¡± Zoe blushed and shifted her gaze to henry. He was attractive, and there was no indication of aging on his face. And he was dressed casually in a white t-shirt today and seemed to be enjoying himself because he was with her, so he appeared much younger than anyone his age. ¡°We are not students,¡± Zoe said. ¡°Really? This gentleman beside you looks quite young, and you two seem to be a good match. I thought you were students.¡± Zoe .., she was already twenty-four, and Henry was five years older, nearly thirty. It would be ridiculous to look like students. Henry , on the other hand, was overjoyed to hear what she said, especially when she said that they appeared to be a good match. He looked pleased as well, and he immediately ordered two bottles of drinks. He didn¡¯t drink, so he put both in front ofZoe i and asked her to save one forter on their walk. Since Hannah had been so nice to them, Zoe asked her happily, ¡°Hannah, do you know any great spots around here?¡± ¡°There are so many lovely ces! If you go east from here, you will see the Smoking Sea. It is close and offers the finest view.¡± ¡°The sea is misty, giving it the appearance of a paradise. If you walk north, you¡¯ll notice a mysterious temple on top of Mount Praia. Make a wish, and it will be granted. Nine out of ten visitors will visit the temple, and many couples like going on dates there as well. If you¡¯re interested, you could go tomorrow because it¡¯s a littlete today. Climbing to the peak takes at least half a day.¡± ¡°Oh, I heard there¡¯ll be a meteor shower here tomorrow, right?¡¯ Zoe inquired, her eyes wide with curiosity. She looked up tourist attractions and weather forecasts beforeing, and it¡¯s been predicted that there would be a meteor shower tomorrow. ¡°Meteor shower?¡± Hannah shook her head and frowned, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that, but you may have a look. Even without the meteor shower, there are plenty of ces to visit around the mountain.¡± Zoe greed with a nod. The food was served at this point. Hannah excused herself and brought her kid to the back for schoolwork. Although it was a tiny bistro, the food was delicious. Itcked the glitz and m of a five-star restaurant, yet it was enveloped by a warm and weing atmosphere. 162 After the meal, they said their goodbyes to the couple and walked out. They left the bistro at four in the afternoon. They were advised to walk straight since the night market would begin at five. They decided to have a look because there were quite a lot of things they could see there. Henry had never been to a night market before, and he was somewhat intrigued. When he noticed Zoe¡¯s delighted expression, he got even more interested. On their way, they enjoyed the beautiful sceneries. When they saw peoplinging and going by their bicycles, Zoe begged to ride one as well. As a result, Henry rented one near the highway. As he pushed it out, he realized he didn¡¯t know how to ride a bicycle. Zoe burst intoughter. Who would have thought that the multitalented Mr. Han didn¡¯t know how to ride a bicycle? Henry was a little irritated. He¡¯d been raised in the wealthiest manner possible. He had the best chauffeur in this world whenever he went out, and he¡¯d never ridden a bicycle. Seeing his dark face, Zoe could only swallow back herughter. She then told him to sit in the backseat and while she led from the front, he could just follow from the back. Henry got onto his seat unwillingly, and Natalia began riding after telling him, ¡°Let¡¯s go. They rode their bicycles along the street, letting the air brushed on their faces. He was fully immersed in the aroma of her refreshing shampoo. Henry fell in love with this type of soothing environment, and he felt at peace. Zoe hadn¡¯t ridden a bicycle since she graduated from her middle school, yet she managed to ride it sessfully. She was overjoyed. And she started singing the song she used to hum when she was cycling to her school. Her humming was slightly off-key since she was riding with someone behind her and needed extra energy. This had a major impact on her singing. Regardless, she was born with a good voice, so her humming was eptable. Henry paused for a moment before asking, ¡°What are you humming?¡± ¡°Bade pour Adeline, have you never heard of it before?¡± Henry was at a loss for words. Her humming was out of tune, yet she expected him to recognize it.. As he said nothing, she added, ¡°The original name of this song is Bade pour Adeline, it¡¯s a piece performed by a well-known pianist, and it¡¯s even won prizes¡­ ¡± ¡°I know..¡± He snapped, and his face clouded. Zoe nodded and shrugged, saying, ¡°I forgot you¡¯re quite good at piano.¡± On their bicycle, they soon arrived at the night market Hannah rmended earlier. The night market had only just begun, and several stalls were still being set up. Zoe directed him to an ice cream store that had had been praised by lots of people online. While they waited for the stalls to open, they ate ice cream. The shop yed light and pleasant music, and the owner was a Turkish man who entertained customers by doing creative ice-cream performance. Zoe finished her ice cream while sitting in the shop, bored. She didn¡¯t want to go to the night market right now, so she went to see the performance of the owner. When the owner noticed her arriving, he asked if she wanted to give it a try. Zoe hesitated for a while, but eventually epted the shovel and cone and began creating ice cream with his help. Before she came here, she already knew how to build a flower on a cake with butter, so it just used the same method but with a different material. Furthermore, the owner was patient, and she figured it out in almost no time. Zoe purchased the ice cream she had made and delightedly handed it to Archie, saying, ¡°Here, this is for you.¡± Henry raised his brow as he examined the oddly-shaped ice cream in front of him. He epted it but couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°This is so awful, did you make this?¡± Zoe nodded and said, ¡°Yes! If you don¡¯t like it, I can have it back.¡± She stretched out her hand to take the ice cream. But he won¡¯t give it back. Instead, he ate half of it in one bite, saying, ¡°It¡¯s impolite to take back the things you have given out.¡± Zoe broke outughing as she observed his whining expression while eating the ice cream. So she let him go this time and carried on walking. The streetlights were switched on, and the night market had begun. As previously said by Hannah, the night market was busy with both visitors and residents. Zoe strolled about with Archie, watching here and there while Archie trailed behind like an attendant, frowning all the way. Zoe noticed he appeared irritated by the seemingly chaotic and filthy environment, so she left him and dashed to the front. Henry was concerned about her safety and could only ignore the filthy surroundings and race up to follow her. ¡°How much does this cost?¡± Zoe was squatting in front of a stall, trying on a silver ring, when Archie noticed her. ¡°Two hundred.¡± ¡°Two hundred? It¡¯s pricey.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t too pricey. It¡¯s made of pure silver, it¡¯s not just silver-coated, and the thread wrapped around it was made by hand using temple-blessed thread, ensuring good health and longevity.¡± ¡°Good,¡±she said with a smile. ¡°I will take two for two hundred, and I¡¯ll pay you straight away.¡± ¡°Two hundred? I don¡¯t make a dime at that price!¡± ¡°All right, then, I¡¯ll give you twenty more, take it or leave it.¡± ¡°Aww, thisdy is such a deal hunter, a hundred and twenty apiece, I don¡¯t make much..¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s do this! You are a good person. Please sell it to me.¡± As she said, she withdrew her money from her pocket and presented it to the owner. The owner epted the money and said, ¡°All right then, I¡¯ll sell it to you because you¡¯re a lovelydy.¡± He then brought out another ring with the same design and presented it to Zoe. Zoe turned around and thanked him as if she had gotten some valuable treasure. When the owner noticed her speedy spending, he remarked, ¡°Do you want to have a look at these earrings? They are also blessed by the temple.¡± Zoe refused with a shake of her head. ¡°No, the rings are fine,¡± she responded, believing the styles of the earrings were out of date. She then approached Archie and ced the ring on his middle finger. Henry frowned and tried to remove it right away, but Natalia stopped him. ¡°Do not take it off. It has been blessed by the temple for good health and longevity.¡± Henry disliked the seller¡¯s sales techniques while also despising Natalia¡¯s intelligence. ¡°Ar you sure you believe that?¡± ¡°Of course, why not?¡± She strolled to the next stall selling handmade masks, looked at them, and casually stated, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with believing some nice words. Even if they are not real, they are at least a blessing, right?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. 163 She then tried on a monkey mask and made a goofy face at him. Henry felt warm in his heart hearing what she said, and after a while, finally he nodded, ¡°You are correct, it¡¯s good enough to have a blessing¡± Zoe removed her mask and smiled at him. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± she murmured and squeezed his face. Henry came to a halt. Nobody had ever squeezed his cheek before, and he had an odd feeling about it. Zoe hadn¡¯t noticed that. She then removed the monkey mask and reced it with a pig mask. ¡°Hey, beautifuldy, do I look good?¡± she turned back and asked Henry. Zoe could not hold back hisughter and said, ¡°Ugly!¡± ¡°Come, beautifuldy,e back to my farm with me!¡± she said as she approached Henry in an attempt to catch him. ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Henry said, softly knocking on her head. ¡°Of course, you! Look in the mirror and check whether you have a beautiful face.¡± ¡°But I am a man!¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t manydies in the world who are more beautiful than you.¡± Henry was at a loss for words. He wasn¡¯t sure whether he should be delighted or upset at being told he was more good-looking than a woman. Zoe removed the mask and gave it to the owner, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll take this, how much is it?¡± ¡°Why do you want this?¡± ¡°Just for fun.¡± Zoe grinned at him, paid, removed the mask from the bag, and put it back on, clearly having a good time. Henry trailed behind her, seeing that she was much more energetic and lively than when she was in Julio. Hevished her with jewels, cosmetics, clothes, and purses, all custom-made by world-renowned designers, yet she had never smiled as brilliantly as she did now. And she acted as though she had just found some magnificent treasure for purchasing two cheaply produced rings.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. He realized she was far more cute than he had previously believed, and he liked her much more as a result. She was happy because of him, not the luxuries. They stayed in the night market until Natalia was tired and then returned home. Zoe felt cold on her trip home because the temperature in town varied greatly between day and night. Henry then took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders. They were hungry, so on the way back, they stopped at the bistro where they had eaten earlier in the day. They were ready to enter when they noticed the owners adjusting and cleaning up the chairs and tables. ¡°Oh? Are you through with the night market?¡± ¡°Are you closing?¡± Natalia inquired, feeling a little awkward. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s almost eleven o¡¯clock now, and we¡¯re ready to head home. Would you like anything to eat?¡± Zoe gave a nod. ¡°Oh, everything is sold out. We¡¯ll have to get some fresh ingredients tomorrow morning. But I got some bread and yogurt this afternoon. You can have them if you want!¡± She went to the refrigerator, pulled out the bread and yogurt, and presented it to them. Zoe immediately waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re running a business here. How could we take it for free?¡± Henry quickly pulled three notes from his wallet and handed them to her. Hannah was irritated by this. ¡°What are you doing? These are just bread and yogurt. We are all from Ambario and we are now in a foreignnd. I can certainly afford to treat you this.¡± Zoe blushed and felt embarrassed. ¡°No, we didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± ¡°In any case, take this! There are no stores or restaurants along the way you¡¯re taking, so this will be your final chance to get food.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Natalia murmured. ¡°Yes, and don¡¯t stay out toote at night since the tourist attractions are packed with all sorts of people. The weather will get much colder after midnight and everyone will be heading home, there isn¡¯t much outside at that hour anyway, and it¡¯s not safe to remain outte.¡± Zoe gave a nod. ¡°Thank you¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Henry put back his cash into his wallet. Zoe was holding the bread and yogurt when they were sent to the door. She was moved because she felt Hannah was a nice person who took wonderful care of them. ¡°There are lovely people everywhere in this world,¡¯ she murmured on the way home, ¡°And we are blessed to have met a kind couple here.¡± ¡°It just took bread and yogurt to reach to your heart?¡±Henry said softly. Zoe gave him a stern look and said, ¡°What do you mean? Is this something to do with bread and yogurt? This is the warm feeling of meeting someone from the home country in a foreignnd, do you get it?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. You met someone from your own country in a foreignnd and she was gracious enough to give you bread and yogurt. But you¡¯ve never thanked me for all the bread I¡¯ve given you.¡± Zoe couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. ¡°Because you are such a businessman!¡± she said after a little pause. Henry couldn¡¯t hear her and gave out a high-pitched ¡®hmm¡¯ Zoe didn¡¯t want to irritate this man, so she softened her tone and added, ¡°Thank you, I am very thankful to you, so grateful.¡± Henry smirked. She was praising him, but why did he feel she was not? Zoe didn¡¯t exin anything to him and just went away without giving him a chance to defend himself. After a restful night¡¯s sleep. Zoe and Henry headed to the nearby food market the next morning after learning about it. They chose this little town for a reason, and they wanted to experience the life of ordinary people here. As a result, Zoe had insisted they buy ingredients and cook for themselves. Although she was not apetent chef, she had seen him cook and was happy to let him take on the culinary duty. Henry agreed and apanied her to the food market after changing his clothes. They arrived at a nearby market. Zoe was inept at cooking and sourcing fresh food alike. Henry , on the other hand, could tell the difference between fresh and bad food. But he was too proud to bargain, so he chose the ones he liked and paid whatever the owner asked, while ignoring those he didn¡¯t want, no matter how cheap. His abrupt and non-bargaining purchasing style drew the attention of thedies around him in the market. It was already quite a topic for good-looking couples like them visiting the food market. There were usually vacationing couples who would want to visit the food market, but they sure weren¡¯t as good-looking as Henry and Zoe . In an instant, they became the talk of the town. They finished buying the items for lunch in approximately half an hour. ¡°Have you noticed how thedies are looking at you just now in the market? They were watching you like wolves.¡± On the way back, Zoe teased Henry. 164 ; Henry glimpsed at her coldly.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Zoe continued with a mischievous smile, ¡°Listen, you have to follow me very closely these few days, or else you¡¯ll get taken away by the wolves. I could protect you if you stay with me.¡± After finished, sheughed. Henry¡¯s muscles tensed up a little. He was slightly aggrieved. Who would have thought that the president of the Han Properties would be teased by someone like that one day? Yet he could not utter any word. He could only flick his finger on her forehead with grievance in the end. ¡°Alright, hurry up and go! We still need to go to Mount Praia. Both of them strode towards the manor. Henry was preparing lunch in the kitchen at noon. Natalia took the initiative to lend him a helping hand, washing the vegetables and the tes. They did look like a young married couple. After finishing washing the vegetables, Natalia had nothing else to do. She carried a small wooden stool and sat next to the kitchen watching Henry stirring the vegetables in the pan, She realized a man with good looks would look handsome even when his hair was disheveled and he was wearing an apron. He had a natural charisma. He lookedposed and was deft in cooking as if he was not holding a spat, but a samurai¡¯s sword. The pot did not look like one either. It looked like a protective shield that he could use to defend himself during a war. He was the proud and superior general whomanded the army. A smile broke upon her lips. As she was absorbed in her infinite imagination of him colonizing the whole world, she suddenly heard a loud bang. Zoe was taken aback by the noise and she leapt from the stool. She saw Henry covering the pot with the lid in a rush. The meat was sizzling with oil inside. Zoe nced at him deeply. She saw him heaving a sigh of relief momentarily. Alright! She had thought too much. Henry did not cook much either. He was just biting the bullet to mix and cook the ingredients with his powerfulmon sense and logical thinking. He finished cooking. Although the food¡¯s appearance was awful, the food still tasted okay. After having lunch, they packed their luggage and headed out towards Mount Praia. It took them one hour to go there from the manor where they stayed by car. They called a taxi nearby and reached the foot of the hill one hourter. Lots of tourists from many parts of the world gathered there as expected. Natalia climbed the hill with Henry . It was afternoon and the sun was bright. It was not too far away from the sea and the soothing sea breeze blew across the grass. It was already four in the afternoon when they climbed halfway up the hill. Archie had been working out all year long and he was okay with it, yet Zoe was so exhausted that she breathed heavily. ¡°Could you still make it?¡± Henry held her and took a water bottle out from his backpack. He handed it to her. Zoe took it over and gulped, nodding. ¡°Yeah. She had to climb to the top. She must not give up and let anyone make fun of her. She held her breath and tried hard to climb up. Henry followed behind her, firstly, to protect her, and secondly, to avoid letting her see his disdainful eyes. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that over there?¡± Zoe suddenly straightened her back and pointed at a huge tree tied with red ropes not far away. Quite many tourists had headed there. Archie stopped and gazed at it, saying, ¡°No idea. Looks like it¡¯s a ce for people to meditate.¡± Zoe became intrigued. ¡°Let¡¯s have a look there.¡± They walked there and discovered a small pond. A huge banyan tree tied with tons of red wooden signs was situated behind the pond and a young monk aged around twenty was sitting under it. He was wearing a shabby robe, sitting cross-legged while chanting scriptures and meditating. Zoe had no idea what that meant and she whispered, ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± ¡°Practicing.¡± He replied with a low voice. ¡°Practicing?¡± Zoe looked slightly surprised. Seeing her confusion, Henry continued exining to her. ¡°They are ascetic monks. Many people are Buddhists here Buddhist culture. is prosperous, unlike the Mahayana Buddhism we know, the Buddhist culture here promotes Hinayana Buddhism and self-cultivation. There are many monks who have been a monk since childhood. With a devout heart of seeking Buddhism, they¡¯ve walked all over the mothend with their feet. In both the chilly winter and the hot summer, they would never stop and would practice painstakingly, hoping to get rid of this world spiritually as soon as possible.¡± Zoe was startled and light dawned on her. She then continued asking, ¡°What about those red wooden signs there?¡± Henry slightly frowned. ¡°No idea. I guess it¡¯s the people here, who want to pray for safety and happiness when they saw a monk there. See the soil beneath him? The surrounding soil is dry, but the ce he sits on is a little wet, and it¡¯s sunk quite a lot too. He must have meditated there for several days.¡± ¡°Several days? Didn¡¯t he need to sleep, eat or drink?¡± Henry shook his head. ¡°What I know about these is just trivial. There are still a lot of things I don¡¯t know.¡± Zoe ttered him with a smiling face, ¡°You still know much more than me, you¡¯re awesome.¡± Seeing her ttering look, Henry shook his head with grievance and both of them continued climbing the hill. They only reached the hilltop when the sky had gonepletely dark. Zoe was so exhausted that she did not want to move a finger. Henry held her to eat something at a small restaurant at the hilltor She only regained some strength when she finished eating. ¡°Hi miss, mister. Do you want a love padlock Do hang a love padlock outside!¡± Just then, an olddy with white hair approached them. A lot of padlocks with various sizes and shapes were hung on her. She tried to sell one to them. Zoe asked with curiosity, ¡°Love padlock? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°As long as you write your name down and hang it on the marriage bridge outside, you¡¯ll get to grow old together and won¡¯t separate with each other ever.¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes gleamed. She turned around and asked Henry , ¡°Shall we get one?¡± Henry nodded and Natalia took one from the olddy. She asked, ¡°How much is it?¡± ¡°Twenty dors. Henry gave her a hundred dors and signified her not to return the change. The olddy was delighted and grateful at once. She gave them an extra small padlock, saying it was a descendant¡¯s padlock. As long as they hung it on the marriage bridge, they would definitely get a lot of children and grandchildren. They received the gift with appreciation and after paying the money, they walked towards the marriage bridge mentioned by the olddy. After walking a distance of around half a mile, they finally spotted a bridge across a dry waterfall in front of them. The bridge had been staying there for some years. A lot of love padlocks with various sizes were hung on it. Zoe dashed there and noticed names and even some romantic words were even written on the padlocks. ¡°I didn¡¯t know we could do this, how interesting!¡± Henry pouted a little and walked there, asking, ¡°Where do you want to hang it?¡± Zoe pointed at a spot. ¡°Maybe here! It¡¯s easy to be found, maybe it¡¯ll stay longer.¡± Henry then took a pen out of his pocket and wrote both of their names down on the padlock. 165 Zoe glimpsed at the padlock and seeing his serious and neat writing, her eyshes trembled a little. Henry noticed romantic words were written on other padlocks after finished writing the names. He then asked Natalia for her opinion, ¡°Shall we write something on it?¡± Zoe asked him in return, ¡°What do you think we should write?¡± Henry felt troubled. He was not the mushy type and he would only say something heartwarming and sappy when he faced her and was brimmed with emotions. Yet he truly could not think of any romantic words when they were in the middle of nowhere. Since he had said that, he did not want to give up. After pondering for a while, he took the pen and wrote swiftly on the padlock. Zoe approached him to take a look, and the words written on top was ¨C I want to sleep her forever! Natalia was speechless. ¡®Are you kidding me, Mister Han? Henry hung the padlock on the bridge with great satisfaction. Zoe still had a descendant¡¯s padlock. Henry snatched i from her and wrote two names on top. He then hung it on the same spot too. Zoe asked him, ¡°What did you write?¡± ¡°Names¡­¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Names?¡± She widened her eyes in a daze. ¡°Whose names?¡± ¡°Our children¡¯s.¡± Without thinking further, she thought he meant their future children. Henry locked the padlocks, held her hand and turned back. He ignored Natalia when she looked a bit weird. They returned to the ce that they had had their meals just now and they only knew the meteor shower said by rumors online was true after inquiring. The observatory had indeed said there would be a meteor shower tonight, and many people had climbed the hill earlier and set up tents for it. It was no longer the first time Zoe had seen a meteor shower with Henry together. He had brought her to see it once not long ago. Since they hade, and coincidentally, the meteor shower only appeared today. They did not have any reason not to see it. Zoe¡¯s despondence vanished and she ran to the hilltop to see the meteor. The meteor still had not showed up, but quite many people had been sitting on the grass. Many of them were couples. Some came in families. The atmosphere was warm and peaceful as they gathered together. ¡°It would be nice if we have a telescope. We could see better.¡± Zoe sighed. Henry raised his eyebrow and pointed at a stall nearby. ¡°Someone seems to be selling it there.¡± ¡°Oh really? Shall we go there and have a look?¡± Henry nodded and both of them went to the stall. They noticed the telescopes sold were all inferior and outdated. The stall owner tried hard to persuade them to purchase one when he saw them. After all, they looked young and wealthy, and had elegant temperament. He promised that there would definitely be a meteor shower tonight and the view would be clearer and more beautiful with the telescopes. Zoe did not know how to make a decision since she didn¡¯t know about it, so she let Henry choose. Henry picked some telescopes and without asking the price, he disassembled them, chose the parts deftly andbined them. His movement was quick and smooth and before the stall owner could react, he had already disassembled four telescopes. He instantly panicked. ¡°Hey, mister, don¡¯t destroy it if you don¡¯t want to buy it. How could I sell these anymore?¡± Henry was expressionless. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t sell these outdated junk to others. The stall owner became apprehensive and as he wanted to argue with him, Archie had alreadybined the parts he took off and tried to look through the telescope. Although he was dissatisfied with the oue, that was the best he could do since the parts were limited. At least the telescope looked much better than the ones before. He took a stack of cash from his wallet and tossed it to the stall owner. He took the telescope and a soft mat from the stall, holding Natalia¡¯s hand and left. They came to a empty ce. Archieid the mat on the ground and both of them sat down. Zoe tried looking through the telescope but she could not tell the difference. Henry asked her to look through it when the meteor showed up. She would then know its difference with ordinary telescopes. Zoe put down the telescope and they sat there, waiting. ¡°Hey, I heard that your wish woulde true if you make a wish the moment the meteor shows up. What wish do you want to maketer?¡± Zoe poked his arm and asked. Henry smiled. ¡°I thought your wish won¡¯t be fulfilled if you say it?¡± Zoe pondered and thought it to be true. She said with grievance, ¡°Alright!¡± Seeing her looking a little dispirited, Henry worried that she was tired, and he turned his eyes towards his shoulder, signaling her, ¡°Have a rest, I guess we still need to wait for a long time. Zoe had been climbing the hill the whole afternoon and she indeed felt a little tired. She then leaned against him. Henry extended his hand and took her into his arm. Both of them cuddled towards each other tightly. The night was silent and the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of the grass. Natalia lied in his arm quietly and she felt peaceful as she listened to his powerful heartbeats and rhythmic breathing. ¡°Do you feel cold?¡± she asked. Henry said with a low voice, ¡°No. ¡°Tell me if you¡¯re cold. Cover yourself with some clothes, don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± ¡°Alright. I don¡¯t feel cold when I¡¯m hugging you.¡± They cuddled towards each other silently. Zoe moved a little for a morefortable position. She put her head on his legs. Henry put his hand on her waist and the atmosphere was tranquil. ¡°Take a nap if you¡¯re tired,¡± Henry rumbled when he noticed her tired look. Zoe shook her head. ¡°No, I want to stay with you.¡± Henry felt touched and he did not decline her kindness. Natalia whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something. We won¡¯t feel tired if we talk to each other¡± Henry pondered. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Anything¡± ¡°Then ¡­ could you tell me about your childhood?¡± Zoe was startled. Her childhood? She opened her mouth and wanted to speak, yet her face turned gloomy when she suddenly remembered her deceased mother. How should she talk about her childhood? No matter how she said, it seemed like she could not avoid that wound in her heart. She fell into silence and only replied at length, ¡°I refuse.¡± Henry raised his eyebrow with surprise and looked down. He saw her eyes limpid with a mixed expression. She pursed her lips and was looking stubborn. His eyes turned profound and he said ndly after a long while, ¡°Is it because you have something embarrassing to talk about?¡± Zoe was startled and her slightly despondent mood instantly transformed into annoyance. ¡°You¡¯re the one getting embarrassed!¡± Henry could not help but chuckle. ¡°You know, I won¡¯t abandon you just because you did some embarrassing things in your childhood.¡± Zoe looked up and took a glimpse at him. She then looked away. ¡°I still refuse to talk about it.¡± Archie did not intend to force her. The mountain wind was cold. He hugged her and as both of them cuddled towards each other, the coldness they felt was greatly minimized. Henry yed with her locks of hair unintentionally with his fingers and whispered, ¡°Close your eyes if you¡¯re tired, I¡¯ll wake you up when the meteor shows up.¡± 166 Zoe nodded and closed her eyes. They stayed at the hilltop and had waited for a long while. The meteor still did not appear. Zoe lied on Archie¡¯sp and she was covered by his coat. She started to feel sleepy. The surrounding temperature dropped when the night got darker. Natalia still felt a little cold although she was covered by the coat. She moved closer to Henry in a daze for more warmth. Henry looked down and fixed his eyes at her who was in his arms. He caressed her locks of hair with his fingers and looked sympathetic. They had no idea how long had passed, and the sky started to turn bright. Dawn broke and the first sunlight shone on the tranquilnd. Natalia was patted softly and woken up. She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Archie¡¯s beautiful, chiseled face. His handsome face was shrouded by vague halo and he looked divine. She was dumbfounded by the beauty in front of her. She then narrowed her eyes with joy, extended her hand and pinched his cheek. ¡°It feels too wonderful to wake up in such a handsome man¡¯s arms every day.¡± Henry did not stop her and he only spoke after she had done pinching, ¡°The sky¡¯s gone bright. Let¡¯s go.¡± Natalia sat up and looked around. As expected, everyone was packing their things with a disappointed look, preparing to leave. She then scratched her scalp. ¡°What about the meteor? Was there any meteorst night?¡± ¡°No.¡± Henry stood up, extended his hand and held her up. ¡°Maybe the news had made some mistakes.¡± ¡°Aw.¡± A disappointed look shed across Natalia¡¯s face, she then nearly fell due to the extreme soreness of her legs. Archie was quick enough to hold her. He asked, ¡°Have your legs gone numb?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Zoe nodded. She stooped and hit her numb and sour legs. Henry¡¯s eyes went somber and he stopped her. After putting on his coat, he took a step forward and squatted before her. ¡°Get up.¡± Zoe was startled. She hesitated when she saw his broad shoulders. ¡°The mountain road is steep. I can walk on my own. I¡¯ll be fine after resting for a while.¡± ¡°Get, up!¡± Henry repeated. Zoe bit her lower lip and could only climb to his back gently. Archie carried her up and they walked down the hill together. The mountain road was winding all the way down, and the dewst night had not dissipated. Ayer of mist was lingering among the mountains. They were instantly surrounded by coldness the moment the wet air stimted their skin as they walked in thr mountains. Zoe waved the branches that extended from both sides of the mountain road away and asked, ¡°Have you not slept the whole night yesterday?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then you must be very tired? Why don¡¯t you put me down and I¡¯ll walk on my own? It¡¯ll be fine if we walk slower.¡± Henry did not do what she asked and he continued walking forward. He rumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not tired. Afraid that she did not believe him, he pause and added, ¡°I used to burn midnight oil wher I¡¯m busy with work back then, I¡¯ve gone used to it.¡± Seeing how he insisted on carrying her, Zoe did not force him anymore. She lied on his back obediently and allowed the sense of happiness to fill her heart. ¡± Henry , if you get old in the future and can¡¯t walk anymore, I could carry you as well. You can go anywhere you want.¡± Henry finally could not hold back hisughter when he heard her innocent words. He said ndly, ¡°Could you possibly carry me?¡± ¡°Of course. I might look tiny, my strength is huge. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you carry me in the future.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Zoe was brimmed with happiness and she felt that it was the happiest thing in the world. To continue walking with her loved one until they went old, even without extreme excitements and luxuries, as long as they were both healthy and could stay with each other for the rest of their life, it would be enough. They only reached the foot of the hill when it was noon. They were both starving and thirsty. There were several local-looking restaurants at the foot of the hill, they randomly picked one and entered. After having lunch, they took a taxi for their way back. Natalia did not sleep wellst night. She felt exhausted and sleepy the moment she got into the car, and she fell deeply asleep shortly. It was already evening when she woke up. She got up from bed, rubbed her eyes and realized she had slept straight until sunset. The French window of the bedroom was opened. The curtain billowed as the wind blew in. There was a salty smell in the damp air. She got down from the bed and walked towards the French window. She saw a huge and spacious balcony outside. On the balcony there were a dining table and two chairs. To the East, there was a misty sea of smoke. The fire-like sunset seemed like having ignited half of the sky and the sky was reflected on the sea like a broken red brocade. Standing on the balcony, she stretched out, narrowed her eyes slightly, and breathed the fresh air from the sea. She felt tired and hungry. A nice aroma came from downstairs. She smelled and her eyes gleamed. She turned around and ran all the way to the kitchen. She found Archie grilling beef steak in the kitchen as expected. He was way more skilled when he grilled the beef steak,pared to the time when he cooked the vegetables yesterday. Hearing her footsteps, he did not turn around. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Zoe approached him to have a look. The steak was almost ready and raw vegetables had been washed. It looked like he was going to make sd. ¡°Let me help you!¡± She took the initiative to cut the vegetables him. After reminding her to be careful with the knife, he allowed her to do so. Zoe finished cutting the vegetables and she put the sd sauce on top. The steak¡¯s aroma appeared. She smelled hard and drooled. ¡°What a nice smell.¡± Henry let out a smile and ced the grilled steak on the te, asking her to take it out. With the cool breeze, panoramic view from the terrace and the round table with two beef steak servings and a sd on top, Archie took a bottle of red wine and went outside. Their dinner was simple and delicate. They enjoyed their dinner while watching the sunset. Zoe had a hard time cutting the beef steak on her te with fork and knife, yet Henry already finished cutting the steak on his te and handed it to her. She smiled sweetly, squinted and put a piece of steak into her mouth. The taste and the heat were just right. The steak was tender and absolutely delicious. She ate while looking at Henry who was sitting opposite to her. Seeing his elegant movements, noble posture against the sunset and waves of the blue sea, she just felt like it was the most beautiful picture in the world. Henry raised his eyebrow and glimpsed at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zoe smiled and shook her head. ¡°Nothing, I just think you¡¯re handsome.¡± Her praise cheered him up and he could not help but let out a smile. He saidcently, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°You¡¯re almost as handsome as Kelvin.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Kelvin?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the lead singer of a recently debuted band in another country. He¡¯s really handsome.¡± Henry instantly pulled down his face and he knocked her head. ¡°Don¡¯t you have your eyes on other men!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Zoe caressed her head with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s a basic respect towards a handsome guy, you know?¡± Henry looked even unhappier. Noticing something was not right, Zoe quickly spoke, ¡°But I¡¯ll only have my eyes set on you. 167 Only then did he look happier. They finished the dinner in a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. They only finished after the night crept in and the fire- like twilight disappeared. They stayed in the small town for two more days and soon it was time for them to go back. On thest day, Natalia didn¡¯t arrange anything. Heheh went out around the afternoon, saying that he had something to do. Natalia didn¡¯t think much about it. But then, it was almost six in the evening, and he wasn¡¯t back yet. She got a bit worried. After all, they were in an unfamiliar city and a foreign country. More importantly, she called him many times, but he didn¡¯t pick up his phone. Zoe felt more and more nervous and at this moment, her phone rang. She quickly picked it up, and the person on the phone was Nancy. Nancy sounded urgent on the phone, ¡°Mrs. Han , this is not good. Mr. Han got hurt.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite serious and I cannot exin it on the phone. Pleasee over as soon as you can! We are at the east side of the beach.¡± She then hung up. Zoe didn¡¯t even get the chance to inquire more about the location. Her face nched as she stared at her phone. Henry got hurt? What happened? He went out saying that he had something to do, and how did he get hurt? Nancy wouldn¡¯t be so perturbed if it wasn¡¯t serious. So, Henry had to be quite badly hurt. Zoe couldn¡¯t waste any time. She ran out with her phone, not even grabbing her handbag. During their call, Nancy only mentioned the east side of the beach and nothing more. Zoe could only run in that direction. She looked around while she ran. Luckily, their vi wasn¡¯t too far from the beach. After a while, she arrived at the said location. But there was nothing on the beach, not even another person. Where was Henry ? She frowned. She tried to call Nancy again. Before she could dial the number, there was a loud noise behind her. She was startled and turned around. The old wooden boat which was initially there exploded into pieces. After that, a small, one-foot-tall silver robot walked towards her.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Zoe was taken aback, and was dumbfounded. She did not know what to do and before she knew it the robot was in front of her. It raised its arms in the air. There was a letter in its hands. Zoe was shocked at what she saw. She subconsciously grabbed the letter. The robot said in a mechanical but nice voice ¡°Turn left and go straight. He¡¯s waiting for you there.¡± Zoe was confused. He? Who? Thousands of thoughts crossed her mind, bu she didn¡¯t dare to be sure. She quickly ripped the letter open. The vigorous and powerful handwriting could only belong to that person. ¡°Turn left and go straight.¡± It was short, but she could recognize his writing. Zoe already knew what was going on and what he was nning. She felt a bit trolled. At the same time, she calmed down and wasn¡¯t worried anymore. She started to saunter towards the left of the beach. The beach was in a semicircle, surrounding Mount Praia. He probably cleared the area and hence there wasn¡¯t anyone else there. Zoe walked slowly, she was nervous and embarrassed at the same time. Not long after, she arrived around the corner of the mountain. It was the end of the beach. She couldn¡¯t go forward anymore, otherwise, she would have to enter the sea. She looked around but couldn¡¯t find the person she was looking for. She took out her phone and wanted to call him. Just at that moment, her phone rang. She quickly picked up the call. ¡°Look back.¡± The person¡¯s deep and maic voice could be heard from the phone. Natalia was taken aback, she quickly turned around. A huge ship appeared out of nowhere on the sea. Technically, it was a cruise. It was too far away and she couldn¡¯t see it clearly. It was also evening and there were mists around the beach. The cruise was veiled. After around 5 minutes, the cruise appeared clearly before her eyes. She realized that it was an extremely extravagant cruise. The man stood at the for of the cruise. He was wearing a white suit an was standing straight. In the evening light, he looked like a midcentury prince. He was alluring and handsome. Her heart started to beat fast. What was he nning? She had a hunch about what he was nning but she didn¡¯t dare to confirm it. But her heart couldn¡¯t help but beat faster and faster. The man walked down the footboard elegantly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask when he walked up to her. Henry smiled. He was wearing a suit, he looked calmer and sterner than usual. He gained an extra casual yet noble aura. Her face flushed from embarrassment just by looking at him. He grabbed her hand andughed, ¡°Don¡¯t ask. Just follow me.¡± Zoe went with him onto the cruise. It was decorated nicely inside. Covered with white veils and red rose petals, it looked very romantic. The cruise started its engine when they got on it. Archie brought her into a room. A team of world-ss stylists were awaiting her. The stylists politely bowed and greeted them as they walked in, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Han.¡± Zoe let them do their magic, ¡°Please style her up.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zoe was nervous, and she stared at him as she said, ¡± Henry .¡± ¡°Be good, don¡¯t ask any questions yet.¡± He ruffled her hair gently. Hisrge and warm palm made her calm and gave her strength. Zoe pursed her lips. In the end, she chose to believe him and didn¡¯t ask anything. The make-up room wasrge. There was a pink evening gown hanging on the rack on the side. There were chips of diamonds embroidered on the dress, looking exquisite and fancy. Zoe sat on the chair and let the stylists do whatever they wanted. An odd feeling emerged in her heart as she stared at that pretty gown. She didn¡¯t understand what he was nning. Her intuition was telling her that he had prepared her a surprise. But what kind of surprise could this be? This was their first time going on a trip together. They only wanted to experience the feeling of going on a normal date like a normal couple and weren¡¯t nning to do anything else. Not to mention that even though Henry was good at flirting, he was quite conservative at heart. He wasn¡¯t the most romantic person. She couldn¡¯t believe that he would prepare her a surprise. If he, who was changing in the other room right now, knew what she was thinking, he would be so sad. 168 Henry nned and prepared everything today, all on his own. The design of the gown, the decoration in the cruise, the rings, the surprise in the evening, he did everything without anyone¡¯s help. Even though he was not so good at showing affection, but it would often turn out exceptionally well if he put in some effort. Soon, Zoe was done with her make-up. The stylists helped her up and helped her change into the gown. Zoe just stood there as they put the dress on her. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°What are you guys doing? Why am I dressed up so formally? I don¡¯t think today is some special day.¡± The stylist smiled at her mysteriously, not nning to tell her the truth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Han. We are not allowed to say anything. Otherwise, Mr. Han will get angry at us.¡± The other stylist alsoughed as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will find out real soon.¡± Zoe agreed, she would find out soon. And they weren¡¯t going to tell her even if she wanted to know. She helplessly brushed off the questions she prepared in her head to extract information from them. After changing, she looked in the mirror. She was surprised when she saw the girl in the mirror with delicate make-up. The stylist said, ¡°You look very good in this gown. Mr. Han has good taste. Natalia was shocked, she asked, ¡°He chose this?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s made by the top designer Frank. Mr. Han presented him a draft and Frank improved it. He then handmade the gown.¡± Zoe was aghast. She remembered that not long ago, Henry was constantly on business trips. Even when he was in Julio, he would stay in thepan! all the time. Anyway, he had been extremely busy during that period of time. When he finally got back, he said to bring her on a trip. How did he manage to find time to design a gown and decorate everything? The stylists weren¡¯t going to say anything more and Natalia stopped asking. She was done changing and the stylist added a ne on her. They then guided her out. Henry was already waiting outside.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. His eyes sparkled when he saw her. Zoe always looked good in all sorts of clothing. She was tall and slender, and her skin was fair. The pink gown made her looked tender and lovely, and her cheeks were rosy. She was absolutely charming. Henry smiled. He went up and grabbed her hand. He said to the stylists, ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± They smiled and waved their hands, ¡°No need to thank us, it¡¯s our job. We will take our leave if there¡¯s nothing else to do.¡± Henry nodded and they left. After they left, Zoe couldn¡¯t resist the urge anymore. She looked up and noticed that he changed into another outfit as well. He wasn¡¯t in the white suit anymore, but a more formal ck suit with a swallow tail. Henry was tall and strong to begin with. He looked even more elegant and noble in this outfit. She was in awe, and then she asked, ¡°What are you nning all behind me? Also, why are we in such formal outfits? Are we attending some important event today?¡± Archie reached out his hand and tugged a loose strand of hair behind her ears. He smiled, ¡°Yes, there¡¯s an important event that we must attend today.¡± Her eyes were wide open, ¡°What event?¡± He raised the arch of his brow, ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± He held her hand and walked out of the area. He grabbed her hand and she could only follow him. Archie wasn¡¯t going to tell her anything and she was burning in curiosity. As they were walking, she asked eagerly again, ¡°Where are we going?¡± Henry looked down and stared at her. He pointed at his watch, ¡®It¡¯s almost eight, are you hungry?¡± Zoe only then realized that she hadn¡¯t eaten anything! It was all his fault for making things soplicated! Originally, she was waiting for him for the dinner in their vi. She ran out of the house after hearing that he got hurt. She didn¡¯t care about anything else. But when she got here, she was brought into the make-up room. She was forced to stay there for more than two hours and didn¡¯t have the chance to eat. Now that he mentioned it, she realized that she was starving. Zoe thought about it and eyed him reproachingly, ¡°It¡¯s your fault! Nancy said that you got hurt, but look at you! What happened?¡± Henry looked a bit awkward hearing what she said. He rubbed his nose and tried to exin, ¡°I wasn¡¯t hurt. She lied.¡± Zoe scoffed coldly, ¡°How dare you guys lied about something like that. You guys were in this together!¡± Henry was also in dismal as he only told Nancy to help him pass on the message. He didn¡¯t know that she would use such a way to get Zoe over. But it was toote to back out, he couldn¡¯t let this slip. He said gently as he smiled, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t let her use such a lie to make youe over. But I felt very happy, seeing how worried you were about me.¡± Zoe was speechless. She red at him and didn¡¯t press the matter further. They arrived at the restaurant. It was an open-air restaurant located on the second floor of the deck of the cruise. It was decorated with white veils and there was a long rectangle table in the middle. The table was decorated prettily, there were vases of flowers on it. It was simple yet romantic. They sat down and the waitresses walked over, bringing one dish after another. The dishes were naturally prepared beforehand. It was delicious and unique. Zoe liked prawns. Archie prepared some and put them in front of her. He peeled them and put them in her bowl. He said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s cold in the night. You should eat something warmer. Don¡¯t eat too many prawns.¡± Zoe nodded. Nothing happened during their meal. Archie peeked at his phone twice, and it seemed like someone was reporting something to him. She was done eating by the time he looked at his phone for the third time. He cleaned his hands and stood up. He reached out his hand and wanted to hold hers. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go! It was almost ten in the evening. It was windy on the cruise and the temperature had gone down. Zoe asked, ¡°Are we not going back to the vi?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± He answered. He then made a call. ¡°Bring it over!¡± Zoe looked at him. She didn¡¯t know what he was nning. She had a thick wool jacket on and stood next to him on the deck. She didn¡¯t feel cold. After a while, she heard noisesing from the sky. She was surprised. She looked up and found a ck dot in the night sky. She looked at Henry in shock. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Henry smiled. He looked at her and said, ¡°Will you trust me?¡± Zoe nodded. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± She was dumbfounded. She stared at his gentle and profound eyes and decided to trust him. And so, she closed her eyes. 169 In fact, Zoe was terrified of closing her eyes when she was conscious. After all, she had experienced that kind of trauma in her previous life. Subconsciously she just found it hard to have faith in her surroundings. It was fine when her eyes were open, but there was no way she could see what was happening around her as she closed her eyes even though she was conscious. The fear which buried deep in her memory would be triggered instantly. Therefore, she had actually taken a lot of determination to be willing to close her eyes andmit herself fully to him. The man noticed her fingertips were trembling slightly, so he reached out his hands, took her into his arms and asked, ¡°Are you cold?¡± She shook her head. She pursed her lips and swallowed, but she couldn¡¯t hold back in the end and asked with a little tremor in her voice, ¡°Will you let go of my hand?¡± ¡°No.¡± His voice was firm, and she felt slightly reassured. As long as he was there, she wouldn¡¯t be scared. Soon there was a strong wind blowing towards her and the sound of propeller was getting closer. She knew that the ne wasnding. Then there was a sudden weightlessness, she lost her bnce and eximed. When she recovered her wits, she was being carried by the man. She didn¡¯t open her eyes, but her fingers were gripping the man¡¯s sleeve and her face looked a bit pale. Henry asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you still scared in this way?¡± She froze as she just realized that the fear she had unconsciously revealed had long been caught in his eyes. Her small body was huddling in his arms and her nose was filled with his fresh and calm scent, which soothed her heart. Gradually, she didn¡¯t seem so scared anymore. She showed a smile and shook her head. Only then did hend a kiss on her lips and said softly, ¡°Trust me. ¡°Um.¡± He carried her in her arms and took strides forward. She could feel him holding her onto the ne and it was quiet as there was no other sounds except for the whirring of the propellers.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. After they got on the ne, he sat down but he didn¡¯t put her down. Instead, he ced her right on hisp and kept holding her in his arms. Zoe felt a little embarrassed and wanted to open her eyes, but soon she heard his stern voice when her eyshes twitched slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± She immediately didn¡¯t dare to move and open her eyes again, but the curiosity in her mind grew stronger and stronger. Where was he taking her? No one told her the answer and the ne soon took off. She could feel the weightlessness at the moment it took off. However, she didn¡¯t feel scared as she was being held in his arms. It was still quiet around, but this time she could hear footsteps passing by asionally apart from the sound of propellers. Soon, the ne became steady and began to fly at even speed. She didn¡¯t know exactly where he was taking her, so she could only wait quietly with her eyes closed. To be honest, there was some excitement and anticipation in her mind. After all, she didn¡¯t know what kind of surprise would await her next. After about ten minutes, the ne finallynded. Although it didn¡¯t take long, it seemed that a long time had passed as she closed her eyes. Her body turned light as the man carried her in his arms and got off the ne. She could feel the cold wind at night blowing on her face, but it soon disappeared and was reced by a warmth that exuded a fresh fragrance. What is this ce again? Her heart was filled with anticipation and curiosity. But unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t open her eyes yet without his word. Even though she was curious about the surroundings at the moment, she still decided to follow his lead. Otherwise, he would certainly be angry and it wouldn¡¯t be a good deal. Henry put her down, then he seemed to walk to the side to do something. He didn¡¯t let go of her hand on the way, but she could feel his feet taking two steps further away. Afterwards, his low and maic voice was heard. ¡°Alright.¡± She immediately opened her eyes. There was only darkness before her eyes and nothing peculiar happened. As there were no lights around her, she didn¡¯t even know where she was at this moment. Fortunately, there was a pane of ss in front of her and she could see the sparse stars in the sky when looking upwards, giving some brightness. However, this faint light couldn¡¯t illuminate much at all, let alone to make her see clearly the surroundings. She was slightly disappointed. ¡°Where is this ..¡± Before she could finish her words, there was a sudden pop sound. All the lights around her turned on at once. It wasn¡¯t the blinding kind of lights, but the fine and star-like blue lights that lit up around. The lights spread from their feet and went into the distance. She could hardly see an end of it. She felt like she was in the middle of the vast sky and the gxy was under her feet. Although the surroundings were in an endless darkness, there was such a path that was paved with light, leading you and attracting you to move forward. Zoe waspletely stunned there, staring nkly at everything before her. Just then, a warm touch came to her hand. As she raised her head, she was attracted by his eyes which were deeper and more radiant than the starlight. She trembled slightly as he gripped her hand more tightly and smiled at her, then held her hand to walk forward together, It was a path paved by the Milky Way. Dots of starlight spread beneath their feet. Apart from that, nothing could be seen in the rest of the ce. It felt like a floating road. Through the gxy beneath their feet she could see the shadow of the mountains. The unclear outlines that reflected beneath her feet made her feel even more exhrated. She felt that she was going to be stunned! She stared at it with her wide eyes and felt so surprised. On the other hand, the man next to her looked much calmer, holding her hand tightly as he led her all the way to the end of the path. ¡± Henry , where is this? It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± He curled his lips faintly, ¡°You guess.¡± Zoe thought for a long time with her eyes open, but she still couldn¡¯t figure out where such a beautiful ce could be in the town of Kima. He smiled and touched her upturned nose, not telling her directly but keeping her in Suspense. ¡°You¡¯ll find outter.¡± Well ¡­ okay! It looked like he was nning to carry out this surprise all the way through today. She didn¡¯t ask any more question. Both of them walked for about five or six minutes before the gxy beneath their feetpletely disappeared. The surroundings fell into a silent darkness once again. Zoe was somewhat nervous and subconsciously grabbed his sleeve. He took her into his arms and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± After pausing for a moment, he suddenly said, ¡°Close your eyes first. Open your eyes after I¡¯ve counted to three.¡± She looked up at him curiously. Although there was no lights around, she could still feel his warm and determined gaze. 170 She nodded. Her eyshes trembled slightly, and she closed her eyes.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. His maic and sexy voice rang in her ears, ¡°One!¡± ¡°Two!¡± ¡°Three!¡± She opened her eyes. The surroundings seemed to be brightened all around her, but at the moment she opened her eyes, she didn¡¯t notice the source of light. He reminded, ¡°Look beneath your feet.¡± Only then did she look down. Her eyes instantly widened in shock, and she covered her mouth in disbelief. Beneath her feet, there were the bright lights of the entire Kima town and those dense and colourful lights formed two simple words appropriately! ¡°Marry me!¡± She stood there and almost forgot to react for a moment as she was dumbfounded. The hand which was holding her suddenly loosened, followed by his maic and gentle voice behind her. ¡°Natalia, will you marry me?¡± She turned back in a hurry. He had already knelt on one knee two steps away from her, holding an exquisite pink diamond ring in his hand and looking at her gently. Zoe covered her mouth once again. Everything hade so suddenly without any sign. Even though she had already known that there would be a surprise tonight, she hadn¡¯t expected it to be this kind of surprise. She had a lump in her throat and her eyes became wet. The lights of the town beneath her feet and the gxy path she had walked past, were enough to show his sincerity and intention. For a moment, she felt panicked as she had no idea on what to do. Then she heard him repeat again, ¡± Zoe , will you marry me?¡± The rims of her eyes grew red as she felt bitter and sweet in the meantime. She resisted the joy and the urge to pounce on him, saying, ¡°Aren¡¯t we married long ago? What are you doing here?¡± He said seriously, ¡°I know, from a legal point of view, you¡¯re already my wife, but it¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime matter. How can it just settle down in a perfunctory manner?¡± ¡°Before that, I was just afraid that you would run away, so I hurriedly tried to keep you around. But I¡¯ll definitely make up for what I owe you, so this time it¡¯s a formal proposal. Are you still willing to say yes?¡± Zoe looked at him and she could feel the nervousness beneath his calm voice. She couldn¡¯t help but smiled as she was touched and upset at the same time. The reason she was touched was that he had been such a proud man and now he was willing to swallow his pride and set all this up with efforts for her sake. In order to respect her feelings, he was willing to propose again. The reason she was sad was that she seemed to be losing control of her mind. She had told herself not to lose her heart as she had already been hurt once and she couldn¡¯t suffer the second time. But why she wanted to try again so badly? However, now clearly wasn¡¯t the time to be upset. She had wanted to agree to his proposal long ago, but he had kept the whole thing from her for so long and didn¡¯t even tell her anything after they had stayed here for four days. He had to be punished for causing her to worry about nothing today, right? As she was thinking of this, she rolled her eyes with a cunning look and smiled suddenly. ¡°Well ¡­ this! I still have to think about it! As soon as she said, it could be clearly felt that his expression changed all of a sudden. ¡°What do you need to think?¡± ¡°Of course, I have to think about it. For example, you said that the reason you had married me in haste before was because you wanted to keep me around first. Such a scheming man like you is..¡± Before she could finish her words, she saw him stand up suddenly. She just had time to exim before the shiny diamond ring had been slipped onto her finger. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? I haven¡¯t said yes yet!¡± ¡°You still intend to say no?¡± His face got closer to her, and his tone suddenly turned wicked with some danger. Obviously, he was as gentle as a sheep just now, but at this moment, he had already transformed into an evil wolf, as if he would swallow her if she refused again. She leaned back and took a step backwards as he exuded a strong aura. She hurriedly smiled in an ingratiating manner and said, ¡°No, no.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. He squinted and his face returned to the gentleness just now, ¡°Then, from today onwards, we¡¯re officially a couple.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She was dumbfounded and didn¡¯t know what to do for a moment. This was how they became a couple? Why did she feel something wrong? Wasn¡¯t the proposal ceremony a bit too fast? She hadn¡¯t even been touched enough yet. Howe it was suddenly over? At this moment, inside a luxurious manor in the town, Ariana pped her thigh when she was watching the man¡¯s domineering look on the screen. ¡°My god! I¡¯ve said that it wasn¡¯t a good idea to leave it to him! Won¡¯t he say a few more nice words? What girl would want to follow him if he was being so unreasonable?¡± Beside her, the old Mr. Han who looked slightly pale was quite fond of Archie¡¯s efficient style. He retorted quietly beside her, ¡°Didn¡¯t he finally get it done? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re anxious about.¡± Ariana instantly turned around and red at him. When William was being red, his expression immediately changed and said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed not good for Archie to do that. I¡¯ll help you teach him a lesson when hees back!¡± Anne also interjected beside them, ¡°Can daddy really bring mommy back? Why do I feel mommy was angry just now?¡± Ariana hastily carried her up and coaxed, ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand this. You¡¯ll know when you grow up. Mommy wouldn¡¯t be angry, they are fine!¡± Anne nodded in a seemingly understanding way, ¡°Oh. After she calmed Anne down, she turned around and continued to watch the live broadcast with great interest. At this time, Zoe, who was still being proposed over there, had no idea that everything had been watched by the elders. She looked at the man in front of her and roasted, ¡°So you have prepared so much today just for this?¡± He held her thin waist with his deep eyebrows. The two of them were facing each other and he held her in his arms. The atmosphere was indescribably affectionate. ¡°Don¡¯t like it?¡± She thought for a while, ¡°The beginning is fine, but what the hell is it for thetter part? At least I¡¯m a girl and I might be shy once in a while. Can¡¯t you be a bit patient?¡± As she spoke in a soft voice, she lowered her head, her cheeks and ears were slightly flushed. The tone was a little spiteful, but more of petnce. As he listened to it, he felt his heart melting. She still felt that it wasn¡¯t enough and continued to roast, ¡°Look, you have ruined such a romantic atmosphere Henry curled his lips and smiled. He reached out his hand and touched her chin, making her look at him, ¡°Is it spoiled just like this? Is it everything you would ask for?¡± She was stunned as a pair of watery eyes were blinking and looking at her. ¡°Do you know where we are now? 171: EPILOGUE Zoe shook her head. Frankly speaking, she really had no idea. Although the whole Kima was not considered to be big, it was not small. At that moment, the bright lights of around one hundred thousand houses were in sight. Presumably, they should be at a very high ce now. At such a high ce, they could enjoy aplete night view of the small town. Moreover, they had even built such a huge gxy of stars. She really could not figure out the location of this ce. ¡°You can look behind you.¡± After listening to his words, Zoe turned around and looked at the view behind her. Seeing the view in front of her, she was instantly surprised and widened her eyes. What¡­ What was going on? All of a sudden, rose petals that shined in the starlight fluttered down to the ground as if they were blown by wind. This happened in front of her eyes. Immediately after that, it seemed that something had started to climb up in her surroundings. It was as if she was inside a house that could move on its own. Shaped like a box, it was an enclosed space that was moving horizontally. She almost felt that there was something vibrating gently under her feet. The vibration was gentle and stopped after a short time. When the scenes around them disappeared, they were already inside a house that seemed to be made of ss. ¡°What¡­ What is going on?¡± Zoe was really amazed. Henry Han held her hand. Then, they walked to the side of the house. The house was totally made of ss, except for the top and the bottom. She could see the beautiful night view outside in any part of the house from all angles. ¡°Henry, what exactly is going on? Are we in the sky now? How is it possible?¡± Henry gave a little chuckle, ¡°You can say that. It is just a technology that is recently invented. You have actuallye here before.¡± ¡°Eb?¡±Zoe looked at him in a confused manner. The man reached out and pointed at a ce in the distance. ¡°Look there.¡± She immediately looked in the direction pointed in by him and saw a long bridge under the murky night sky. It seemed that there were many things hanging on the bridge. Her eyes lit up at once, ¡°Love padlocks!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man nodded, ¡°We are actually on the top of Mount Praia now. This ce is higher than where we watched the shooting stars before. This house is built using nanotechnology. Its size can be changed. The reason why you had a feeling of walking on air just now was because this house is extremely transparent! Zoe was just shocked to the core. ¡°So, you had someone build this house on top of this mountain before we arrived at this ce?¡± The man couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°This isn¡¯t necessary. As I said, its size can be changed so it is very convenient to build the house. When we got off the ne just now, the construction work of the house had also finished.¡± Zoe just couldn¡¯t believe that there was such an amazing thing in this world. But the man didn¡¯t have the mood to spend too much time on these things. Holding her hand, he said softly, ¡°Ok. I have alreadypleted my marriage proposal. Shouldn¡¯t you do something to respond to me?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Her mind went nk again. She gazed at him with a bewildered expression. The man slightly narrowed his eyes and pointed at his lips. Zoe finally realized what he meant. Her small face instantly reddened. Since there were only the two of them here, she thought that nobody would see her kissing him. Therefore, she stood on tiptoe and pecked him on the lips. Watching everything from the screen, Ariana was immediately very excited when she saw the two of them kissing each other. ¡°Old man, do you think they will give us another great-grandchild now that they have been so happy tonight?¡± Although William was also delighted, he was still rational. He said slowly at the side, ¡°This is impossible. Doesn¡¯t Zoe have an acting career? Why would she be willing to conceive a child now?¡± Ariana then remembered that Zoe still had an acting career. Her excitement and joy instantly disappeared. His words made her discouraged and disappointed. Anne was more optimistic instead. Staring at the screen in front of her, she didn¡¯t even blink. After a long time, she then said, ¡°Grandmother, didn¡¯t you say that a couple will have a baby after they have kissed each other? Why won¡¯t Mummy and Daddy give me a little brother tonight after they have already kissed each other?¡± Ariana couldn¡¯t think of a reply. William also couldn¡¯t think of a reply. After she had waited for a while, Anne didn¡¯t receive any answers. She turned her head and looked at them seriously with a pair of bright big eyes. ¡°Grandfather and grandmother, why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± Ariana coughed softly in an awkward manner. ¡°Anne, let¡¯s not be in a hurry for a little brother first. It iste now. How about you go to rest early today?¡± Anne shook her head. ¡°No. I want to wait for Mummy¡± ¡°Be a good girl. Mummy will note back tonight.¡± Anne was puzzled, ¡°Why?¡± Ariana didn¡¯t know how to exin it to Anne. William smiled, ¡°It is because she wants to give Anne a little brother. Be a good girl and sleep early. When you wake up tomorrow morning, you will meet Mummy¡± Anne didn¡¯t seem to fully understand what William had said, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, really. I will never lie to you.¡± Finally, the two were sessful in putting Anne to sleep. Meanwhile, Henry fulfilled his dream of getting a kiss from the woman and was naturally delighted. He turned around, took a bottle of red wine and opened it. The refreshing aroma of wine filled the entire house. Zoe¡¯s eyes lit up and she asked curiously, ¡°What kind of wine is this? So aromatic!¡± Noticing her greed for alcohol, the man¡¯s gaze deepened. He had a smile on his face.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. He didn¡¯t reply to her question. Instead, he poured a ss of wine and passed it to her, ¡°Do you want to try it?¡± Zoe¡¯s whole face lit up and felt quite embarrassed, ¡°Can I?¡± She loved alcohol, but most of the time, Henry just won¡¯t allow her to drink. In the beginning, she wasn¡¯t pleased with it. However, since the man insisted, she didn¡¯t mind as well. Looking at her expression, Henry knew that she was carefully pleasing him. He couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°I allow you to drink a ss of wine today¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She was instantly overjoyed. Since the wine was so aromatic, it definitely had a nice taste. While thinking about it, she immediately tool the ss of wine and took a mouthful of it. Just after the wine had entered her throat, the aroma of the wine lingered in her mouth. A sweet aroma that had a hint of bitterness permeated her entire mouth. Her eyes couldn¡¯t help but light up. She had another mouthful of wine straight away. Compared to the bitterness in her first taste, there was a stronger sweet aroma. She felt that she was drinking a beverage and it tasted great. Especially when the effects of alcohol finally came to her, she felt as if what she had drunk was not wine but some unworldly potions. The aftertaste of the wine left a longsting impression on her. Zoe couldn¡¯t help but turn her head to look at Archie. Her clear eyes sparkled. ¡°What kind of wine is this? Why does it taste so great?¡± The man¡¯s gaze became even deeper, ¡°Even if it tastes great, you are only allowed to drink one ss of it.¡± As she didn¡¯t get the answer she wanted, Zoe curled her lip unhappily. However, she didn¡¯t dare to say anything. She was afraid that he would not let her drink even a ss of it if she talked too much. She held the ss and took one sip after another. Archie also poured himself a ss of wine. Holding her hand, he sat on the sofa. It was getting more and more quiet at night on top of the mountain. In the transparent ss house, they snuggled up on the sofa while casually drinking some wine. In the sky, there were twinkling stars; at the foot of the mountain, there were lights of the houses. Their hearts felt warm as they looked at the view. There was a smile on Henry¡¯s face, ¡°of course I know you have your eyes only on me. Just know that I love you and will continue to do so.¡± ¡°I love you too. I wish all the problems surrounding us could go away so we could be happy forever. I just wish¡­¡± Zoe was saying, but was cut short. ¡°It¡¯s alright, as much as we have each others we can solve all problems together. There will always be problems on the way and we only get to win if we are together. I just want you to promise me one thing; that no matter what happen and how many problems we face on our waying, you will always be with me?¡± Henry said. Zoe moved nearer to him and ced a kiss on his lips, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I will always be with you. As much as I have your support I will always love you. I am grateful each day that fate made our path to cross each others.¡± Henry returned the kiss to her and they got passionate. The following day , they flew back to the country to resume their work. Henry Han took the initiative to introduce Zoe as his wife and everyone was stunned. The people that wronged Zoe came to apologize to her including her family and Zoe was even more surprised that Annie Gil came to also aplologize to her. She forgave all of them and began to live. Zoe fell sick and was taken to the hospital, she was confirmed to be pregnant and everyone was so happy for her. Henry Han never failed his promise and continued doting on her and they lived happily ever after. THE END The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!