Laurence did give her two choices, after all. However, he used the most simple and direct way to deal with this matter. He was well aware that she couldn’t afford the damages for breaching the contract. Forget 80 million dollars, even 800 thousand dollars was an astronomical sum for her.Zoey fell silent.Damien was very patient. He didn’t urge her to make a decision immediately. After a while, he pushed the signed contract toward her, trying to negotiate with her. “Miss Jenner, based on what’s written here, your action constitutes a breach of contract.”Lawyers tended to look serious when they worked, but Zoey thought Damien looked mean. He was looking down on her condescendingly but concealing his arrogance discreetly. “Mr. Scott doesn’t intend to pursue the matter of your breach. It’s best for both parties to take a step back.”Zoey couldn’t really hear what Damien was saying; she could only see his mouth moving. Despite that, she knew what he’d just said was nothing good.Damien to
He glanced at Laurence after he said that. Unexpectedly, Laurence wasn’t as angry as he’d expected, just a little apathetic. He asked Damien to give him the contract he’d drafted. Before the working hours ended, Laurence invited Zoey to his office.“Are you free tonight?” he asked impassively.Zoey contemplated for a moment and nodded. “Yes.”“Shall we talk?” Laurence raised an eyebrow.She didn’t reject his request. Staring at him calmly, she replied, “Sure.”…Zoey chose an expensive restaurant that had fewer customers. Laurence disliked crowded places, so they opted for a private room.It was dinner time. Laurence sat opposite Zoey leisurely with his legs crossed. “Go on and order. We’ll talk after you’ve eaten.”Without hesitation, Zoey ordered all of the signature dishes the restaurant offered. However, she had a poor appetite, so she stopped eating and put down her fork after a few bites. On the other hand, Laurence didn’t touch the food. Instead, he poured some water for himself
Laurence was very efficient. In the evening, he made an appointment for Zoey at a private hospital owned by the Scott family for the following day. She didn’t even need to line up or wait for her turn to undergo surgery.Zoey thought she’d be going alone. Unexpectedly, Laurence pushed back his work for the day and drove her to the hospital himself.When they stopped at a red light, Laurence tapped his thumbs and asked casually, “Did you bring your medical records?”“Yes.” Zoey turned her head in the passenger seat and looked out the car window silently.“What about the previous health check reports?” Laurence asked meticulously.Zoey had torn all her past medical reports to pieces and tossed them down the drain. She said after a slight pause, “I forgot where I put them.”“It’s alright. You can just do another health check today.”“Sure, Mr. Scott,” Zoey replied detachedly as if she was doing something that didn’t concern her.…The moment Zoey stepped into the hospital, the smell of di
Mrs. Scott, suppressing her anger, cut Laurence off without giving him a chance to speak. "Dr. Zahn told me she saw you and Zoey at the hospital."Laurence hadn't planned on his mother finding out about this matter. Since he could no longer hide it from her, there was no point feigning ignorance."Yeah.""Are you at the obstetrics and gynecology department?""Why bother asking me if you already know?"Mrs. Scott was livid. Laurence had been very opinionated since he was young, and no one could change his mind. She hurriedly asked the driver to rush to the hospital, not knowing that Zoey was already in the operating room. "Is Zoey pregnant?"The more Laurence kept quiet, the more she was sure of her assumption. She recalled that Zoey almost vomited when they had dinner together a few days ago.She felt elated; she'd been hoping for the two of them to have kids of their own. "How can you not tell me something so important? I can't believe I found out from someone else instead. You shou
“This has nothing to do with her,” said Laurence. After a slight pause, he added, “We’re both not mature enough to handle raising a child. She shouldn’t be bogged down with a child at this age. Mother, please respect our wishes.”Mrs. Scott was powerless against her son. There was nothing she could do even if she was raging mad.“You’re hopeless. I’m done talking to you.”The light above the operating room dimmed, and out came the doctor.“She just needs some rest. She can be discharged after some observation.”That meant the surgery had been successful, and the child was no more. Mrs. Scott’s eyes reddened; she’d just found out about the existence of her grandchild, and now the child was gone. Everybody envied her because she had a good son who wasn’t a worthless rich heir or an underachieving loser. He’d become the head of their family at a young age and was the youngest amongst the leaders of the affluent families of Northwell. Being as capable and decisive as he was, he’d grasped
The cries coming from the ward were heartbreaking. The sadness that she’d suppressed was released bit by bit as she cried her heart out. Zoey wasn’t as strong as she appeared on the surface; she just didn't want to cry so pitifully in front of Laurence.Laurence’s body stiffened a little. Zoey’s suppressed sobs caused his eyes to redden a little in response. It wasn't until the crying gradually stopped that Laurence opened the door again, holding the lunch sent from the hotel in his hand. “You should have some food first.”Zoey’s voice was extremely hoarse, and her eyes were clearly more swollen now. Her hand was still attached to an IV drip. She looked thin and feeble.Laurence helped her set up the small table on the bed. “I'll feed you.”Zoey didn’t want to accept any gesture of kindness from him anymore. She lowered her head, her hair pressed against her cheek from the cold and sweat. Pursing her lips, she replied, “No need.”She stretched out her hand, but Laurence pushed it back
Laurence was obviously lying. He didn’t even bother to be more sincere when deceiving others. Even so, when Zoey heard him say he liked her, her heart still thumped hopelessly and violently. The next moment, she immediately understood from his carefree demeanor that he wasn’t being serious at all.Zoey calmed down. She didn’t have much energy left after the surgery, “Laurence, I don’t need a vacation.”She just wanted to quit, clear her mind, and stop indulging in her feelings for him.Laurence was unexpectedly patient with her. “If you don’t want to take three months off, let’s make it one month. Don’t say that I, the capitalist, am exploiting you again.”She couldn’t understand why he refused to let her go. Her position as his secretary wasn’t so important to the extent that she was irreplaceable. Others could easily replace her at any time.“I...”“Don’t be presumptuous, Miss Jenner. The personal secretary position isn’t something anyone can fill in casually.”Zoey felt that she was
Zoey avoided the topic, and Arielle didn’t press on. The latter started to gossip about Laurence instead. “Is it true that men can separate love from sex?”Zoey didn’t know much, but from her experience with Laurence, he seemed to be able to easily withdraw himself after satisfying his physical needs.Consoling herself, Zoey thought optimistically, “It’s okay. I took advantage of him too.”Arielle was worried about her condition. “Are you okay?”“I’m okay. I just feel a little tired. I’ll be fine after resting for a day or two,” Zoey replied to reassure her.Arielle scolded Sarah and Laurence on the phone ceaselessly until she came to a conclusion. “All men are untrustworthy and unreliable, especially those whose hearts are made of ice.”Zoey agreed, “You’re right. “When Arielle found out Zoey would continue to work beside Laurence, she felt aggrieved for her friend. “Are you sure you still want to stay by his side?”Zoey was silent for a few seconds. “I can’t help it.”The monthly me