Chapter 3

Zachary stood there with his ex-girlfriend, who he linked arms with. Meanwhile, he watched Xavier harass Lexi.

It was ironic because someone once said that a man would show some possessiveness over a woman if he truly loved her.

As she stood beneath the warm lights, Lexi felt like her heart had been ripped to shreds.

Xavier thought Lexi was trying to lie to him, so he chuckled viciously. "Mr. Jenkins is keeping a beautiful lady company. Don't even think about fooling me. Shall we take this conversation elsewhere, Ms. Loyle? What do you think?"

Lexi held Zachary's gaze and spoke with a bland tone. "Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Zox is asking whether you've grown tired of toying with me."

She then watched him in silence while waiting for his response.

Zachary held Yvonne's hand as they walked past Lexi.

In that instance, Lexi realized that Zachary's answer no longer mattered.

Yvonne turned around just then. She shot a megawatt smile at Xavier while clarifying things. "Zachary and Ms. Loyle are merely employer and employee. Watch your words, Mr. Zox. Otherwise, I'll be mad at you."

Xavier chuckled and nodded. "Alright, alright. I won't utter any nonsense."

Once Zachary and Yvonne walked away hand-in-hand, he forced Lexi into his car and kissed her cheek.

"I'll call the cops on you, Xavier!" Lexi screamed as she shoved Xavier off her in disgust. Alas, her strength was no match for a man whose stature was bigger than her.

Xavier held her slim waist while guffawing. "Cry out all you want, Ms. Loyle. I'm not afraid. Also, there's no use in you calling the cops. I'm merely touching and kissing you, not screwing you."

Rage brimmed in Lexi as she felt offended by the former's shamelessness.

Xavier was about to kiss her again.

Lexi's striking eyes morphed into a vicious glare as she kneed him.

"Argh!" Xavier hunched his back while clutching his crotch dearly.

…

Later in the dead of night, Lexi followed Quinton Shaw out of the police station.

Like Lexi, Quinton was also one of Zachary's secretaries.

"Please take me to Watton Hotel, Mr. Shaw. Thank you for helping me tonight," said Lexi.

Quinton peered at her from the corner of his eye before looking ahead to say, "Mr. Jenkins was the one who asked me to pick you up."

Lexi's lips tugged into a thin line as she coldly responded, "I see."

Zachary was nowhere to be seen when she was being harassed by Xavier. Because of that, she didn't feel any hint of gratitude toward Zachary.

Quinton hesitated to speak but ultimately explained, "Ms. Loyle… Mr. Jenkins wanted to pick you up himself."

Lexi cocked a brow. "Oh? So where is he? Why isn't he here."

Quinton closed his mouth. He felt it was too awkward to continue.

Lexi looked down at her phone and saw another text from Mary. The latter had forwarded Yvonne's latest Instagram post. That was when Lexi discovered why Zachary hadn't picked her up from the police station in person.

Zachary had accompanied his ex-girlfriend to the hospital yet again.

A low chuckle rumbled from Lexi as she replied to Mary's text. She asked Mary to invite Yvonne out for a meeting tomorrow on her behalf.

…

Quinton's car soon arrived outside Watton Hotel.

Lexi told Quinton not to escort her inside since it was unnecessary. Exhausted, she exited the car and entered the hotel.

The lobby was mostly quiet at that hour.

When she made it to the elevator, there happened to be a tall and fit man talking on the phone there. He entered the elevator once its doors opened.

Lexi went in, too. She had just gone inside when her heel slipped, and she subconsciously reached ahead to grab the man.

The man held her arm and supported her from stumbling.

Lexi's palms grew clammy. She was still rattled, so her chest rose and fell rapidly. After regaining her footing, she apologized to the man. "S-Sorry. I didn't mean to…"

The man wore a mask, so she could only see his dark gaze. He looked like the man she had encountered in the taxi that one time.

He had dropped his phone because he had reached out to support Lexi. Not only that, but the man was also holding a coffee cup in his left hand, which had also fallen. That caused the coffee to spill onto his white shirt.

What made Lexi feel more awkward was her left nipple pasty had shifted out of place. She covered her left boob with one hand, and the tips of her ears burned bright red. In her eyes, she had the worst of luck that night.

"Did you burn yourself, sir?" She worried the cup he held earlier contained hot coffee.

The man glanced at her with his brows slightly furrowed. He bent forward to pick up his phone from the ground.

Then, his voice rang out lazily as he told the person on the other end that he was ending the call.

Lexi spoke with sincerity. "I'm so, so sorry. I'll reimburse you for the damages."

The man's name was Claude Quall. His eyes glanced over Lexi again. He took in her formal dress, slender waist, and curvy hips. He didn't say much except, "That won't be necessary."

His voice was low and gravelly.

He turned sideways and reached out to press a button inside the elevator. Then, he casually stepped back to put some distance between him and Lexi.

Lexi feigned a calm demeanor as she pressed the button to her floor. She stayed on the tenth floor while the man's room was on the 12th.

Claude's gaze shifted downward while he fell into deep thought. He had found Lexi oddly familiar when he saw her in the taxi last night. It felt like she was the woman who got into his bed and badgered him to have sex two months ago.

"Let's discuss the details of your compensation," he said.

Lexi paused midway while exiting the elevator when she heard that.

…

The two soon stood in the hallway on the 12th floor.

Claude had already unbuttoned his coffee-stained dress shirt, and his sculpted abs were exposed. A frown creased his forehead, making it obvious he was uncomfortable. He would take off his shirt if Lexi weren't here.

Lexi dared not stare past Claude's unbuttoned shirt and to his bare chest. She could only force her attention to remain on Claude's eyes. "How much should I compensate you for the damages, sir? I'll transfer it."

"I've changed my mind," Claude abruptly stated. He had only stopped Lexi from leaving because he wanted to see whether she was the woman from before.

Lexi's brows arched with slight confusion. She watched the man swipe his card on the door's scanner before disappearing into his hotel room. Then, she left the 12th floor.

…

Light jazz music played in Nullem Cafe.

Yvonne sat opposite Lexi. Since she was a big-time celebrity, she wore a hat and mask to conceal her face. With a slight smile, she asked, "Did you ask to meet me because you needed something from me, Ms. Loyle?"

Lexi nodded. A half-smile flickered on her face. "There is something I need."

She held herself with reticence while sternly staring at Yvonne. It felt like a scene in a movie where the wife confronted her husband's mistress.

It was clear to Lexi that the only way to get Zachary to initiate a divorce was by provoking Yvonne.

So, she said, "Ms. Xenos, I don't want you to interfere with me and Zachary's life. Since you chose to leave him back then, you shouldn't seek him out after returning to the country now—"

Everyone in the industry knew Zachary once had an ex-girlfriend he loved dearly.

However, Martha disliked Yvonne, so the latter could never marry into the Jenkins family.

Yvonne didn't want to give up on her singing career at the time either. Because of that, she chose to break up with Zachary and go abroad to study music.

Lexi continued in a gentle voice, "Since you've given up on your relationship with Zachary, please cut off all ties with him for good. Can you do that?"

Yvonne's eyes snapped wide open in disbelief. "You and Zachary…? Are you…"

Lexi nodded. "Zachary and I have been married for two years."

After Lexi said that, Yvonne stiffened in utter shock. Her eyes reddened almost instantly. "You and Zachary are married?"

Lexi felt like the wicked villain who got in between two lovers in every story. "Yeah, we're married."

Just then, Zachary sat in the booth behind the women's. He heard Lexi revealing their marriage to Yvonne. Right away, a thunderous expression shrouded his face, his lips pressed into a thin line, and his eyes narrowed to pinpricks.

The cafe was designed well. All the tables came with partitions, which created private booth seating for everyone.

Zachary and Lexi had agreed not to tell anyone about their marriage. It seemed that Lexi had grown arrogant and possessive, even though they were only in a contractual marriage.

Yvonne frowned. She was still in disbelief. "You're lying to me, aren't you, Ms. Loyle?"

A brief pause passed before Lexi answered, "I'm not. I can show you our marriage certificate."

She had come prepared, so she fetched the marriage certificate from her bag and showed it to Yvonne.

Yvonne removed her mask and revealed her pretty face. She had a sweet, innocent beauty. It was the kind of beauty that most movie characters' first loves had.

Meanwhile, Lexi possessed a more striking, gorgeous appearance.

"Zachary didn't tell me you two are married when he was with me last night, Ms. Loyle. I could've sworn I felt he was still in love with me." Yvonne's expression dulled as she mentioned that. She hinted to Lexi that she and Zachary were together last night.

Lexi maintained her smile as if unbothered. "Men are the same in bed. He says he loves me too, when he's fucking me."

A hostile energy oozed from Zachary, who suppressed his anger when he heard this from his booth. He already had the desire to choke Lexi to death. It pissed him off that she dared to spout such preposterous lies.

On the other hand, Yvonne covered her lips upon hearing that. Tears even streamed down her eyes.

However, Lexi wasn't satisfied and wanted to take things further. She was doing everything in her power to make Zachary initiate a divorce. "Ms. Xenos, I can't stop you if you're that determined to be a mistress—"

"That's enough!" A man's infuriated voice rang out.

Lexi whipped her head around, only to be startled by a seething Zachary. He was trying hard to suppress his fury. That sight caused every muscle on Lexi's face to tense.