Chapter 2
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 with all, and neither did Steven and Annie.
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 to come… 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. Whatever compensation 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 flashed in his eyes.
He glared at Steven and thundered, "You useless bastard! You caused this, so get over here and explain yourself right now!"
Steven glanced 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 outcome, 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 make the annual engagement, but I want the three companies Anderson Group just bought as compensation!"
"What? Are you insane?!"
Jaden roared before Michael and Steven could answer.
Zoe glanced 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 the companies over to you."
"It's a deal."
As Michael led the lawyer away, Jaden glared at Zoe and huffed in anger. Then, he and Helen 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!"
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 explain herself, but Annie interrupted her.
"Steven, don't blame 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, slap me, or kick me?"
Zoe's pupils dilated. The shock was 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 on me! Why did you even hurt Annie?"
Zoe opened her mouth, but her explanation 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 flashing 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 flashed in them, and she laughed. "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 chance to speak.
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, and 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 a large bar. The hall was filled and strewn with people who had come here to spend their money and kill time.
She leaned against the counter and downed glass after glass.
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.
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 relationship of six years is 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 glass.
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?"
Annie laughed 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'd 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 platonic 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 had never felt so relaxed 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't laugh at you."
"Why would I be angry? After all, you're the
one treating garbage I threw away like its 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 had 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 platonic. 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.
Chapter 3
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 this late 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 not 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, glaring at her with cold eyes.
“Katya Anderson, don’t go overboard!”
“Overboard? Ha-ha…” Katya acted as if she had 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 so late, 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 the 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 the lavatory. 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 had entered the wrong door and immediately turned red.
“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 glanced 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 in 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 placed 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 avenue late 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 was completely hazy. There were also faint hints of pain that usually accompanied 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 a layer of mist. “What is it? She snitched on 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 place 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 in laughter.
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!”
Zoe laughed, 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 accuse her maliciously. I admit that we did something wrong, but are you completely in the right?”
“You constantly bully her and take advantage of your better family background. Every time I ask you to accompany 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 blaming us even now?”
Zoe trembled with anger.
She never thought that Steven would think of her this way.
Did she bully Annie?
Was she unwilling to go to social functions with him?
Did she disgrace him by selling sex products?
Her eyes turned red for a moment. Then, she suddenly laughed in a low voice. She laughed 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 or later, I’ll make you regret
it!”
Then, she hung up the phone.
The car was plunged into a strange silence.
Zoe leaned weakly over the car window. She was watching the night view flash 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 knew 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 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, and his eyes were cold. Only then did it come to her mind that she had gotten into a car with a man, and this man had helped 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 stare fell on her eyes, red but still beautiful.
Zoe explained, “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 a layer of shadow on the side of his chiseled face, and a cool and noble aura could have 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 be compared with the moon and the sun. The man in front of her was dazzling. He was like an eagle flying freely above even 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 flashed across her mind…
Staring at the side of his delicate face, she gulped, “I see.”
Chapter 4
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 and comforting 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 moments later that he gave an uncomfortable “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 a laugh.
The next second, however, he felt the blazingly cold gaze behind him.
He hurriedly stopped smiling and pressed a button. A glass panel raised silently, separating
the front seat and the back seat cabins.
Only then did Henry look back at the woman next to him.
He squinted at her, and an unusual expression could be seen in 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 dollar 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 plan 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?”
Voice 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 the door closing. Henry looked back at the woman in his arms. He could not help but knit 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 bewildered seeing the movement of those lips.
With the help of 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 dilated slightly. Yet the next moment, the softness was already nowhere to be found. Instead, there were the giggles of Zoe, who saw his serious face of him.
“Handsome, you’ve got a real sweet mouth.”
He did not know what to say, for 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, forming large 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 a 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 eyelashes were like a delicate black 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 at the pain in her chin, staring at him with her wet and accusing eyes, just like a wounded deer.
She said gravely, “I do! I am having sex with you!”
Zoe almost giggled at 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 slammed open. He laid her on the bed, and his kisses were like 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 blank, 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 one last 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 blankly 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 that was left in this room was just the humming and groaning that lasted the entire night.