Jonathan worried that Zoe would be at a disadvantage fighting multiple people alone, so he secretly followed her. Before he even reached his destination, he spotted those two women hiding in the shadows, scheming something. Sure enough, Jonathan overheard every detail of their plan.
He widened his eyes slightly and silently cursed, knowing those two old hags were up to no good! He refused to let them get their way! A sly glint flashed in Jonathan’s eyes.
"Mr. Butler..." Jonathan called out softly. He then bent over, clutching his stomach with both hands to fake discomfort. "My tummy hurts so much! Can Daddy come back to keep me company?"
The butler’s expression shifted slightly. Knowing Jonathan’s true identity, he naturally didn’t dare to neglect the boy. He immediately notified Cyrus Ford and the private doctor.
"Right away, Young Master. Please rest for a moment; I’ll contact the doctor immediately," the butler said. With a solemn look, he guided Jonathan to the sofa to sit down before going to call Cyrus.
***
At Ford.
"Mr. Ford, would you like to take a look at the Shaw Group’s financing application? It’s currently the leading medical enterprise and is still in the financing stage. We can’t afford to miss this opportunity." The newly promoted general manager of the marketing department, Jasper Lawson, eagerly presented his proposal.
However, the moment those words left his mouth, the temperature in the spacious conference room seemed to plummet. Everyone locked their eyes on Cyrus’s cold, stern face.
"Mr. Ford, Manager Lawson was just promoted and doesn’t know the rules yet. Please don’t hold it against him," Sean Shelton explained, biting the bullet.
Everyone knew that the word "Shaw" was Cyrus’s fatal weakness. For years, Ford had never accepted a single collaboration involving the Shaw Group. At the mere mention of that name, everyone in the building would freeze in fear and keep their distance.
Cyrus remained silent, merely rolling signet ring between his fingers. TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK. As the clock hands moved, every passing second felt exceptionally agonizing.
Jasper was recklessly preparing to continue, but fortunately, Sean suddenly received a message from the butler. He hastily whispered a few words to Cyrus.
Upon hearing the news, Cyrus’s eyes darkened slightly. He quickly stood up, leaving behind a single sentence. "The meeting ends here. We’ll discuss the rest next time."
With that, Cyrus abandoned the crowd and strode out of the conference room.
The executives stared at each other in bewildered shock. They had never seen Cyrus interrupt a meeting and leave in such a hurry. They wondered what was going on. Instead of rushing to leave, the crowd buzzed with discussion, chatting among themselves in an attempt to uncover some insider information.
"Do you guys think Manager Lawson offended Mr. Ford?"
"Well, who told Manager Lawson to walk right into the line of fire? The most important unwritten rule at Ford is to stay as far away from the Shaw Group as possible! That name cannot even be mentioned! The last person who suggested collaborating with them is probably still out on the streets begging for scraps!"
Jasper frantically pressed the screen of his phone, which still displayed a chat history with Charles Shaw.
***
Cyrus rushed back to the villa. The moment he stepped into the room, he was met with the sight of Jonathan clutching his stomach and sobbing uncontrollably.
"WAAAH! Daddy, you’re finally back! I feel so awful..."
Cyrus’s deep, dark eyes locked onto Jonathan’s tear-streaked little face. "What is the situation?" he asked, his voice carrying an imperceptible layer of obscurity.
The family doctor helplessly lowered his voice. "Mr. Ford, the young master is perfectly fine. It’s completely normal for him to feel a lack of security since he just returned to the Ford Family."
The doctor stopped there, letting the implication speak for itself. Cyrus instantly understood—Jonathan was faking it, deliberately tricking him into coming back.
After the family doctor withdrew, Cyrus’s gaze turned as sharp as a falcon’s. He stared directly at Jonathan, as if he could see through all the boy’s secrets in an instant.
Jonathan was still doing his best to wail, but when he met Cyrus’s piercing stare, he quietly swallowed hard, suddenly feeling the pressure skyrocket! Now that the arrow was on the bowstring, there was no turning back. He decided he might as well fake it to the bitter end.
"Ouch! Owie!"
Cyrus sat on the sofa, casually crossing his long legs. The signet ring between his fingers instantly slid into his palm, producing a rhythmic CLACK CLACK sound that echoed in the air. As Jonathan ran out of energy to cry, that sound morphed into a form of torture.
Seeing Cyrus’s unfazed demeanor, Jonathan knew he had been implicitly exposed. Finding the charade boring, he shrugged with an innocent look on his face. "Oh, my tummy doesn’t seem to hurt anymore."
In reality, Jonathan didn’t care whether Cyrus had seen through him or not. As long as he could trick his scumbag of a father into coming back, it was a success. After all, Mommy still needed his help on her end!
Noticing that Jonathan didn’t show a hint of remorse, Cyrus narrowed his eyes. A frigid glint flashed in his gaze, exuding an imposing aura without him even needing to show anger.
At that moment, the butler walked over, perfectly rescuing Jonathan from the awkward situation. "Sir, it’s a good thing you’re back. The Old Madam just woke up and has been clamoring for you."
Cyrus nodded, his cold eyes purposefully sweeping past Jonathan. He seemed to guess that the boy’s sudden trickery to bring him back was likely intentional and not just a mischievous prank. Then, he stood up and walked toward the Old Madam’s quarters.
"If nothing goes wrong, I probably won’t be coming back for a while! Once I’m settled in, I’ll bring you over here too!"
"Once Daddy and Mommy recognize each other, things will get so much more fun!" he thought excitedly.
***
Cyrus stopped at the door of the room, suddenly freezing in his tracks as an incredibly familiar voice drifted out from inside.
"Grandma, I have a bit of a cold, so I won’t take off my mask. I don’t want to pass it on to you."
Before Cyrus could think deeper into it, he placed his hand on the doorknob, preparing to turn it. Suddenly, the door was pulled open from the inside.
In the blink of an eye, a slender woman in a white lab coat, her hat brim intentionally pulled low, brushed past him. A faint scent of gardenias suddenly wafted into his nose.
His heart skipped a beat, and he reflexively grabbed her hand. In the next second, Cyrus smoothly pinned Zoe into the corner of the wall, forcing her to look up and meet his eyes.
Zoe let out a cry of pain. With burning eyes and slightly raised brows, she instinctively struggled twice, but the hand holding her in place didn’t budge an inch.
"Mr. Ford, what are you doing?"
Cyrus’s eyes were as dark and deep as the night. As their gazes locked, he stared as if he were trying to see right through her. "Why is it you?"
Hearing this, Zoe masked her panic. "Who else would it be? I’m just a doctor’s assistant. Please don’t make things difficult for me, Mr. Ford. I need to go prepare the medication."
Her expression was so calm and detached that no one could find a single flaw in her disguise. She decisively shoved Cyrus away, putting some distance between them, and then turned to leave without a moment’s hesitation.
"Zoe, is Cyrus back? Is he trying to bully you again?"
The Old Madam, still inside the room, seemed to have heard the commotion from their conversation outside. Clarity returned to her eyes as she instinctively called out.
Those words exploded between them like a sudden clap of thunder. Startled, Zoe’s hair stood on end, and her footsteps faltered. Realizing her cover was blown, her heart practically leaped out of her chest. She immediately sprinted away in the direction of Jonathan’s room.
Cyrus’s pupils trembled slightly as he whispered in a daze, "Zoe? Zoe Shaw?!!"