Claire Lockwood saw Jonathan rush out. She felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of foreboding but managed to force a friendly smile. "Wait, is your daddy in there?" she asked.
She had been looking for Cyrus Ford for a long time but couldn’t find him, even though the butler said he had already returned.
"Yep! He’s being all lovey-dovey with my mom—uh, I mean, with Miss Shaw right now!" Jonathan tilted his head up, unable to hide his amusement. He deliberately provoked her. Although he loved to cause trouble, he always remembered not to blow Zoe’s cover.
Hearing this, Claire’s brows instantly knitted together. With a vicious glint in her eyes, she ignored the boy, pushed the door open, and charged into the room. She walked in just in time to see the two of them standing face-to-face, having already regained their composure.
Claire breathed a slight sigh of relief and immediately ran to Cyrus’s side. She glared at Zoe with sheer malice. "Zoe, aren’t you afraid your husband will get mad, being alone in a room with Brother Ford?"
At those words, Zoe raised an eyebrow. Only then did she remember that Claire seemed to think she was married. Claire was deliberately reminding Cyrus of the "fact" that Zoe was a married woman, hinting that they should keep their distance. Since Zoe didn’t want anything to do with him anyway, Claire’s stunt gave her the perfect out.
"It seems Miss Lockwood is quite angry. Mr. Ford, you’d better coax your fiancée," Zoe said. With that, she turned and left without hesitation.
From beginning to end, Cyrus stood rooted to the spot like an outsider, but he didn’t deny their supposed relationship, either.
For some reason, Zoe felt a slight sting in her heart. A heavy, suffocating sensation washed over her, leaving a bitter taste she couldn’t quite describe. She thought that after all these years, she wouldn’t care anymore. But seeing Cyrus tacitly accept his relationship with Claire still brought an involuntary ache to her chest. Perhaps that was just how love worked—even after letting go, a trace of resentment lingered. Zoe didn’t know how many feelings she still harbored for Cyrus, but her innate pride kept her stubbornly holding on to her dignity. When it came to love, she had to admit: she had lost.
Only after Zoe’s figure vanished through the doorway did Cyrus retract his gaze. He turned his head and shot Claire a warning glare. "Watch what you say."
Claire looked utterly flabbergasted, unable to believe her ears. "Cyrus, did I say something wrong? Our engagement is in a month, isn’t it?" He hadn’t refuted her in front of Zoe just moments ago. Why was he so eager to draw a line between them now? Was it because of Zoe?
A harsh glint flashed in Cyrus’s eyes, and his tone was devoid of any emotion. "Did I ever agree to that?" From start to finish, the engagement was nothing but a farce fabricated by Claire and Elaine Carter. It had absolutely nothing to do with him.
Having delivered his warning, Cyrus didn’t spare Claire another glance and strode out of the room.
Left alone in the room, Claire stood as if struck by lightning. She clenched her jaw so hard her teeth ground together. A flash of panic crossed her eyes, yet she had no way to retort. The whole thing was a scheme she and Elaine had hatched to force his hand and publicly announce her status, but she had let her mouth run ahead of her brains just now. Read the latest chapters at novelping dot com.
For so many years, Claire had racked her brains trying to please Cyrus. And for all those years, she was the only woman allowed by his side! She had thought she finally succeeded. Unfortunately, Cyrus was like a stone that could never be warmed; he simply couldn’t let go of Zoe! If it weren’t for Zoe, given the generations-long friendship between the Lockwood Family and the Ford Family, she would have become Mrs. Ford ages ago!
Claire’s body trembled uncontrollably. She was going mad with jealousy. No! Her face twisted into a bizarre, sinister smile. She would absolutely never allow Zoe to steal her position as Mrs. Ford.
A sudden idea struck her. She remembered someone who viewed Zoe as a thorn in his side! Charles Shaw had been searching for Zoe for years. If he found out she was back, he would be itching to eliminate her once and for all. Since that was the case, why should she get her own hands dirty? Having found her breakthrough, Claire’s smile grew even more grotesque. She unlocked her phone and began typing out a message.
Meanwhile, Zoe sat slumped in dejection, rubbing her temples, her eyes flashing with deep frustration. She had thought she could sneak Jonathan away while Cyrus wasn’t paying attention, but now she was in huge trouble! Cyrus definitely suspected Jonathan’s true identity by now!
Plagued by worry, Zoe subconsciously walked to the window and looked down at the main gates. The number of guards had visibly increased. She didn’t even have to guess. Cyrus had clearly beefed up security all over the Ford Estate to prevent any "accidents." And she was probably the number one person they were guarding against.
Just as Zoe was stressing over the situation, her phone rang. It was Zachary Morgan.
"Zoe, I just got word that the Shaw Family is already proceeding with their second round of financing. Should we make a move?"
Zoe narrowed her beautiful eyes coldly, her voice entirely devoid of warmth. "Forward the news to me."
Back then, Charles Shaw had taken over the Shaw Group immediately after her parents’ deaths. As the biggest beneficiary, it was highly likely he had a hand in their demise. If Zoe ever found a single shred of evidence, she would never let him off the hook.
Scrolling through the news article, Zoe stared at Charles’s smug, triumphant face on the stage, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "It’s too early. Wait for my signal." When she finally struck, she wouldn’t give the Shaw Family a single chance to bounce back.
Since Zoe had decided to bide her time, Zachary naturally had no objections. He paused for a moment before his tone shifted to one of concern. "What about Jonathan? Have you gotten him out yet?"
A complicated expression crossed Zoe’s face, and she fell silent. Things were getting more and more complicated, gradually slipping out of her control. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
After a moment, she chose to change the subject, ignoring Zachary’s question to ask about Rory. "Rory, how are you preparing for your competition?"
Having not seen her daughter in so long, Zoe missed her every single day. Unfortunately, she still couldn’t find a way to safely bring Jonathan home.
Rory pouted, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, looking a bit disappointed. "Mommy, I miss my brother."
Zoe frowned slightly and could only comfort her in a soft voice. "Be a good girl, Rory. In a few days, Mommy will find a chance to let your brother video call you."
"Okay, it’s a promise." Rory nodded, finally breaking into a smile.
Zachary’s eyes flickered, and he urged, "Alright, Zoe. If anything happens over there, contact me anytime."
"I will," Zoe replied, ending the call.
Little did she know, a packed suitcase was sitting right next to Zachary. He checked the time, confirming their flight details, then reached out to pat Rory’s head. His eyes brimmed with affection. "Are you ready?"
Hearing this, Rory gave a firm nod. "Let’s go to Avenburg!"
This trip was the result of a unanimous decision between Zachary and the little girl. Days had passed, and Zachary was still worried that Zoe couldn’t handle things on her own. Wanting to help her out, he took Rory and headed for the airport.
Together, the adult and the child boarded the plane bound for Avenburg.