Zoe didn’t trust anyone else, so she personally delivered the medicine to the old madam.
As Zoe entered the room, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes; she hadn’t expected to run into Cyrus. Usually, Cyrus would have already left for the office early in the morning.
As she approached, Zoe’s expression turned unnatural, and she awkwardly stepped aside.
The old madam sighed, her face apologetic. "Zoe, my Alzheimer’s makes me so easily confused. I completely forgot that you two broke up a long time ago. I’m sorry for troubling you to keep me company just now."
Thanks to Zoe’s treatment, the old madam had experienced a rare moment of clarity today.
Zoe’s eyes reddened, her voice choking with emotion. "Grandma, I know you truly care about me. Whether Cyrus is in the picture or not, my feelings for you remain the same."
In this world, the old madam was the only one who treated Zoe like her own granddaughter. Zoe had always been grateful for that and cherished it deeply.
The old madam’s loving gaze fell upon Zoe, carrying a hint of confusion. "Zoe, why did you go abroad so suddenly back then? You didn’t even say goodbye. And I heard that later on, you even got married?"
Standing to the side, Cyrus’s sharp gaze felt as if it were dissecting Zoe.
The news of Zoe going abroad to get married had long caused an uproar in Avenburg’s social circles; everyone knew about it.
Zoe’s thoughts froze for a moment. With a blank expression, she hesitated for a few seconds before playing along. "Yes."
As the person in question, Zoe was equally clueless. Back then, she had merely gone abroad with Zachary. Just how did the rumor of her being married spread? But it didn’t matter anymore.
Hearing Zoe confirm it herself, the old madam felt a wave of regret. She shot Cyrus a glaring look of sheer disappointment.
"It’s just Cyrus’s bad luck. So, how is your husband? I remember he was somewhat of a live-in fiancé raised in your family? Named Zachary something..."
Zoe hadn’t expected the old madam to suddenly blurt that out. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she offered a brief explanation. "Uh, his name is Zachary Morgan. He’s the surviving son of the Morgan family. The Shaw and Morgan families have been friends for generations. After the Morgan family’s incident, Zachary was sent to live with us."
Thanks to some wild rumors, Zachary’s status in the Shaw family had somehow been labeled as Zoe’s live-in fiancé.
The old madam nodded, feeling relieved. "That’s good, at least we know his background. How about this? You and Cyrus can become sworn siblings, and from now on, you’ll be the Ford family’s god-granddaughter."
Even if Zoe couldn’t be her granddaughter-in-law, the old madam still wanted to make her a part of the family.
Cyrus’s face turned instantly dark and icy. "Grandma, it’s time for your medicine," he said stiffly.
The old madam shot Cyrus an exasperated look and scoffed coldly. "Now you know how to be reluctant? Why didn’t you chase after her all the way to Country C back then?"
"Grandma, I still have business to attend to. I’ll be leaving now." Finding an excuse, Cyrus made his exit.
Without Cyrus’s imposing presence in the room, Zoe felt the air instantly clear up and breathed a sigh of relief.
The old madam rarely saw Cyrus looking so defeated. A sharp gleam flashed through her clouded eyes, and a bright smile spread across her wrinkled face. "Alright, my dear, you’ve worked hard. Go get some rest."
***
Leaving the room, Cyrus passed through the living room and noticed Jonathan acting like an absolute terror, chasing the butler around and playing pranks on him.
The butler groaned in misery as Jonathan teased him, yet he didn’t dare ignore the boy.
This scene made Cyrus frown, a trace of displeasure flashing through his eyes.
Getting into his car, Cyrus glanced at Jonathan and ordered, "Take him to school."
Sean chuckled, his tone teasing. "This kid is just like you when you were little! It’s so nostalgic. But seriously, how did you end up so cold and aloof growing up?"
Sean continued his fearless roasting, successfully earning an icy, dagger-like glare from Cyrus.
Feeling a chill on the back of his neck, Sean tactfully dropped his smile. "Hey, hey, hey, fine, I won’t say it. But is Zoe really his mother? I never would have guessed you two had that kind of fling back then."
Speaking of Cyrus gaining a big, chubby son out of nowhere, Sean was still having trouble digesting the news. It felt like a dream.
Sean felt a mix of emotions just thinking about Jonathan’s face, which was practically a mini version of Cyrus’s.
Cyrus’s eyes gleamed with a frigid light. "Most likely. Go and find out the truth!"
Sean touched his nose, looking innocent. "No problem. But I know too much now—are you going to silence me?"
It wasn’t a massive deal, but when it came to Cyrus’s secrets, he was the first person other than the parties involved to know about it! For some reason, Sean found it inexplicably thrilling, a subtle excitement bubbling within him.
Cyrus gave Sean a faint side-eye, laced with a clear warning. "Keep your mouth shut."
Sean nodded and returned to a serious expression. Suddenly remembering something, he pointed at his phone. "Oh, by the way, the class of ’14 reunion at Avenburg University wants to invite you as an honorary alumnus. Are you going?"
Sean was merely asking out of routine; he knew Cyrus hated attending such events.
***
Meanwhile, Zoe was sitting at her computer, looking something up. Her slender, fair fingers typed rapidly across the keyboard.
She was investigating Shaw Medical’s intentional price-gouging on pharmaceuticals. In no time, a massive pile of news articles popped up.
The issue had previously caused an uproar online, but the PR department had managed to suppress it with other trending topics before it could blow up. This move was entirely a smear on Shaw Medical’s reputation!
Zoe narrowed her beautiful eyes, a chilling glint flashing through them. Thinking about that specific batch of medicine, she immediately messaged her colleague in the research lab.
[Zoe Shaw: When can the Ah drug be launched into the market?]
[David Dawson from the Research Lab: Anytime.]
[Zoe Shaw: Good. Keep an eye on medical trends and wait for my signal.]
The batch of medication was fully prepped and ready, just waiting for Zoe to give the command.
After sending the messages, a myriad of thoughts swirled in Zoe’s mind. She placed her phone face down on the desk and began to sort through her ideas.
She hadn’t expected Charles Shaw’s appetite to grow so large. He was becoming increasingly greedy; the current Shaw Group was still not enough to satisfy him.
Back when her father was alive, he was deeply passionate about involving the Shaw Group in charity work. Even then, Charles had repeatedly tried to stop him, believing that it was all just throwing money down the drain.
Now that Charles was at the helm of the Shaw Group, his behavior had only worsened. However, since Charles wanted to stir up trouble, monopolize the market, and drive up prices, Zoe was determined to ruin his plans.
When her batch of medicine was released, it would force Charles to pay the price for his malicious deeds.
A firm resolve filled Zoe’s eyes. She absolutely could not stand by and watch Charles destroy her father’s and the Shaw family’s lifelong legacy.
She rubbed her forehead. Having been exhausted from a long day’s work, she hit the pillow and fell straight asleep.
Early the next morning, she was woken up by Jonathan.
With an anxious face, Jonathan shook Zoe vigorously, complaining endlessly.
"Mommy, save me! Boohoo, I don’t want to go to school! Forcing me to hang out with a bunch of childish brats—isn’t that basically trying to kill me? Mommy, you have to help me!"