After all, Sean Shelton knew that if he didn’t let her in, his eardrums would continue to be tortured.
Cyrus Ford silently agreed to Sean’s suggestion.
Soon, Zoe Shaw, who was waiting outside, couldn’t hold back any longer. She tentatively pushed the door open. "Um, I’m coming in..."
As the door slowly opened, Zoe’s face was instantly revealed to the two men. Cyrus and Sean exchanged a surprised look, clearly not expecting the person outside to be Zoe!
This wasn’t her style at all; it was as if she had been possessed by an entirely different person. Both men’s mouths twitched, leaving them completely dumbfounded.
Sean swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly. "Zoe?"
This was far too terrifying!
Back when they were studying in the finance department at Avenburg University, Zoe and Sean had been classmates. Right after enrolling, Sean had heard rumors about a brilliant, breathtakingly beautiful top student in their class who outshone even the fairest of fairies. He initially thought people were exaggerating. However, when he finally saw Zoe in person, he was so stunned by her beauty that he stood rooted to the spot.
Sean had wanted to befriend her, but he quickly realized that Zoe wasn’t the type of girl he could easily win over. Since she was exceptional at both her studies and debating, he simply invited her to join the university’s debate club instead. He even begged Zoe to help him defeat his arrogant childhood friend in an upcoming debate competition.
That competition marked the first time Zoe and Cyrus Ford met, and the two went head-to-head in a fierce, tit-for-tat match. In the end, under Cyrus’s dark, brooding glare, Sean grandly invited both teams to a party, loudly declaring that anyone who didn’t show up lacked team spirit.
The day after Cyrus attended the party, the finance department’s academic rankings were released. Cyrus ranked first, and Zoe ranked second.
From then on, a fierce rivalry formed between the two. But to everyone’s shock, less than six months later, they announced they were dating! Sean wasn’t entirely clear on the details of what happened after that. He only knew that the Zoe in his mind was absolutely nothing like this!
Right now, Sean was covered in a cold sweat.
Zoe hadn’t expected Sean to be here either, and a wave of awkwardness washed over her at this unexpected reunion with an old acquaintance.
A hint of mischief flashed in Sean’s eyes. Seemingly trying to hold back a laugh, he threw his hands up in surrender and stood up. "Ahem, you guys continue."
Even after all these years, he never would have imagined that Zoe would adopt Claire Lockwood’s style. It was truly a surprising change of pace.
Cyrus’s expression remained entirely indifferent. He didn’t spare a single extra glance for Zoe.
"Come back. We’re continuing."
It was obvious that Cyrus didn’t want to engage with Zoe. Left with no choice, Sean bit the bullet and sat back down. His gaze darted back and forth between the two. He wondered if Zoe was actually the one throwing herself at him. Read the latest chapters at novelping.com.
Zoe knew Cyrus’s temper well and had fully expected him to give her the cold shoulder. Unfazed, she masked her emotions, her voice growing even softer. "You’ve been working so hard, Mr. Ford. Here is a nourishing soup I made for you in the kitchen myself.
"I’ve already tested the temperature. It’s just right and not too hot. This is a token of my care, Mr. Ford. Please, have a taste."
Her cheeks lifted slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips, as she pushed the bowl of soup toward Cyrus’s hand.
Cyrus threw a brief glance at Zoe. Paying little mind to the dark, steaming bowl of soup, he calmly continued his work.
"Sean, you drink it."
Sean’s eyes widened in shock. "That... probably isn’t a good idea," he replied weakly.
He could feel Zoe’s dagger-like glare practically piercing his skin. He thought to himself that he would rather just die! Yet, Cyrus’s unquestionable, domineering aura left Sean trapped between a rock and a hard place. He couldn’t afford to offend either of them. He felt like an ant on a hot skillet.
Ultimately, buckling under Cyrus’s sheer pressure, Sean threw caution to the wind. With trembling hands, he downed the entire bowl in one gulp, completely lacking the presence of mind to even taste it. Because he drank it so quickly, he nearly choked to death.
"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH!"
Zoe was amused by his dramatic reaction, wondering why he was acting as if he were drinking poison.
Cyrus paused for a moment. Seeing that Zoe was smiling instead of getting angry, he finally took pity on the squirming Sean and dismissed him.
"Since you’re done drinking, get out."
Sean threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender. Looking as though he had just been granted amnesty, he quickly bolted from the study. He moved so fast it was as if a savage beast were chasing him.
For a moment, only the two of them remained in the room.
Cyrus closed his files and stared at Zoe at his leisure, seemingly waiting for her to speak.
An inscrutable glint flashed through Zoe’s eyes. She remained unusually calm, as if silently competing with Cyrus to see who could hold their composure longer. Then, acting as if nothing were amiss, Zoe nonchalantly helped Cyrus clear the clutter from his desk. The source of this chapter is g.com.
Cyrus’s eyes darkened. His sharp gaze tried to see right through her, but he couldn’t quite figure out what she was trying to pull.
All of a sudden, Zoe leaned down and closed the distance between them. Her beautiful, crystal-clear eyes stared straight into his. They were mere inches apart. It felt as though if either of them moved even a fraction of an inch closer, they would be pressed against each other.
A cold, mocking smirk played on Cyrus’s lips. "Is this how you won your husband over? Is this how you convinced him to willingly accept a child that isn’t even his?"
Zoe froze for a second, knowing perfectly well that Cyrus was deliberately mocking her. She took a deep breath. She cursed him inwardly, thinking what a shame it was that such a handsome man had to ruin it every time he opened his mouth. Suppressing the urge to snap right back at him, she feigned a gentle demeanor.
"Mr. Ford, there’s no need to use such ugly words. He was an unmarried man and I was an unmarried woman. Everything was completely consensual."
Cyrus maintained a cold sneer, simply watching Zoe put on an act right in front of him.
"Mr. Ford, we did date in the past, after all. Since you’re about to get engaged, I genuinely wish you the best. So, please, just let me go."
Seeing that Cyrus was actually about to fall for her trap, a glimmer of light flickered in Zoe’s eyes, and her smile deepened.
But in the very next second, Cyrus suddenly grabbed Zoe’s wrist. He reached into his drawer, pulled out two DNA test reports, and slammed them onto the desk.
"Zoe, these paternity tests prove that Jonathan Shaw is my son. No matter how much you deny it, it’s time for him to acknowledge his true heritage and change his last name to Ford."
His cold, unfeeling tone made it clear that he wasn’t discussing this with her—he was giving her an ultimatum.
These words undeniably infuriated Zoe. After all, Jonathan was her absolute bottom line! No matter what Cyrus did to her, she wouldn’t easily lose her temper. But the moment he deliberately targeted her son, she couldn’t control her burning rage.
Zoe’s pupils contracted, and her expression slowly darkened. She indignantly wondered what gave him the right. An uncontrollable fury boiled within her, and she looked as though she might erupt at any second.
"Cyrus Ford! Don’t push it! Jonathan is my son. He has nothing to do with you."
A playful, wicked smile curled Cyrus’s lips. He pulled Zoe down onto his lap, resting his chin against the crook of her neck. His warm breath brushed against her ear, sending a tingling sensation down her spine. He deliberately initiated this intimate embrace, wrapping his arms tightly around her from behind as if they were a pair of deeply passionate lovers.
Zoe’s body instantly stiffened. Her mind went entirely blank, and her breathing hitched chaotically. She could do nothing but allow Cyrus to keep her trapped in his arms.
She bitterly realized that this man was just as impossible to deal with as he had always been!
Cyrus slowly lifted his eyelids and stared coldly at Zoe, delivering a dark warning. "Everything you owe me from the past, I’m going to collect it all—piece by piece."