Chapter 13
“Since the door’s already off, why don’t you just move tonight?
“Move into my apartment.”
Jessica froze as Zachary’s words echoed again in her mind.
Her heart stirred ever so slightly, but she smothered the feeling almost immediately.” Zachary, forget it. Just go. There are plenty of wealthy socialites waiting for you. I’m just a small-time employee. Any one of them would be better than me-”
She wanted to go on, but Zachary cut her off, “Not every woman gets the chance to sleep with
me.”
Realization dawned on Jessica. It seemed this ice-cold man was actually a virgin.
It was no wonder he asked if she wanted to try to be “Mrs. Jones” on the very first day. It
turned out that Zachary was a very traditional man.
Jessica’s face burned hot. She quickly twisted open a bottle of water and gulped it down like
crazy.
“Be careful tonight. Call me if anything happens.” Zachary then got up and walked out of the
messy apartment.
“Zachary,” Jessica called out as he passed her.
He stopped, as if waiting for an answer, but all she said was, “Thank you.”
He neither spoke nor showed any expression, simply turning to leave. He couldn’t remember how many times Jessica had called out to him so casually, as if they were friends who had
known each other forever.
Jessica watched his departing figure, then glanced at the broken door.
After a broken family life and one failed relationship after another, the thought of never marrying welled up inside her. She was sure that if it had been another woman in bed with Zachary that night, he would have asked that woman the same question.
So, it wasn’t about her personally. It was about what happened.
Jessica booked a hotel and contacted her landlord, arranging for someone to fix up the door.
As dusk fell, she drove to the repair shop where Derrick had gone. It belonged to Celine’s uncle. Jessica figured that this would be her last gift to them.
She explained clearly that her car’s dashcam was broken and needed repair, making sure to
The staff recognized the vehicle as the same one Derrick had brought in before. And so, Celine’s uncle personally examined the condition of the dashcam.
Wednesday soon arrived, and Celine’s engagement party was cancelled.
Jessica figured that Celine’s uncle must have heard the recorded quarrel and even found the
hidden camera.
For the Leroy family, Derrick’s lack of affection for Celine was a serious obstacle. On top of that, his wanting Celine to get an abortion showed serious disrespect for the Leroy family. As such, the engagement between Derrick and Celine was called off.
The Quinton family was even more devastated. Their son had fathered a child out of wedlock, but couldn’t marry the mother. It was as if they had lost everything.
Jessica revelled at the fact that she had gotten someone else to do all the dirty work for her.
She felt delighted for days. Still, she had to quickly find a new place to live. It would be bad if anyone found out that she had engineered this.
That evening, she happily prepared to log off work. She walked toward the elevator lobby and patiently waited for it to stop on her floor.
The doors opened, and she noticed that Zachary and Joshua were standing inside.
It seemed that history tended to repeat itself. Jessica stepped in, and on the 18th floor, they were joined by the odd individuals from the PR department.
She had been trying to edge away from Zachary to keep her distance, but was shoved right
beside him instead.
She took a deep breath, feeling like she was going to suffocate.
“Ms. Lockman, please move in a bit,” a colleague said, eyeing the narrow space between her and Zachary before pushing her forward.
Jessica stumbled, almost falling. She instinctively reached out for support and somehow grabbed a large, warm hand.
Jessica gasped and steadied herself. She tried to pull back, but Zachary gripped her tightly.
She felt that she was doomed. If anyone caught sight of this, no amount of explanation would
clear her name.
Just then, a notification on her phone broke her train of thought. She seized the moment to pull her hand free.
It was a message from the tailor that included a location pin. “The shirt is ready. Could you
Chapter 13
come pick it up tonight?”
Jessica messaged back. “Okay.”
“Your boyfriend should really like it.”
She inwardly cursed and quickly locked her screen, only to realize that Zachary, who was beside her, had seen everything.
His eyes lingered on the familiar avatar and location, then fixed on the word “boyfriend”.
When the elevator reached the basement, she hurried out and got into her car.
With the navigation system set, Jessica drove to the location.
The car came to a stop in front of an estate. Security denied her entry, despite the GPS showing her destination was inside.
She was just about to send a message to the tailor when she received another one. “Wait at the gate for a couple of minutes.”
Jessica thought nothing of it, so she got out of the car and admired the estate.
It was a cathedral-style castle. From the gates to the castle stretched a lawn dotted with trees. It was absolutely breathtaking.
Just then, a familiar car pulled up beside her, and the window rolled down.
Jessica was utterly shocked when her gaze met Zachary’s.
The guards opened the gates for Zachary, but he didn’t head inside.
“Sorry, my dear granddaughter-in-law! I made you wait for so long!” Richard came bustling out, laughing cheerfully.
“Granddaughter-in-law?”
Zachary and Jessica froze.
“Why did each of you come in your own car? Did you fight?” Richard looked between them.
Jessica threw Zachary a desperate look.
Zachary let out a short laugh and got out, gently pushing Richard back inside, “Grandpa, go on
in first.”
Richard was a little reluctant, but he didn’t want to meddle in their affairs, so he lingered nearby and watched in secret.
Zachary walked over and coldly asked, “What’s going on?”
Jessica stepped back innocently. “I don’t know. I just came to pick up clothes.”
“Then why did Grandpa call you his granddaughter-in-law?” Zachary’s tone was icy, carrying traces of blame, hurt, and anger.
Jessica thought for a moment. “I don’t know. I asked him to make you a shirt to replace the
ones I ruined…”
Zachary blinked in surprise. “You know my size?”
Jessica stammered, “I-I didn’t have your size. So, I took your suit jacket to him and told him…’
She trailed off, her face flushing crimson.
Zachary asked, “What did you tell him?”
“I told him that it was for my boyfriend, and to match it to the suit’s measurements.” Jessica’s voice dropped to a whisper. It was unlike her usual quick-witted chatter.
“Great,” she thought in resignation.
Zachary gave a low chuckle. “You’re doomed!”
He put his hands on his hips, frowning slightly as he glanced back at Richard’s eager
expression.
“Did I cause trouble?” Jessica asked.
Zachary’s dark gaze was fixed on her. “All my clothes are made by Grandpa. My name’s sewn inside. You told him that it was for your boyfriend, so what do you think he assumed?”
He sighed before continuing, “No wonder he asked me if my shirts had been torn…’
Jessica was rendered speechless. Only now did she realize how badly she had blundered.
“Do you know what day it is today?” Zachary’s deep gaze was fixed on her yet again.
“What day is it?” Jessica clutched her dress tight.
Zachary said, “It’s my grandfather’s 80th birthday. All our relatives and friends are here.”
Jessica’s knees nearly buckled. With such a powerful family, even a single misstep could be
fatal.
Zachary said nothing, waiting for her to speak.
“What should I do?” Jessica clenched her fist tight, finally realizing why Richard hadn’t asked her for a deposit or why he didn’t need to take any measurements.
“The star of the day came to greet you personally. Everyone inside is probably waiting for
your appearance,” Zachary said.
Jessica’s eyes widened as she stared at him, her expression full of pleading.
“Either you come in with me, or you can explain it to Grandpa yourself.” Zachary glanced sideways at Richard.
Jessica knew that if she turned around and left right now, Zachary would become the scandal of the night. But if she wanted to explain herself, she didn’t know how she would.
If Jessica were to enter the estate, she would truly become Richard’s granddaughter-in-law. Wouldn’t all the older ladies inside stare her down?
