pter 80
Jessica continued, “Also, correction–I’m not pregnant, and I don’t have to throw myself at my boss.”
“She’s right. She doesn’t have to throw herself at me. I was the one who coaxed and
shamelessly deceived her to get her to sleep with me,” Zachary said as he stood next to the driver’s side of the car, his eyes cold and sharp.
Jessica froze for a moment, then looked back. How could he say such things the moment he opened his mouth to speak?
He closed the car door gently and walked toward Jessica. Very naturally, he extended his arm and wrapped it around her waist.
“I didn’t know you had so much concern for my sweetheart, Ms. Leroy,” he remarked.
Sweetheart? That was too much. Celine believed that Jesscia was just a one–night stand at
most.
Celine chuckled. “Oh, I don’t exactly…”
Clearly, Celine had broken out in a cold sweat the moment Zachary spoke up. She couldn’t forget that day when she was hit at the hospital.
Forget experiencing it herself; that was her first time seeing a man hit a woman ever.
She heard rumors about Zachary being cold but kind, and that he was skillful in the work that he did. However, she never imagined that he’d actually get into a fight in public because of Jessica.
In the end, he even took down the news that she released, demonstrating that the enormity of his power shouldn’t be underestimated.
Just the thought of it made her shiver in fear. She gestured to the housekeeper next to her, and they left together.
Meanwhile, Derrick, who hid behind a pillar a short distance away, witnessed all this. He saw how physically intimate Zachary was toward Jessica, yet she did not push him away.
Moreover, she wore those heels that used to tire her out, and she seemed to have become even
more beautiful than before.
The glow on her face couldn’t be hidden. She had truly changed.
Deep down, his heart wrenched. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tight as he made up
his mind.
Then, he spun around and walked quietly to an elevator by the side,
Now that Celine had left, Jessica breathed a sigh of relief, She lifted her eyes slowly to peer at Zachary
“You don’t think I did well, do you?”
“No, you were pretty great.”
“Is that so? Don’t interrupt me next time, then.”
Zachary was rendered speechless.
Jessica freed herself from his grasp and marched straight toward the entrance of the grocery
store.
Zachary caught up with her. “What did I do wrong?”
She wasn’t interested in entertaining him. “You couldn’t be more right. Don’t do that next time.”
She couldn’t believe that the CEO of a major corporation could actually utter such words without feeling ashamed at all. She didn’t want him to stick his nose into her business.
After all, these weren’t things to be proud of. If any issues arose from them, he would be negatively impacted.
Besides, they were now in a secret marriage. She didn’t want too many people to find out
about them.
Truth be told, she didn’t know how to manage a family. If she ended up doing a bad job as his wife, she would make things very awkward for her and Zachary. Moreover, he was a public
figure.
Nevertheless, Zachary did not press further because she was now like a porcupine. Her sharp spikes made others afraid of drawing closer to her.
But in truth, she was soft–hearted on the inside. As long as someone approached her ever so
slightly, she treated them with gentleness.
This was how she protected herself all these years. Naturally, it was just difficult for her to adapt to Zachary’s protection right away.
“I’m sorry. I’ll do as you ask next time.”
Zachary took her by her hand carefully. Instead of pushing him away, she gave his hand a hard
squeeze.
He grinned, caressing her hand gently with his thumb.
Jessica curled her lips slightly. Carefully, she probed, “H–Have you really been staying over at your office because work has been busy?”
The office was just under 20 minutes away from their apartment. Maybe he had always been used to staying over at the office. After all, there was nothing at the apartment when she first moved in. In fact, it was just like a hotel.
On the contrary, the junior suite attached to the CEO’s office looked like there were signs of life all year round.
Zachary turned his face toward her and studied her to see how important that question was to her. That could have been coming from a wife who was questioning her husband, but it could also have been coming from a subordinate who was concerned for her superior.
It could also be one’s longing for their partner.
“I wasn’t implying anything. I was just thinking about whether to leave a light on for you. I can’t sleep well at night,” Jessica scrambled to explain.
Meanwhile, Zachary smiled but did not reply.
