《You Left Me for Your Secretary, So Why Are You Begging》 Reservation 1

Chapter 1

Author: Hello Spring ¡°Miss Smith, are you sure you want to cancel your wedding venue reservation?¡± Liz Smith¡¯s fingertips tightened slightly around her phone. Her voice was calm and unreadable. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°All right, understood. I¡¯ll go ahead and process the cancetion.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After hanging up, Liz took off the engagement ring on her left hand and set it gently on the table. Then she stood up, grabbed her suitcase, and walked out. * Half a month earlier, it was early evening when Liz walked out of the courthouse after finishing a case. The first thing she did was check her phone. She opened her messaging app. At the top, the pinned conversation was filled with dozens of messages she had sent but none of them were answered. Ever since she and Zac Lincoln had argued over the wedding invitation designst month, he had flown overseas for a business trip the very next day. No matter how many messages she sent or how many times she tried to make peace, hepletely ignored her for the entire month. In this rtionship, Liz had already lowered herself as much as she possibly could, but no matter how hard she tried, she still couldn¡¯t win Zac back. Her best friend, Jane Stone, had finally had enough. She mocked Liz for handling countless divorce cases every year and dealing with every kind of scumbag, yet still falling head over heels for Zac and refusing to see him for who he really was. But Liz wasn¡¯t blind. She saw everything clearly. She just couldn¡¯t let go. She couldn¡¯t let go of what they once had¡ªthe deep love, the bond they used to share. She couldn¡¯t ept how things had be cold and strained between them, like two strangers who couldn¡¯t stand each other. And she couldn¡¯t let go of Zac. After eight years together, she no longer remembered what her life had been like before him. She didn¡¯t know how to live without him. She typed a few words into the message box, about to ask when he would be back. But just then, a notification appeared on her screen. Zac had posted a new update on social media. It was a simple photo of the ocean, but Liz recognized it immediately. It was the Maldives¡ªthe ce she had mentioned countless times, the one she had always dreamed of visiting with him. Her fingers paused. She was about to switch back to the chat when a message from Jane appeared. Out of habit, she clicked it. It was a screenshot of someone else¡¯s post¡ªXena Spencer¡¯s. It was the exact same photo of the ocean. But this one had a caption. ¡°I casuallyined that I was tired of traveling for work, and he surprised me with a Maldives getaway!¡± Zac knew exactly what the Maldives meant to her. It was the ce she had begged to go, countless times. He always said he was too busy. But now he had taken another woman there. Her eyes stung. A tear slipped down before she could stop it. The chill in the evening air suddenly felt like it had reached her bones. Then Jane called. ¡°That bitch Xena is seriously unbelievable. She knows you and Zac are about to get married, and she still posted that photo just to get under your skin? ¡°And Zac? What the hell is wrong with him? He could¡¯ve taken her anywhere, but he chose the one ce he knew you had always dreamed of going with him? Eight years, and this is how he treats you? ¡°They¡¯ve been this shameless for three years. You¡¯ve already been putting up with this crap for three years. Are you really going to marry him and live like this for the rest of your life?¡± Liz felt her chest tighten, heavy with bitterness. She understood every word Jane was saying. But after eight years together, and with the wedding just a month away, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to let go. Not yet. She wanted to try onest time. If it still didn¡¯t work, then she would ept it and walk away for good. ¡°Jane, the wedding dress fitting and bridesmaid try-ons are this Saturday. Don¡¯t forget toe.¡± There was a long pause on the other end. Then Jane cursed and hung up without another word. If they kept talking, she was afraid Liz would drive her insane. Everyone could see that Zac had already moved on. But Liz just wouldn¡¯t let go. She was convinced that if she held on long enough, he would eventuallye back. What Liz didn¡¯t know was that Jane had seen Zac more than once, arms around different women, walking into hotels like he didn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦e waiting at home. He was rotten. He wasn¡¯t the man who used to look at Liz like she was his entire world. He had turned into aplete scumbag. Men like him deserved to get hit by a car and be impotent for life. * That night, Liz barely slept. She had one nightmare after another and only managed to drift off near dawn. She had just fallen asleep when she heard the fingerprint lock click at the front door. Liz opened her eyes. Just as she sat up, Zac walked in. He walked in, dragging a suitcase behind him, looking tired and worn from travel. But Liz immediately noticed the lipstick stain on his cor and the faint scratch marks across his chest. Her grip on the nket tightened. It felt like someone had shoved a block of ice into her chest, and the cold was spreading through every inch of her body. When he saw she was awake, Zac raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did I wake you?¡± As he spoke, he wheeled the suitcase over to the closet and began searching for clothes. Liz took a deep breath and stared at his back. ¡°Did you take Xena to the Maldives?¡± Zac froze, his hand hovering over a shirt. He turned around with a mocking smile. ¡°What about it? If you like it that much, we can go there for our honeymoon.¡± The sarcasm in his voice hit her hard. Liz¡¯s face went pale. ¡°You know how much that ce means to me.¡± ¡°So what? Just because you wanted to go, Xena couldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I just¡ª¡± I just wanted to go there with you. Before she could finish, Zac interrupted, sounding impatient. ¡°I just got back from a long trip. I¡¯m exhausted. I really don¡¯t feel like arguing with you right now.¡± Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked into the bathroom, mming the door shut behind him. Liz lowered her eyes and stared at her fingertips, pale from how tightly she had been gripping the nket. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of her lips. There was a time when he would at least argue with her. Now, he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to fight. By the time Zac came out of the shower, Liz was already dressed. She sat at her vanity, calmly applying lipstick in front of the mirror. She was wearing a floor-length dark green velvet gown. Her long hair flowed past her waist, and her makeup was wless. She looked breathtaking¡ªso beautiful it was almost impossible to look away. Zac nced at her without emotion, then quickly looked away. As he reached for the door, Liz spoke in a quiet, steady voice. ¡°The wedding dress fitting is on Saturday. I hope you won¡¯t bete again.¡± She had always hated people who werete. One of the reasons she agreed to be with Zac in the first ce was because he had been reliable, always on time. But ever since he stopped loving her, he had broken one promise after another¡ªall for other women. Zac gave a faint smile,ced with sarcasm. ¡°Rx. I won¡¯t be.¡± Just then, his phone rang. Whether it was intentional or not, he answered it on speaker. A sugary-sweet voice echoed from the phone. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, you were way too roughst night. I¡¯m still sore. You better take responsibility.¡± Reservation 2

Chapter 2

Author: Hello Spring Zac let out a low, satisfiedugh. ¡°I¡¯ll be more gentle next time. I¡¯ll grab you some ointmentter.¡± As his voice faded into the distance, Liz lowered her gaze and stared at the broken lipstick in her hand. Her face showed no emotion. She dropped the snapped lipstick into the trash, then opened the second drawer of her jewelry box. Only a few scattered pieces remained. It used to be packed with jewelry¡ªhundreds of pieces, all gifts from Zac. But ever since he started cheating, she began throwing one away every time he disappointed her. In the beginning, she did it slowly, hesitating each time. But over time, she discarded them more and more quickly. Now, there was almost nothing left. Just like her love for Zac. It had once flooded her heart like a rising tide. Now all that remained was numbness and quiet resignation, nearly drained to nothing. She picked up a delicate gold ne with a tiny cat paw charm. It was a gift from their third anniversary. Back then, Liz had been obsessed with the idea of getting a cat. She often stayed upte watching cat videos online. When she received the ne, she was overjoyed. She had turned that little paw over in her hand again and again, unable to stop smiling. They had even made ns. After graduation, they would adopt a cat once they moved in together. They had already picked out a name¡ªGigi. But of course, it never happened. Zac poured himself into his startup. Once it became sessful, he only got busier. He barely had time for her, let alone time to think about getting a cat. Looking back, that was probably when their rtionship started to fall apart. She had been too confident. She truly believed Zac would never change. Swallowing the tight wave of emotion rising in her chest, Liz dropped the gold ne into the trash and slowly closed the jewelry box. Only five pieces were left. She stood up, slipped on her coat, grabbed her bag, and walked out the door. As soon as Liz arrived at the firm, a colleague walked over to congratte her on another win. ¡°Congrattions, Miss Smith!¡± ¡°Miss Smith, that¡¯s your sixth case this month, isn¡¯t it? You really are the firm¡¯s good luck charm.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s true what they say. When love fails, your career takes off. Just look at how well you¡¯ve been doingtely.¡± The words had barelynded when someone nearby tugged on the speaker¡¯s sleeve and gave them a warning nce. The room fell silent. Everyone shifted ufortably, avoiding Liz¡¯s eyes. Everyone at the firm knew she was engaged to Zac Lincoln. The ones who kept their ears open also knew he had been secretly seeing his secretary. But no one had ever dared to bring it up in front of Liz. The colleague who had just spoken realized they had crossed a line and quickly apologized. ¡°Miss Smith, I¡¯m really sorry. I didn¡¯t mean anything by it. Please don¡¯t take it the wrong way.¡± Liz¡¯s face turned a shade paler. Her hand tightened around her briefcase handle, but she managed to force a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll treat everyone to dinner tonight at Haven Bistro to celebrate. Be sure to keep your schedule open.¡± Everyone chimed in with quick agreement, adding light jokes to smooth over the tension. Just like that, the awkward moment passed. Back at her desk, Liz opened herptop and began sorting through case files, preparing to write a case summary. But after more than two hours, she had only written a few lines. Her mind was elsewhere, lost in thought. That evening, Liz walked into Haven Bistro with a group of colleagues from the firm. The moment they entered, she spotted two familiar figures sitting by the window. She looked up and met Zac¡¯s cold, indifferent gaze. Her breath caught in her throat. A secondter, he looked away and smiled, acting as if she weren¡¯t even there. He turned his attention back to Xena, gently feeding her a spoonful of dessert with a look of affection in his eyes. Even in front of her coworkers, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to show her a shred of respect. One of the colleagues who was especially close to Liz turned bright red with anger. She stepped forward, ready to speak up for Liz. Liz gently took hold of her colleague¡¯s arm and spoke in a steady voice. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s just go to the private room.¡± Her colleague¡¯s face was still filled with anger. She turned, ready to say something, but stopped short when she saw Liz forcing a smile¡ªa smile that looked more painful than tears. In the end, she said nothing and let Liz lead her toward the private dining room. When ites to love, only the person living it truly knows how it feels. If Liz wanted to keep pretending everything was fine, no one else had the right to interfere. After the food was ordered, Liz stood up and told the group she was going to the restroom. As she closed the door behind her, she could still hear the faint voices of her colleagues talking from inside the room. ¡°Did I see that right? Her boyfriend just fed dessert to another woman in front of her. He¡¯s such a jerk.¡± ¡°I saw it too. I honestly don¡¯t get it. What does she even see in a guy like that? She¡¯s stunning. She could do so much better.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s true what they say. Even the smartest people lose their sense when ites to love. She¡¯s always so clear-headed in court, but when ites to her own rtionship, it¡¯s like she¡¯s someone else.¡± Liz didn¡¯t hear the rest, but she could guess what was said. They were right. Every word. And yet, every time she thought about a future without Zac, a deep, unbearable ache filled her chest. Eventually, she had learned to live with that feeling. She had grown used to his indifference, to the lingering scent of other women¡¯s perfume on his clothes, and to the slow, silent process of healing from one emotional wound after another. But just as she reached the restroom door, her footsteps came to a sudden stop. It felt like her whole body had frozen in ce. Only a few feet ahead, what she saw hit her like a knife to the heart. Xena was sitting on the edge of the sink counter while Zac stood between her legs, gripping her waist. His back was to Liz, and he was kissing Xena like they werepletely alone in the world. No matter how reckless he had been in the past, he had never crossed that line in front of her. But today, he did. As Liz stared at his back, it felt like something had torn open inside her. Cold air rushed in through the cracks, leaving her breathless. ¡°Zac Lincoln, how could you be this cruel?¡± Liz thought. He was so caught up in the moment that he didn¡¯t even notice her standing nearby. But even if he had, it probably wouldn¡¯t have made a difference. Whether she was hurting or not, he no longer seemed to care. In the mirror, their tangled figures were clearly reflected¡ªalongside Liz¡¯s pale, devastated face, drained of all color. She looked like a fool. It was Xena who noticed her first. Her eyes widened in shock, and she quickly pushed Zac away. ¡°Mr. Lincoln¡­ Miss Smith¡­¡± Her cheeks were flushed, her wide eyes full of panic. Her lips were swollen and red, glistening with the remnants of his kiss, like freshly ripened fruit. Zac didn¡¯t even look at Liz. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her,¡± he said tly. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, wait¡ª¡± Xena tried to speak, but Zac silenced her with another kiss. No one knew how long itsted. When he finally let go, he lifted her down from the counter, smoothed her dress, and wrapped an arm around her. Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned to walk out. As they passed Liz, he gave her a mocking nce and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Still not satisfied? Want me to bring Xena home tonight so you can really enjoy the show?¡± Liz turned and looked directly at him. His eyes, once filled with warmth, now held only contempt. ¡°Zac,¡± she said softly, ¡°you can do whatever you want with her when I¡¯m not around. But can you please not throw it in my face? I¡¯m begging you.¡± She truly didn¡¯t know how much longer she could keep holding on. The future they had once imagined together now felt like a fantasy¡ªone that only she was still clinging to. Zac gave a carelessugh and tilted Xena¡¯s chin before cing another kiss on her lips. ¡°Already can¡¯t handle it? If it¡¯s too much for you, feel free to call off the engagement or just walk away.¡± Liz lowered her eyes, about to respond, when she suddenly froze. On Xena¡¯s wrist was a gold bracelet with a tulip design. From the design to the craftsmanship, it was exactly the same as the one Zac had once designed and custom-made just for her. Reservation 3

Chapter 3

Author: Hello Spring Noticing Liz¡¯s gaze, Xena quickly reached up to cover the bracelet on her wrist. Panic flickered in her eyes as she instinctively shifted closer to Zac. Zac pulled her behind him and looked down at Liz with impatience. ¡°Why are you staring at Xena?¡± Liz¡¯s eyes were tinged with red. ¡°Zac Lincoln, why did you give her the exact same bracelet? You told me it was one-of-a-kind, made just for me.¡± ¡°Xena saw you wearing it and said she liked it,¡± he replied casually. ¡°What, was I supposed to make you give yours to her? It¡¯s just a bracelet, Liz. Since when did you be so petty?¡± His tone was dismissive, as if this were some trivial matter. Liz stared at him in disbelief. ¡°But when you gave it to me back then, you said¡ª¡± Zac cut her off with a frown. ¡°Why do you always cling to the past? You said it yourself¡ªthat was back then.¡± He had always hated it when Liz brought up the past. It reminded him of the version of himself that had failed over and over again while trying to start his business. Liz had been there for all of it¡ªevery breakdown, every moment of despair. Now that he had finally made it, he didn¡¯t want to look back. And over time, he had grown tired of her too. Liz looked at him, her eyes full of sorrow, like fragile ss on the verge of shattering. ¡°So the promises you made don¡¯t mean anything now? They can be broken just like that?¡± Zac gave her a cold look. ¡°I promised to marry you, and I¡¯m keeping that promise. You want to get married, and I agreed. What else do you want from me? ¡°Liz, the only thing I¡¯ve done wrong is not loving you anymore. Am I not allowed to choose who I love?¡± Liz blinked, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. So this was what happened when a man fell out of love. All the promises he once made crumbled like a sandcastle, disappearing with the wind. He could stop loving her just like that. But what about her? What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to convince herself to forget the moments when they were in love? How was she supposed to ept his change of heart? How could she let go of him and let go of everything they used to be? Zac noticed her silence, her lips pale and pressed together. Without another word, he wrapped his arm around Xena and walked away. His figure quickly disappeared around the corner. Liz stood in ce for a long time, eyes burning. She took her time pulling herself together before turning back toward the private dining room. The dinner didn¡¯t end untilte that night. Only after thest of her coworkers had left the restaurant did Liz drive home. When she opened the front door, the apartment waspletely dark. As expected, Zac wasn¡¯t home. The image of him kissing Xena by the sink shed through her mind again, and a dull, familiar ache settled in her chest. She closed her eyes and forced the tears back. Walking over to her vanity, she opened the jewelry box and took out the gold bracelet with the tulip design. There was a time when seeing it would make her smile. Now, just looking at it sent a wave of pain through her. If it was no longer something special, there was no reason to keep it. A bitter smile touched her lips as she let it fall from her hand. The bracelet dropped into the trash can with a soft clink,nding with a finality that echoed the moment her heart skipped when she first saw it on Xena¡¯s wrist. In the days that followed, Zac never came home. Each day, Liz sent him one message, reminding him about the wedding dress fitting on Saturday. He never responded. On Saturday morning, Liz got out of bed, got ready, and sat in front of her vanity applying makeup, just like any other day. That was when a message from Zac finally came through. ¡°I¡¯m at the bridal boutique.¡± When Liz arrived and saw Xena tucked into Zac¡¯s side, clinging to his arm like they were already a couple, her expression turned cold. ¡°Zac Lincoln, today is our wedding dress fitting. Why did you bring her here?¡± Zac lookedpletely unfazed, as if there was nothing inappropriate about the situation. ¡°After this, I have a business meeting with her. Are you seriously making a fuss over something so small?¡± ¡°Small? You really think this is just a small thing?¡± He had brought his mistress to their wedding fitting like it was nothing. Was he nning to bring Xena to the ceremony too? Xena quickly let go of his arm, looking flustered. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, I told you I shouldn¡¯t havee. Maybe I should head back to the office. I can wait until you¡¯re done¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Zac cut her off coldly. He turned to Liz, his voice sharp. ¡°Are you trying on the dress or not? I¡¯m busy. I don¡¯t have time to stand around here all day.¡± Liz knew that tone. When Zac¡¯s eyes dropped like that, it meant he was past the point of patience. If she said no now, he would walk out without a second thought. Without another word, Liz walked through the door and into the bridal boutique. The boutique associate greeted her right away with a bright, professional smile. When she noticed Zac following close behind, with Xena still clinging to his arm, there was a brief flicker of surprise in her eyes. But her smile never faltered. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Lincoln, Miss Smith. The custom gown you ordered has just arrived. Let me show you to the fitting area.¡± Liz had studied fashion design for a short time, and the sketch for this gown had taken her six months toplete under the guidance of a well-known local designer. She had poured everything into it. But all the excitement and anticipation she once felt had vanished the moment she saw Xena. Now, she was just here to get it over with. She gave a quiet nod. ¡°Alright.¡± She followed the associate to the bridal section, where her gown was disyed in the center of the showroom. It was a strapless design. The bodice was made of sheer tulle, embroidered with her favorite flower¡ªtulips¡ªstitched so delicately in Frenchce that they looked like they were blooming straight out of the fabric. A slim band of tiny pearls, fine as stardust, circled the waist and shimmered softly under the lights. The front of the skirt was crafted from smooth satin, while the train behind it flowed in threeyered tiers of satin andce. It was elegant, lightweight, and structured just enough to hold its shape. Liz couldn¡¯t take her eyes off it. ¡°This came in first thing this morning,¡± the associate said warmly. ¡°A few other clients asked if they could try it on, but we¡¯ve kept it reserved just for you. I know you¡¯re going to look incredible in it.¡± Xena had also spotted the gown. Her eyes lit up with admiration and envy. In her sweet, high-pitched tone, she chimed in, ¡°It¡¯s stunning. I heard Miss Smith designed it herself. You¡¯re really talented. Isn¡¯t she, Mr. Lincoln?¡± Her syrupy voice made Liz feel like she had swallowed something rotten. She turned, ready to respond, but froze when she saw Zac looking at Xena with a soft expression. He reached out and gently patted her on the head. ¡°You¡¯re not bad either. That¡¯s why I made you my secretary.¡± Xena gave him a yful look. ¡°You¡¯re always teasing me.¡± In that moment, Liz suddenly had nothing left to say. What was the point? If Xena had the nerve to show up here and unt herself, it was only because Zac had made her feel she could. The boutique associate clearly wasn¡¯t sure how to handle the awkward moment. She spoke gently, her tone cautious. ¡°Miss Smith¡­ would you still like to try on the dress?¡± Liz turned back to her, her expression calm and steady. ¡°Yes.¡± The associate carefully removed the gown from the disy and led Liz into the fitting room. Because the dress had ace-up corset in the back, it took more than ten minutes to get everything properly adjusted. Liz was already beautiful¡ªfair-skinned, with elegant features and a natural grace that made people take notice. She had the kind of quiet beauty that drew people in without trying. It was that very presence that had once made Zac fall for her at first sight. Now, standing in the gown, she looked even more breathtaking. As the associate knelt down to straighten the hem, she looked up and smiled. ¡°Miss Smith, if I weren¡¯t a woman myself, I think I¡¯d fall in love with you right now.¡± Liz lowered her eyes and offered a faint, polite smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± The associate could tell she wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk. With a quiet sigh, she stepped aside and said nothing more. When the curtain was finally drawn back, Zac was still staring down at his phone, replying to work messages. Xena was nowhere to be seen. One of the staff gently called his attention. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, Miss Smith is ready.¡± Zac nced up without much interest. His eyes swept over Liz, then drifted away again. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Nothing special.¡± He meant it. He really didn¡¯t feel anything. These days, even if Liz were standing in front of him with nothing on, it wouldn¡¯t stir a reaction. A flicker of disappointment crossed Liz¡¯s heart. She remembered a moment from their first year together, when they had talked about getting married. He had once told her that no matter what she wore, she would be the most beautiful bride he had ever seen. He said that when he saw her in her gown, he would probably cry¡ªjust from the joy of knowing he was finally marrying her. It had been such a small promise. He had probably forgotten all about it. Eight years was a long time. Long enough for someone to fall for someone new. Long enough topletely erase another person from their life. Sensing the heavy silence, the associate was about to say something to ease the mood when the curtain to the fitting room across the boutique suddenly opened. Xena stepped out in a different wedding gown. She wore a bright smile, her expressionposed and confident as she looked directly at Zac. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, I didn¡¯t think the dress you picked would fit me so well. What do you think?¡± Reservation 4

Chapter 4

Author: Hello Spring Zac looked at her with a faint smile, clear admiration in his eyes. ¡°You look beautiful. It suits you.¡± Their eyes met across the room, and for a moment, the love between them was impossible to miss. But the irony was unbearable. This was supposed to be her wedding dress fitting with Zac. And yet, with Xena clinging to his side, Liz suddenly felt like the outsider. Like she was the one intruding. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her gown. Something inside her gave way¡ªlike a thread pulled too tight finally snapping. She lifted her dress and walked slowly toward Xena. Xena saw hering and smiled even more brightly, tilting her head with practiced sweetness. ¡°Miss Smith, your is absolutely gorgeous. When I saw it, I couldn¡¯t help but want to try one on too. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± Smack! Without hesitation, Liz pped her hard across the face. Her voice was calm and measured. Each word dropped with weight. ¡°What do you think now? Do I mind?¡± Zac¡¯s expression changed instantly. ¡°Liz, have you lost your mind?¡± He rushed over and shoved her aside, lifting Xena¡¯s chin to check the mark on her face. The gown Liz wore had a wide skirt, and with nearly four-inch heels on, the sudden shove threw her off bnce. Her ankle twisted sharply, and she copsed to the floor. Pain shot through her leg, but it was nothingpared to the aching hollow in her chest. There was a time when Zac couldn¡¯t even bear to see a single tear fall from her eyes. Now he could push her to the ground without a second thought¡ªjust to protect another woman. He didn¡¯t even nce her way. Instead, he frowned at the redness on Xena¡¯s cheek and said gently, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡± Xena shook her head and forced a smile through the sting on her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m alright, Mr. Lincoln. I¡¯ll ice itter,¡± Xena said, gently shaking her head. ¡°We still have that meeting with the partners at eleven. We can¡¯t afford to bete.¡± At that moment, Zac saw how she was holding back her pain, doing her best to stayposed. The stubborn determination in her eyes made something twist in his chest. A surge of anger rose¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t directed at her. It was aimed straight at Liz. He turned to Liz, still sitting on the floor, and looked down at her with cool authority. ¡°Apologize.¡± Liz met his gaze, her expression calm. ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°You pped her out of nowhere. Doesn¡¯t that deserve an apology?¡± His voice grew louder, sharp with frustration. ¡°When did you turn into this kind of person? Loud, impulsive, embarrassing?¡± He looked at her like she was a stranger. Liz gritted her teeth and slowly pushed herself up, ignoring the pain shooting through her ankle. ¡°You think I¡¯ve changed? What about you, Zac? Haven¡¯t you?¡± He froze, caught off guard. Before he could respond, Xena gently tugged his sleeve, her voice soft and hesitant. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, please don¡¯t fight with Miss Smith because of me. This is my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have tried on a gown. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Zac reached up and gently wiped away a tear at the corner of her eye. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault. You don¡¯t owe anyone an apology. Someone else does.¡± Liz felt a bitterugh rise in her throat, but her eyes stung too much to let it out. Eight years together. Their wedding only a month away. And now, to him, she was just ¡°someone else.¡± She looked at the man she had once loved so deeply and wondered¡ªhad he ever truly loved her at all? Because if he had, how could he treat her like this? And if he hadn¡¯t, then what had thest eight years meant? Just a lie she was foolish enough to believe? After making sure Xena was steady on her feet, Zac turned back to Liz. His eyes were cold and unyielding. ¡°If you won¡¯t apologize, then don¡¯t bother trying on the dress. We¡¯ll postpone the wedding.¡± Liz went pale. She looked into Zac¡¯s eyes, now cold and distant, and felt a wave of hopelessness wash over her. A flicker of a bitter smile yed on her lips. He had gone to such lengths to defend Xena. One p was all it took for him to threaten to postpone their wedding unless Liz apologized. So this was what heartbreak felt like. A pain so sharp it hollowed her from the inside out. She could already see it. If she gave in today, she would be swallowing this kind of humiliation for the rest of her life. But she was done with that. ¡°Fine,¡± she said softly, just loud enough for them to hear. ¡°If you want to postpone it, then go ahead.¡± She turned without waiting for a response, lifted the hem of her dress, and walked stiffly toward the fitting room. Her back was straight, but her limp made each step look heavier than thest. Zac frowned as he watched her go, his face clouded and unreadable. Xena¡¯s cautious voice came from beside him. ¡°Mr. Lincoln¡­ did I mess things up?¡± Zac didn¡¯t respond. Maybe he hadn¡¯t heard her, or maybe he just chose not to answer. While Liz was changing out of her wedding gown, the boutique associate noticed her swollen ankle and let out a soft gasp. ¡°Miss Smith, your ankle looks really swollen. I¡¯ll bring you some ice in a bit.¡± Liz lowered her eyes, and a sudden sting rose in them. She hadn¡¯t expected it, but even a boutique associate she barely knew seemed to care more than her own fianc¨¦ did. Was it really worth it¡ªlosing herself like this over a man? She pressed her lips together and managed a faint smile. ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. It¡¯s part of my job.¡± The associate was about to rehang the gown and go get the ice when something on the floor caught her eye. She bent down and picked it up. ¡°Miss Smith, your bracelet fell.¡± Liz turned at the sound of her voice. The moment she saw it, her eyes briefly flickered. ¡°It¡¯s broken. I can¡¯t wear it anymore. Would you mind throwing it away for me?¡± It had been a birthday gift from Zac during their third year together. The star bracelet had their initials engraved on it, followed by the word ¡°forever.¡± She used to take such good care of it. She never imagined it would break so suddenly today. In the past, she might have been devastated. She might have seen it as a terrible sign. But now, she didn¡¯t care. The associate hesitated. The bracelet looked expensive and probably could be repaired, but when she noticed how pale Liz looked, she decided not to bring it up. After rehanging the gown, she quietly walked off with the bracelet in hand. Just as she reached the trash can and was about to toss it in, a cold voice stopped her. ¡°What are you holding?¡± Startled, she turned around and saw Zac standing there, his expression icy. ¡°It¡¯s Miss Smith¡¯s bracelet,¡± she replied quickly. ¡°It broke while she was trying on the dress. She said she couldn¡¯t wear it anymore and asked me to throw it away.¡± A flicker of coldness shed through Zac¡¯s eyes. He recognized the bracelet instantly. It was the one he had given Liz for her birthday. He had just given Xena a nearly identical bracelet. So now Liz was throwing this one away on purpose, trying to make him feel guilty? His gaze darkened, and the air around him seemed to tighten. ¡°Give¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Xena¡¯s voice rang out behind him, sweet and perfectly timed. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, I¡¯m done changing.¡± His outstretched hand froze in midair. A momentter, he pulled it back and turned to face her, his expression softening. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we at least say goodbye to Miss Smith? Also, what were you talking about with the associate just now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We don¡¯t need to wait.¡± Xena gave the associate a curious nce but didn¡¯t press further. She knew Zac well. If he didn¡¯t want to talk about something, pushing him would only irritate him. Over the years, she had used that very tendency to quietly drive a wedge between Zac and Liz more than once. By the time Liz stepped out of the fitting room, Zac and Xena were already getting ready to leave. Out of the corner of her eye, Liz caught sight of them walking away side by side. Her fingers curled slowly into a fist, but her face stayed calm. She once read a quote that said, ¡°When disappointment builds up long enough, letting go bes easy.¡± Maybe her time with Zac was finallying to an end. Reservation 5

Chapter 5

Author: Hello Spring When Jane stepped into the bridal boutique, she found Liz sitting quietly on the couch, flipping through a bridal catalog. She looked calm andposed, almost tooposed. Jane nced around but didn¡¯t see Zac. Her brow furrowed as she walked over. ¡°Where¡¯s Zac?¡± ¡°He left.¡± Jane¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°He just left you here by yourself?¡± Liz lowered her gaze. Her fingers absentmindedly traced the image of a wedding gown on the page. She didn¡¯t answer. Seeing her like that, Jane felt a mix of frustration and sadness. She decided to shift the mood. ¡°So? How was the fitting?¡± ¡°I liked it. I even took some pictures.¡± ¡°Show me.¡± The moment Jane saw the photos, her eyes lit up. ¡°Wow. You look incredible. That dress is made for you. When I get married, you¡¯re designing mine too. No backing out.¡± A faint smile touched Liz¡¯s lips. ¡°Deal.¡± Jane zoomed in on one of the photos and let out a low whistle. ¡°Honestly, Zac doesn¡¯t deserve you. He must¡¯ve saved the world in hisst life tond someone like you.¡± Liz¡¯s smile faltered. The truth was, Zac had never really wanted this wedding. She was the one who kept pushing for it. Noticing the shift in her mood, Jane put the phone down and studied her. ¡°Did you two fight again?¡± Liz didn¡¯t want to worry her. She shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m just a little tired from the fitting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothingpared to the actual wedding day. You¡¯ll be changing outfits, giving toasts¡­ Oh, and are you inviting your family?¡± At the mention of her family, Liz¡¯s hands tensed slightly. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± ¡°Alright. No pressure. You still have time before the invites go out.¡± Liz gave a small nod. In truth, she wasn¡¯t even sure the wedding was still happening. After everything that had unfolded earlier that day, she wasn¡¯t sure if she even wanted it to. Later, as Jane finished trying on her bridesmaid dress and got ready to leave, she noticed Liz¡¯s ankle was swollen. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I twisted it in heels.¡± Jane frowned. ¡°That looks pretty bad. Let me take you to the hospital.¡± Liz shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m not that fragile. I¡¯ll put some ointment on it and rest. It¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡± ¡°You¡¯re way too hard on yourself. Back in college, you wouldn¡¯t even get a flu shot without Zac sweet-talking you for half an hour. That was the real ¡®fragile¡¯ you.¡± Liz paused, then gave a bitter smile. Back then, she had allowed herself to be fragile because Zac loved her and made her feel safe. Now, all that care and attention belonged to someone else. If she showed weakness now, Zac would probably just see her as needy and overdramatic. On the way home, Jane stopped by a pharmacy to pick up something for the swelling. She dropped Liz off at her apartment and made her promise to use it regrly before heading out. Once she was alone in the quiet apartment, the scene at the bridal boutique reyed in Liz¡¯s mind. Her eyes gradually lost their light. Zac hadn¡¯te back since that argument. And unlike before, Liz hadn¡¯t chased after him with calls or messages. Neither of them had reached out. They were locked in a silent standoff, each waiting for the other to make the first move. On the tenth day of silence, Liz tossed another piece of jewelry into the trash. This time, it didn¡¯t sting quite as much. Maybe if things kept going like this, she would finally let go. Maybe then she would be strong enough to walk away. Because she was tired of hoping, only to be disappointed over and over again. * That afternoon, Jane dropped by after a meeting. ¡°So, how¡¯s wedding prep going? Need any help?¡± she asked as she kicked off her heels. ¡°There¡¯s only a month left, but I still haven¡¯t seen an invite. And Zac doesn¡¯t seem to be doing much either.¡± Jane had never been a fan of their rtionship. But Liz was her best friend, and if Liz had her heart set on marrying Zac, she would support her no matter what. Liz looked down and pressed her lips together. ¡°The wedding might get postponed.¡± Jane¡¯s head snapped up. ¡°Postponed? Don¡¯t tell me Zac¡¯s trying to back out.¡± ¡°No¡­ We just had a fight.¡± ¡°A bad one?¡± Jane knew Liz. She could tolerate a lot. If she was even hinting that things were off, it had to be serious. Liz hesitated. ¡°Yeah. Kind of.¡± Jane sighed, but before she could say more, something in the trash caught her eye. Her gaze shifted, then widened in disbelief. ¡°Wait¡­ Is that your sleep bracelet? You threw it out?¡± Her voice rose in shock. ¡°What the hell did you two fight about?¡± Back when Liz struggled with insomnia and the doctors couldn¡¯t figure out what was wrong, Zac had gone above and beyond to help her. He had found apany that made custom sleep bracelets, supposedly designed to promote calm and rest. He had it shipped in from overseas, and even flew out to pick it up himself. Liz wore it every single day for over a year. She treated it like a lifeline¡ªso much so that she never even let Jane touch it. And now it was sitting in the trash. Liz gave it a brief nce, but said nothing. Her expression was unreadable. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if the wedding date gets confirmed,¡± she said quietly. Jane studied her for a moment. Liz looked exhausted, emotionally and physically drained. She stood up, her voice softening. ¡°Alright. Just¡­ if you need anything, call me, okay?¡± ¡°I will.¡± * Three dayster, just before dinner, Liz got a call from a colleague. ¡°Miss Smith, your friend and your fianc¨¦¡¯s secretary just got into a fight at a restaurant!¡± Startled, Liz fumbled with the knife she was holding and sliced her finger. Blood welled up at the tip. She quickly jotted down the address, rinsed the cut, wrapped her hand, and rushed out the door. When she arrived at the restaurant, she ran straight into Zac at the entrance. He didn¡¯t even nce at her. His expression was ice-cold, his eyes unreadable. Without a word, he brushed past her and walked inside like she wasn¡¯t even there. Liz paused to steady herself, then followed him in. Jane was seated by the window, arms crossed and wearing a faint, icy smile. Across from her sat Xena, looking disheveled and on the verge of tears. Next to Xena was another woman around the same age, whispering in her ear and shooting daggers at Jane every few seconds. Zac strode over to the table. The moment he got close, Xena stood up and flung herself into his arms, her voice trembling with emotion. ¡°Mr. Lincoln¡­ Tiana and I were just having dinner when Miss Stone walked up and pped me. Twice.¡± Zac turned to Jane, his eyes zing. His voice came out low and sharp. ¡°I want an exnation.¡± Jane didn¡¯t flinch. She leaned back in her chair and gave a slow shrug, her toneced with sarcasm. ¡°So do I. Why would you bring your mistress to a wedding dress fitting with your fianc¨¦e?¡± Reservation 6 Jane had never nned to pay Xena any attention. Honestly, she wasn¡¯t worth the energy. But earlier, Xena had been sitting right behind them at the restaurant, loudly bragging to her friend. She imed that when Zac went to the bridal boutique with Liz, he brought her along too. Not only did he let her try on wedding dresses too, but he even pushed Liz aside for her. That alone was enough to make Jane¡¯s blood boil. And when she remembered how quiet Liz had been that day and the red, swollen ankle she noticedter, everything suddenly clicked. Jane didn¡¯t have Liz¡¯s patience. Giving Xena just two ps? That was Jane being polite. Zac¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°This is between me and Liz. You have no right to interfere.¡± As he spoke, his cold eyesnded on Liz, who had just walked up. His expression was full of contempt. ¡°I thought if I gave you a few days, you¡¯d cool off. But instead, you ran off and told Jane about what happened at the boutique just to pick a fight with Xena?¡± Liz¡¯s face went pale. ¡°You really think I¡¯d do something like that?¡± ¡°What else am I supposed to believe? How else would she know? You¡¯re vindictive, Liz. No wonder your family kicked you out. Falling in love with you is the one thing I¡¯ll always regret.¡± Liz swayed slightly. Her body stiffened, and she took a step back, like she was about to fall. Eight years ago, when he confessed to her, he said meeting her was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Now, for another woman, he was telling her that loving her was his biggest mistake. This was the man she had loved for eight years. The man she once believed she would marry. Jane¡¯s face twisted with fury. She marched over and pped Zac hard across the face. ¡°Zac Lincoln, do you even have a conscience? How can you say something like that?¡± If Liz had never been with him, she wouldn¡¯t have been disowned by her own family. And now, he had the nerve to defend some shameless homewrecker and throw all those years away like they meant nothing? That wasn¡¯t just cruel. It was a knife straight to the heart. The moment the words left his mouth, Zac felt a pang of regret. Guilt swept through him, quickly followed by frustration. He turned to look at Liz. She was standing behind Jane with her head lowered, and he couldn¡¯t see her face. Xena, always quick to pick up on his mood, noticed the shift right away. Her eyes flickered. Then, out of nowhere, she lunged at Jane, hand raised to strike. But Jane wasn¡¯t someone who took hits without swinging back. She had trained in self-defense. Xena never stood a chance. Before Xena could evennd the p, Jane caught her wrist mid-air and fired back with one of her own-then another, and another. Zac rushed over to pull them apart, but Jane wouldn¡¯t let up. In the struggle, he ended up getting scratched across the face, lookingpletely disheveled and out of control. The scene spiraled into chaos. It wasn¡¯t until the staff rushed over that the two women were finally separated. Jane walked away without a scratch. Xena, on the other hand, was aplete mess. Her hair was wild and tangled, and both of her cheeks were visibly swollen. She looked like a wreck. Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned to Zac, clearly hoping he wouldfort her. ¡°Mr. Lincoln¡­¡± But he didn¡¯t even look at her. His eyes were locked on Liz, who stood motionless,pletely silent. His jaw clenched. Liz didn¡¯t meet his gaze. Instead, she turned to Jane with a pale, empty expression and forced a faint smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t want to stay here.¡± Jane¡¯s chest tightened at the sight of Liz¡¯s lifeless face. ¡°Okay.¡± She walked over and gently took Liz¡¯s cold hand, leading her out of the restaurant. The car ride was quiet. Liz stared out the window, her eyes distant and unfocused. Jane opened her mouth to say something several times but kept stopping herself. When they reached Liz¡¯s apartment, she finally spoke. ¡°Liz¡­ I¡¯m sorry about what happened tonight. I lost it. If I hadn¡¯t-¡± Liz shook her head and turned toward her. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I¡¯m just really tired. I won¡¯t keep you. Drive safe, okay?¡± ¡°Liz¡­ please don¡¯t scare me. You¡¯re starting to worry me.¡± Jane¡¯s voice was soft, but her eyes were full of concern. Liz wanted to smile, to reassure her somehow, but she just couldn¡¯t. She gave a small shake of her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need to sleep. Don¡¯t worry.¡± With that, she stepped out of the car and closed the door behind her. Only after Jane¡¯s car disappeared down the street did Liz finally turn and walk inside. She sat alone on the couch for what felt like forever. Then the front door opened. Her entire body tensed and she slowly looked up. Zac stood in the entryway, lit by the soft glow of the ceiling light. He was still painfully handsome and effortlessly maic. But to Liz, he looked like a stranger. She lowered her gaze without saying a word. Her hand, resting by her side, slowly curled into a fist. Zac sat across from her. Neither of them spoke. The silence in the room was so heavy, it felt like the air might crack. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke. ¡°Liz, what I said at dinner¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± A faint, bitter smile yed at the corners of Liz¡¯s lips. Was it really just something said in the heat of the moment, or had he finally let slip what was buried deep inside? Only he would know. At this point, she didn¡¯t even trust herself to tell the difference between his lies and the truth. When she didn¡¯t respond, Zac frowned. Just as he opened his mouth to say more, his phone rang. It was Xena. He hesitated before answering. Whatever she said made his expression turn cold. ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± he said curtly. As he hung up, he noticed Liz watching him. He pressed his lips together before saying, ¡°Xena¡¯s been in a car ident. I need to check on her.¡± Liz¡¯s smile deepened, but it was all mockery now. ¡°She had the strength to call you after crashing? Impressive.¡± Zac¡¯s jaw tightened. He remembered the awful things he had said to her earlier and forced himself to stay calm. ¡°Liz, it¡¯s not worth getting worked up over something so minor.¡± She gave a dryugh. Her fianc¨¦ had abandoned her at dinner because of another woman¡¯s lie, and now he wanted to talk about not sweating the small stuff? He stood up, ready to leave, but her voice stopped him. ¡°Zac, if you stay, I¡¯ll forgive you.¡± He froze. His face stiffened as he turned to look at her. ¡°I know you¡¯re upset about tonight,¡± he said, his tone low. ¡°But a car ident is serious. It could be life-threatening. Can¡¯t you She cut him off before he could finish. ¡°I understand. Go. I was kidding anyway.¡± Something about her felt different tonight, and for the first time in a long while, Zac felt genuinely uneasy. ¡°When I get back,¡± he said, reaching for some kind of reassurance, ¡°we¡¯ll figure out a new wedding date.¡± It was a peace offering. A small step toward making things right. But Liz didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Go on,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Take care of it.¡± Remembering how Xena had cried on the phone, Zac didn¡¯t say another word. He turned and left in a hurry. The front door opened, then shut. Silence settled over the apartment once more. Liz got up and walked slowly to the bedroom. At the vanity, she opened the jewelry box. Without saying a word, she pulled out a diamond ne and threw it away. It was the most expensive piece Zac had ever given her, but that wasn¡¯t why she had held it so close. She had cherished it because it had once saved his life. He had spotted it in a shop window while returning from a business trip and wanted to surprise her. But he didn¡¯t have enough on him at the time, and the wire transfer took longer than expected. He missed his original flight. That ne went down. Everyone on board-passengers and crew-was killed. Liz had always been thankful for that ne. If Zac hadn¡¯t stopped to buy it, she would have lost him forever. But now, ever since Xena entered their lives, everything she once held dear felt like a cruel joke. All that remained in the jewelry box was a rough, handmade engagement ring. Zac had crafted it himself during their first year together. When he gave it to her, the first thing she noticed wasn¡¯t the diamond. It was the cuts and scrapes on his hands from shaping the band. He had promised that one day, he would rece it with something bigger and more beautiful. She told him not to bother. She only wanted that one. Later, she found out he had spent two straight months delivering food just to afford that tiny diamond. Then he had spent weeks grinding the metal by hand to make the setting. She had called him an idiot,ughing through tears. Her heart had never felt fuller. But now, looking back, it was clear who the real fool was. She picked up the ring and slowly slid it onto her finger. It used to fit like it was made for her. Now it slipped right past her knuckle, loose and unfamiliar. She pulled it off and stared at it for a long time, until her eyes stung and her vision blurred. Only when the ache in her chest grew too much did she finally ce the ring back in the box. One more chance. Just one. This time, it really would be thest. Reservation 7 In the middle of the night, the sound of the front door stirred Liz from her sleep. She nced at the clock on her nightstand. It was 2:16 a.m. Zac moved quietly, as if trying not to wake her. What he didn¡¯t know was that ever since she found out about the affair, Liz hadn¡¯t been sleeping well. Even the smallest sound was enough to wake her. But his heart wasn¡¯t with her anymore. It would take someone who cared to notice things like that. She didn¡¯t feel like talking to him, so she shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep. He opened the closet, grabbed some pajamas, and headed to the shower. Water ran for a while, soft and steady, then stopped. The bathroom door opened. Footsteps moved closer and then paused beside the bed. Although her back was turned to Zac, Liz could feel him lift the covers on his side and slip into bed. The mattress dipped under his weight. The room fellpletely silent again. In the dark, she could hear each other¡¯s soft breathing. Sleep wouldn¡¯te. Shey there, counting sheep. Back when she had trouble falling asleep, Zac would tell her stories or talk about their future. He used to say that once his business took off, he would buy her a ce with huge floor-to-ceiling windows. He wanted their wedding on a beach in the Maldives. He said they would have two kids-hopefully a boy and a girl. They were broke back then, squeezed onto a tiny bed in a basement apartment. But they had endless things to talk about. Now, theyy next to each other in silence. Same bed, separate worlds. It was a sad realization. Liz didn¡¯t remember when she finally fell asleep. When she opened her eyes again, it was almost 8 a.m. Her car was in the shop for maintenance, so she had to take the subway to work that week. Themute to the firm took forty-five minutes. She usually got up by 7:20, but somehow, her rm hadn¡¯t gone off. After showering and getting dressed, she stepped out of the bedroom and froze. Zac was sitting at the dining table, fully dressed in a suit, eating breakfast. She couldn¡¯t even remember thest time he had eaten at home. Noticing her surprise, Zac did something she didn¡¯t expect. He spoke first. ¡°Come eat. I made breakfast.¡± On the table were heart-shaped pancakes and a cup of coffee-her favoritebo back in the day. Whenever they had a fight, Zac would get up early the next morning to make this exact breakfast. Then he¡¯d gently wake her up and ask her to eat. The pancakes were never round like most people made. He always shaped them into hearts. And every time she saw those silly heart-shaped pancakes, her anger would melt away. But after the affair, he stopped trying. After arguments, he would just storm out and leave her stewing, waiting for her to make the first move. She thought he had forgotten. But he hadn¡¯t. He just didn¡¯t care enough to keep trying. Falling out of love really was the easiest thing in the world. ¡°I¡¯ll skip it. I¡¯m runningte,¡± she said tly. ¡°I¡¯ll drive you.¡± She paused mid-step. After a brief hesitation, she turned and walked over to the table. As soon as she sat down, Zac picked up a pancake and set it gently on her te. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I made these. Try one. See if I¡¯m rusty.¡± Liz lowered her gaze and stared at the pancake for a moment before picking up her fork and taking a bite. It was fluffy and warm, just like she remembered. But her habits had changed. Years of skipped meals had worn down her stomach. Heavy food like this didn¡¯t sit well with her anymore. She set her fork down after just one bite. Zac frowned. ¡°Does it taste off?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. It¡¯s really good. I just can¡¯t handle heavy food in the morning anymore.¡± Zac¡¯s knuckles went white around his fork. The room fell quiet again. After a long pause, he finally set his utensils down. ¡°If it¡¯s too much, don¡¯t force it. I¡¯ll drive you to work. We¡¯ll pick something up on the way.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Just as they stepped into the underground parking garage, Zac¡¯s phone started ringing. He ignored several calls, but the caller was persistent. One after another, the calls kepting. Liz didn¡¯t even need to check. She already knew it was Xena. ¡°You should answer it,¡± she said quietly. ¡°It might be important.¡± Zac turned to nce at her, his brow creasing slightly. But Liz didn¡¯t meet his eyes. She was staring down at the tips of her shoes. The phone rang again. Finally, Zac gave in and picked up. On the other end, a woman¡¯s soft sobs filtered through, her voice broken and shaky. Liz couldn¡¯t make out the words. When he hung up, his expression had clearly darkened. ¡°Something happened with Xena,¡± he said. ¡°You should call a cab. I¡¯m not driving you.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for her to respond. Without another word, he turned and walked off toward his car. In his mind, Liz eating the pancakes he had made that morning meant she had forgiven him for the things he saidst night. That was good enough for him. He didn¡¯t feel the need to waste any more time on her. Liz stood there and watched as he disappeared from view. Oddly, she felt calm. Maybe once you stopped expecting anything from someone, it stopped hurting so much. By the time she got out of the cab and arrived at thew firm, it was already 9:16 a.m. The moment she walked inside, she could feel the shift in the atmosphere. Her coworkers were ncing over with sympathetic eyes. They must have heard what happened at the restaurant the night before. She lowered her gaze, kept her expression neutral, and quietly sat down at her desk to start work. She had just finished reviewing a document when her phone buzzed. It was a message from Jane, with a photo attached. In the picture, Zac was sitting on the edge of a hospital bed, feeding Xena soup with a spoon. Only the side of his face was visible, but his expression said it all. A soft smile yed on his lips, and the way he looked at her was filled with tenderness. Xena gazed back at him, her eyes brimming with affection. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft, golden glow over them. The whole scene looked warm, intimate, and perfectly staged. He didn¡¯t have time to drive Liz to work, yet somehow, he had time to sit at a hospital and feed another woman soup. It was obvious who mattered to him and who didn¡¯t. His love¡ªor the absence of it¡ªhad always been in as day. She was just the one who kept pretending not to see it, covering the truth with denial and wishful thinking. Liz¡¯s fingers tightened around her phone until her knuckles turned white. It took her a long time to type a reply. ¡°Nice shot.¡± Jane¡¯s typing bubble lingered for a while, but in the end, all she sent back was a single ellipsis. Liz didn¡¯t reply. She flipped her phone face-down on her desk and returned to work. Just as she was about to start drafting a case brief, the colleague at the next desk suddenly gasped. ¡°Liz, check your social media. Right now.¡± Liz froze mid-keystroke and looked up. ¡°What happened?¡± Her colleague gave her a strange look. ¡°Just check. You¡¯ll see.¡± Liz picked up her phone and opened a social media app. The top trending topic was #VoyagerTechCEOInLove. She tapped on it, and there it was. It was the exact same photo Jane had just sent her. Zac was sitting at the edge of a hospital bed, gently feeding soup to Xena. Thement section was filled with praise and excitement. ¡°Such a gorgeous couple. Total goals!¡± ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t she his secretary? This is literally a real-life office romance!¡± ¡°This is the kind of love I want. Where¡¯s my CEO to bring me soup when I¡¯m sick?¡± To everyone else, it was clear that Xena was Zac¡¯s girlfriend. He had never gone public with Liz. Over the years, only a few of his close friends even knew they were together. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, Zac was still the charming, unattached bachelor. X Reservation 8 Now that the photo of him and Xena was out, everyone just assumed she was Zac¡¯s girlfriend. In the past, Liz would have picked up the phone the moment she saw it, demanding that he clear things up. But this time, she stayed quiet. She wanted to see what he would do if she said nothing. Would he let it spiral out of control, or would he step in and set the record straight? She put her phone down and calmly returned to her work. She thought she would be distracted all day, but surprisingly, the photo didn¡¯t affect her. If anything, she was more productive than usual. Toward the end of the day, she checked her social media feed. The trending post from that morning had already been wiped clean. Neither Zac¡¯s personal ount nor Voyager Tech¡¯s official page had released a statement. There was no way he didn¡¯t know what was going on. His silence spoke volumes. Their rtionship had never been publicly announced, but people close to them knew. Now, by saying nothing, he was essentially nting andmine under his ownpany¡¯s image. When it exploded, the damage would be real. And still, for Xena, he was willing to take that risk. Liz wasn¡¯t shocked. She had seen iting. It felt like watching the beginning of a movie and already knowing exactly how it would end. Predictable and dull. For the first time, she truly epted it. She had stopped being important to him long ago. He had already erased her from his life without a second thought. She wasn¡¯t even acknowledged as his girlfriend. With a calm expression, she put away her phone, shut herptop, and left the office. They slipped back into their routine, just like before Zac¡¯s trip to the Maldives with Xena. The only difference was that this time, Liz never brought up marriage. And since she didn¡¯t, Zac didn¡¯t either. It was like the conversation had never happened. Aside from the viral photo of Zac feeding Xena soup, nothing new had surfaced online. But the rumors kept spreading. Anonymous posts, supposedly from Voyager Tech employees, imed Zac was head over heels for Xena. They said he drove her to and from work every day and spoiled her with luxury bags and expensive gifts. Even without new photos, those rumors alone were enough to keep the inte buzzing with spection. Meanwhile, Liz was buried in a nonstop stream of cases. She barely had time to breathe, let alone follow what people were saying online. Her coworkers had seen the rumors, but no one dared mention them around her. By Friday evening, Liz was still at her desk after six, finishing up prep work for an uing case. Once she finally wrapped everything up, she stretched her arms and got ready to head out. Just then, her phone started ringing. It was Zac. Her hand hovered over the screen for a second. After a short pause, she picked up. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. His voice was low and tense, like he was already on edge. ¡°My mom wants us over for dinner. I¡¯m downstairs.¡± Liz tightened her grip on the phone but kept her voice even. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ming.¡± Ten minutester, she climbed into the passenger seat of his car. Zac¡¯s expression was tight. It was obvious he was in a bad mood. Liz was too drained from the day to ask what was bothering him. She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, quickly drifting off. She wasn¡¯t a deep sleeper, so when the car pulled up outside his mother¡¯s apartment building, she woke up right away. ¡°I¡¯m going to grab some fruit,¡± she said. ¡°You go up first.¡± Zac didn¡¯t answer. She hadn¡¯t expected him to. She got out and walked toward the small grocery store near the building¡¯s entrance. After picking out a few fruits she knew his mom liked, she paid at the counter and headed back. Zac was still outside, standing beside the car and leaning against the driver¡¯s side door. A faint glow from his cigarette flickered in the dim light. His face was hard to read in the shadows. Liz hesitated for a moment, then looked away and walked past him without saying anything. He heard her footsteps and stubbed out the cigarette. Without a word, he turned and headed toward the building. They made their way up in silence. Just before knocking on the door, Zac turned to her. His expression was unreadable. ¡°My mom saw that photo of me and Xena online. If she brings it up, just tell her it¡¯s not real.¡± Liz looked at him, her voice steady. ¡°So the only reason you asked me toe tonight was to help you lie to your mom?¡± Zac raised an eyebrow, lookingpletely unbothered. ¡°What else did you think?¡± Then he suddenly leaned in, his tone full of mockery. ¡°Liz, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still holding on to some kind of unrealistic hope about us.¡± Her fingers clenched around the stic grocery bag. The handle dug into her skin, the sharp pressure traveling from her hand straight to her chest, stabbing at her heart. Before she could say anything, the door behind Zac opened. ¡°Why are you just standing out here? Come inside. The food¡¯s ready,¡± his mother called from inside. Zac turned and walked in without a word. Liz pressed her lips together and followed him through the doorway. His mother, Susan Green, took the bag of fruit from Liz with a warm smile. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to bring anything. You¡¯re practically family already.¡± Liz hesitated for a moment as she changed into house slippers. It was obvious Zac hadn¡¯t told her about the wedding being postponed. She looked up and smiled politely. ¡°It¡¯s just some fruit, Ms. Green.¡± ¡°Well, next time don¡¯t bother. Go wash up, dinner¡¯s ready.¡± Liz nodded, but deep down, she wasn¡¯t sure there would be a next time. During dinner, Susan kept asking about the wedding-how the preparations were going and if they needed her help with anything. Zac looked irritated and finally cut her off. ¡°Mom, this is between Liz and me. You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± Susan had been holding it in ever since that photo of Zac and his secretary started making the rounds online. But now, faced with his cold attitude, she couldn¡¯t stay quiet any longer. She mmed her utensils on the table and snapped, ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t worry about the wedding. But how about you exin what¡¯s going on with that secretary of yours? ¡°You¡¯re about to get married, and now you¡¯re all over the inte in some scandal with another woman. What exactly are you trying to do?¡± The dining room fell into an ufortable silence. Liz quietly set down her utensils. She had no intention of speaking up or covering for Zac. He had cheated. She didn¡¯t owe him anything, and she wasn¡¯t about to pretend otherwise. Zac nced at her. Seeing herpletely detached, like none of this had anything to do with her, he let out a coldugh. ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you saw. And if you like her that much, I¡¯ll bring her over next time so you can meet her in person.¡± Susan¡¯s face flushed with fury. Without a second thought, she stood up and pped him across the face. ¡°Zac Lincoln, are you even a man anymore? When you were broke and just starting out, living in that dingy basement, it was Liz who stayed by your side. She gave up everything to support you. And now that you¡¯ve made a little money, you think you¡¯re too good for her? ¡°That secretary is only interested in you because you¡¯ve got money. Don¡¯t kid yourself. If you were still that broke nobody, she wouldn¡¯t even give you a second nce.¡± Reservation 9 Susan¡¯s chest rose and fell with fury, her eyes brimming with disbelief and disappointment as she stared at Zac. The red mark from her p still burned on his cheek, but he didn¡¯t even flinch. He met her gaze and said tly, ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t meet her back when I was broke. She doesn¡¯t have to suffer the way Liz did.¡± The moment those words hit the air, Liz¡¯s hand curled tightly at her side. A deep ache spread from her chest, flooding her entire body. Out of all the cruel things Zac had ever said, nothing had cut her this deeply. He cared about Xena. So much so that he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of her struggling beside him. But what about the years Liz had already spent struggling with him? Did all of that mean nothing? Her fists trembled at her sides. ¡°How many times does this man have to hurt you before you finally wake up?¡± she thought. Susan looked at Liz and saw the color drain from her face. A flicker of guilt and sorrow crossed her features. ¡°Liz, he didn¡¯t mean it. He¡¯s just upset. Don¡¯t take it personally. I¡¯ll talk some sense into him-¡± ¡°Ms. Green,¡± Liz said softly, turning to her with a calm, steady gaze. ¡°There¡¯s no need to defend him. I know he meant every word.¡± She gave a small, strained smile. ¡°I always hoped I¡¯d be your daughter-inw. But I guess that won¡¯t be happening anymore. Please cancel the wedding.¡± Then, after a short pause, she added, ¡°Thank you for dinner. I¡¯m full.¡± She stood, picked up her purse, and walked toward the door without sparing Zac a single nce. Susan turned on her son, seething. ¡°Why are you just standing there? Go after her! I¡¯m serious, Zac. Liz is the only woman I¡¯ll ever ept as my daughter-inw. If you let her go, don¡¯t bother calling me your mother again!¡± Just as Liz opened the front door, Zac¡¯s voice rang out behind her. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t love her anymore. Why are you forcing me to marry her? Even if we go through with the wedding, I¡¯m not breaking things off with Xena.¡± He scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve been with Xena for three years. Liz still refuses to break up. She¡¯ll do anything to marry me. You really think she wants to cancel the wedding? ¡°That thing she said earlier? She was bluffing to get a reaction. Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s like a parasite. No matter what I do, I can¡¯t get rid of her.¡± There was nothing but scorn in his voice, like he truly believed Liz would never leave him. Like no matter how badly he treated her, she would alwayse crawling back. Maybe that was why he felt free to hurt her over and over, without hesitation. Liz blinked through the sting in her eyes. She didn¡¯t turn around and just kept walking. This time, she truly meant it. She had poured her heart into this broken, bleeding rtionship. She had fought,promised, and held on longer than she should have. Now that she was finally walking away, there was nothing left to regret. Back in the house, the tension hung heavy in the air. Susan pointed a trembling finger at Zac, her entire body shaking with rage. ¡°Do you even hear yourself? If it weren¡¯t for Liz, do you really think you¡¯d be where you are today? ¡°She gave you everything she had, and now you¡¯re stomping all over her heart. One day, when she¡¯s really gone, you¡¯ll regret this more than anything in your life.¡± Zac¡¯s face stayed cold and unmoved. ¡°If she actually leaves, I¡¯ll be relieved. At least she¡¯ll finally let go. And just so we¡¯re clear, I got here because I worked for it. I would¡¯ve made it with or without her.¡± It was true that Liz had stood by him through his lowest moments. But once he made it, he never treated her badly. Every gift he gave her was worth tens of thousands, even hundreds. On her own, she never could have afforded that kind of luxury. In Zac¡¯s mind, he didn¡¯t owe her a thing. Susan¡¯s voice grew louder, her fury boiling over. ¡°So now that you¡¯re some big shot CEO, you think you¡¯re too important to listen to your own mother? Fine. If you walk out that door tonight, don¡¯t ever call me Mom again.¡± Zac stood up, his tone calm but distant. ¡°You¡¯re upset. I don¡¯t want to argue. I¡¯lle see you once you¡¯ve cooled off.¡± ¡°If you walk out now, you¡¯re no longer my son!¡± He paused briefly, then turned and left without another word. The moment he stepped outside, he drove straight to Xena¡¯s apartment. When she opened the door and saw him standing there, her face lit up with surprise and excitement. She threw herself into his arms. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, what are you doing here?¡± Zac caught her easily, wrapped an arm around her waist, and kissed her hard. When the kiss broke, he gave her waist a gentle squeeze and murmured, ¡°I missed you. That¡¯s why I came. Xena giggled and yfully pushed against his chest, her cheeks flushing. But then she caught sight of the red mark on his face, and her smile faltered. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, who hit you? Was it Miss Smith?¡± Her voice softened with concern, and tears shimmered in her eyes. Zac shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Xena reached out to touch his cheek, but hesitated, afraid it might hurt him. ¡°Does it sting? Let me grab some ointment.¡± She turned to head toward the bathroom, but Zac pulled her right back into his arms. ¡°No need. Just kiss it better.¡± ¡°You¡¯re impossible!¡± Her flirty tone and coy smile stirred something in him again. Without missing a beat, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her over to the couch. Before long, the room was filled with soft moans and breathlessughter, the walls echoing with the intimacy of two people lost in each other. The next evening, Liz had just stepped out of herw firm when she spotted Susan standing a short distance away. She wasn¡¯t dressed for the weather. The wind was sharp, and her face had gone pale from the cold. When she saw Liz, she offered a faint, weary smile and walked over quickly. ¡°Liz, I was hoping we could talk.¡± Susan had always treated her kindly. Seeing her standing there, shivering in the cold, Liz couldn¡¯t bring herself to turn her away. ¡°There¡¯s a cafe just around the corner,¡± Liz said gently. ¡°Let¡¯s go sit inside.¡± Susan let out a quiet sigh of relief. ¡°Alright.¡± They found a small table by the window and sat down. Liz ordered a coffee for herself and a cup of hot milk for Susan. When the drinks arrived, she slid the milk toward her. ¡°Here, Ms. Green. Something to warm you up.¡¯ ¡°Thank you,¡± Susan murmured, taking a small sip. Her expression was tense, unsure. Liz knew why she was here. Another attempt to convince her to forgive Zac. But she and Zac were truly done. There was no fixing what had been broken for so long. So she said nothing, quietly sipping her coffee. Watching her sit so calmly across the table, Susan felt a wave of guilt and heartache. ¡°Liz, I think you already know why I came.¡± Liz nodded softly. ¡°Ms. Green, you don¡¯t need to say it. Zac and I¡­ we just weren¡¯t meant to be. I don¡¯t want to force something that¡¯s already falling apart.¡± Her voice was calm, but resolute. Susan¡¯s heart clenched. She reached across the table and held Liz¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯ve been with Zac for so many years. I¡¯ve seen everything you¡¯ve done for him. I¡¯ve always thought of you as a daughter. Please for my sake-give him one more chance. Just one.¡± Liz looked at her, eyes filled with quiet sorrow. ¡°Ms. Green, love can¡¯t be forced.¡± One of them didn¡¯t want to get married. The other didn¡¯t want to stay. Forcing it would only make them both miserable. Susan shook her head slowly. ¡°Zac¡¯s just confused right now. Once hees to his senses, he¡¯ll realize you¡¯re the one who¡¯s truly right for him.¡± She paused, then added softly, ¡°Liz, I saved your life once, didn¡¯t I? Just¡­ for that alone, please. Give him one more chance. I promise he¡¯ll cut things off with that secretary before the wedding.¡± She never imagined she would one day bring up that moment to ask for something in return. But she truly didn¡¯t want Zac to lose a woman like Liz. Liz lowered her eyes. She hadn¡¯t forgotten. Four years ago, Susan really had saved her life. Back when Liz had just started at the firm, she used to workte into the night. One evening, exhausted and distracted, she misread the traffic light and stepped off the curb just as a truck came barreling toward her. At thest second, Susan, who hade to drop off a thermos of soup, pulled her back. They both fell hard to the ground. The truck roared past them, missing by only a few inches. Susan sustained a fractured bone and had to stay in the hospital for a month. After she was discharged, she insisted that Liz should no longermute alone and arranged for Zac to pick her up from work every day. Zac did so, at least in the beginning, until Xena appeared in his life. The first time Zac broke that promise was on a rainy evening. He told Liz that he was stuck in a meeting and suggested she take a cab. Later, she discovered that Xena had twisted her ankle, and Zac did not want her to ride the bus. He chose to be with Xena instead and lied to Liz about it. And once there was a first time, the others followed more easily. There was a second time, then a third. The space between them continued to grow, little by little, until it became a distance too wide to close. They had started walking in different directions. Now, they weren¡¯t even on the same road. Snapping out of her thoughts, Liz looked at Susan, who was still watching her with hopeful, pleading eyes. ¡°Ms. Green,¡± she said gently, ¡°even if I gave him another chance, it wouldn¡¯t change anything. We¡¯re just not meant to be.¡± X Reservation 10 After witnessing how deeply Zac loved Xena, Liz could no longer lie to herself. Whatever feelings she had for him had already been worn thin over the years. After everything they had been through, there was barely anything left to hold onto. She no longer had the strength to keep trying. ¡°He wille around,¡± Susan said firmly. ¡°Just give him onest chance. If he lets you down again, I will not ask you to stay anymore.¡± She paused, then added softly, her eyes full of hope, ¡°Just think of this one chance as me calling in the favor from when I saved your life. Will you do that for me?¡± Liz sighed quietly. Deep down, she knew this would not change anything. All she was doing was postponing the inevitable. How could two people who didn¡¯t love each other possibly make it work? But when she met Susan¡¯s pleading eyes, she finally gave a small nod. ¡°Alright, Ms. Green. If Zac ends things with Xena within a month, I will forgive him.¡± She said it even though she knew Zac would never choose her over Xena. Relieved, Susan quickly reached into her bag and pulled out a small velvet box. ¡°This was a keepsake from Zac¡¯s grandmother,¡± she said. ¡°I do not have anything extravagant to give you, so let this be my wedding gift. I hope you will ept it.¡± Inside the box was a delicate vintage bracelet made of white gold and tiny diamonds. Under the warm light, it sparkled with understated elegance. It was clearly expensive. Liz gently pushed the box back. ¡°Ms. Green, this is far too much. I really cannot ept it.¡± ¡°It is nothing, just an old piece of jewelry.¡± Liz shook her head and insisted, so Susan gave up with a resigned smile. After seeing her off in a taxi, Liz finally headed home. She had no idea what kind of pressure Susan had put on him, but over the next few days, Zac actually starteding home again. Even so, his expression stayed cold. He barely spoke to her and never initiated a conversation. Xena seemed to be calling nonstop, but for once, Zac did not pick up a single call. Liz did not care why he was suddenly acting different. She went about her days pretending he was not even there. All she had to do was make it through the next month. Then she would have repaid Susan¡¯s kindness and finally be free. She had never expected that leaving Zac would one day feel like freedom. Shaking off the thought, she turned back to her paperwork and forced herself to focus. That weekend, Susan came over to discuss the wedding ns. Realizing neither Zac nor Liz seemed the least bit excited, she took over the entire process herself. Zac and Liz sat on opposite ends of the sofa, stiff and silent, like two people who barely knew each other. They looked more like a couple heading for divorce than one preparing to get married. Susan spread out several wedding invitation designs and asked them to choose. Without any hesitation, Zac pointed to the most dated one, his expression totally disinterested. ¡°That one, top left,¡± he said tly. Liz nced at it. The design was in and outdated-just arge red heart in the center with no real decoration or style. It looked like something from a generation ago. Every other option on the table was far more modern and tasteful. Susan gave Zac a sharp look, then turned to Liz. ¡°What about you, Liz? Which one do you like? Let¡¯s pick the one you prefer.¡± Seeing the hopeful smile on her face, Liz nearly said what was truly on her mind-that there was no point pretending anymore. She and Zac could not walk into this marriage as if nothing was broken. But she said nothing. She had promised to give him onest chance. In that moment, she finally understood what it meant to force something that was never going to work. ¡°We can go with the one he chose,¡± she said softly. Susan lit up with a smile. ¡°Great. That¡¯s settled.¡± They moved on to discuss the gift sets and other details. Once everything had been finalized, Susan left with a satisfied smile. As soon as the door closed behind her, the entire living room fell into silence. It was already past ten at night when Liz checked the time. She had a court case in the morning. Although all the documents were prepared, she had a habit of reviewing everything one more time before bed, just to be sure. As she stood up to head toward the bedroom, Zac¡¯s cold voice suddenly rang out from the living room. ¡°Liz, marrying a man who doesn¡¯t love you is no different than living like a widow. Are you really sure this is the life you want?¡± She froze for a second, then turned to look at him. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go through with it, Zac, then tell your mom yourself.¡± His expression turned dark. He stared at her, his eyes sharp with anger. ¡°Fine. Just don¡¯te crying when you regret it.¡± Liz said nothing more. She turned around and shut the bedroom door behind her, locking it. Even though Zac had been staying at home the past few days, he and Liz were sleeping in separate rooms. She had the bedroom, and he took the couch. After double-checking her case files and confirming everything was in order, Liz slipped the documents into her briefcase. Then she grabbed her pajamas and headed off to shower before bed. The next morning, after getting dressed and ready to leave, she walked into the living room. The couch was empty. Zac was already gone. Her court session went smoothly. The evidence and paperwork she submitted were solid, and the trial moved quickly. It would take some time before the final ruling, but unless something unexpected came up, she was confident they would win. As she stepped out of the courthouse and was about to leave, someone suddenly rushed toward her. Startled, Liz took a quick step back. Then she saw who it was. Xena. opter Her eyes were red and swollen, and she looked worn out. The way she stared at Liz was filled with fury. ¡°What did you do?¡± she snapped. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Mr. Lincoln been answering my calls? Why is he acting like I don¡¯t exist at work?¡± The usatory tone immediately rubbed Liz the wrong way. Her response was cool and even. ¡°You should be asking Zac. Not me.¡± ¡°It has to be you,¡± Xena shot back, her voice trembling. ¡°Mr. Lincoln loves me. No matter what kind of tricks you pulled to get between us, he¡¯ll never love you again.¡± Liz¡¯s hand tightened around the handle of her briefcase, but her face remained calm. ¡°Well then, good luck! Hope you can get him back to your side soon.¡± Xena¡¯s expression darkened, clearly taking thement as sarcasm. ¡°Don¡¯t get too smug,¡± she spat before storming off. Liz watched her walk away without saying a word. It was obvious Zac had spoiled her. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have had the nerve to show up and throw a tantrum like that. She turned and headed for the parking lot. That evening, Zac came home smelling like alcohol. Liz was seated in the living room, reviewing some documents. The strong stench of liquor made her frown. She closed herptop and stood up, ready to return to the bedroom. But Zac stepped in front of her. ¡°Xena went to see you today, didn¡¯t she?¡± The scent of alcohol was overwhelming. Liz instinctively stepped back to put some space between them. ¡°She did. What about it?¡± Zac stared at her expressionless face, then let out a dry, sarcasticugh. ¡°Look at you being all mature and understanding now. If you¡¯d been like this from the start, we wouldn¡¯t have had all those fights.¡± If Liz could just stay this cooperative and not get in the way of things with Xena, marrying her might actually work out fine. He didn¡¯t love her anymore, but she was still beautiful. Having her by his side would at least make him look good. Liz held his gaze for a moment, then looked away, her voice quiet but firm. It wasn¡¯t that she had grown tolerant. She just didn¡¯t care anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That won¡¯t be an issue going forward.¡± Reservation 11 Liz¡¯s unruffled expression totally killed Zac¡¯s mood. He snorted dismissively and headed for the kitchen. In his mind, all this fake understanding was just her way of locking in the marriage. Once they were actually husband and wife, he figured the drama woulde out full force. Back in the bedroom, Liz opened herptop. After collecting herself, she went right back to work. The next few days passed in a blur of meetings andte nights. Liz was swamped with work and barely home before dark. When she dide in, Zac was either sitting in the living room going through paperwork or hadn¡¯t returned at all. They lived under the same roof, but barely exchanged more than a handful of words. In the past, Liz would never have been able to stand that. She would have been the first to cave and try to make peace. But now, she felt strangely at peace. It didn¡¯t bother her in the slightest. Zac noticed the difference. Since he moved back in, Liz had grown noticeably colder. She only cooked for herself. She stopped leaving the lights on for him. If he came homete from a business dinner reeking of alcohol, she didn¡¯t bother making him anything to help sober up. If he didn¡¯te home at all, she didn¡¯t ask where he had been. They were like two roommates stuck living together because they couldn¡¯t afford to move out. They stayed out of each other¡¯s way and rarely crossed paths. Zac didn¡¯t mind. In fact, he preferred it that way. He didn¡¯t love Liz anymore, and he didn¡¯t have the patience to pretend otherwise. The weekend rolled around, and Susan showed up in person to join them for their wedding photo shoot. After the first outfit change, Liz sat in front of the mirror while the stylist worked on her makeup. Zac lounged behind her on the couch, glued to his phone. Just as her makeup was finished, Zac¡¯s face suddenly shifted. He stood up abruptly. ¡°We¡¯ll have to reschedule the shoot. Something came up.¡± Before Liz could say a word, Susan snatched the phone from his hand. Her voice rose in frustration. ¡°What could possibly be more important than your wedding photos? Is yourpany going bankrupt?¡± Earlier, while sitting next to him, she had noticed the constant messages from a contact named Xena popping up on his screen. Even though he didn¡¯t reply, his growing agitation was obvious to anyone watching. ¡°Mom, give me the phone,¡± Zac said sharply. ¡°Xena¡¯s threatening to jump. Are a few photos more important than someone¡¯s life?¡± Susan scoffed. ¡°Jump? Then let her. A shameless little mistress who destroys other people¡¯s rtionships? The world¡¯s better off without her!¡± Zac¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Mom, that¡¯s enough. If you don¡¯t let me go today, then I¡¯m calling the wedding off.¡± Susan stared him down, her voice low with fury and disappointment. ¡°Zac Lincoln. Say that again. The two of them locked eyes. The room went silent. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. No one dared to speak. Even the staff instinctively held their breath as the silence stretched on. Then, the sharp click of heels broke through the stillness. Liz stepped forward and stopped beside Susan. Without a word, she reached out and gently took the phone from her hand. ¡°Liz¡­ what are you doing?¡± Susan asked, startled. Liz didn¡¯t respond. She didn¡¯t even look at her. She turned and calmly held the phone out to Zac. ¡°You can go,¡± she said quietly. Her tone was steady. Her face wasposed. No yelling, no tears, not even a trace of disappointment. When she looked at Zac, her eyes were empty. It was as if she were looking at aplete stranger. Zac froze for a moment. His breath caught in his throat. But he took the phone from her without a word and walked out of the room. As she watched his back fade into the distance, Liz suddenly thought of that winter night when her own family kicked her out. It had been freezing. His hand had been dry and warm as he held hers and led her away. She had looked at his back the same way then, thinking he was the one person she could rely on from that day forward. But now, all she could do was stand there and watch him walk away toward another woman. And this time, she didn¡¯t try to stop him. She didn¡¯t even want to. Susan turned to Liz, guilt and heartache written all over her face. ¡°Liz¡­¡± But Liz gave her a soft smile and spoke before she could continue. ¡°I know what you¡¯re about to say. But really, it¡¯s fine. We already got one set of photos done. That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°I just feel like this is so unfair to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Liz said gently. ¡°It honestly isn¡¯t.¡± She no longer had any expectations when it came to Zac. And without expectations, there was nothing left to be hurt by. Susan let out a long sigh, unable to shake the feeling that she might have made a mistake. Maybe she never should have used a life-saving favor to push Liz into giving Zac another chance. But it was toote to regret now. Things had already gone too far. After seeing Susan out, Liz turned to a nearby studio staff member. ¡°How many wedding photo sets do we still have left?¡± The staffer pulled up the booking details. ¡°Miss Smith, you originally scheduled four outfits, and we included an extra one as a bonus. That means four sets haven¡¯t been shot yet. Would you like toe back another day to finish them?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Liz replied. ¡°Let¡¯s finish them all today.¡± The staff member hesitated. ¡°Will you be shooting alone?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Liz said simply. ¡°And for the set we already took, please edit him out. Just retouch it as a solo portrait.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ alright. And for the rest, would you like them styled as individual portraits too?¡± Liz nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡± She had spent weeksparing studios before choosing this one. She wasn¡¯t going to let all that time and money go to waste. By the time the shoot wrapped up, it was already after six. Liz grabbed a quiet dinner at a nearby restaurant before heading home. As expected, the apartment waspletely dark when she walked in. Exhausted from the day, she went straight to the bathroom, took a long hot shower, and went to bed early. The next morning, just as she was about to head out the door for work, Zac stopped her. ¡°Liz, we need to talk.¡± She paused, checked the time, then looked at him calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve got five minutes. What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll marry you,¡± Zac said. ¡°But only if you stop interfering with Xena.¡± His tone made it sound like he was making some huge sacrifice. Liz almostughed. She had been so pathetically amodating in the past that maybe he really believed she would never walk away, no matter how badly he treated her. Maybe that was why he thought he could still say something like that. ¡°Zac,¡± she said evenly, ¡°the day after we had dinner with your mom, she came to my office. She brought up how she once saved my life and asked me to give you another chance.¡± Zac¡¯s expression shifted, but Liz kept going like she hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡°I told her that if you couldpletely cut ties with Xena within a month, I¡¯d forgive you. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to marry me. And I don¡¯t want to be the woman whoes between you and Xena. There are still twenty days left in that one-month window. You can keep seeing her if you want. When the time¡¯s up, we¡¯ll break up.¡± Zac let out a coldugh. ¡°Liz, can you stop pretending? All this talk is just a way to pressure me into dumping Xena. ¡°I already said I¡¯d marry you. What more do you want? Isn¡¯t the title of Mrs. Lincoln enough?¡± He didn¡¯t believe a word she said. With the wedding just around the corner, there was no way she actually meant to walk away. He thought it was just another tactic to force his hand. Seeing the look of annoyance on his face, Liz felt a sharp pang in her chest. ¡°Zac, I never cared about being Mrs. Lincoln.¡± What she had wanted was the love he used to show her back in college. But that version of him was long gone. And even if he still existed, he clearly didn¡¯t care anymore. Zac narrowed his eyes, his voiceced with sarcasm. ¡°If you didn¡¯t care about the title, then why go to all this trouble to force me into marrying you?¡± ¡°I already told you,¡± Liz said softly. ¡°When the month is up, we¡¯re done.¡± Reservation 12 ¡°Liz, you keep saying that, but don¡¯t end up believing your own lies.¡± To Zac, this so-called ¡®one-month deal¡¯ was nothing more than her way of saving face. If he actually believed she meant it, he had to be crazy. Since he clearly didn¡¯t believe her, Liz didn¡¯t see the point in exining further. After all, she knew he was never going to cut ties with Xena. All she had to do was make it through the rest of the month, repay Susan¡¯s life-saving favor, and then she could finally walk away for good. It didn¡¯t take long for Xena to find out about the one-month deadline between Liz and Zac. Zac told her himself, holding her in his arms like it was all just a joke. Xena sat on hisp, pouting flirtatiously. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, do you think Miss Smith was serious about that?¡± There was a trace of hope in her voice. If Liz really nned to leave, that meant she could finally take Liz¡¯s ce as Zac¡¯s official girlfriend. She had always told Zac she didn¡¯t care about titles, that being with him was enough. But deep down, what woman wants to be a man¡¯s secret forever? ¡°No way,¡± Zac said without hesitation. ¡°I know her. Even after she found out about us, she refused to break up with me for three years. She even used my mom to push me into marrying her. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s actually leaving. Xena watched his smug face and couldn¡¯t help thinking he really didn¡¯t understand women. She had interacted with Liz a few times and felt like she had a decent grasp on her personality. Liz might seem gentle and soft on the outside, but deep down, she had pride. She had stuck around for three years only because she loved Zac too much to let go. But now, just as they were about to get married, Liz suddenly wanted to end things. That had to mean she was finally done holding on. Zac hadn¡¯t figured that out, but Xena had. And for her, this was an opportunity. It was a real chance to drive Liz out of Zac¡¯s life for good and take her ce. She needed to find a way to make sure Liz gave uppletely. Over the next week, Zac still came home every day, but now he made calls to Xena openly, right in front of Liz, without even bothering to hide it. It was obvious he wanted to send a clear message before the wedding that he had no intention of cutting off contact with Xena. Liz didn¡¯t react. She acted like she hadn¡¯t heard a thing. But deep down, it still hurt. She had made up her mind to leave Zac, but that didn¡¯t mean she could flip a switch and stop loving him right away. Maybe it would take a long time before her heart stopped reacting to him. About a weekter, a package arrived. It was the custom wedding dress she had ordered. The courier asked for her signature and left without saying much. The dress now hung in the center of the living room, just as beautiful and striking as she remembered it being when she first tried it on in the boutique. But looking at it now, all the joy and excitement she once felt had vanished. She stood there for a while, staring at it in silence. She probably wouldn¡¯t get the chance to wear it. She reached up to take the dress down, intending to fold it and pack it away, but something caught her eye. There were faint yellowish stains on the back hem. The fabric was white, so it was hard to notice at first nce but they were definitely there. Liz frowned and was about to call the boutique when a text came through. ¡°Hi, Miss Smith, it¡¯s Xena. I saw the delivery was marked as signed. You must¡¯ve received the dress by now, right?¡± Her eyes narrowed. Her grip on the dress slowly tightened. ¡°The dress came from Xena?¡± she said under her breath. She immediately called the boutique. A staff member told her the dress had been picked up three days ago. Three days ago? But she only received it today. Her heart sank. Right then, her phone lit up again. It was the same number that had just texted her. She answered in a t, emotionless voice. ¡°Xena, what did you do to my wedding dress?¡± Xena let out a slow, smugugh. ¡°You¡¯re asking the wrong question,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not what I did to your dress, it¡¯s what I did with Mr. Lincoln-and where. ¡°I wore your wedding dress and slept with Mr. Lincoln in your bed. Not once, but over and over. He couldn¡¯t get enough of it. Neither could I. It was just so¡­ exciting. ¡°For the past few days, while you were off at work, I was with him in your bedroom. The kitchen, the bathroom, the living room -we¡¯ve left a little something behind in every corner of your perfect little home. But the best part?¡± She paused with a wicked smile in her voice. ¡°Definitely that bed.¡± Her voice oozed smug satisfaction, each word dripping with cruelty. Liz had thought she would lose it if she ever heard something like this. She expected to scream, to cry, to break. But she didn¡¯t. She just stood there, eerily calm, as if a storm had ripped through her chest and left nothing behind but silence and rubble. And in the middle of it all, she felt nothing at all. ¡°You really called just to brag about your disgusting little affair?¡± she asked, her voice cold, like she was talking about something that didn¡¯t even involve her. ¡°Oh,e on,¡± Xena said lightly. ¡°I just wanted to remind you-Mr. Lincoln¡¯s over you. A month? Please. Even if you waited ten years, he still wouldn¡¯t look back. So stop embarrassing yourself.¡± Sheughed again, sharper this time. ¡°Honestly, I kind of pity you. Still chasing after a man who doesn¡¯t love you. Acting like hapter some pathetic stray dog that refuses to leave no matter how many times it gets kicked. It¡¯s pathetic. ¡°Oh, and by the way,¡± she added, almost as an afterthought, ¡°Mr. Lincoln told me your family never liked you either. That¡¯s why they named you Liz-because you were always the least. Least wanted. Least important. Not just at home, but here too.¡± Liz froze. Least. That cruel jab had firste from Mandy Smith. And the only person she had ever told about it was Zac. She remembered how he had held her back then, his arms wrapped tight around her as if he could shield her from the world. ¡°You¡¯ve got me,¡± he had said. ¡°No one gets to treat you that way again.¡± But now, he was the one doing exactly that-with someone else in his arms. Not that it mattered anymore. ¡°Are you finished?¡± Liz asked quietly. Xena hadn¡¯t expected that kind of calm. It felt like swinging hard into a wall of air-nothing to hit, nowhere for the anger to Her face twisted, her voice rising with frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t care what I have to do. I¡¯m not letting you marry him. The only woman who deserves to be Mrs. Lincoln is me!¡± Liz didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Then I hope you get what you want,¡± she said tly, and ended the call. She blocked Xena¡¯s number without hesitation, then turned to look at the wedding dress hanging in the middle of the living room. For a moment, her mind drifted back to that night-Zac¡¯s cheeks flushed, his hands trembling as he nervously held out the ring to her. Back then, his love had felt real. Now, the betrayal felt just as real. In the three years since she had discovered his affair, she had broken down, cried, despaired,promised, and screamed. During their worst fights, he had called her crazy. But the truth was, that was when she had loved him the most. Now, there was nothing left. Maybe it was time to stop holding on. Maybe it was time to let him go and finally let herself go too. Liz stared down at her phone for a moment, then began typing the number she knew by heart. No answer on the first call. Or the second. Or the third. She didn¡¯t stop. She didn¡¯t even know how many times she tried before he finally picked up. Zac¡¯s voice came through the line, clearly annoyed. ¡°Liz, I¡¯m in the middle of a meeting. What is it now?¡± She could picture the impatient look on his face. But this time, it didn¡¯t shake her. This time, it would be thest. ¡°Zac Lincoln,¡± she said calmly. ¡°I¡¯m done. We¡¯re over.¡± Reservation 13 There was a long pause on the other end before Zac finally spoke, his voice cold and dismissive. ¡°Liz, you¡¯re the one who said we¡¯d break up in a month. And now you¡¯re calling out of nowhere to say it¡¯s over? Can you stop acting insane for once? I don¡¯t have time for this. We¡¯ll talk when I get back.¡± Then he hung up, just like that. Liz calmly set her phone down. Without hesitating, she forwarded the recording of her earlier call with Xena straight to Zac¡¯s number. She sent a copy to Susan as well. Then she dialed the wedding nner. ¡°Hi, this is Liz Smith. I booked a venue through yourpany a while ago. I¡¯d like to cancel it.¡± There was a brief silence before the staff member replied, ¡°Miss Smith, are you sure you want to cancel your wedding reservation?¡± Liz¡¯s fingers tightened slightly around the phone, but her voice stayed steady. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll process the cancetion right away.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After ending the call, Liz slipped off her engagement ring and gently ced it on the table. She was about to start packing when her phone lit up again¡ªthis time it was Susan. ¡°Liz, sweetheart¡­ I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Susan said softly, her voice full of guilt. ¡°I should¡¯ve raised him better.¡± If she had known Zac would end up like this, she never would have begged Liz to give him another chance. Liz didn¡¯t need the apology, but she deserved it. What she lost wasn¡¯t just a rtionship. It was eight years of her life. Eight of her best years, given without hesitation. If anyone owed her a real apology, it was Zac. But at this point, with everything that had happened, it didn¡¯t really matter anymore. ¡°You heard the recording, Ms. Green,¡± Liz said quietly. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to drag this out for another month.¡± Susan let out a heavy sigh. ¡°I know. And everything I said before¡­ just forget it, okay? You¡¯re such a good girl, Liz. You¡¯ll find someone better. It¡¯s Zac who doesn¡¯t deserve you.¡± Her voice broke near the end. She had watched Liz stand by Zac through everything. Over time, she hade to love Liz like a daughter. Now, she didn¡¯t even have the courage to face her. Liz¡¯s grip on the phone tightened. A sharp ache rose in her chest, swelling until it threatened to consume her. She had held it together for so long, staying strong through everything. But when someone finally showed her kindness, it all came crashing down. Blinking back tears, she steadied her voice. ¡°Ms. Green, I need to take care of a few things. I¡¯m going to hang up now.¡± After ending the call, Liz sat still on the couch for a long moment. Then, slowly, she picked up her phone and began erasing every trace of Zac from her life. Thest thing to go was Facebook. They had added each other the day they joined. He was her very first friend request. Back then, she never imagined she would be the one to remove him. Facebook didn¡¯t make it easy. First, she had to go to his profile. The screen filled with old posts, shared memories, photos they had been tagged in, and a pinned picture at the top-a tranquil ocean view from his Maldives trip with Xena. She tapped the ¡°Friends¡± button. A menu appeared: Unfollow. Unfriend. Block. Her eyes lingered on ¡°Unfriend.¡± She tapped it. A confirmation box popped up: Are you sure you want to remove Zac Lincoln from your friends? You will no longer be connected on Facebook. Below it were two buttons: Confirm and Cancel. Liz stared at the message, her thumb hovering over the screen. For a few seconds, she just sat there, letting the weight of it settle. Then she pressed Confirm. Just like that, his name disappeared from her friend list. She scrolled through her camera roll next and started deleting every photo of them. Then she stood up and began packing his things. The house was full of memories she had shared with Zac. As she packed, each item brought another moment from their past flooding back into her mind. The little teddy bear on the nightstand had been a gift from one of Zac¡¯s business trips. The matching electric toothbrushes in the bathroom were something they had picked out together at the supermarket. The cat-shaped mugs on the table were ones they had made during a pottery ss. Back then, seeing those things had made her feel happy. Now, they only reminded her of how much everything had changed. When she reached thest of her packing, she opened her jewelry box and took out a ring. She stared at it for a long moment before cing it gently into her suitcase. She had thrown out all the other jewelry, but this ring had been different. He gave it to her when he loved her the most. It once held all the love he had for her. Returning it now felt like the final line she needed to draw under their eight-year rtionship. Partway through her packing, Zac walked in. He saw his belongings packed into a single bag in the living room and looked at her with a mocking expression. ¡°So you¡¯re really going all in on the drama this time. Is it that hard for you to tolerate Xena? Did you seriously have to stir up drama and force me to choose between you and her?¡± He scoffed. ¡°Come on, Liz. You know I¡¯d never pick you. Why humiliate yourself like this?¡± Liz¡¯s fingers tightened around the picture frame she was holding, her knuckles turning white. After several seconds, she finally looked up at him and said calmly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to choose. I already did. We¡¯re over. Go be with her.¡± Zac stared at her pale face, and for some reason, a surge of anger rose in his chest. He let out a coldugh. ¡°Fine. Keep ying your little game. I¡¯d actually like to see how far you n to take it.¡± Then he turned around and mmed the door behind him. Liz lowered her gaze, pushed down the emotions welling in her chest, and quietly went back to packing. The next morning, she scheduled a courier pickup. The delivery guy arrived quickly. As he carried her things downstairs, Liz brought down her wedding dress and tossed it out with the rest. She stood watching as the delivery guy¡¯s cart rolled down the road and out of sight. Her chest tightened a little. It felt like thest eight years of her life were slipping away with it. But to her surprise, it didn¡¯t hurt as much as she thought it would. Letting go wasn¡¯t nearly as hard as she had imagined. At 10 a.m., after wrapping up his morning meeting, Zac returned to his office. His assistant, Chase Carter, knocked on the door and stepped inside. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, Miss Smith sent over a package. It looks like your personal belongings. It¡¯s downstairs now. Should I have it delivered to your ce or would you prefer something else?¡± Zac froze, still holding the file in his hand. He loosened his tie and said nothing, his expression cold. It was just one phone call from Xena to provoke her, and Liz immediately went crying to his mother, picked a fight, and started talking about breaking up. Now she was even packing up his stuff and sending it back. Did she really think that would make him cave? If she was already acting like this before marriage, what kind of chaos would she bring afterward? If she wanted to throw a tantrum, fine. He would wait for her to calm down before bringing up the wedding again. It wasn¡¯t like this hadn¡¯t happened before. Every time they fought, didn¡¯t she alwayse back begging to make up? Chase nced at him, unsure what to make of his silence. He didn¡¯t dare say another word. Zac opened the file in his hands and said calmly, ¡°Got it. Just throw it away.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Lincoln.¡± About thirty minutester, Chase knocked on his office door again and stepped inside, holding a box. He opened it and held it out in front of him. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, the courier found this among your belongings. It looked a little too valuable to toss out, so they brought it back. Should I get rid of it too?¡± Zac nced up. The moment his eyesnded on the ring, he froze for just a second. He immediately recognized it as the diamond ring he had personally crafted for Liz back in college. But in the next moment, his expression returned to its usual cold calm. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± After leaving the office, Chase took a quick photo of the ring and sent it to a friend who worked in jewelry resale. He asked how much it might be worth. An hourter, the reply finally came through. ¡°Ten dors.¡± Chase stared at the message in disbelief. After hesitating for a moment, he tossed the ring and the box straight into the trash. Later that afternoon, Liz requested a week off from herw firm and booked a red-eye flight to the Maldives. After eight hours in the air, the ne touched down smoothly at Mal¨¦ International Airport. The Maldives was three hours behind her local time, so when she arrived, it was just after 6 a.m. Once she collected her luggage, she stepped outside and saw a hotel staff member holding a sign for arriving guests. She walked over, showed her reservation, and waited with the others until everyone had arrived. Then they followed the staff out to a speedboat that would take them to the ind. After checking in, a staff member helped her carry her bags to the room. She took a photo of the stunning ocean view and posted it on social media with a caption: ¡°I¡¯ve finally made it to the ce I dreamed of eight years ago. Not long after she posted it, her phone rang. It was a call from Jane. ¡°} ¡°Did Zac finally have time to go on vacation with you?¡± X Reservation 14 ¡°I broke up with him.¡± ¡°Broke up? Am I still half-asleep, or did you actually just say that?¡± Jane¡¯s voice was filled with disbelief. She clearly didn¡¯t believe it. After all, Zac had been cheating for the past three years, and Liz had always chosen to keep up appearances. She stubbornly believed that one day, he woulde back to her. Now they were finally about to get married. There was no way Liz would suddenly walk away. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Liz said quietly. She gazed out at the waves rolling in, crashing gently onto the shore. For the first time in years, her heart felt still. Peaceful. ¡°Jane, I kept holding on because I wanted something real with Zac. I wanted closure. But now I realize that sometimes, no answer is the answer. ¡°It took me a long time to ept that he doesn¡¯t love me anymore. And even longer to convince myself to let go. But now, I really have.¡± Her tone was calm and steady, like she was talking about someone else¡¯s life instead of her own. Jane stayed quiet for a few seconds, then said gently, ¡°I¡¯m just d you finally see it clearly. You deserve better. You¡¯ll find someone who actually loves you back.¡± ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll call youter. I¡¯m beyond exhausted after flying for over eight hours.¡± After hanging up, Liz stepped into her room, took a shower, and crawled straight into bed. Across the ocean, Zac was flipping through a stack of documents when a text lit up his phone. It was from his friend, Jeff Zimmer, along with a screenshot of a social media post. ¡°Dude, didn¡¯t you just take Xena to the Maldives? What¡¯s going on? Did Liz somehow make you bring her too?¡± Zac¡¯s closest friends all knew Liz had always dreamed of going to the Maldives. Back when his startup was struggling, he used to tell them that taking her there would be the first thing he would do once he made it. But when sess finally came, so did the excuses. He got too busy. The trip never happened. Then Xena entered the picture, and the Maldives dream faded into silence. The truth was, spending time with Xena in bed had be far more appealing than honoring a promise made years ago. Zac stared at the screenshot and frowned. He opened Liz¡¯s profile to see the post for himself, only to find out she had blocked him. The moment the realization sank in, Zac let out a coldugh. ¡°Seriously? She blocked me? In this day and age?¡± he muttered. ¡°How childish. How pathetic. Did she really think I¡¯d care?¡± Without a hint of emotion, he closed the app and tossed his phone onto the table. Just as he reached for the file again, there was a knock at the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Xena stepped inside, carefully carrying a cup of coffee. When she saw the cold look on his face, she bit her lip and set the cup down on his desk. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, are you still upset about the call I made to Miss Smith?¡± She had been so sure that provoking Liz would lead to a breakup. But instead of getting what she wanted, Zac had gonepletely cold on her. He hadn¡¯t spoken a single word to her the entire day before. Her stomach twisted with anxiety. Deep down, she was scared he might be done with her for good. Zac noticed the worry in her expression, and his gaze softened slightly. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. ¡°No, I¡¯ve just been busy thest couple of days. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± He gently ran his fingers through her hair, his tone casual and distant. Xena wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. When have I ever lied to you?¡± ¡°I just¡­ I care about you so much. That¡¯s why I got emotional and did something stupid. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Lincoln. I promise it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Her eyes shimmered with tears, and she looked at him with a mix of guilt and hope. Zac gave a quietugh and brushed a kiss against her lips. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it. Actually, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to start posting more about us online?¡± Xena nced up at him, cautious and unsure. ¡°Mr. Lincoln¡­ didn¡¯t you say I shouldn¡¯t post too much?¡± Reservation 15 ¡°Go ahead and post it,¡± Zac said with a faint smile. Xena lowered her head, trying to hide the wave of excitement that surged through her. ¡°Okay¡­ sure.¡± Zac kept a slight smile on his lips, but his eyes remained ice cold. If Liz wanted to y games, he had no problem showing her that the word ¡°breakup¡± meant absolutely nothing to him. Liz slept deeply and for hours. By the time she opened her eyes, it was already past eight in the evening. She got up, washed her face, changed clothes, and headed out for a walk. She figured she could grab something to eat while she was out. The night in the Maldives was stunning. The stars shimmered across the dark sky like crushed diamonds, reflecting off the gentle waves that danced along the surface of the sea. The sand beneath her feet was soft, almost like velvet. Each step sank in slightly, giving a soothing,forting feel. Waves rolled in and out, brushing the shore and leaving behind delicate,ce-like patterns in the wet sand. A cool ocean breeze swept across her face. Liz found herself smiling. The heavy weight on her chest seemed to ease, and even her footsteps felt lighter. On her way to the restaurant, she passed by a couple on the beach. The man had just proposed, and the woman said yes. He picked her up and spun her around in pure joy. Their friends were all around them, pping and cheering. Liz stopped and looked toward the happy couple in the middle of the crowd. She smiled, but at the same time, an ache stirred in her chest. Back when Zac¡¯spany had finally taken off, she had imagined his proposal so many times. But instead of a ring, what she got in the end was betrayal. She drew in a deep breath, trying to keep herself from going down that road again. She lowered her head and walked away quickly. Still, the moment lingered in her mind. Her mood had shifted, and the beauty of the night no longer moved her. Ten minutester, she stepped into a small restaurant. She ordered a few simple dishes, then flipped to thest page of the menu, which listed only drinks. Her eyes lingered there for a while. After a brief pause, she ordered a bottle of red wine. She knew her alcohol tolerance wasn¡¯t great, so she took it slow. After just two sses, she set the bottle aside. Even with just two sses, the wine brought a soft flush to Liz¡¯s normally pale face, giving her the warm glow of a perfectly ripe peach. It was the kind of radiance that drew attention without her even realizing it. Several men in the restaurant had been sneaking nces at her throughout dinner, their eyes lingering with thinly veiled intent. After dinner, Liz followed the same path back, strolling along the beach. As she reached a quieter, dimly lit stretch of shoreline, a group of middle-aged men suddenly emerged from the shadows and blocked her path. ¡°Well, hey there, beautiful. Here in the Maldives all by yourself? That¡¯s not very safe. Why don¡¯t youe hang out with us?¡± Liz¡¯s stomach twisted. She instinctively stepped back, turned, and tried to run, but one of them grabbed the cor of her shirt. Another snatched the phone from her hand. ¡°Whoa, slow down, sweetheart. We¡¯re not bad guys,¡± one of them said, his breath thick with alcohol. The men had clearly been drinking. The nauseating smell of alcohol surrounded her, and their leering gazes made her skin crawl. They had noticed her earlier when she walked into the restaurant. Now, seeing her up close, they realized her skin was even more fair and delicate than it had appeared from a distance. With that thought, one of the men reached toward her face. Liz recoiled in disgust and turned her head sharply. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± His hand missed, and heughed, even more shameless than before. ¡°Feisty, huh? I like that.¡± Their eyes stayed locked on her like a pack of wolves circling prey, filled with hunger and greed. Liz¡¯s heart pounded. She nced around, but the beach was nearly deserted. Fighting the rising panic, she forced herself to speak firmly. ¡°Give me back my phone, or I¡¯ll scream.¡± The men burst intoughter, clearly amused by the threat. The man who had stolen her phone waved it in front of her face with a smug grin. ¡°Come on, sweetheart. Say ¡®please, handsome,¡¯ and I¡¯ll give it back. Sound fair?¡± Reservation 16 Before Liz could respond, a cold voice rang out from a short distance away. ¡°You guys are pushing fifty, rocking beer bellies and bald spots, and you seriously think she should call you ¡®handsome¡¯? Give me a break.¡± The group of men turned in unison. Not far away, a tall man in white casual clothes stood with a sharp gaze fixed on them. Even in the dim light, he carried an air of calm confidence. Seeing he was alone and looked more polished than tough, the men quickly switched to a cocky, aggressive stance. ¡°Hey, buddy. I¡¯d back off if I were you. Unless you want to seriously regret stepping in.¡± The man raised an eyebrow. ¡°Regret it? Because of you clowns?¡± His words hit a nerve. One of the men charged forward with a clenched fist, but before he could evennd a hit, the man kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying backward. The others rushed in, but within five minutes, they were all sprawled on the sand, groaning in pain and too weak to get up. Without sparing them a second nce, the man bent down, picked up Liz¡¯s phone, and walked toward her. He was tall-at least six feet two-and Liz had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. She stared at his handsome features, momentarily stunned. ¡°Have we¡­ met before?¡± The man curved his lips into a slight smile, his eyes lighting up. ¡°Liz, you don¡¯t remember me?¡± Hearing him say her name so naturally only confused her more. ¡°You know me?¡± He nodded. Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes, he decided not to draw it out. ¡°We went to high school together. I¡¯m Ethan Xander. I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t remember me at all.¡± As soon as he said that, Liz started to vaguely recall someone by that name buried in her distant memories. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m kind of bad with faces. And it¡¯s been years since we graduated¡­¡± Ethan chuckled. ¡°I get it. It¡¯s been a long time. Honestly, I¡¯ve forgotten a lot of our ssmates too. Oh-your phone.¡± He handed the phone to her, his voice calm and warm. Liz lowered her eyes. His hand was long and well-proportioned, with neatly trimmed nails and clean, even fingers. She reached out and took the phone, brushing against his cool fingers by ident. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ethan tensed for a second, then quickly pulled his hand back like nothing had happened. ¡°What do you want to do about those guys? Want me to call the police?¡± Before Liz could answer, the group of men started begging from where theyy on the sand. ¡°Miss, please-we¡¯re sorry. Don¡¯t call the cops.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t mean anything. We were just drunk. Please let it go¡­¡± ¡°Miss, we all have families. If you report this, we¡¯re done. We¡¯ll make it right. We¡¯ll pay you, anything you want¡­¡± While the men behind her begged for mercy, Liz¡¯s expression stayed perfectly calm. ¡°Drunk and acting foolish?¡± she thought. ¡°Interesting how none of them tried that with a man.¡± If Ethan hadn¡¯t shown up when he did, she didn¡¯t even want to imagine what might have happened. She turned to him and said firmly, ¡°Call the police.¡± The officers arrived quickly. After getting a full ount of what happened, they took the men into custody. They were set to be detained for seven days and then deported. Once they were gone, Ethan turned to her. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you back to your hotel.¡± Liz looked up at him. ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t want to trouble you.¡± Noticing the lingering paleness in her face, Ethan¡¯s expression softened. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. I¡¯m heading in the same direction anyway.¡± ¡°Then thank you.¡± About ten minutester, they arrived at the entrance of her hotel. Reservation 17 Liz pressed her lips together for a moment, then looked up at him. ¡°You saved me tonight and walked me back. Are you free tomorrow? I¡¯d like to treat you to a meal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually flying out tomorrow morning, so I won¡¯t be around. But I work in Stanley City now too. How about we exchange numbers? You can treat me when we¡¯re both back.¡± Liz looked slightly surprised. ¡°How did you know I work in Stanley City?¡± Ethan chuckled softly. ¡°The famous divorce attorney, Liz Smith? It¡¯s hard not to know.¡± Liz blinked. ¡°Wait¡­ am I really that well-known?¡± Before she could say anything else, Ethan was already pulling out his phone. ¡°Want to exchange numbers?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± After they swapped contacts, Ethan gave her a casual wave and turned to leave. His tall figure faded into the night until he disappeared from view. For the next week, Liz made sure to do every single thing she and Zac had once nned to do in the Maldives. On the first day, she hired a diving instructor, put on her gear, and went snorkeling. She finally saw the clownfish and rainbow coral she had always wanted to see. On the second day, she had lunch at the underwater restaurant she had dreamed of visiting. As she enjoyed her meal, she watched schools of fish and other sea creatures weave through the coral around her. On the third day, she joined a group of college students for a banana boat ride, bouncing across the waves as they explored nearby inds and reefs. On the final evening, she boarded a traditional Maldivian dhoni and sailed out into the open water. Pink dolphins chased the boat, leaping through the surf as the sun dipped low on the horizon. With the salty breeze in her hair and the sky glowing gold, it felt like thest bit of heaviness in her heart had finally lifted. Every day, things in this world began and ended without answers. It was as natural as the rising and setting sun, as ordinary as the changing phases of the moon. She didn¡¯t need to cling to what was already gone. The day she flew home, Jane was waiting at the airport to pick her up. Seeing that she looked refreshed andpletely free of that dejected demeanor from before, Jane knew she had truly let go. And she couldn¡¯t have been happier for her. ¡°What do you want for dinner tonight? My treat.¡± ¡°Anything but seafood,¡± Liz said. Janeughed and raised an eyebrow. ¡°How about Italian? I found this cozy little ce with killer pasta and wood-fired pizza.¡± ¡°Sounds perfect.¡± They got in the car, and Jane drove straight to the restaurant. Once they were seated in a warm, dimly lit booth, Liz wasted no time. She ordered a big bowl of pasta, a tbread, a couple of appetizers, and even added dessert. Jane raised an eyebrow and grinned. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think you just got back from some kind of food desert.¡± >> Liz gave her a look. ¡°Honestly? Close enough. The food in the Maldives looks amazing on Instagram, but after a couple of days, I was over it. It¡¯s great for the experience, but if I had to live there? I¡¯d probably starve.¡± Janeughed. ¡°So¡­ did anything interesting happen? Vacation fling? Hot stranger on a beach?¡± Whenever they traveled together in the past, Liz always got hit on. And every time, Jane would jump in, throw an arm around her, and tell the guy they were a couple. That usually shut things down fast. Liz¡¯s smile faded slightly as a tall figure shed through her mind. Noticing her zoning out, Jane raised an eyebrow. ¡°That look on your face-something happened, didn¡¯t it?¡± Liz snapped back to reality and shook her head. ¡°Not really. I did run into a group of drunk guys the first night. One of them tried to get handsy, and a guy stepped in and helped me out. But guess what?¡± Jane perked up. ¡°What? You fell for him at first sight, said you owed him your life, and the two of you ended up tangled in a three -day marathon of passion?¡± Reservation 18 Liz shot her a sideways nce. ¡°You think everyone¡¯s as perverted as you? Turns out he¡¯s actually an old high school ssmate.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s even better. You already know each other. Sounds like a good foundation for something more.¡± Liz shook her head. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not in the mood for dating right now. And besides, who says he¡¯d even be interested in me?¡± Just then, the desserts arrived. Liz picked up her spoon and lowered her head to dig in. Jane was about to say something when her phone buzzed. She nced at the screen, and her expression shifted slightly. Liz noticed right away. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jane hesitated, pressing her lips together for a moment before looking at her seriously. ¡°Liz, I¡¯ve been debating whether I should tell you this now.¡± Liz set down her spoon and said calmly, ¡°Is it about Zac?¡± Figuring she would find out sooner orter, Jane decided not to sugarcoat it. ¡°Yeah. The second day you were gone, Xena started posting all over social media, unting her rtionship with Zac. She¡¯s been sharing their ¡®couple moments¡¯ like crazy. It¡¯s already picked up a ton of followers. People arementing every day, waiting for updates. ¡°She was the one who came between you two. He cheated on you. But now? People online are calling them a ¡®fairy tale romance. ¡®It¡¯s honestly disgusting.¡± The sense of security Liz used to long for was now something Zac gave away so easily to someone else. It felt cruel, almostughable. But the truth was, she didn¡¯t need that kind of reassurance anymore. She handed Jane a ss of iced water. ¡°Here. Cool off a little.¡± Jane shot her a re and pushed the ss aside. ¡°You were with Zac for eight years. The entire time he was building hispany, he never once acknowledged you publicly. And now he¡¯s letting his side chick post their lovey-dovey life all over social media? How are you not furious?¡± Liz set her ss down and answered calmly, her voice steady. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be mad about. We broke up. I don¡¯t want to make things ugly. I just want to move on and live my own life.¡± Jane stared at her. ¡°He treated you like garbage, and you¡¯re just letting him walk away from it? If it were me, I¡¯d make sure that jerk and his little homewrecker paid for what they did.¡± Liz shook her head gently. She had thought she would hate him too. But on the night they broke up, while she was packing her things, she came across a whole box of expired medicine. Each bottle had abel in Zac¡¯s handwriting, noting what situation to take it for and how many pills to take at a time. In that moment, something shifted. There was a time when he really had loved herpletely and without reservation. And for that, she chose not to hate him anymore. ¡°As long as they stay out of my way, I¡¯m fine pretending we¡¯re strangers.¡± Jane scoffed. ¡°You think someone like Xena is going to leave you alone?¡± To her, that girl was the type who lived for drama. ¡°If they cross the line again, I won¡¯t stay quiet,¡± Liz said. Jane rolled her eyes. ¡°Just promise me you won¡¯t go soft when it happens.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Liz replied. Her tone was calm, but firm. Jane studied her for a moment. Liz looked collected and grounded, without a trace of sadness or regret. That alone was enough to ease Jane¡¯s worry. When she had brought up Zac and Xena unting their rtionship online, she was half-expecting Liz to break down. After all, eight years wasn¡¯t something you just walked away from. But somehow, Liz had. And Jane realized she was even stronger than she had imagined. After dinner, Jane nced at the time. ¡°It¡¯s still early. No rush to go home, right? My brother just opened a new bar a few blocks from here. Want to check it out?¡± Liz looked like she was about to say no, but Jane raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°Oh,e on. When you were with Zac, fine-you stayed in all the time. But you¡¯re single now. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still nning to act like you¡¯re saving yourself for him.¡± Reservation 19 Liz pressed her lips together. Zac had never allowed her to go to bars or lounges. Back in college, right after graduation, she once snuck out with Jane to a bar just to see what it was like. They had barely sat down when Zac showed up out of nowhere, pulled her out, and caused a huge scene. He had been furious that night. What was it he said? He said bars were dangerous, that she was so beautiful she could easily attract the wrong kind of attention, and he was worried something might happen to her. Liz had never believed bars were that dangerous, but she didn¡¯t want to make him worry, so she stayed away. Looking back now, she realized how foolish she had been,promising over such a small thing. She took a deep breath, looked over at Jane, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jane grinned. ¡°Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. Tonight, I¡¯m taking you out into the real world. You¡¯re going to have so much fun, you¡¯ll forget you ever knew a guy named Zac.¡± They got in the car, and Jane hit the gas, heading straight for a bar called Starlight Lounge. Upstairs at Starlight, in a private booth, a group of men in suits sat drinking and chatting. Rick Cooper took a sip of his whiskey and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Zac, didn¡¯t you just say you agreed to marry Liz? Are you nning to do anything about your secretary?¡± The rumors about Zac and Xena had been swirling everywheretely, but no one in the group had taken them seriously. After all, she was just a secretary. Probably just a fling. If Zac actually broke things off with Liz and brought Xena home, they would all think he hadpletely lost it. Zac rested his fingers lightly on his ss. His voice was calm and emotionless. ¡°What¡¯s there to deal with? It¡¯s been three years. She should be used to it by now. If it wasn¡¯t Xena, it would have been someone else.¡± He had agreed to marry Liz but that didn¡¯t mean he had agreed to be faithful. Rick frowned slightly. ¡°Still, if you¡¯re serious about marrying Liz, you should at least show her some respect. Do whatever you want behind closed doors, but letting it spill into the public eye crosses a line.¡± Lately, Xena had been posting constant updates about her time with Zac. To people who didn¡¯t know any better, it looked like she was his girlfriend. If this kept up, it was only a matter of time before Liz snapped. Zac raised an eyebrow and said coolly, ¡°That¡¯s exactly the point. I want her to see it. She said she¡¯d break up with me if I didn¡¯t end things with Xena. If I give in now, she¡¯ll think she can pull that card every time.¡± Just thinking about how she had blocked him everywhere and shipped his things back to the office made his irritation boil back
This time, he was going to teach her a lesson. She needed to understand just how childish and ridiculous her little tantrum really was. Rick opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, Jeff suddenly pointed across the room and let out a loud gasp. ¡°Wait-am I seeing things, or is that Liz? With Jane?¡± Everyone turned. They all knew Zac never let Liz near bars. Back then, they used to joke that he acted like he came straight out of real possessiveness looked like. Now, following the direction of Jeff¡¯s finger, all eyes shifted. It really was Liz. And Jane was right beside her. Ever since she sent that breakup text and flew off to the Maldives, Zac hadn¡¯t seen her in over a week. His expression darkened. He hadn¡¯t reached out because he figured she just needed a little time to cool off. But this? She cooled off enough to show up at a bar? Noticing the shift in Zac¡¯s mood, Jeff smirked a little. ¡°Damn. You think she found out you¡¯ve been partying here and showed up with Jane to catch you red-handed?¡± Reservation 20 Zac blinked, then realized it was actually pretty likely. Liz had pulled stunts like this before. But this time, he figured she probably wasn¡¯t here to catch him cheating. She probably just needed a way to save face. With that in mind, he smirked and pulled the woman next to him into his arms. ¡°Ignore her,¡± he said. Jeff gave him a thumbs-up, clearly impressed. ¡°I¡¯ve got to hand it to you. Most guys would panic if their fianc¨¦e showed up to catch them cheating, but you? You didn¡¯t even flinch.¡± Zac let out a low chuckle. ¡°What¡¯s there to freak out about? It¡¯s not like this is the first time.¡± ¡°Good point. Haha!¡± Jeff was already looking forward to the moment Liz caught sight of Zac with another woman. Upstairs, Liz and Jane made their way to the second floor. Before they came, Liz had called her brother, Jack Stone, and asked him to reserve a booth. She specifically requested a quiet one, so he gave her the spot all the way in the back. As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, Jane immediately spotted Zac and his group. The moment she saw him with a woman in his arms, she rolled her eyes. She muttered, ¡°Wow. Guess my brother¡¯s just letting anyone in these days. Guys like Zac really bring the whole ce down.¡± Liz saw him too. To be exact, the second she stepped onto the second floor, her eyes locked with Zac¡¯s cold stare. They looked at each other for just a second before he turned away, his facepletely expressionless. Liz nced at the woman Zac was holding and couldn¡¯t help feeling a wave of bitter irony. So much for how much he supposedly cared about Xena. She had really been foolish to waste eight years of her life on a man like him. Now that she had finally let go, she could see him for who he really was. He was just another guy. It had been her feelings that made him seem special, not anything he actually was. She looked away without a second thought and followed Jane toward the private booth. Jeff watched them approach with an eager grin, clearly expecting drama. But as Liz passed their table, she didn¡¯t even nce at Zac. It was as if he wasn¡¯t even there. Jeff blinked, caught off guard. It wasn¡¯t until the booth door closed behind them that he turned to Zac and said, ¡°What was that? Is she doing some kind of reverse psychology thing?¡± Knowing Liz, he had expected her to storm over, yank the woman out of Zac¡¯s arms, and cause a scene. Even if she didn¡¯t go that far, there was no way she would just walk by calmly, as if nothing had happened. It almost felt like she really didn¡¯t care anymore. Zac¡¯s face darkened. He shoved the woman in his arms aside and snapped, ¡°Get out.¡± The woman¡¯s face went pale. She didn¡¯t say a word as she hurried off. The table went silent. Zac knocked back several drinks in quick session, but the frustration boiling inside him refused to settle. Jeff and Rick exchanged nces, both looking confused. Wasn¡¯t Zac done with Lie? Then why was she still getting under his skin so easily? Jett raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Are you seriously this pissed just because she acted like she didn¡¯t even see you?¡± Zac shot him a cold look but didn¡¯t answer. He downed another drink instead. Jett shrugged ¡°Honestly, I think she was just trying to get your attention ying it cool so you¡¯d chase her. If you¡¯re actually upset, then you¡¯re falling for it.¡± He had known Zac for more than ten years and had been there from the very beginning of their rtionship. At first, he genuinely thought Liz was great. But once Zac¡¯s business took off and he started seeing someone else on the side, Liz got emotional and unpredictable. That was when Jeff stopped feeling sorry for her. Reservation 21 For the past three years, Liz had clung to Zac, refusing to break things off. In the end, she had turned herself into a joke. To be honest, Jeff had lost some respect for her because of it. Zac¡¯s expression finally eased a little, though his tone stayed cold. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. It¡¯s not that I care about her. She¡¯s just annoying.¡± Jeff nodded. ¡°Yeah, I get it. If my girlfriend acted out every few days, I¡¯d be fed up too.¡± Truthfully, only Zac could¡¯ve tolerated Liz¡¯s drama for three years straight. As they talked, the bar manager walked two men upstairs. Both were over six feet tall, sharply featured, and built like models. Jeff blinked in disbelief when he saw the manager lead them into the private booth where Liz and Jane were sitting. He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. ¡°Was Liz really hiring male escorts? Right in front of Zac? Had shepletely lost it? Wasn¡¯t she afraid of pushing him over the edge?¡± Jeff thought. Even if the love was gone, no man could sit there and watch his fianc¨¦e cheat on him in in sight and feel nothing. Jeff nced over at Zac. Sure enough, his face looked like it was carved from stone. His eyes were fixed on the booth door, sharp and cold, like they could cut through steel. Jeff instinctively pulled back, not even wanting to imagine what it would feel like to be on the receiving end of that re. Smash. Zac¡¯s ss shattered in his hand. Blood streamed down his palm. Jeff and Rick both stiffened, their expressions shifting in an instant. ¡°Zac!¡± They called out at the same time, concern written all over their faces. But Zac didn¡¯t even look at them. He got up and walked straight toward the booth. Inside the booth, Jane reached out and gave the male escort¡¯s abs a yful squeeze, then leaned forward to take the piece of fruit he held up to her lips. She couldn¡¯t help narrowing her eyes in satisfaction. ¡°Now this is how you enjoy life.¡± Why should men be the only ones allowed to mess around? Women deserved to have their fun too. Jane turned to Liz and nearly rolled her eyes. Liz was sitting stiffly on the couch like a schoolgirl, hands folded neatly in herp. There was enough space between her and the guy next to her to fit a whole person. It was honestly kind of ridiculous. Jane sighed. ¡°Liz, do you even realize how expensive he is? He charges thousands an hour. Don¡¯t waste it.¡± Then she turned back to the escort and lifted her brow. ¡°It¡¯s warm in here. Help her out of her coat and hang it up.¡± The escort nodded and reached toward Liz. She was just about to refuse when the door suddenly mmed open. ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± Zac¡¯s furious voice sliced through the room like a bucket of ice water. The male escort froze instantly, feeling Zac¡¯s icy rend squarely on his outstretched hand. He flinched and quickly pulled it back, hiding it behind him. No one could me him. Zac¡¯s stare was downright terrifying. Jane looked up with a scowl. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, ever heard of knocking before barging into someone else¡¯s booth?¡± Zac didn¡¯t respond. His eyes were locked on Liz, and the chilling off him was enough to make the room feel ten degrees colder. ¡°Liz, have you forgotten that you¡¯re about to get married? Coming to a bar and fooling around with men like this-aren¡¯t you worried about what you might catch?¡± His voice was sharp, the words cutting and humiliating. The two escorts visibly tensed, their expressions darkening Jane let out a dryugh. ¡°Zac Lincoln, these guys are way cleaner than you are. At least they¡¯re not disgusting cheaters who two- time people while in rtionships.¡± Zac turned his re on her. ¡°What happens between Liz and me isn¡¯t your concern. Before he could say anything more, Liz finally spoke up. ¡°We already broke up, Zac Lincoln. What I do now has nothing to do with you. Reservation 22 ¡°Break up?¡± Jeff and Rick, walking behind Zac, exchanged a stunned nce. They could both see the shock and disbelief in each other¡¯s eyes. For the past three years, Liz had clung to Zac like her life depended on it. She had bent over backward, swallowed her pride, and made herself small just to keep the rtionship going. There was no way she would be the one to call it off. Yet from the sound of it, she had been the one to initiate the breakup. After all, just earlier at the bar, Zac hadn¡¯t shown the slightest intention of ending things. His face turned cold, his eyes burning with rage. He had given her space to cool down. And this was what she came up with? The anger ignited like a wildfire, consuming what little patience he had left. ¡°Liz Smith,¡± Zac said, his voice icy. ¡°You¡¯re really sure about this? I¡¯m only going to ask you once. You¡¯d better think it through before you answer.¡± If she wanted to y hardball, he would y along. He wanted to see who would panic first when the wedding got postponed. They had been together for eight years. Liz knew him well enough to recognize the fury in his eyes. But his anger didn¡¯t matter to her anymore. ¡°I thought I made myself clear thest time we talked,¡± she said calmly. Zac stared her down, his tone dangerously steady. ¡°Say it again. Right now. In front of everyone. Are you really breaking up with me?¡± The room went dead silent. Everyone seemed to hold their breath. The air grew heavy, thin, and hard to breathe. Jane nced at Liz, her expression tight. She had seen how hopelessly in love Liz had been for years. Liz had wrapped her whole world around Zac. She was terrified Liz would back down at thest second. Jeff and Rick stared at Liz in stunned disbelief. Their emotions were all over the ce. They had watched Liz tolerate Zac¡¯s behavior for three long years, forgiving him over and over no matter how badly he treated her. And now, just when Zac was finally ready to settle down and marry her, she was calling it quits? Did she really understand what that meant? If they broke up now, Zac would never take her back. She would be giving up the title of Mrs. Lincoln, the wife of a billionaire tech CEO. Was she really ready to walk away from all of that? Liz met Zac¡¯s icy stare. Her chest tightened, and her hands curled into fists at her sides. She took a steady breath and spoke clearly, each word deliberate. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure. I want to break up with you.¡± With every word, Zac¡¯s expression darkened. By the time she finished, the atmosphere around him had be terrifyingly menacing. The silence that followed was suffocating, stretching out longer than anyone could bear. Then, finally-after what felt like forever-Zac broke the silence. ¡°Fine,¡± he said tly. ¡°Just don¡¯te crawling back.¡± He turned and walked out without looking back. The moment the door closed behind him, the tension in the room seemed to melt away. The two male escorts immediately felt the pressure lift. They both let out a quiet sigh of relief. This was exactly the kind of situation they dreaded most-getting caught in someone else¡¯s rtionship drama. They couldn¡¯t offer advice, couldn¡¯t add fuel to the fire, and definitely couldn¡¯t back away without looking bad. No matter what they did, it would end poorly for them. Jeff nced back at Liz onest time before following Zac out. Rick remained behind, looking at Liz with a conflicted expression. ¡°Liz, you might¡¯ve gone too far this time. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any undoing this.¡± He still remembered how much Liz had sacrificed during the early days of Zac¡¯s startup. So when Zac cheated on her with Xena after hispany took off, Rick had understood why Liz didn¡¯t want to let go. He had even felt sorry for her. But this time, she was really going too far. Calling for a breakup in front of two male escorts and Zac¡¯s closest friends? With Zac¡¯s pride, he might really cancel the wedding just to prove a point. Liz looked at him calmly. ¡°You¡¯re Zac¡¯s friend. You¡¯ve seen everything he¡¯s done to me over the past three years. And now I just want to end things-and that¡¯s too much?¡± Reservation 23 It seemed that Zac and his friends all believed the same thing-that no matter how badly he treated Liz, she would never leave him. Thinking about it now, it was almostughable. Rick shook his head and said nothing more. He turned and walked out. Jane waved at the two male escorts. ¡°You two can head out.¡± Soon, only Jane and Liz were left in the private booth. Seeing how calm Liz looked, with no trace of emotion on her face, Jane opened her arms and said, ¡°Come here, sweetheart. If you feel like crying, my arms are always open.¡¯ Liz had been feeling a little down, but Jane¡¯s over-the-top gesture made her want tough. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, when he asked if I was really sure about the breakup, I did feel a pang in my chest. But that was it. ¡°I might still feel sad for a while, but I¡¯m not going back.¡± Rather than marry Zac and spend a lifetime tearing each other apart, she would rather face this temporary heartbreak. Seeing the quiet resolve in her eyes, Jane finally rxed and raised a brow. ¡°As long as you¡¯ve thought it through.¡± After all that drama Zac stirred up tonight, neither of them was in the mood to party anymore. And judging by Liz¡¯s expression, she didn¡¯t want to stay here either. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s head back,¡± Jane suggested. Liz nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± The two of them grabbed their bags and left. On the other side of the building, Rick found Zac and Jeff in the parking lot. When Zac heard footsteps, he looked up and frowned when he saw Rick. As if sensing what was on his mind, Rick spoke first. ¡°Liz and Jane already left.¡± Zac¡¯s expression darkened. His voice was cold. ¡°We¡¯ve broken up. Her business has nothing to do with me anymore. You don¡¯t need to report back.¡± Rick hesitated for a moment, but still said, ¡°Zac¡­ I don¡¯t think Liz was joking this time. She really meant it when she said she wanted to break up.¡± Zac let out a coldugh and crushed out his cigarette. ¡°Whether she¡¯s serious or not doesn¡¯t matter. She¡¯s the one who said it. No matter how hard she begster, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m taking her back.¡± With that, he yanked open the car door, started the engine, and drove off. Only when the ck Maybach disappeared around the corner did Jeff finally scratch his head and turn to Rick. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. What¡¯s with that attitude? Does Zac actually want to break up with Liz or not? ¡°I mean, he doesn¡¯t love her anymore, right? She finally took the initiative and ended things. Shouldn¡¯t he be happy about it? ¡°But just now, he didn¡¯t look happy at all. He looked pissed. Like, really pissed.¡± Rick shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But at this rate, I doubt that wedding¡¯s happening anytime soon. ¡°And judging by the way Zac acted tonight, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s as over Liz as he ims.¡± In fact, Rick believed Zac¡¯s cold attitude had alwayse from a sense of entitlement. He thought Liz loved him too much to ever leave, so he never bothered to hold back. But now, if Liz had truly made up her mind to walk away, would Zac still be as smug and self-assured as before? Zac drove straight to Xena¡¯s apartmentplex. After parking, he went upstairs and knocked. The moment the door opened, he grabbed the back of her head and kissed her hard. It was a rough, desperate kiss-like he was trying to consume her whole. Xena caught the faint scent of alcohol on him and began to wonder what had happened that night. Just as she finally managed to push him away, she started to speak. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, what¡¯s going on-? But before she could finish, his lips were on hers again. X Reservation 24 The dark living room soon filled with the sounds of passion. Afterward, Xenay nestled in Zac¡¯s arms. Her voice was soft and tender. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, you seem different tonight. Did something happen?¡± Zac paused, his fingers still ying with her hair, then answered quietly, ¡°Nothing. I just missed you.¡± Xena lowered her eyes and tightened her hold around his waist. ¡°I missed you too.¡± Her voice was sweet, almost syrupy. But to Zac, it suddenly felt empty. He didn¡¯t understand what was wrong. Liz had finally left him, and by all ounts, he should have felt relieved. But instead, an uneasy frustration kept creeping in, dragging at his mood. He slipped out of Xena¡¯s arms and began getting dressed. She noticed the shift immediately. Her expression tensed as she clutched the throw nket beneath her. ¡°You¡¯re not staying tonight?¡± Zac buckled his belt and nced down at her. ¡°Get some rest. If you¡¯re not feeling well, take the morning off.¡± ¡°Mr. Lincoln¡­¡± She reached out, trying to stop him, but Zac didn¡¯t look back. He opened the door and walked out without a word. Momentster, she heard the engine start and the car pull away. Xena rushed to the window, watching as his taillights disappeared down the street. She bit her lower lip hard. Then, grabbing her phone, she scrolled through her contacts until she found the onebeled ¡°Private Investigator.¡± She opened the chat, transferred $20,000, and typed: ¡°Find out where Zac Lincoln went today and who he met.¡± After Jane dropped Liz off, she headed home. Back at her apartment, Liz rested for a while before opening herptop to prep some documents for the next day. An hourter, she checked the time, got up, took a shower, and went to bed. The next morning, Liz arrived at the firm and brought back some local snacks to share with her coworkers. Naomi Stevens, a colleague she was friendly with, came over and lowered her voice. ¡°Liz, did you go on that trip alone?¡± Liz nodded. ¡°Yeah. Why?¡± Naomi leaned in a little closer. ¡°You might want to check social media when you get a chance.¡± Picking up on the hint, Liz pressed her lips together and replied calmly, ¡°We already broke up. Whoever he¡¯s with now has nothing to do with me.¡± Naomi blinked in surprise. She immediately thought of all the sweet couple posts Xena had been uploading online and quickly connected the dots. She let out a soft sigh and said gently, ¡°Try not to let it bother you. I know a few great single guys. I can introduce you if you¡¯re ever interested.¡± ¡°Thanks, Naomi.¡± Their conversation hadn¡¯t exactly been private. A few coworkers nearby overheard, and soon the news of Liz and Zac¡¯s breakup began making its way around the office. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they were together for eight years,¡± someone whispered. ¡°She stuck with him when he had nothing, all through the early days of his startup. And now that he¡¯s made it big, he dumps her? That¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you should never go through tough times with a man. He won¡¯t thank you for it. He¡¯ll just act like it was your job.¡± ¡°And that homewrecker? She¡¯s out there unting their rtionship on social media like it¡¯s something to be proud of. No shame whatsoever.¡± ¡°If she had any shame, she wouldn¡¯t be the other woman in the first ce.¡± At the executive suite of Voyager Tech, Xena¡¯s eyes sparkled as she read the file her private investigator had sent over. It was confirmed. Liz had officially broken up with Zac. No wonder Zac had been so rough with her the night before. Now that the obstacle was out of the way, all she had to do was win him over. Making things official was only a matter of time. Her heart raced with excitement. In her mind, she was already picturing their wedding. Reservation 25 Over the next few days, Xena started posting more frequently about her rtionship with Zac. Zac didn¡¯t stop her. In fact, his behavior subtly encouraged it. Picking up on that signal, Xena grew increasingly bold. Her captions became more suggestive, and her photos showed off more and more-expensive jewelry, designer handbags, and other luxury gifts she imed Zac had given her. Thanks to her nonstop unting, their so-called romance started gaining major attention online. Every night after work, Xena would eagerly check her phone, excited to scroll through thements on hertest post. Most of the replies were filled with envy and admiration. People called them couple goals and said her updates brightened their day. Xena loved the attention. She was hooked on the praise, the likes, and the sense of being adored. But on Friday evening, when she opened her feed like usual and tapped into thements, her smile suddenly froze. The topment read: ¡°Wow, what a world we live in. Mistresses can now publicly show off their affairs like it¡¯s something to be proud of. She knew Zac Lincoln had a girlfriend and still jumped right in. She slept with him countless times, and now that she¡¯s been ¡®promoted¡¯ to girlfriend, she wants us to believe this is some kind of pure, fairytale love? Please. You shouldn¡¯t have been a mistress. You should¡¯ve gone into entertainment and be an actress.¡± Xena¡¯s grip on her phone tightened. Her face turned pale. After a moment of hesitation, she headed straight to Zac¡¯s office, phone in hand. Zac read thement, his expression darkening. But he said nothing. He looked like he was thinking. Xena bit her lip, her voice soft. ¡°Mr. Lincoln¡­ what should we do about this?¡± The post was already spreading fast. If she deleted thement, it would look like she was trying to cover something up. But if she left it alone, more people would see it and the bacsh would only get worse. She had never tried to hide her rtionship with Zac, especially when she had been trying to push Liz out of the picture. A lot of people already knew what had gone on between them. If this kept blowing up, her reputation would bepletely destroyed. Zac looked up at her and said calmly, ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Xena stammered, her voice shaking. She was on the verge of tears. ¡°Please, help me.¡± ¡°Go back to your office,¡± Zac replied coolly. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± That simple line felt like a promise. Xena quickly wiped her tears and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± But the situation spiraled out of control faster than she expected. In less than thirty minutes, hashtags using her of being a homewrecker and seducing Zac while he was still in a rtionship shot to the top of the trending charts. Thements under hertest post exploded. In just ten minutes, over ten thousand new replies poured in, all of them attacking her and Zac. Voyager Tech¡¯s PR department picked up on it right away. The PR manager rushed to Zac¡¯s office. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, this is escting fast. Netizens are obsessed with homewrecker drama, and this topic is blowing up. It¡¯s already starting to hurt thepany¡¯s image.¡± Zac¡¯s face remained calm. ¡°Noted. You can get back to work.¡± Seeing that he had no intention of addressing the issue, the PR manager hesitated for a moment. ¡°Should I have the trending post removed for now?¡± ¡°No. Wait for my instructions.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Not long after the PR manager left, several shareholders barged into Zac¡¯s office. Their expressions were grim. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, Voyager Tech is set to file for IPO in just two months. And now this scandal breaks out? Don¡¯t you think you owe us an exnation?¡± Reservation 26 ¡°Exactly. I don¡¯t know how Mr. Lincoln manages his personal life, but that mistress of his ispletely out in the open now, unting their rtionship like she wants the whole world to see it.¡± ¡°Alright, enough. There¡¯s no use arguing about this right now. What matters is figuring out how to control the damage before it affects thepany any further.¡± Zac slowly swept his gaze across the group of shareholders. His voice was calm and firm. ¡°There¡¯s no need to panic. I won¡¯t let this interfere with the IPO.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. But what if it does?¡± Zac turned toward the shareholder who spoke and replied clearly and deliberately, ¡°If this hurts the IPO, I¡¯ll take full responsibility and resign.¡± The room fell silent. Everyone in the room knew Zac had built Voyager Tech from the ground up. He personally oversaw every critical department. If he were to step down now, no one else would be able to take over that role. As the shareholders exchanged uneasy nces and stopped pressing him, Zac spoke again. ¡°If there are no further questions, you¡¯re all dismissed. I need to get back to work.¡± Once they were gone, Zac picked up his phone to call Liz, only to remember she had already blocked his number. His expression turned cold. She used to argue with him anytime she caught him messaging Xena. Now, even with Xena openly sharing their daily life online, Liz hadn¡¯t said a word. ¡°Is she actually serious about the breakup?¡± he wondered. The idea flickered through his mind, but he quickly pushed it away. She was about to get her wish and marry him. There was no way she really meant to break up with him. She was just pretending not to care, trying to push him into giving in. Now that he had let her cool off for a few days, she should have realized he was not going to budge. This was the perfect opportunity to use the situation with Xena to offer her a way back. With that, he called Chase into his office. ¡°Call Liz and tell her toe to Voyager Tech.¡± Chase looked momentarily surprised but nodded. He made several attempts, but none of the calls went through. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, Miss Smith isn¡¯t answering.¡± Zac¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Try a different number.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Lincoln.¡± Chase switched to another number and called again. After a few more tries, Liz finally picked up. ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Hi, Miss Smith. This is Chase Carter, Mr. Lincoln¡¯s assistant. I¡¯ve delivered things to you before. Do you remember me?¡± There was a pause before Liz responded in a cool, even tone. ¡°Yes, I remember. What do you want?¡± ¡°Mr. Lincoln would like to speak with you. Are you avable toe by Voyager Tech?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already broken up. I don¡¯t see a reason to meet in person. If he has something to say, he can say it over the phone.¡± Chase put the call on speaker so Zac could hear everything. The moment Liz finished speaking, Chase saw Zac¡¯s expression darken. Before he could decide what to say next, Zac reached over and took the phone from his hand. He gave him a look that told him to step out. Chase quickly left the room and gently closed the door behind him. Once the office was quiet, Zac cleared his throat and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Liz, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen what¡¯s going around online about me and Xena.¡± Her voice remained calm and distant. ¡°I have. And?¡± Reservation 27 Zac¡¯s brow tightened, and his voice dropped. ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say?¡± Liz didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°What kind of reaction were you expecting? Did you really call just to ask something that pointless?¡± Hearing the irritation in her voice, Zac pressed his fingers to his temples. His eyes grew cold. He forced himself to stay calm. ¡°Didn¡¯t you always say I wouldn¡¯t give you a proper title? Well, now¡¯s your chance. Come to Voyager Tech. We¡¯ll go public with the rtionship and announce the wedding.¡± In his mind, making their rtionship official and setting a date was already a huge concession. Liz had no reason to keep fighting him on it. But the moment he finished speaking, the other end of the line wentpletely silent. He waited and waited. Just as he was about to snap, Liz finally spoke. ¡°Zac Lincoln, we already broke up. Do you really not understand what that means?¡± His expression darkened instantly. His voice turned cold. ¡°You only said that to get my attention. You wanted me to cut things off with Xena. Fine. I¡¯m doing that. I¡¯m going public. I¡¯m setting a wedding date. Xena will never be a threat to your title as Mrs. Lincoln. What else do you want? ¡°I¡¯m giving you an easy way out of this situation. Don¡¯t push it. If you keep ying hardball, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to lose.¡± Liz stayed perfectly calm. ¡°You can keep your so-called easy way out. Let me say it again. We¡¯re over. Don¡¯t call me unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary. ¡°And as for you and Xena, do whatever you want. It has nothing to do with me. I really don¡¯t care.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for a reply. She hung up. When Zac tried to call again, all he got was a busy signal. He mmed his phone down on the desk, his face as dark as a storm cloud. ¡°Fine. If she wants to break up so badly, I¡¯ll give her what she wants,¡± Zac thought. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long she can actually keep this up.¡± He called Chase into the office, his tone ice-cold. ¡°Tell the PR team to release a statement. Say Liz and I broke up a long time ago. My current girlfriend is Xena Spencer. There was no cheating. No home-wrecking involved.¡± Chase hesitated for a second. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, is this¡­ part of a coordinated PR strategy with Miss Smith?¡± The moment he said it, the atmosphere in the room turned tense. The air felt heavier. Zac¡¯s expression darkened even more. ¡°Just do what I said,¡± he replied sharply. Chase didn¡¯t dare question him again. He gave a quick nod. ¡°Understood.¡± He left the office and went straight to the PR department. Half an hourter, Voyager Tech released an official statement on social media. Meanwhile, Liz had just finished organizing some files and was leaving herw firm. The moment she got into her car, her phone buzzed. Someone in the office group chat had tagged her, telling her to check social media immediately. She opened the app and saw Voyager Tech¡¯stest post. The statement was short. It imed she and Zac had broken up a long time ago and that his rtionship with Xena began six months after their split. It denied any cheating or third-party interference. The post also warned that they would be issuing legal notices to anyone spreading ¡°false rumors¡± and were prepared to take legal action if necessary. After eight years with him, including three years of betrayal, all she received was a cold, calcted statement. Not even an apology. The irony of it all was impossible to ignore. But this time, she wasn¡¯t going to let it slide. Not anymore. Reservation 28 Liz put her phone away and started the car to head home. Once she got back, she changed into her slippers and had just settled onto the couch when a voice call from Jane came through. ¡°Liz! Voyager Tech just posted some ridiculous statement saying you and Zac broke up forever ago and that Xena was never a homewrecker. I couldn¡¯t help myself-I left ament, and now all of Zac and Xena¡¯s brainless fans areing after me.¡± A wave of warmth and guilt welled up in Liz¡¯s chest. If it weren¡¯t for her, Jane would never be caught arguing with trolls online. That just wasn¡¯t her style. ¡°Thank you, Jane. But don¡¯t waste your energy on them. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± ¡°You sure? I¡¯m worried Zac and Xena might gang up on you.¡± What she really meant was that she was afraid Liz might still go soft on Zac. After all, while Liz seemed like she had moved on, eight years of feelings weren¡¯t something one could just walk away from so easily. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Liz said firmly. ¡°Alright. But if you need anything at all, just say the word.¡± Liz smiled. ¡°You know I won¡¯t hesitate.¡± After they hung up, Liz pulled herptop out of her bag and got to work. She put together a detailed timeline of her rtionship with Zac-the start, the shift, and the exact point when Xena got involved. Then she added audio recordings of her conversation with Xena and uploaded everything to the backend of her social media ount. Her cursor hovered over the ¡°publish¡± button for a few seconds before she finally clicked. After that, she closed herptop and went to take a shower. Within minutes, her post blew up. ¡°Zac Lincoln cheated¡± shot straight to the top of the trending list. People who had just been defending him and Xena under Voyager Tech¡¯s official statement quickly changed their tune. ¡°These two are absolutely disgusting. He cheated, and she knew about it. Then she had the nerve to y the victim and act like she did nothing wrong? Give me a break.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe I actually defended them earlier. I feel like aplete fool. Can I sue them for emotional distress?¡± ¡°And get this-Zac¡¯s ex gave up everything for him. Her family cut her off because she chose to support him during the early days of his startup. And the second he found sess, he went out looking for someone else.¡± Social media exploded with bacsh, filled with outrage over Zac cheating on the woman who had stood by him for years, only to rece her the moment things got easier. The official Voyager Tech ount was hit with such intense criticism that they had to disable thement section entirely. Inside the boardroom, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. The shareholders were livid. Their expressions said it all. ¡°This is what you meant when you said this wouldn¡¯t impact thepany?¡± ¡°At this rate, we can forget about the IPO. There¡¯s no way we¡¯re going public in two months.¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d step down if your personal scandal affected thepany? Or was that just for appearances?¡± Zac looked straight at the man who spoke. His voice was icy. ¡°Mr. Wilson, don¡¯t worry. I meant every word.¡± He stood from his seat. ¡°I¡¯m resigning as CEO, effective immediately. Anyone who wants the position is wee to it.¡± With that, he turned and walked out of the room. No one moved until the door clicked shut behind him. That was when it hit them-he was serious. Panic broke out in the room. But Zac didn¡¯t return to his office. He got in his car and drove straight to Liz¡¯s apartment. Liz put her phone away and started the car to head home. Once she got back, she changed into her slippers and had just settled onto the couch when a voice call from Jane came through. ¡°Liz! Voyager Tech just posted some ridiculous statement saying you and Zac broke up forever ago and that Xena was never a homewrecker. I couldn¡¯t help myself¨CI left ament, and now all of Zac and Xena¡¯s brainless fans areing after me.¡± A wave of warmth and guilt welled up in Liz¡¯s chest. If it weren¡¯t for her, Jane would never be caught arguing with trolls online. That just wasn¡¯t her style. ¡°Thank you, Jane. But don¡¯t waste your energy on them. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± ¡°You sure? I¡¯m worried Zac and Xena might gang up on you. What she really meant was that she was afraid Liz might still go soft on Zac. After all, while Liz seemed like she had moved on, eight years of feelings weren¡¯t something one could just walk away from so easily. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Liz said firmly. ¡°Alright. But if you need anything at all, just say the word.¡± Liz smiled. ¡°You know I won¡¯t hesitate.¡± After they hung up, Liz pulled herptop out of her bag and got to work. She put together a detailed timeline of her rtionship with Zac-the start, the shift, and the exact point when Xena got involved. Then she added audio recordings of her conversation with Xena and uploaded everything to the backend of her social media ount. Her cursor hovered over the ¡°publish¡± button for a few seconds before she finally clicked. After that, she closed herptop and went to take a shower. Within minutes, her post blew up. ¡°Zac Lincoln cheated¡± shot straight to the top of the trending list. People who had just been defending him and Xena under Voyager Tech¡¯s official statement quickly changed their tune. ¡°These two are absolutely disgusting. He cheated, and she knew about it. Then she had the nerve to y the victim and act like she did nothing wrong? Give me a break.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe I actually defended them earlier. I feel like aplete fool. Can I sue them for emotional distress?¡± ¡°And get this-Zac¡¯s ex gave up everything for him. Her family cut her off because she chose to support him during the early days of his startup. And the second he found sess, he went out looking for someone else.¡± Social media exploded with bacsh, filled with outrage over Zac cheating on the woman who had stood by him for years, only to rece her the moment things got easier. The official Voyager Tech ount was hit with such intense criticism that they had to disable thement section entirely. Inside the boardroom, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. The shareholders were livid. Their expressions said it all. ¡°This is what you meant when you said this wouldn¡¯t impact thepany?¡± ¡°At this rate, we can forget about the IPO. There¡¯s no way we¡¯re going public in two months.¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d step down if your personal scandal affected thepany? Or was that just for appearances?¡± Zac looked straight at the man who spoke. His voice was icy. ¡°Mr. Wilson, don¡¯t worry. I meant every word.¡± He stood from his seat. ¡°I¡¯m resigning as CEO, effective immediately. Anyone who wants the position is wee to it.¡± With that, he turned and walked out of the room. No one moved until the door clicked shut behind him. That was when it hit them-he was serious. Panic broke out in the room. But Zac didn¡¯t return to his office. He got in his car and drove straight to Liz¡¯s apartment. Reservation 29 On the way there, he was overwhelmed with anger, but underneath it all was a quiet, gnawing sense of panic and confusion. Liz had posted the evidence online. It was clear she wasn¡¯t holding back anymore. She was burning the bridge between them without hesitation. Did this mean she had truly decided to end things? That it wasn¡¯t some ploy to win him back? He had always believed that no matter how much he hurt her, Liz would never really leave. But now, for the first time, he wasn¡¯t so sure. When he finally parked downstairs outside her building, Zac didn¡¯t get out of the car. He couldn¡¯t even exin what he was feeling anymore-rage, confusion, a dozen tangled emotions fighting for space inside him. He hade here ready to confront her, to demand why she would do something like this. But now that he was here, a part of him didn¡¯t want to go upstairs at all. That was when his phone rang from the passenger seat. It was Xena. Zac¡¯s jaw tightened. He picked up. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, what am I supposed to do?¡± Xena¡¯s voice was shaking. She sounded like she was about to cry. ¡°People are tearing me apart online. Some of them are threatening to leak my address. Someone said they¡¯re going to send dead rats to my house. I¡¯m really scared. Can youe over?¡± Normally, Zac would have tried tofort her and driven straight there. But not tonight. Tonight, he had enough chaos of his own. He didn¡¯t have the energy for her drama. ¡°I can¡¯t right now,¡± he said tly. ¡°If you¡¯re scared, check into a hotel. Or call Chase. He¡¯ll find you another ce.¡¯ He ended the call without waiting for a response. Almost immediately, his phone started ringing again. It was Chase. Zac clenched his jaw as he picked up the call, trying to keep his temper under control. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Lincoln, things are spiraling online. Someone just exposed your ties to the Lincoln family. People from the Lincoln estate¡­ they came to the house and took your mother away.¡± Zac¡¯s expression shifted in an instant. ¡°Understood. I¡¯m heading over now.¡± He ended the call, looked up at Liz¡¯s apartment building for a moment, his gaze dark and unreadable, then started the engine and drove straight to the Lincoln estate. The next morning, Liz had just arrived at the firm when Naomi walked up to her desk. ¡°Damn, Liz. I didn¡¯t think you had it in you. That post yesterday? Brutal. You dropped those receipts like a bomb. Zac and his mistress didn¡¯t even have a chance to defend themselves.¡± Naomi had never liked Zac or Xena, but since Liz had never spoken up, she hadn¡¯t felt it was her ce to intervene. After all, no matter how much others said or did, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference unless the person involved chose to take a stand for themselves. Liz¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°I¡¯m just donepromising myself.¡± Naomi nodded in full agreement. ¡°You should¡¯ve done this a long time ago. If you had, you wouldn¡¯t have spent the past few years suffering in silence.¡± She had joined the firm two years before Liz and was the one who mentored her when she first arrived. At the time, Zac used to show up every single day to pick Liz up, no matter the weather. It really seemed like Liz had found someone she could count on for life. After Zac¡¯s startup took off, Naomi even asked Liz when the wedding was. Liz had smiled and said they would start nning once things stabilized with his business. But instead of a wedding, what she got was betrayal. Naomi had watched the shift happen gradually. Liz, who was once so full of light, became more and more withdrawn. The smile that used to brighten every room began to fade, until it felt like she was just withering away, like a flower left too long without water. Thankfully, she had finally snapped out of it. X Reservation 30 Liz nodded. ¡°Yeah, Naomi. I have a court hearing this afternoon, so I¡¯m going to prep my materials now.¡± ¡°Alright. Good luck.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± All morning, news of Zac¡¯s affair with Xena continued to dominate social media. Aside from the wave of insults aimed at them, another topic was starting to trend-rumors that Zac might actually be the illegitimate son of the Lincoln Corporation¡¯s CEO. Despite the buzz, most of the theories were based on vague clues and guesswork. No one hade forward with any real evidence. At thew firm, a colleague couldn¡¯t resist asking Liz if the rumor was true. Liz calmly replied that she wasn¡¯t sure. If the colleague was that curious, she could ask Zac herself. After that cold reply, no one mentioned Zac around her again. Right before lunch, all online discussions about Zac being the Lincoln Corporation¡¯s CEO¡¯s illegitimate son suddenly disappeared. Even direct searches brought up unrted content. Meanwhile, the cheating scandal with Xena exploded with even more details. Public outrage shifted back in full force toward Zac and Xena, and the topic began trending even higher. In the Lincoln Corporation CEO¡¯s office, the secretary knocked and stepped inside. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, all online chatter about thepany and your personal connection to Mr. Zac Lincoln has been removed. With the tform¡¯s help, the public¡¯s focus is back on the affair.¡± The man behind the desk wore a navy suit. His features bore a clear resemnce to Zac¡¯s-roughly 60 to 70 percent. Though he was well into his fifties and fine lines creased the corners of his eyes, traces of the striking looks from his youth still remained. He gave a calm nod, his expression unreadable. ¡°What¡¯s the update from the hospital?¡± ¡°Ms. Green has regained consciousness,¡± the secretary replied. ¡°The doctors say it was a fainting spell brought on by emotional stress. She should be able to go home in a few days with some rest.¡± ¡°Good. I don¡¯t want any of this mess tying Lincoln Corporation or me to it.¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Lincoln.¡± The secretary nodded and wisely kept her mouth shut about whether they should also suppress the Zac and Xena scandal. After all, in David Lincoln¡¯s eyes, Zac had never truly been his son. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have allowed details of the affair to leak just to bury the rumors about Zac being his illegitimate son. * Meanwhile, at the far end of the hospital corridor, Zac stood by the window with his phone in hand, silently staring out at the city. ¡°Mr. Lincoln,¡± Chase said carefully, ¡°the Lincoln Corporation released a bunch of details about your rtionship with Xena to shift focus away from the rumors about your father being their CEO. They even leaked photos of you two kissing. Now the inte¡¯s exploding, and ourpany¡¯s reputation is taking a serious hit.¡± Zac let out a cold, humorlessugh. None of it surprised him. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°What do you want us to do next?¡± ¡°Pay to have the story buried. If he can throw money at it to make it disappear, so can 1.¡± Scandals like this neversted. Give it a month, and no one would even remember. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll handle it. Also, after you leftst night, things got chaotic at the office. A few shareholders have already asked when you¡¯reing back.¡± Zac¡¯s expression remained unmoved. ¡°Let them wait. I could use the time off.¡± Those shareholders were always hovering, ready to criticize every decision he made. This was the perfect moment to remind them who really held thepany together. Without him, it was nothing but a scattered mess, incapable of getting anything done. Over the next few days, Voyager Tech poured significant resources into scrubbing the inte clean. Even Liz¡¯s viral post was eventually taken down by the tform. Reservation 31 Chapter 31 Liz had no intention of holding on any longer. After all, everyone who needed to know already knew. Zac and Xena came out of it with nothing but shame. It was enough. She had finally let out that breath she had been holding in. It wasn¡¯t until Saturday that she heard from She didn¡¯t pay any more attention to th situation. Her days were consumed by catching up on the mountain of work that had piled up during her week off. She was so busy she barely had time to eat. that Susan liad been hospitalized. ¡°I heard she got into a fight with the Lincoln family. The stress sent her straight to the hospital.¡± ¡°Liz, honestly¡­ not marrying Zac might¡¯ve been a blessing in disguise. With a family like his, even if you had married in, you¡¯d just end up suffering alongside him.¡± Liz sat on the balcony in a lounge chair, quietly examining her freshly manicured nails. She gave a soft ¡°mm¡± in response. Zac was the illegitimate son of David Lincoln, CEO of the Lincoln Corporation. Even so, he had never been truly epted by the Lincoln family, which was one of the four most powerful families in Stanley City. Even after starting his ownpany and finding sess, they never saw him as one of their own. Compared to the Lincoln Corporation which had been publicly listed for years and had countless ventures at home and abroad, his tech startup seemed like a small¨Ctime hobby. It could never pose any real threat. It was because of his status as an illegitimate child that her own family, the Smith family, had pressured her to break up with him when they found out about their rtionship. They even went as far as threatening to sever ties. She had thought long and hard about it. In the end, she chose Zac. And when he seeded in his business, she truly believed she had made the right decision. But over time, she realized just how deeply she had misjudged. Some people could share the hardship, but not the sess. Snapping out of her thoughts, Liz asked Jane if she knew which hospital Susan was in. Jane sounded a little surprised. ¡°Are you nning to visit her?¡± ¡°Mm. She¡¯s always treated me kindly. If I didn¡¯t know, that¡¯d be one thing. But since I do, it¡¯s only right to go check in on her.¡± Jane sighed. ¡°Hang on. I¡¯ll ask my brother.¡± A momentter, she replied with the hospital name and room number. Liz was a bit surprised. ¡°Your brother knows all that?¡± ¡°Hispany works with Voyager Tech. Once he heard about it, he asked his assistant to send over a gift.¡± Liz knew Voyager Tech had been growing rapidly over the past few years and had formed partnerships with manypanies in the city. Still, she hadn¡¯t expected it to be working with the Stone family. The Stone family was one of the four most powerful families as well, with businesses all over the country. If Jack had made the effort to send gifts to Susan, that meant the partnership was significant. Just as he had said he would, Zac had climbed higher and higher. He just didn¡¯t take her with him. Liz didn¡¯t feel regret. The man Zac had be was no longer the boy who once had eyes only for her. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to change and head out. Talkter.¡± Chapter 311 +20 BONUS After hanging up, she got up and went to the bedroom to change clothes. She grabbed her phone and car keys, then headed downstairs. An hourter, she stood outside the hospital room holding a baske, of fruit and flowers. She knocked. A low male voice answered from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± Liz pressed her lips together and quietly pushed the door open. Inside, there were only Zac and Susan. Susany in bed, her face pale, an IV drip attached to her hand. Zac dressed in a suit, sat at her bedside, gently feeding her spoonfuls of soup. When he saw Liz, his gaze lingered on her for a few seconds before turning away with a cold indifference. Reservation 32 Susan¡¯s face lit up with delight. ¡°Liz, you¡¯re here. Come sit.¡± Liz walked to the other side of the bed, set down the flowers and fruit basket, and greeted her. ¡°Ms. Green, I heard you were hospitalized, so I came to check on you. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m much better now. It¡¯s cold outside, isn¡¯t it?¡± As she spoke, she turned to Zac. ¡°Go turn on the heater. Can¡¯t you see she¡¯s freezing?¡± Liz shook her head with a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really.¡± But Susan reached out and held her hand, concern written all over her face. ¡°You call this fine? Your hands are ice cold. You need to dress warmer when you go out, sweetheart.¡± A quiet warmth bloomed in Liz¡¯s chest. The kind of motherly care she had never felt from her own mom, she was now receiving from Susan. During those eight years she had been with Zac, Susan had always treated her well. Even if it was only because of Zac, Liz had been truly grateful. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Ms. Green. I¡¯m really doing fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re still young. Just wait. If you don¡¯t take care of yourself now, you¡¯ll regret it when the health problemseter.¡± While they talked, Zac stood up and went to turn on the heater. Sensing that Liz probably didn¡¯t want to be around Zac, Susan spoke up. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had work to do? Go on, we¡¯ll just chat for a bit.¡± Zac nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± Once he was gone, Liz and Susan chatted a while longer. When it was nearly noon, Liz stood to leave. Susan gently held her hand, clearly reluctant to let her go. Finally, she sighed and said, ¡°You need to take good care of yourself, okay? Don¡¯t always eat takeout. If you ever miss my cooking, just call me and I¡¯ll bring something over.¡± The sincerity in her eyes made Liz¡¯s throat tighten. Liz¡¯s eyes stung with emotion. ¡°I will, Ms. Green. You take care too.¡± After leaving the room, Liz headed toward the elevator. As she passed the stairwell, a familiar deep voice caught her ear. ¡°Be good. I¡¯m still at the hospital. I¡¯lle back and have dinner with you tonight.¡± That sweet, coaxing tone left little doubt as to who was on the other end. Liz froze for a second, then resumed walking as if nothing had happened. Just as she reached the elevator and came to a stop, footsteps echoed behind her. ¡°Liz.¡± She turned, her expression cool. ¡°What is it?¡± Zac looked at her, his face like stone and his voice just as cold. ¡°You leaked proof of me cheating with Xena online. You destroyed my reputation, and now Voyager Tech can¡¯t go public as scheduled this year. Are you satisfied now?¡± Liz pressed her lips together. ¡°You¡¯re the one who let Xena post those couple photos online. That¡¯s how people found out about your affair. Everything that¡¯s happened to you, you brought it on yourself.¡± Dier +20 BONUS ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s say I did. Now that you¡¯ve had your revenge, are you done acting out?¡± Meeting his gaze, Liz frowned. Even now, he still thought she was just throwing a tantrum. ¡°Zac, I¡¯m not here to fight. I meant it when I said we¡¯re done. You agreed to the breakup. From now on, let¡¯s just be strangers.¡± As the words left her mouth, the elevator arrived. Without another nce at him, Liz stepped inside. Suddenly, her wrist was grabbed. She instinctively tried to shake him off but couldn¡¯t. She looked back at him with a cold re. ¡°Let go.¡± Reservation 33 Zac stared at her, his tone sharp and deliberate. ¡°Liz, I already agreed to marry you, me to cut ties with Xenapletely before you¡¯ll stop all this?¡± What more do you want? Do you really need But even as he said it, a thought flickered in his mind. If cutting Xena off was the only way to make Liz back down, maybe it wasn¡¯t such an uneptable thing to do after all. The next second, Liz¡¯s cool, steady voice doused him like a bucket of cold water. ¡°Whether or not you break things off with Xena is your business. Don¡¯t want to marry you anymore, and I never will.¡± By the time Zac returned to the hospital room, more than ten minutes had passed. Susan nced at him and noticed the storm brewing on his face. ¡°Liz left?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Seeing the gloomy look on his face, Susan scoffed. ¡°You should be thrilled. She finally dumped you. So why are you sitting there like someone died?¡± She still hadn¡¯t forgiven him for throwing away the chance she had given him, or for wasting the favor she had called in just to get Liz to give him onest shot. The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became. Zac sat down beside the bed, his expression hard. He said nothing He still refused to believe Liz had the nerve to walk away from eight years of history. She was probably just pushing his buttons after noticing he had softened. He frowned, a flicker of regret crossing his face as he remembered what he had said to her by the elevator. He should have kept his cool. He should have waited her out. Sooner orter, she woulde crawling back to him. And when she did, the upper hand would be his. That thought seemed to calm him, and the darkness in his eyes slowly faded. On Monday morning, Liz had just arrived at thew firm when her colleague Naomi came up to her and said in a low voice, ¡°Liz, I went to an auctionst night. Guess who I ran into¨Cyour ex and that mistress of his. He spent a fortune on her. I saw him buy multiple sets of jewelry worth over ten million.¡± The image of Zac splurging on Xena made Naomi fume. Liz had stood by him through all the hardships of building hispany from the ground up, yet he had never once given her anything nearly that expensive. But Liz didn¡¯t react much. Whatever Zac chose to spend on Xena was his business. It had nothing to do with her anymore. ¡°Naomi, do me a favor. Don¡¯t tell me things like that. It just makes me resent wealthy people.¡± Naomi gave her a look. ¡°Zac¡¯s rolling in money, and you¡¯re awyer. After everything you did for him, you didn¡¯t even ask for a breakup settlement?¡± Back when Zac was building his business, Liz had worked herself to the bone to help him. She woke up at dawn, workedte into the night, gave up weekends, and pushed herself beyond her limits Once, she had been so exhausted she passed out at her desk. When she woke up, the first thing she said was not to call Zac because she knew he was in the middle of starting hispany, and she didn¡¯t want to distract him. +20 BONUS If she hadn¡¯t sacrificed so much back then, there was no way Zac would have seeded this quickly. Now that he had made it, he was no different from all those men who discarded the woman who helped them once they got everything they wanted. Naomi felt sorry for Liz. Liz just smiled faintly. ¡°Naomi, we broke up. It¡¯s not like we got divorced.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too nice. With how much money he has, you should¡¯ve taken something. Call itpensation for wasting your youth.¡± Liz was just about to reply when her phone suddenly rang. Reservation 34 When Liz saw that the call was from a client involved in next week¡¯s court case, she turned to Naomi and said, ¡°Naomi, go ahead. I¡¯ll take this call.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Liz stepped aside and answered. On the other end, Shannon Wilson asked if they could meet during lunch, saying she had some new documents to hand over. Shannon and her husband had been college ssmates. They married shortly after graduating and had a daughter together. But when their daughter turned two, Shannon discovered he was having an affair with one of his coworkers. She filed for divorce and requested custody of their daughter, but his family hid the child and refused to let her see her. A mutual friend had introduced Shannon to Liz, and she had since trusted Liz to represent her in the case. Shannon¡¯s office was more than twenty kilometers from thew firm, and with only a one-hour lunch break, time was limited. After thinking it over, Liz said, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s meet at the cafe near your office at 12:30.¡± ¡°Perfect. Thank you so much, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡± After ending the call, Liz slipped her phone back into her bag and returned to her desk to continue working. At exactly 12:30 p.m., she arrived at the cafe. Shannon was already there. As soon as she saw Liz walk in, she stood up and gave a small wave. Liz made her way over and sat across from her. ¡°You mentioned this morning that you had some new documents for me.¡± Shannon nodded. ¡°Yes, Ms. Smith. I finally got proof that he¡¯s been abusing our daughter. If we submit this, will it improve my chances of getting custody?¡± As she spoke, she passed a folder across the table. Liz nodded as she epted it. ¡°If this evidence holds up in court, there¡¯s a strong chance the judge will rule in your favor.¡± She opened the folder and reviewed the contents. When she finished, she looked up and said, ¡°This can absolutely be submitted. It increases our chances significantly. How did you get it?¡± Shannon bit her lip before answering. ¡°His younger brother gave it to me. My husband hits our daughter almost every day. His brother couldn¡¯t take it anymore and started gathering evidence. Some of our neighbors are also willing to testify.¡± As she spoke, her eyes began to fill with tears again. Just imagining her daughter stuck in that house, suffering day after day, made her heart ache. Liz gently pulled a tissue from her bag and handed it to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll submit the evidence as soon as possible and request an emergency protection order from the court. We¡¯ll do everything we can to get your daughter out of there right away.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. Smith. I really appreciate it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. I have a meeting this afternoon, so if there¡¯s nothing else for now, let¡¯s wrap up here.¡± ¡°Alright. Please act quickly. The longer she stays with him, the more at risk she is.¡± Seeing the pain in Shannon¡¯s tearful eyes, Liz felt a wave of sympathy. She reassured her softly, ¡°I¡¯ll file everything this afternoon. We should hear back from the court within three days.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Liz carefully ced the documents into her briefcase and stood up to leave. But just as she stepped outside the cafe, a man in a crisp suit abruptly stepped in front of her. He had a square jaw, stood a little below average height, and carried some extra weight. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. His expression was hard, and his eyes locked onto her with icy hostility. ¡°You¡¯re Shannon Wilson¡¯swyer, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked, his tone sharp. ¡°What did she just give you?¡± Liz had reviewed his photo when she first took on the case. She recognized him instantly. This was Shannon¡¯s husband-Peter York. Reservation 35 The moment Liz thought about the injuries on the little girl¡¯s body-injuries caused by the man standing in front of her-her expression turned cold as ice. She looked him straight in the eye. ¡°What my client gave me has nothing to do with you.¡± Peter let out a bitterugh and was about to respond when an angry voice suddenly came from behind Liz. ¡°Peter! What are you doing here?¡± Shannon hurried over and stood beside Liz, ring furiously at her husband. Peter¡¯s eyes burned with rage as he stared back at her. ¡°You seriously have the nerve to ask me that? You went behind my back and seduced my brother, then used him to spy on me. How low can you get?¡± Shannon¡¯s expression froze over. Her voice was sharp and full of contempt. ¡°Watch your mouth, Peter. If you hadn¡¯t been beating our daughter every single day, your brother wouldn¡¯t have stepped in. He gave me the photos because even he couldn¡¯t watch you do it anymore. Yoush out at a child because you can¡¯t control your own temper. You¡¯re not a man. You¡¯re a coward.¡± Peter¡¯s face twisted with fury. Inside, he seethed. She dares to call me a coward? If I hadn¡¯t worked every day to support her during those years she was pregnant, she and that brat would¡¯ve starved. And she still has the nerve to call me useless? She¡¯s the one who couldn¡¯t even give me a son. She¡¯s the real failure here. Blinded by rage, Peter raised his hand and pped Shannon hard across the face. The force of the p knocked her backward several steps. She was too thin to handle the impact and nearly lost her bnce. Liz instinctively reached out to catch her, but before she could touch Shannon, Peter shoved her aside with force. ¡°Stay out of it. This is between me and my wife. Who the hell do you think you are?¡± Liz stumbled from the blow, and a sharp pain shot up her leg. Her face went pale, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She had twisted her ankle. But this was not the time to worry about that. Gritting her teeth, she steadied herself and stood protectively in front of Shannon. Her voice was firm and cold. ¡°If you touch her again, I¡¯ll call the police.¡± Peter¡¯s expression darkened at the mention of the police. The two of them stared each other down for several tense seconds before he finally gave in. His re shifted back to Shannon, venom in his voice. ¡°Shannon, I¡¯m telling you now. I will never agree to this divorce. And even if we do get divorced, I¡¯ll never let you have the kid.¡± Then, without another word, Peter turned and stormed off. Liz didn¡¯t turn back to Shannon until Peter hadpletely disappeared from view. ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked gently. Shannon¡¯s cheek was already swelling, the red imprint of Peter¡¯s hand still fresh and painfully visible. Just looking at it made Liz¡¯s chest tighten. Shannon shook her head and managed a small, strained smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ms. Smith. Thank you for stepping in.¡¯ If Liz hadn¡¯t been there, it was hard to imagine how far Peter might have gone. Liz lowered her voice. ¡°Before you separated, did he ever hit you like that when he got angry?¡± ¡°No. He used to be good to me,¡± Shannon said quietly. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t caught him cheating, I might still believe he¡¯s a decent man.¡± She quickly wiped the corners of her eyes, then looked back at Liz with a steadier gaze. ¡°My break¡¯s over. I have to get back to work. Please take care of things for my daughter.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Liz assured her. After Shannon left, Liz nced down at her ankle. It had swollen so much it was now the size of an egg. She needed to get it looked at. She began making her way toward the curb, but every step sent a sharp burst of pain shooting through her leg. It was only about ten or fifteen meters, but it felt like a mile. By the time she finally reached the roadside, sweat was already beading on her forehead. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out her phone, ready to call a car. Just then, a white BMW pulled up next to her. The passenger window rolled down, and a warm, familiar voice called out from inside. ¡°Liz?¡± Reservation 36 Liz looked toward the driver¡¯s seat and was surprised to see Ethan behind the wheel. ¡°What a coincidence. I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here,¡± she said, slightly caught off guard. Ethan gave a small smile. ¡°Yeah, what are the chances? Where are you headed?¡± ¡°I twisted my ankle just now. I was about to head to the hospital.¡± ¡°That works out. I¡¯m heading in that direction anyway. Come on, I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡± She hesitated. ¡°Are you sure? I wouldn¡¯t want to trouble you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. We¡¯re ssmates, aren¡¯t we? And there¡¯s no good ce to park here, so get in first and we¡¯ll talk.¡± After a brief pause, Liz nodded. ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡± She got into the car and buckled her seatbelt. Only then did Ethan start the engine. The hospital wasn¡¯t far, just a little over ten minutes away. As they pulled up, Liz turned to him. ¡°Thanks again for today. When you¡¯re free, let me treat you to a meal. I still haven¡¯t properly thanked you for what you did back in the Maldives.¡± Ethan smiled. ¡°I¡¯m free anytime.¡± ¡°How about Friday night?¡± she offered. Her ankle should be better by then, and she wouldn¡¯t have to limp through dinner. ¡°Sounds good.¡± They settled on the time. Liz opened the car door and stepped out slowly. ¡°Thanks again.¡± Ethan nced at her swollen ankle, concern shing in his eyes. Without saying anything, he turned off the car and got out. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you in.¡± Liz was taken aback. She quickly waved her hand. ¡°No need. I can manage. You probably have work to do.¡± Before she could finish, Ethan had already walked around to her side. ¡°Your ankle¡¯s really swollen. It¡¯ll be hard to get medicine or anything on your own.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ thank you.¡± He let out a softugh. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite. I¡¯m free this afternoon anyway. Just think of it as helping me kill time. Here, lean on me.¡± He held out his arm. Liz pressed her lips together, then gently rested her hand on his arm. With his support, she slowly made her way toward the outpatient entrance. With Ethan beside her, the pain in her ankle felt a little more manageable, and their pace picked up slightly. Neither of them noticed the man standing nearby, frozen mid-step with a bag of supplements in hand. Jeff hadn¡¯t expected to run into Liz at the hospital. But what really caught his eye was the man helping her. He narrowed his eyes, raised his phone, and snapped a photo. Then he sent it to Zac. Momentster, Zac called. ¡°Where did you see her?¡± ¡°Right outside the hospital. Looks like she hurt her ankle. But who¡¯s the guy with her? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen him before. Do you know him?¡± The line went dead without a word. Back inside, Ethan helped Liz into a seat in the outpatient lobby, then went to register her. When he returned, he handed her the appointment slip. ¡°Orthopedics is on the third floor. I¡¯ll help you up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Just as Ethan reached out to steady her, another hand suddenly appeared and blocked him. Ethan turned and found himself face-to-face with someone he hadn¡¯t expected. Zac. Zac didn¡¯t even spare him a nce. His eyes were locked on Liz, his brows furrowed in a deep frown. ¡°Liz, who is this guy?¡± He thought with a sneer, ¡°So now she was bringing in other men to y games? She really had some nerve.¡± Liz stared back without expression. ¡°What does it matter to you?¡± Zac¡¯s face darkened. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her up. The sudden motion sent a sharp wave of pain through her ankle. Her face tightened, and her brows knitted instinctively. Reservation 37 ¡°Let go of me, Zac!¡± Liz shouted. Zac ignored herpletely and kept dragging her toward the exit. Suddenly, Ethan stepped in and blocked his path. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, can¡¯t you see she¡¯s injured? And clearly, she doesn¡¯t want to go with you,¡± Ethan said calmly. Zac stopped and turned to re at him. His gaze was sharp enough to cut. Just locking eyes with him made Ethan feel like cold steel was scraping across his skin. But he stood firm. He met Zac¡¯s gaze head-on, refusing to back down or show a hint of fear. ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend. If she¡¯s noting with me, who is she going with? You?¡± Zac asked coldly. Ethan gave a faint smile. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, news of you cheating on her with your secretary just hit the trending searches a few days ago. Didn¡¯t yourpany also release a statement confirming that you and Liz had already broken up?¡± Zac¡¯s expression grew even darker, and the atmosphere around him turned suffocating. ¡°This is between me and her. It has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°Liz is my friend,¡± Ethan said steadily. ¡°And right now, Mr. Lincoln, you¡¯re clearly not thinking straight. I can¡¯t stand by and let you hurt her.¡± ¡°Move,¡± Zac growled. Ethan stayed exactly where he was. The tension between them was thick, the kind that made it hard to breathe. Zac¡¯s grip on Liz¡¯s wrist suddenly tightened. She winced. ncing down, she didn¡¯t need to guess. She already knew there would be a bruise by morning. Lifting her head, she stared him down. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were cold. ¡°Zac, have you had enough?¡± His body stiffened. He turned to her, rage building behind his eyes. ¡°You think I¡¯m the one making a scene?¡± Liz yanked her hand away and looked him straight in the eye. Her tone was steady, clear, and cutting. ¡°I told you we were done. You agreed. That means you no longer have any right toy a hand on me. Do you have any idea how pathetic you look right now? You cheated on me. You wanted me gone. And now that I¡¯ve finally left, you¡¯re the one who can¡¯t let go.¡± He had been the one to betray her, the one who pushed her out of his life over and over. He was the one who had forced her to walk away. And now, he couldn¡¯t handle the consequences of his own actions. Zac¡¯s face went pale. His jaw clenched, and his eyes reddened with fury. ¡°Say that again.¡± ¡°You heard me the first time,¡± she said firmly. ¡°There¡¯s no need to repeat it.¡± With that, Liz turned to Ethan. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ethan walked over and gently helped her as they made their way toward the elevator. Zac stood frozen in ce, watching the two of them leave side by side. Their retreating backs felt like a sharp p to his pride. His hand curled tightly into a fist. Every nerve in his body urged him to chase after them and pull them apart, but he forced himself to stay put. If she could use another man in this little performance, then so could he. The world shower Xena with attention and treat her like royalty. He would prove that his life could be even better without Liz And for world wait for the day she came crawling back, begging for another chance Latey, an Liz sat down in the waiting area, the turned to Exhan with a small, apologetic smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t mean to drag you into all of that.¡± She hadn¡¯t expected to run into Zac at the hospital, especially not outside the outpatient clinic. Susan was admitted to the inpatient wing, which was several buildings away. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Ethan replied. ¡°But¡­ your ex doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s over you.¡± He thought back to the look Zac had given him. It was the kind of re a man gave when someone took something he was not ready to lose. He had looked ready to start a fight Liz gave a quiet, bitterugh. ¡°You¡¯re reading too much into it. If he really cared, he wouldn¡¯t have cheated.¡± Ethan noticed the flicker of pain in her eyes. There was still a trace of hurt that hadn¡¯t fadedpletely. To him, though, Zac¡¯s behavior looked a lot like jealousy. Reservation 38 Noticing that Liz seemed down after her encounter with Zac, Ethan didn¡¯t push the subject any further. Soon, her number was called. After a brief exam, the doctor confirmed it was just a sprain and prescribed some anti- inmmatory medication. As they walked out of the hospital, Liz took the medicine from Ethan¡¯s hand. ¡°Thanks again for today. Looks like I owe you another meal,¡± she said with a small smile. Ethan couldn¡¯t help but smile back. ¡°Let me give you a ride.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Myw firm¡¯s over thirty kilometers from here. It¡¯ll take you more than an hour round trip. You should get back to work. I¡¯ll just call a cab.¡± Seeing she truly didn¡¯t want to inconvenience him, Ethan didn¡¯t insist. Instead, he helped her hail a cab from the curb. ¡°Just text me when you get there,¡± he said. ¡°Okay.¡± He gently closed the door for her and stood there, watching the taxi disappear from view before finally turning to leave. By the time Liz returned to the office, it was already past 2:00 in the afternoon. She sorted the evidence Shannon had given her and submitted it to the court with an emergency request for a restraining order. The next morning, the court granted the order. Liz immediately sent the news to Shannon, letting her know that Peter would be formally notified within 24 hours. She also had the ruling delivered to the local police station and the neighborhoodmittee. If all went smoothly, Shannon would be able to bring her daughter home the next day. Shannon called right away. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Smith. I¡¯m going to pick up my daughter first thing in the morning. ¡°No need to thank me. But it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t go alone.¡± Peter had already attacked Shannon in public once. There was no telling what he might do if she showed up by herself. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll bring some people with me.¡± After hanging up, Liz got back to work. Suddenly, a calendar notification popped up on her phone. It reminded her that her wedding was scheduled in three days. She paused, her eyes lingering on the screen. Then, without a word, she deleted the event. As she nced at the calendar, she noticed that Jane¡¯s birthday wasing up soon. She was already taking Ethan to dinner on Friday night, so she could hit the mall afterward to pick up a gift. With that in mind, she texted Ethan asking what kind of food he liked and if he had any dietary restrictions. Ethan texted back quickly. ¡°I¡¯m pretty flexible with food ¨C spicy, mild, whatever. No allergies or anything. Just pick somewhere you like.¡± Liz stared at the message for a moment, then settled on a high-end steakhouse downtown. The week flew by, and before she knew it, Friday had arrived. Work ran a littlete due to a case, and by the time she reached the restaurant, she was more than ten minutes behind schedule. Just as she parked and walked toward the entrance, a ck Porsche Cayenne pulled up in front of her. Xena stepped out with Zac beside her. Xena froze for a second when she saw Liz, but quickly regained herposure and smiled. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this a surprise, Ms. Smith? What a coincidence running into you here.¡± Liz didn¡¯t respond. Seeing that the Cayenne had no intention of moving, she simply walked around it and headed inside. Behind her, Xena¡¯s overly sweet voice rang out. ¡°Zac, you were so insistent on bringing me here. You even said the steak was amazing. Be honest, did you bring Ms. Smith here before?¡± Liz had, in fact, rmended this ce to Zac a long time ago. But he had turned her down, saying it was too far from the office and not convenient. So it turned out, the real issue wasn¡¯t the distance. It was only inconvenient because she was the one asking. Liz pressed her lips together and forced herself not to dwell on it. She picked up her pace. But she still caught Zac¡¯s reply. ¡°No. You deserve the best.¡± Liz¡¯s grip on her purse tightened and a bitter ache welled up in her chest. Jane had been right all along. The eight years she spent with him really had been a waste. Then again, wasting eight years was still better than wasting a lifetime. Just then, she spotted Ethan sitting by the window. He waved at her with a smile. ¡°Liz, over here.¡± She pushed her thoughts aside, returned his smile, and quickly made her way to the table. ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte,¡± she said as she sat down across from him. ¡°Work ran over a little.¡± Reservation 39 A gentle smile lingered on Ethan¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I had a big lunch, so I¡¯m not that hungry,¡± Not far away, Zac watched them with a stormy expression. His entire presence radiated cold hostility, enough that Xena involuntarily shivered beside him. Her hand instinctively tightened around his arm as a sense of unease crept into her chest. Was it possible Zac still had feelings for Liz? ¡°Zac, I¡¯m starving. Should we-¡± Before she could finish, Zac abruptly changed direction and headed straight toward Liz and Ethan¡¯s table, dragging her along without a word. Xena¡¯s expression wavered. ¡°Zac, our reservation is over there.¡± ¡°The private room feels stuffy. Let¡¯s sit outside,¡± he said tly, giving her no room to object. He led her to the table right next to Liz and Ethan¡¯s and sat down. Xena forced a smile, though it felt hard to maintain. All Liz had done was have dinner with another man, yet Zac looked at her like a husband catching his wife cheating. He probably had no idea just how obvious his jealousy and anger were. Xena lowered her eyes. Her nails dug into the flesh of her palm, but she couldn¡¯t feel a thing. Sensing someone nearby, Liz turned her head and met Zac¡¯s cold, hostile stare. She frowned slightly and nced around the restaurant. There were plenty of empty tables, but Zac had chosen the one right next to theirs. It was clearly intentional. ¡°Zac, are you doing this on purpose?¡± She truly didn¡¯t understand. She had already walked away from his life. Why was he still trying to make things difficult for her? Did he really need her to chase after him, to cling to him just to stroke his ego? Zac met her gaze, his tone calm and aloof. ¡°Unless I¡¯m mistaken, you didn¡¯t reserve the entire restaurant, did you?¡± When Liz didn¡¯t respond, he went on. ¡°Then where I choose to sit has nothing to do with you. If you¡¯re ufortable, you¡¯re free to move.¡± His smug tone made her frown deepen. They had arrived first. There was no reason they should be the ones to move. But arguing with Zac wouldn¡¯t solve anything. Technically, he wasn¡¯t wrong. He had every right to sit wherever he pleased. Pushing down her irritation, Liz looked away and decided to pretend Zac and Xena weren¡¯t even there. She picked up the menu and smiled at Ethan. ¡°Take a look. Their foie gras with ck truffle and filet mignon are both excellent.¡± Ethan nodded. ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll go with your rmendation.¡± ¡°Feel free to order anything else that catches your eye.¡± 122 As the two of them chatted and smiled, Zac¡¯s gaze grew colder by the second. If looks could kill, Ethan would have been buried a dozen times over. Of course, Ethan noticed the re being thrown his way, but he didn¡¯t care. He stayed focused on Liz and kept the conversation going Xena saw it all, and her heart sank lower and lower. She used to convince herself that Zac had already let go of Liz. But now, it was impossible to keep lying to herself. She had done everything she could to drive them apart. She was just one step away from officially bing Zac¡¯s girlfriend. There was no way she would let Lize back into the picture. Putting on her best smile, she turned to Zac. ¡°Let¡¯s order. Is there anything you rmend?¡± Zac finally looked at her and picked up the menu. ¡°We¡¯re definitely getting the signature sirloin. Filet is for people who don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing.¡± His tone was thick with sarcasm, and he spoke just loud enough for Liz and Ethan to hear every word. Liz clenched her jaw, trying her best to ignore him, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t hold back. She looked up, her voice icy and direct. ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well, Zac, maybe you should see a doctor. Try the psychiatric ward while you¡¯re at it. And stop taking your issues out on everyone else.¡± Reservation 40 Liz was clearly irritated. If she had known Zac and Xena would be here today, she never would have picked this restaurant. Zac¡¯s expression turned even colder as he snapped, ¡°I¡¯m talking to my girlfriend. What does that have to do with you?¡± Since she had made it clear they were no longer involved, he figured he would just throw her own words back at her. Liz took a deep breath, trying to keep her anger in check. She didn¡¯t want to argue with him. Instead, she turned to Ethan and said calmly, ¡°Sorry about this. Maybe we should try another ce?¡± If she couldn¡¯t win against Zac, then avoiding him was the next best option. But Ethan shook his head with a warm smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s stay. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Since he said that, Liz didn¡¯t insist. She nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± The restaurant gradually quieted down. Just as Liz was trying toe up with a new topic to lighten the mood, Ethan beat her to
¡°By the way, how¡¯s your ankle?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almostpletely healed. I was really lucky to run into you that day. Ethan smiled. ¡°I¡¯d say I was the lucky one. Liz, actually, back in high school, I¡ª¡± tter! A loud crash interrupted him. A te had fallen from the next table. Liz forced herself not to look in Zac¡¯s direction. She kept her eyes on Ethan and said with a smile, ¡°What were you about to say?¡± Meeting her curious gaze, Ethan hesitated. Maybe now wasn¡¯t the right moment to say what he had nned. He chuckled softly instead. ¡°I was just going to say I didn¡¯t know much about you back then. You hardly spoke in ss, and we didn¡¯t get many chances to talk. I just remember you were always with a girl from the ss next door. You two walked to and from school together every day.¡± Liz nodded. ¡°Her name¡¯s Jane. We¡¯re still best friends.¡± To her, those years of high school were painted in gray. Not something she liked thinking about. ¡°I remember her name. Oh, by the way, our ss president made a group chat for old ssmates. Want me to add you?¡± Liz hesitated. She had forgotten most of her high school ssmates. Even if she could recall a name or two, she probably wouldn¡¯t recognize their faces. Noticing her reluctance, Ethan smiled and added, ¡°No pressure. If you ever change your mind, just let me know and I¡¯ll add you then.¡± Liz felt a slight sense of relief. ¡°Thanks. That works.¡± The two of them kept chatting casually. If it weren¡¯t for Zac constantly making noise next to them, the dinner would have been rxing and pleasant. After the meal, Liz paid the bill, and she and Ethan walked out of the restaurant together. Ethan had to work overtime that evening, so they said goodbye at the door. Liz watched his car disappear down the street, then turned and walked toward the shopping mall nearby. Maybe it was because they had just been talking about high school, but her mind kept drifting back to those years. The memories soured her mood. She wandered through a few stores but didn¡¯t see anything she liked, so she decided to head home. Back inside the restaurant, after Liz and Ethan had left, Zac set down his utensils and looked at Xena. ¡°Are you done eating?¡± Xena nced at her te, where she had barely touched her steak, then at Zac¡¯s grim expression. She quietly put down her utensils. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m full,¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drive you home.¡± Without waiting for a response, he stood up and walked out. The car ride was silent. When they finally pulled up in front of her apartment building, Xena looked over at him and asked, ¡°Do you want toe up for a bit?¡± Zac shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m tired. You should get some rest.¡± Xena bit her lip and looked up at him. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, be honest. Do you still have feelings for Ms. Smith?¡± As soon as the words left her mouth, the air in the car grew heavy. Zac didn¡¯t answer, and she sat there waiting, refusing to let it go without hearing the truth. After a long pause, he finally turned to her. His voice was gentle, but the words cut deep. 22 Reservation 41 ¡°Xena, I told you from the beginning. I¡¯m never going to marry you. If one day you decide to leave, I¡¯ll give you a generous sum of money. But I can¡¯t make you any promises.¡± Even without Liz in the picture, he would never marry a woman with just a state school degree who could only work as a secretary at hispany. He liked Xena, but that¡¯s all it was. As long as she stayed quietly by his side, he was willing to give her a lifestyle she could never earn in a lifetime on her own. But if she wanted anything more than that, she was just chasing a fantasy. As for Liz, Zac himself wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about her anymore. Before they broke up, he resented her and wanted nothing more than to be free of her. But now that she was really gone, all he felt was an emptiness he couldn¡¯t exin. Tears welled up in Xena¡¯s eyes as she looked at him, heartbreak written all over her delicate face. ¡°I understand now. I was just too greedy.¡± Zac¡¯s gaze softened slightly. He pulled her into his arms with a sigh. She lowered her head and stared at the charm hanging from her purse. It was a blessing charm he had gotten for her during a business trip, one she had casually asked him to pick up. It was from some remote chapel on a mountaintop that required a difficult hike to reach. She hadn¡¯t thought he would actually go but he had. When he returned, he handed her the charm along with a set of diamond jewelry. The moment she saw the charm, her heart had swelled with happiness and surprise. To a man with nothing, spending money could be proof of love. But to a man like Zac, who already had everything, real love showed in the time and effort he was willing to give. From that day on, she wore the charm every single day. She convinced herself that she was the one he truly loved. Liz no longer seemed like a threat. Looking back now, she realized just how naive she had been. Still, she had no intention of giving up. She had already pushed Liz out of Zac¡¯s life. There was no way she would stop now. She had to marry him, no matter what it took. The car was silent, filled only with the sound of their breathing. After a long pause, Xena finally spoke in a quiet voice. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, as long as I can stay by your side, I¡¯ll be content. I won¡¯t ask about this again. And I won¡¯t put you in a difficult position.¡± She gently pulled away from his arms, wiped her tears, and looked up at him. Her eyes were clear and full of stubborn resolve. Zac wasn¡¯t surprised by her sudden change in attitude. ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t walk you up.¡± Xena didn¡¯t respond. She simply opened the car door and stepped out. Once the door shut behind her, Zac started the engine and drove away. On the drive back, he made a phone call. His voice was cold and direct. ¡°Chase, find out who the man was-the one having dinner with Liz at Basil & Oakst night. I want his full background in my inbox within twenty-four hours.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Lincoln.¡± The next morning, Zac had just gotten out of bed when Xena showed up at his ce. She was holding a small food container and smiling with her usual gentle expression. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, I know your stomach hasn¡¯t been great, and you barely atest night. I was worried you¡¯d skip breakfast again, so I made some soup and brought it over.¡± Xena had always been good at making soup. When she first found out about his stomach issues, she used to bring it to him regrly. Zac had always appreciated this kind of quiet, thoughtful gesture. It seemed like she had finallye to her senses. ¡°I¡¯m going to wash up,¡± he said. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll set the table so everything¡¯s ready when youe out.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± After he left the room, Xena began unpacking the soup and side dishes she had prepared, carefully cing everything on the dining table. Once she was done, she sat down to wait. At that moment, Zac¡¯s phone lit up on the table. She hesitated, then picked it up. It was a message from Chase: ¡°Mr. Lincoln, the man who had dinner with Ms. Smithst night is named Ethan Xander. I¡¯ve sent his full profile to your inbox.¡± 212 Reservation 42 Xena¡¯s gaze flickered. She had once identally seen Zac entering his phone passcode and remembered the digits. If he hadn¡¯t changed it, she should be able to unlock it. After a brief hesitation, she entered the password. Nervous and guilty, she kept ncing toward the bathroom as she opened his email app, afraid he might walk out at any moment. Once she had forwarded the message to her own inbox, she quickly deleted the sent record, marked the email as unread, and ced the phone back exactly where she found it. Momentster, Zac came out of the bathroom. He walked over to the dining table and sat down. Xena pushed the bowl of soup toward him with a calm expression. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, it¡¯s cooled down quite a bit now.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Zac lowered his head and began eating quietly. Neither of them spoke again. When he finished, Xena cleared the table and left without another word. On the way home, she opened the email and downloaded the attachment. Soon, she was staring at Ethan¡¯s full personal profile. It even included details like the elementary school he attended and every position he had held. As she scanned the document, she bit her lower lip, a new n beginning to form in her mind. Meanwhile, back in the living room of Zac¡¯s vi, he picked up his phone after Xena left and saw the message from Chase. He opened the email right away. The report confirmed that Ethan had no significant background. His parents were ordinary workers in Stanley City, and he himself was just a researcher at a local pharmaceutical institute. A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Zac¡¯s lips. So Liz had really gone and found a nobody to act out this little game. A man that average had no business beingpared to him. He tossed the phone onto the table and dismissed the matter entirely, already assuming Liz woulde crawling back once she couldn¡¯t keep up the act any longer. For the next week, Liz was busy with Shannon¡¯s case. By 3:00 p.m. on Friday, the divorce trial Shannon had filed against Peter began right on schedule. Since Liz had submitted solid evidence, the first hearing went smoothly. Things were looking good for a favorable oue. As Liz and Shannon exited the courthouse, they were suddenly blocked by Peter, whose face was dark with anger. He red at Shannon, practically spitting with rage. ¡°I¡¯m never going to agree to this divorce! As long as I refuse, the court won¡¯t grant it. You better give up now!¡± Shannon stood her ground. ¡°If this court won¡¯t approve it, I¡¯ll take it to a higher one. Until the day I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll keep appealing. I¡¯m not backing down.¡± ¡°You-1¡± Peter raised his hand, as if to strike her. She flinched in fear and immediately stepped behind Liz. Liz¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Are you sure you want to hit someone right outside the courthouse?¡± Peter looked up and noticed a security camera nearby. Then his eyes shifted to Liz, who stood protectively in front of Shannon. Reluctantly, he lowered his hand. He might get away with hitting Shannon-it would just be counted as domestic abuse. But if heid a hand on Liz, awyer with a reputation, the consequences would be much more severe. ¡°Fine. You¡¯re Liz Smith, right? I won¡¯t forget this. Breaking up people¡¯s families like this? Karma will get you.¡± With that, he stormed off in a fury. Only after he was gone did Shannon step out from behind Liz, still shaking slightly. ¡°Ms. Smith, please don¡¯t let his words get to you. Guys like him are the ones who deserve karma. You¡¯re helping me get away from trash like that. You¡¯re doing the right thing, and you¡¯ll be rewarded for it.¡± Seeing Shannon clench her fists in anger, Liz couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not losing any sleep over what he said.¡± 212 Reservation 43 ¡°d to hear it.¡± After parting ways with Shannon, Liz headed straight back to the firm. As soon as she stepped through the front door, the office assistant, Jenna rk, walked over with a message. ¡°Hi, Ms. Smith. Perfect timing. Mr. Quinn wants to see you in his office.¡± Liz gave a quick nod. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head over now.¡± Five minutester, Liz knocked on the director¡¯s office door. ¡°Come in,¡± a voice called from inside. Liz pushed the door open and stepped in. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Quinn.¡± ¡°Good morning, Ms. Smith,¡± Warren Quinn replied with a friendly smile. ¡°Come, have a seat. I¡¯ve got something to discuss with you.¡± His unusually warm tone gave Liz a vague sense of unease. She sat across from him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°While you were away on vacation, we brought in a new intern,¡± Warren began. ¡°He¡¯s interested in familyw, so I was thinking it¡¯d be a great fit for you to mentor him. Would that work on your end?¡± Liz blinked in surprise. She had been at the firm for a few years now, buried in casework, and had never mentored an intern before. ¡°What was his major in college?¡± ¡°He majored in civilw in college, so this is a perfect match for your expertise. That¡¯s why I¡¯m nning to have you mentor him. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s fresh out of college, so he can be a bit cocky and arrogant sometimes. If he says something rude, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Liz raised an eyebrow. ¡°Mr. Quinn, do you mind if I ask-what¡¯s your connection to this intern?¡± If it were just a regr intern, Warren wouldn¡¯t be going out of his way to exin all this. Warren rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°He¡¯s not directly rted to me. He¡¯s my friend¡¯s nephew. But don¡¯t worry. You don¡¯t have to hold back. If he gets out of line, feel free to put him in his ce.¡± Liz thought for a moment before answering. ¡°Alright, I can take him on. But if he quits because he can¡¯t handle the workload, that¡¯s on him. I¡¯m not adjusting my pace for anyone.¡± She handled a heavy caseload every month, including pro bono work. Working under her was no walk in the park. Several assistants had already left because they couldn¡¯t keep up. Warren pped his hands together. ¡°Great! If he really can¡¯t handle it, I¡¯ll reassign him. For now, I¡¯ll bring him in to introduce you two.¡± Warren stepped out and returned a momentter with a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. He was wearing a ck leather biker jacket with the zipper left open, revealing a bold graphic T-shirt featuring a chaotic rock band design. His jeans were dark blue and torn at the knees, and he had on a pair of ckbat boots. His short hair was dyed a trendy silver-gray that shimmered under the office lights. A small earring gleamed in one ear. His features were sharp, and his whole appearance gave off a defiant, rebellious vibe. Liz took one look at him and blinked. ¡°Is this guy really aw graduate?¡± she wondered. She didn¡¯t have a problem with dyed hair or edgy clothing, but this was a professional setting. Image mattered in this field. Clients expected their attorneys to look the part, and walking into a consultation dressed like that would instantly set off rmn bells As she assessed him, he was checking her out too. The moment his eyesnded on Liz, Hunter Sanders looked genuinely surprised. She was a lot younger than he had expected. And she was stunning He raised an eyebrow and turned to Warren. ¡°Uncle Warren, are you sure thiswyer who honestly looks younger than me can actually mentor me?¡± Reservation 44 Earlier, Warren had told Hunter that thewyer he would be working with was their firm¡¯s go-to champion for divorce cases. Naturally, Hunter had assumed she would be a middle-aged woman. He wasn¡¯t expecting someone so young. ¡°Of course,¡± Warren added, smiling, ¡°Ms. Smith alsopleted her internship here. She¡¯s been with the firm for almost five years now, and in that time, she¡¯s hardly lost a case. ¡°And she¡¯s a few years older than you. From now on, make sure to show her some respect.¡± Then he turned to Liz, who was still frowning slightly, and said with a grin, ¡°Ms. Smith, I¡¯ll leave him in your hands.¡± Liz¡¯s brows furrowed a little more. ¡°Mr. Quinn, I didn¡¯t realize his style and appearance were like this. If he¡¯s not willing to change how he dresses and dye his hair back to ck, I may not be able to take him on.¡± Warren looked like he was about to respond, but Hunter spoke up first. ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll dye my hair back tonight, stop wearing shy clothes, and I¡¯ll take out the earring too. Anything else?¡± Warren turned to look at him, his expression almostically stunned. Just a few hours ago, when he had seen Hunter¡¯s outfit, he had called him out too. And what had Hunter said back then, was totally different. He said thatwyers win cases with their expertise, not their wardrobes. That wearing a suit and having ck hair didn¡¯t automatically make someone more qualified. If a client judged him just by how he looked and didn¡¯t see his professional skills, then that was a client he wasn¡¯t interested in working with anyway. Now, barely three hourster, the same guy was suddenly acting like apletely different person. If Liz weren¡¯t still in the room, Warren would have asked Hunter if he realized how ridiculous he looked flip-flopping like that. Liz hadn¡¯t expected him to agree so easily. Her eyes showed a flicker of surprise. This didn¡¯t match the cocky and rude intern Warren had warned her about. Still, a cooperative assistant was far better than a rebellious one. ¡°That¡¯s all I ask.¡± Hunter nodded quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. By Monday morning, I¡¯ll be a brand-new person. You won¡¯t even recognize me.¡¯ Liz smiled faintly. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll get back to work then. Move your desk over to mine when you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± After Liz left, Warren shot Hunter a re. ¡°What was that all about? Weren¡¯t you the one who said you¡¯d never change your style just to fit in, that you wanted to break the stereotype of stuffywyers and lead a new trend?¡± Hunter raised an eyebrow, his expression charming and unbothered. ¡°Uncle Warren, sure-I said that to you. But you¡¯re not the same as Ms. Smith, are you?¡± ¡°How are we different?¡± ¡°Are you as beautiful as Ms. Smith? Are you as skilled at divorce cases as Ms. Smith? Can you mentor me with the same patience and attention to detail as Ms. Smith?¡± Warren had to admit he wasn¡¯t as beautiful as Liz, wasn¡¯t as specialized in divorce cases, and didn¡¯t have her patience and thoroughness. ¡°Wait a second-why am Iparing myself to a woman in terms of looks?¡± he thought. He narrowed his eyes and said with a low warning, ¡°Let me be clear. Don¡¯t even think about trying any of your yboy tricks on Ms. Smith If I catch a whiff of that, I¡¯ll pack you up and send you straight back.¡± Liz had just ended an eight-year rtionship. There was no way she could move on that quickly. If Hunter made a move on her now and she actually fell for it, who knew what kind of mess that would create. Reservation 45 If Hunter ended up causing a falling-out between Liz and the firm, it would be a huge loss. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Warren. I¡¯m not going to stir up any trouble,¡± Hunter said confidently. He was always one hundred percent serious about every rtionship he had ever been in. He had no idea who had started the rumor that he was a yer. So what if he had dated a lot? That didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t sincere each time. Looking at Hunter¡¯s carefree,id-back attitude, Warren fell silent for a moment, then suddenly felt relieved. With Liz¡¯s personality, unless shepletely lost her mind, there was no way she would fall for someone like that. Hunter caught the look in Warren¡¯s eyes and immediately bristled. ¡°Uncle Warren, what¡¯s with that look? Are you judging me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Warren said tly. ¡°Go get cleaned up and wrap things up for the day. Starting next week, you¡¯ll be reporting directly to Ms. Smith. Do whatever she tells you. Don¡¯t act on your own if you run into something you can¡¯t handle. Got it? This ce is too small to survive you messing around.¡± His tone was practically pleading. Warren genuinely feared that Hunter might cause some kind of disaster one day. He came from a wealthy family and could have lived his whole life without ever working. But right after graduation, he suddenly decided to grow some ambition. Without telling anyone, he moved to Stanley City and applied for an internship here of all ces. Hunter gave azy nod. ¡°Rx, Uncle Warren. I won¡¯t cause you any headaches.¡± It was clear from his expression that he hadn¡¯t really taken a single word seriously. Warren didn¡¯t bother continuing. He waved him off. ¡°Alright, just go.¡± Even looking at him gave him a headache. ¡°You got it!¡± Hunter replied, then practically ran out of the room, clearly eager to move to the desk next to Liz. Watching his cheerful retreat, Warren chuckled to himself. He wondered if Hunter would still be smiling after a few weeks under Liz¡¯s supervision. Back at his own desk, Hunter quickly packed up his things and moved them over. In less than twenty minutes, he had set himself up at the station next to Liz¡¯s. No one had used that desk in months, so it was covered in dust. Without hesitation, Hunter grabbed a towel, fetched some water, and started wiping down the desk and chair. As his figure disappeared around the corner, Naomi rolled her chair closer to Liz and whispered, ¡°So¡­ Mr. Quinn really just dumped him on you?¡± Liz, still jotting down notes, turned to her. ¡°Dumped who on me?¡± ¡°Hunter Sanders. Rumor is his family¡¯s seriously powerful. Nobody wants to mess with him. Ever since he showed up, people have been avoiding him like the gue, terrified of pissing him off and losing their job.¡± Liz looked puzzled. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem that bad. He was actually pretty easy to talk to.¡± Naomi gave her a look of utter disbelief. ¡°Seriously? You think he¡¯s easy to talk to?¡± He had only been at the firm for a few days and had already gotten into several arguments with Warren about his appearance. A few clients took one look at his hair and clothes, realized he worked for the firm, and walked out on the spot. In less than a week, he had already cost them multiple cases. Liz nodded calmly. ¡°I¡¯m serious. I think he¡¯s fine.¡± Naomi sighed. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going to mentor him, just be prepared to lose business. That hair and those outfits alone are going to scare clients off.¡± Only then did Liz fully understand what she meant. She replied, ¡°Oh, that? He already promised me he¡¯ll dye his hair back to ck this weekend, and he¡¯ll dress more professionally when he starts work.¡± Reservation 46 Naomi froze for a second,pletely stunned. ¡°Wait¨Cyou¡¯re saying he actually agreed to dye his hair ck? And he¡¯s going to start dressing formally at work?¡± Liz nodded. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why I agreed to take him on.¡± ¡°Wow. Okay then.¡± Just a few days ago, when Liz was away on vacation, Naomi had watched Hunter and Warren practically tear the office apart with their arguments. Hunter had t-out refused to change his style. And now he was suddenly cooperating with Liz? Then she remembered something Warren had mentioned offhand. Hunter was apparently interested in handling divorce cases. And Liz just happened to be the only attorney at the firm who specialized in them. Thinking of it that way, his sudden change of heart made more sense. Naomi gave Liz a thumbs-up and said with a grin, ¡°You really are something else.¡± As they were talking, Hunter returned. Naomi didn¡¯t say anything else and slid her chair back to her desk. Hunter had a bit of a cleanliness obsession. He wiped down the desk and chair several times before sanitizing everything with rubbing alcohol. Only after everything was spotless did he start setting up his things. Once he was done, he turned to Liz. ¡°Liz, what should I do next?¡± She nced at him, then handed him the file for Shannon¡¯s case. ¡°Start by going through this one. You¡¯ll being with me to the second trial.¡± Hunter took the file and nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± Satisfied, Liz turned back to her own work and left him alone. By the time she finished drafting her report, it was almost 7:00 p.m. The sky had already gone dark. It was winter, after all. She shut herptop and started packing up. Just as she stood up, she heard a voice beside her,ced with mock hurt. ¡°Liz, did you forget you¡¯ve got someone sitting next to you now?¡± She turned and saw Hunter looking up at her, his expression full of exaggerated hurt-like he had beenpletely overlooked. For some reason, it reminded her of the white Samoyed her neighbor used to walk. Every time she ran into them in the elevator, she had been tempted to reach out and pet its fluffy head, just to see if it was really as soft as it looked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s after hours. You¡¯re free to head home. If you didn¡¯t finish reading the case, you can always continue on Monday.¡± Hunter stared at her in disbelief. The case file was barely a few pages. He had finished it in under thirty minutes. Did she really think he needed until Monday? Was she underestimating him that much? He had aw degree, after all. ¡°Liz, it¡¯s my first day as your assistant. Shouldn¡¯t we at least grab a meal together? You know, to break the ice?¡± Liz was caught off guard. Then she chuckled and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. What do you feel like eating? My treat tonight.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t hold back.¡± Knowing she could handle spicy food, Hunter picked a popr Thai restaurant nearby. She drove over and had just parked and stepped into the restaurant when she ran into Ethan. His eyes lit up the moment he saw her, clearly surprised and happy. Then his gaze shifted to the young man sitting across from Liz. The surprise in his expression deepened. Given what he knew of Liz, she didn¡¯t seem like the type to hang out with someone who looked like a rebellious college dropout. Hunter noticed that flicker of surprise in Ethan¡¯s eyes and raised an eyebrow with mild amusement. ¡°Liz,¡± Ethan said, ¡°what a coincidence. I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here. And this is¡­ your brother?¡± There was a slight pause in his tone, just enough to make it obvious he was fishing. Hunter instantly picked up on it. Three seconds was all he needed to size the guy up ande to a conclusion that this man was interested in Liz. After all, under normal circumstances, when you run into a friend having dinner with someone else, you wouldn¡¯t ask about their rtionship. Liz shook her head. ¡°No. He¡¯s my assistant.¡± Reservation 47 Ethan was about to speak when Hunter¡¯s voice piped up. ¡°Liz, I¡¯m starving.¡± Liz nced back at him and handed over the tablet. ¡°Go ahead and order. Just get me some pad thai, medium spice.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ okay.¡± Hunter took the tablet and lowered his head, scrolling through the menu. Ethan watched the young man¡¯s obedient demeanor, his eyes narrowing slightly. When Liz turned back to face him, he had already put on his usual warm smile. ¡°By the way, our high school ss president is organizing a reunion for tomorrow night. After they found out I¡¯d reconnected with you, everyone wants to see you. He asked me to see if you¡¯d like toe.¡± Liz pressed her lips together, hesitating about whether to decline, when Hunter¡¯s voice interrupted again. ¡°Liz, do you eattro and basil? I want to order the Thai basil beef.¡± Liz looked at him. ¡°I eat everything. Go ahead and order.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She turned back to continue talking with Ethan, but Hunter¡¯s voice came again. ¡°Liz, do you like green onions? I¡¯m thinking of getting the green curry with chicken.¡± Liz turned back again. ¡°I¡¯m not picky about anything. Just order whatever you want.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± After barely ten seconds of quiet, Hunter¡¯s voice rang out once more. ¡°Liz, I¡¯m done ordering. Take a look and see if we need anything else.¡± Liz was rendered speechless. She looked at Ethan with some embarrassment. ¡°About the reunion, let me think about it and get back to you.¡± Ethan¡¯s expression remained gentle. ¡°Sure, I won¡¯t keep you any longer then.¡± ¡°Okay, see youter.¡± After Ethan left, Liz sat back down and raised an eyebrow at Hunter. ¡°Why were you deliberately interrupting our conversation just now?¡± Hunter handed her the tablet with an innocent expression. ¡°I wasn¡¯t. Did I really interrupt your conversation?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Meeting Liz¡¯s knowing look, Hunter had no choice but to admit it. ¡°Okay, I did do it on purpose. I could tell you didn¡¯t really want to go to that reunion but didn¡¯t want to refuse him to his face, so I kept interrupting. Liz, you¡¯re not mad, are you?¡± As he spoke, he looked at her cautiously, as if afraid she might be angry. Liz could see right through his act. There wasn¡¯t a trace of real fear in his eyes. Instead, there was amusement. He wasn¡¯t even trying to hide it convincingly. ¡°I¡¯m not angry, but don¡¯t make decisions for me again without asking.¡± ¡°Got it, Liz. So we¡¯re good now? Can you check if we need to add anything else? I¡¯m absolutely starving.¡± Liz looked down at what he had ordered-three dishes and a soup, more than enough for two people. ¡°No need to add more. This is more than enough,¡± Liz said. ¡°Got it,¡± Hunter replied. A momentter, the server came over to collect the tablet. While they waited for the food, Hunter struck up a casual conversation. ¡°So, Liz, what year were you born?¡± She gave a light smile. ¡°I¡¯m four or five years older than you. As for the exact year, I¡¯ll let you guess.¡± She was already beautiful, but when she smiled, it had a quiet charm. It felt like a breeze moving across a calmke, gentle yet somehow stirring something inside you. Hunter had seen his share of beautiful women, but he still found himself momentarily dazed. Snapping out of it, he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t they say women are always eighteen? If we¡¯re going by that logic, then I¡¯d guess you¡¯re Gen Z.¡± Liz couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°You¡¯ve got a smooth mouth, don¡¯t you?¡± Reservation 48 ¡°Thank you for yourpliment!¡± Their easy banter andughter didn¡¯t go unnoticed. A short distance away, Ethan had been watching them. His gaze lowered slightly, and a flicker of unreadable emotion passed through his eyes. It was past nine by the time Liz and Hunter finished dinner. After dropping him off, she finally headed home. Just as she settled onto the couch, her phone buzzed with a message from Hunter, asking if she had gotten back safely. She replied, then hesitated before tapping into Ethan¡¯s chat. She had been thinking of how to politely turn him down, but before she could type anything, his message arrived. ¡°Tammy¡¯sing to the reunion tomorrow too. I think it¡¯s been years since you twost saw each other.¡± Tammy Fisher had been Liz¡¯s seatmate back in tenth grade. They had been pretty close at the time. She was one of the few ssmates Liz could actually talk to. But after graduation, they slowly drifted apart. Life got busy, and eventually they stopped keeping in touch altogether. Liz wasn¡¯t particrly interested in the reunion, but she did want to see Tammy again. With that thought, she asked Ethan for the time and location. He quickly replied, ¡°7:00 p.m. at Golden Crown Hotel.¡± As Liz read the message, she paused for a moment. If she remembered correctly, the Golden Crown Hotel was owned by Rick, Zac¡¯s best friend. When the hotel first opened, Zac had brought Xena to theunch party and sent over avish gift package. She checked the address and saw that it was not far from her apartment. After sending a simple ¡°OK¡± emoji, she set her phone down and headed to take a shower. By the time she finished drying her hair, it was close to 11:00 p.m. Her friend Jane called and asked if she wanted to grab dinner the next evening. When Liz mentioned she had a high school reunion, Jane sounded surprised. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re actually going? You never attend those things. You barely keep in touch with anyone from high school. How did you even find out there was a reunion?¡± ¡°I ran into Ethan tonight. He told me about it.¡± ¡°Oh? Is he seeing anyone these days? If not, you should give it a shot. He did save you that time overseas. That didn¡¯t stir anything in your heart?¡± A few years ago, Liz had traveled alone and encountered a harassment incident. Ethan had been there and stepped in to help her. He was tall, good-looking, and someone from her past. It was the kind of moment that usually sparked something between two people. But Liz answered inly. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in dating right now. I¡¯m mentoring an intern, and I don¡¯t have time for romance.¡± Jane was not convinced. ¡°Come on. If someone goodes along, you should give it a chance. Otherwise, people are going to keep thinking you¡¯re still hung up on that scumbag Zac Lincoln. ¡°He¡¯s head over heels for Xena now,¡± she continued. ¡°He¡¯s always taking her to exclusive events, buying her jewelry that costs millions. You were with him for eight years and walked away with nothing. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil.¡± Jane clenched her teeth. She had seen Zac and Xena together at several recent gs. Xena always wore that smug, self-satisfied look, like she had won some kind of prize. Jane had honestly wanted to p the expression off her face. Liz lowered her gaze and replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s his money. He can spend it however he wants. It¡¯s not worth getting upset about.¡± She really had let him go. In the beginning, just hearing Zac¡¯s name had made her heart skip a beat. But now, it meant nothing. His name no longer carried any weight in her life. To her, Zac was simply a part of the past. And that part of her life was growing more distant with every passing day. ¡°You¡¯re really not bitter at all? You don¡¯t think it was a waste?¡± Jane asked, clearly baffled. If it had been her, she would have made Zac suffer. There was no way she would have let him off so easily. Liz gave a faint smile. ¡°No. Every bit of bitterness was worn away during those three years of back-and-forth after he cheated. The feelings faded right along with it. Now, I just want us to move on and live our lives peacefully.¡± Reservation 49 After hanging up the phone, Liz put on a sheet mask and quickly went to bed. The next evening, she drove over to the Golden Crown Hotel. Just as she reached the private dining room, she could already hearughter and cheerful chattering from inside. She knocked lightly on the door. The moment she pushed it open, the room fell quiet for a brief second. Then a woman stood up in surprise and delight. ¡°Liz? You really came?¡± It was Tammy Fisher. She walked over quickly, took Liz by the hand, and led her to an empty seat beside her. ¡°Oh wow, it really is Liz Smith! When Ethan said you wereing to the reunion, I thought he was joking, I couldn¡¯t believe it. It¡¯s been forever!¡± The guy who spoke had sun-kissed skin and a tall, athletic build. Even sitting down, he was noticeably taller than the others. He looked familiar, but Liz couldn¡¯t quite ce his name. Noticing her hesitation, Tammy leaned in and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s Tyler Zimmer. He was our PE rep in high school.¡± As soon as she said it, Liz remembered. ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± she said politely. One by one, everyone in the room came over to say hi. Whenever Liz didn¡¯t recognize someone, Tammy would quietly lean in and tell her their name. Before long, the room was buzzing again with conversation andughter. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Ethan? It¡¯s already past seven. Don¡¯t tell me he got lost again.¡± ¡°He probably did,¡± Tyler said with a grin. ¡°Back in high school, the guy got lost all the time. His house was just one bus ride away, but somehow, he always ended up on the wrong bus and had to transfer.¡± He let out augh, then added, ¡°But let¡¯s be real. He did it on purpose. He just wanted to spend more time with the girl he liked.¡± Liz had a feeling he nced her way when he said that. Tammy leaned over and said, ¡°By the way, I¡¯m working in the city now. Let¡¯s exchange contacts so we can meet up sometime.¡± Liz nodded. ¡°Sounds good.¡± They had just finished adding each other when the door opened and Ethan walked in. ¡°You¡¯rete. That¡¯s three penalty shots for you,¡± someone called out. The moment he stepped into the room, Ethan¡¯s eyes went straight to Liz. She was seated quietly in a pale pink wool coat over a cream-colored knit dress with a Peter Pan cor. Her makeup was subtle, just enough to enhance her delicate features. When she looked up at him and smiled, her eyes sparkled. The sight hit him hard, as if something had punched him in the chest. His heartbeat quickened. He quickly looked away and tried to steady his breathing. Despite the jolt, he managed to keep his tone casual. ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte. There was a minor ident on the overpass. Two cars had a rear-end collision, and traffic got held up.¡± As he spoke, he walked over and sat in the only open seat, which happened to be right beside Liz ¡°Alright, you¡¯re off the hook this time,¡± someone said with augh. ¡°But next time, no excuses. Three shots, no mercy.¡± Ethan smiled. ¡°Fair enough.¡± Without saying anything else, he reached over and quietly swapped the ss of juice in front of Liz with a cup of tea. Liz looked down, momentarily surprised. She had never liked sweet drinks. Tea was always her go-to. But very few people knew that about her. Only those she was close with ever noticed. How did Ethan know? Was she just reading too much into it? Maybe it was just a coincidence. Before she could make sense of it, Tyler spoke again from across the table. ¡°Wow, Ethan. All these yearster, and you still remember Liz doesn¡¯t like sugary drinks?¡± Reservation 50 As soon as he finished speaking, a round of teasing erupted around them. Everyone turned to look at Liz and Ethan with knowing smiles. ¡°Ethan, if I remember right, Liz is single now. If you¡¯re nning to pursue her, you better make a move soon!¡± ¡°Well, that depends. Liz might not even be interested. Don¡¯t get ahead of yourselves.¡± ¡°Come on, Ethan¡¯s good-looking and has a great personality. Liz, what do you think? Maybe give him a chance?¡± Liz pressed her lips together in a faint smile and replied, ¡°I¡¯m focused on my career right now. When ites to love, I¡¯m just going to let things happen naturally.¡± She didn¡¯t dislike Ethan, but she didn¡¯t have feelings for him either. For now, being friends seemed like the best choice. Besides, she wasn¡¯t looking for a rtionship at the moment. Everyone at the table was old enough to read between the lines. It was clear she had gently turned him down, and a few people nced at Ethan with a hint of sympathy. Back in high school, it had been obvious to many that Ethan had a quiet crush on Liz. But he never got the chance to confess. He had dated someone briefly in college, but that ended quickly, and he hadn¡¯t been in a rtionship since. Ethan, however, didn¡¯t seem fazed. He chuckled and said, ¡°Come on, I¡¯m just being a thoughtful ssmate. If anyone else were sitting next to me, I¡¯d have done the same. Let¡¯s change the subject.¡± His light tone helped shift the mood, and soon the conversation moved on. As the drinks kepting, the atmosphere in the private room grew livelier. After a while, Liz stood up to head to the restroom, and Tammy went with her. Once they finished and were washing their hands, Tammy suddenly asked, ¡°Hey Liz, what do you think of Ethan?¡± Liz paused mid-rinse and looked over at her. ¡°That¡¯s a random question.¡± ¡°Not really. Back in high school, Ethan had a crush on you.¡± Liz pulled a paper towel from the dispenser and dried her hands. ¡°That was ages ago. For all we know, he¡¯s long over it.¡± Tammy gave a small smile. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it to me.¡± There was something off in her tone, and Liz frowned slightly but didn¡¯t say anything. Since arriving at the reunion, she had noticed that something between them felt different. It wasn¡¯t like it used to be. There was a quiet tension, as if something unspoken lingered beneath the surface. Just then, the click of high heels echoed behind them. ¡°Liz, Tammy, what are you two doing just standing here? You look like bathroom security.¡¯ The voice belonged to Jessica rk, their old student council rep. She had always been outspoken in high school, and clearly that hadn¡¯t changed. Her cheeks were flushed, and she walked with an unsteady wobble, clearly tipsy. Tammy stepped forward to steady her andughed. ¡°How much did you drink?¡± Jessica held up three fingers. ¡°Just three beers.¡± ¡°No wonder you¡¯re like this.¡± ¡°I could drink more.¡± ¡°All right. Do you need to use the restroom? I¡¯ll help you in.¡± She turned to Liz. ¡°Go ahead and head back. I¡¯ll bring her in once she¡¯s done.¡± Liz nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Instead of returning to the private room, she walked down to the end of the first-floor corridor and stopped by a window. She opened it slightly, letting the cool air in. Behind her, a low male voice called out. ¡°Liz?¡± She turned and saw Rick. A flicker of surprise crossed her face. She knew this hotel belonged to him, but hispany owned several properties. He usually didn¡¯t show up at every one. ¡°Mr. Cooper,¡± she said politely. Rick raised an eyebrow. ¡°We¡¯ve had dinner together more than a few times. No need to be so formal. Just call me Rick.¡± Reservation 51 Chapter 51 Liz kept her expression neutral. ¡°You¡¯re friends with Zac. He and I already broke up.¡± The message was clear. There was no reason for them to stay in contact, and whether they were on formal or informal terms no longer mattered. ¡°I¡¯m friends with him, but I¡¯m also friends with you.¡® Liz gave a faint smile. ¡°You¡¯re giving me too much credit, Mr. Cooper. I¡¯m really not in your league.¡± Sensing the distance in her voice, Rick smiled politely and chose not to press the matter. ¡°At the bar the other night, I forgot to ask something. Are you really finished with him? Completely?¡± Liz looked at him. ¡°We already broke up. Isn¡¯t that obvious enough?¡± Rick studied her calm, detached expression. ¡°But what if one day Zac realizes he made a mistake andes back? Would you take him back?¡± ¡°No.¡± She met his eyes with a steady gaze. ¡°Mr. Cooper, I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re asking me that. If you¡¯re worried I¡¯ll rum after Zac and beg him toe back, you don¡¯t need to be. I have more self¨Crespect than that.¡± Rick paused for a moment, clearly surprised. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. If I offended you, I apologize.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for an apology,¡± Liz said evenly. ¡°I just don¡¯t appreciate being tested. I¡¯ve got things to do, so if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± Without waiting for a response, she walked past him and left. Rick remained where he was, watching her walk away. He let out a quiet sigh. She was serious. She was truly done with Zac and had no intention of turning back. Just a few days earlier, Zac had been bragging over drinks, saying Liz would eventuallye crawling back to him. Rick couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Zac would do once he realized that Liz was really gone for good. By the time Liz returned to the private room, the reunion was wrapping up. Instead of ending the night there, the group had decided to head out for karaoke. Liz nced at the time. It was already close to ten o¡¯clock. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I think I¡¯ll head home,¡± she said. ¡°You all have fun.¡± Some of them tried to convince her to stay, but once they saw she had made up her mind, they let her go. After saying her goodbyes at the hotel entrance, Liz got into her car and drove home. B¨²t as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, Liz froze. Someone was sitting by her front door. The sight startled her at first. Then she saw who it was. It was Zac. Her brows drew together as she walked toward him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The smell of alcohol reached her before he even opened his mouth. Zac looked up at her, his eyes ssy and unfocused, his cheeks flushed with booze. +15 BONUS ¡°Liz, when did you change the door code? I tried so many times, but none of them worked.¡± He leaned his head back to look at her, his voice carrying a trace of hurt. Seeing him drunk and slumped outside her home, Liz¡¯s expression turned cold. She didn¡¯t argue or waste time. She simply pulled out her phone and called the police. The officers arrived quickly. After confirming what happened, they escorted Zac away. Back inside, Liz took a long, hot shower. Then she put on a movie, hoping to rx. Just as she was about to go to bed, a new message appeared on her phone. ¡°Calling the cops on me? That was cold, Liz.¡± So he had sobered up. She stared at the text for a second, then deleted it without responding. Meanwhile, in the back seat of a ck Maybach, Zac sat brooding. His face was grim as he stared at the message he had sent, still sitting there without a reply. Humiliation and frustration twisted inside him. He had been so drunk that he forgot he and Liz had already broken up. He had gone looking for her like nothing had changed. Instead of weing him back, Liz had called the police and had him hauled off to the station. Just thinking about it made his blood boil. Reservation 52 ¡°How could she treat me like that? How dare she?¡± he thought, his anger boiling over. Zac clenched his fists, furious. In that moment, he made up his mind. If Liz ever came back begging for another chance, he wouldn¡¯t make it easy for her. Beside him, Xena sat in silence, her head lowered, her expression unreadable. Neither of them spoke until the car pulled up outside her apartment building. Zac finally turned toward her.¡± Thanks for tonight.¡± Xena looked up, her face already softened into a gentle smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was happy to help,¡± ¡°You should go on up. I¡¯m heading back to my ce tonight¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She reminded the driver to go slow, then stepped out of the car. Smiling faintly, she watched Zac¡¯s car disappear down the road. But as soon as he was out of sight, her expression turned ice cold. She turned and headed inside the building, pulling out her phone. After a few rings, someone picked up. ¡°Start the n,¡± she said tly. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± She ended the call and slipped her phone back into her purse. A cold smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. The next morning, Liz had just woken up when she received a message from Tammy. ¡°Liz, after the reunionst night, Ethan was rear¨Cended on his way home. He¡¯s in the hospital now.¡± Liz froze for a moment, then immediately called her back. ¡°How is he? Is it serious?¡± ¡°He has a fractured right leg and a few scrapes and bruises. Nothing life¨Cthreatening, but the doctor said he¡¯ll need at least a month of rest.¡± Liz let out a breath of relief. ¡°As long as it¡¯s not life¨Cthreatening, Which hospital is he at? I¡¯ll head over now.¡± Tammy gave her the name and room number. Liz ended the call, quickly got ready, and drove straight to the hospital. Just as she reached the doorway to the room, she heard a sharp, angry voice from inside. ¡°Ethan, are you sure you¡¯re not going to tell Liz about this?¡± Liz stopped in her tracks. There was a pause, then Ethan¡¯s voice came through, sounding weak. ¡°This has nothing to do with her. I don¡¯t want to drag her into it.¡± The other person let out a coldugh. ¡°Nothing to do with her? If not for her, would you even be lying in this hospital bed?¡± Ethan¡¯s tone was weary. ¡°The police just gave us the ident report. You heard them. The road was slippery, and the driver couldn¡¯t brake in time. It was just an ident.¡± ¡°With Zac Lincoln¡¯s resources, faking a police report would be child¡¯s y.¡± ¡°His driver was the one behind the wheel. That doesn¡¯t mean he had anything to do with it. It¡¯s over now. Let it go. And don¡¯t bring it up again¨Cespecially not in front of Liz.) Right then, the door swung open. Both men turned toward the entrance, and their expressions shifted when they saw Liz standing there. Tyler¡¯s expression immediately darkened. His eyes held a sharp trace of displeasure as he looked at her. If it hadn¡¯t been for her, Ethan never would have gotten dragged into this mess. ¡°A slippery road andte braking? What a joke,¡± he scoffed inwardly. He didn¡¯t buy any of it. Only someone as kind as Ethan would believe a report like that. Ethan, on the other hand, looked mildly surprised for a moment, then managed a faint smile. His lips were pale, but he kept his voice light. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect word to travel so fast. Who told you I was here?¡± ¡°I just heard Tyler say the one who hit you was Zac¡¯s driver. Is that true?¡± Ethan¡¯s smile faltered slightly. After a pause, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t read too much into it. It really was just an ident. I don¡¯t think Mr. Lincoln had anything to do with it.¡± +15 BONUS Chapter 53 Reservation 53 Chapter 53 Liz nodded and didn¡¯t press any further. She stayed in the hospital room for a bit, then stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got something to take care ofter. You get some rest. I¡¯lle visit another day.¡± Ethan looked up at her. ¡°Alright. Be careful on your way back.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Liz turned and walked out. Just as she stepped through the doorway, she heard Tyler¡¯s annoyed voice from inside the room. ¡°See? And you didn¡¯t want me to tell her. Turns out she knows, and she doesn¡¯t even care.¡± ¡°Can you keep your voice down? I told you it was just an ident.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who thinks that!¡± Liz didn¡¯t stay to listen. She quickly walked away. Once she got in the car, she scrolled through her phone and pulled Zac¡¯s number out of her block list. Without hesitation, she hit call. After a few rings, he picked up. Zac¡¯s voice came through,ced with sarcasm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t keep up the act anymore? You called the cops on mest night, Liz. I¡¯m not letting that slide so easily this time.¡± ¡°Zac.¡± Liz took a deep breath and asked, slowly and clearly, ¡°Did you have anything to do with Ethan¡¯s car ident?¡± There was a short pause on the other end. Then Zac¡¯s voice returned¨Ccold enough to send a chill down anyone¡¯s spine. ¡°You unblocked me and called just to ask that?¡± ¡°Yes. So tell me. Did you have anything to do with it?¡± Zac let out a low, bitterugh. ¡°And if I did, what are you gonna do? Call the cops on me again?¡± When he saw her name pop up on his phone earlier, he actually thought she hade to her senses and was calling to make peace. He never expected it would be just to use him of causing Ethan¡¯s ident. If her goal was to piss him off, she definitely seeded. ¡°If you were involved, I won¡¯t forgive you.¡± Zac¡¯s breath caught for a second. A wave of anger surged through him. For some insignificant dared to say that to him. ¡°Unbelievable,¡± he thought. He let out a coldugh. ¡°Fine by me!¡± C she actually Before Liz could say another word, Zac hung up and mmed his phone down on the coffee table, scattering the cards in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m out. Not ying anymore,¡± he said coldly.¡± +15 BONUS His expression was stormy, and the tension in the room instantly thickened. Jeff raised an eyebrow. ¡°Seriously? It¡¯s just a woman. Why are you getting so worked up? I thought you said you didn¡¯t care about her anymore. ¡°Shut up.¡± Jeff had never been one to hold his tongue, and he wasn¡¯t about to start now. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, I don¡¯t get it. Do you care about her or not?¡± If Zac still cared, why was he messing around with Xena? But if he didn¡¯t care, why had he been walking around like someone owed him a million bucks ever since the breakup? Zac¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Of course I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Then why are you so angry?¡± Zac shot him a re. ¡°She called just to use me of something. Wouldn¡¯t that piss you off?¡± Jeff leaned back in his seat,pletely unfazed. ¡°If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t even have picked up.¡± But Zac had answered the second he saw her name on the screen. He didn¡¯t even hesitate, didn¡¯t care that they were in the middle of a game. For a moment, it felt like the old Zac was back¨Cthe one who used to treat Liz like she was everything. Sensing the mood shift, Rick quickly stepped in to break the tension. ¡°Alright, Jeff, give it a rest. We¡¯ve been ying cards all night. I¡¯m wiped. Let¡¯s call it.¡± ¤¬¤ó Reservation 54 Jeff didn¡¯t say anything else. He stood up and walked out, and the friend he brought with him followed close behind. In no time, only Rick and Zac were left in the room. Rick looked at Zac, who sat there with a cold expression, unmoving. ¡°Zac, I ran into Lizst night at Golden Crown Hotel.¡± Zac¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, but his voice remained cold. ¡°That has nothing to do with me. You don¡¯t need to bring it up.¡± ¡°I asked her if the breakup between you two was real. Want to guess what she said?¡± Zac nced at him and grabbed his phone from the table. ¡°Whatever she said doesn¡¯t matter to me, And you really don¡¯t need to tell me.¡± Rick gave a knowing smile and said calmly, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t care, or are you just afraid to hear something you don¡¯t want to hear?¡± Zac frowned, his eyespletely devoid of warmth. ¡°This is between me and her. Stay out of it.¡± ¡°I get it. I¡¯m just saying you should be honest with yourself¡± Rick replied gently. ¡°I¡¯ve only met Liz a few times, but I can tell that once she truly gives up on you, she won¡¯t look back.¡± If Zac turned around now, maybe there was still time to fix things. But if he kept fooling himself, thinking Liz was just throwing a tantrum and woulde back eventually, then by the time he realized she was really gone, it would be toote. The room went quiet again, filled only by the sound of their breathing. Zac didn¡¯t say another word. He got up and walked out. Meanwhile, outside the hospital, Liz didn¡¯t call Zac back after he hung up on her. She set her phone down and frowned slightly. After calming down, she started to wonder if the car ident really had been just an ident after all. Maybe Zac wasn¡¯t behind it. They had broken up, and he had no reason to go after Ethan With that thought, Liz pushed down her doubts and started the car, pulling away from the curb. By Monday morning, Liz had just arrived outside thew office building when she ran into Hunter. When he greeted her, she didn¡¯t recognize him at first. His previously silver¨Cgray hair had been dyed back to ck. He wore a tailored suit with a ck wool coat over it. Tall and lean, he had a fresh, youthful energy about him. Seeing her hesitate, Hunter raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Liz? Did you suddenly realize ck hair makes me even more charming?¡± Liz blinked, then smiled and nodded. ¡°It does look good. ck suits you.¡± gaze was purely appreciative. Youth really did have its appeal. No wonder Jane was always going on about wanting to date younger guys. They walked into the building together. With his sharp features and polished outfit, Hunter looked every bit the +15 BONUS part of a charming young professional. Several women nearby couldn¡¯t help sneaking nces at him, their expressions full of curiosity and interest. Hunter was used to the attention and didn¡¯t pay it much mind. A few minutester, the two of them entered thew firm. When she saw Hunter with ck hair and dressed so formally, Naomi nearly did a double take. She couldn¡¯t believe he actually followed through and dyed his hair. ¡°Good morning, Naomi!¡± Hunter greeted her with a bright smile. ¡°Morning¡­ your new look¡¯s actually really nice.¡± Hunter ran a hand through his hair and grinned. ¡°Thanks.¡± Once they settled at their desks, Hunter turned to Liz, looking eager. ¡°Liz, I finished reading all the case files you gave mest week. What do you want me to work on today? 1 She handed him a new stack of documents. ¡°Start with these this morning. If you finish them before lunch, I¡¯ll pull up a few trial recordings for you to study in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Hunter smiled, his eyes squinting slightly with excitement as he reached out to take the files from her hands. Reservation 55 When Naomi saw Hunter looking all obedient and polite, she could hardly believe her eyes. ¡°Was this really the same guy who¡¯d gotten into a shouting match with Warren in the office not long ago? Had he been possessed or something?¡± she wondered. After lunch, just as Liz was about to take a short break, her phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Shannon. Shannon¡¯s voice was trembling, on the verge of tears. Panic filled every word. ¡°Ms. Smith, Peter just followed me home¡­ and he took my daughter. He grabbed her and ran. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Liz¡¯s expression instantly darkened. ¡°Call the police first. Where are you right now?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m at home. He hit me. I¡¯m hurt¡­¡± ¡°Okay, I understand. Call the police right now. I¡¯ming over.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± As soon as she hung up, Liz grabbed her bag and rushed out of thew firm. Hunter quickly caught up. ¡°Liz, let mee with you.¡± She paused for a second, then nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± By the time they arrived at Shannon¡¯s ce, it was nearly two in the afternoon. Police officers were in the living room, taking Shannon¡¯s statement. Liz¡¯s brows furrowed the moment she saw the bruises on Shannon¡¯s face. She sat down beside her and introduced herself as Shannon¡¯s attorney, helpingplete the police report. Once the statement was finished, the police confirmed that Shannon had already filed for a restraining order to protect the child. They immediately headed to Peter¡¯s home to arrest and detain him. Liz then took Shannon to the hospital for a medical evaluation. On the way, Shannon couldn¡¯t hold back her worry. ¡°Ms. Smith¡­ since he forcibly took my daughter, does this increase my chances of getting custody?¡± ¡°Yes. Given that a restraining order was already in ce, Peter¡¯s actions are considered a serious vition. When the judge reviews the custody case, they¡¯ll take into ount whether his behavior could harm the child¡¯s emotional or physical wellbeing. Your chances of gaining custody are definitely stronger now.¡± Shannon nodded slowly. ¡°Okay¡­ I understand.¡± She lowered her head and said nothing more, but aplicated emotion flickered in her eyes. * After the exam, they had just stepped outside the hospital when a woman in her fifties suddenly charged at them. ¡°You bitch! You called the cops on my son?¡± Before anyone could react, she grabbed Shannon by the hair and pped her hard across the face¨Cagain and again. +15 BONUS Liz rushed in to pull her away, but ended up getting scratched several times in the struggle. The woman grew more aggressive, furious that Liz kept interfering, and suddenly swung at her too. There was no time to dodge. Just as the p was about tond, someone grabbed Liz by the arm and yanked her. back with force. She stumbled straight into Hunter¡¯s chest. The first thing she noticed was the firmness of his muscr frame, steady and warm beneath her touch. Then came the soft, citrus scent clinging to him. Her fingers curled before she even realized it. ¡°Liz, are you okay?¡± 1 She quickly stepped back and steadied herself. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go help her!¡± Hunter let go of her and moved fast, pulling the woman off of Shannon. Liz rushed over and helped Shannon to her feet. ¡°Ms. Wilson, are you alright?¡± Shannon¡¯s hair was a tangled mess, and her face was streaked with red marks. Combined with the earlier bruises, the injuries looked even more jarring. ¡°I¡¯m okay, Ms. Smith,¡± she said quietly. Then she looked at the woman Hunter was holding back and gave a cold, bitterugh. ¡°Your son deserved to be arrested. The court issued a protective order, and he still came to take my daughter. What he did was illegal. He¡¯s going to jail, whether you like it or not.¡± Reservation 56 Chapter 56 Shannon¡¯s words only fueled the woman¡¯s anger. Her emotions exploded, spiralingpletely out of control. ¡°You bitch, Shannon! My son should¡¯ve beaten you to death!¡± ¡°If he had, he¡¯d already be rotting in jail.¡± The woman screamed at the top of her lungs. ¡°This is outrageous! Somebodye take a look at this! How could my son have ended up with such a heartless woman? She cheated on him, got him arrested, and now she¡¯s keeping him from seeing his own child. How is this even fair?¡± Her voice was so loud it quickly drew a crowd of curious onlookers. Shannon, however, showed no fear. She stared her down with icy calm. ¡°Go ahead, shout louder. Make an even bigger scene. Rip off thest shred of your son¡¯s reputation. Let¡¯s see if he can still keep his job once this blows up.¡± The woman went silent immediately. A flicker of sarcasm crossed Shannon¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why aren¡¯t you screaming now?¡± The woman red at her with pure hatred. Her voice shook with rage as she spat out, ¡°Shannon, a woman like you, who disrespects her mother¨Cinw and has her own husband arrested, will get what she deserves one day.¡± Shannon¡¯s response was calm and cutting. ¡°The biggest punishment I¡¯ve ever received was marrying into your family and bing your son¡¯s wife.¡± The woman¡¯s face turned a deep, angry red. ¡°My son marrying someone like you was the worst thing to ever happen to our family. You just wait. I won¡¯t let this go. She violently pulled her arm out of Hunter¡¯s grip and stormed off, practically running like someone was chasing her. Shannon let out a coldugh as she watched her retreat. The moment her son¡¯s interests were threatened, the woman folded like a chicken with its neck snapped. She wentpletely silent. ¡°Ms. Wilson, you should really have that cut looked at,¡± Liz said softly. Shannon turned to her and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m alright, Ms. Smith. I want to go to the station and pick up my daughter first.¡± The police had called earlier to let her know she coulde and collect her child. ¡°It won¡¯t take long to treat the wound,¡± Liz said gently. Shannon gave her a faint smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have kids, Ms. Smith, so you probably wouldn¡¯t understand how urgent this feels.¡± Just thinking about her daughter¡¯s devastated face when Peter dragged her away made Shannon¡¯s heart ache as if it were being torn in two. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll drive you there.¡± ¡°Thank you. The crowd began to lose interest and slowly dispersed. As Liz turned toward the parking lot, Hunter called out to her. +15 BONUS ¡°Liz, let me drive Ms. Wilson. You should really get that scratch on your face looked at. She got you pretty badly earlier.¡± Only then did Liz remember the stinging pain on her cheek. With everything going on, she had barely noticed. But now the scratches were starting to burn. Shannon nced over and finally saw the angry red marks across Liz¡¯s pale skin. A wave of guilt rose in her chest. ¡°Ms. Smith, I¡¯m so sorry. I never meant to drag you into this.¡® ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault, Ms. Wilson,¡± Liz said gently. ¡°But I do rmend you stay with a friend or at a hotel for the time being. Somewhere safe, away from Peter and his family. It¡¯ll help protect both you and your daughter.¡± Shannon nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I understand.¡°. Liz handed her car keys to Hunter. ¡°Go ahead and take her. You do know how to drive, right?¡± ¡°I do,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ll drop her off and thene back to pick you up.¡± ¡°That works.¡± She turned to Shannon. ¡°He¡¯s my assistant. He¡¯ll take you to the station.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Shannon said softly. Reservation 57 After the two of them left, Liz turned and walked toward the outpatient clinic. She had barely taken a few steps when she noticed Zac standing not far away. He stood there with a cold expression, staring at her without the slightest warmth in his eyes. She had no idea how long he had been watching her. Liz lowered her gaze and pretended not to see him, quickening her pace toward the clinic. Just as she passed by him, he reached out and grabbed her arm. ¡°Liz, all you have to do is admit you were wrong. I¡¯ll pretend none of this ever happened. We can move forward with the wedding. Once you marry me, you won¡¯t have to work anymore, and you¡¯ll never have to deal with things like this again.¡± As he spoke, his eyes drifted to the scratch marks on her face, and his expression darkened. Liz yanked her arm free and said coldly, ¡°Save it.¡± A few scratches were nothingpared to the misery of marrying him, living with his cheating, and feeling disgusted for the rest of her life. Without another nce at him, she turned and walked away. Zac stood frozen, his eyes locked on her retreating figure, fury rising in his chest. He had already lowered himself and given her a chance toe back, yet she still didn¡¯t know what was good for her. If that was how she wanted it, then Zac would make sure she understood exactly what it meant. Without him, she was nothing. He pulled out his phone and called Chase. ¡°Starting today, I don¡¯t want Liz to receive a single new case,¡± he said, his voice cold and firm. After ending the call, he shot onest icy nce in the direction she had gone, then turned and walked away. * After getting her face treated and picking up her prescription, Liz sent a quick message to check if Hunter had made it to the station. Instead of texting back, Hunter called her directly. ¡°Liz, Ms. Wilson already picked up her daughter. I¡¯m on my way back to the hospital now.¡± ¡°Alright. Drive safe. There¡¯s no rush.¡± The police station was close to the hospital, and within ten minutes, Hunter had returned. On the way back, he couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. ¡°Liz, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re getting a little too involved in some of these cases? Take Ms. Wilson¡¯s situation, for example. Her daughter was taken but she could have just called the police. Instead, she contacted you, and you actually went there yourself. ¡°If every client expects that level of involvement, you¡¯ll burn yourself out.¡± +15 BONUS Liz nced over at him and responded calinly. ¡°Ms. Wilson is originally from out of town. In that moment, she probably panicked and didn¡¯t know who else to call. Aswyers, it¡¯s important that we work efficiently, but sometimes it also matters that we show a little humanity.¡® ¡°Alright,¡± Hunter said, letting the conversation drop. He didn¡¯t argue, but he clearly didn¡¯t agree. In his view, awyer¡¯s role was to follow the rules and uphold thew. Compassion had no ce in this profession. It only brought unnecessary emotional weight. To him, thew was created to maintain order, not to deliver fairness. Liz noticed the skepticism in his eyes. She gave a faint smile but chose not to say anything else. Everywyer had their own approach to practicingw. She didn¡¯t need him to think the way she did. In the end, what truly mattered was helping clients solve the problems they came to her with. Over the next few days, Hunter continued reading the case files Liz assigned him and also followed her to court to observe her in action. Liz had an intense schedule. Most days, she was out of the office handling cases, and sometimes she workedte into the night. By the end of the week, Hunter felt like his legs had been worn down from all the running around. On Friday evening, over dinner with Liz, he slumped in his chair,pletely spent. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. I had no idea being awyer was this demanding.¡± Reservation 58 Liz couldn¡¯t help butugh at him. ¡°You¡¯ve only been working for a week. You¡¯ll get used to it eventually.¡± Hunter let out a tired sigh and stayed quiet for a moment. Then he looked up and asked, ¡°Liz, has your workload always been this intense?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Not always. Sometimes it¡¯s even worse. There was a time I worked past midnight every day for an entire month.¡± Hunter stared at her in disbelief. ¡°Even on weekends?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get any time to yourself at all. Liz, are you such a workaholic that you¡¯ve never even been in a rtionship?¡± Liz froze for a second, her hand still in midair as she reached for another bite. A faint, unreadable look passed through her eyes. Before Zac had cheated on her, they used to set aside at least one day a week just to be together. Sometimes they would go for a walk. Other times, they would stay in, cook dinner, and watch a movie on the couch. It was ordinary, but warm andforting. After Xena came into the picture, things between her and Zac turned into constant arguments. Slowly, she began using work to escape the emotional mess. The more she worked, the less she had to think about the pain. Hunter noticed her silence and tilted his head, ¡°Hold on. That look on your face¨Cdon¡¯t tell me I was right.¡± Liz snapped out of it and looked at him. ¡°Of course I¡¯ve been in a rtionship. We broke up.¡± ¡°Oh. Got it.¡± ¡°You sound almost disappointed. What, did I not seem like someone who¡¯s ever dated?¡± Back in college, there were so many guys chasing her that the line could stretch from her dorm all the way to the front gate. ¡°No, no. You definitely look like someone who¡¯s dated. Honestly, you seem like the type who¡¯s had at least eight or ten boyfriends.¡± Liz burst outughing. ¡°Alright, enough of that. Eat your food, kid.¡± Hunter immediately frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid. I¡¯m twenty¨Ctwo, I could¡¯ve been married already if I wanted to.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. You¡¯re a big kid now. Happy?¡± Hunter gave her a look but didn¡¯t say anything. After dinner, Liz dropped Hunter off and was just about to head home when her phone rang. It was Jane. ¡°Liz, want to go out tonight? It feels like forever since west saw each other.¡± Liz thought about it for a moment. It really had been a while. She asked for the address and followed the GPS there. Meanwhile, in a private room tucked away in the far corner of the East wing on the second floor of an upscale lounge, Jeff leaned toward Zac once Xena stepped into the restroom. He could no longer hold back his curiosity. ¡°Zac, are you really serious about being with Xena?¡± Zaczily turned a Patek Philippe lighter in his hand and replied without much interest, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t be. It¡¯s just¡­ Xena doesn¡¯t have any background or social standing. Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s a bit out of ce in your circle?¡± Even though Liz had publicly severed ties with the Smith family, everyone still knew she was their real daughter. The one being favored now was just a fraud. When it came time to divide the family assets, Liz might end up with just as much as the imposter, if not more. Jeff had also heard that the Smiths were considering bringing her back into the family. If that happened, Liz¡¯s value and status would increase significantly. Walking away from the true Smith heiress to be with a girl from a rural background, someone with no connections or reputation, was not a choice any rational person would make. Even if Zac truly had no intention of getting back together with Liz, that didn¡¯t mean he needed to settle for someone so far beneath her. ¡°What¡¯s so hard to bring around? It¡¯s not like Xena¡¯s missing an arm or a leg,¡± Zac replied coolly. Jeff frowned. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m just saying, think this through. If you go through with this, you¡¯re closing the door on any chance of reconciling with Liz. I¡¯m just worried you¡¯ll regret it.¡± Reservation 59 Chapter 59 The moment the words left Jeff¡¯s mouth, Zac spoke coldly, ¡°She¡¯s the one who should regret it, not me. What do I have to regret? I gave her plenty of chances. She¡¯s the one who didn¡¯t appreciate them. What, am I supposed to swallow my pride and beg her?¡± Just thinking about all the chances he had given Liz after their breakup, and how she kept ying hard to get and refusing to budge, made his chest burn with frustration. It wasn¡¯t like he couldn¡¯t live without her. A flicker of surprise passed through Jeff¡¯s eyes. ¡°Wait, you actually tried to get back together with her? And she turned you down?¡± The second Jeff said that, Zac¡¯s hand suddenly tightened around the lighter he had been casually ying with. His expression turned dark and unreadable. ¡°You¡¯re serious? You really did that? So now you¡¯re with Xena just to get back at Liz?¡± Zac said nothing. His expression was grim, and the air around him felt ice¨Ccold. Jeff was genuinely shocked. He hadn¡¯t expected Zac to do something this childish just to spite Liz. Rick, who had been quietly listening, frowned deeply. ¡°Zac, doing this will only push Liz further away.¡± Zac didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°So what? It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t live without her.¡± Rick opened his mouth to say more, but at that moment, the door to the private room swung open and Xena walked in with a smile. Zac nced at her but said nothing. Xena walked over and sat beside him, her expression pleasant, though her hands under the table were clenched tightly. Downstairs, Liz parked her car and checked the room number Jane had sent. She got out and walked into the lounge. As soon as she entered the lobby, she saw staircases leading up to the second floor from all four directions. She took the nearest one and headed upstairs. It didn¡¯t take long to find Room 212. What she didn¡¯t notice was that there was a directionalbel in front of it. It was marked East 212. She knocked on the door. A voice from inside called, ¡°Come in,¡± and it sounded vaguely familiar. But she didn¡¯t think much of it and pushed the door open. ¡°Liz?¡± ? She looked up and immediately froze. Inside the room sat Zac and the others. Her brows furrowed with realizing. er Zac¡¯s eyes flickered when he saw her, but he quickly looked away, his gaze cold. She had imed she would nevere back to him, and yet it hadn¡¯t even been that long before she cracked. So much for keeping up the act. +15 BONUS Jeff raised an eyebrow. ¡°Liz, did you conte here to see Zac? Liz pressed her lips together and looked at him calmly. ¡°I must¡¯ve walked into the wrong room. Sorry to disturb you.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Zac stared at her coldly. ¡°Did you really walk into the wrong room, or are you just pretending?¡± The entire room fell silent. Every eye was on Liz. She was about to respond when her phone suddenly rang. Seeing Jane¡¯s name on the screen, she quickly picked up. ¡°Liz, where are you? We¡¯ve been waiting forever.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. Didn¡¯t you say you were in Room 212?¡± She was starting to suspect Jane had had too much to drink and given her the wrong room number. ¡°Yes, South 212¡­ oh shoot, I forgot to tell you. This ce has North, South, East, and West wings. You¡¯re supposed toe up the South staircase. Did you end up in the wrong 212?¡± Liz paused. ¡°Hello? Liz? Are you still there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ming now.¡± She ended the call and looked up. ¡°Sorry. I really did walk into the wrong room.¡± Without ncing at anyone else, she turned and walked out, leaving the room behind. Reservation 60 As Liz closed the door behind her, she nced up at the room number. Sure enough, the word ¡°East¡± was printed in front of it. She pressed her lips together and turned to leave. Back inside the private room, Jeff watched as Zac, his face dark and unreadable, continued downing drink after drink. He couldn¡¯t help speaking up. ¡°Zac, drinking that much will ruin your health. You should slow down.¡± Zac gave him a cold nce and said nothing. The tension radiating from him made it clear to everyone in the room that his mood had taken a serious turn. As he reached for the bottle again, a hand came down over his. ¡°Zac, you have an important meeting at eight tomorrow morning. You can¡¯t keep drinking like this.¡± Xena looked at him with her usual gentle smile, as if the awkward moment earlier had never happened. Jeff narrowed his eyes, watching her closely. Now he understood how she had managed to stay by Zac¡¯s side for three years. That kind of quiet endurance was rare. Zac didn¡¯t react. His voice was t. ¡°Let go.¡± }} Xena didn¡¯t flinch at the coldness in his tone. Instead, she spoke softly. ¡°If you insist on drinking, then I¡¯ll drink with you. One ss for one. One bottle for one.¡± She let go of his hand, picked up a freshly opened bottle of whiskey from the table, and tilted her head back, taking several gulps. Within seconds, she began coughing uncontrobly. She had never drunk anything this strong before. Just a few swallows sent her stomach into knots, and the whiskey spilled from the corner of her mouth down her chin and neck. Even so, the moment she caught her breath, she reached for the bottle again. Zac grabbed it from her and snapped, ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Give it to me. I want to drink.¡± He mmed the bottle down on the table, then stood and pulled her roughly into his arms. ¡°I¡¯m taking her home. You two finish up. Put everything on my tab.¡± Without waiting for a response, he wrapped an arm around Xena and walked out. Once the door closed behind them, only Jeff and Rick remained. Jeff finally spoke. ¡°I used to think Xena wasn¡¯t worth paying attention to. But after tonight, I get it. Now I see how she managed to stay by Zac¡¯s side for three years.¡± It was hard to say whether getting involved with a woman like her would be Zac¡¯s good luck or his downfall. Rick picked up his ss and took a slow sip, saying nothing +15 BONUS Meanwhile, in another private room, Liz had just walked in when Jane pulled her down onto the couch beside her. ¡°Finally, you¡¯re here,¡± Jane said with a relieved sigh. There were about seven or eight people in the room. Some were dancing, others were singing karaoke. A few of them were from Jane¡¯s usual circle¨Cpeople Liz had met once or twice before. After greeting everyone, Liz turned to Jane. ¡°So, what¡¯s the asion? Why is everyone here tonight?¡± ¡°Suzy Quinn is heading overseas for school. We just wanted to get together before she leaves.¡± ¡°And you invited me? I barely know anyone here.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve met most of them already. Besides, the more you hang out, the more familiar it¡¯ll feel. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± Liz looked down slightly and said softly, ¡°I don¡¯t really belong in this crowd anymore. I¡¯m not part of the Smith family now.¡± Jane rolled her eyes. ¡°Come on. I don¡¯t believe for a second that your parents are really done with you for good.¡± Liz gave a bitter smile. ¡°It doesn¡¯t even matter anymore. When I agreed to cut ties with them, it wasn¡¯t just because of Zac.¡± Jane let out a long sigh. ¡°Your parents seriously need help. They treat a fake like royalty and toss their real daughter aside like trash. I honestly don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in their heads.¡± The more she thought about how Liz had been treated after returning to the Smith family, the angrier she became. They had treated her barely better than a stray. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it,¡± Liz said gently. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now. No point getting upset over it.¡± Reservation 61 Chapter 61 Jane hesitated for a moment, about to say something, but one of her friends suddenly called her over. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. You go ahead and hang out for a bit.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± +15 BONUS After Jane left, Liz sipped a few sses of fruit wine. Her head started to feel a little fuzzy, so she found a quiet spot to rest for a while. She hadn¡¯t nned on falling asleep, but before she knew it, she had dozed off. By the time she woke up, the private room was still buzzing with music andughter. ncing at her phone, Liz saw that it was already past eleven. She had been asleep for over an hour. Since Jane didn¡¯t seem anywhere near done for the night, Liz waved to let her know she was heading out and quietly slipped away. As she stepped outside the lounge, she was surprised to see snowkes drifting down from the sky. A spark of joy lit up her eyes. Winters in Stanley City were bitterly cold, but it rarely ever snowed. In all her years growing up, she could only remember it happening once or twice. She stood at the entrance, gazing up at the falling snow as she waited for her driver. A soft smile yed on her lips. From the second¨Cfloor balcony of a private suite, a tall man stood by the window, silently watching her from above. His face was half¨Cshrouded in darkness, but the sharp lines of his features and the cold,manding air around him were still unmistakable. Suddenly, a curious voice spoke from behind. ¡°William, what are you looking at?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± He turned slightly, blocking the other person¡¯s view. ¡°Tch. So secretive.¡± The other man pretended to walk away with him, but then quickly doubled back and ran over to the balcony, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever had grabbed William¡¯s attention. But all he saw was the tail end of a car pulling away and the now¨Cempty front entrance of the lounge. Disappointed, he muttered, ¡°Seriously? I thought you were checking out some girl. But you were just staring at the front door? What¡¯s so interesting about that?¡± William raised an eyebrow. ¡°I already told you it was nothing. You¡¯re the one who wouldn¡¯t let it go.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± By the time Liz got home, it was nearly midnight. While showering, she suddenly remembered that next Sunday was Jane¡¯s birthday. She decided she would head to the mall the next morning to pick out a gift. When she woke up and opened the window, the city outside had transformed into a winter wondend. Thick snow nketed the roads and sidewalks, and it looked like the snowfall overnight had been heavy. Several snowmen dotted thewn below. Children wereughing and chasing each other through the snow, their excited shrieks ringing through the cold air. Watching them bundled up in their coats, running freely across thewn, Liz felt her own mood lift without even realizing it. By the time she finished breakfast and got dressed, it was already past ten. She wrapped a thick cashmere scarf around her neck, pulled on a hat and earmuffs, and headed out. She drove to thergest shopping mall in Stanley City, parked in the underground lot, and took the elevator up to the third floor. She walked straight toward a jewelry store in the northeast corner. Jane had always loved diamond jewelry, so Liz usually bought her either a ne, bracelet, or pair of earrings each year. As soon as she stepped inside, a friendly sales associate approached with a warm smile. ¡°Hi there, wee. Are you looking for anything in particr today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of getting either earrings or a bracelet.¡± ¡°Of course. Right this way.¡± Liz followed her through the store. But just as they turned a corner, she froze. Not far ahead, at a case filled with engagement rings, sat Zac and Xena. Xena was holding a ring in her hand, speaking to him in a low voice. Zac was smiling as he looked at her, his expression soft and full of affection, not bothering to hide it one bit. When she woke up and opened the window, the city outside had transformed into a winter wondend. Thick snow nketed the roads and sidewalks, and it looked like the snowfall overnight had been heavy. Several snowmen dotted thewn below. Children wereughing and chasing each other through the snow, their excited shrieks ringing through the cold air. Watching them bundled up in their coats, running freely across thewn, Liz felt her own mood lift without even realizing it. By the time she finished breakfast and got dressed, it was already past ten. She wrapped a thick cashmere scarf around her neck, pulled on a hat and earmuffs, and headed out. She drove to thergest shopping mall in Stanley City, parked in the underground lot, and took the elevator up to the third floor. She walked straight toward a jewelry store in the northeast corner. Jane had always loved diamond jewelry, so Liz usually bought her either a ne, bracelet, or pair of earrings each year. As soon as she stepped inside, a friendly sales associate approached with a warm smile. ¡°Hi there, wee. Are you looking for anything in particr today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of getting either earrings or a bracelet.¡± ¡°Of course. Right this way.¡± Liz followed her through the store. But just as they turned a corner, she froze. Not far ahead, at a case filled with engagement rings, sat Zac and Xena. Xena was holding a ring in her hand, speaking to him in a low voice. Zac was smiling as he looked at her, his expression soft and full of affection, not bothering to hide it one bit. Reservation 62 Liz didn¡¯t really want to interact with them. She paused, about to call over a sales associate to say she woulde backter. But before she could speak, Xena, who was trying on rings, suddenly looked up at her, as if sensing something. Her fingers tightened around the ring. The sharp edges bit into her skin. Jeff¡¯s words from the night before echoed in her mind. They weren¡¯t exactly painful, but they pricked at her like a splinter she couldn¡¯t shake. She hadn¡¯t been lucky enough to be born into the right family like Liz. But in every other way, she didn¡¯t think she was any less. And yet, even Zac¡¯s friend had spoken about her with that same dismissive tone. Like she wasn¡¯t worth mentioning. She would prove them all wrong. She would show everyone she was just as good as Liz Smith. Lowering her gaze, Xena quicklyposed herself, then offered a sweet smile. ¡°Ms. Smith, what a coincidence. Are you here to shop for rings too?¡± Zac followed her gaze and spotted Liz standing a few feet away. He immediately remembered her cold expression outside the hospital. He also thought of how foolish he had been to hope she still cared. His face darkened. Liz nced at him for only a second before looking away, her expression unreadable. Xena¡¯s smile stiffened. Her fingers were now white from how tightly she still clutched the ring. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, do you think Ms. Smith doesn¡¯t like me?¡± she asked in a low voice. ¡°Every time I greet her, she ignores me.¡± Zac looked down at her and said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. Let¡¯s just focus on what we came for.¡± Xena nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± A nearby sales associate nced between the two women. ¡°Do you two know each other?¡± Jewelry sales came withmission, and in situations like this, colleagues often tried to poach each other¡¯s clients. Liz replied coolly, ¡°No, we don¡¯t.¡± The associate didn¡¯t push further and led her to a disy of bracelets. After browsing for a few minutes, Liz¡¯s eyesnded on a piece inspired by stars. Tiny diamond¨Cstudded stars were scattered across a delicate chain. Under the light, they shimmered like constetions. It was breathtaking and beautiful. She was just about to ask the associate to wrap it up when a sickly sweet voice chimed in beside her. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, I really like that star bracelet too. Zac looked over at the tray in front of the associate. When his eyes fell on the bracelet sparkling under the lights, his face dimmed. He remembered another star bracelet just like it¨Cthe one he had given Liz for her birthday. She used to treasure +15 BONUS it, always polishing it carefully before putting it away. But that day in the bridal boutique, she had the shop assistant throw it out, just to spite him. His expression turned even colder. Xena noticed his silence. She bit her lip and gently tugged on his sleeve. ¡°Mr. Lincoln¡­¡± Snapping out of it, he looked at her and smiled softly. ¡°If you like it, ask the associate to wrap it up.¡± The associate hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. All of our pieces are one¨Cof¨Ca¨Ckind. We only carry one of each design.¡± Xena¡¯s gaze shifted to Liz. ¡°Ms. Smith, I really love this bracelet. Would you mind letting me have it?¡± Liz smiled faintly. It was clear she had no intention of backing down. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand how ¡®firste, first served¡® works? Just because you like something doesn¡¯t mean others are obligated to hand it over.¡± Xena¡¯s smile froze. She looked to Zac, her eyes full of hurt. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said softly. ¡°If Ms. Smith won¡¯t give it up, then forget it. Let¡¯s just go.¡± Zac turned to Liz. His voice was sharp. ¡°Name your price. I¡¯ll buy it from you.¡® Liz nodded calmly. ¡°Sure. Two hundred million. Then she can have it.¡± The moment she said it, both of their faces fell. ?? The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!