Chapter 11

In the past, if Adrian had seen Claire like this—eyes red with tears, voice trembling—he would’ve softened immediately and tried to comfort her.But now, he didn’t have the energy.His expression was cold, his presence sharp and heavy with tension.“Claire,” he said quietly, “I’m really tired. Can you please not do this right now?”Claire’s eyes filled with tears. Her voice cracked in disbelief.“You used to be so patient with me. You always comforted me when I cried. And now? You won’t even say a word?“Wasn’t it always our dream to be together forever? But ever since Zoey showed up, everything’s changed.”Adrian’s jaw tightened, his voice clipped.“This has nothing to do with Zoey. I just… I can’t even recognize you anymore.“The Claire I knew was kind. The girl who rescued stray animals, who had a good heart. But now? You’ve hurt Zoey over and over—like you’re trying to destroy her. And no matter how many times I asked you to stop… you never did. I don’t even know who you a

Chapter 12

In Milan, Zoey was finally reunited with her parents, just as she had hoped.When Mr. and Mrs. Landon learned everything she had been through, they were furious—ready to hop on the next flight back just to avenge her.But Zoey reached out and stopped them.Mrs. Landon looked at her, heart aching.“Zoey… don’t tell me you still have feelings for Adrian?”Zoey shook her head.“No, Mom. To me, what happened feels like a scar. And bringing it up now is like ripping the scab off all over again.“I don’t want anything to do with the Spencer family. The farther away, the better.“But don’t worry—if Claire ever tries to hurt me again, I won’t stay silent. I’ll take legal action without hesitation.”Mrs. Landon sighed in defeat.“Fine, fine… you’re grown up now. We can’t tell you what to do anymore.“But your love life? That, we are going to step in on. We’ve already picked out several young bachelors from top families—all better than that Adrian guy. You have to meet them.”Zoey ga

Chapter 13

After hearing this, her friend didn't say much more, just sighed. "I almost thought you were going to get your happy ending. What a shame.""There's nothing to feel sorry about. Maybe I shouldn't have held onto those fantasies from the beginning. This outcome... I guess I deserve it."After chatting with her friend for a few more minutes, Zoey hung up.The next morning, Zoey put on a business suit and went to Landon Group.When she arrived at the company entrance, a row of security guards shouted in unison, "Good morning, Ms. Landon!"Zoey nodded slightly, still getting used to the formality.When she reached her office and looked out at the distant scenery, Zoey truly felt what power meant for the first time.She was determined to work hard and not disappoint her parents' expectations.Fortunately, her university major was finance-related, so reviewing company documents wasn't too difficult.Zoey spent the entire morning handling company affairs, only getting a chance to brea

Chapter 14

Zoey had once said she would never date a close friend—it would be too awkward because they knew each other too well.But after spending a month with Lucas, Zoey was proven completely wrong.Her relationship with Lucas had heated up rapidly over the past month, and with both sets of parents' encouragement, they had successfully gotten engaged.That evening, Zoey was walking hand in hand with Lucas outside the villa, the air thick with romantic tension.Just as their lips were about to touch, a figure rushed forward and separated them."Zoey, who is this man?" Adrian's eyes were bloodshot, filled with hurt.His voice carried an accusatory tone. Zoey's response was cold and distant."It's none of your business. We broke up."Upon hearing this, Adrian looked at Zoey in disbelief.He had searched for Zoey for an entire month, and the moment he learned she was in Milan, he rushed over without stopping.He hadn't slept a wink on the plane, imagining countless scenarios of how Zoey

Chapter 15

After saying this, Zoey left without looking back at Adrian, who stood there in shock.She was truly exhausted. Seeing Adrian again, her heart no longer raced—there was only calm.After ninety-nine times, her heart could no longer be stirred.For the next few days, Adrian didn't try to find her.Until company employees were huddled around their phones discussing a trending news story."Oh my God, isn't this the heir to that major corporation? How did he end up in such a terrible crash?!"Zoey went over to see what the fuss was about and discovered the person in the photo on their phones was none other than Adrian, whom she hadn't seen in days.Zoey hurried back to her office and pulled out her phone to watch the trending video.In the video, Adrian lay in the driver's seat of a luxury car, his head covered in blood. Rescue workers eventually managed to get him onto a stretcher.Lying on the stretcher with blood on his lips, he struggled to speak to the camera, "I'm... I'm... s

Chapter 16

Both Zoey's and Adrian's eyes widened in shock, and Adrian mouthed "no" to Claire in the driver's seat.Just as Zoey and Adrian fearfully closed their eyes, Claire spotted Adrian in the passenger seat.At the moment of impact, she swerved the wheel and crashed solidly into a tree instead.A loud bang echoed, but Zoey felt no pain in her body.She opened her eyes in confusion to find Claire's car completely wrecked, with Claire unconscious in the driver's seat.After this incident, Claire was rushed to the hospital by ambulance.While she lay unconscious in the hospital, Zoey had already gathered evidence to submit to the authorities.Adrian stopped her at this moment."What, you want me to cover for her again?"A flicker of discomfort crossed Adrian's face as he spoke quietly."No, I was hoping you might consider asking for a lighter sentence. After all, all the harm you both suffered was because of me."Zoey sighed and replied, "Fine."Despite how extreme and cruel Claire