Chapter forty-five

Last night, Zoe drank cocktails initially attracted by their flavor and low alcohol content, but she ended up having one too many and got drunk.

However, during the intimate encounter, she was fully conscious.

It was her first time, and she was a little scared.

Moreover, she wasn't exactly gentle either, and he basically handled her quite roughly.

As a result, she's feeling sore all over now.

She tried to withdraw her leg, but Nick grasped it again, rubbing it in his palm while narrowing his eyes. "I've ordered breakfast from Jade Terrace, but first, have some milk," he said.

With that, Nick released one hand to hold the glass of milk and offered it to her.

Zoe was indeed thirsty. She took the milk and drank it, head bowed.

Once her throat was soothed, she again tried to withdraw her leg. "I want to sleep some more," she said.

Nick: Okay, I'll sleep with you.

Although Zoe remained silent and didn't express much, Nick could sense her fear.

He tugged his bathrobe and sat on the bed.

Zoe instinctively moved to the side.

Nick pretended not to notice, pulled back the covers, dragged her into his embrace, and hugged her tightly.

Firmly, forcefully.

Zoe could smell the scent of soap on him. She was only wearing panties, and her body also carried a faint fragrance similar to his. It seemed that before she passed out last night, he had cleaned her up.

It was just that area, which was now swollen and uncomfortable.

Two hours passed again in their sleep.

Nick woke up first, with sunlight slanting in through the window.

Zoe was lying on her side, her hand curled up against her chest, her body curled like a shrimp on her back, her ears slightly pink.

After those two hours, her back, waist, chest, collarbone, and other areas bore traces of kisses—deep and shallow. Nick reached out with his fingertips, touched Zoe's collarbone, then leaned down to kiss those marks, his tongue lightly licking them.

He smiled, a satisfied smile on his lips.

After admiring Zoe's body for a while, he finally got up and left the bed.

He canceled the breakfast order from Jade Terrace and lazily picked up his phone to order lunch instead.

Zoe woke up again at half past twelve.

She looked out the window, sat up, and finally regained her full senses.

She felt much more lucid than in the morning. She pulled back the covers and got off the bed.

As soon as she stepped onto the carpet, her knees gave way, and she knelt down.

Looking down, she saw bruises on her knees from last night's roughness.

Zoe trembled as she stood up, leaning on the bedside table. She took the dress hanging on the coat rack and struggled to put it on.

After tidying up in the bathroom, she came out.

She opened the bedroom door. The study was next to it, and she could hear the sound of typing. Glancing at it, she headed towards the living room.

After sitting on the sofa for a while, the doorbell rang.

Zoe instinctively stood up.

Nick, wearing a black shirt and trousers, walked out. Seeing her, he quickened his pace, came to Zoe, and pressed his forehead against hers. "Awake?" he asked.

"Feeling better?"

Zoe met his narrow eyes and hummed in affirmation.

Nick curved his lips into a smile and playfully touched her earlobe with his finger. "That's good, let's have lunch then."

Saying that, he stood up and opened the door.

The delivery person handed him the takeout boxes, which he carried inside and placed on the coffee table.

Young Master Nick personally unpacked the chopsticks and spoon, handing them to Zoe.

The meal consisted of porridge, dim sum, and a couple of side dishes.

All were dishes familiar to Zoe, as they were often cooked by her grandmother.

As they ate lunch, Nick's phone rang.

He answered it, pinched a piece of vegetable and placed it near Zoe's lips before listening to the caller.

It was probably work-related.

Nick lowered his eyes and lazily responded, "Hold on, I'm coming."

Zoe glanced at Nick. After he hung up, he offered her another piece of meat, but Zoe shook her head, "I'm full."

"That's not much."

He withdrew the meat and ate it himself.

Zoe still felt a bit under the weather, leaning back on the sofa with a listless expression.

Nick glanced at her, reached out to hug her waist, and pulled her close, "I have to go out for a while, you rest."

Zoe hummed in agreement.

Nick lifted her chin, kissed her, and tried to caress her waist.

Zoe flinched and pushed him away, "It hurts."

Nick raised an eyebrow and withdrew his hand.

He tidied up the takeout boxes and bags on the coffee table, carrying them out to dispose of them.

Upon returning, he bent down to grab the remote control, turned on the TV for Zoe, placed a tablet in her lap, and then grabbed his car keys to leave.

Zoe sprawled on the sofa, listening to the sound of the TV.

She took out her phone, found the store manager's number, and intended to call.

However, just as she picked up the phone, it rang.

Zoe immediately answered it.

The store manager's voice sounded oddly strained, "Zoe, your mother is causing a scene with our server. Aren't you coming today?

Please come and handle it."

Originally, Zoe intended to tell the store manager that she would leave in the afternoon and arrive at night.

But who knew that Lindsay would cause trouble at this time. Ignoring her own discomfort, Zoe sat up straight and said, "Okay, I'm coming now."

She didn't want to see Lindsay at all, but she couldn't let her disturb the store manager.

The store manager grunted in agreement and hung up on Zoe's call. Zoe stood up and left immediately, phone in hand.

There were buses and of course, high-speed trains from Haishi to Dongshi. Zoe had bought a high-speed train ticket last night, but it was now unusable. She had no choice but to take the bus. Before leaving, she went home first, changed out of her dress into a thin sweater and jeans, packed a small bag with daily essentials, and rushed downstairs.

Fortunately, bus tickets were readily available, with a bus leaving every fifteen minutes. Zoe quickly boarded one. She hugged her arms, leaned against the window, and felt extremely sleepy.

She couldn't even remember what time she had fallen asleep last night. Zoe felt both scared and a little embarrassed. She rubbed her phone, intending to send a message to Nick, but discovered that her phone was out of battery. She had forgotten her power bank.

Boarding the bus at 1:30 pm, Zoe arrived in Dongshi at 3:30 pm. Dongshi was a third-tier city, but its environment was quite pleasant, not far behind Haishi in terms of cleanliness.

After getting off the bus, she had to take a taxi to reach the restaurant. Zoe didn't go straight in but stood across the street, watching from a distance. Lindsay was inside the restaurant, talking to the store manager. It was evident that both of them looked unhappy.

The store manager seemed very impatient, pushing back her chair and getting up to leave. Zoe felt embarrassed and disheartened. She crossed the street, walked around the restaurant, and entered through the kitchen. As soon as she stepped in, she encountered the store manager.

The store manager's face was dark, but upon seeing Zoe, she immediately grabbed her arm. "What's going on now? She just fought with our server and then me, insisting on seeing the ledger. She said she wouldn't leave until she sees it. We were on the verge of a fight. I've never seen such a shameless person."

Zoe pressed her lips together for a moment before saying, "Store manager, do you still have the contract my grandmother signed with you?"

"Yes," the store manager nodded. "How could we not have it?"

Zoe said, "Good. Then draft a contract now. I want to sell you my grandmother's shares."

"What?" The store manager was surprised. "That's not possible, Zoe. Your grandmother told us clearly before she passed away that if the restaurant couldn't stay afloat, we'd all fail together, but if it could survive, we must leave you a share. At least to give you a sense of security."

Zoe's eyes reddened as she took a deep breath and said, "Then draft a fake one."

She had no intention of easily giving up what her grandmother had left behind. Keeping it, even if it didn't generate any income, gave her a sense of connection and comfort.

"Fake? Alright, since you're here, you can decide."

The store manager led Zoe upstairs to the restaurant's small office. The store manager's husband, who had some knowledge of contracts, sifted through the previous contract and selected the relevant clauses. Zoe then drafted the contract herself, using the seal that her grandmother had left her.

In about half an hour, a share transfer contract was ready.

The store manager held it up to look, then hesitated. "The price you've set is too low, isn't it?"

Zoe removed the seal's cap, her lips curling into a cold smile. "I want her to know that even if I sell it at a low price, I won't give her a single cent."

The store manager, seeing the redness in Zoe's eyes, reached out to pat her head affectionately. She knew that Zoe was holding back her emotions, unsure how long she could maintain this tough exterior.

After stamping their respective seals and signing the contract, it was complete. If not for the agreement that it was fake, the contract would have been legally binding.

With the contract in hand, Zoe walked downstairs. As she approached the counter, she saw Lindsay's profile, sipping tea with her usual elegance. Her movements were the same, but her heart had long changed.

Zoe felt a pang in her chest as she stepped out from behind the counter and sat down across from Lindsay, her expression blank.

Lindsay looked up at Zoe, surprised. "Yi Yi? When did you get here?"

Zoe didn't respond, nor did she call her mother. She placed the contract in front of Lindsay and said, "I've sold my shares in the restaurant. From now on, I have no connection to it."

"What do you mean?"

Lindsay couldn't believe it, and her teacup clattered onto the table.

Zoe lowered her voice, a chill in her eyes, "Yes, I took the money and transferred my shares."

"And at a low price too."

Lindsay grabbed the contract, flipping through it and seeing the price, her face paled. "You sold it for such a little amount? Zoe, just to keep me from getting the money, you're wasting your grandmother's hard work like this."

Zoe leaned back in her chair, her fingertips trembling slightly. She stared coldly at Lindsay's outburst.

A few minutes later, a slap hit Zoe's face hard.

Lindsay grabbed her small bag, pointing at Zoe, "I should have been more ruthless back then and taken everything your grandmother left you."

After saying that, she turned and left.

Zoe didn't dodge the slap, perhaps, she didn't really try to.

This was the first time Lindsay had hit her.

Before, when her father was still alive, she would never have done so.

Zoe thought.

It's so cold.

Seeing Lindsay leave, the store manager rushed over, her voice filled with concern, "Why are you so stubborn? Why did you let it get so tense..."

Zoe wiped her face and said, "For the first time, I feel like I did the right thing."

The store manager hurriedly helped her up, "Let's go upstairs and rest."

"Thank you."

As Zoe walked upstairs, she felt dizzy, and her body felt hot.

She took out her phone and charged it on the second floor. A few minutes later, the phone turned on.

A call suddenly came in.

Zoe looked at the screen.

It was Nick.

She answered it.

On the other end, Nick's voice was as cold as ice, tinged with fury, "Where are you?"