Chapter 143

In Jiangyu, anyone who knew the Jian family would also know that Zoya and Lily did not get along. The story about Selena and Edmond that Zhang Zhen told was one of heartbreak and betrayal. The gist of it was that Selena and Edmond had made a pact: when Selena turned thirty, Edmond would marry her. But now, with Selena's thirtieth birthday approaching next year, Edmond had changed his mind and married Lily instead.

Zoya loved this story.

So, as a gesture of reciprocity, she shared with Zhang Zhen a tale she thought she'd like—a story about Lily, Royce, and Nadia.

Zhang Zhen acted quickly. The next day, she asked Zoya if she knew of any reliable people who could help Selena stage a scene. Zoya assumed that someone like Zhang Zhen, a seasoned agent in the entertainment industry, would be trustworthy, so she didn't ask too many questions. She was preoccupied at the time, talking with Leopold, who had just agreed to marry Wang Niannian. Distracted by her frustration, she didn't probe further. She did have a reliable contact and passed along the phone number to Zhang Zhen.

What Zoya didn't anticipate was Zhang Zhen's stupidity.

Too eager for quick results, Zhang Zhen went straight for an extreme tactic—attempted rape on the first try, wasting four of Zoya's men in the process.

When Zoya called her, Zhang Zhen complained, "I might've been too hasty, but Selena was about to leave, and we didn't have time. We couldn't afford to offend Director Mei, and with filming still needing two more months, I had to make a move. Next time, Lily might already have a child, and Edmond would be even more protective of her."

"I'm not stupid; I didn't tell them to actually go through with it in broad daylight. I knew Lily had trauma from being sold to the mountains before, so I just wanted to scare her. But those guys, they found her attractive, and after drinking a bit, they actually tried something. If the driver hadn't arrived in time, I'd have been terrified too."

"You only gave me the fat guy's number, so I called him. I just wanted him to go in and scare her. But then the other three, when they heard a big star was involved, insisted on tagging along for the excitement."

"They went in for the excitement, and then they really tried something. The worst part is, they hurt Selena's face. I'm so angry I don't even know where to vent."

Zoya was also furious. The men were compromised, the plan failed, and now she had to clean up the mess.

Lily had filed an attempted rape report, so criminal reconciliation was out of the question. Edmond immediately had Octavian hire a lawyer, and Zoya didn't dare act under Edmond's watchful eye. Those men were definitely going to serve three years in prison, and all she could do was ensure they didn't talk.

At that time, Zoya had just finished a business trip and was preparing to return. She had told Leopold she was attending a wedding, but in reality, she was dealing with this issue.

After all, she and Zhang Zhen were now stuck in this mess together.

Then there was Selena. From what Zhang Zhen had said, Selena hadn't given up on Edmond.

Zoya was eagerly awaiting Selena's return.

…Down the steps of the parking lot, there was a bench for passersby to rest. Lily and Zoya sat there.

Zoya was the first to speak.

"You're angry, aren't you? When I first found out you married Edmond, I was speechless with rage, just like you are now."

Half a crescent moon hung in the sky.

Lily stared silently ahead, completely quiet.

Zoya followed her gaze.

"Back when Edmond had his car accident and you saved him, you must have known there was someone else in the driver's seat, right?"

"That person was named Su Cheng. That car accident was caused by Edmond's older brother, and Su Cheng died because of Edmond."

"Selena is Su Cheng's younger sister."

"Edmond is the man behind Selena, the one who's been supporting her all these years."

Lily's phone rang. It was Edmond calling. She looked down at the screen, where the word "Husband" was displayed, and remembered something.

On the last day of August, when she was photographing Misha for Win, Alistair had shown up with Misha at the studio, and that night, she had complained to Edmond about it. When they talked about how Alistair wanted to take care of Misha for the rest of her life, she had said that no woman could tolerate such a situation.

Edmond's reaction at the time had been strange.

He had urgently asked, "Even if there's no love? Alistair doesn't love Misha; he's just trying to make up for something. Doesn't that count for something?"

"Make up for something…" Lily realized that Edmond had been talking about himself then.

So, he felt he should take care of Selena for the rest of his life? That night, he had clearly said he could get Selena's autograph for her. They had discussed it, but then he denied it, saying he didn't know any celebrities and couldn't get an autograph.

It turned out everything had an explanation. He really did know Selena.

He was afraid she'd find out.

Lily didn't rush to answer the phone. She turned to Zoya.

"Edmond didn't tell me anything, whatever his reasons, because he was afraid I'd find out. If I tell him now that you told me this, what do you think will happen?"

Zoya had already considered the consequences.

"He won't let me off, but so what? Your brother will protect me. No matter what I've done or who I've offended, your brother will stand up for me."

She smiled fearlessly.

"If you want your brother to go head-to-head with Edmond, if you want to ruin your brother, go ahead and snitch."

Lily wasn't surprised by her response.

What intrigued her was another matter. "You're not that stupid. Knowing your temperament, you wouldn't act on impulse tonight. Why did you kiss Leopold tonight?"

Zoya didn't respond.

Why? Impulse is a devil. She didn't want to admit it, but when Leopold was about to finalize his marriage to Wang Niannian, her mind completely lost control.

At that moment, she had only one thought: keep Leopold.

This terrible impulse could only mean one thing—she loved Leopold, though she didn't want to admit it.

But indeed, seeing Edmond and Lily together only made her jealous; she just wanted to tear them apart. She thought a man like Edmond should belong to her.

But seeing Leopold with another woman drove her crazy. The thought of him marrying someone else made her feel sharp, stabbing pain.

She had lost her mind.

One moment of insanity, and she was ruined.

Her mind was still off tonight, so much so that she was sitting here, calmly chatting with Lily.

It only showed that Leopold's impact on her was beyond what she could comprehend.

…After Zoya left, Lily answered Edmond's call.

She gave him directions to find her, then hung up.

The September night breeze carried a hint of chill. Lily pulled her shoulders in, her gaze sweeping over the vibrant cityscape—the bustling streets, the hurrying cars, the pedestrians strolling leisurely or rushing along…and then Edmond, emerging from the shadows in a black shirt and pants.

He was an impressive man. Even under the dim streetlights, he looked like a statue of a god, his aura so overwhelming that it was impossible to look away.

Lily suddenly wanted to bask in his divine presence.

As Edmond approached, she stood up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and leaned into him. Edmond instinctively held her in his arms.

Lily spoke first. "Is the gathering in the private room over?"

Edmond's hands remained around her waist. "Yes, everyone's gone."

The dinner party had started with excitement and ended in bloodshed.

Before entering the private room, Leopold had stopped Wang Niannian, who agreed not to mention Zoya, but only if he resolved their marriage situation and took responsibility for the anger of both families.

So, when the people in the room were surprised to see Wang Niannian's eyes swollen from crying, Leopold spun a tale that made everyone furious.

"I ran into a friend earlier and chatted casually. When I talked about Miss Wang, I said I was marrying her because of the Wang family backing her. She's short-lived, and when she dies early, I'll be able to take control of the Wang family's bank, and after she's gone, I can marry someone else."

"Miss Wang happened to overhear and couldn't handle it."

Such blunt words didn't just upset Wang Niannian; they angered everyone in the room. Layla, who had followed closely behind, almost fainted again.

Brooks was enraged and demanded that Leopold apologize. When Leopold refused, Chairman Wang's blood pressure spiked, and he left, saying the marriage was off.

The wedding was canceled, and instead of becoming in-laws, they had offended Chairman Wang. In a fit of rage, Brooks threw his wine glass at Leopold's face, hitting him on the forehead and drawing blood.

The sight of the blood pushed Layla over the edge, and in a panic, she blurted out the truth. Brooks responded by flipping the table over.