Ch. 501..510

Chapter 501

Chapter 501

Frederic smiled. "Z, you're really being more considerate to your father-in-law now!"

Zephyr glared at him.

Frederic only shrugged. Some people were just stubborn, but their heart was honest.

It seemed that Zephyr and Rowan were quite similar in this case. Guess they were just destined to be a family!

"Oh, yeah, don't get too caught up with this father-in-law, Z. Friendly reminder, but your ex-father-in-law's company is going down! You've got to watch out for him."

Zephyr frowned. What the heck?

Frederic grinned. "Your ex-father-in-law, William Jenner?"

When he looked up, Zephyr's glower grew darker.

"Cough!" Frederic quickly explained, "William Jenner's company isn't going that well. It seems like it'll be going bankrupt soon."

"Really?" Zephyr sneered.

He remembered that the company had been doing alright when they had still been in Jangasas. He'd even wanted to give Cordelia some shares back then. How had he managed to go bankrupt in just two years?

"There must be a reason behind this?" Zephyr's deep eyes made it seem like he could see through anything.

"It's mainly because he doesn't know how to run it," Frederic replied flatly. "He's arrogant and full of himself, so the people in his company have been unhappy with him for some time. Once he has enough enemies, he will go down.

"But I took a look at their accounts..."

Zephyr's eyes lit up. "What did you find?"

"Not much in the company, but a pretty large sum of money has been transferred to William Jenner's personal account each month!"

"From where?"

"Southeast Aciatic."

Southeast Aciatic? Zephyr's heart lurched, and a guess flashed in his head. He asked Frederic doubtfully after a while, "It's not... the money Rowan gave to Cordelia's mom, is it?"

Frederic paused. He had not expected Zephyr's mind to work so fast! It was fortunate that he had made some effort and figured the whole thing out, or he would have been stumped in front of Zephyr now! "It is the money Rowan gave to Aunt Irwin. But I suspect that William Jenner's made it his own throughout these years. That's why he transfers it to his own account each month he receives the money! "But no money has been coming from the Irwins recently." Frederic thought about it. "It matches the time Mr. Irwin first arrived in Centrolis."

This meant that Rowan had stopped sending money after coming to Centrolis-either because he was staying to take care of Xyla and their kids personally or because he was taking them back! Zephyr's hand on the glass tightened.

The old geezer! He could forget about leaving with Cordelia!

In the evening, William was sitting in the empty office in Jangasas. Just ten minutes ago, the court people had taken the last of his furniture and left him with only a table and chair.

The Jenners were not in high society but they were known in Jangasas.

This place used to be bustling with life and people, but all the assets and immovable property were currently mortgaged.

William pressed hard on his temples with a deep frown. He did not know what had gone wrong either. His company had been doing worse day after day and it was close to closing down now. A flourishing business just gone in a snap.

He was indignant.

When Xyla had been under his control last time, money had been sent over from Southeast Aciatic. Now, there was not even a single cent left.

William was skeptical. Had he exposed himself, or had someone else discovered something?

Chapter 502

Chapter 502

However, he was in urgent need of the money right now. He could only get money from the Southeast Aciatic account in Xyla's name.

William bit his lip. It was a risky move.

Who were the Irwins in Southeast Aciatic? They were tough and aggressive. They would not care about the money but they hated being deceived.

If they found out that William had lied to them, for over 20 years no less, he could imagine the consequences.

William paced back and forth in the room with a frown. He recalled what Chad had looked like when he had visited him in jail.

Chad had been wrapped in gauze like a mummy and had actually been helped out by the jail warden while walking. His mental state had not been stable either. He had been a little crazy and he had not been speaking clearly because he had two teeth missing in the front.

William despised him and had been about to turn around when he'd heard Chad mumbling, "Bro... your Cordelia's d-doing so well now...

"I can't afford to offend her, no...

"She has... the gangs, Southeast Aciatic, and Zephyr Hamerton behind her!"

William had stood rooted to the spot.

Chad had chuckled in a daze, sounding rather eerie.

"Bro, don't be too full of yourself. Heh... Your son-in-law is no ex-inmate. That girl's with Zephyr Hamerton! He'll come for you..."

Chad had been led back by the jail warden after that.

William had an idea while thinking about this. Cordelia being with Zephyr was not a problem but a blessing for him.

It seemed that Zephyr cared a lot about Cordelia. He would have to step up if William had something to blackmail Cordelia with.

The Jenner Group's rise back into the business would only take one word from Zephyr.

William cracked a cunning, vicious grin as he thought about it.

Anyway, where would he get leverage over Cordelia?

Since the incident with Chad was over, Cordelia and Trinity had swiftly grown close.

Since they had beaten the man up together, they had bonded over battling side by side. In addition, Trinity was the director of the new production Imperial Media had invested in, so Cordelia not only met her a lot for work, but they met often in private as well.

When they met, they, of course, talked about art and creativity.

Both of them had discovered in surprise that their opinions matched in regards to certain art concepts and film publicity points.

Cordelia often sang Trinity's praises in public and always told Zephyr with a smile, "Trinity's really like another me in this world!"

Whenever Zephyr saw the two of them video-calling each other or sending voice messages back and forth till late at night, he pursed his lips. Unable to stop them, he could only slump on the couch and stare at Cordelia's screen with a murderous gaze.

He had not expected Trinity to come after sending Ginger away! It would have been fine, but Trinity was very much like a man.

It was worth mentioning that Trinity had an androgynous charm. She usually wore a lot of biker jackets and leather boots, which made her look cool and suave. She was also a righteous person and she was especially protective of pretty girls-just as Zephyr had imagined.

On the weekend, Cordelia was home practicing yoga and having a video call.

Zephyr, who came to the door and heard the sounds inside, quickly peeked through the door gap. Fortunately, the person on the line was Linda, so his scowl lightened up a little.

At the same time, Cordelia struck a downward dog pose on the yoga mat with her bottom arched high.

Zephyr's blood rushed south.

Cordelia was focused on the screen. Linda had obviously gotten plumper in Nicholas' care, and there was a happy smile on her radiant face. The gloomy shadow of her miscarriage seemed to have faded somewhat.

Cordelia was consoled by the sight, as Linda had been an optimistic and cheerful person to begin with.

"You look more and more like a boss now!" Cordelia chuckled.

Linda was decked out in jewelry and looked exactly like a rich woman would. However, under the necklace with the 18 diamonds was still that ring that only cost a few dollars.

"Are you laughing at me?" Linda grinned, brandishing the document in her hand. "Look at this. How can I not help? Nicholas probably put his head between doors when he was a kid. He can't even handle that much!"

Sol Entertainment was peaking at the same time as Imperial Media, and the credit was all Linda's.

"Oh yeah, Cordelia, how's the production going? We're collaborating, so I have to ask about the progress of the schedule!"

Cordelia chuckled wryly. It was the weekend. She had managed to escape Janine's claws but she had failed to hide from workaholic Linda.

"The preparations are almost done," she replied softly. "The script's being assessed. The actors have been cast too. They just haven't signed the contracts."

"The director's Trinity Lulham?"

"Yeah, it seems that she's the only capable one and she has the right influence."

"Cordelia." Linda paused with a smirk. "You've gotten close to Ms. Lulham recently, huh?"

Cordelia paused. "Yeah."

"Don't you know what the insiders say about her?"

Cordelia actually did not know. She was usually busy with work. Although she had one foot in show business, she had never been bothered by the news or any gossip. "What do they say?"

"That she isn't straight!" Linda told her directly. "They say she's a total lesbian. She doesn't like men!"

Cordelia was surprised.

"I don't believe it, but they sound pretty confident," Linda added. "They say Trinity likes casting pretty actresses in her films and that she minds the feelings of the actresses very much on set, and... her work centers around women!

"It's said that someone even took photos of her spending the night with an actress!"

Cordelia, who was standing on one leg, almost fell on the mat.

What the heck? Trinity was pretty boyish, but she believed that her private affairs should stay private!

"Linda, this must be spread by people who are jealous of her!" Cordelia huffed. "Don't believe it!"

"I know. I told you I don't." Linda grinned. "I'm just saying, if it's true, you've got to distance yourself. But I don't mind another person doting on you!"

Cordelia was rendered speechless.

"It's nothing, but you have a green-eyed monster at home. Once that monster lashes out, it will go... boom!"

Linda spoke her mind freely, having no idea that the green-eyed monster in question was already standing outside the door.

Chapter 503

Chapter 503

"I don't mind another person doting on you!"

What Linda had said made Zephyr feel an impending sense of crisis.

He stood outside the door, jealousy bubbling in him predictably.

He knew that Cordelia shone like a diamond and he would not be able to just keep her away at home even if he wanted to. However, he had never expected his love rival to end up being a woman! With a scowl, Zephyr went downstairs and pulled out his phone on the balcony.

He did not believe the speculations regarding Trinity's sexual orientation either, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Having a solution was always better than not having one when it was needed. Robert's phone rang for a long time.

He was currently playing cards with Josiah. Remembering the few lessons he had been taught previously, he was determined not to show himself in front of Zephyr, so the farther away he was, the better. He had come to look for Josiah.

Unfortunately, he received Zephyr's call not too long into the game. The sound of the call sent a shiver down his spine.

"Where are you?!" A roar greeted him on the phone.

Robert's eyes bulged. He had thought he was not supposed to disturb him...

Zephyr was raging. Had Robert been cursed recently? Nothing he did was appeasing! He was a source of disturbance when he was not needed but he was gone with the wind when he was needed! Josiah could not stop laughing at the table when he heard Zephyr's growl.

Robert took a deep breath and forced a natural smile, asking with a stammer, "S-Sir... you've been looking for me?"

"Mm!" Zephyr responded with a low hum.

"What can I help you with?"

Zephyr ordered coldly, "Look into Trinity Lulham and see what she's all about!"

Robert was bewildered again.

Had Trinity Lulham offended him or provoked him? She had just gotten a little closer to Cordelia recently.

Robert suddenly figured out why Ginger had been sent away.

As expected, a man in love not only had zero IQ, but he also had zero EQ.

It seemed that there was nothing wrong with Rowan's scoring criteria. A person like this could not be given any score higher than zero... "Did you hear me? I asked you to look into Trinity Lulham!"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

Josiah could barely hold himself back, especially when he saw Robert's exasperation. He gestured for the latter to put the call on speaker.

"Z, why would you investigate Trinity Lulham? Do you not know her?"

Zephyr snorted, "So what if she's an upcoming director? She thinks showbiz is hers to command because she's won a few awards for her productions?" "That's not what I'm talking about!" Josiah said with a chuckle. "She was our junior. Have you forgotten?"

Zephyr's mind went blank.

Junior? Did he have a junior in school?

Josiah was speechless. He knew it. He knew that Z Hamerton was no ordinary creature. Other than Cordelia, all the other women were just statues to him.

"Z, wow... We were in a co-ed school. Of course she was your junior!

"Did you meet Mr. Irwin recently? Did he provoke you? Is that why your brain's damaged?"

Josiah's barrage of questions amused Robert.

As Josiah slowly hinted, Zephyr finally recalled some of their school days.

They had been in high school together. Trinity had been two years their junior.

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Chapter 504

School had been a lot of work back then, and anyone who could study there had been an outstanding talent. All of them had worked hard to come out on top. During those insufferable days, something big had happened that the students had talked about whenever they'd had free time.

An anonymous love letter had been found in Frederic's locker in the boy's changing room. The sender had remained a mystery until their graduation. Zephyr frowned. He did not know why Josiah was bringing this up.

"Anyway, Trinity went on to make films after graduating." Josiah had a deep smile on his face. "But she's kept in touch with Frederic all this while!" Realization struck Zephyr instantly.

This meant that Trinity was the one who had sent the love letter back then!

He breathed out in relief. If it had really been Trinity, this meant that she was straight. However...

Zephyr paused and said with a deadpan expression, "But I remember Frederic having a crush back in school."

Josiah chuckled.

Frederic's crush had not been Trinity, but the popular girl at school. She was fair, beautiful and she had long legs-a typical beauty, just not one in Zephyr's opinion. He did not even remember what the girl had looked like.

Josiah felt like he could not continue this conversation with Zephyr anymore. If he had not wanted to dispel the latter's suspicions and show concern for Frederic, he would not have talked about this with him in the first place.

"Z, you probably forgot, but Trinity was pretty normal in school. It was not like she was drop-dead gorgeous, but she used to dress well. She was like... like a typical straight-A student!"

"What's going on now then?" Zephyr scoffed. "She's basically Cordelia's knight!"

Josiah did not quite get it either.

What they did not know was that Trinity's feelings for Frederic remained. She had only dared to keep this crush in her heart when they had been in school and she had even cried for days when she had found out that he liked someone else.

She was aware that she and the popular girl were nothing alike, so she could only go on a completely different path to attract Frederic's attention later on.

It was actually quite useful-she and Frederic were finally good friends... But that was that. This issue had become Trinity's pain, and no one knew.

"Uh..." Josiah coughed. "That's basically it anyway. Z, don't worry. Trinity does not like women. I'm the best at seeing things like this. She likes Frederic!"

Zephyr smiled. There was finally a relieved smile on his sculpted face.

Cordelia went downstairs after the call with Linda and saw Zephyr standing on the balcony. The autumn sun framed him, and fallen leaves served as a backdrop. The khaki coat he was wearing had been picked by her and sat nicely on him.

The tough man was a stark contrast to the soft fall scenery, yet they blended in well.

Cordelia stared at his handsome profile in a daze, unable to move her legs for a long time.

She handled so many artists in the company, award-winning actors or popular hunks, but none of them was as drool-worthy as her husband was...

When Zephyr came in from the balcony, he looked up to meet a pair of infatuated eyes and could not help grinning widely.

"Why are you standing here?" He went over and stroked her hair before guiding her head to his chest.

As Cordelia listened to his powerful heartbeat, she smiled even more contentedly and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"Who were you on the phone with just now?"

"I..." Zephyr could not possibly tell her that he had called Robert to investigate Trinity, so he smiled and said softly into her ear with a husky voice, "My prison mate!"

Chapter 505

Chapter 505

Cordelia chuckled dryly and punched him.

"I was on the phone with Josiah." Zephyr began to lie in all seriousness. "He's been doing great with Kelly recently, and the two of them have been looking for social-media-famous shops online every day. They found one again... and asked us to try it with them!"

Cordelia blinked. "Is he serious about Kelly? He better not be interested at the moment and not care about her once the novelty wears off!"

Zephyr smiled softly. "Josiah has a wealthy background and is carefree usually. He could sometimes be flippant too... but I can guarantee that he's one of the rare good men left in this world."

"Oh, didn't expect you to think of him so highly!" Cordelia's eyes were shining playfully. "Then are you going to tell me that you're even more of a good man since your friend's a good man too?"

"Birds of a feather flock together," Zephyr replied seriously. "I wouldn't be humble for the sake of it, and anyone who's my close friend is naturally decent too!"

"Okay, so I've got myself a treasure. Happy?"

"I'm the one who's got himself a treasure." Zephyr held Cordelia's hand with an affectionate smile. The love in his eyes was gooey, just like melted sugar.

He went closer to her ear and said unhurriedly, "The woman who's my wife is naturally... the one and only good woman in this world!"

Cordelia blushed and smiled.

The man's voice was nice, and what he said was nice too. Recently, he'd kept using this nice voice to say nice things to her. Was he trying to kill her with all this sweetness?!

When they had gone back last week, Xyla had complimented her, saying she'd gotten prettier once she'd stepped inside. It had surprised her because she knew Xyla had a high standard and strict conditions for the word "pretty".

It seemed that love was really the best makeup for a woman. When she met the right man, the genuine bliss and unique charm she exuded would liven her up.

"What are you smiling about?" Zephyr looked at her.

Cordelia looked up to meet his deep eyes and chuckled. "I'm just thinking that the heavens have been really nice to us. They let us be together, Linda and Nicholas reconciled, and even Josiah and Kelly became an item!"

Zephyr nodded. Well, she would soon find out that there was also Frederic and Trinity...

Actually, he had been planning it. Trinity was straight but if she acted the part long enough, she might awaken some inner calling. What if she changed her sexual orientation one day? She would seduce Cordelia then!

Zephyr, who had been wanting to set up Seth and Zennie, had immediately decided that he could put off his sister's relationship to make Frederic and Trinity's relationship official!

"Zephyr," Cordelia said softly. "We shouldn't just be happy ourselves. We want the people around us to be happy too! Right?"

"Yes!" Zephyr smiled. He had been about to mention Trinity's crush on Frederic, only for the girl to beat him to it.

"Our friends are all in pairs now, so we can't overlook our elders!"

"Huh?" Zephyr paused.

"I need to arrange for my mom to meet Uncle Irwin again!"

Centrolis had been sunny for days, while there was a light drizzle shower in Jangasas. There were even two hailstorms, and the drop in temperature could take one aback.

William's empty office was pretty much dead. He had caught a cold himself too.

Upon going out today, he had forgotten his umbrella, so he was completely soaked.

He was annoyed going back home too, as he had to step inside, only to see Marcus the freeloader. The latter had been around for over a year, sent here by Yale. No one had said anything about what he should do with Marcus, and the latter had just been placed here.

Initially, Yale used to send him money, but this had stopped later.

Marcus was a true freeloader and only knew how to ask for money. If he did not get what he wanted, he had hundreds of ways to destroy the peace of the Jenners.

Even a sly fox like William could not stand him. As long as Marcus asked for money, he gave it to him, feeling like he was buying his peace.

William had no money now, though, so he could not afford his peace anymore.

He frowned and called Yelena. It took a long time before the girl picked up. When she did, her voice was small and a little shaky.

"Dad, what is it?"

"You're in Centrolis all the time now. Have you forgotten that your home's in Jangasas?" William scolded her as soon as the call connected. "What's Mr. Yale's plan? How long will we be keeping Marcus here?!' "Dad, I... I don't know."

"You useless piece of trash!" William was angry. "Did you not keep Yale happy? Did you anger him?"

"No..."

"Then what does he want?! Are we supposed to feed Marcus forever?"

Yelena stayed quiet, and William heard a low panting sound with some pained moans coming from the speaker. The call was cut very soon. He was furious and he wanted to call back, but he heard a certain someone's drawled snicker.

"Of course you have to feed me forever!"

"You..." William glared at Marcus, who was lying on the couch.

He had no idea how long it had been since the man had taken a shower. He could smell the foul scent on him even from several meters away, and the couch was a mess.

The servants at home had been dismissed, so all this could only be cleaned up by Joanne.

Speaking of her, she came out with a broom and had to restrain herself so she did not break down when she saw the living room, where there was barely a clean spot to stand. William was triggered and grabbed the broom to hit Marcus.

Marcus got up abruptly to fight back and easily shoved William to the wall. As William's back hit the wall, Joanne cried and ran over in tears.

"What did our family do wrong to run into a shameless thug like you!?"

"Hah, wrong?" Marcus sneered, "Aunt Joanne, our families have been friends for generations!"

"Argh!" Joanne growled. "You unlucky man. Are you going to drag us down after causing your entire family to die?"

"Our families have known each other for generations anyway. You have to take care of me!" Marcus glared, looking as though he was going to fight.

Joanne wanted to say something more, but William held her back.

He looked at Marcus quietly. He had the same face as Zephyr, but they were two completely different men. How ironic... He had heard that Matthew and Yale had wanted to train him and make him impersonate Zephyr when they had found him but, hah, how could a mere bug possibly turn into a majestic dragon?

However, something desirable might come out if a mere bug was utilized properly... William had an idea. He had wanted something to hold against Cordelia, and this seemed to be his chance.

Chapter 506

Chapter 506

Marcus tossed his cigarette butt on the floor with a vicious smirk, burning a small black hole in the cashmere carpet.

Joanne screamed. The carpet was expensive and was one of the rare valuable items in the currently deteriorating Jenner residence. "Marcus Grist, you b*stard!"

Joanne was ready to fight him with balled-up fists, but William held her back.

"Why are you stopping me?!"

"Get back!" William glared at her.

Joanne had been overpowered by William all these years. Once the man blew his top, she dared not say a second word and stepped back quietly.

William struggled up from the floor, his back and waist hurting.

"Marcus." He took a deep breath and looked at the younger man with a complex gaze. "You're right. Our families have been long-time friends. I should take care of you." Marcus glanced at him and smirked victoriously.

"You can freeload here." William lowered his voice. "But you have to listen to me. You have to do whatever I say from now on!"

"Hah!" Marcus' gaze turned vicious as he choked William abruptly.

William, who was shocked, nearly suffocated due to the unexpected attack.

"You... Let go..."

"Old scumbag!" Marcus gritted through his teeth. "Hah, it's an honor to have me freeload in your pathetic house!"

William's eyes were bulging, and his face was turning purple. Intense fear crept from the bottom of his heart. Just as his mind went blank and he thought that he would die like that, Marcus let go of him abruptly.

He fell to the floor with a thud.

Joanne was pale from terror, not daring to take a step closer as she shook like a leaf.

"I'm tired today!" Marcus clapped his hands. "Aunt Joanne, can you prepare something for me? No need to make anything too lavish. Just as long as there's chicken and fish!"

"Marcus Grist, you..." William hacked a violent cough and growled before Marcus walked out. "Do you still want to marry Cordelia or not?!"

Marcus paused in his tracks and looked at him doubtfully.

"What did you say?"

William tried to catch his breath. "I said... I said that the marriage pact our families agreed on involves you and Cordelia. Now that she ran away with Zephyr Hamerton, don't you want her back?" Marcus arched a brow with a greedy look that turned swiftly into alert.

"You old b*stard! What the f*ck do you mean?" Marcus scolded him. "You want me to die, don't you?!"

Seeing that he was going berserk again, William was practically glued to the wall from panic.

"W-What are you doing? Marcus, I'm doing this for your own good! You're all alone now without anyone to take care of you, and I feel bad as your uncle! You had a wife, but your wife's off with someone else. You-"

"Bullsh*t!" Marcus' saliva hit William in the face. "Would you be this kind? You feel bad? Hah... Do you know how good that damned Cordelia is? She nearly killed us both last time!

"And she's Zephyr Hamerton's woman. Even if I wanted her, I'd have to make sure I survived first!"

The veins in Marcus' neck popped as he grabbed William by the collar.

"You old b*stard, you want me to offend Zephyr so you can use him to wipe me out, don't you?!"

"This..." William stammered, sweat beading on his skin.

He swore that was not what he had thought!

"Marcus, my dear, you misunderstood me. I actually-ah!"

Before William could finish speaking, Marcus grabbed him and tossed him aside.

Chapter 507

Chapter 507

Joanne's shrill cries rang in the house again.

Marcus found it lame and dusted his hands with a clap. He pulled William's wallet out of the latter's pocket and left.

If there was no meal at home, he would go eat at a restaurant!

After Marcus left, Joanne sat on the floor in a daze for a very long time with despair brimming in her eyes.

William groaned and moaned as he struggled to get off the floor and then limped into the study. He felt in his pocket-luckily, Marcus only wanted money and had not taken his phone. There was not much money left in his wallet, and on his phone were the last of his savings.

Joanne's aggrieved cries could be heard from the living room.

William sighed and dialed a number. It rang for a long time without being picked up. Just as he was about to hang up, a sinister voice said, "Mr. Jenner?"

"Hah, you remember me?" William could hear the mockery in the words but he did not have time for that, so he asked directly, "Phil Nelson, when are you taking Marcus away?"

"Well, I'm still waiting for Mr. Yale's instructions."

"Did Yale Hamerton forget about this?"

"Mr. Jenner, patience!" Phil cackled. "Your daughter's warming Mr. Yale's bed anyway. What's there for you to be worried about?!"

"You..."

William nearly choked on his anger.

"Phil Nelson, get rid of this bad luck right now! I can't take it any longer!"

Phil stayed quiet on the other end, but William felt goosebumps in that short moment of silence. He could even feel the chilliness in Phil's breathing.

"Mr. Jenner, you just need a sum of money to build Jenner Group back up, don't you?" Phil said slowly. "I'm afraid no one can help you with this other than your daughter Cordelia!" "I know, but..."

"But this requires cooperation from all of us." Phil snickered. "Hold out for a few more days. I'll ask Marcus to get back, but you've got to work well with him to put up a good show for Zephyr!"

Imperial Media's new film was in production, and every day was hectic for Cordelia.

She finally got some time off today and rested at home for half the day. Since she did not have to take care of Ginger now, she felt much freer at home.

The afternoon autumn sun was warm, and it felt like a long time since she had enjoyed a moment of peace like this.

As she sat on the swing, swinging gently in the front yard, the motion almost lulled her to sleep... only for her ringing phone to startle her awake. Cordelia was in a daze before she saw that it was Linda calling her and answered it. Right away, Linda cried, "Cordelia, something happened!"

She jolted, thinking that it had something to do with their new production, and nearly bounced off the swing.

"Cordelia... you must remain calm!" Linda paused and said, "Did you know that Zephyr has someone he still loves but never got together with?"

Cordelia froze. She had never heard of something like this. Besides, she and Zephyr were honest with each other. They had agreed not to keep anything from each other a long time ago. What was up with this then?

"Here's the deal." Linda began to tell the whole story. "Nicholas got a call at home the other day and hurried out. I thought that some b*tch was seducing him again...

"Of course, Nicholas wouldn't be seduced. But I was afraid of something like Mona happening again, so I followed him in secret...

"When I got to the car, guess who I saw? Zephyr and Josiah!

"Cordelia, the three of them went into a booth and I eavesdropped outside. Then... Then, I heard about the person he longed for!"

Chapter 508

Chapter 508

Cordelia was puzzled while listening to it.

To be frank, it was just three men hanging out at a bar and chatting while drinking. It did not seem like there was anything wrong with it.

"Linda, did you... hear right?" Cordelia knew that Linda was a short-tempered person. "How do you know that it's Zephyr who was longing for that person?" "I heard it myself!"

"But bars can be so noisy. Could you have heard this wrong?"

"Then... Then I'll tell you everything I heard!"

Linda told her everything that had happened.

Anyway, the actual situation was simple...

The men had gone into the booth and opened a bottle of whisky as Josiah had cried, "Guys, Frederic's unforgettable woman's back, you know?"

Instead, Linda had heard: "The unforgettable woman's back, you know?"

"Gosh, of all times, it had to be now! I was going to discuss with Z how we could set up Frederic and Trinity!"

Linda's version was: "Gosh, now of all times... with Z... set up..."

"This has to be kept a secret. Do not disclose it to anyone, okay? Anything else has to be planned properly."

Linda had heard: "This has to be kept a secret... Anything else-planned properly..."

Linda told Cordelia everything. She had only heard half of it, but Cordelia's heart clenched.

Her mother's words rang in her ears like a curse. "You've got to hold on to Zephyr. What if he has some childhood sweetheart?"

Was this the childhood sweetheart?

Cordelia suddenly recalled that when she had mentioned that Carter was already 16 years old back in Jangasas, Zephyr had proudly said that he had already been something at that age he had then stopped talking about it abruptly.

She had suspected back then that he had already met his first love at that age or that he had already been dating. Were her suspicions coming to life?

"Cordelia Cordelia?" Linda was anxious when the line was silent for some time.

"Cordelia, are you okay? Calm down. Nicholas is working overtime in the office today. I'll interrogate him properly when he comes back!"

"No need," Cordelia replied softly. "Don't put Nicholas in a tough spot!"

"How's it a tough spot?"

"Think about it. He always brings you, and Zephyr always brings me whenever we hang out. Since they're meeting alone, this means that they had some things to talk about among them men. They have their secrets to keep too!"

"Cordelia!"

"Alright." Cordelia smiled. "Just pretend that you have no idea and don't make a big show of it. I have my ways to handle Zephyr!"

"Really?" Linda was placated. "Will you be alright on your own?"

"Yes." Cordelia's voice was soft but determined. "It's just the one that got away, right? Even if he has one, I am currently the one by his side, not that woman! If he had to choose, he wouldn't choose her. I trust him in this!"

"Mm!" Linda smiled as well. "Cordelia, I think Zephyr's a dependable man too. It's good that you trust him. But you've got to keep your guard up! Zephyr has no ill thoughts, but those women are out there waiting!"

"I know."

"I'll definitely help you!" Linda hung up with a smile.

Cordelia looked up into the sky while sitting in the front yard, all sorts of thoughts flashing in her head.

She believed in Zephyr. After going through so many things with him, she would not deserve him if she could not even sense his feelings and wanted to fight over this. It was just that...

That was an unforgettable woman—the first person he had liked.

People would always remember their firsts.

Cordelia took a deep breath and bit her lip. She just kept sitting on the swing until evening.

Helen came out to call for her eventually. "Ms. Cordelia, it's getting cold outside. Come in!"

Her voice pulled Cordelia out of her trance. She hopped off the swing to head inside, her eyes bright and lively as she smiled at Helen.

"Aunt Helen," she said after some thought. "Don't call me Ms. Cordelia from now on."

"Why?"

"Just call me by my name."

"No way!" Helen waved her hands. "My brother says that terms of address matter while working for the Hamertons. How could I just call you by your name?!”

"If not my name, then..." Cordelia blinked. "How do you address Zephyr?"

"I call him sir."

"Mm!" Cordelia beamed. "Then call me madam from now on!"

"Huh?" Helen was stunned.

Cordelia's steps were light as she walked in, while Helen suddenly grinned watching her.

"Oh, certainly!" She agreed loudly. "Madam!"

Sometimes, the change of a term of address represented a person's mind.

Cordelia received a video call from Linda as soon as she headed back inside.

Nicholas was kneeling on a washboard in the video with his head hung, looking like he had done something wrong. There was even a paddle next to him.

"Cordelia, I'm done asking!" Linda told her eagerly. "That woman's name is Michelle Carmichael, and she was the popular girl back in their school!

"And this guy!" Linda pointed at Nicholas while the latter quickly covered his face upon seeing that he was on camera.

Linda continued. "This guy actually signed her on! He signed a contract with Michelle Carmichael!"

"Sweetheart, you've got to be fair!" Nicholas protested weakly, "How could I know she was anyone's first love when I signed her on... I was only thinking about how much money she would make me!" "Nicholas Thompson!"

The screen began to shake violently before Nicholas' cries were heard.

Cordelia smiled and asked someone in the company to send her a copy of Michelle's information.

Michelle Carmichael, singer-songwriter. She was good at both singing and dancing. Although her debut had been late, she had been overseas, singing for foreign films.

There was a short clip of an interview on the internet.

Cordelia clicked on it. Michelle was fair and beautiful and behaved decently. She looked like the nation's first love too.

Cordelia took a deep breath and smiled lightly. Whatever this was, she was going into battle mode!

She alone could be Zephyr's unforgettable love and the one who got away.

Zephyr too... He could only be hers!

Chapter 509

Chapter 509

Zephyr went home that day, only to find Cordelia getting busy in the kitchen.

He had been so busy with work the whole day that his lunch had been simply a bite before he had started going through several important documents. It was not until everything had ended in the afternoon that he had felt his empty stomach and churning pain.

He had said that he'd had gastritis in the past to get Cordelia's attention, not expecting it to really happen!

The moment Zephyr stepped inside, he smelled the delicious aroma in the house and instantly began starving.

When he saw the girl cooking for him, he smiled even more in contentment.

Ordinary activities and a life like this was what he had liked the most back in Jangasas.

Zephyr put down what he was holding and removed his jacket. He was about to go to the kitchen when Cordelia came out with a plate of braised fish.

"You're back!" The girl walked over to him sunnily.

Zephyr paused. He did not know if it was a man's sixth sense, but he thought her smile was a little off today.

"I gave Aunt Helen the day off." Cordelia served the dishes one after another. There was also soup. Her bright eyes seemed to be smiling. "I made everything tonight. They are all your favorites!" Zephyr smiled and sat at the table.

Cordelia gave him a plate and a bowl of soup. It was pumpkin soup, which he had hated in the past, but he had liked it since meeting her.

She had also made garlic lobster. The braised fish looked amazing as well, totally drool-worthy.

It seemed like it had been a long time since they had been so relaxed.

Zephyr smiled and picked up his plate to extend it forward naturally, waiting for Cordelia to give him the fish eye. She had told him before that the fish eye was meant for the person one loved the most. However, Cordelia did not move. He looked up to see a half-smile on her face...

Zephyr's heart lurched, and he quietly put his plate back down.

"Eat up," Cordelia said softly. "The dishes won't be nice when they go cold."

"Okay." Zephyr still felt that the atmosphere today was strange. He was about to ask why she had not placed anything on his plate, but she beat him to it.

"Oh, Zephyr, do you remember my coworker back in Jangasas?"

"Coworker?" Zephyr's mind began to work quickly again.

"Mm, Annie! You've met her."

"Oh, yeah, I did!" He smiled. "What about her?"

Cordelia said faintly, "Nothing. She's getting married soon."

"Really? Congratulations to her then." Zephyr remembered that Cordelia had been almost hurt by her supervisor, Jesse Ford, and it was Annie who had texted him in time. She was a sensible and quick-witted girl.

Zephyr smiled. He was about to eat when he suddenly heard Cordelia sigh.

"Sigh..."

It was not a loud sound but it made him tense up. He swiftly put his cutlery down and looked at Cordelia nervously. "Cordelia... what happened?"

"Nothing," Cordelia answered unhurriedly. "Just think it's a pity for Annie."

"A pity?"

"Mm, she's going to get married soon but she recently discovered that her boyfriend has someone he can't forget on his mind and he has been keeping it from her!" Zephyr was bewildered.

Cordelia smiled, her gaze playful and sly.

"Zephyr, as a man, what do you think of this?"

"I..." Zephyr licked his lips. This was a trick question.

His eyes went unblinking as he processed what Cordelia had said again, recalling each and every word to understand what he should say.

Chapter 510

Chapter 510

Someone unforgettable?

Zephyr felt confused once again. Why was she asking this out of the blue? It was not like he had someone like this!

However, she had obviously come prepared to this trap of a dinner...

Zephyr took a deep breath. There was no way this had come out of nowhere. She must have heard someone making things up in front of her!

His priority now was to save himself, but the process could not be too intentional. He had to do it slowly and let her know that he could pass her test... He would then discover the gossiper and ask Nicholas to use his torturing devices on them!

"What are you doing?" Cordelia waved a hand in front of him. "I'm asking you a question. Why are you spacing out? Do you not want to talk to me anymore?"

"Of course not!" Zephyr raised his voice abruptly, scaring Cordelia into looking at him in a daze.

Zephyr quickly held her hand to express his devotion. "Cordelia, I think there's nothing to consider about this question."

"Hmm?"

"It's all her boyfriend's fault!"

Zephyr's words were confident. "Annie's going to marry him. He shouldn't keep anything from her! What's important between a husband and wife is the trust they have in each other. It's their ability to stay together till death do them part.

"And what right does he have to have an unforgettable love? He doesn't deserve it!

"Is his wife not enough? How dare he get involved with another woman?!

"That's too much! How shameless!"

Cordelia's eyes were wide as she looked at the serious man in front of her, who looked righteous. Warmth rushed into her heart, and she suddenly felt like laughing.

She had just wanted to test him, not make him get so angry.

"Zephyr, I—"

"Darling." Zephyr continued to sound harsh. "I think a man like this doesn't deserve to stay alive!"

He dug the fish eye out and tossed it to his plate as he got emotional.

Cordelia was on the verge of giggling. She did her best to keep her lips neutral. Not only did she feel triumphant, but she was very comforted. She had known that Zephyr would not let her down. Unforgettable love or not, this was no longer important to her. Even if Michelle were to stand before her, she would still stand next to Zephyr with confidence!

"Cordelia?" Zephyr looked at her cautiously.

He had not said anything wrong, right? Nicholas had taught him two golden rules anyway-first, his wife was right no matter what she said. Second, if his wife was wrong, he had to refer to the first rule. He had done this right, right? Why was Cordelia quiet, though?

Cordelia looked at him. This cold, handsome man, who was intimidating and commanding outside, was docile like a kitten in front of her right now.

Her heart melted right away. Her beautiful eyes brimmed with warm love as well.

Zephyr's lurching heart finally returned to its place.

The crisis was over. He looked at her, pretty like a fairy on earth under the warm light. He then smiled, giving her a loving, soft grin.

Cordelia put food on his plate and refilled his soup, asking him to eat more softly...

Zephyr ate up speedily and asked to wash the dishes after the meal.

Basically, he made Cordelia very happy that night-not just in the living room but also in the bedroom...

After a few rounds, Cordelia felt like she was going to pass out. She slumped on him, protesting softly during the last round. Zephyr only let her go after a deep kiss.

It was with great willpower that Cordelia slowly pushed herself up in the middle of the night. The man next to her was asleep with a satiated look on his face. She got out of bed and softly padded over to the balcony to call someone.