Chapter 14

Maverick had come with the goal of getting Zachariah to sign the contract. In the end, not only had he failed to get him to sign it, but he'd even humiliated himself. By the end of it all, Maverick couldn't bear to stay any longer. He left looking dejected. Holding a glass in his hand, Jeremy could tell that something was going on. He probed, "Zach, something's not right with you tonight." Zachariah smiled. "What do you mean?" Jeremy did not expose him. "You know what I mean." Having settled the matter, Zachariah had no intention of staying there any longer. "I'm leaving now." In a curious tone, Jeremy asked, "What kind of woman is capable of drawing you in like that? You're leaving so early." "You don't understand." Zachariah pinched the cigarette from between his lips and put it out. "I'm willing to give her my life." Jeremy clicked his tongue and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I didn't expect you to be such a sentimental person." With a cheeky smirk on his face, he leaned toward Zach and whispered, "It's her, isn't it? The one who saved you ten years ago. Laurelle." Zachariah didn't say a word. Instead, his dark eyes briefly landed on Jeremy's face. Jeremy understood it now. Deep down, he complimented himself for his sharp wits. He couldn't help but tease Zachariah, saying, "What use is there for you to just have a crush on her? During the time you worked for Border Patrol, she followed your nephew around for seven years. "If Maverick weren't blind to her feelings, they might've already been married by now." Jeremy tried to be helpful by coming up with a suggestion. "She and Maverick had an argument, and she's still mad at him. If I were you, I would seize the opportunity to coax her into marrying you before she comes around. By then, it will be too late for her to regret it." Zachariah, however, didn't seem to have heard him. He strode right out the door. After taking a few steps, Zachariah remembered something and turned back. "Where's Alexis?" "She's at home. Why do you ask?" "When you get home, ask her to go and keep Laurelle company at the hospital tomorrow. I'll send the hospital's address to you later." Upon saying that, Zachariah walked away without turning back. It was too late by the time Jeremy realized that he'd become a tool. "Alexis and I had a fight. Why would I go home? Why did you think I organized this gathering on such a rainy night?" It was only because he couldn't return home that he needed his friends to pass time with him. Jeremy took a gulp of alcohol. Thinking of Alexis gave him a headache. … While it had been pouring the previous night, the rain stopped right as the day broke. Laurelle hadn't slept very soundly that night. She felt like she'd had a dream, but she couldn't quite recall what it was. "Are you awake?" While she was still in a daze, she heard a man's voice coming from behind her out of the blue. She paused. A man? She turned behind immediately and glanced toward the source of the voice. Her entire body went numb. On her bed, next to her, was a man she didn't know. He was leaning slightly against the headboard as he stared at her with tranquil and beautiful eyes. The white shirt he was wearing was a little crumpled. Three of his buttons were undone, revealing his chest muscles slightly. Laurelle frowned. What was going on? Zachariah lowered his eyes slightly and curled his lips upward. "Why are you so surprised, Ms. Fletcher? You haven't forgotten how I ended up on this bed last night, have you?" Subconsciously, Laurelle tightened her grasp around her blanket as she glanced at Zachariah with an alarmed look in her eyes. She didn't even know him at all. How had he ended up on her bed? In a serious manner, Zachariah straightened his shirt while he explained, "You held onto me last night while you slept, refusing to let me leave. You were the one who took advantage of me, so I should be the one getting mad." Laurelle froze. She was the one who'd held onto him and hadn't allowed him to leave last night? She closed her eyes and tried to recall. After the doctor had come and checked on her last night, she'd laid down in bed and drifted off. While she'd been in a daze, it had seemed like she'd had a dream. She couldn't actually remember what she'd dreamed about in specific, though. She could only vaguely remember being in a warm embrace the entire night. She lifted her head and looked at the man in front of her once again. Doubtfully, she asked, "Are you sure I was the one who held onto you?" Zachariah didn't respond. He lifted his hands and started straightening his shirt. When he got to the third button, he suddenly paused. He lifted his eyes and gazed toward Laurelle's right hand. Following his line of sight, she glanced at her hand. Right after that, she noticed that she was clenching tightly onto a button in her palm. Had she ripped that button off his shirt? She was speechless. How she wished someone could save her from this embarrassment. Yet, she truly couldn't recall a single thing.