Chapter 4

Despite the tense moment, Zachary remained seated on the couch. He was as elegant as ever, his long fingers rhythmically tapping the armrest. His demeanor was calm and completely unbothered, as if none of this had anything to do with him. Cynthia was silently screaming, hoping the cold-hearted man would actually help her. Soon, Janice's stilettos clicked to a stop right in front of the curtains. Just as Cynthia squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the worst, Zachary finally spoke up, "Janice, we're out of wine. Would you mind picking up a bottle?" Janice was caught off guard. Even though they were not that close, she knew him well enough that his refined tastes would never settle for cheap wine. While the request seemed odd and sudden, she would never refuse him. "Of course," she agreed, heading toward the door. As she left, her gaze swept toward the bottom of the curtains. Her eyes narrowed as if catching sight of something. Did they think she was blind? Those were clearly a woman's feet peeking out from beneath the curtains. Janice's heart simmered with rage. She wanted to know exactly what kind of woman had the nerve to seduce her fiancé—and more importantly, why Zachary, who was always so principled, was covering for her. ... Once Janice's footsteps faded, Cynthia's racing heart finally steadied. She could not believe she had almost been caught. Moreover, Zachary had actually covered for her, making it seem like there was something illicit between them. She emerged from behind the curtains, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Thank you for earlier, but I should go now..." "Go?" Zachary's cold laugh cut through the air as his sharp gaze pinned her in place. "Why do you look exactly like Janice?" His tone was as harsh as an interrogator's, making it clear she was not leaving without an explanation. Cynthia hesitated, unsure how to explain without revealing too much. Of course, she and Janice looked alike—they were twins. Even when they first met, they had been shocked by how identical they were. Yet her hesitation only made Zachary's expression grow colder. He rose from the couch, his towering presence closing the distance between them as he stood in front of her. His tone was sharp and laced with mockery as he questioned, "Plastic surgery? Are you trying to replace her? Is this part of an act to seduce me?" Each accusation dripped with contempt, making Cynthia's eyebrows knit together in anger. Besides, she had not altered a single thing about herself—not even her eyelashes were fake. Cynthia argued, "Excuse me, sir, but you were the one who grabbed and kissed me! I was just delivering food when you started talking about role-playing and attacked me. I could report you for harassment!" Her face reddened at the memory. No one had ever dared speak to Zachary this way. After all, even the president treated him with respect. He narrowed his dark eyes, his voice dangerously calm. "Go ahead and try. Let's see whether the authorities believe I harassed you or decide you were using Janice's face to intentionally get close to me. We'll see who wins." His velvet voice carried a clear threat—he was a powerful figure, and she was a nobody. To outsiders, the situation would seem obvious. Nonetheless, Cynthia was not going to let him intimidate her. He was the one who kissed her first, yet not only was he not apologizing for his actions, but he was even trying to blame her. She glared at him, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions brewing inside her. "Haven't you ever heard of twins? I'm Cynthia Lynch, Janice's twin sister! Meeting you was purely coincidental, and I only hid because I have reasons to avoid Janice. You can verify this yourself!" Zachary was surprised. He had not considered the possibility of them being twins, especially since Janice never mentioned having a twin sister. Cynthia angrily added, "And by the way, I'd never be interested in someone who can't even recognize his wife! Not in a million years!" With that, she lifted her chin and stormed out, leaving Zachary staring after her, his handsome face darkening. He was stunned by her audacity to call him blind and even claimed she would never be interested in him. She was speaking as if he would ever want her in the first place. Yet the memory of their kiss had stirred something within him, and he was reminded of that night four years ago.