Chapter 6

The photo frame was shattered into pieces and even the photo inside was torn apart, with the crack concentrated on his face. His once smiling, and blissful expression now looked twisted and terrifying. Zayn's emotions surged momentarily but were quickly suppressed. "Who did that?" The housekeeper smiled wryly and said, "Mr. Forbes, apart from you and your wife, who else would dare to touch these things?" Josephine? Zayn gripped the broken photo frame firmly, oblivious to the blood oozing from his fingertips picked by shards of glasses. "It was just a few days of not spending time with her, and she's throwing such a tantrum? Find a way to save this tree and call the photographer to have them locate the negatives of the photographs so they can be reprinted and hung back up." After speaking, he took a deep breath to quell his anger. "Where's Mrs. Forbes?" Luke lowered his head. "She just went out." Looking at the diamond ring in his hand, Zayn paused before he took out his phone and made a phone call. "Shawn, contact Pacific Tower immediately, I want to book the entire venue for tonight." Shawn replied, "Mr. Forbes, the company's budget has been severely overdrawn this month…" "Don't worry about the cost, use my personal account." "Noted." After hanging up, Zayn called Josephine. At that moment, she was already in the cab heading to the airport. When she saw Zayn's call, she hesitated to pick up the phone. After a long pause, she finally answered. "Josephine, I need an explanation." Needed her explanation? She gripped her phone tightly, letting out a wry chuckle she couldn't voice. "What do you need me to explain?" "Josephine." Zayn sighed, his tone heavy with weariness. "I know, I have been busy with work lately and neglected you, I apologize for that. But no matter how angry you are, you shouldn't take it out on our acacia tree. That tree is our testament to love. For three years, we have watered and cared for it together, watching it grow strong. How could you…And the wedding photo, don't you think that you have gone too far?" Her eyes welled up with tears as she replied faintly, "If all you want to say is that, then there's nothing for me to explain." "You…" Zayn frowned. "You're too stubborn, you can get angry however you like but you shouldn't vent your frustrations on the acacia tree and the wedding photo." She felt a wave of helplessness. He still said things like that because he hadn't been inside their room yet. With just one look, he would understand everything. Forget it. Who knew how long it would take for him to come on his own? She decided to remind him directly. "Zayn, you…" "Josephine, I have an urgent matter to attend to. I will call you back later. In any case, it was my fault for neglecting you recently. I will make it up to you. Let's talk later. Before she could respond, the phone call was hung up abruptly. She stared at her phone and was speechless for a long time. Leaning back onto the backseat, she tilted her head to hold back her tears. A moment later, her hoarse voice asked, "Sir, could you play me some music?" The car was so quiet that she could hear her heart-shattering. She didn't like it. "Sure, let's listen to a live radio broadcast." The driver obligingly turned on the radio. But as soon as the sound came through, her heart jolted violently. "Nadine, your performance in the recent drama was outstanding and your chemistry with the male lead has been widely praised by viewers. Do you mind sharing your upcoming work plans with us?" Nadine's cheerful and self-satisfied voice rang out, "I can't reveal too much, but I would say I won't be acting for TV shows for the time being." The host quickly caught on. "Oh? Does that mean you are transitioning into the film industry?" Her laughter was crisp and endearing. "Oh, can I say that? My manager is glaring at me. Haha, it's a secret." There was nothing secret about it. The Forbes Group's new movie, Sky High was tailor-made for her as the flight attendant character. Though she was the second female lead, her screen time surpassed the main lead's. She must be quite pleased. What Nadine didn't know was that while the movie was Zayn's personal project, it only came to fruition because of Josephine's mediation. To promote Nadine, Zayn had altered the story beyond recognition. Investors were unimpressed, the director also refused to take on the project, and actors were unwilling to sign on. Josephine, under tremendous pressure, vouched for Director Jo and secured enough funding to start filming. Luckily Nadine made her recall that. Taking out her phone, she opened the group chat. "I regret to inform everyone that I will no longer be involved in Sky High. For further inquiry, please liaise directly with Zayn." Her message immediately sparked a flood of emojis. "What's going on?" "Huh?" "No way, are you quitting for real?" She replied decisively, "Yes, I'm completely withdrawing." "Finally, I only joined this project out of respect for you. Now that you are leaving, I can quit too. This project is a guaranteed money-loser." "Same here. I signed on because of Director Jo. If you are out, I am out too." "Phew, I almost signed a contract. Close call!" In no time, five of the eight collaborators announced their withdrawal. The remaining three likely hadn't seen the message yet. But it was just the tip of the iceberg regarding her involvement in Zayn's business. Now she finally understood why wealthy couples might maintain a facade of marriage despite being estranged. There were just too many entangled interests and the thought of untangling them was daunting. It was easier to maintain superficial union and separate lives. But she couldn't; she wasn't prepared to turn a blind eye. Moreover, other power couples supported each other, while in her case, she was the one bleeding herself dry. Suddenly, a commotion erupted on the radio. "Nadine, are you alright?" "I am feeling a bit dizzy." "Dizzy? This…" The host sounded anxious and the staff gathered around. Then, a deep male voice came through the broadcast. "How many times do I have to tell you not to take on so much work? Why don't you ever listen?" Josephine froze, slowly sitting upright. So, the reason Zayn had hurriedly hung up the phone was to rush to the radio station for Nadine? Even though she was already emotionally battered, realizing that still made her feel unbearably sad. The destruction of the acacia tree and the torn wedding photos couldn't compare to his concern for Nadine. Nadine's voice was soft and coquettish. "I just want to earn some pocket money." "If you need money, I will transfer it to you. My woman doesn't need to work so hard." My woman… Hearing those words, Josephine felt a sharp tug at her heart. On her birthday last year, he embraced her and said, "I only have one woman in my heart, and it's you, Josephine." His voice still echoed in her ears. But within a year, it had become someone else. Indeed, if a man's words could be trusted, pigs could fly. Screech! The cab driver turned off the radio and reminded her, "Miss, we have arrived at the airport."