Chapter 7

Liam grinned maliciously as he took Cynthia's delicate hand. He stated, "Nothing much. Hazel mentioned you prefer drinking plain water, so I added a little something to it. Don't worry, she's already agreed to our marriage. After tonight, we'll make it official, and I'll take good care of both you and your sweet daughter." He pulled her into his arms right as the horror of realization struck Cynthia—Hazel's delivery request had been a setup to sell her off. She cursed herself for being so naïve. Cynthia tried to push him away, but her arms felt like jelly. To any onlookers, it might even seem like she was embracing him. Jesse Dalton, Zachary's secretary, spotted them immediately. He asked, "Mr. Beaver, isn't that Ms. Lynch?" Zachary's eyes followed Jesse's line of sight, landing on the couple under the spotlight. The man was overweight and ugly while the woman was undeniably beautiful, her features strikingly familiar. Noting her distinctive uniform, Zachary realized she was none other than Cynthia—the audacious woman who had called him blind the day before. He thought she was feisty, opinionated, and arrogant—almost admirable in her stubbornness. However, seeing her cozying up to a repulsive old man, his mood soured inexplicably. "That's not Janice. Don't compare them," he said coldly. While Janice was not his type, at least she carried herself with dignity and class—unlike this shameless display. Jesse looked confused, wondering what Zachary meant by that was not Janice and why he seemed to be in such a bad mood. Still, Jesse could not shake his uneasiness. After all, Zachary was a high-profile figure. With the woman looking identical to Janice, Jesse thought it was better to be safe than sorry. So, he quickly used his phone to search through his highly confidential database. Moments later, his jaw dropped as he read the data. He read aloud softly, "Cynthia Lynch—22 years old, five feet four, a hundred pounds. She was given up by the Lynch family at birth due to superstitious beliefs and raised in a rural town. "She showed rebellious behavior early on, scamming male classmates at 15. Then, she was expelled from high school for an alleged pregnancy scandal and subsequently became a social outcast. Even her adoptive grandmother suffered a stroke due to her behavior, with all medical expenses covered by Janice Lynch. She's currently involved with multiple men..." Jesse concluded by saying, "Oh my goodness! Even though they look identical, they have completely different characters. Thankfully, you chose Ms. Janice, sir. Otherwise..." Zachary's handsome face grew even darker as he listened to the information. How could she be so disgraceful? Still, what puzzled him more was it actually bothered him. "Let's go. No point discussing nonsense," he commanded coldly. "Yes, Mr. Beaver," Jesse replied as they left. Hidden in the shadows, Janice smiled triumphantly. She had orchestrated everything. She chose this location, knowing Zachary would be here. She had also fabricated that background information years ago, ensuring any digging into Cynthia's past would lead to the dirt she wanted. Given Zachary's disdain for women who lacked self-respect, he would never look at Cynthia the same way again. "Enjoy your evening, my dearest Cynthia," Janice whispered with cruel satisfaction.