Chapter 612
Zoe blinked, stunned. “Wait, what?” she thought. She’d only been being polite, but the words were out, and taking them back would make her look bad.
Gritting her teeth, Zoe dug in her bag for her keys, unlocked the door, and muttered, “Just so you know, it’s going to be messy in there. Don’t judge, okay?”
She pushed open the door. It was exactly as she’d warned—a complete disaster. Cigarette butts littered the floor, empty snack bags covered every surface, and even the sofa was buried under a pile of unwashed clothes that reeked.
Sidney frowned immediately. As a doctor, he had an obsessive need for cleanliness, bordering on a phobia. Coming from a privileged background, he’d never seen anything like it.
Zoe forced a strained smile, stepping inside to clear the sofa. She then cleaned a mug, filled it with hot coffee, and placed it on the table. “There,” she said. “All set. Thanks for your help today. It’s getting late. You should head back.”
Sidney opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, they heard stumbling footsteps outside.
Zoe’s drunk father, Louis, had come home. He staggered through the door and, upon spotting Sidney, sobered instantly. The alcohol-induced haze lifted. “Sir! You’re here?” he stammered, rushing forward with an ingratiating smile.
Louis remembered Tiffany banging on the door; Sidney had been there that day, and Louis wasn’t about to forget a face he couldn’t afford to cross.
The stench of cheap alcohol hit Sidney like a wall. His frown deepened. Seeing his reaction, Zoe grabbed Sidney’s arm and pulled him toward the door. “I’ll walk you out.”
She cursed inwardly. If I’d known this would happen, I’d never have invited him. Now, all my messy secrets are out. No dignity left.
Once downstairs, Brittany and her gang were gone. The street was eerily quiet, the streetlights casting dim pools of yellow light. Their shadows stretched across the pavement, almost looking like a single entity.
Zoe offered an awkward laugh. “Sorry about all this. I didn’t even let you finish your coffee.”
“It’s fine,” Sidney replied, buckling himself into his car. He paused, then added in a measured tone, “Next time, if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”
“Sure.”
The roar of the engine broke the silence, and Sidney’s sleek silver car disappeared down the street like a streak of moonlight.
Zoe exhaled slowly, her smile fading. The day had exhausted her; she had no strength left to maintain the facade. She turned and dragged herself back to the dingy apartment.
Sidney, meanwhile, drove a good distance before suddenly turning sharply and heading back.
“Hey.”
Zoe stopped, confused. Turning, she saw Sidney.
“Have you ever thought about dating me? I’m not joking, and this isn’t about pity. I think I just… like you. Plain and simple.”
Chapter 612
The night was cool and still, but Zoe felt like her heart had been tossed into boiling water. Sidney’s words stirred her, leaving her restless and awake.
Lying in bed, Zoe couldn’t stop replaying Sidney’s serious expression and the way he’d repeated the question. “My heart skips a beat when I see you. What about yours?”
What about yours? Zoe repeated inwardly, tossing and turning. Every time she closed her eyes, Sidney’s handsome, gentle face filled her mind.
Deep down, she knew the answer. Of course, my heart skips a beat. It has, long ago. The moment he jumped into the river after me. The first time he texted me asking if I wanted to date him. How can I not feel something for him? But… I’m not worthy of him.
Zoe leaned out from under her blanket, took a deep breath, and grabbed her phone. She sent Sidney a single-word reply: [No.]
She hit send, then immediately turned off her phone. Her hands were clammy, her heart pounding. It’s fine, she told herself. It’ll pass.
That same night, far out in the suburbs, dozens of black cars drove in formation, pulling up at the gates of a villa.
One car door opened, and the subordinates stood respectfully, awaiting.
Felix stepped out, heading straight for the villa’s basement. The expensive experimental capsule he’d purchased was finally ready.
Lorenzo, behind the subordinates, was drenched in sweat. The experimental capsule was destroyed, and he’d kept this from Felix.
What should I do now? If he finds out, I’m dead! Lorenzo thought, quickly stepping back. When everyone’s attention was diverted, he slipped out of the villa and crawled under Felix’s car.
The villa is covered in surveillance. The only safe place is under the car. If Felix’s fury grows but he can’t find me, I might escape when the car leaves, Lorenzo planned.
Felix reached the underground laboratory and, pulling back the silver-gray sheet, saw the ruined capsule.
“What happened?” Felix spun around, his gaze sharp, the air crackling with killing intent. His subordinates froze, their hearts pounding. “Mr. Quaid. We were with you; we don’t know.”
“Bring him over!”
“Yes!” Several subordinates quickly searched, but Lorenzo was gone. They grabbed one of Lorenzo’s lackeys.
“Speak! Why is the capsule destroyed?” Felix bellowed.
The lackey trembled, too frightened to lie. He confessed that Lorenzo had secretly assisted Melody in taking down Tiffany days ago. “Mr. Quaid, it was Lorenzo. He threatened us!”
Felix’s face darkened, and without a word, he walked out of the laboratory.
Chapter 619
His subordinates exchanged uneasy glances. This is bad. Lorenzo won’t escape. Felix will deal with him personally. They followed Felix outside.
Felix scanned the area, finally locking onto his car.
From a distance, Lorenzo sensed Felix’s stare. The destroyed capsule—damn it! Disobeying his orders to go after Tiffany—I’m doomed! he thought.
B. COMMENT
The revised text improves grammar, punctuation, and flow. It removes unnecessary wordiness and clarifies the narrative. The italicized sections represent Zoe and Lorenzo's internal thoughts. The chapter breaks and the "B. COMMENT" section remain as they were in the original text as their purpose was unclear and they seemed to be part of a larger document structure.