The Act Of Conspiracy

On her wedding ceremony, unsightly photos of hers were leaked by her best friend, leading her to become the joke of the town. 

 Fiveyears later, she returns with her son only to bump into an enlarged version of her child! 

"This is utterly shameful…"

The wedding that was supposed to be romantic turned out to be a disaster.

Accompanied by everyone's gossip, Sharon raised her head to look at the giant screen. A few pictures that had been enlarged were being displayed.

The main female character in the picture was her, and the man with her was not the bridegroom, Howard Zachary!

At that moment, Sharon was stunned. 'What's going on? Why is there such a picture?'

The way the picture of herself and the man lying beside had been taken made it so that every angle of her face was revealed while only the back and side of the man could be seen.

She was certain that she did not know who that man was!

Subconsciously, Sharon looked at Howard. Howard stared at her. Additionally, his face darkened as his eyes began to gleam with rage.

"Woman! How dare you betray me!"

Without waiting for her to reply, Howard gave her a tight slap!

Sharon was slapped and ended up falling to the ground. Her cheek immediately turned red and became swollen. She held her face, raised her head, and defended herself, "Howard, it's not what you think. There must be a misunderstanding!"

"Misunderstanding? You dare say you're not the lady in that picture?" He had lost his cool, and he was roaring exasperatedly.

Sharon's body began to tremble. "I… I have no idea what's going on as well." She looked lifeless. She had never been with another man before except for that night…

Howard grabbed hold of her chin forcefully. "Are you brave enough to swear that you didn’t have relationship with another man?"

"I…" before Sharon could finish talking, her bestie, Sally Luke, spoke up, "Shar, you didn’t return for the whole night during Howard’s birthday last night. That night, who were you with?"

Sharon was dumbfounded. She was drunk that night and vaguely recalled being in a hotel with Howard.

She immediately replied, "I spent the night in a hotel with Howard!"

However, Howard chuckled. "That night, I went home early. How is it possible that I spent the night with you at a hotel?"

Sharon was suddenly stunned as the color on her face gradually began to fade.

'If he wasn’t the man I was with that night, who else could it have been?'

She dropped to the ground as if a storm had landed after bright weather.

Howard saw her reaction and said in a way as if he was sure of something, "Good, very good! Not bad, Sharon! I hereby announce that the wedding is canceled!"

"No!" Sharon snapped.

"I didn't betray you, Howard. Someone framed me. You must believe me. Someone must have been plotting a scheme behind me…" she said nervously. 'Who set me up?'

Howard was utterly disgruntled; he had lost his cool, "Sharon, quit acting. You really make me feel like puking!"

He kicked her away ruthlessly. All of a sudden, he leaned over and grabbed her wedding dress forcefully. He was no longer gentle like he used to be.

"What are you doing, Howard?" Sharon was trembling.

"Take it off! What right do you have to wear it?!"

Sharon continued to struggle, but it was fruitless. She ended up having the wedding dress that had been custom-made for her stripped off in public.

Howard glanced at her with a cold stare, turned around, and handed the wedding dress to Sally. "Sally, will you marry me?"

Sally could not suppress the excitement within her and answered, "I do!"

Sharon stared at her best friend as the latter put on the wedding dress. She was astonished.

Howard even placed her wedding ring on Sally's ring finger!

"No! Sally, how could you… he's my husband!" Sharon's eyes were red as she stared at her best friend.

Sally, who was standing, looked down at her. "Sharon, let’s make it clear. Right now, Howard is my husband." With that being said, she purposely displayed the huge diamond ring on her hand.

With a smile on her face, Sally leaned beside Sharon's ear and said with a soft voice that could only be heard by the two of them, "Sharon, are you satisfied with the wedding gift I gave you?"

Sharon was thunderstruck and suddenly came to an understanding. 'The pictures were her doing!'

Anger rushed through her mind, and she wanted to rip off Sally’s fake smile so badly. "It was you, Sally…"

Before Sharon could finish accusing her, Sally raised her hand and ordered the security guards, "Chase this cunning woman out!" She put on an act as if she was Mrs. Zachary.

"Let go off me!" No matter how much Sharon struggled, it was useless. She was held down by the security guards and taken away.

Sharon felt the flames of anger rise. She had never expected that she would be set up by her best friend!

Not to mention, the man who had promised to marry her merely stared at the scene coldly.

Sharon was thrown away at the entrance of the hotel. Then, without even being able to let the pain settle in, she received a call from the hospital, "Miss Jeans, your dad has just passed away after his illness returned."

"What?!" Her hand began to shake uncontrollably, and she dropped her phone on the floor. She felt as if her heart had been pierced ruthlessly.

She was struggling to get up to head over to the hospital when she suddenly felt pain in her stomach. Subsequently, she saw blood flowing all over her thighs…

She was startled. She held onto her stomach in pain as she cried helplessly, "Baby…"

Chapter 2

After five years.

The airport terminal had just announced the arrival of the plane. In no time, a batch of passengers exited the security checkpoint.

"Mummy, it's hot. I want to have ice cream." The innocent voice of a child was heard as Sebastian Jeans held his mother's hand. He was blinking with his eyes that were watery.

Sharon glanced at her son helplessly. His pitiful expression made her give in even though she knew he was faking it.

"You can only buy one." She took out a bank note from her wallet and told him, "Come back once you've bought it. I'll wait for you right here." Sharon was dragging the luggage.

"Roger! My honorable mother!" Sebastian gave his mother a flying kiss before beginning to run while holding onto the note in his hand tightly.

Sharon had not even been able to ask him to take his time. At that moment, her phone rang.

"Hello? Riley? Yeah, I've already returned… alright, I'll take a cab over there now."

It was a call from her best friend, Riley Gabriel.

In the past, Sally, Riley, and herself had stayed in the same hostel during university. They were used to be great friends with the three of them almost always being seen together. They had even vowed to be each other’s guardians.

However, during the wedding that took place five years ago, Sharon ended up seeing Sally's true colors. It marked the end of their relationship.

Only Riley treated her sincerely. Throughout the years when she was away, they both kept in touch via phone calls.

At the moment, she had returned, and Riley had asked her to bring her son over to stay with her.

Once Sharon ended the call, she coincidentally saw the news that was being broadcasted on a large screen that was hung high ahead. It read, “Young Master Zachary and Mrs. Zachary will be holding their fifth wedding anniversary on the coming 26th.”

The piece of news made her eyes teary.

'Mrs. Zachary? He really did marry Sally!'

Five years had passed in the blink of an eye. She would never forget the humiliation she endured that year!

That year, on the night of Howard's birthday, it was Sally who had made her drunk and sent her to a hotel. She had even told her that Howard would be the one waiting for her in the hotel.

Nevertheless, Sally betrayed her during the wedding and even snatched her husband away from her!

With her return, she was determined to get herself justice!

"Hey, why don't look where you're going? Whose kid is this?" a roar was heard from not far away.

Sharon quickly recovered and turned around. The sight of the scene startled her.

It was her son. The little kid was holding onto the ice cream he had just bought. Perhaps he was too happy and bumped into someone else while he was running back.

Sally quickly went over and pulled her son to herself. She looked at the person's pants that were now stained with a big patch of ice cream. It made her feel guilty.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. My kid was running too hastily. Let me help you wipe it off," Sharon said as she took out some tissue paper and helped the person wipe it off.

She had just started helping the person wipe the stain off when the latter suddenly grabbed hold of Sharon. Subsequently, a deep and cold voice was heard over her head, "What are you trying to do?"

Sharon was petrified by the voice. Subconsciously, she raised her head and matched the man’s pair of cold, black eyes. She had to take in a deep breath before she was finally able to make out the man's appearance.

At that split second, Sharon thought she was seeing things.

The handsome face before her looked like… an enlarged version of her son.

All of a sudden, she was stunned by the sight of it and felt utterly surprised.

"Are you done looking at me?" The man shoved her hand away and said in an indifferent tone.

Sharon managed to recover, but deep within her, she was astonished. 'This man, could he be my son's father?

'No… how is it possible for such a coincidence to occur in the world? How could I so easily bump into my son's dad?

'Well, my son does look like him but only in certain ways.' That was what she thought. Her face put on an apologetic smile. "I'm really sorry about that. Why not I compensate you with some cash? Or perhaps I could buy you a new pair of pants?"

Chapter 3

Simon Zachary had a dark expression. "Don't sweat about it. As a parent, you should always be on the lookout for your children."

"That's right, the clothes worn by President Zachary are custom-made, do you think you could afford to compensate him for it?" The man’s assistant, Franky Zimmer, was standing behind him as he lectured softly. Earlier, he was the one who had scolded her son.

He glared at Sharon. 'She is so daring! A woman has never gotten so close to President Zachary before!'

"Ain't it just a pair of pants? I can afford to pay for it!" Sebastian, who was being held by his mother, spoke up. He could not afford to let his mother endure the humiliation when he was the one who had caused the trouble.

Simon placed his gaze on the little boy. He frowned as he found the little kid rather familiar.

Franky sneered. "Hey, how will you compensate for it?"

Sebastian took out his piggy bank that was in his little yellow duck bag and poured out all the spare cash he had in it. "Here you go, is this more than enough?"

Simon looked at the pocket money. It seemed as if he had recalled something as his icy cold expression could now be seen with a faint smile accompanying it.

He said in a tone that was not as cold as before, "Keep that pocket money well. Just pay more attention to where you're heading next time."

"Uncle, are you looking down on me?" Sebastian frowned as he looked at the towering man.

Sharon was not willing to continue arguing with them. Since the opponent was not being too calculative, she got the hint and quickly made a run for it.

She quickly yanked her son toward herself and apologized once again, "I'm really sorry for having caused both of you trouble."

After apologizing, she grabbed her son's hand and left the scene; she crossed paths with Simon as she did so.

Simon was about to leave as well, but when Sharon passed by him, a fragrant smell that was embroidered in his memory wafted up his nose.

He quickly came to a halt, and his pupils shrunk as he turned around to looked. Nevertheless, she was already far away from him with her son.

In the blink of an eye, the mother and son were already swallowed by the crowd at the airport. Nevertheless, he stood motionless on the same spot.

Franky, who was puzzled, looked at his boss and asked cautiously, "President Zachary, are you planning on making them pay as compensation?"

Simon squinted his hawk eyes. 'Why did that lady have that fragrance?'

It had been five years, and he had smelled plenty of different scents from many ladies. However, he was always unable to retrace it.

"Go investigate that lady," he ordered calmly.

Franky was surprised, but he still nodded. "Noted."

No woman had been able to pique President Zachary's interest. 'That lady is already a mother to a kid. Is President Zachary interested in married women?'

Sharon brought her son out of the airport, hailed a cab, and headed for Riley's house.

She did not know why, but the man's appearance made her feel disturbed. When she brought her son outside, she felt as if a pair of eyes were staring at her from behind.

When they arrived at Riley's house, Riley was already waiting for them at the entrance.

She ran over eagerly when she saw Sharon come down from the car. She hugged her. "Shar, you finally came back. I really missed you!"

Sharon nearly could not withstand her passionate hug. "Alright, you have to relax. I can't breathe with you hugging me so tightly!"

Only then did Riley let go of Sharon. Her eyes were red. "Quick, let me have a look at what you have become—a lady who has already given birth to a kid.

"Hmph, you still have such a nice body figure. You have what it takes to find your second love!" Riley kept praising her.

"What's a second love, aunty?" Sebastian dragged his tiny luggage over and stood beside his mother. He looked at Riley with his innocent, black eyes.

"Well, you're little Sebastian! How did you turn out to be so handsome and cute? You must have inherited it from your mom!" Riley did not stop holding the little kid tightly in her arms after seeing him.

Sebastian struggled to breathe. His expression was as if he was entrapped in the jaws of a wolf. He waved his hands, gesturing for his mother's help. "Save me, mummy…"

Sharon found it hilarious. "She's your godmother. She’s not a bad person."

"Yeah, I'm your godmother. Be a good boy, my godson. Come, call me your godmother."

Sebastian pouted his mouth, unwilling to greet her. "I want Daddy, not godmother."

Chapter 4

"Your mom doesn't even know who's your dad. Stop thinking about your father. It's not too bad now that you’ve got a godmother, right?" She tapped on the little kid's head. 'Am I that disliked?'

"I don't care. Mummy already said that she's going to bring me on a search for my father during this trip!" The little kid was still pouting with his little mouth.

Seeing his chubby, little expression, Riley could not help but kiss his face. "Well, aren’t your facial muscles a bit too bouncy?" 

Sebastian turned pale instead. "Mommy, she… she molested me!"

Sharon had brought her son up by herself and seldom got in touch with other people. Hence, Sebastian relied heavily on her and was rather distant from others.

"A kiss and that's considered molesting?" Riley laughed.

Sharon laughed as well before she 'rescued' her son from the arms of her best friend. "He's just afraid of strangers. Things will become better once he becomes closer to you throughout the next few days."

Riley raised her brows. "Alright, I'll give you one day to be close to me!" she said in a domineering tone.

Sebastian snorted and turned around to hug his mother as he put on a proud look.

The two ladies burst into laughter when they saw this.

Riley led the mother and son to their place. It was a small two-bedroom unit. It was usually more spacious with Riley staying on her own.

Nevertheless, it was still not that packed even though the mother and son were there. That was because they were going to stay in another room.

"I purposely bought lots of food when I found out you guys were coming back. Today, I'll prepare a big feast for you two as a treat to guests from far away!" said Riley with a smile after putting down their luggage.

"I'm hungry, mommy," Sebastian said in a somewhat crying tone.

"Alright, sit here and have some fun while I prepare the dishes with your godmother." Sharon had her son sit on the sofa in the hall.

"Go, go." The little kid immediately let out a smile as he nagged at her face.

Riley could finally make out that the little boy was a bright one. It was simply as Sharon had said, he would only play with people he was familiar with and would ignore other people. 'Does that mean he's proud and cold?

'It doesn’t look like the kid inherited his personality from Sharon. Could it be that he inherited it from his father, whose identity is unknown?'

Sebastian was playing with blocks in the hall while Sharon and Riley were preparing the dishes in the kitchen.

Riley glanced in the direction of the hall and touched Sharon with her elbow. She whispered, "Your son doesn't resemble you that much. My guess is that he's eighty percent like his father. Judging by his looks, I can say that the kid's father must be a handsome man!"

Upon hearing Riley's comment, Sharon's recalled the icy cold man she had bumped into at the airport.

At this, it made her realize that the man had been born with a prestigious aura. He gave off a cold feeling that made people stay away from him.

"What are you thinking about, Shar?" Riley raised her hand and waved it in front of Sharon.

Sharon snapped out of it, and her eyes began to glitter. "Nothing, what were you saying again?"

"I was saying that your son must resemble his father, and his father must be a handsome man."

"It's obvious that he inherited his looks from me!"

"Don't you wish that his biological father is a handsome man? It would be best if he's a hundred times more handsome than Howard. With that, you’ll no longer be on the losing end."

Riley regretted her words after blurting them out. She spun around and looked at Sharon. Without a doubt, there was a lonely expression on her face.

"What's wrong? Are you still unable to let go of Howard?”

Sharon shook her head. "Nope."

"That's great. He's a bad guy who doesn't appreciate things that are around him!" Riley barked before quickly changing the topic, "Let me tell you a piece of good news. I've helped you submit your resume. Tomorrow, you can go report yourself at your new company."

"That fast?" Sharon was astonished.

"Well, it’s not often that you’re able to land a new job. But, you’re now a designer on their way to fame"

The next day, Sharon reported in at her new company.

Five years ago, she left Northern City for M Country. After giving birth to her son, she went to further her studies in interior design.

Sharon stepped foot into Central Corporation. However, just when she was about to enquire which floor the personnel department was on, she heard a commotion from behind her.

At that moment, all the employees at the entrance were lined up in two rows. Additionally, there was an intense vibe as if they were about to welcome a big shot.

Subsequently, the security guard dressed in a shirt pushed the glass door opened. Then, a man with a towering silhouette and strong aura entered the scene. His stony face was like a sharp saber, and he had a majestic aura that made all of the employees beside him feel pressured.

Sharon turned around and saw the man, who was surrounded by tons of people, entering the scene. All of a sudden, she was thunderstruck. 'Why… is it him?' 

Chapter 5

Simon walked into the president's office as Franky followed him from behind.

"President Zachary, I've already gotten information about the lady you asked me to look up," said Franky.

Simon merely sat down. He frowned slightly when he heard it. "Spit it out."

Franky took out an investigation report. "The lady's name is Sharon. Five years ago, she left Northern City and went to M Country to further her studies. One year ago, she was awarded an award for international interior design. Coincidentally… she has applied to be a designer in our company."

Simon held onto his lips and did not say a word. 'So it means that I'm now her superior?'

Five years ago, she left Northern City…

He recalled the night from five years ago. He had just returned from a foreign country and was ready to take over the Zachary family. During the hand-over ceremony, he had some drink. Later on, a lady showed up.

However, upon waking up from his slumber the next day, he realized that the lady was nowhere to be seen. Nevertheless, he noticed that there were a pair of earrings that belonged to a lady.

He had not managed to see the lady's face clearly, but he remembered the fragrance on her body well.

What Franky was about to say interrupted his thoughts, "One more coincidence, she's your biological nephew's ex-girlfriend."

Simon frowned. "Howard?"

"That's right, I heard that they were about to get married five years ago, but this Sharon ended up betraying your nephew. Hence, the wedding was canceled. I guess she no longer dared to say in Northern City after that and decided to flee to M Country." Franky sighed.

Simon vaguely recalled that his nephew had indeed organized a wedding, but at that time, his sister-in-law had not invited any of the Zachary members to attend the wedding.

"President Zachary, say, do you think she applied for this company for the sake of your nephew?"

Simon remained silent, "If that’s so, she has come to the wrong place."

Sharon showed up after reporting herself to the personnel department. She had just arrived at the designing department and managed to meet her new superiors and colleagues. However, she was just about to take her place on her working seat when the secretary from the president’s office came over to notify her that president Zachary had summoned her.

Sharon was dumbfounded. 'President Zachary? Is he the man that I bumped into at the airport?'

Before coming to the company, she had not had the time to go through who was the boss of the place. All she knew was that the company was the greatest company in Northern City.

She nodded and then followed the secretary to the president's office.

Sharon knocked on the door. Subsequently, she heard the deep voice of a man from inside. "Come in."

She did not know why, but she felt anxious. A sense of tension developed within her whenever she thought of the man.

She took in a deep breath before she pushed open the door to enter.

A man, whose head was lowered, could be seen at the huge office desk, scanning through documents. His handsome and meticulous facial features were spellbinding even when he was at work.

"Are you looking for me, Mr. President?"

The man raised his eyes and looked at her before saying in a calm tone, "Have a seat."

Sharon felt that his gaze was rather sharp, and it was as if he was examining her in detail. She sat down with a smile on her face, trying to make herself look more natural.

"Sharon Jeans?" The man moved his thin lips and pronounced her name.

"That's me." Only then did she realize that he was holding her resume.

"Why did you apply to Central Corporation?" He blurted the question out of nowhere.

Sharon was shocked. 'Isn’t this question supposed to be asked during an interview? Could it be that the boss plans on conducting the interview personally?’

"I need a larger platform to unleash my talents, and Central Corporation can provide me with that chance." She gave him a textbook answer that had no problems in it.

However, the man sitting opposite her was merely watching her meticulously and not in a rush to voice out his thoughts.

After a moment, he looked straight at her and asked, "Are you here because of personal reasons?"

Sharon frowned. "Do you have some sort of misunderstanding against me? Or is it because of what happened at the airport…" Her speech was cut short by a phone that had suddenly begun ringing.

Simon answered the call and listened to what the secretary had to say as he looked at Sharon. Not long after, his eyes began to glitter.

"Let him in." He hung up the call after saying that.

Sharon was still hesitant on whether she should continue with the previous topic when someone suddenly pushed open the office door. She heard the person who had come in say, "Uncle, I've gathered all the pictures you wanted."

Sharon's body stiffened at the sound of the person’s voice. It was Howard Zachary!

Chapter 6

Suddenly hearing Howard's voice, Sharon was stunned. Scenes of her wedding on that day began to flood her mind. Howard's cruelty and lack of belief in her had made Sharon feel rather disappointed.

Howard placed a packet of documents on the office desk. Upon lowering his head, he saw the lady who was sitting in the chair.

His expression changed for the worst, and his pupils shrunk. "You… Sharon?!" Her appearance caught him by surprise. 'She's back?'

Sharon did not let out a sound. Instead, it was Simon, who was sitting on the executive chair, who glanced at both of them with an intriguing look. "What's wrong? You guys know each other?"

"Not at all!" It sounded almost as if Sharon had replied without thinking twice.

Howard remained silent for a moment before he let out a cold laugh. "Indeed we don't know each other. The Sharon whom I once knew died a long time ago."

Sharon finally raised her gaze and glared at him. They both exchanged gazes, and the atmosphere tensed up.

In the end, Sharon managed to compose herself. It was her first day reporting to the company. Nothing good would come out of it if she were to have a huge fight with Howard.

She pursed her lips and turned away. She made it look like she did not know him at all.

"Who is she, uncle?" Howard continued to stare at her. 'Why is she here?'

Simon had long ago started paying attention to both of their reactions. Nevertheless, he acted as if he knew nothing and said faintly, "She’s our company’s newly hired designer."

'Designer? She has such an ability now?

'It has been five years since we last met, yet she's still the same as that year.' Howard had thought that Sharon would be living a miserable life. He had never expected her to be living her life better than before. She was even more charming now as well.

Howard secretly clenched his fists.

"You may leave if there's nothing else." Simon took over the documents that Howard had come to deliver.

Howard retrieved his gaze. His tense expression made it obvious that he was suppressing himself from doing something. Nevertheless, he said no more and merely nodded to Simon before taking huge strides to leave the scene.

Hearing that Howard's footsteps were now further away, Sharon's anxiousness finally relieved itself.

She had not expected her new boss to be Howard's uncle.

'It's just that… Simon looks like he's only 30-years-old at most.'

Deep within her, she still felt agitated. Nevertheless, wearing a calm expression, she said, "President, can I go back to work?"

Simon's eyes dimmed as he glanced at her. "Off you go."

He could see a hint of helplessness in her eyes. It seemed like Franky's investigation was right on target. She was his nephew's ex-girlfriend.

Sharon left the president's office and walked to the elevator absent-mindedly. However, at one of the corners, a hand suddenly stretched out and yanked her over.

"Ah…" She called out softly. That person immediately covered her mouth and forcibly dragged her to a deserted place before letting her go.

"Howard? What do you think you're doing?" She struggled to free herself. Having learned the identity of the person who had dragged her, she was exasperated.

Howard inched closer toward her. "I'm the one who's supposed to be asking that. Why do you still have the face to return? What are you plotting by entering Central Corporation?"

Sharon did not back off. She raised her head to face him. "Didn't you hear it yourself earlier. I'm now Central Corporation’s designer. Without question, I'm here to work. What else would I be here for?"

"Work? Hmph… I'm afraid you have another motive!" He held his chin as he inched closer to her. "Are you here to approach my uncle?"

Sharon's eyes became stern as she shoved his hands away and raised her hand to slap him.

"Howard! You had better stop, or else, I'll accuse you of defamation!"

Howard was apoplectic with rage now that he had been slapped by Sharon. "Aren't you a lady who does things underhandedly? Why bother continuing to act all innocent up till this day?"

"Howard, you can choose not to believe me, but you can't humiliate me! You only needed one word from Sally to put all your trust in her. So, why can't you trust me?" She knew that Howard was scolding her because of the picture from that year.

"Also, do you believe that those pictures are real? Have you ever thought about why those pictures were displayed on our wedding day?"

Howard's expression was awful as he stared at her. He was wavering deep within him, but he still refused to believe her. "You dare swear that you never betrayed me?"

Sharon gave up as she looked at him calmly. "Whether you believe it or not, there's nothing else between us anymore," she said before quickly passing him to leave the scene.

She only came to know the reason why Howard had such a young uncle later on. That was because Director Zachary had a son when he was almost 50.

If only she had found out earlier. Then, she would not have come forth to Central Corporation to work.

Chapter 7

The busy working day came to an end, and Sharon headed back to her house. She felt slightly tired.

Riley finished work earlier than Sharon, so she helped her out and picked Sebastian up from the kindergarten.

"You're back? Was everything fine on your first day of work?" Riley asked.

Sharon glanced at her. "Why didn’t you tell me that Zachary’s family own Central Corporation?"

"That means you bumped into Simon? How was it? Isn't he a handsome one?"

Sharon glared at her ruthlessly. "What does he being handsome have anything to do with me? He's Howard's uncle!"

"So what! Not everyone gets to enter Central Corporation. You should be happy right now that you were hired regardless of whose uncle he is. Are you afraid that he'll help Howard and trouble you?"

Sharon frowned. She was not fazed because of it. It was just that she did not want to be related to anyone from the Zachary family.

At that moment, Sebastian came out of his room, holding onto his stomach. "Mommy, I'm having a stomachache."

Sharon heard him and thus quickly yanked him to her front. She touched his stomach. "What's wrong? Did you eat anything wrong in the kindergarten?"

Sebastian shook his head. "I don't know."

His little face was slightly pale, and his forehead was drenched in a cold sweat. Sharon knew her son well. He would not make a sound if it was not very painful.

"I'll bring you to the hospital now."

Riley got worried as well and quickly took the car keys. "I'll go start the car."

The two of them brought Sebastian to the hospital. The doctor checked on Sebastian before looking at Sharon and asking, "Did you say that you guys just came back from M Country yesterday?"

"Yeah." Sharon nodded.

"It’s a given then. There's no major problem with the child. I'll prescribe him some medication."

Sharon let out a breath of relief. "Thanks, doctor."

Sharon took the prescription and immediately headed over to the pharmacy. On the other hand, Riley stayed back in the ward to look after the little kid.

Not long after, Sharon reached the pharmacy. However, just when she was about to head back, she saw a surprisingly familiar outline when she took a turn.

She turned around and looked at the corridor opposite her. She saw Sally quite a distance away from her!

Even though they had not met each other for five years, she could still make out it was her with a glance!

Sally, who used to be Sharon's best friend, had snatched her wedding away from her and even snatched her man. How could Sharon forget about her?

Sally was talking to a male doctor that was wearing a big, white coat.

Sharon could not hear their conversation, but their gestures were intimate. Those who were unaware would think that they were a couple.

'Could it be that Sally is betraying Howard?'

Sharon fixed her gaze on the male doctor and looked at him with a sharp gaze. 'Why does that man's side profile look the same as… the man who was in the picture during the wedding!'

Sharon's body fumbled about. In her mind, she wanted to grab hold of that man and have a closer look. Suddenly, a human wall was seen blocking her from the front.

A man's deep voice was heard, "Sharon?"

She raised her head and saw Simon's face. The latter looked so much like her son. Once again, she was absent-minded but very eager to get ahold of the male doctor.

She pushed Simon away and was going to head over. However, the outline opposite the corridor was now nowhere to be seen. 'Sally and the male doctor are gone!'

"Who are you looking for?" Simon asked when he saw her looking anxious.

Sharon felt annoyed. 'They got away!'

She snapped out only to realize that Simon was looking at her. He was her superior, and she should not be so impolite.

Thus, she lowered her gaze to conceal the emotions dwelling in her eyes. "Perhaps I saw the wrong person."

"Are you sick?" Simon saw her holding some medicine in her hand.

Her gaze remained lowered. "My son is feeling a bit unwell, so I brought him here for him to have a check-up," she said before raising her head to look at him. She then raised a counter-question, "What are you doing here, President Zachary?"

Having heard her mention her son, Simon recalled the incident back at the airport. 'That little boy is innocent yet stubborn. Not to mention, he’s proud at the same time. Looking at him gives me a familiar feeling.'

He squinted his eyes and glanced at the lady before him with a sharp gaze. A sense of suspicion dwelled within him.

"What's wrong with him?" Without knowing, he asked for the little boy's condition.

Sharon did not think too much about it, "He had a stomachache because of some soiled food. The doctor has already prescribed him some medication."

Simon heard this, and his interest to tease the mother was piqued. "He will be fine if he eats less ice cream."

Sharon lifted her eyes to look at the man's thin lips that seemed to have formed a faint smile. 'What's wrong? His appearance that makes him seem as if he's smiling and yet not. It makes him look even more like my son!'

Just like that, she began to stare at the man absent-mindedly without blinking her eyes.

The man's handsome face came closer to her ear, and he said in his deep, attractive voice, "Do you know that it's very dangerous to look at a man with such a gaze?"

Chapter 8

Sharon recovered. Her heart was beating hard, and her ears were warm. She quickly lowered her head and bit her lips. She felt annoyed.

Simon felt a pinch in his heart when he saw her in such a state. Once again, he managed to catch hold of the scent from her body that he had wanted to smell all this while.

His gaze that was on her changed to a more meticulous one.

The atmosphere between them was not like how it used to be. All of a sudden, there were footsteps approaching them.

"Shar, have you gotten the medication?" Riley and Sebastian had been waiting in the ward for some time, and thus, Riley decided to look for Sharon after noticing the latter had not returned for some time.

Sharon suppressed the emotions dwelling within her. 'This is terrible, how could I forget about my son?'

"Yeah, I got it. How's Sebastian?"

"He's slightly better, but the doctor said he still needs to consume the medication." Riley looked at the tall and cold man beside her. Her eyes began to gleam with excitement, "Isn’t this your boss, Shar? Why is he here as well?"

'I wasn’t expecting Simon to be so much more handsome than how he looks on television. However, this man gives off a vibe that makes it hard for anyone to approach him.'

Sharon was not in a position to continue speaking to Simon. Thus, she said politely, "President Zachary, I guess I'll head back to look at my son.” Subsequently, she left the scene with Riley.

The man said surprisingly, "I'll come and take a look at him."

Sharon was stunned. "That… that's not necessary." It was a given that she would find it weird. 

'Isn’t he being too kind?'

It was as if he had not heard her reject him as he raised his long legs and began striding forward. "Which ward?" he asked in a posture that did not permit any rejection.

Sharon bit her lips. "President Zachary, don't you have anything else to do?"

"The doctor is attending to my father, so I have some spare time," he said casually.

Only then did Sharon come to know his reason for visiting the hospital. While she was hesitant, Riley, on the other hand, displayed a friendly front and led the way. "Simply take a turn straight ahead. Just follow us."

Riley said before she pulled Sharon and walked forward.

Sharon glanced at her and whispered, "Don't be mischievous, Riley."

Riley was not bothered by it. "Why are you so nervous? Just take it as a superior being concerned about his underlings."

Sharon could not reject him. In the end, she led Simon to the ward.

Sebastian was frowning and was laying on the hospital bed. The moment he saw that his mother had returned, his eyes began to gleam lively. "Mommy, you're finally back."

Additionally, when he saw Simon, who had come in from behind, his gloomy expression became even more lively. "Hmm? Why is bad uncle here as well?"

He had knocked into Simon at the airport that day. Back then, the latter had worn a cold and expressionless look when faced with them. Hence, the little kid greeted him as bad uncle.

Sharon wore an awkward expression. She looked at the man, whom no one could make out his emotions, and said to her son, "Sebastian, this uncle is my boss. You should call him uncle Zachary."

Sebastian glanced at the bad uncle whose face still did not have any expression, "Such a coincidence? What’s he doing here then?"

Simon strolled over toward the hospital bed and said in a way that seemed very gentle, "I heard that you weren’t feeling well. So, I came here to visit you." He looked at the boy before him with a sharp gaze. The more he looked at him, the more familiar he felt. Moreover, the suspicion within him merely grew stronger.

Sebastian glanced at him, unbelieving that he was that kind. 'It must be because I stained his pants with ice cream that day and made him unhappy. Hence, he’s here on purpose to make fun of me.'

"I'm fine. I don't need any visitors." The little kid purposely put on an unsatisfied look. He even sat up straight as if he wanted to prove he was alright.

However, next instance, the little kid's stomach growled. Consequently, his little face could no longer hold in his emotions.

Nevertheless, in order not to be made fun of, he continued to wear a serious look.

Simon's lips curled upward when he saw his expression. "Just say so if you're not feeling well. I won't make fun of you." He could see through the mind of the little kid. After he was done talking, he tapped Sebastian's shoulder intentionally.

"I… I'm not feeling uncomfortable!" Sebastian's face turned bright pink. He was determined not to admit defeat. He would not allow anyone to make fun of him!

Sharon sighed to herself when she saw her son behaving in such a manner. 'I wonder whose temper he got?'

"For the time being, eat the medicine." Sharon handed some medicine and a cup of water in front of the little kid.

Sebastian immediately took the medicine and swallowed it before washing it down with a big mouthful of water.

"Slow down." Sharon gently tapped his back.

Simon stood beside them and smiled without saying a word.

Riley looked at the three of them and developed an illusion. 'They are a family of three!'

Not to mention, she noticed that Sebastian and Simon looked really alike!

After the little kid had eaten the medicine, Sharon made him lie down to get some rest.

She turned around and realized that Simon was staring at her son. She was unsure of his expression, and it made her heart feel as if it was being clenched.

At that moment, someone came rushing in. "Uncle, how's my grandpa?"

Sharon frowned. 'Is it Howard?'