Chapter 58 Family Ties and Hidden Feelings

Chapter 58 Family Ties and Hidden Feelings

"I didn't! I didn't! Stop making things up!" Zoey sprang up from the sofa, waving her hands frantically.

Morris's knuckles lost their color as he gripped his fist in anger. "Don't deny it. I was planning to renew her contract, but you just had to poach her. I shouldn't have let you stay here today. You're—you're completely ungrateful!"

Seeing his agitation, Zoey calmed down. She crossed her arms and leaned in close to him, raising an eyebrow with a knowing smile. "You're getting worked up. Morris, why can't you just admit you like Emily? Why do you want her to keep working as your housekeeper? Do you really think having her clean your house and cook your meals every day is somehow romantic?"

"I'm not in love with her!" Morris turned to out the window, but the tips of his ears betrayed him by turning bright red.

"Still in denial?" Zoey moved closer, lowering her voice. "I wonder who it was staring at Emily this afternoon while she was baking in the kitchen. You were so fixated you didn't even notice your computer screen went dark. If you like her, just say it. Don't be shy."

"I..." Morris opened his mouth but couldn't find the words to counter her argument.

He had been planning to express his feelings when their contract ended and had rehearsed it countless times in his mind. But whenever the moment came, he swallowed his words. He feared rejection and losing what little connection they had.

Seeing his silence, Zoey softened. She gently pushed his arm. "Morris, you're so formidable in business. You close major deals with a single word. Why are you afraid to confess to Emily now? If you like her, tell her! Are you waiting for Emily to make the first move?"

Morris pressed his lips together. Zoey's words were like a pebble causing ripples in his heart.

"If you want us together, why compete with me for her? If you take her away, what am I supposed to do?" he demanded.

Zoey laughed at his question. "Morris, don't be stupid! When she works for you, she sees your interactions as just work. Come on, who wants to start a relationship in their workplace?"

Seeing Morris's frown gradually relax and his eyes become thoughtful, she quickly pressed her advantage. "As a man, are you really comfortable having someone you care about serving you? Do you expect Emily to fall for you while she's in the kitchen? Or while she's doing your laundry? Couples should be dating, talking, sharing their thoughts—not dealing with household chores!"

"If Emily keeps being your housekeeper, you'll always have that employer-employee barrier between you. You'll never be together that way. Think about it."

Morris's heart sank. He'd thought about these things countless times. Yet he feared that if Emily worked elsewhere, they would see each other less and less, and whatever affection they'd built would gradually fade.

Zoey saw through his concerns and delivered her final argument. "Look, I'm often away on location shoots. When I'm not home, Emily will have time to date you! Besides, the most important thing for couples is keeping things fresh. If Emily is at your place every day, seeing each other constantly, even the best relationship will get stale. I'm helping you, don't you see?"

Her words hit the mark with Morris.

"Fine, but you have to promise not to overwork her at your place," he conceded.

"Yes, yes, I know!" Zoey quickly interrupted, teasing him with a smile. "She's your future wife. I'll be good to her, you can relax!"

The phrase "future wife" touched something deep in Morris's heart. His tense expression finally relaxed, and his earlier anger completely vanished.

Just then, Emily walked in carrying a plate of freshly cut fruit. Seeing the unusual smiles on both Zoey and Morris's faces, she asked curiously, "What's making you both so happy?"

"Emily! Morris is thrilled that you'll be working for me!" Zoey replied.

Morris quickly nodded, trying to make his tone sound natural. "That's right. Zoey's place is nice, she eats very little, and she's rarely home. You'll have an easier time there." He avoided Emily's eyes, afraid she might see through him.

Emily nodded with a smile, feeling relieved herself. She had been wanting a change of environment, and Zoey's straightforward, lovable personality would make working with her comfortable.

After dinner, Zoey and Emily left.

Zoey returned home happily carrying the chocolate cake Emily had made, but as soon as she walked through the door, she saw her mother, Winter, sitting on the sofa with a grim expression.

"You're back?" Winter's voice was ice-cold, her gaze falling on the cake in Zoey's hands as if it were garbage.

"Yes." Zoey instinctively hid the cake behind her back, feeling the pressure in the room dropping by the second.

Winter didn't even look up at her. "How long are you going to keep lazing around like this?"

This argument had played out between them countless times, always ending badly. Zoey didn't want to engage in another meaningless fight. She took a deep breath and cut to the chase. "I'm moving out tomorrow."

"What did you say?" Winter jerked her head up. "Do you think your comfortable lifestyle comes from nowhere? It comes from the Anderson family! Moving out? You're really overestimating yourself!"

"Mom, I'm almost thirty. I can handle these small matters myself, so don't worry about it!"

"Worry? I'm doing this for your own good!" Winter stood up, furious. "You really think you've grown up! Without the Anderson family, could you live in such a big house? Are you just going to watch while Morris inherits the Anderson Group while you remain an unknown little actress?"

"Mom, please wake up!" Zoey's eyes reddened, her voice breaking. "Morris is a hundred times more capable than I am. Him inheriting the family business is completely natural! The Anderson Group would collapse within three months in my hands. Why can't you accept reality?"

"An ordinary actress?" Winter laughed coldly. "How can my daughter be an ordinary actress? If you don't want to inherit the company, then hurry up and marry someone capable. I want to groom my own grandson as the heir!"

"Enough!" Tears finally fell from Zoey's eyes. "You've controlled me for over twenty years—from elementary school to university, from my major to my career. You want to control everything! Now you want to control my marriage and my children too. I'm telling you, it's not happening!"

With that, she ran upstairs, the cake in her hands jostling and crumbling.

Winter stamped her foot in rage downstairs. "Fine! Be high and mighty! Tomorrow I'll cancel all your cards and we'll see how long you last!"

In her room, Zoey gradually stopped crying. She could earn her own money—not much, but enough to cover the maintenance fees for her apartment and daily expenses.

The apartment was one she'd bought outright with her savings last year, so there was no mortgage. Her car was just a regular sedan worth about $55,000, not expensive to maintain.

Early the next morning, Zoey called a moving company and had all her things moved to her apartment. She had barely settled in when her first visitor arrived.

"Morris? What are you doing here?" Zoey stood there stunned.