Chapter 233

Chapter 233

Zachary had originally planned to leave in the afternoon, but Isabella was so enthusiastic, insisting he stay for dinner.

He really couldn't refuse, so he nodded and agreed.

"Mom..." Gwen sighed helplessly. "Don't make too much food tonight. It'll just go to waste. A few simple dishes will be fine."

Isabella didn't hear a single word. "Got it. We're out of a few spices—why don't you go pick some up?"

Gwen agreed and pulled Zachary out the door with her.

"Sorry, my mom just gets too excited..."

"It's okay," Zachary smiled. "It shows she really likes me."

That was exactly why he felt comfortable spending time with Isabella.

Gwen sighed. "That's true. I've never seen my mom take to someone like this."

She'd always thought of her mother as gentle and reserved, never imagining she could be this warm toward someone she'd just met.

Zachary hummed in acknowledgment and took Gwen's hand.

The afternoon sun had softened. As they walked, their shadows stretched long behind them.

"Gwen..."

A voice suddenly called out from behind them—not loud, but careful, almost tentative.

Gwen stopped and turned to see Justin standing a short distance away.

She frowned, her expression immediately turning cold with disgust.

Seeing that look on her face, Justin let out a bitter laugh.

He'd missed Gwen so much that he'd driven to her apartment building. But just as he'd parked, he saw Gwen and Zachary walking out together. Holding hands.

The sight burned. He couldn't help but call out.

Charlie was still at home. How could they be so shameless, parading around like this?

Charlie was such a timid kid—he probably didn't even like Zachary. Gwen shouldn't be so eager to bring this man home just to satisfy herself.

And this was only what he'd seen. Who knew what they'd been doing inside before...

Justin frowned. "Gwen, we've barely been divorced. You're already bringing him into your home?"

Gwen found the man in front of her utterly ridiculous. "How is that any of your business?"

Hearing Justin speak with such self-righteousness, anyone who didn't know better would think 'she' was the one in the wrong.

Gwen couldn't suppress her disgust any longer. "You have no right to say any of this to me. After all, 'you're' the one who cheated."

Justin's face flushed with embarrassment. He knew he was in the wrong, but he didn't want to back down now. "What I did was wrong, I admit that. But Charlie's with you now—you should at least set a good example, don't you think?"

Gwen didn't want to waste another second on him. She tried to pull Zachary away but found she couldn't move him.

She looked up to find Zachary's expression ice-cold.

Zachary had never truly confronted Justin before.

The main reason was that he understood he didn't have the right position to do so. But now, things were different.

He walked up to Justin. He was noticeably taller, and with his refined presence, he stood out far more than Justin ever could.

Justin instinctively stepped back. Realizing he'd just felt 'afraid' of Zachary made him feel humiliated.

He was about to retaliate verbally when Zachary spoke first. "Sir, the past is the past. Gwen and I are planning to get married. Her family loves me. We don't need an 'outsider' to concern himself with our business."

Outsider?

Justin laughed coldly. "I'm her family too. I'm the father of her child."

"So what?" Zachary wasn't fazed by the provocation. "You're nothing but trash Gwen threw away. If you keep bothering her, I won't hesitate to take legal action."

Justin was forced to take another step back.

Who was this man? Why did he seem so... formidable?

Before Justin could figure it out, Zachary had already turned around and walked away, pulling Gwen along with him.

Walking beside Zachary, Gwen couldn't help but laugh. "You scared me just now. I thought you were going to hit him."

"He's not worth it," Zachary said with a light smile. "Besides, he's part of your past. If we keep engaging with him, we'll only get dragged back into old wounds."

Every time he saw Justin, he felt angry.

Angry that this man didn't know what he had. That he didn't cherish Gwen.

But in his heart, he also felt grateful.

Grateful that he'd met Gwen at the right time, so he could stand beside her again after her divorce.

Gwen sighed. "Forget about him. I have no idea why he suddenly showed up here. Probably got hurt by Lynn again or something."

When all those things about Lynn came out, it must have been quite a blow to Justin.

Even Gwen couldn't believe Lynn was that kind of person, let alone Justin, who'd loved her all along.

Zachary held Gwen's hand and helped her into the car.

As soon as she sat down, he kissed the corner of her lips.

Gwen jumped. "What was that for...?"

Why did he suddenly kiss her?

Zachary pressed his lips together. "You've been distracted. Are you still thinking about him?"

"Of course not!" Gwen quickly denied it.

She said seriously, "Don't think that. I've never thought about him. I was just remembering Lynn's situation. You probably know about all that stuff with Lynn too. I was thinking that when it all suddenly got exposed, maybe it was..."

"It wasn't," Zachary shook his head. "No one else was involved. Justin leaked everything himself."

Gwen was shocked. "How could he...?"

She'd considered that maybe Justin had allowed it to happen, but she never imagined he'd done it himself.

Zachary nodded. "He did. He only 'looks' gentle. He's not actually a good person. The way he treated you back then already proved what kind of man he is."

That was true...

Gwen knew that all too well.

But the only reason she hadn't suspected Justin was because he'd seemed so in love with Lynn before.

He'd loved her so much, yet after finding out the truth, he chose to expose everything himself. It didn't just destroy Lynn—it damaged his own reputation too.

His personality was clearly vindictive to the extreme.

Zachary took the opportunity to add a few more criticisms. "Yeah, he's a complete scumbag. Him showing up today—I bet he's been thinking about the past, realizing you were the one who was actually good to him."

Just hearing those words made Gwen feel sick to her stomach.

How disgusting! Thank God she hadn't said more earlier. Otherwise, knowing Justin's personality, he probably would've thought she still had feelings for him.