Chapter 89
The stylist pretended to be troubled, "Redoing your look will take at least two hours... We're about to close, Ms. Graham, like Mr. Garcia just said."
"You!" Yvonne was shaking with anger, but felt powerless.
She glared fiercely in Zoey's direction, only to find that Zoey wasn't paying her any attention. Zoey was being protected by Alexander, carefully avoiding the crowded makeup tables.
Tamsin bounced over to Zoey's side, "Zoey, you're gonna be the most beautiful one tomorrow night!"
"You're exaggerating," Zoey lightly poked her forehead.
Alexander stood nearby, his gaze soft as he watched their interaction.
When Zoey inadvertently turned and met his eyes, he smiled slightly, "She's not wrong."
Zoey turned away, but couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips.
Yvonne watched this scene, feeling as if something sharp had stabbed her in the chest.
She grabbed her purse and rushed into the restroom, furiously wiping off her exaggerated makeup, tears streaming down her face.
"Zoey..." she muttered through gritted teeth, the colorful glitter reflecting twisted light under the bathroom lights, mirroring her chaotic emotions.
When everyone was ready to head out for dinner, Yvonne finally emerged from the restroom, her makeup much lighter, but her colorful dress still glaringly bright.
She deliberately walked over to Alexander, "Alexander, can I ride in your car?"
Without looking up, Alexander replied, "It's full."
"How can that be? Your Maybach clearly has enough space..."
"Zoey and Tamsin have already taken the seats," Alexander finally glanced at her, "You can ride with Marcus."
Yvonne looked pitifully at Marcus, but he pretended not to see her and quickly walked to his car.
In the end, she had to reluctantly climb into the back seat of Marcus's car, watching Alexander gentlemanly open the car door for Zoey, his hand protectively hovering over her head.
"Such obvious favoritism..." Daniel whispered to Tamsin, "Alexander's making it too clear."
"Serves her right. How dare she try to compete with Zoey in beauty? It's laughable," Tamsin scoffed.
In the hallway of Elysium Lounge, Zoey walked beside Alexander in her high heels, her emerald green velvet dress swaying gently with each step, outlining elegant curves.
Countless eyes were glued to her, some admiring, some curious, and some openly lustful.
"Can I really not change out of this?" Zoey felt uncomfortable and wanted to change immediately.
"No way," Tamsin was the first to disagree, "You're so beautiful, everyone needs to see it."
Just then, a man in a suit blocked their path. "Hey, gorgeous, can I add you on WhatsApp?"
Before Zoey could refuse, Alexander stepped in front of her, his gaze icy, "Get lost."
The man was intimidated by his presence and slunk away.
Alexander's face grew even darker; this was the fifth clueless guy they'd encountered.
"Mr. Garcia, your charm is too much; it's causing me to be surrounded," Zoey teased, lightly brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
Alexander glanced at her, "It's you who's too eye-catching."
His gaze lingered on her bare shoulder for a second before he suddenly took off his jacket and draped it over her, "Put this on."
Zoey raised an eyebrow, "I'm not cold."
"I am," Alexander lied without missing a beat.
Daniel and Tamsin exchanged a look behind them, feeling a pang of jealousy.
The private room door opened, and Glenn and Ophelia were already waiting inside.
Seeing Zoey, Glenn's eyes lit up, and he stood to greet her, "Ms. King, nice to see you again."
Ophelia snorted, her gaze darkening as it swept over Alexander's hand on Zoey's shoulder.
After they sat down, the waiter began serving the dishes.
Alexander naturally took Zoey's plate, cut her steak, and poured her a glass of warm water.
"I can do it myself," Zoey protested softly.
"Your hand," Alexander pointed to the faint bruises on her wrist, remnants from capturing a fugitive earlier that day.
Glenn watched with interest, "I didn't expect Mr. Garcia to be so attentive."
"It depends on the person," Alexander replied without looking up, focused on serving Zoey.
Ophelia gripped her wine glass tightly, "Ms. King is lucky to have Mr. Garcia personally attend to her."
"Ms. Blake misunderstands," Zoey smiled lightly, "Mr. Garcia just has a professional habit of wanting to control everything."
Alexander's lips curved slightly, "Yes, a professional habit."
Under the table, Tamsin kicked Daniel, mouthing, "Look at him!"
Daniel could only chuckle awkwardly and serve her more food.
"Ms. King, do you have any knowledge of the medical field?" Glenn suddenly asked.
Zoey put down her fork, "I know a bit."
"Our company, the Cole Group, is forming a new research team. Would you be interested?" Glenn handed her a business card. "The benefits are excellent."
The room fell silent.
The Cole Group was a top player in the industry, with many people vying to get in. Glenn was actively inviting Zoey?
Yvonne couldn't help but interject, "Mr. Cole, since when did the Cole Group lower its standards? Anyone can get in now?"
"I heard Ms. King has a criminal record? She was kicked out by the King family. You want someone in your team like that?"
"Yvonne!" Alexander and Marcus spoke simultaneously.
"If you don't want to eat, get out of here now," Alexander pointed to the door.
Marcus filled Yvonne's plate with food, "Stop talking. Let's eat."
Zoey smiled, "Ms. Graham is very interested in my past?"
She slowly ate the steak Alexander had cut for her, "But sorry, I don't like discussing personal matters with strangers."
Tamsin immediately chimed in, "Exactly! Some people should keep their mouths shut. If you make me mad, don't bother coming to the family dinner tomorrow night."
Yvonne's heart sank. She glanced at Glenn, who hadn't said a word, indicating he had taken her words seriously.
She thought, 'How could someone with a criminal record possibly qualify for the Cole Group?'
"I did speak out of turn. I apologize," Yvonne said, standing to apologize with a smug smile on her lips.
The King family scandal had been all over the internet, Zoey had been abandoned, and Alexander's affection for her was probably just a passing fancy.
So in the end, Alexander would be hers.
Alexander looked at Zoey, his gaze softening.
"Have some vegetables," he added some asparagus to her plate.
Zoey sighed, "Alexander, I'm not a child."
"You are to me," Alexander replied, unfazed.
Daniel nearly choked on his wine, while Tamsin covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.
Who would have thought that Alexander, the feared businessman of Emerald City, would act like this in front of Zoey?
Yvonne's face grew darker, and she suddenly stood up, "I'm gonna need to use the restroom."
After she left, the atmosphere in the room lightened considerably.
Glenn seized the moment, "Ms. King, I don't believe the online rumors. I trust Alexander's judgment. If he trusts you, so do I."
Zoey put down her knife and fork, "Thank you, I don't pay attention to her, so I won't take her words to heart. As for the Cole Group team, I am occupied now, so I am not considering it for now."
Alexander watched her focused profile, his gaze tender.
Zoey, in this moment, was radiant.