Chapter 154 She Was Wrong
Quinley never expected Adela would bring her to Apex Global Group.
"Why did you bring me here?"
Quinley's brow furrowed with suspicion.
Adela's lips twisted into a cold smirk. "What? Scared?" She paused, letting the question hang in the air. "I brought you here to show you the real Zachary."
Adela was a veteran at Apex Global Group with connections everywhere. Even though she'd been fired, she spun some BS excuse to the receptionist and got both herself and Quinley inside without a hitch.
The two stepped into the elevator, heading straight for the executive floor.
The hallway was eerily quiet. The secretary's station stood empty, and Zachary's office was vacant.
"Come on."
Adela strode toward the conference hall where the company's mid-level and senior management typically held meetings. Sure enough, when they arrived, a meeting was in progress.
The conference room door was slightly ajar. Adela pushed it open a crack and peeked inside, her smugness intensifying.
"Get a good look at Mr. Jennings, will you?"
Adela stepped aside. Quinley's suspicion only deepened as she peered through the gap.
At the head of the long conference table sat Zachary, ramrod straight and commanding. Lucas sat just behind him to the side. Right now, he exuded an imperial authority, his piercing gaze glinting with the same cold ruthlessness as before.
This version of Zachary bore no trace of that innocent eight-year-old boy.
Quinley froze.
Didn't the doctor say he had amnesia? Someone with amnesia couldn't recover lost memories, much less revert to their former self.
Soon, it was Zachary's turn to speak. His deep, magnetic voice filled the entire conference room, each word drilling into Quinley's ears.
"Apex Global Group's growth depends on the unwavering support of everyone here. Now and in the future, I hope each of you will continue to strive relentlessly. I want to thank you all for your dedication and contributions..."
His speech was, as always, brief and to the point.
Quinley stared straight at the man on stage. In that instant, something seemed to constrict in her chest, like invisible hands squeezing her heart.
Adela's ghost-like voice suddenly whispered in Quinley's ear. "Does this version of him still seem like someone who'd love you?"
Quinley turned to look at her.
Triumph curved Adela's lips. And in Quinley's eyes was unmistakable, crushing disappointment.
"Cindy, people need to know their place. You've seen it now—Zachary isn't sick, and he'll never love you. You'd better be smart and leave him, or else—"
"Or else you'll turn me into what you used to be? So you can convince yourself Zachary's always loved you?" Quinley ripped away Adela's facade without mercy. "Adela, you're not just immature—you're pathetic."
Shock flickered in Adela's eyes before her brows arched coldly.
"Yes! I want Zachary to love me forever. Even if you're my replacement, he can only love me. So you'd better stop deluding yourself. Someone like you? He wouldn't give you a second glance."
She slipped back into that unhinged state.
Quinley thought of that woman who'd appeared in her life before—the one with a face identical to Susan's. But who was she, really?
"Susan, do you really think Zachary only loves this face?"
Quinley's soul-searching question ignited Adela's fury again.
"It is because I say it is! Zachary said he loves me. He only loves me!" Her voice pitched higher. "He'll never love anyone else, and I won't allow him to love anyone else."
Adela's voice rose several notches.
At that very moment, Zachary on stage glanced in their direction. His gaze immediately landed on Quinley and Adela. His expression darkened instantly.
Then he rose and strode quickly toward them.
Seeing him, Adela bolted like her feet were greased, disappearing at lightning speed. She ran ahead with Quinley chasing behind, but Quinley was a step too slow. Adela dove into the elevator and vanished in seconds.
At the elevator bank, Zachary blocked Quinley's path.
"Cindy..."
He spoke in that sweet, childlike voice, but Quinley cut him off immediately. "Zachary, stop acting. Your cover's blown."
This wasn't the first time she'd called him out. Before, Zachary had tearfully denied it.
But this time, he chose to admit it.
"Listen to me."
He grabbed Quinley's wrist and pulled her toward his office. Quinley hung her head. She felt like a complete fool who'd been played for a ride.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just wanted to keep you by my side."
Zachary's apology sounded genuine.
Quinley let out a soft laugh. When she raised her eyes again, her expression had gone eerily calm.
"Mr. Jennings, I'm just a janitor who mops floors. You don't need to apologize to me." She paused, her voice taking on a formal tone. "I'm the one who overstepped these past weeks. I apologize. I'm sorry."
As she spoke, Quinley performed an exaggerated bow.
Caught off guard, he quickly gripped her shoulders. "Quinley, what will it take for you to forgive me?"
His voice came from above. Quinley froze before straightening up.
"Mr. Jennings, you've got the wrong person. I'm not this 'Quinley' you're talking about. My name is Cindy."
When Quinley raised her head and met Zachary's gaze, her eyes couldn't help but dodge.
But Zachary's conviction was unwavering.
"No, I haven't mistaken you. You didn't die. You are Quinley." His voice dropped, becoming more intense. "Even though you changed your figure, your appearance, even your demeanor—Quinley, I still recognized you the moment I saw you. Thank you for coming back."
As he spoke, his arms reached out and pulled Quinley into his embrace. He held her tightly, as if afraid she'd vanish again.
Quinley stood frozen, not moving an inch.
She'd schemed so carefully, fooled everyone—except Zachary.
"Why wouldn't you believe I died?"
Quinley asked. She'd tacitly admitted her identity.
"You wouldn't die. Quinley, you're such a strong person. How could you die?"
Zachary countered. He knew her, understood how resilient she was.
But even the most resilient people have moments they don't want to face.
"Don't leave me again, okay?"
Zachary's voice dropped to a low plea. Having lost her once, he never wanted to taste that agony again.
But Quinley didn't respond.
After a long while, she spoke.
"Susan is still alive."
Zachary's brow furrowed. This was the thorn lodged between him and Quinley. Before, she hadn't wanted to bring it up, but now he had to pull it out.
"I'll take you somewhere."
With that, he took Quinley's hand and led her away.
They headed downstairs, and the car drove straight to Sylvia's Villa. Sylvia wasn't home. The house felt cavernously empty.
The servants stopped their work to greet Zachary when he returned, but he ignored them, simply leading Quinley upstairs.
A room at the corner of the third floor had a lock on the door.
Zachary pulled out a key and opened it. The room looked like no one had entered in years—dust covered everything. He strode over quickly, pulled open the curtains, and opened the windows.
Quinley stood in the doorway, covering her mouth and nose with her hand.
The room hadn't been cleaned in ages. A thick layer of dust had settled on every surface.
"This is where Susan stayed when I brought her back here."
As Zachary spoke, he pulled open a drawer containing a photo album. He picked it up and handed it to Quinley.
Quinley took it and flipped through the photos one by one. Susan was young and beautiful, her smile radiant. Every photo looked blissfully happy.
"I met her while studying abroad. That night, she'd just finished her shift at a restaurant and was heading home when some punks harassed her. I saved her." He paused, his gaze distant. "Over the next few nights, I kept running into her by chance. She told me she was also from Rosewood City, had no family, and came to Novaria alone to make it on her own. Seeing she had no one, I looked after her."
"After a while, she confessed her feelings out of the blue. I turned her down." His jaw tightened. "Later, I got into a fight, ended up in the hospital, and she stayed by my side the whole time. I was touched, so I decided to be with her. But when I brought her home to meet my mother, everything changed."
Zachary's brow knitted tightly as he spoke.
Quinley assumed this would be one of those 'parent breaks up the couple' stories.
But the moment Zachary continued, she realized she was wrong.