Chapter 212 It's You I'm Beating
After sending Zachary away, Quinley rushed back upstairs.
"Mr. Jennings, I'm so sorry. Should I take you to the hospital?"
She went straight to Oliver's office. Zachary had beaten him up, and she felt terrible about it. Oliver's face was covered in bruises—blue here, purple there—looking pretty rough. He was holding an ice pack to his cheek and waved his hand dismissively.
"I'm fine. Just some surface injuries. Doesn't hurt."
"I'm really sorry about today."
Quinley apologized again. She kept work and personal life strictly separate—work was work, and she wouldn't mix in personal excuses.
Oliver looked up at Quinley carefully. She seemed ordinary, but she had so many qualities that ordinary girls didn't possess.
"Quinley, I'm the one who should apologize."
This was the first time Oliver had called her by her first name, and it made Quinley feel awkward.
"Please just call me Ms. Promise."
Oliver nodded. "Ms. Promise, you got hurt today because of me. My brother beating me up is between him and me—it has nothing to do with you. So please, don't take it to heart. Actually, why don't you take the day off? It'd be good to get checked out at the hospital."
"Thanks, but I'm not that fragile. Mr. Jennings, if there's nothing else, I'll get back to work."
With that, Quinley left Oliver's office.
The moment she was gone, Oliver's phone rang. It was Zachary. Earlier, he'd sent a message demanding to know who started it all. That was Zachary's style—he held grudges over everything.
Oliver hadn't given him the information.
"Zach, did you leave? Sorry, I was busy just now."
Oliver kept his tone polite.
"Who was it? Spit it out. Don't beat around the bush with me, or I'll tear your whole operation apart."
Zachary wasn't having it.
"How about we just let this go? You already beat me up and got your anger out. Can we call it even?"
Jennifer was awful, but she was still a woman. In the entertainment industry, fighting over roles was nothing new. As a man, he didn't need to hold a grudge against a woman. As a director, he definitely didn't need to stoop to arguing with some nobody actress.
"Looks like I went too easy on you. You won't tell me? You think I can't find out on my own?"
Zachary was more than capable of that, and Oliver knew it. He thought for a long moment before saying, "She's a nobody actress. She was coming at me—running into Quinley was unintentional. Going after a woman isn't very gentlemanly. I'll take care of her within the industry and get some payback for Quinley that way."
"I don't need to be that kind of gentleman. I never acknowledged you as my brother, so stop trying to get chummy with me. My woman got hurt—you think I'm going to let another man handle it?"
He was going to protect what was his, and nobody could stop him.
Oliver tried to say more, but Zachary had lost patience. He hung up immediately.
After thinking it over, Oliver still sent Jennifer's name.
"Find this Jennifer Green right now."
Zachary was on the warpath, and Lucas immediately got to work. Within fifteen minutes, Lucas had located Jennifer. After leaving Oliver's office, she'd gone to a film production base.
"Mr. Jennings, should we head over there now?"
Lucas asked carefully.
Zachary's schedule had been packed today, but because of what happened to Quinley, he'd stopped all his work. Right now, he was like a raging lion.
"Obviously."
Zachary snapped.
Lucas understood Zachary's temperament—those two words meant yes, let's go. So the Maybach immediately changed direction and headed straight for the film studios.
Jennifer didn't have much of a reputation in the industry. She always played supporting roles, so when she wasn't filming, she'd hang around the studios looking for small parts to grab. Right now, she was clutching her resume and shamelessly promoting herself wherever she could.
A drama happened to need a maid for the female lead. About a dozen girls were waiting to audition, and Jennifer was among them.
When Zachary appeared, tall and striking, someone immediately recognized him.
"Oh my god, that's Zachary, the CEO of Apex Global Group!"
Jennifer had seen Zachary's photos online, but this was her first time seeing him in person. He was even more handsome than his pictures—tall and elegant, broad shoulders, narrow hips, long legs that seemed to bring wind with every step. His sharply defined face looked like it had been carefully sculpted by time itself. His thin lips were pressed tight, and his narrow eyes radiated coldness.
"Shh—keep it down. He's our big boss. I heard Apex Global Group has invested in tons of movies!"
"I'm so jealous. He's gorgeous and rich, but what a shame—he married some totally ordinary woman."
People gossiped around her. Jennifer didn't chime in, but she heard every word and started scheming. She batted her big doe eyes and began calculating. If the director didn't favor her, maybe she could take a shortcut and catch the big boss's eye instead. Wouldn't that make her path to stardom so much smoother?
She was bold enough to think it, so she started planning her move.
Zachary walked straight inside, heading into the studio. Director Wales immediately came up to greet him.
"Mr. Jennings, Mr. Murphy, welcome! We're honored to have your guidance."
"Mr. Jennings, would you like some water?"
Just then, Jennifer sidled over. She held a cup of water and positioned herself right in front of Zachary. Her looks weren't spectacular, but she had this delicate, seductive charm. Holding the cup with both hands, she gazed at Zachary with doe eyes full of longing.
As expected from an actress—the moment she opened her mouth, her eyes were full of drama.
What she didn't know was that Zachary was completely immune to women throwing themselves at him.
He didn't take the water.
"I'm looking for someone."
Zachary said coldly.
Hearing that Zachary had come to find someone, Wales wasn't sure what his intentions were. His shrewd eyes darted around as he smiled obsequiously.
"Mr. Jennings, who are you looking for? I'll have them brought over right away."
"Jennifer."
Lucas said.
"Is there someone here named Jennifer? Go get her now."
The director had no idea there was anyone named Jennifer here and immediately told his assistant to find her.
Jennifer was shocked. She hadn't expected Zachary to be here looking for her. Her heart soared with joy. She smiled shyly and said, "Mr. Jennings, the person you're looking for is right here in front of you."
She thought her big break had arrived. She deliberately played coy in front of Zachary, but the moment she finished speaking, Lucas stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face.
The sound echoed loudly.
Jennifer was fragile—her body stumbled back several steps. She covered half her face and stared at Zachary in shock.
"Mr. Jennings, why would you hit me?"
She didn't understand.
Zachary looked at her coldly. "You're exactly who I came to hit."
Lucas raised his hand and slapped her again without mercy.
Wales adjusted his glasses. If Zachary hadn't mentioned someone named Jennifer, he wouldn't even remember there was such a person. He'd originally thought Zachary looking for her was a good thing, but turned out she'd gotten herself in serious trouble.
Not wanting to offend Zachary, he stepped aside and deliberately scolded his assistant. "Is this person even part of our crew?"
The assistant immediately checked the roster. "No, she's not on the list."
"Mr. Jennings, we don't know this person."
Wales tried to distance himself.
Zachary knew exactly what was happening but didn't call him out.
Jennifer had been hit hard and had no way to fight back.
"Why are you hitting me?"
Blood was already seeping from the corner of her mouth.
"Did you forget who you hit today?"
Lucas scolded.
Jennifer's mind spun and spun. She'd almost forgotten she'd slapped Quinley.
"You dared to lay hands on Mr. Jennings's wife. You've got some nerve!"