Chapter 31 Seeking Here Own Destruction
Zachary's eyes suddenly tightened. He looked toward Quinley, who wore a faint, serene smile—an expression of quiet acceptance.
"Ms. Elikin, congratulations! When you set the date, be sure to let me know. Zach and I will come share in your joy. Isn't that right, Zach?" Alicia tilted her head slightly, her eyes sparkling with pink bubbles of excitement.
She unconsciously reached out to take Zachary's arm, but he used the excuse of adjusting his tie to avoid her. She grasped at empty air.
"She's no longer Apex Global Group's secretary. Just call her Quinley from now on." Zachary's tone was as bland as weak broth.
He pulled off his tie and tossed it directly onto the sofa, then walked straight toward the dining table. The meal was already laid out—a full table of dishes, quite lavish.
Zachary sat down, served himself soup, and drank it in silence. Sylvia sighed, her clouded gaze sweeping over all three of them.
Quinley appeared calm and composed—truly skilled at acting. Alicia could pretend, but her technique was shallow; the jealousy, disappointment, and unwillingness in her eyes weren't well-hidden. And Zachary neither acted nor pretended. He didn't like Alicia, and he made it quite obvious.
"Let's eat." Sylvia stood and extended her hand to Quinley. "You stay for dinner too."
Quinley supported Sylvia while politely declining with a smile. "Ms. Parker, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you today. I have other matters to attend to and must leave."
"Percy must be quite romantic—taking you for a candlelit dinner?" Alicia added another comment. Quinley continued smiling, neither denying nor confirming.
"It's good for young people to be romantic. Alicia, just tell Zachary what you want to eat and have him take you there." Sylvia paved the way for Alicia, who couldn't help but take the hint.
"Zach, don't you like Japanese food? There's a new Japanese restaurant that just opened on North First Road. I heard their sukiyaki is particularly authentic. Let's go together sometime!"
Zachary finished his soup, and Mary served him half a bowl of rice. He picked up some sweet and sour pork, ate a few bites, and swallowed it all down.
"I don't have time." He stood, pushed back his chair, and strode toward the door.
Alicia's face instantly froze. Sylvia raised her voice several decibels. "Where are you going?"
"I finished eating. I'm going back to work overtime." Zachary walked toward the door with long strides.
He was a workaholic—the type who worked himself to death when busy. But Sylvia didn't believe it. However, she didn't dare anger Zachary. After all, he wasn't the son she'd raised from childhood; she hadn't yet figured out his temperament.
"Don't forget—when you're done working, remember to take Alicia for Japanese food." Sylvia called out a final reminder.
Zachary didn't respond, and the front door slammed shut with a bang.
Quinley had also intended to leave, but since Sylvia hadn't sat down, she couldn't abandon her. "Alicia has such good intentions—don't let her down. No matter how well a woman does in her career, it's not as good as marrying well. Hold onto this Percy properly, and you'll have one foot in high society."
Having been frustrated by her own son, Sylvia decided to give Quinley a warning. "Yes, Ms. Parker. I'll remember Ms. Davis's kindness for the rest of my life."
Quinley appeared docile and understanding. If you were going to act, you had to see it through—she was someone who finished what she started.
Sylvia didn't make things more difficult for her. After leaving Sylvia's villa, Quinley took a deep breath, finally feeling her tense body relax slightly.
However, just as she reached the gate, she saw Zachary's car parked at the corner of the intersection. He wasn't sitting inside but leaning against the hood, a cigarette glowing intermittently in the dark night.
Quinley's relaxed heart tightened again. He hadn't left—he was deliberately waiting for her. Quinley didn't try to hide; she knew she couldn't escape.
The streetlight stretched her shadow long as she walked forward step by step. When she was almost in front of Zachary, she paused.
"Mr. Jennings, why haven't you left yet?" Quinley asked, though she already knew the answer.
Zachary dropped his cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it under his foot. "Are you really going to marry that person?"
He stood against the light, so Quinley couldn't see his face clearly. "Yes." Quinley answered with certainty.
"Why?"
Zachary knew who Percy was and what kind of person he was. He just hadn't expected Quinley to treat marriage as a joke. Marrying such a creature—wasn't that seeking her own destruction?
"Mr. Jennings, we ordinary people don't need so many reasons to get married. He just happens to be suitable. Sylvia said she'd be our witness when we marry. If Mr. Jennings doesn't mind, I'd like to invite you and Ms. Davis to be our best man and maid of honor."
Quinley said this with a smile. Zachary's eyes narrowed as fury blazed in his heart. "In your dreams!"
He coldly spat out those two words, yanked open the Maybach's door, and dove inside. Lucas started the engine, and the car roared away.
Was he refusing to be the best man, or refusing to let her marry Percy? Quinley wasn't sure. The only thing she knew for certain was that as a chess piece, her fate had been sealed the moment she became one.
Quinley didn't linger. She simply sighed and continued walking along the road. She didn't notice that a pair of eyes had been watching from behind.
"...I'm getting married, and I'd like to invite Mr. Jennings and Ms. Davis to be the best man and maid of honor..." Inside the Maybach, Zachary held his forehead, his face terrifyingly dark, while Quinley's voice echoed in his ears.
Marriage? She was actually going to marry that scumbag? Had water gotten into her brain?
"How's the investigation into Dennis going?" Zachary suddenly asked.
Lucas's heart jumped. Last time he'd brought it up voluntarily, Zachary had accused him of meddling. So he hadn't continued the investigation.
"That... that girl has been found. Would... would you like to meet her?" Lucas stammered when nervous.
"Arrange it for now." Zachary seemed to think of something else. "What about the hit-and-run driver? Still haven't found him?"
Lucas quickly replied, "Still searching."
Zachary didn't ask more questions. He leaned back in his seat, his gaze deep as he stared at the streetlights flashing past the window.
After a few minutes, he called Adela. "Contact the best neurosurgeon in Rosewood City."
Adela was confused and asked in surprise, "Mr. Jennings, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing's wrong with me. Someone else needs it." Zachary answered her question with rare patience.
Adela took the order and hurried to handle it.
At the Jennings family estate, after Quinley and Zachary left, Alicia returned, crying her heart out.
"Ms. Parker, please tell me—is the woman Zach wants to marry Ms. Elikin? If it really is her, I'm willing to step aside and let them be together."
Sylvia panicked inside. Three years ago, she'd arranged for Quinley to work beside Zachary, but she'd never imagined it would cause so much trouble three years later. Quinley was just a chess piece—she could never become Zachary's wife.
She grasped Alicia's small hand and comforted her gently. "Alicia, how could Zachary be interested in that kind of woman? Don't worry—Ms. Parker guarantees that Zachary will definitely marry you. You're his one and only wife."