Chapter 10 Zachary looked at his assistant's shocked expression. "Are you surprised?" The assistant was embarrassed. "I just noticed that your concern for Ms. Mollina seems to far exceed that for Ms. Camila." Zachary was silent for a moment, his thin lips parting slightly. "That's because my very life was given to me by Molly." "If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have survived until now..." The crystal wine glass, swirling with liquor, reflected the sharp lines of his profile. His eyes, usually calm and composed, for once revealed a rare softness. The memories of being trafficked surged back like a tide. Twenty years ago, he was kidnapped and trafficked. Because he refused to cooperate in extorting the Madderford family, he was beaten black and blue and thrown into a cage, kept like a dog. For three whole days, they didn't give him a single drop of water or a bite to eat. He could clearly feel his life slowly slipping away. Just when he thought he would die there, a dirty little hand reached out, holding half a bun, and offered it to him. "Are you... are you okay?" The little girl's voice was timid. "I secretly hid some food. Here, eat it and stay alive..." Her face was dirty, but her eyes shone like stars, illuminating the cold, dark corners of his heart. In that terrifying den of traffickers, the heart-wrenching cries of kidnapped children echoed every day. But they held each other's hands, comforting one another, becoming each other's only solace. "We have to hold on. We'll definitely get out of here." Her brows arched like crescent moons. "When we get out, let's stay good friends, okay?" He nodded, "My name is Mollina. What's yours?" "My name is Zach..." 0.0 % 09:04 Chapter 10 Before he could finish saying his name, the door was pushed open and a strong light flooded in. They were forced apart for a while. Eventually, he was rescued and taken away by the Madderford family, losing contact with her. By the time he became independent from the Madderford family, twenty years had already passed. He had never forgotten her. After much searching, he finally learned that Mollina had also been rescued and was now one of the heirs of the Ack- ley Group. So he took the initiative to join the Ackley Group, staying by her side and quietly repaying her kindness. What he was most grateful for was his decision to enter the Ackley Group. Because there, he met Camila, the woman he had been betrothed to since childhood. A faint smile appeared at the corner of Zachary's lips. The first time he met Camila was after he returned from a meeting. She was wearing a bright red dress, sitting in his office chair. Beside her hand was the Rubik's Cube he had been working on for a week, which she had solved effortlessly. "Are you the boss my father arranged for me? You look just like a heartthrob contestant." She rested her chin on one hand, her eyes staring straight at him. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting shadows on her figure. Her radiant presence was imprinted irresistibly in his heart. She had casually mentioned "heartthrob," but his heart truly skipped a beat. He had tried to suppress his emotions, building a wall of detachment, but every time, she easily broke through it. She would deliberately swap his meeting documents for romance novels, send adult toys to his office for him to open on the spot, and even, during his social events with other women, hand him a hotel key card right in front of them... He always appeared calm and unruffled, but in reality, the look in his eyes when he gazed at her grew deeper each time. His fiancée was far more interesting than he had ever imagined. And it was during one of her deliberate attempts to drug him that he finally let go of all the desire he had been sup- pressing. He carried her into the presidential suite as he wished, from the sofa to the bed, to the floor-to-ceiling window, and then to the bathroom... 31.4 % 09:04 She cursed him as a bastard with teary eyes, but her voice was shattered by his actions. And as he kissed her lips, he sank deeper and deeper, becoming more and more addicted. He would scold her with words, but in truth, his thoughts were even more indulgent than hers. He had never said he loved her, simply because he was born into the Madderford family and could not easily speak of love. He didn't want her to become Mrs. Madderford, nor did he want to drag her into the dangerous world of that powerful family... But now things were different. He had become the head of the Madderford family, changing from rule-follower to rule-maker. And the first thing he wanted to do was marry Camila and finally confess his suppressed feelings to her. So he hurried home, unable to wait any longer. Whenever he came home early in the past, Camila would always rush into his arms, showering his face with kisses. He would lift her up, kissing her deeply as he carried her to the bedroom, until she cried and begged for mercy. This time, it would surely be the same. Zachary unconsciously curled his lips into a smile and pushed open the door. But what greeted him was darkness and emptiness. Camila wasn't home? "Cami?" No one answered. A sense of desolation swept over him instantly. Zachary frowned deeply and dialed her number, but still couldn't get through. He sent her another message. "Where are you?" But all he saw was a gray check mark. Camila had blocked him! 72.6% 09:04