Before heading to my singles party, I returned to Klein Group to sign the divestment contract.

When I pushed open the door, my father was sitting in the center seat with a dark expression on his face. He said grimly, "Bebe, Zachary is still alive."

Upon seeing that I wasn't reacting with surprise and was just staring back at him calmly, he nodded knowingly.

In a frosty tone, he added, "The Gray family just called multiple times, begging us to reconsider. I never expected them to toy with us like this. How dare they mess with my daughter? They must have a death wish!

"Don't worry, Bebe. I won't just withdraw the investment. I'll make sure the Gray family has nowhere to turn to in Jerwyn."

I smiled and reassured my father that I was fine as the board of directors signed their names on the contract one by one.

As I exited the Klein Group building, I saw a man and a woman arguing by the roadside.

Even with the bill of his cap pulled low, I could tell it was Zachary. He held his phone, seemingly wanting to rush into the building while Lola clung tightly to him, refusing to let go. He must have seen my post, which was why he was so agitated.

But what I didn't expect was that a single embrace from Lola was enough to calm him down. Zachary put down his phone and got into the car. Lola followed closely.

Before getting in, she turned around to stare at me with a taunting look in her eyes.

The car they were in didn't start even after a very long time. Lola leaned over and hooked her arms around Zachary's neck. Then, she planted a trail of kisses on him lovingly and sensually before capturing his lips with hers.

Their kiss deepened, so much so that they didn't even notice the flashing lights of the camera.

I locked my phone screen, started my Ferrari, and sped past them.

All the way, fragments of the things that happened recently came to the forefront of my mind.

On the day Zachary was kidnapped, I ran myself ragged going from bank to bank to withdraw the ransom. I even begged to exchange my life for his despite Dad's objections.

Back then, his family and his friends stood aside without saying a word. I thought they were so deeply grieved that they were powerless to act.

Looking back now, they were all probably just standing by and watching with amusement as I acted out the most tragic comedy ever.

As the thought formed in my mind, I felt a suffocating weight in my chest.

I gripped the steering wheel and turned it around to speed toward their car. Then, I slammed the gas pedal and crashed hard into its rear bumper.

They finally stopped locking lips.

"Damn it! Don't you know how to drive?" Zachary cursed, holding a hand to his bleeding forehead.

But I didn't hear him. I sped away, leaving only a trail of black smoke behind for the two of them.

When I arrived at the bar, it was already 1:00 am. Everyone was at the door to welcome me.

My best friend, Samara Sheridan, rushed over and hugged me tightly. "Bebe, we've heard all about it. Zachary is such a bastard! How dare he do that to you?"

"I've already told my dad. The Jackson family is pulling out too. We'll teach him a good lesson for messing with our darling Phoebe!"

"The Leigh family is pulling out too."

"So is the Urwin family."

My friends all chimed in to show support for me.

My eyes turned slightly red as a year's worth of pent-up grievances poured forth like a broken dam. These people had watched me risk my life for Zachary. That was why when they learned the truth, they were even more indignant than I was.

I hastily wiped away my tears and entered the venue with hugs from everyone. "No more crying! Tonight is my singles party. We should all enjoy ourselves!"

Inside the bar, glasses clinked as bodies swayed to the music on the dance floor.

Suddenly, a group of men kicked the door open. Zachary's friends stormed in.

"You sure seem to be having a great time, Phoebe," one of them jeered. He looked at me scornfully with his hands on his hips as he said arrogantly, "You won't get to enjoy yourself much longer. Zachary is on his way."

Instead of getting angry at him, I laughed out loud. "Zachary? Isn't he dead?"

My friends snickered too. "Yeah. Isn't he six feet under now?"

They wanted to say more, but I deliberately sighed like I had put the past behind me.

I said serenely, "The dead can't come back to life. I've already moved on. I hope you all can move on too. Why don't you join us? Maybe it'll help heal the psychological trauma."

I turned around and wrapped my arms around my friends. We headed back to the dance floor to party wildly.

Behind me, a woman's furious scream rang out. "Cut your act, Phoebe! You saw Zachary, didn't you?"

Lola stood at the door, glaring at me hatefully. There was a bandage on her forehead. It seemed the impact from the crash earlier was quite strong.

"And to think that you even pulled out the investment! How could you do this to the Gray family when they're in such a difficult position?" Lola screeched.

The moment she said that, I understood that these people had come to demand the funds that I had cut off.

Looking past them, I saw a familiar figure. In the shadowy hallway, Zachary was leaning against the wall with the bill of his cap pulled low, revealing only half of his face. So, he had been here all along. Yet, he didn't dare to come forward and appear before me.

I looked down at Lola condescendingly. "So what if I pulled out? What does it have to do with you? Who are you to yell at me here?"

Lola's face flushed red upon being reprimanded. She pointed a trembling finger at me and shrieked, "Of course, it concerns me! If Zach finds out what you did, he'll be so heartbroken. And if he's heartbroken, I'd be heartbroken for him too!"

I sneered, "Drop the act. You're just worried that you won't get that money when you become the future Mrs. Gray."

At those words, my friends shot probing gazes at Lola.

She shook with rage. "You're spouting nonsense! There's… There's nothing going on between me and Zach. I'm just worried about him."

I raised my glass and shook my head helplessly. "What's the point of worrying for a dead man?"

I swirled the wine in my glass and downed it in one gulp.

Turning my head, I snaked an arm around a handsome man's neck and lifted his chin with my finger flirtatiously. "Let's go, handsome. Let's get back to having fun."

Just as I turned around, Zachary, who had been leaning against the wall in silence, finally couldn't hold back anymore. He rushed over and forcefully yanked my hand away from the man. His words were cutting and fierce as he exclaimed, "I'm not dead yet, Phoebe!"