Chapter 9 Don't Look At Me Like That

The cold air intensified the heavy atmosphere.

Daryl gasped in pain. She felt that her bones were about to break. She wanted to call for help, but her jaw was clenched tightly by Zack.

With a grim face, Zack fixed his piercing eyes on her and pursed his lips.

He was wearing a well-tailored, simple suit, emphasizing his tall figure. Anyone could be intimidated by him.

"Bennie's dad..." Daryl murmured in a daze.

Zack stared at her even more. He tightened his grip on her waist and said, "Are you not pretending anymore?"

He couldn't keep his eyes off her. She looked dazzling as the light shone upon her.

Sporting a white dress, Daryl exuded elegance and sexiness. She was a head-turner indeed.

Nonetheless, she was a shameless woman who did not deserve sympathy.

Benjamin should feel ashamed to have a mother like her.

Daryl was ashamed into anger. "Mr. Ji, what do you mean with that? Let go of me. I'm going back."

The interview was messed up, so Daryl didn't see any reason to stay.

Zack narrowed his eyes at her and warned, "You think I ruined your interview? What? Do you need me to call Jackson back?"

"It's none of your business. If you are not satisfied with me, I will leave." Daryl furrowed his brows; she didn't want to stay with him.

Feeling wronged, she turned around to depart from Zack.

"Huh? What was wrong with what I said?" Zack grabbed Daryl by her wrist so she couldn't break free. "You don't even know how to seduce a man. Do you still want to work in the entertainment industry?"

"You!" Daryl had never seen such an arrogant man. He had a sharp tongue that could cut through anyone.

"Don't look at me like that. If you please a man like Jackson, you will only be digging your own grave in the entertainment industry," Zack mocked.

"So what?" Daryl didn't need him telling her what to do. "Now that I failed in the interview, please let me go, Mr. Ji."

Daryl had no idea that the backstage investor of the play was Zack. If she had known, she wouldn't have come.

With one hand propping against the wall, Zack leaned over her. "Beg me. I can help you."

Daryl felt suffocated with his gesture and words.

"What did you say?"

"It's more beneficial for you to seduce me than with Jackson." Zack let her go. He was full of himself.

It was a first for him that a woman didn't want to seduce him.

It could not be denied that Daryl was willing to take his offer.

However, her response was different. She bit her lower lip and turned her face away from him. "Sorry, I don't want to."

"Say it again!" Zack growled at her.

"Mr. Ji, I'm not the kind of person that you think. You are superior to me, and a nobody like me can't afford to offend you. Don't force me and please let me go."

"So you're playing innocent now? I see. It seems you have forgotten the time when you were lying in my arms."

Zack dragged her into the elevator.

"Bastard! Let go of me!"

Daryl didn't understand why Zack made things difficult for her. No matter how cheap she was, she still had a right to her freedom. She didn't need him to decide for her.

She struggled to get away from him but to no avail.

Out of their sight was a little guy hidden in the corner of the hotel corridor, watching them.

When Benjamin heard that his mother was coming to the audition, he was worried that she might be harassed, so he snuck out of the house and followed her.

To his surprise, it was his father who was troubling her.

"Didn't he say that I should stay away from Mommy? Daddy dated with Mommy behind my back!" Benjamin roared. "He lied to me!"

The bodyguards who failed to stop Benjamin from going to Daryl were fired.

However, his new bodyguards didn't dare to go against him either.

Benjamin rubbed his chin. He wanted to keep his family united. "Daddy is bad. He is in a relationship with Mommy all along, but doesn't admit it. She should be my mom legally."

The moment they reached the top floor, Zack threw Daryl into the presidential suite.

The big bed reminded her of the man she had slept with.

The man was as domineering as Zack.

When Daryl looked up, she saw Zack pulling off his tie irritably.

He approached her slowly.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Stay away from me!"

Daryl trembled with each step he took.

Zack pinched her chin ruthlessly.

It was as if he wanted to hurt her.

Daryl cried out in pain, but the man didn't show any mercy towards her.

She whimpered as she tried to free herself. Her tears were falling on her face.

"Just answer me honestly," Zack firmly said.

"No, I won't. Zack, why are you doing this to me? You want to punish me? I've already spent time in the police station. Why?" She felt helpless at that moment.

"The other night, in the Cloud Hotel, you were the gift given to me by Leon Lu, right?" Zack's sharp eyes remained focused on her.

Daryl was stunned with what he asked.

She almost forgot to breathe.

'Was it Zack? No! It couldn't be.'

She couldn't help but recall that day in the Cloud Hotel. She remembered that Leon told her to please Mr. Ji.

'Was it him all along? Impossible!' She didn't want to accept the truth.

Daryl denied profusely, "No, I didn't... I don't know what you're talking about."

Seeing her reaction, Zack countered, "Still lying? Aren't you afraid that I can ban you from the entertainment industry?"

"Mr. Zack, I really don't know what you're talking about."

Zack was not satisfied with her answer.

He squinted his eyes and held her slender waist. He was breathing heavily. "Fine. I'll have to check it myself."

The blood in Daryl's face drained as she panicked. She could no longer bear the humiliation.

She wanted to escape, but she couldn't. "Let me go!"

Zack squeezed her waist even more.

He buried himself in her hair to confirm something. He took a quick sniff. He gulped in his discovery. It was that smell.

The woman who slept with him and escaped had the same scent.

It was her.

She gave birth to his child five years ago. And they had sex again the other day.

He was grateful for his son in helping him find her.

With that being said, Zack was not in high spirits. When the thought of her being married to someone else in the past five years occurred to him, he couldn't take it that she had been touched and taken by her ex-husband. His face turned grim once again.