A Passion That Defies Fate

Chapter 3 The Scheming Couple

Alan drove Zoey to his workplace at Pioneer Pharma Labs, where he led the security team.

Following Alan to the security room in the basement, Zoey found herself among several mercenaries, all of whom were Alan's subordinates.

Upon seeing Zoey, the mercenaries looked unsettled, and one of them blurted out, "Boss, why's she here?"

The disdain in his voice was unmistakable. Zoey recognized him as Jason, the same guy who'd been mouthing off about "blow-up doll" at the bar the night before.

Zoey kept her face straight, her mind racing with thoughts of how to put Jason in his place, but Alan pulled her into his arms.

With a domineering grip around her waist and a frosty glare at Jason, Alan commanded, "Watch your tone, Jason! Zoey's my girl. You'll respect her just like you respect me."

''Man, he could put on a show! With acting chops like that, he should be on Broadway, not in this dingy lab.'

Zoey showed a touched expression and leaned into Alan, though she was secretly scoffing.

If she hadn't overheard Alan's true intentions last night, she'd still be fooled into thinking he actually respected and loved her.

"Got it, boss..." Jason grumbled, his face sour as if he'd swallowed a mouthful of lemon juice.

While it was clear Jason was playing along with Alan, his chagrin at being publicly chastised didn't seem feigned.

Frankly, Zoey took some pleasure in Jason's discomfort.

The situation gave Zoey new insights. Alan had mentioned that she was useful to him. His willingness to play the lover in front of her for three months suggested her role was significant. Before Alan achieved his goal, he'd very likely keep up his facade of a sweet lover.

That meant Zoey had some leverage. As long as Alan didn't drop his act, he was her shield, her weapon, her obedient hound.

Eager to test her theory, Zoey noticed a boxing ring in the training area while Alan was giving her a tour of the basement. She immediately grabbed his arm and exclaimed, "Wow, a boxing ring! Do you guys practice combat here?"

"Of course."

"Sweetie, I've never seen you box!" Zoey cooed while swinging Alan's arm, her emerald eyes sparkling, her smile sweet. "Would you show me? I bet you're even more handsome than Brad Pitt in action!"

Alan arched his eyebrows, clearly charmed by Zoey's sweet talk. He began to take off his watch and indulgently offered that Zoey could pick one opponent for him.

''Pick one opponent for him? What fun is that? All these muscleheads were part of the conversation last night. They're all Alan's cronies and deserve a beating!'

Zoey cupped Alan's face, gave him a kiss, and looked into his eyes. "Just one? I want to see you knock everyone down. That's my hero!"

"As you wish, my lady." Alan grinned, baring his teeth like a wolf riled for battle. Without further ado, he leaped onto the ring and gestured to his men. "Line up! Let's see if you've been slacking in your training!"

What followed was a brutal display of fisticuffs.

Zoey sat comfortably in front of the ring with a cup of iced beverage and watched how her dear hero Alan fought for her honor, turning his subordinates into a bruised and battered mess. Their cries filled the air, and Zoey couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Zoey's hunch was spot-on. As long as she was useful to Alan and he didn't want to drop his act, Alan was her ace in the hole!

But make no mistake, Alan wasn't some unloaded gun; he was far more dangerous than any firearm. The intense fights had his adrenaline sky-high, keeping him amped up.

After knocking all his subordinates down, he jumped down the ring, scooped Zoey up, and marched off.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Zoey, hoisted up suddenly, panicked and smacked his back.

"Time for your hero's reward, babe," Alan said with giggles.

He carried Zoey straight to the communal showers, turned on the water, and tore off their clothes under the stream.

"Hold on, Alan!"

The communal showers were a risky place—just frosted glass partitions and semi-transparent curtains separating one shower from another. Anyone could walk in at any time, and every sound could be easily heard.

Zoey was both shocked and embarrassed. She tried to get Alan to cool off and move elsewhere. But the wild beast wasn't having any of her refusals and took her right there.

All Zoey could do was pray no one would enter and try desperately not to make a sound...

Using Alan as her weapon was proving to be a high-cost strategy.

After their passionate period, Zoey curled up on a single sofa in Alan's office, wearing Alan's black T-shirt and letting him dry her hair with his towel.

His T-shirt was like an oversized dress in her. The loosened neckline revealed her shoulders and collarbones, which were marked with kisses and bites.

As Alan towered over her to dry her hair, he saw her as something fragile, like a newborn baby expecting his embrace.

He turned off the blow dryer, brushed the hair from her face, and tenderly kissed her eyes. A thought suddenly crossed his mind. 'She's so sweet and cute. Maybe keeping her around permanently wouldn't be a bad idea...'

Zoey's eyelashes fluttered under his kisses. Tired as she was, she hadn't forgotten her purpose at the lab, nor her urgency to wrap up the deal with Francis and get away from Alan.

So she perked up and casually asked, "Can I wander around the lab later? This place is just so cool. I'd love to snap some pics for IG!"

Alan snapped out of his reverie at her words, a sneer of disgust flashing in his deep blue eyes. 'Right, this woman isn't some poor thing to be protected; she's a spy with an agenda, and those sweet moments of intimacy were just part of her seduction tactics.'

Thinking about how she might have cooed and cuddled with other men stirred a turbulent mix of irritation and anger within Alan.

''She isn't to be cherished but just a useful tool to me. While playing along with her, I can keep an eye on her so-called flawless spy act, just for kicks.'

"Of course, sweetheart. You want me to come with you?" Alan asked with a grin.

''Turning down his company would look suspicious, wouldn't it?' thought Zoey.

"Absolutely!" Zoey responded in a sweet tone.

Dressed in their dried clothes, the couple, each with their own schemes, began their tour of the lab.