Jon looked like he was having a heart attack. Zoe didn't know if he was faking it or he was really sick. No matter it was true or not, their only goal was to force her to give in to Lucas.

They didn't care if she was happily married or she lost all her dignity as a result. The only thing they cared about was how much benefit the marriage would bring to the family.

She had compromised too many times over the years because Jon was the one who brought her up. This time, she didn't want to compromise again, but she didn't know whether she still would give up as a finale.

They always had more tricks up their sleeves than she could resist.

Sometimes she really felt that it would have been better if she were sent to an orphanage or abandoned to be homeless.

Jon sighed with exhaustion, "Zoe, I am begging you. Apologize to Lucas and stop arguing about divorce, okay? I'm sure it's just a momentary lapse. You two will have an excellent rapport in the future, right?"

Between his lines, he was not only asking her to give up the idea of divorce but also requesting her to continue to play up to Lucas in the future.

Olivia wiped her tears away, choking and sobbing, "Zoe, you know what your uncle cares about the most. Do you want him to die? Why are you being so cruel? Is this what you give us in return for all these years of upbringing?"

Zoe thought bitterly that they couldn't push her over, so now they did the entreating instead. That was really...shameless.

She clenched her hands into fists, indignant and disappointed, and more on the heartbroken side. Her eyelids drooped, letting blood trickle into her eyes, which burned her eyes painfully.

She slowly closed her eyes and spoke in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry..."

When she got entangled with him, her lapel was slightly open, and more hickeys were exposed in Lucas' eyes, which made him feel like his eyes were pricked by pins and needles with no outlet for his anger.

Her compromise didn't make him comfortable at all. That look of reluctance completely infuriated him instead.

He sneered and said without any leeway left for her, "Do you think you can continue to be Mrs. Ree just because you apologize? Hmph, for a woman like you who was pretentious and wanton, I would rather go get some random woman out there than you!"

Zoe's body trembled, making her almost unable to stand.

Just then, an even colder voice came from the doorway. As soon as it echoed, it sent chills down everyone's spine.

"If you don't want her, I call dibs."

Zoe looked up in shock, only to see an upright, slender figure walking step by step from the light in the doorway, whose steps felt like stomping on her heart. Stepping on her heartbeat, he came like a black hurricane, scraping away the thorns that stabbed the flesh and blood of her heart.

The more he came closer, the more tears she was holding back spurted out of control...

The tears of blood slid down her cheeks and were then caught by a lanky hand.

Carlos wiped the bloody tears off her face and took the crying, shaking woman by her shoulders abruptly while he raised his eyes, undaunted to meet the ones who were either shocked or angry, and then he spoke indifferently, "Zoe, I call dibs."

Lucas knew it when he saw Carlos that he was a tough guy to mess up with. He had no way to size up the man at the moment. Seeing Zoe actually nestle in the other man's arms, his anger got aroused for no reason. He reached for Zoe, "Zoe, get over here!"

Before Zoe could move a muscle, Carlos raised his hand to block him. Without any fight in the air, Lucas clumped two steps back with some embarrassment flashing across his face