C7 The Boss of the Titan Real Estate

Laura arrived home first, anxious that her sister might spill the beans about their earlier encounter. To preempt any tattling, she went straight to their parents, complaining that Zack and Juliet had disrupted her date with Dillan.

As Zack and Juliet walked in, they were met with Alison's scowl.

"Come here!" she demanded.

Juliet, puzzled, asked, "Mom, what's wrong?"

Alison, hands on her hips, accused them, "You ran into Laura and Dillan earlier and tapped on his car window, didn't you? You disrupted their date!"

"Mom, that's not how it was," Juliet protested, her face a picture of hurt, trying to clarify the situation. But Alison cut her off with a dismissive wave, "No need for explanations. Laura has already filled me in. And what's wrong with them being affectionate? Your husband is worthless. Aren't you embarrassed? Your father and I have been humiliated because of you."

"We're getting old. We don't expect you and Zack to support us in our old age. We're counting on Laura. Having a wealthy son-in-law would make us so proud."

Tears welled up in Juliet's eyes as she felt the sting of her mother's words, "Mom, I wasn't trying to sabotage their relationship. I just wanted to protect Laura."

"I don't believe you!" Laura retorted from the sofa with a scoff, "Protect me? What a joke! Dillan won't mistreat me. He's always so attentive. In fact, today I even asked him to help my brother-in-law find a job, and he agreed without hesitation."

Alison applauded, "Dillan is truly good to Laura. Stay out of their business. And Zack, if Dillan gets you a job, take it. I'm tired of having you around the house all day."

Feeling utterly wronged, Juliet fled to her bedroom, with Zack trailing behind, offering soft words of comfort.

"Honey, I'm sorry. Mom's harsh words were aimed at me, not you. Please, don't be upset."

Juliet gestured dismissively, taking a deep breath to regain her composure.

"I shouldn't worry about them. If Laura loves Dillan, she should follow her heart. Besides, Dillan offering you a job is a great opportunity. When it comes through, work hard, my love. Let's not give them any reason to look down on us."

"No problem!"

Zack might have agreed outwardly, but inwardly, he was skeptical. The job Dillan had introduced to him might not turn out to be a good one.

Early the next morning, Juliet was already off to the company.

After tidying up the family's breakfast dishes, cleaning the house, and taking out the trash, Zack went grocery shopping—his usual routine.

He often took a detour through the park for a stroll after buying groceries, mainly to pass the time.

If he returned home too soon, he'd only end up being scolded.

It wasn't until after ten in the morning that Zack casually made his way back home with the groceries in hand.

While he was bustling about in the kitchen, the sound of the door opening caught his attention, followed by voices.

"Juliet, don't you have work this afternoon?"

"Mom, I'm not feeling well. I took a half-day off to rest," Juliet replied, her footsteps heavy as she moved toward the bedroom.

Zack found this odd. Juliet's company usually had short lunch breaks, and she was always too busy to come home. She habitually ate in the company cafeteria and never came home for lunch.

Concerned for Juliet's well-being, Zack approached the bedroom door, only to find it locked from the inside.

"Honey, are you okay? Do you need me to get you some medicine?"

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. You all go ahead and eat. Don't wait for me—I'm going to get some sleep."

Zack's brow furrowed, a sense of doubt creeping in.

Juliet's voice didn't seem frail; it sounded as though she had been upset, her tone tinged with the faintest hint of crying.

He removed his apron and turned to Alison, "Mom, I need to step out for a bit. You'll have to take care of lunch."

Alison's voice, laced with displeasure, rose sharply, "Where are you going now? It's the middle of the day!" But before she could finish, the door had already swung shut behind him.

Zack left the house and hailed a cab straight to his wife's workplace.

Since Juliet had come home from the company, something must have happened there.

Whoever had caused his wife distress was going to face the consequences.

Upon arrival, Zack saw a group gathered for lunch, Lillian among them.

"Zack? What brings you here?"

Lillian's displeasure was evident upon seeing Zack.

Ignoring her tone, Zack quickly got to the point, "Can we step outside and talk?"

Without a word, Lillian set her chopsticks down and rose to her feet, "Sure, let's talk outside."

Once outside, before Zack could even inquire, Lillian preempted him, "This is about Juliet, isn't it?"

Zack nodded, concern etching his face, "Juliet doesn't usually come home at noon, and she looked like she'd been crying. What happened?"

With a heavy sigh, Lillian's face was a picture of resignation, "What good does telling you do? Are you able to help her?"

Zack's voice was firm, "Just tell me."

"It's our sales manager, Fisher, the heir to the Titan Corporation chairman. His father is a heavyweight in Zelbert City's business circles. Would you even dare to retaliate?"

Zack's expression grew stormy.

"What did he do to Juliet?"

Lillian shivered slightly at his intensity.

"I'm not sure of the details. I just saw Fisher summon Juliet into the office. Barely ten minutes later, she came out in tears, her hair a mess."

Zack had a grim idea of what might have happened.

"Where's Fisher now?"

"He left."

Shaking her head with a wry smile, Lillian warned, "Zack, don't say I didn't warn you. Fisher is out of your league. Besides, I'd rather Juliet end up with him than suffer with you."

Zack had no patience for this talk. He turned on his heel, hailed a cab, and headed straight for Titan Real Estate.

"Is Alex in?" Zack demanded, approaching the reception desk with a darkened brow.

The receptionist paused, giving Zack a once-over before dismissing him with a sneer.

"Sir, I can relay a message if you need."

Zack's gaze was unyielding, "Get Alex out here. I need to speak with him."

The receptionist scoffed, her tone mocking, "And you are?"

Without a word, Zack pulled out his phone and dialed.

Within three seconds, the call connected.

"Hello, this is Zack."

"Young Master Zack Montgomery, how may I assist you?"

"I'm giving you thirty minutes to have Alex, the head of Titan Real Estate in Zelbert City, meet me right at their company's front door."