SIMON THE ZILLIONAIRE FROM NOWHERE

3

Nearly half an hour of silence passed after Eddie and Jennifer were inside the car following their conversation at the police station. Jennifer seemed engrossed with her phone, while Eddie gazed outside, observing the luxurious settlements that were now becoming visible.

Jennifer glanced at Eddie, then sighed heavily. "The Jehemian mansion is much bigger than the houses you've been admiring. When you see it, I'm sure your spirits will lift."

"I'm not interested in all this luxury. I just don't know where to look, except at the scenery outside. I want to talk to you, but it seems you're more preoccupied with your social media followers," Eddie retorted.

"Are you spying on what I'm doing? Damn it, Eddie. Just because you're out of prison doesn't mean you have to maintain your bad attitude! Come on, you understand the meaning of privacy, right?" Jennifer shot Eddie a stern look.

Eddie smirked and glanced at Jennifer's phone screen, which displayed a photo of her in a bikini, posing somewhat sensually at the beach.

"Before you talk about privacy, you should consider what you're doing. I didn't intentionally look at your phone; it was very bright, you weren't using a screen protector, and secondly, it's quite funny that you consider me rude about privacy on your social media, while you yourself flaunt your body on an account that doesn't seem to be private? I may have just gotten out of prison, but that doesn't mean I don't understand what's going on in today's world. You can't deny that, right?" Eddie's tone was firm.

Jennifer rolled her eyes and immediately closed her phone. "You're such a nuisance. Thankfully, we didn't grow up together! By the way, how long were you in prison?"

"Three years."

Jennifer nodded, counting with her fingers, then snapped her fingers. "No wonder three years ago, Daddy was so restless and didn't come home. It seems it was because he heard the news that you were arrested by the police. He got drunk for a few days; that old man is really strange when I think about it. I was confused, thinking it was my fault. Turns out, he was thinking about his other child, who he clearly values more than me."

Eddie's eyes were greeted by a tall and massive black gate that opened automatically as their car approached. Eddie even found himself swallowing saliva as he beheld the vast field with neatly arranged plants, so amazed that he didn't respond to Jennifer's recent statement.

"This is insane," he muttered.

"It seems your eyes are also blinded by grandeur. It proves that your words are inversely proportional to your actions. You don't heed my words; you're just captivated by the sight of the Jehemian mansion," Jennifer grumbled.

Eddie looked at Jennifer and nodded slowly. "It's just a reflex I had from seeing this view. By the way, honestly, I'm not that interested in getting to know who this Jehemian person is. The fact is, he's never been with me all this time and only relies on his inheritance. Does he consider me that low?"

The magnificent white building, which was the late father's private mansion, grew closer, making Eddie's heart race. In his mind, he whispered, 'Is this really something I should have been enjoying all along?'

Once again, his thoughts and words were at odds.

"Come on, snap out of it. Whatever you're thinking, just stop. I'll show you who Jehemian really is. Even though he cherishes you more, I'll be angry if you insult him with all kinds of nasty remarks." Jennifer said, giving Eddie's shoulder a slap as the car stopped in front of the terrace of the fabulous mansion.

Two men in black suits, tall and muscular with brisk hair, were seen running towards Eddie and Jennifer as they got out of the car.

"Miss Jennifer, Mr. Eddie, I want to inform you that Douglas, the CEO of Zeula Corp., came by earlier and requested to move the planned dinner scheduled for five o'clock to a coffee time event in two or three hours."

The sentence made Eddie jump and murmur. "Zeula Corp."

His head recalled what happened to him three years ago; Zeula was the one prosecuting him. Instantly, this caused Eddie to step back with a tense face.

"What happened, Eddie?" Jennifer asked, confused.

Eddie just shook his head. "Maybe we should go inside first, and I want to freshen up. You know, I haven't bathed in two days. The water in the prison is like an oasis, hard to find and expensive; sometimes it’s just like imaginary."

Jennifer waved her hand to the two men who approached them and signaled for them to leave.

"No wonder there's been a slightly unpleasant smell lingering. Anyway, what are you afraid of? You looked panicked when you heard Douglas's name. He’s my boyfriend, if we get married, you'll definitely replace Jehemian," Jennifer said with a chuckle. "And Zeula Corp. is one of the companies where Jehemian is a permanent investor."

Eddie squinted and took a deep breath, then said. "Zeula Corp is a rival company that prosecuted and reported on my case. Of course, Douglas knows me and might do something terrible to me again. Are you sure you want to take me to meet him?"

"What?!" Jennifer exclaimed, covering her mouth with one hand. Her expression was exaggerated, and with a pout, she pinched Eddie's arm. "Oh my God! You're really full of problems! I don't know anything about Zeula Corp at all; I mean, they're a great company, but I only met Douglas last year. He never talked about his rivals and business in front of me."

"Really?"

"Sure! Do you want to hear about the interesting things that happened between us? With this perfect body and face of mine, do you really think there's a man who can keep quiet and not do anything?" Jennifer asked teasingly.

This immediately made Eddie look away, saying, "Disgusting. Are you used to being cheap?"

The two standing beside the sofa allowed Jennifer to reach for the sofa cushion and throw it at Eddie.

"Watch your mouth, you ex-convict!"

"I don't care; I'm just saying what I think is true. Rather than arguing, let me finish what I want to do. Where's the bathroom?"

Still annoyed, Jennifer grabbed another sofa cushion and threw it quite forcefully at Eddie, saying, "Near the kitchen, stupid! Go there! Wash your stinky body!"