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Novel Catalog
Chapter 72
Zachary felt dismissed, a deep frown etched across his face for the rest of the afternoon, making everyone at York Corporation walk on eggshells. His usual aloof demeanor was intensified by the tense lines on his chiseled face, making him appear even more intimidating. The staff, including Callum and Josh, wisely kept their distance, not daring to approach the stone-faced CEO.
Despite his irritation, Zachary stuck to his word and waited for Serenity after work. However, since Serenity was busy, he decided to step into the shop and help out behind the cash register. Unfortunately, his imposing figure and stern expression scared the students away, who were reluctant to make any purchases from him. They only felt comfortable approaching Serenity and Jasmine.
Serenity, noticing the situation, decided to step in. “I’ll take over from here, Mr. York,” she said directly. Zachary tilted his head and stared at her, his gaze intense and unreadable. After a long pause, he stood up with a sour expression and walked out from behind the cash register, standing at the entrance like a statue, exuding an air of hostility that seemed to ward off anyone who might approach.
The result was that, instead of encouraging more customers, Zachary’s presence made everyone hesitate to enter. Serenity, realizing the shop’s sales were suffering, turned to Jasmine. “Jas, I’ll take Mr. York away now. You can handle the shop by yourself.”
“Appreciate it,” Jasmine whispered back, casting a concerned glance toward the entrance.
Serenity stood up and walked outside, gesturing for Zachary to come with her. “Come on,” she said. But Zachary remained rooted to the spot, his stubbornness clear. When Serenity tried to pull him along, he hissed through clenched teeth, “You think I’m no help?”
Serenity, taken aback by his words, sighed and reached out to grab his arm. “I don’t think that at all. It’s just not a job for you. The students are more afraid of you than they are of their teachers.” With that, she led him to the car.
“I’ll take the new car home, and then we can head to my sister’s,” Serenity added, and Zachary, still quiet, nodded in agreement. His mood lightened slightly as Serenity spoke, and he felt a bit better.
She was right, after all. As the heir to the York family fortune, Zachary had never worked in a service-oriented job. His life had been paved with responsibilities from the moment he was born as the firstborn son, destined to take over the family businesses. Once he came of age, he assumed the role of CEO at York Corporation and was more than capable of managing it. But being at the top only added to his natural aloofness, which, rather than making him approachable, only pushed others away.
Zachary couldn’t help but feel a small sense of gratitude toward Serenity for not holding his stoic nature against him when they first met. It was remarkable, really. He had expected her to be distant or dismissive after their rushed marriage arrangement, but she hadn’t rejected him outright. In fact, she had agreed to the marriage so easily, and now, when things could have been difficult, she still treated him with a level of understanding.
He realized, in that moment, how lucky he was that Serenity had not turned her back on him, and he couldn’t help but feel relieved. Had she dismissed him after their quick marriage license signing, he would have been deeply humiliated.
