Rachel refused to give in to Howard.

“Scram! Are you really that desperate for a woman? Stop targeting me. You’re just making a fool of yourself. You’re the great Mr. Ziegler. You shouldn’t lack women. Why must you have me?”

Sometimes, she found the situation hopeless and exhausting. She couldn’t understand what Howard was thinking.

Tons of women in Yurelia City were clamoring for him, while she was a divorced woman. What was he doing pestering her like a sticky, used band-aid?

Howard scoffed.

“Since you really want to know the reason, I’ll tell you. I was only a bit interested in you to begin with. It’s quite rare to find a woman with a character like yours in Yurelia City, you see.

“Ever since I found out that Tyler had his eyes set on you, my interest in you grew. You have to know, he’s been single for so many years. He never once showed interest in a woman.

“You probably don’t know this, but I’ve had it checked out. During the years you were gone, every single overseas trip he went for in the name of negotiating business was nothing but an excuse to find you.”

Rachel’s eyes widened in disbelief—Tyler had been searching for her during those five years?

The shock she was feeling was on par with when she found out she was Jim’s illegitimate daughter.

Very soon, Rachel realized that something didn’t quite make sense. She could understand if it were anyone else, but if it were Tyler…

Rachel concluded that Howard was just talking nonsense and smirked.

“It’s your problem if you have a bone to pick with Tyler, but why drag me into it? Based on what you know of Tyler, do you really think he’ll go overseas for a divorcee like me? I might believe you a little if you said that he was there for something else, not to look for me.”

With that, Rachel turned to leave.

Her words provoked Howard. He lunged forward and grabbed her by the hair, causing her to shriek in pain.

“Ahhh!”

Howard’s eerie voice sounded in her ear, along with his alcohol-stained breath. “Rachel, do you think you’re so unimportant to Tyler? Is that it? I’ll show you otherwise today.”

Chapter 573 +15 BONUS

Howard shot both his friends a look. Two men stepped forward, hauled Rachel up, and dragged her to the car park.

Rachel was no match for their strength and could only yell at the top of her lungs.

“Save me! Save me…!”

However, the people around them were reluctant to lend her a helping hand, especially when they saw that it was Howard.

As they dragged Rachel into their car, she instinctively reached into her pocket for her phone, but realized that she had left it with Tyler.

Right before they shut the door on her, she flung the pack of cigarettes out.

Tyler waited for Rachel for a long time in the car. Finally, he decided to head down to see what was taking her so long.

About a yard away from the grocer, he saw cigarettes scattered all over the road and recognized that it was the brand he had asked for. His brows furrowed tightly, and his face darkened.

He hurried into the grocery and asked one of the staff, “Did you see a lady in white just now? She bought a pack of cigarettes from you.”