Harriet stared down at Zoey, sighing as she ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. Clicking her tongue, she moved closer, cornering Zoey against the porch railing. If Zoey wouldn't spill the truth willingly, Harriet would have to push her harder.
"What now, Ms. Foster? Lost your tongue?" Harriet asked, leaning in with a low, taunting tone.
Zoey glanced behind her, realizing she had no space to moveâshe was trapped between Harriet and the railing. Just what the hell? she thought, growing more nervous. "I already told you, Harriet, I have no idea what you're talking about," Zoey replied, stubbornly avoiding Harriet's piercing gaze.
Harriet raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a sly smile. "Really?" she murmured, lifting Zoey's chin, forcing their eyes to meet. Zoey gulped, feeling the weight of Harriet's cold, intense hazel eyes. "You're not going to tell me the truth? Fine, I'll just go and tell my momâ"
Before Harriet could finish, Zoey panicked and slapped a hand over Harriet's mouth, silencing her.
"Harrietâ" Nyx's voice cut through the moment as she emerged from the mansion. She paused, seeing how close the two were, and smirked. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt whatever this is. Please, continue." With a cheeky wave, Nyx turned back and disappeared inside before Zoey could even protest.
Zoey groaned and pulled her hand away from Harriet's mouth, only to realize it was slightly wet. She grimaced and wiped her hand on Harriet's shoulder, making sure to rub it in.
"What the hell, Zoey?" Harriet glared at her, clearly annoyed.
Zoey shrugged nonchalantly. "What? It's your spit, I'm just returning it," she said, inspecting her palm to make sure it was clean now.
Harriet groaned inwardly, clearly irritated, before taking a step back. "Fine, if you insist you don't know anything about Riley's whereabouts, I'll let it go for now. But if I find out you're lying..." She leaned closer, her voice lowering into a warning. "You're as good as dead."
Zoey let out a sharp laugh. "Oh, please. You're not even my boss. You're just the boss's daughter, so stop pretending like you have any power over me," she retorted, rolling her eyes defiantly.
Harriet's lips curled into a smirk. "Exactly. I'm the boss's daughter. So if I tell her that you know something about Riley and didn't speak up? You'll be dead meat," she said, her tone smug, savoring her perceived advantage.
Zoey, refusing to back down, took a step forward, grabbing the lapel of Harriet's blazer and pulling her closer until they were almost nose-to-nose. "Do you think I'm scared of your petty blackmail? Go ahead, tell your mother," Zoey hissed, her voice low and deliberate. "Because as far as I know, solving your family's personal problems isn't in my job description."
Despite her bravado, Zoey's nerves were on edge. Harriet's gaze was chilling, cold and calculating. Such a cold-hearted asshole, Zoey thought, but she wasn't going to show any signs of weakness.
Harriet shook her head, leaning against the wall as she lightly patted her chest, feeling her heart race. A bitter laugh escaped her as she cleared her throat. Zoey was proving to be far more difficult to handle than she'd expected. That fierce, unyielding spirit. She's no pushover, Harriet thought, shaking her head again.
"So, have you finally met your match in the bad bitch department?" Nyx's voice cut through her thoughts as she appeared beside her, casually leaning against the wall.
Harriet scoffed, looking away. "Since when was I the bad bitch?"
"Since right now," Nyx quipped with a chuckle. "Though I'm glad to see you trying to socialize, at the very least."
Raising a brow, Harriet shot her sister a skeptical look. "Who's trying to socialize with who?"
Nyx chuckled again and gave Harriet a playful pat on the shoulder. "You don't have to pretend around me, Harriet. I am your sister, after all," she said with a knowing smile before walking away.
Harriet just chuckled, shaking her head. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Her thoughts drifted back to Zoey Foster. She'd been working for their mother as her secretary, but Zoey did far more than what her role required. Harriet had known her since universityâZoey had been a junior, not from a wealthy family, but she was brilliant. Scholarships poured in for her, both local and international. Smart-ass woman, Harriet mused, scoffing quietly to herself. No wonder you're not easily shaken.
Harriet glanced at her wristwatch, suddenly remembering her appointment with her mother at BioSynthix. She smacked her forehead, sighing in frustration. I should've left with her an hour ago. Chuckling to herself, she jogged to the garage, hopped into her car, and sped off toward their company.
It was at least a two-hour drive, but luckily, Harriet made it to the building before her mother's scheduled appointment. She parked and headed inside, passing by their hospital wing where she also worked as a heart surgeon. After reaching her mother's office and finding it empty, Harriet wandered the halls until she spotted Zoey's office. She knocked before entering.
Zoey looked up from her desk, her expression immediately souring. "What are you doing here?"
"Am I not allowed to visit my mother's company?" Harriet retorted, raising an eyebrow.
"Right, I forgot you're a Pierce," Zoey said, standing up, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Doesn't seem like it most of the time, though. What do you need?"
Harriet chuckled, sliding her hands into her pockets. "Where's Mom? She's not in her office."
"Oh, Ms. Maggie? She went out to report to the authorities. Maybe she's requesting a search mission for Riley?" Zoey shrugged, doing her best to stay composed.
Harriet bit her lip, suppressing a scoff. "And you still haven't told her anything?"
Zoey rolled her eyes, clearly irritated. "Are we seriously doing this again right now? You can't be for real."
Harriet tilted her head, her expression calm but probing. "Well, I don't know about you, but are we going to talk about it now?"
"God, you're impossible," Zoey muttered, dropping back into her chair and focusing on the documents in front of her.
"Right, I just remembered something," Harriet said, pulling out a chair and sitting across from Zoey. Her gaze locked on Zoey with an intensity that made it clear this wasn't a casual chat. "I need to ask you something."
Zoey sighed deeply, dropping the document she had been reviewing. "What is it now?"
"It's been bothering me," Harriet said, leaning back in the chair as she crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. "Why did you say that I have no one else to stand beside me because of my attitude?"
Zoey's eyes flickered with surprise, but she quickly masked it, her tone dry. "Are you seriously asking me that?"
"Dead serious." Harriet didn't break eye contact, waiting for an answer.
Zoey raised an eyebrow, then leaned forward slightly, her voice calm but laced with challenge. "You really want to go there? Fine. It's because you push people away, Harriet. You think everyone's beneath you or out to get something from you. You treat relationships like a battlefieldâeither you win, or you make sure no one else does."
Harriet blinked but said nothing, the weight of Zoey's words hanging in the air between them.
Zoey smirked, leaning back into her chair. "Does that answer your question?"