Simon Hawthorne didn’t stay long. He left in a hurry, not even offering a word of explanation.
Peyton Joyce stared blankly in the direction he had left. After a long while, she lowered her eyes to look at the elaborate dishes she had painstakingly prepared on the table. They were still steaming, yet he hadn’t even had the time to take a single bite.
She wondered what Shane Shaw had said to Simon. Who was it about?
A certain guess lingered in her mind. Just inching closer to the thought brought her agonizing pain. Her grip on the chopsticks tightened little by little until her knuckles turned white.
That was until Ryan Hawthorne walked through the door. Seeing Peyton zoning out with a gloomy expression, he immediately frowned and hurried over. "Peyton? What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?"
He had always been highly sensitive to her emotions.
Peyton looked at him, completely crestfallen. "Tell me, does Simon not care about me anymore? I’m so scared. I can’t leave him. I won’t survive..."
Seeing the woman he cared for so heartbroken made Ryan’s expression worsen. He stepped forward and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, allowing her to lean against his chest. He spoke softly, "My brother doesn’t appreciate how wonderful you are, but I do. You are the best girl in the world. He doesn’t know how to cherish you, but I would never be like that. Peyton, could you... look at me instead?"
Very few women could resist such tender words of affection from a handsome, exceptionally capable, and incredibly gentle man.
Peyton froze for a moment before snapping back to reality. She tried to push him away, but Ryan grabbed her hand, holding on tight to prevent her from leaving. Peyton looked at him helplessly. "Ryan, I think of you as my most beloved younger brother. You know that."
Ryan stared at her deeply. "A beloved younger brother can become a beloved man, can’t he? Peyton, matters of the heart never make any logical sense. Maybe my brother did have feelings for you in the past, but ask yourself honestly—right now, does he love you more, or do you love him more?
"Ultimately, you need to find someone who loves you more to be truly happy."
Peyton was stunned.
Ryan pressed on relentlessly, refusing to let go of her hand. "Peyton, I’ll treat you well. I’ll be better to you than my brother ever was, in every way except for my status."
Peyton was soft-hearted after all, so even her rejection was gentle. "Ryan, but I love your brother. You should be able to understand how I feel. I would give up everything for him."
"I could do the same!" Ryan’s expression darkened, and his tone grew noticeably colder.
The commotion they were making must have been quite loud, as it startled the staff in the kitchen. When a servant came out and saw the two acting so intimately, she froze for a second before hurriedly apologizing. "I’m so sorry..."
Peyton immediately pulled her hand back, a dark glint flashing in her eyes. "Ryan is my younger brother. He was just worried about my health. Don’t overthink it."
The servant nodded repeatedly. "Understood, Miss Joyce."
Later, at the hospital.
Zoe Lancaster had been careful. She knew that Kingsward Hospital was one of Simon Hawthorne’s properties, so instead of going there, she specifically chose a highly confidential private hospital.
Perhaps because she was also a bit nervous, she had called Crystal Hayes to come along. Crystal was even more anxious than she was, holding onto Zoe’s hand the entire time. "I can’t even imagine you having a baby! My god, aren’t you just a kid yourself? How could you..."
Zoe looked at her, utterly speechless. "I’m about to turn twenty-five, and I already have a marriage certificate. What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Oh," Crystal replied, though she still found it mind-boggling. "If you really are pregnant... what will you do?"
This was undoubtedly a difficult question. Zoe frowned and answered, "Simon wouldn’t welcome this child."
She was simply stating the facts. Simon only had Peyton in his heart. Back then, he had married Zoe reluctantly. A forced marriage was doomed from the start. His bond with Peyton was so deep, and now that she had returned to the country and was staying right by his side, how could he possibly settle down and live a peaceful life with Zoe?
He was probably just counting down the days until their contract divorce so he could bring Peyton home as his wife as soon as possible.
He might like children. However, they probably wouldn’t be children born to her. If she had a child, it would likely become a tool to restrict him, hindering his chances of being with Peyton. Therefore, he would never let something like this happen. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have reminded her to take the pill that one time.
Crystal felt a deep ache in her heart for Zoe. Her brows knitted tightly together. "But what if you really are pregnant?"
Zoe remained silent for a long time. In the end, she didn’t give an answer. She didn’t even know what she would do herself.
Waiting for the results was nothing short of torture. The line was quite long, and when she finally got the printout, she handed it over to the doctor.
The doctor looked at her and said, "You’re not pregnant. However, a few of your health indicators aren’t great. Try to avoid major emotional fluctuations and adopt healthier lifestyle habits. Otherwise, these factors will reflect on your body’s data, making it even harder for you to conceive in the future."
Zoe couldn’t quite put her feelings into words at that moment. Was it relief? Not necessarily. Instead, there was a subtle sense of melancholy. It was as if a bridge of hope in her heart had suddenly collapsed, symbolizing the future trajectory of her relationship with Simon.
Right now, she was dealing with irregular periods, which had something to do with her endocrine system and polycystic ovaries. Not only was she not pregnant, but if she didn’t take good care of her health, she might face difficulties conceiving later on.
While Zoe appeared quite calm on the outside, her emotions were inevitably complicated. Crystal observed her expression and could more or less guess what she was thinking. Women’s thoughts often boiled down to saying one thing while meaning another, and since Zoe was someone who tended to overthink, she was highly likely to just bottle it all up inside.
"It’s fine. At least this saves you from Simon giving you a hard time over a pregnancy. It prevents a whole lot of trouble, doesn’t it? You guys didn’t have a future together anyway, so why add more worries to your plate?" Crystal reasoned.
Zoe nodded, staring blankly at the test results. Her tone was completely serene. "You’re right. I should be happy."
She would never admit it aloud, but before booking this hospital appointment for the checkup, she had actually fantasized about it. She had wondered whether, if she were pregnant, the baby would be a boy or a girl, and whether they would look like her or Simon. She even thought it would be better if the baby resembled Simon. He was like a child favored by the Creator—exceptional in every aspect, navigating life smoothly. Subconsciously, she hoped that her child would have a life like that too.
Unlike hers—
"Hey? Isn’t that Riley Lancaster over there?" Crystal suddenly nudged her arm.
Zoe snapped back to reality and looked up. A woman had just stepped out of the elevator in the distance. She was wearing a hat, but her face was exposed when she looked up to find her department.
It was indeed Riley Lancaster. She was holding a form and walking warily toward a doctor’s office.
Zoe frowned in surprise. Why was Riley here? What was she getting checked for?
"Zoe."
Before she could dwell on it any further, a deep, pleasant voice rang in her ear. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked up.
Simon was walking over from a short distance away. Tall and long-legged, he was dressed in his usual business-casual attire—a perfectly ironed black suit worn underneath a grey overcoat. He exuded an air of elegant nobility and refined grace, bringing with him a strong sense of distance. Just a single glance was enough to cement the vast chasm in their status and social standing.
Zoe instinctively hid the medical report behind her back.
But he had already caught sight of it.
Simon approached with brisk strides. Seeing her reaction, his brow furrowed. "What are you hiding? What do you have to feel guilty about?"