He didn’t expose it on the spot. He just wasn’t sure what Zoe Lancaster was thinking, nor was he sure what the result would be if they talked about it openly.
It was actually quite ridiculous for a man like him to have a moment of overthinking and hesitation.
He finished his cigarette. His brow remained furrowed, his mood dark. He had no addiction to smoking; he only had one occasionally when he was irritated.
Beside him, Linden observed Simon Hawthorne’s expression but ultimately didn’t pry. Sometimes, he also couldn’t understand what Mr. Hawthorne was really thinking.
To say he didn’t love Zoe Lancaster, his care for her was sometimes very tangible. He had handled quite a few matters for her behind the scenes; though he never spoke of them, his efforts were undeniably real.
But to say he loved her, he paid much more attention to Peyton Joyce. It seemed Peyton Joyce always took priority.
Just how complicated could a man’s feelings be?
After standing in the cold wind for a while, Simon got into the car. He looked thoughtfully at the hospital in the distance, recalling Zoe Lancaster’s words from earlier today.
Riley Lancaster...
After thinking for a moment, he called Sean Sheffield.
The call connected, and Sean answered with a laid-back, drawling tone, "Simon, what’s up? Wanna crash a party?"
In truth, Sean was the textbook definition of a privileged trust-fund kid. He was smart, but he excelled most at indulging in food, drink, and play. He milked every ounce of privilege he possessed to the absolute limit; no one knew how to please themselves better than him. He also had a mind for business, keeping his own ventures thriving. It was just that, when it came to relationships with women, he was completely careless.
Simon’s tone was incredibly flat. "Riley Lancaster might be in a situation. Did you use protection when you were with her?"
Men rarely had any taboos when discussing such topics.
Sean thought about it seriously for a second. "Probably?"
It had only happened twice in total. The woman had been the one to throw herself at him shamelessly. He was a hedonist who hated trouble. A pretty face, a great body, a clean romantic history, and no diseases—those were his only criteria.
Simon said, "She went to the obstetrics and gynecology department today. Use your own discretion."
With that warning, he hung up. The rest was up to Sean.
Truthfully, he shouldn’t have had to care. But the incident involving Zoe Lancaster being drugged stood between them. He had never claimed to be a righteous gentleman. When he was ruthless, few could rival him. Morality and compassion had nothing to do with him.
Meanwhile, Riley returned to the Lancaster Family home, looking flustered yet unable to hide her joy. At this hour, Martin Lancaster was at the company. The moment she stepped inside, she clutched her pounding chest and called out, "Mom! Mom!"
Wendy Lawrence was drawn out by her frantic shouting. She hurried out of the greenhouse. "What’s the rush? Where’s the fire?"
Riley handed the medical report to Wendy, her eyes brimming with excitement and ambition. "Mom, I’m pregnant!"
Wendy froze, her face instantly changing color. "Your dad will kill you if he finds out! Whose is it? The Jennings Family’s? Or..."
Riley grabbed her hands. "I’m going to move up in the world! Of course, this baby has nothing to do with the Jennings Family. I’m over five weeks along; judging by the timeline, it must be his."
Wendy’s heart skipped a beat. She knew Martin cared most about his reputation. The previous incident with the Jennings Family had already subjected them to ridicule for a long time. If he found out Riley was pregnant now, wouldn’t he tear the roof off? What was more...
"Who exactly is this other man? You wouldn’t say a word no matter how much I pressed you last time. Are you still going to keep it from your own mother?!"
Unable to hide her excitement, Riley said, "The Sheffield Family. Sheffield."
Wendy’s expression shifted drastically before settling into greedy delight. "The Sheffield Family... Good heavens! Riley, I can’t believe you pulled this off! The Sheffield Family is leagues above the Jennings Family, and they have close ties to the Hawthorne Family!"
Under normal circumstances, the Lancaster Family wouldn’t even be qualified to step foot over the Sheffield Family’s threshold. Now that Riley was carrying Sean’s seed, she didn’t have to worry about not being able to marry into the family using the child as leverage. If Riley were just an ordinary girl, they could simply pay her off to go away. But the Lancaster Family was prominent in their own right; the Sheffield Family couldn’t completely disregard their social standing!
"I always said my daughter was a hundred times better than that bitch Wyatt Sutton’s daughter!"
The joy on Riley’s face lingered for a moment before she asked, "But how should we handle this...?"
Wendy narrowed her eyes. "We must find an opportunity to announce it to the world. At the very least, Kingsford’s high society needs to know. Once the word is out, the Sheffield Family won’t be able to deny it."
Riley hesitated. "Mom, what do you mean?"
Wendy patted her daughter’s hand reassuringly. "Isn’t Kingsford’s annual charity auction taking place in a few days? All the socialites will be there. With so many people from our circle gathered in one place, the timing couldn’t be better."
Riley’s face lit up. It was a brilliant idea. If she married into the Sheffield Family, a pretentious prude like Zoe Lancaster wouldn’t even be fit to shine her shoes!
Since their encounter at the hospital, Zoe Lancaster noticed that Simon had been returning to Somerset Gardens more frequently. At the very least, he had been dropping by every day after finishing his work. He paid close attention to her diet and her physical health. She even suspected for a moment that Simon had noticed something.
Sitting at the dining table, Zoe absently poked at her rice. Simon handed her a bowl of fish soup. The broth was rich and milky white, perfect in color, aroma, and taste. A few days ago, when Zoe’s appetite had been poor, just looking at something like this would make her physically nauseous. She had told the kitchen not to make it anymore, yet for some reason, it had been served again today.
"Have some fish soup to nourish your body. Mama Carter said your appetite has been quite poor lately." Simon’s tone was calm, as if he genuinely cared.
Zoe glanced at the fish soup. No matter how well it was prepared, there was always a fishy smell. However, she was doing much better now and didn’t feel quite as nauseated. Obediently, she took a sip and calmly gave her verdict, "It’s delicious. Do you want to try some?"
Simon cast a glance at her. The woman took a few more sips. There was nothing unusual about her reaction. Only then did he look away. "No need. Carp soup is highly nourishing; word is, it’s an excellent remedy for boosting milk production."
Zoe froze. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. She was suddenly unsure. Was Simon probing her, or warning her? Was he warning her not to entertain the thought of bearing his child? She couldn’t see through the fog to grasp his true intentions. They finished the meal with completely different things on their minds.
After dinner, she noticed that Simon showed no signs of leaving; it seemed he planned to stay the night. Zoe didn’t pay it too much mind and went to wash her hands.
When she came out, she saw that Linden had arrived at some point. Upon seeing her, he smiled and greeted her, then resumed his report to Simon. "The situation in Kaelan has largely stabilized. The market research is comprehensive, and the demand is huge, unlike the saturated domestic market."
Simon lowered his eyelashes, flipping through the detailed report. Linden knew this meant he was satisfied. He hesitated for a moment and glanced at Zoe, who had just reached the corner and was heading back to her room. Only then did he speak up. "There’s one more thing. For tomorrow’s charity auction, who do you plan to bring as your plus-one...?"
Zoe, having forgotten her phone, turned back. She happened to catch that last sentence. Perhaps fate was playing a trick on them. Simon’s phone rang. It was a call from Peyton Joyce. Her voice was as gentle as ever, making it impossible for anyone to bear seeing her sad.
"Simon, I feel like I’m going crazy from being cooped up. Could you take me out for a walk?
"I heard you’re attending a banquet tomorrow. How about I go as your date?"
Zoe’s reappearance did not escape Simon’s notice. He simply looked at Zoe while keeping Peyton Joyce’s call on speakerphone.