Miles Yates remained slightly bent over, holding the posture. No matter how light Zoe Lancaster was, supporting her with one hand in such an awkward angle for so long was bound to be taxing. Yet, he still didn’t put her down immediately. His striking eyes gazed intently at her. The skin-to-skin contact seemed to make his palm run burning hot, the heat searing all the way to the tip of his heart, bringing forth a strange, unprecedented sensation.
Watching from behind, Mason Sullivan couldn’t help but feel shocked. Everyone thought Miles was courteous and gentle in his dealings with people and matters, but that was just a facade. He was outwardly warm but inwardly ruthless, especially in business where his methods were swift and merciless. He had never genuinely opened up to anyone. And yet, Zoe’s appearance made him do things he never would have done before.
Unaware of Mason’s thoughts, Miles shifted his thumb, subconsciously brushing against the woman’s soft lips. He paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly, before slowly lowering her head to rest on the desk. He slipped his hand out with utmost care, his movements gentle enough not to wake her. After watching her for a long time, Miles unbuttoned his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders before turning around. "Let’s go."
Mason cast a complicated look at Zoe and followed without a word.
Zoe didn’t sleep for long, perhaps just a dozen minutes. When she woke up, her head throbbed—likely an exacerbation of the fatigue from barely sleeping over the past few days. She massaged her temples and reached for the thermos on the desk. The moment she lifted her arm, an article of clothing slipped from her shoulders. It was only then she realized a jacket had been draped over her.
Confused, she pulled the jacket off. The familiar scent of Jade Dragon tea drifted into her nose. The light cologne wasn’t overpowering, but it was incredibly distinct; she had only ever smelled it on one person. Moreover, she wasn’t ignorant about high-end fashion. The suit jacket was obviously meticulously tailored from top-tier fabric.
It was Miles. She quickly came to a conclusion.
Zoe couldn’t help but frown. She wondered why he would do this. She thought, "Could it be... that he likes me?"
But she quickly shook her head, feeling she was being overly narcissistic. A man like Miles had seen every kind of woman imaginable; how could he possibly have any ideas about her? Besides, he had an excellent upbringing. Having received a Western education since childhood, his gentlemanly conduct was carved into his bones. He had probably just been passing by and did it out of respect for Jules Yates.
Having sorted out her thoughts, Zoe breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, she also felt a bit inexplicably guilty. Falling asleep during work hours and getting caught by her ultimate boss—would he think she spent all day slacking off? As a mere corporate wage slave, she inevitably overthought things.
Checking the time, she saw there was still an hour before her shift ended. She decided to set the matter aside for now and earnestly focused on finishing the project proposal revisions. Once it was time to get off work, she packed her things, neatly folded the jacket, and headed straight for the top floor.
At this hour, Miles had most likely not left yet.
When she arrived, she didn’t see Mason around, which was a bit regrettable. She had originally planned to have Mason return the jacket for her, but now she had no choice but to face Miles directly. She knocked on the office door and pushed it open.
Miles was sitting behind his desk. He looked up at the sound, his striking eyes flashing slightly when he saw her. "Done with work?" he asked casually.
Zoe stepped forward apologetically. "I’m sorry, President Yates. I accidentally dozed off. I’m guessing this is your jacket. Thank you."
Miles curved his lips into a faint smile. "It’s nothing."
Still feeling uneasy, Zoe offered, "How about this—I’ll take it to get dry-cleaned for you." After all, she had worn it, so it would inevitably carry some of her scent. She favored rich rose fragrances and usually wore that kind of perfume, which she figured he probably wouldn’t like.
Miles stood up, walked over to her, and took the jacket. "It’s fine. I’m not that fussy. You, on the other hand—you’ve been working quite hard these past few days, haven’t you?"
Zoe understood what he meant; he had, after all, been observing everything regarding Simon Hawthorne.
"I’m alright. It’s mostly dealt with now."
"Did he... Did the Hawthorne Family give you a hard time?" Miles looked at her calmly. Although his eyes appeared gentle, they were piercing enough to see through everything.
Zoe didn’t let anything show. After all, this was a family matter, and moreover, Simon and Miles were quite antagonistic toward each other. There was no need to expose her embarrassing side. She curled her lips into a calm, composed smile. "No. It was an accident, after all. Thank you for your concern, President Yates."
"Since he doesn’t care about you, how well could the Hawthorne Family possibly treat you? I don’t mean anything by it; you don’t need to have your guard up around me." There was no way Miles couldn’t see through her disguise.
Before he even met Zoe, Jules had frequently talked about how poorly his Buddy was doing—how her husband didn’t love her and never came home. Miles practically knew the gist of the whole situation. Therefore, he couldn’t understand it. He wondered why Simon insisted on marrying her and wasting her time if he didn’t even love her.
Zoe froze, having had her hidden vulnerabilities exposed. "I can handle it well. In life, it’s impossible to make everyone like you. I don’t care about that."
"But you’re a good girl."
There was not a trace of teasing in Miles’s deep eyes; it was a completely sincere compliment. It was also his way of expressing that disliking her was someone else’s loss.
Astonished, Zoe looked up and met his gaze. In that fleeting moment, she vaguely felt as if she had glimpsed some unknown secret in his eyes—something scorching, passionate, and entirely undisguised.
A shiver ran down her spine, and she subconsciously took a step back. "Thank you, President Yates. It’s getting late, so I’ll be going now. Please rest early."
Without saying another word, she turned and left. Walking hurriedly, she bumped right into Mason, who was just returning from outside. Mason shot a puzzled look at Zoe’s retreating back before entering the office. "President Yates, what’s with Miss Lancaster?"
Miles stared at the jacket resting on his arm, his expression unreadable. "She came to return the jacket."
Mason paused, instinctively observing his boss’s expression. Miles didn’t let anything show, but Mason still felt something about him was different. He couldn’t help but probe further. "Boss, I feel like... you treat Miss Lancaster very differently."
Miles swept his gaze over, not denying it. "Is that so?"
Mason nodded. "In the past, even though you acted like a gentleman around women, you were actually very cold. You never gave them a second glance, let alone interacted with them on a deeper level. But with Miss Lancaster... you always pay close attention to her."
This realization left Mason feeling a bit terrified. That was Simon Hawthorne’s wife! The whole situation was far too alarming!
Miles slipped the suit jacket back on, a wisp of rose fragrance drifting into his nose. He paused, pondering Mason’s words. After a long while, he finally spoke.
"Between adults, there’s no need for so much beating around the bush and naive uncertainty. Some feelings don’t need to be deliberately cultivated. I can certainly feel the pull of biological attraction."
Mason’s hand trembled.
In the next second, he heard Miles state flatly, "She will get a divorce."
Mason almost dropped to his knees. By now, how could he possibly not understand what that meant? "But... what if she doesn’t?"
Miles had already sat back down behind his desk. He calmly uncapped a fountain pen to sign a document, not even lifting his eyelids. It was hard to tell if he was joking or not when he spoke in that deep, pleasant voice.
"I am perfectly capable of casting aside my moral scruples."