Looking at such an enchanting face—wicked, otherworldly, like a highly poisonous flower that could claim a life with the slightest misstep—her mind uncontrollably recalled a scene she had deliberately repressed deep in her memory.
Autumn Linden suppressed a shudder and hurriedly lowered her head. "Please come in."
She didn’t dare look at Sean Sheffield. He had been so ferocious the first time they met that she harbored a deep-seated, visceral fear of the man. After speaking, she quickly retreated, scurrying back to press herself tightly against Zoe Lancaster’s side.
Zoe cast the young girl a puzzled look, wondering what was wrong.
Simon Hawthorne turned his head to look over. "You actually came."
Sean strolled in casually with one hand in his pocket, a smirk playing on his lips. "You wouldn’t come out no matter how many times I asked. Turns out you’re just cozied up here with your gorgeous wife. Simon, you’re the textbook definition of ditching your bros for a woman."
Their circle of friends had asked Simon out to hang out quite a bit lately. Yet Simon had rejected them every single time. Sean had even specifically called Linden, only to find out he wasn’t at the company at all. Who would have thought the formidable Mr. Hawthorne was actually nestled at home keeping his wife company?
"Have you sorted out the mess at your house?" Simon looked at him impassively.
Sean raised an eyebrow, instinctively glancing at Zoe. "More or less. My grandmother chewed me out for a while, and I just got let off the hook."
With that, he turned to Zoe and said with earnest sincerity, "Zoe, I’m really sorry about what happened last time. I didn’t handle it well and ended up dragging you and Simon into it. I want to formally apologize to you."
He had actually learned about the situation from Simon. Riley Lancaster and Zoe had a terrible relationship. Sean hadn’t shown Riley any mercy, and Zoe hadn’t cared in the slightest. His apology was solely because that crazy woman Riley had dared to lash out and hurt someone just because she was being punished. At the end of the day, he was the root of the problem, and he wasn’t going to shirk responsibility.
Truthfully, Zoe had been quite surprised after the previous incident. Riley and Sean had gotten involved with each other and even ended up with a pregnancy. A normal romance was a matter of personal freedom, and she shouldn’t lump Sean into the same category as the morally bankrupt Riley. However, Sean’s method of handling the situation was still chilling. He had forced her to get an abortion. Simply due to his ruthless tactics, her impression of Sean was decidedly mediocre.
However, for a wealthy young heir of his status to apologize like this showed a certain level of straightforwardness. Knowing she had to maintain cordiality on the surface, she shook her head. "It’s fine. As long as you’ve handled it, it’s okay."
Sean plopped down on the sofa and asked, seemingly casually, "I heard you’re filing a lawsuit?"
Zoe didn’t deny it. Caleb Ford was handling things on their end. Right after the incident, evidence of Simon’s injury had been collected, and the legal process was ongoing.
To force her to drop the lawsuit, Martin Lancaster hadn’t hesitated to threaten cutting off her mother’s medical expenses, completely disregarding any father-daughter bond. For the sake of a home-wrecking mistress and his illegitimate daughter, he had ignored his legal wife’s life and used her mother’s survival to blackmail his own daughter. She was truly heartbroken, unable to see even a sliver of hope.
"The Lancaster Family is drowning in its own mess right now," Simon said, his tone unhurried, analyzing the pros and cons for Zoe like an objective outsider. "Secrets don’t stay buried. Riley’s reputation is completely ruined, and since she openly offended the Sheffield Family, many of their project collaborations have fallen through. Once you sue, Riley will inevitably face a year or two in prison. Martin won’t allow that to happen, so he will definitely try to negotiate with you. Think it through carefully and prioritize your own interests. My injury back then was nothing. Now that you have this bargaining chip, you should look out for yourself."
He didn’t take the Lancaster Family seriously in the slightest. But he knew Zoe had many difficulties when it came to them—such as her mother, Wyatt Sutton, who had always been the reason Zoe was controlled and threatened by the Lancaster Family. He hoped she would use this negotiation opportunity to legitimately break free.
Zoe’s heart gave a jolt, and she stared at Simon, forgetting how to react.
How could she not understand what he meant? He was willing to be a pawn for her to use. Even if it meant not suing and not holding Riley accountable, as long as the outcome benefited her, he would let her make the call.
She wondered why Simon was being so inexplicably good to her again. That stab wound from Riley last time had nearly severed one of his major nerves. His arm had almost been crippled!
Her throat felt dry. For the past few days, she had been brooding over the fact that he had chosen Peyton Joyce, but looking at it now... this was probably his way of making amends.
Taking a deep breath, Zoe said, "I understand."
She didn’t refuse. She had indeed been furious initially. Because Simon had been hurt, her threat to throw reason to the wind and wage all-out war against Martin had been entirely genuine. But since Simon wanted to compensate her because of the Peyton incident, why shouldn’t she accept? She wasn’t stupid enough to be too proud to accept it. Simon’s suggestion had actually sparked a plan in her mind.
Beside her, Autumn couldn’t understand what they were talking about. She looked back and forth in confusion. "Zoe? What are you guys talking about?"
Zoe ruffled the girl’s hair. "It’s nothing. We’ll be eating soon. I’m just really glad you could come keep me company."
Simon certainly knew how to manipulate her emotions. By inviting Autumn over, her mood had indeed improved. Furthermore, to keep her aunt from worrying, Zoe would inevitably patch things up with him temporarily and put on a show of marital bliss. He had calculated every single angle. Sometimes, she had to admit that she really couldn’t outplay Simon.
Autumn was vibrant and lively around her. Over dinner, she shared a lot about her life at school, including what clubs she had joined and what scholarships she had won, vividly recounting various amusing anecdotes. Zoe listened with a constant, warm smile.
Simon’s gaze landed on her face. The woman had her head tilted, looking at Autumn with patient, loving eyes. It was a look she had never once directed at him—as if Autumn was the most important person in her world, her eyes brimming with boundless affection and indulgence.
This caused him to subconsciously furrow his brows. He glanced at the chattering young girl beside her, his emotions unreadable.
He didn’t say anything, silently peeling a shrimp and placing it by Zoe’s hand. While chatting with Sean, he would casually serve Zoe a few of her favorite dishes from time to time, his movements perfectly natural and composed.
No matter how dense Sean could be, even he noticed something was off. His expression became subtle and complex. He had never been one to beat around the bush, so he immediately blurted out, "Simon, I feel like you’re completely whipped for Zoe."
That single sentence nearly caused the soup spoon to slip from Zoe’s hand. Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked at Sean in astonishment, thoroughly shocked as to how he could arrive at such an absurd conclusion.
Simon looked up, his gaze cool.
Sean wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. Curling his lips, he said, "Look, Simon has been chatting with me this whole time, but whenever Zoe finishes something in her bowl, he instantly serves her a refill. He even picks out the things she doesn’t like to eat. Just in this short amount of time, he’s peeled shrimp and picked bones out of the fish for her multiple times. Even though he’s talking to me and clearly not looking your way, his attention is entirely on you. How else could he always be so perfectly timed?"