"Why are you getting so defensive?" Jules Yates wasn’t even firing on all cylinders yet. He mocked half-sarcastically, "It hurts when the shoe is on the other foot, doesn’t it? Mrs. Hawthorne is quite the hypocrite."
Ken Lowell’s lips trembled, her face already turning a livid shade of pale. But knowing he was just defending Zoe Lancaster, she shifted her glare to Zoe. "This is still your marital home. What do you think you’re doing, blatantly bringing another man back here?"
She was obviously venting her anger on Zoe.
Simon Hawthorne’s brows furrowed deeper, his tone cold and stern. "Mom, that’s enough!"
Jules pulled Zoe behind him to protect her. "You don’t say a word about your own son causing an uproar out there with some two-faced siren, and you’re perfectly happy to let that homewrecker climb the ranks! Yet here you are, lecturing the innocent party. Even a saint would have to applaud your unwavering sense of justice!"
Ken Lowell had clearly never encountered such a brazen, sharp-tongued junior. Usually, didn’t everyone treat her with the utmost respect?
Staring coldly at Zoe, she sneered, "What a great friend you’ve made, letting your bad company speak so disrespectfully to your mother-in-law. You really know how to throw your weight around, Zoe."
Zoe frowned.
Ken Lowell disliked her. No matter what Zoe did, the woman would always find something to nitpick. There was no point in wasting effort trying to please someone who would never like her anyway.
After speaking, Ken Lowell looked at Simon. "I came to remind you of what you can and cannot do right now. Don’t lose your head and disregard Peyton’s safety."
If she hadn’t been worried that Simon might actually go and clarify certain things from the past at this critical juncture, she wouldn’t have bothered coming over.
Simon appeared completely detached from the situation. Ken Lowell was used to being domineering, and growing up, he had rarely experienced any real maternal love. He had always been nothing more than a tool for her to win over her husband. Forced into scheming and political maneuvering since childhood, he had developed a temperament that kept others at arm’s length. Toward Ken Lowell, he held, at most, the basic respect owed to a biological mother.
He raised his eyes, his dark, chilly pupils devoid of emotion. "I know what I need to do. I don’t need you to go out of your way to instruct me. There have been a lot of complications lately, so you don’t need to intervene anymore. We will handle our own family affairs."
Everyone understood exactly what those words meant.
Ken Lowell froze, not expecting Simon to embarrass her so blatantly in front of an outsider. Her expression darkened considerably.
Zoe couldn’t be bothered to get involved. She grabbed Jules’s arm. "I’ll see him out."
Jules was forced to retreat.
Once they reached the door, Zoe finally let out a sigh. "You saw it yourself. The situation in the Hawthorne family is complicated. Even the mother and son aren’t necessarily that close. Since I chose this path in the first place, there are some things I just have to face on my own."
Who could she rely on forever, anyway?
Jules ruffled his hair impatiently. "You’re basically playing a survival game in a den of wolves."
Zoe didn’t bother explaining. Anyway, this marriage only had a few months left. If she just held on a little longer, she would win.
Jules looked at her, a myriad of thoughts swirling in his mind for a moment. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he said casually, "Seriously though, I want you to be happy. A man like Simon Hawthorne is cold and heartless. It’s incredibly difficult to get any emotional value out of him.
"Since it’s better to keep the good stuff in the family, why don’t you consider my brother?"
The last time Miles Yates had casually mentioned wanting to pursue Zoe, Jules had been shocked. But after thinking about it carefully, it didn’t seem like a bad idea. He knew his brother—Miles was practically perfect in every way and would make an absolutely stellar husband.
He might as well try playing matchmaker.
Zoe rolled her eyes on the spot. "Your brother was kind enough to help me, and you want me to repay his kindness with trouble? He was just acting out of common decency. Don’t go trying to play Cupid."
Jules opened his mouth to argue, but Zoe ruthlessly shoved him into his car. "You flew back overnight and left so many people hanging on set. Aren’t you afraid of getting exposed and dragged through the mud? Hurry back. I’m fine."
Jules was used to doing whatever he wanted, but she couldn’t let him suffer negative consequences because of her mess. He wanted to say more, but Zoe shot him a warning glare.
Jules could only pout. "Fine. If they bully you, I’ll just fly back again. My wish for this year remains the same: either you get a divorce or your husband drops dead. Honestly, I’d rather drink a toast at your wedding with my brother."
"Get lost," Zoe scolded.
Jules immediately slammed on the gas and sped off.
Zoe watched the car disappear into the distance, her eyes stinging slightly. Thank goodness she still had her friends by her side.
Sniffling, she turned around—only to spot Simon’s tall, slender figure standing under a precious pine tree ahead. He wasn’t wearing a jacket. Dressed in an ink-black shirt, his handsome features seemed dusted with frost, and his glasses glinted with a cold light. He just stood there staring at her, though she had no idea how long he had been there.
Nor did she know how much he had heard.
Zoe’s heart instinctively sank. She opened her mouth to say something, but Simon coldly retracted his gaze and turned to leave.
Zoe frowned. She was practically certain that Simon had overheard her conversation with Jules just now.
It was a classic case of double standards—rules for thee, but not for me.
On any normal day, she might have sought him out to explain things clearly. But today, the thought of him and Peyton Joyce possibly being on their marital bed...
That wave of disgust simply couldn’t be suppressed. She covered her mouth, feeling even more nauseous.
Ken Lowell had probably parted on bad terms with Simon as well and had already left. Zoe had no desire to return to that bedroom, but having not slept all night, she was exhausted. Taking Heartbreaker with her, she headed to a guest room on the first floor.
As for Simon, she didn’t have the energy to cater to his mood. He could think whatever he wanted.
In the study.
Simon stared at the computer screen in front of him, occasionally glancing toward the door. The atmosphere in the room was suffocatingly heavy.
After watching him repeat this action several times, Linden could guess what was going on. Mr. Hawthorne was waiting for his wife to come and coax him.
But he had been sitting here for over an hour, and there wasn’t a single sound outside. His wife was clearly leaving him out in the cold, showing no intention of making peace. As a result, Linden stood there suffering in torment. He was practically suffocating under his boss’s bone-chilling aura, groaning inwardly.
Linden silently screamed, "Madam! Couldn’t you just come and coax Mr. Hawthorne a little?!"
"Have you tracked down Miles Yates’s whereabouts?" Simon finally spoke, a hostile edge clipping the end of his sentence.
Linden hurriedly replied, "Your trip to Seacliff was nothing but a smokescreen. The project you really have your eye on is overseas. You deliberately diverted the Yates family’s attention to the bid in Seacliff and intentionally let them win it by a narrow margin. However, his intuition is too sharp. He guessed your real deployment and has already flown to Britain."
Simon tapped his long fingers against the desk, deep in thought. "Britain, huh... Have our people over there stall him. Don’t let him come back too quickly."
Linden gave a thumbs-up. "Mr. Hawthorne, your foresight is brilliant. This way, we can also stay one step ahead domestically and catch him off guard."
"I have no intention of fighting for the domestic project," Simon said flatly.
Linden was speechless. "Then... what do you mean by having someone stall President Yates from returning to the country?"
Simon shot him a frosty glare but offered no answer.
He stood up and left the study. As he went downstairs, he happened to see someone arriving at the Hawthorne Residence, delivering today’s dose of medicine.
A servant took it and was just about to deliver it to Zoe.
He paused in his steps and held out a hand. "Give it to me."