Simon Hawthorne stepped out of the car. Nearly a full head taller than her, he stared down from his commanding height. She couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but there was a faint trace of despondency clinging to him—a vulnerability that seemed almost impossible for a man of such immaculate composure.
A faint scent of ebony and cedar enveloped her. It was as if she had nowhere to hide, left with no choice but to surrender to his domain.
Cool, slender fingers crept up her cheek. He lifted her chin, his eyes as deep and dark as the ocean. "You look pale. Are you sick?"
Zoe Lancaster couldn’t help the sudden tightening in her chest.
Simon could be terrifyingly perceptive at times. Due to her pregnancy, her low energy and morning sickness had left her looking rather exhausted. Even that hadn’t escaped his notice.
She averted her gaze, maintaining her composure. "I’m not. Besides, we’re getting a divorce anyway. Whatever happens to me is no longer any concern of yours, Mr. Hawthorne."
Simon narrowed his eyes. The pad of his thumb pressed a little harder against her chin, exuding an invisible yet overwhelming dominance. "You adapt to your new role rather quickly. Are you that impatient to cut ties with me, Zoe?"
Wasn’t keeping her distance the right thing to do when getting a divorce?
Zoe frowned, feeling a slight ache in her jaw. She took a step back, breaking free from his grasp, and spoke with resolute seriousness. "Please conduct yourself with dignity, Mr. Hawthorne!"
After today, they would be nothing more than strangers anyway!
Watching her resist his touch, a dark, impenetrable cloud cast over Simon’s eyes. Unwarranted irritation surged in his chest, and the curve of his lips grew even colder and more mocking.
"Dignity? Have you forgotten how you used to cry beneath me, begging me to take you?"
He didn’t know why he couldn’t suppress this burning fury. Since yesterday, it had incinerated every ounce of his patience and reason. Seeing her so righteously resolute, an uncontrollable urge seized him—he wanted to tear away her damn facade of calmness.
Unsurprisingly, Zoe’s face darkened.
She glared at him through gritted teeth, filled with disappointment. Conscious of Shane Shaw standing nearby, a wave of humiliating shame washed over her. "Simon Hawthorne! I don’t want to waste time with you. I’m letting you go so you can find your true love, and I’m asking you not to make this difficult for me!"
The wind rustled through the fallen leaves, bringing a heavy silence that seemed to swallow the surroundings.
Simon lowered his gaze, staring at Zoe for a long time. He couldn’t find a single trace of duplicity in her expression. There was absolutely nothing he could seize upon to prove she didn’t mean what she said.
Zoe Lancaster was dead set on leaving him!
An indescribable pain, like tough, invisible threads, wrapped tightly around his heart. It constricted him string by string, cutting so deeply that it drew blood.
His chest heaved violently. He bent down, his broad hand gripping her arm like a vice as he yanked her back against him. His voice was dark and strained. "In your dreams, Zoe. I never said I was done playing this game, which means you have no right to call it quits. I never even signed the divorce papers. Why else do you think I called you out here today?
"You can never escape my grasp!"
Zoe felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her arm throbbed agonizingly in his grip, feeling as though it might snap in two, but the physical pain paled in comparison to her rising panic. "Simon! You’re crazy! Let me go!"
She began to thrash and struggle. She had to run away. She couldn’t repeat the same mistakes!
She hadn’t expected Simon to be so extreme. He had never intended to divorce her; he actually wanted to... take her away by force!
Watching the woman struggle so violently—as if he were some plague-bearing demon she feared and repelled—the warmth drained from Simon’s very soul, leaving him utterly cold.
He bent over and scooped her up into his arms. Ignoring her frantic blows, he shoved her directly into the car. Refusing to be forced, Zoe’s eyes grew red. "Simon Hawthorne, I am not your pet! I am a living, breathing human being!"
Seeing beads of blood blossom as she bit her lip, a faint ripple finally stirred in his dead, stagnant eyes. He clamped his hand on the back of her neck and dragged her close, kissing her without offering a chance to argue. His tongue painstakingly licked away the scarlet stains on her lips in a desperate, maddening entanglement. "You are my wife, Evie. Don’t push me."
Only now did Zoe completely recognize what kind of man Simon truly was. He hadn’t hesitated to tear off his mask of aloof arrogance, exposing his inherently crazed and extreme nature!
As the realization sank in, a slow smile crept onto Zoe’s face, though her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She looked as if she had surrendered, yet possessed the eerie calm of someone who had anticipated this all along. "But it’s too late, Simon. You’ve underestimated my resolve."
Simon stared at her deeply. He didn’t understand what she meant.
Very quickly, he received his answer.
Shane Shaw walked over, his lips pressed into a tight, grim line. "Mr. Hawthorne, this is bad. The paparazzi caught us on camera, and now...
"Footage of you and your wife arguing outside the Civil Affairs Bureau has been pushed to the top of the trending lists. They’re saying... you finalized your divorce today."
A freezing glint flashed in Simon’s eyes. He finally turned his gaze back to Zoe.
The woman’s eyes held both sorrow and a reckless, nothing-to-lose determination. She wasn’t surprised in the slightest. This... was her own doing!
In today’s society, public opinion held terrifying power.
This was especially true for an elite dynasty like the Hawthorne Family. The Hawthorne Group had stood as a titan in the business world for a century. Every member of the family had to tread carefully, maintaining a flawless image before the media and the public without a single misstep. Marriage within these wealthy families was just another gear in the machine of profit, a vital component in forging an impeccable corporate facade.
A single pulled thread could unravel the whole tapestry. Any shift in public sentiment would directly impact the company’s reputation, its stock prices, and its countless business partnerships. Even the slightest deviation could result in catastrophic financial losses.
It was not something to be trifled with. Just like the current situation.
This was originally a private matter between the two of them. But because he was the helmsman of the Hawthorne Family, once the news of their divorce exploded into the public eye, the momentum would forcefully drag the situation forward, leaving no room for negotiation. Once the netizens and shareholders accepted their divorce as an absolute certainty, the arrow would leave the bow, and there would be no turning back!
Zoe had exploited this very weakness! She was using every conceivable means to force him to bow his head!
Looking into the man’s suddenly darkened, thunderous eyes, Zoe felt a violent twist in her heart. She couldn’t tell if the sensation was satisfaction or sheer agony.
It was true—she hadn’t left herself or him any leeway.
Having navigated the world of public relations for two years, how could she not understand the power of public opinion? No one knew better than her exactly how far this would escalate. That was why, before coming to meet him, she had called Jules Yates.
As the undisputed king of connections in the entertainment industry, Jules could mobilize the most heavyweight media conglomerates to stake out the location, capture the scoop firsthand, and propel it to the top of the trending charts at lightning speed.
Even right now, there were still cameras pointed at them, broadcasting live!
She was forcing Simon’s hand, but she was also forcing her own.
For the sake of her child, she no longer cared if the fallout of the divorce left her drowning in an ocean of public ridicule. All she wanted was for her baby to be born safely and in peace!
Even if it meant backstabbing Simon and the Hawthorne Family, she was entirely fearless!
"Zoe Lancaster—" Simon’s aura was now terrifyingly oppressive. He finally grasped just how ruthless this woman could be. His lips curled into a sneer of pure mockery as he forcibly tilted her chin up. "You’re trying to out-ruthless me, aren’t you?
"Then keep your eyes open and watch exactly what kind of man I am."