Almost as soon as the words were spoken, Simon Hawthorne released her, his expression cold and stern. A mocking curve played on his thin lips as he shut the car door, completely isolating her from the outside world.
He turned on his long legs and walked away, unhurriedly pulling a cigarette case from his pocket. Lowering his eyes, he caught a cigarette between his teeth. A sudden gust of cold wind flared the ember, making it flicker in the dim light.
His expression remained largely unchanged. Pressed against the car window, Zoe Lancaster watched helplessly as he approached one of the vehicles in the parking lot and knocked on its window with a leisurely, aristocratic grace.
Immediately after, Shane Shaw appeared on the other side of that same car. He swiftly yanked the door open, confiscated the equipment inside, and viciously smashed it against the ground. The expensive camera shattered into pieces, accompanied by the anguished wails of the reporters inside.
Three reporters stumbled out of the car, their faces pale with misery. One of them was still clutching a live-streaming device.
Shane hauled the man up by his collar like a helpless chicken. Simon looked down at the reporter from his commanding height, then leaned in slightly. With his long, well-defined fingers, he tilted the streaming device, aiming the lens directly at his own flawless face. His every movement throughout the entire ordeal oozed an arrogant, absolute dominance.
The netizens who had been eagerly watching the drama unfold online collectively held their breath when that breathtakingly perfect face suddenly filled their screens!
Zoe hadn’t expected Simon to pinpoint the reporters’ location so quickly. Unable to open her car door and burning with anxiety, she hastily pulled out her phone and tapped into the live stream. The screen displayed a close-up of his face. The corners of his eyes were haughty and detached, as if he were looking right through the lens—straight at her.
A cold, mocking smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. His deep voice resonated with immense pressure. "What’s the fun in watching a secretly filmed live stream? Let the person involved explain it to you directly. We are not divorced, but my wife is throwing a tantrum. I am in a terrible mood right now. To anyone who reposts the related news—the Hawthorne Group will settle the score with you, one by one."
It was said so casually, yet the words slammed heavily into the hearts of everyone watching the broadcast. A terrifying sensation, like being pierced by a sharp blade in an instant, washed over them.
No one had anticipated that the man himself would catch the reporters off guard and face the camera without the slightest hesitation. The scandalous farce and its subsequent clarification played out back-to-back in a matter of seconds. He had even smashed the reporters’ livelihoods right on the live stream—a blatant warning to anyone trying to fan the flames of this spectacle.
This behavior was absolutely insane!
Having delivered his piece, Simon straightened up and flicked his cigarette ash. Acting with ruthless efficiency, Shane snatched the live-streaming device and powered it down.
Ignoring the reporters’ wails of protest, Shane sneered, "Expect a lawyer’s letter!"
Watching the broadcast come to an abrupt halt, Zoe’s heart instantly turned to ash.
She had miscalculated. She never thought Simon would be driven to such madness! Instead of being manipulated by the situation, he had seized total control of it, going so far as to publicly threaten and warn anyone involved in the incident right in front of the camera!
Chilled to the bone, she opened the trending topics page. Just as she expected. Within minutes, the news articles reshared by major influencers had all been deleted. Even the original posts vanished without a trace. No one dared to gossip about Simon Hawthorne. The related search terms were completely wiped out, as if they had never existed.
A single thought washed over her: he was terrifying. His methods were ruthless, entirely devoid of human empathy.
He knew perfectly well that a public threat would tarnish the Hawthorne Group’s image, yet he did it anyway. He wasn’t just intimidating the gossipmongers; he was warning her—warning her not to vainly attempt to oppose him. A profound sense of powerlessness welled up from within, draining the color from Zoe’s face.
The car door opened again. A tall, upright figure sat down beside her, and the familiar, faint scent of ebony and cedar enveloped her tightly.
Simon leaned against the backrest, his tone unchanged. "Since you refuse to behave, Zoe, don’t blame me."
Zoe’s body trembled with a mixture of fear and an unvented, stifling anger. She finally understood the true meaning of striking a stone with an egg. Simon had always been someone who prioritized the big picture. Yet this time, he had committed such a crazy, out-of-line act. Even if the Hawthorne Group’s stock market took a hit because of his actions, he was willing to pay the price. He was completely unhinged!
"Why..." Zoe’s throat choked up, her vision blurring with tears so that she couldn’t see him clearly. "Why are you treating me like this?"
She couldn’t figure it out. He clearly didn’t love her.
Simon looked at her, his gaze still frigid. He brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek. His gesture was incredibly tender and intimate, yet his tone held absolutely zero warmth. "Because you are my wife."
Zoe suddenly felt physically and mentally exhausted. Suppressing the bitter ache in her heart, she bristled with defenses, unwilling to stay entangled with him any longer. "Simon, I truly don’t want to be with you anymore. Let me go, please?"
His eyes flickered slightly as he pulled her into his arms. Feeling her excessively frail body, his words were calm yet exceedingly cruel. "There’s no turning back for either of us. Evie, you’re going to have to walk this dark path with me to the very bitter end."
Zoe closed her eyes. Her limbs were cold and numb. She couldn’t save herself.
Shane drove the car to The Imperial Residence.
The security system here was incredibly strict. Six or seven black sedans were parked downstairs, and foreign bodyguards in sharp suits stood in a row, guarding the place so heavily that it seemed as if not a single ray of light could penetrate their defenses.
Zoe was carried out of the car by Simon. She viscerally felt his domineering presence as he carried her straight upstairs.
In the past, there hadn’t been any servants here. But today, two middle-aged women were present. Seeing Simon carry Zoe in, they immediately bowed respectfully. "Mr. Hawthorne. Mrs. Hawthorne."
Simon set Zoe down on the sofa. She originally didn’t want to engage with him, but her phone was suddenly snatched from her hand. Before she could even react, she saw Simon clutching her phone and forcing it to power down.
"What are you doing?!"
He glared at her with cold eyes. A dull, throbbing pain spread through his chest, and intense disappointment made his demeanor even more biting. "Mrs. Hawthorne is quite capable. You contacted the outside world and called in reinforcements to backstab me and the Hawthorne Group. If I don’t take precautions, what will you do next time?"
She didn’t care about him in the slightest; that was why she could be so ruthless, right?
The chain reaction from today’s events would be massive. The Hawthorne Group was bound to face some thorny issues. Having worked deeply in this industry for so long, Zoe was well aware of the consequences, yet she did it anyway! It was a clear testament to her sheer determination to leave him. And that was precisely why he was consumed by such blinding fury!
Zoe’s hands trembled. Her voice grew hoarse, and she stared at him with red eyes, asking in disbelief, "Simon Hawthorne, are you trying to put me under house arrest?!"
At this point, how could she not see it? With over a dozen bodyguards downstairs, servants watching her upstairs, and her phone confiscated, Simon had truly lost his mind!
Today’s entire series of events had spiraled completely out of her expectations. She had thought they could smoothly get their divorce finalized. But now, forcibly taken away and imprisoned here, Zoe felt a sudden, profound chill in her heart. Under the immense emotional turbulence, she felt a dull, throbbing ache in her lower abdomen, turning her face even paler.
She involuntarily reached out to clutch her stomach as a fine layer of cold sweat broke out across her forehead.
"Simon..."