After thinking for a moment, Simon Hawthorne finally took his seat.
Since the Hawthorne family had recently rooted out some ungrateful traitors, the old master knew he was in the wrong. Naturally, he wouldn’t make things difficult for Zoe Lancaster at a critical juncture like this.
"Go ahead," he said. He happened to need to communicate with the heads of overseas enterprises regarding a project. The recent divorce scandal had indeed caused some fallout, and he had been working tirelessly on it for several days.
Peyton Joyce looked at Zoe and nodded. "Let’s go."
Before leaving, Zoe cast a final glance at Simon’s back. He was making an overseas call, his posture calm and composed. He was a natural-born leader. No wonder he had earned the high regard of most of the Hawthorne family’s decision-makers, even overshadowing his father, June Hawthorne, to seize the ultimate power.
From her first awakening to love until now, nearly five years of her youth had been gifted to him.
Retracting her gaze, she walked out of the hall step by step.
The rain showed no signs of stopping. If anything, it seemed to be growing heavier. Simon felt inexplicably flustered. Gripping his phone, he couldn’t help but look sideways at the figure walking down the corridor outside. Her beige shawl swayed. She was right before his eyes, yet he felt a profound emptiness, as if he couldn’t touch anything real.
That was until a man’s voice, speaking fluent German, came through the phone receiver. "Mr. Hawthorne?"
Simon finally raised his hand and tapped his long, slender fingers against the center of his brow, recovering his calm and rational state of mind. "Continue."
The old master’s courtyard was relatively secluded, situated near the pine and cypress grove on the east side. Since he needed to rest and recuperate, he had chosen an isolated spot.
The Hawthorne Residence was located in a quiet enclave amidst the bustling city of Kingsford. Its topography was exquisite, nestled against a mountain. There was a massive scenic lake on the mountain behind it. It took twenty minutes just to drive up to the residence, and anyone trying to hike out on foot wouldn’t make it to the main roads for hours.
The old master’s courtyard happened to be near the back mountain, which featured a separate exit.
"Time is running out. His mother will be coming back today, so it’s best you don’t run into her. You should hurry and leave." Peyton checked her watch, a sense of tension rising in her chest. "I’ve arranged a car for you. That route avoids the surveillance cameras, so you can slip out smoothly."
Zoe tilted her head to look at her. "Aren’t you afraid he’ll get angry if he finds out you helped me?"
Peyton froze for a moment, then smiled. "He won’t get mad at me."
Zoe fell silent. It made sense; she was the apple of his eye. How could he ever bear to be angry with her?
She cast one last glance into the depths of the courtyard before getting into the sedan parked at the gate without looking back. She had no choice. She needed to check on her mother’s condition as soon as possible. With the Hawthorne family currently mired in a divorce scandal, they would inevitably need to put on a show for the public, which meant she wouldn’t be able to leave later. This was her only option. She had prepared her ID and travel passes in advance. Now, she was heading straight to the airport.
Watching the car start up and drive further and further away, Peyton’s chest heaved rapidly. As long as Zoe left this place and stopped wandering around in front of Simon, Simon would have a change of heart. She truly hoped Zoe would go as far away as possible, preferably never setting foot in Kingsford again.
However, Peyton turned around and looked in the direction of the Hawthorne Residence. Simon was no ordinary man. He was far too clever. What if this plan failed?
She lowered her eyelashes, a dark gleam flashing through her gentle eyes.
After finalizing the details of the contract, Simon grabbed his jacket and headed toward the old master’s courtyard.
He saw Peyton chatting with the old master. The two of them were getting along splendidly, sharing a joyful conversation. However, there was no sign of Zoe.
He swept his gaze around the area. "Where did Zoe go?"
Peyton’s expression remained completely unchanged. Feigning confusion, she replied, "Zoe said she wanted to check out the greenhouse. She’s been gone for about half an hour now, so she should be back soon, right?"
Half an hour was more than enough time to get down the mountain.
For some reason, an inexplicable sense of panic washed over him. Simon turned around without hesitation and dialed the greenhouse gardener’s number. "Is Mrs. Hawthorne over there?"
The gardener paused for a moment before answering. "Mr. Simon? Mrs. Hawthorne hasn’t been here today."
In that very second, Simon realized something was wrong. His face darkened instantly. He hung up the phone and strode straight out. Shane Shaw was waiting outside.
"Look up Zoe’s itinerary! Contact the airlines and focus on flights to Portellis. Find out what time the earliest flight is today!"
His mind raced rapidly, sorting through the possibilities in an instant. No wonder Zoe had been so docile today—she had been planning to leave! She was dead set on getting a divorce! His heart felt as though it were drowning in an icy pool, freezing him so thoroughly that his lips turned pale.
Shane moved quickly. "Right away!"
Seeing how swiftly Simon reacted, Peyton’s heart began to pound wildly. She had thought she could delay him a little longer, never expecting him to be so sharp as to realize Zoe’s intentions immediately.
The drive from the Hawthorne Residence to Kingsford International Airport took nearly an hour, and countless things could happen within that timeframe. The plane ticket she had bought for Zoe was for nine-thirty at night. Given the standard travel time, Zoe wouldn’t have even arrived at the airport yet...
"What’s all this about?" The old master’s condition seemed to have improved, and he looked much more energetic. Seeing Simon rushing out like a storm, he frowned and scolded him. "What sort of behavior is this!"
Forcing down her unease, Peyton offered a small smile and spoke with a hint of helplessness. "It looks like the couple is having a spat. You know about the recent divorce rumors, sir. Zoe was the one who brought it up. It seems she even leaked the news on purpose just so she could get the divorce smoothly. Simon must be pretty angry. I just don’t know why Zoe is being so absolute about this..."
"She brought it up?" The old master’s eyes turned sharp, and he roared in fury. "How outrageous! Does she think she can ruin the Hawthorne family’s reputation like this?! Does she think the Hawthorne family is a toy for her to play with?!"
Did that woman have the nerve of a titan?! How dare she stab the Hawthorne family in the back!
Peyton pursed her lips. "Please rest for now, sir. I’ll go check on Simon."
She quickly stood up. After leaving the room, she pulled out her phone. Left with no other choice, she sent out a message.
[Plan B.]
Zoe checked the time. It was eight-fifteen.
She looked out the window. They seemed to have arrived at a private residential area filled with villas. Suddenly, the car came to a halt.
Frowning, she asked, "What’s wrong?"
The driver turned back with an apologetic look. "The engine stalled. It will just be a moment."
"We’re going to the airport. Why are we here?" Zoe wondered if this was a necessary route to the airport.
Wasn’t this a private residential estate? It was obvious that the owner of this place possessed an extraordinary status. The sprawling mansion was built with a grand, majestic Chinese aesthetic, showcasing highly refined design concepts.
At that moment, the driver restarted the car. "Miss Joyce instructed me to avoid the main roads to ensure you travel safely and securely. Rest assured, I will get you there within fifteen minutes."
Myriad thoughts swirled through Zoe’s mind.
She had only cooperated with Peyton because she was desperate to leave. Given that Peyton wanted to win Simon over, she should be sparing no effort to help her escape. Could it be that she had other ulterior motives?
Zoe hardly hesitated, immediately putting her guard up. "Drop me off by the main road. I’ll take a taxi from there; it will be safer."
The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "Of course, Miss Lancaster."
As they drove out of the private estate, the rain poured down harder than before. There wasn’t a single taxi in sight.
At that point, the driver turned on the navigation system and showed it directly to Zoe. "Don’t worry, I’ll get you to the airport. Look at the route; we won’t deviate in the slightest. I promise to get you there as fast as possible."
Zoe finally relaxed a little. The route was indeed heading toward the airport. Furthermore, the driver was speeding along, forcibly compressing what should have been a twenty-minute drive into twelve minutes.