The chilling atmosphere finally reached its peak because of these words.
Even a servant was so startled that she accidentally knocked over the plate in her hands.
CRASH!
The crisp sound grated against their nerves like a rusty saw.
Zoe Lancaster, however, remained calm. She looked like a mere bystander, showing not a shred of concern for the evidence that symbolized her husband’s shattered loyalty.
"If you need to, go change out of it," she said, sitting back down in the wicker chair. She was like a stagnant pool of water, entirely devoid of life.
Simon Hawthorne’s shoulders and neck stiffened for a moment. His fingers, hanging by his sides, clenched into fists, cracking audibly. Looking at the woman’s quiet demeanor, his thin lips moved slightly. The words of explanation had almost rushed to his throat, but out of the corner of his eye, he unexpectedly caught sight of the nearby trash can.
A bouquet of flowers had been discarded inside with disgust.
The memories from before he lost consciousness gradually became clear. He had humbled himself and crouched in the flower shop, picking out the stems one by one. Even when the thorns pricked his fingers and drew blood several times, he hadn’t cared. He thought the flowers suited her perfectly. He had wanted to know if she would like them; he had taken it seriously.
But—
This was the second time. His heartfelt efforts for her had once again been thrown into the trash, tossed away as if they were revolting garbage.
"Even if I sleep with another woman, you don’t care, do you? Zoe Lancaster." His gaze remained fixed on the bouquet in the trash can. His voice was laced with a dark gloom, suppressing something with all his might.
Zoe closed her eyes and softly replied, "Then let’s consider ourselves even."
He had already concluded that she was having an illicit affair with Miles Yates and that the child belonged to another man. He hadn’t given her an ounce of trust, utterly pulverizing her dignity and character. So, she would just play along with his suspicions. She didn’t want to explain anymore. It was too exhausting. The person listening didn’t want to believe her anyway.
He never expected to receive such an answer. His expression turned terrifyingly dark, anger erupting between his brows. He would rather she had a huge fight with him than have her lifelessly talk about fairness!
Piercing shards of ice flooded his chest. He didn’t say another word. He spun around and slammed the door shut behind him as he left!
The door, worth hundreds of thousands, sounded as if it were about to shatter. The entire house seemed to tremble faintly.
Zoe turned her head and glanced over. Gradually, her eyes filled with bitterness.
Did it matter if she cared? Fixating on what didn’t belong to her would only bring needless suffering. She no longer wanted to fight a losing battle like a trapped beast. Gently caressing her belly, she stood up and began watering the plants with a watering can, acting as if nothing had happened.
Witnessing this, the servants felt a whirlwind of complex emotions. They exchanged glances, their hearts aching for her.
They usually got up at five in the morning to start working and prepare everything for the day. However, when they got up today, they saw that the madam was already sitting quietly by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room. Looking as if she hadn’t slept all night, she sat in a daze, clutching the bouquet of flowers that Mr. Hawthorne had brought back.
She had sat there for a very, very long time, until the sky brightened and the sun rose in the east. Only then did she toss the bouquet into the trash can, appearing as though she had never cared.
They wondered why things had deteriorated to this point. They watched helplessly, unable to offer even the slightest bit of help.
***
In the bathroom, steam swirled through the air.
Peyton Joyce stood stark naked in front of the mirror, examining her body. Her fingertips traced the marks on her neck, which wouldn’t fade anytime soon.
If it weren’t for such a timely coincidence, she wouldn’t have been able to fool him.
Simon hadn’t come to see her again. She knew he was angry. In his eyes, it was a mistake made under the influence of alcohol. Going forward, he would only strictly adhere to the boundaries of propriety with her. The chances of having another intimate opportunity were exceedingly slim.
She refused to accept defeat if she let this opportunity slip by! Gradually, a cold glint veiled her eyes. Wrapping herself in a bath towel, she walked to the living room, took out her phone, and dialed Ryan Hawthorne’s number without a second of hesitation.
Though her face was utterly expressionless, her voice dripped with sweet affection. "Ryan, I miss you. Can you come... see me?"
***
The temperature rose day by day, and Kingsford saw several consecutive days of rain. It was already early May.
Zoe leaned over the toilet, throwing up the few bites of lunch she had managed to eat. Her stomach cramped, making her feel utterly miserable. She was now three months pregnant. Thanks to her careful nurturing and the doctor’s pregnancy-stabilizing medication, the fetus had gradually stabilized. Her belly now showed a slight bump, looking very healthy.
Over a month had passed since she and Simon had parted on bad terms. He had completely frozen her out, refusing to come back and see her even once. The two of them had become total strangers, entirely avoiding each other.
Even so, she still had no freedom and wasn’t allowed to take a single step outside Somerset Gardens.
He was still locked in a standoff with her, likely waiting for her to swallow her pride and admit her mistakes. Simon’s exact words had been, "If she insists on not aborting that child, then we’ll just drag this out. She can forget about any follow-up prenatal checkups!"
He was going to fight her to the bitter end.
She had grown numb, drained of any emotional waves. Because she had nearly miscarried earlier, she was incredibly careful about everything she did. She stayed in bed to rest as much as possible, suppressing even a sneeze if she could. She followed a strict diet. She believed that with such meticulous care, the baby would be fine.
However, Mr. Hawthorne had been discharged from the hospital and returned to the Hawthorne Residence. In recent days, the old madam had started sending people over with fertility tonics again. Zoe guessed that the news of her pregnancy must have been suppressed. Besides Ken Lowell and Peyton Joyce at the Hawthorne Residence, she figured no one else knew.
In Simon’s eyes, the child in her belly belonged to another man. He wouldn’t allow this scandal to break out and cause a massive uproar. He could only mutually torture her day by day, hoping she would lower her head and give up the child herself.
But Simon had underestimated her determination.
"Madam, did you throw up again? These are the sour plums your aunt brought over today. She sun-dried them herself; they should help ease the nausea." Madam Carter, a servant, gently patted her back with a look of distress, holding a jar of sour plums in her hands.
Zoe, her small face pale, nodded. She got up to rinse her mouth. Only then did she walk over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and lie down.
Her aunt had been running back and forth constantly lately. Whenever Autumn didn’t have classes, she would come over to keep her company. However, the young girl seemed quite busy recently; Zoe hadn’t seen her in over half a month.
Madam Carter draped a blanket over Zoe, looking a bit helpless and somewhat indignant. "Madam, aren’t you going to call Mr. Hawthorne? This past month, Mr. Hawthorne has been a bit... too conspicuous."
And indeed he was! He had been making public appearances with the young lady of the Joyce family, accompanying her to competitions, and being photographed multiple times. It was so high-profile that absolutely everyone knew about it! It was as if he wanted to announce to the whole world how proud he was of Ms. Joyce!
Nowadays, who wasn’t gossiping that the young madam of the Hawthorne family was about to be replaced? Yet, their madam remained composed and hadn’t once called to ask or verify the rumors! Today, photos were even taken of Mr. Hawthorne and Ms. Joyce entering a hotel, and they hadn’t emerged since!
Zoe popped a sour plum into her mouth. Even though it was a top-quality sour plum, it tasted somewhat bitter to her. "It’s so sour, Madam Carter. I want to drink some milk."
She acted as if she hadn’t heard Madam Carter’s earlier words.
Madam Carter opened her mouth, but ultimately, all she could do was sigh. "Alright, Madam, lie down for a bit. I’ll go heat some up."
Only after Madam Carter left did Zoe narrow her eyes. In the past, she hadn’t thought things through. Now, she would do her best to let him have his way.
BZZZ—
Her phone began to vibrate. She didn’t check the caller ID, nor did she think it would be Simon, so she simply answered it.
On the other end of the line, the man’s voice was deep, cold, and commanding.
"The Bvlgari Hotel. Come over."