The woman’s voice carried a hint of pleading. She held him tightly, fantasizing about the future. "I know, Simon, you’ve always loved children. You’d make a wonderful father. We grew up together, and our bond is unbreakable. You’ve always had a place for me in your heart, I can feel it!
"So, Simon, marry me!"
This had been her dream ever since she was a young girl. She wanted to cook and care for him, to be his one and only woman. No one could tear them apart.
Zoe Lancaster would only be a thing of the past. Reality wasn’t a fairy tale; a newcomer could never beat out a childhood sweetheart! They had nearly twenty years of real, solid history together!
Simon Hawthorne listened quietly, his eyes as cold and silent as frost. After a long while, his Adam’s apple bobbed. "Peyton, we are just a thing of the past. I can repay you for saving my life in other ways. You’re a woman—if another woman intervened in your marriage, how would you feel?"
Peyton Joyce froze.
Simon grasped her wrist and pulled her out of his embrace. She met his pitch-black, lightless eyes. "It hasn’t even been a month. The fetus hasn’t formed yet. Get rid of it," he said.
Peyton’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
"Simon... why are you treating me like this? I love you so much! I’m thousands, millions of times better than Zoe Lancaster! The baby in her belly isn’t even yours! Why on earth are you..."
Her voice came to an abrupt halt. Looking at him, she was on the verge of a breakdown. "You just... feel guilty toward her, don’t you? There is no... love, right?"
She desperately needed an answer.
Simon merely looked at her calmly and repeated, "If you get rid of it now, it won’t be painful."
The room fell dead silent. An unknown amount of time passed.
Tears streamed down Peyton’s face as her voice trembled. "You know about my body’s condition. The miscarriage back then damaged my uterus. If I scrape this one out too... Simon, do you want me to die?"
Simon finally reacted. Emotions surfaced and sank in his dark eyes as he pressed his thin lips together.
Peyton held his hand. "I can wait for you. I’ve already waited so many years anyway. No matter how hard it gets, it doesn’t matter. For you, it’s all worth it."
She was fiercely determined.
Simon’s mood sank to rock bottom. The woman’s unreserved devotion only multiplied the pressure weighing on his heart. Was there really... no room for him to turn things around?
Stepping out of the room, he lit a cigarette. The pale blue smoke swirled, rolling through his lungs. The harsh sting made him bend over and cough twice. As he did, his gaze caught sight of a sparkling ring lying beneath a vase in the corner.
Abandoned here by its owner, it seemed it was no longer wanted.
His expression finally shifted. He walked over and picked it up. This was the wedding ring he had forced her to wear time and time again. Whether she wanted it or not, he was determined to leave his mark on her, to brand her as his woman. But this time...
She had completely discarded it.
His face paled slightly, accompanied by a dull ache radiating from his chest, as if it had been sliced open. He called her, over and over again.
Finally, on the third attempt, she picked up.
He snubbed out his cigarette. "Where are you?"
Zoe’s voice sounded normal. "I had the driver take me out."
"About what just happened..."
Zoe seemed to chuckle very softly. "Simon Hawthorne, I suppose I should congratulate you. You’ve gotten what you wanted—you finally have a child with the woman you love. You’ve always loved children so much. But she isn’t your wife after all. A child born out of wedlock will be criticized. Whenever you want me to vacate my position, I will step aside for the two of you at any time."
How understanding of her. Yet this understanding felt like a dense cluster of needles, stirring up a maelstrom of emotions within him. "Zoe Lancaster, don’t talk to me like that."
"Then how should I say it? Should I demand that she abort the baby and leave the country, and that the two of you never see each other again for the rest of your lives? Would you agree to that?"
Simon’s throat constricted, a thick gloom settling in his eyes that he couldn’t dispel. He said nothing.
Zoe, however, felt a wave of relief. It was a good thing he was still the same person. He hadn’t changed. He wouldn’t shake her resolve in the slightest.
"I know your choice now. I don’t expect you to choose me even once. If you feel guilty, then just make the divorce quick and clean when the agreement expires. Set me free, and we can part on good terms."
"Part on good terms," indeed.
Simon took a deep, shaky breath, his lips pressed into a thin, white line. He asked, enunciating every word, "Zoe Lancaster, did you ever truly love me?"
He was starting to lose sight of everything. He was beginning to panic! Her words and actions showed not a single trace of caring. He refused to accept it!
Zoe fell silent for a moment before replying with masochistic finality, "...No. I have always only loved your money."
Simon jerked in shock.
Zoe didn’t care about his reaction. She hung up the phone.
She looked out at the sparkling river before her. She had been sitting here for a long time. Adults always had to learn to digest all negative emotions on their own. No matter how bitter or difficult, they had to bite it down and swallow it whole! No one could be their own savior. The only person she could rely on was herself!
It had been three months, and her body was gradually struggling. Perhaps her constitution was too weak; the pregnancy was draining her, making it much harder for her than for an ordinary woman.
Supporting herself on the steps, she stood up. Her calves went numb, and she swayed unsteadily.
"Careful!"
A large, well-defined hand reached out just in time to catch her arm, steadying her against a firm chest. The familiar scent of Jade Dragon tea drifted into her nose.
Zoe froze and looked up. "President Yates?"
Miles Yates couldn’t hide the concern in his calm eyes. Usually steady and reserved, even he couldn’t help but show his worry. "You’ve lost so much weight. Is he not treating you well?"
His words pierced straight to her heart. But Zoe didn’t want anyone to discover her broken, humiliating reality. "Everything is fine."
"Then why did you resign?" Miles pursed his lips, holding back again and again before finally asking, "I’ve been looking for you for a long time. Have you been... trapped by him all this time?"
Ever since Simon had come to blows with him last time, he had guessed as much. The couple must be facing a massive crisis! If he hadn’t come here today to participate in a bidding event, he wouldn’t have run into her.
Zoe smiled bitterly. "So it’s no longer a secret."
If Peyton’s pregnancy hadn’t been exposed today, causing everyone at the Hawthorne Residence to fawn over her, Simon wouldn’t have been too distracted to keep an eye on her. She wouldn’t have even had the chance to come out for some fresh air.
Miles looked at the redness at the corners of her eyes, his chest tightening painfully. He subconsciously wanted to raise his hand to caress her tearful eyes, but ultimately, out of strict propriety, he held back. "I didn’t approve your resignation. If you want, you can come back to work at any time. I’ll always keep this position open for you."
Not just a position at work, but also... a place in his heart and by his side.
Zoe felt a jolt of shock. Suddenly, she thought of everything that had happened recently—Simon’s suspicions, everyone’s belief that she had an illicit relationship with Miles, combined with the unreserved devotion of the man standing before her...
He... He actually really liked her.
She clenched her fists. After silently apologizing in her heart, she looked up at him. "President Yates, could you... help me?"