His words were simply too shocking.
Zoe Lancaster’s eyes widened. She searched his gaze for any hint of a joke or insincerity, but found none. There was only calm acceptance. He didn’t despise her past. Nor did he mind raising another man’s child.
Only now did she realize just how strong and gentle Miles Yates’s core truly was.
He didn’t care about societal norms and refused to be bound by them. Whatever he decided was right, he would pursue with all his might, giving it his absolute everything.
Zoe’s heart trembled.
But she couldn’t accept this affection. She had no energy left to love anyone else.
"I’m sorry, I..."
"It’s all right." Miles smiled slowly, unsurprised by her reaction. He knew she was a good girl who deserved to live freely; she just didn’t want to drag him down when she was so uncertain. "My offer stands forever. Whenever you figure things out, I’ll be right here."
He stood up, shifting the topic with natural grace. "You should remember my phone number. If you need anything, contact me anytime."
He didn’t want to put any pressure on her.
Clenching her fists, she forced herself to calm down before looking up at him. "President Yates, could you help me erase my medical records again? I don’t want the Hawthorne family to find out."
She wouldn’t leave a single trace regarding the baby. She no longer had any expectations of Simon Hawthorne. When the time came to break ties, she would do it completely.
Miles chuckled softly, his eyes calm. "Don’t worry."
He had a vague feeling that Zoe was already planning her next move. Simon Hawthorne couldn’t keep her anymore.
Outside the hospital.
A car had already parked by the entrance. They had caught up to her after all. She had only a brief window to take a gamble; any long-term plans would require careful consideration.
"Mrs. Hawthorne, Mr. Hawthorne ordered us to take you home," the bodyguard said, shooting a cold glare at Miles. The words carried the domineering weight of Simon’s command.
Zoe wasn’t surprised by this situation. She simply looked at Miles. "Thank you for your help today, President Yates. I’m afraid I might cause you some trouble."
Simon wasn’t one to take things lying down.
Miles maintained a calm expression. "Don’t worry, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Just take care of yourself."
Her heart filled with gratitude. She walked toward the car that would escort her back to her cage, feeling neither sorrow nor joy.
Not far away.
Inside a car that had slowly pulled over, Ken Lowell frowned as she watched the scene unfold, her expression turning slightly cold.
Zoe actually came to meet Miles Yates again! If she hadn’t come to discuss the details of Peyton Joyce’s pregnancy with Elder Joy, she wouldn’t have caught them red-handed!
The Hawthorne family was in absolute chaos, yet Zoe still had the mood to sneak out and meet a man! This time, she had seen it with her own eyes. How could Zoe possibly talk her way out of this?
A ball of fiery anger swelled in her chest. She furrowed her brows and ordered the driver, "Stop the car."
Not wanting to ruin Zoe’s reputation at a time like this, Miles gave her a deep look before getting into his own car. He needed to investigate Zoe’s situation as soon as possible. Simon didn’t deserve to keep stringing her along! He would pull her out of this abyss.
Watching Miles drive away, Zoe gently touched her lower abdomen. As she looked at the bodyguards in front of her, she still couldn’t suppress the dread in her heart. She had to admit that when she met Miles, aside from asking him to help her shake off Simon’s men to get to the hospital... she had a fleeting thought.
She wondered if Miles could help her leave Kingsford and go somewhere Simon could never find her.
But that thought only lasted for a second before she calmed down. Even if she wanted to leave, now was definitely not the time. She had zero preparation, and her plan would be full of holes. Not only would she fail to escape, but she would also drag her family and friends down with her. Her aunt, Autumn, and Crystal Hayes were all in Kingsford. Even if she planned to leave, she had to make sure they were completely settled first.
Furthermore, Simon’s men were incredibly fast, pinpointing her location in just over ten minutes. If she had begged to leave today and pushed too hard, any mishap could have jeopardized her baby.
She guessed right—she couldn’t leave. Simon’s power in Kingsford reached the very heavens, so she couldn’t afford to be reckless.
The car door opened. Just as she was about to get in, the sharp clatter of high heels caught her attention. Looking up, she saw Ken Lowell marching quickly toward her. The noble lady had a beautiful face, looking as youthful as a woman in her thirties. She was glamorous and exuded an incredibly strong aura.
For some reason, Zoe’s heart jolted.
"Initially, I was still skeptical and didn’t jump to conclusions," Ken said, her voice completely devoid of warmth as she glared at Zoe with sheer disgust. "But you have absolute audacity! You actually dared to do it again! Seize her!" she barked out sharply.
Several bodyguards rushed forward from behind her, grabbing Zoe by the arms and pinning her in place.
"Mom?" Zoe asked in shock. "What do you mean by this?"
Ken’s gaze fell on Zoe’s stomach, looking as if she wanted to burn a hole right through it. "Simon probably kept quiet to save your face. The Old Madam had such high expectations of you, yet you’re out here fooling around with another man! Just whose bastard is that in your belly?"
The color instantly drained from Zoe’s face. She hadn’t expected Ken to jump to such a conclusion!
Simon hadn’t made a move against her because he was deliberately torturing her, nor did he want to blow things up into a public scandal. But if Ken misunderstood the situation, the consequences wouldn’t be so simple anymore.
"Mom, you’ve misunderstood," she said, her lips trembling slightly. "The baby is naturally Simon’s."
If she couldn’t placate Ken before the baby was born, she might be forced into an abortion!
Ken sneered. "Whether it is or not, a test will tell us everything." She waved her hand dismissively. "Take Zoe to Kingsward. Let’s see if a paternity test proves that we’ve wronged you!"
A chill ran down Zoe’s spine, and her legs turned to lead.
It felt as if she had been shoved into an abyss in an instant, her struggling heart ruthlessly crushed. No matter how she fought, it was a dead end!
If she kept hiding that the baby was truly Simon’s, Ken would undoubtedly force her to get an abortion! But if she went through with the paternity test and proved it was a Hawthorne child, the baby would definitely be taken away from her during the divorce!
"Put her in the car." Not wanting to look at her for another second, Ken steeled her heart to deal with this matter.
Zoe didn’t have the strength to resist. Shoved forcefully into the car, she pounded desperately on the window, her face contorted with grief.
She thought, "No! Absolutely not!"
She couldn’t bear either outcome!
Ken turned to look at the driver and bodyguards, who were lingering hesitantly, and said breezily, "There’s no need to inform Simon about such a trivial matter. I’ll personally take her back home later."
The two men exchanged uncertain glances. But she was Mrs. Hawthorne; they had no choice but to obey.
At Kingsward.
Later that afternoon, Zoe was escorted up from the underground parking garage. By the time she was left lying in a relatively secluded consultation room with her hands and feet bound, she was drenched in cold sweat. She frantically wondered what she should do and how on earth she was supposed to get out of this.