Wyatt Sutton’s condition fluctuated. Soon enough, she forgot who Zoe Lancaster was again. She just kept hugging a stuffed bunny, muttering to herself, "This is my baby girl’s favorite. If she eats her meals properly, I’ll give it back to her.
"I also made a few dresses for my baby girl. She loves the dresses I make. They’re the prettiest."
Zoe couldn’t help but smile, recalling the happy times of her childhood. Back then, her mother was actually an architectural design major. But after giving birth to her, she was so full of love that she taught herself fashion design. Since she also knew a bit about silk embroidery, she had made many of Zoe’s beautiful dresses as she grew up. Zoe still cherished them to this day.
Spending this time with her mother eased her extremely depressed and panicked mood.
She stayed by Wyatt’s side, massaging her long-numb legs for quite a while to prevent atrophy and necrosis, until she fell asleep again. Only then did Zoe tiptoe out of the hospital room.
Wherever her mother was, that was her safe haven. There, she could be as vulnerable as she wanted without any reservations.
As she went downstairs, she paused. Not far away, she spotted a tall, slender figure.
He was dressed simply in a casual black shirt and black dress pants, standing under a palm tree facing the light. Dappled, fragmented rays of sunlight cast a radiant layer over his cheeks, accentuating his translucent, cool white complexion. A beautiful shadow fell across the bridge of his nose. Like an oil painting, he always managed to draw people’s gazes.
Many young nurses hurrying by couldn’t help but stop to take a second look at him. They simply couldn’t suppress the awe and excitement on their faces. If not for their pressing duties, they probably would have gone up to strike up a conversation.
Zoe slowly gathered her thoughts. She had always known how dangerously captivating Simon Hawthorne’s appearance was. He could easily make people charge into battle for love, rushing toward him recklessly, even if it meant plunging like moths into a flame.
But... his heart was cold. It could never be warmed.
Taking a deep breath, she walked toward him.
Only when she stood beside him did she realize he was looking at the European-style fountain not far away. Behind the fountain was a fairytale-like flower wall. In the perfect sunlight, flawless white camellias bloomed beneath the lush greenery, meandering along the wall in breathtaking beauty.
No wonder he was so lost in thought. It truly was too beautiful to look away from.
Coincidentally, the second floor right above this wall was her mother’s hospital room. Because of this, she used to love reading here whenever she visited during her winter and summer vacations.
Except...
As she looked at it, Zoe walked over. Standing beneath the flower wall, she gently touched the camellias, struck by a strong sense of familiarity. She couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Simon stood with one hand in his pocket, watching her over there. The flowers were beautiful, but she was even more so.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, and as if suddenly struck by a whim, he took out his phone, opened the camera, and snapped a picture of her standing there.
He lowered his gaze to the freshly taken photo on the screen. The woman was wearing a loose, light green dress. Her long, curly hair cascaded down her back, lifting gently in the breeze. Her upturned profile was delicate and petite, a faint smile playing on her lips. Here, she was relaxed and happy.
Looking at that smile, he was dazed for a long time. His thumb lightly brushed against the screen.
Zoe suddenly turned her head. "I remember now."
His long lashes lifted as he pulled himself out of his reverie, casually putting his phone away.
She walked over and pointed. "Your WhatsApp profile picture—it’s this place, isn’t it?"
She had paid special attention to his profile picture before. It featured a corner brimming with blooming camellias. Looking at this spot now, all the architectural details matched his picture perfectly. It was the exact same place.
"You’ve been here before?"
Simon twirled the phone between his long fingers. Lowering his gaze, he looked at her nonchalantly. "I have. I got into a car accident around here one year and stayed here briefly for two months."
This was the best hospital in Portellis, so it was only natural he would come here.
Zoe’s brows twitched slightly, but her expression soon softened. She was already able to say calmly, "You’re talking about the time you and Peyton Joyce got into that accident, right? The time she saved your life."
He had told her about that incident before when he was dead drunk. The bond between him and Peyton was forged in life and death. Who could possibly come between them?
Simon tilted his head to look at her. "Yes."
"No wonder you love white camellias so much. Everything is connected to her." She didn’t know what she was feeling as she said these words. Regardless of the situation, didn’t she have to accept it?
So this was what Simon was like when he loved someone. He completely integrated the other person into every corner of his life.
Peyton had a gentle appearance. In a man’s eyes, she was serene, mild, and peaceful—didn’t she possess the exact qualities of a camellia?
His way of expressing love to a woman was certainly romantic. He had used a photo taken back then as his profile picture for years on end.
Unfortunately, the deep-rooted vile nature of men could never be changed. Even though he loved Peyton this much, he still couldn’t bear to cut ties with Zoe. He certainly drew a clear line between love and lust.
Hearing this, he shot her a sideways glance. "Can you not go three sentences without bringing her up?"
Zoe lowered her head and stroked her lower abdomen, her tone airy. "Oh? I thought that was what you liked to hear."
Men were truly strange. They were never satisfied.
As she looked at her stomach, she invisibly radiated an exceptionally serene maternal glow. She was soft, entirely without sharp edges, wholly devoted to the child in her belly. It was a tenderness she had never once shown him.
Simon stared at her stomach. Suddenly, he moved, his large hand landing on her lower abdomen.
Zoe froze. Out of sheer defensive instinct, she shoved him away violently. "What are you doing!"
It was as if he were some kind of man-eating demon.
He frowned, a flash of displeasure crossing his face. Then, he forcefully pulled her into his lap, domineeringly observing and stroking her stomach once again. "We’re in a hospital. If you don’t want to piss me off and have me arrange for an immediate abortion, you’d better behave."
His moods were entirely unpredictable. Zoe didn’t dare to add fuel to the fire of his temper. She remained stiff and motionless.
She felt his unhurried movements on her stomach. He didn’t even show any expression, his eyes unfathomably deep. "There was a moment when I thought, perhaps, just maybe, this child is mine. After all, I’ve never held back with you in bed. The chances of you being pregnant with my child couldn’t possibly be that low, right?"
A chill ran down Zoe’s spine. Fighting back a shudder, her heart plummeted endlessly.
He had actually thought that deeply about it. Even though he was firmly convinced in his heart of her impure relationship with Miles Yates, he was still willing to consider this possibility. It was simply too terrifying.
"You’re overthinking it!" She tried hard to steady her breathing. To dispel his suspicions, she didn’t hesitate to use another method that would anger him. "Every time we sleep together, I take my pills."
She didn’t want him to be too clever and start questioning the minor details. She couldn’t afford that gamble.
Her heart had long been shattered beyond repair. She no longer wanted to have any ties with him in the future!
As for Ken Lowell’s side of things... she had to figure out a way to turn the situation around.
Simon raised his gaze, his pupils as black as the dead of night. His piercing eyes fixed on her. "Are you afraid of something? Or rather..."
Zoe’s heart suddenly tightened. The very next second, she heard a question that made her feel as though she had plummeted into hell.
"Are you hiding something from me, Evie?"