The moment she took a step out, an unknown chill swept over her, making Zoe Lancaster stop dead in her tracks. The night curtain hung low, and the warm orange landscape lights in the courtyard spilled over her, blurring her figure. Only her small face could be seen, pale to the point of being almost transparent.
She blinked, forcing back the stinging in her eyes. Gradually, she became much more clear-headed. Why did she even have such a thought?
Even if she told the truth, Simon Hawthorne’s love for Peyton Joyce had once been very real. What was she trying to change by revealing it? Or was it just to vent her frustration? She had suffered so much from Simon and had been humiliated by the Hawthorne family to this extent. She had already decided to leave and make a clean break with him. Did some truths even matter anymore? She had no energy left to stir up trouble, nor did she want this matter to affect her future plans.
Slowly, she drew her foot back. Without sparing the two of them another glance, she walked out into the glaring light.
Watching Zoe’s retreating back, the emotions in Simon’s eyes grew increasingly gloomy. He crushed the burning cigarette butt between his fingertips. It felt as if a heavy block was lodged in his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.
"Simon?" Realizing he was distracted, Peyton lifted her head from his embrace. "Could you stay with me tonight? The baby has been so restless. I really need you."
Simon lowered his eyes to look at her, his expression unreadable.
Once inside the car, Zoe kept her head lowered and cradled her belly, taking a long while to catch her breath. Her mother’s condition was deteriorating, and she had completely lost all hope when it came to Simon. She didn’t want to waste another second on him; she only wanted to get through these excruciating days faster, ever faster.
BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ.
Her phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen—it was Miles Yates. After a brief hesitation, Zoe answered the call. "President Yates."
Miles was probably still working and had called her during a free moment. His voice was warm and deep. "How have you been feeling lately? Are you really going to keep the twins a secret from Simon?"
She was pregnant with twins, and all her medical records at that hospital had been wiped completely clean. What on earth was Zoe planning to do?
"I’m doing fine. It’s just that my belly isn’t as big as I thought it would be for twins. It might be because I haven’t been eating much." Zoe paused and twisted her fingers, her mind a tangled mess. "He knows the child is his."
Hearing this, Miles paused for a moment. His sharp mind instantly caught the crucial detail. "When you called me last time, was it to intentionally mislead him?"
"I’m sorry... President Yates." Zoe felt deeply guilty. Her expression was one of sorrow and helplessness. "I... I used you, and I even ruined your good reputation."
She truly felt terrible about it. When Peyton had framed her that time, sending her to Miles’s private residence to mislead Mr. Hawthorne and Simon, Simon had interrogated her about the father of her unborn child. Heartbroken and acting out of spite just to defy Simon, she had dragged Miles into the mess. Yet, Miles was such a highly respected, pure, and honorable man.
"I was willing." From the receiver, the man’s voice was low and deep, remaining as gentle and accommodating as ever. It offered a silent, steadfast protection. He seemed to have set aside his work. Worried that she might not understand the profound sincerity in his words, he repeated it to her, emphasizing every single syllable, "I was willing, Zoe."
Zoe froze, blinking her dry eyes, entirely forgetting to react.
Even though the Portellis are his homeland and he had grown up in Britain, his Mandarin was impeccably standard, tinged with the sexy, magnetic cadence of spoken Cantonese. "I don’t mind whatever you do. In fact, I hope you won’t hesitate to bother me whenever you need help. It would make me very happy. I have never cared about false reputation, let alone..." He seemed to chuckle softly, as if laughing at his own absurdity. "...being labeled as the father of your child. I find that I am quite happy to accept it."
At the very least, it proved that he might be somewhat special to her. Even if her premise was just to use him. It didn’t matter. He never cared about such things.
Never expecting Miles to have such an attitude, it took Zoe a long while to recover her senses. She didn’t know whether she should express gratitude or apologize. He hadn’t explicitly said the word "like" even once, yet every single word seemed to radiate affection. It was a dense, bone-burning emotion, making it impossible for anyone to ignore such passionate, straightforward respect and fondness. It only made her feel that her own actions were all the more despicable.
Zoe closed her eyes. Grateful as she was, she didn’t want to lead him on. "I’m sorry, President Yates... I can’t give you what you want."
The very first time she fell in love in her life, she had loved without leaving herself a way out, and the price of that growth had been far too painful. When it came to romance, she could no longer offer anything in return.
"Who says being good to someone requires a return?" he chuckled lightly. "Miss Lancaster, I’m not that narrow-minded. I don’t hide my thoughts about you because I respect my own feelings. I treat you well simply because I genuinely like you. I just can’t help wanting to do something for you; it’s not based on any ulterior motives. I’m an adult, and I know exactly what I’m doing. I hope you won’t feel any psychological burden over this. Liking you brings me a lot of joy too."
He was too magnanimous. It was hard for Zoe not to be moved by a man like him. It was as if she was seeing her past self. Even knowing they were to live separately after marriage, she had gladly accepted it. Doing anything for the person she loved had been purely voluntary and brought her genuine happiness.
"Thank you," she could only repeat over and over.
She ended the call as if fleeing from it. Staring blankly at the call screen with Miles, she lost track of time. Suddenly, the car door opened, and a tall figure stepped inside, bringing with him a gust of ebony agarwood mixed with the cold scent of frost and snow. She snapped back to reality. Before she could tuck her phone away, the man’s gaze shifted downward and caught sight of the call she had ended just minutes prior.
Simon’s eyes darkened like an oppressive black sea. "You two contact each other quite frequently. What’s wrong? You felt like we almost divorced today, so you couldn’t wait to inform him?"
Hearing this, Zoe felt a sting in her heart. At that very moment, her vigilance spiked. Something was wrong. Simon’s reaction was all wrong. Logically speaking, if he knew the child was his, he shouldn’t be reacting this way.
She forcibly swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue—that the child was his flesh and blood—and asked carefully, "The paternity test... What exactly happened with it?"
Seeing her refuse to answer his question, a cold sneer formed on Simon’s lips. Perhaps due to the dim lighting in the car, she actually thought she saw the rims of his eyes flush red. A second later, he said coldly, "What kind of family do you think the Hawthorne family is? How much do you know about their methods? If the truth about the child in your belly had been proven today, did you honestly think you could walk away unscathed?"
The Hawthorne family was a century-old aristocratic family that had thrived since the Republican era. They were masters of playing both the light and the dark. Did she really think a simple divorce would be the end of it? The moment she left the Hawthorne family, the real punishment and hell would begin!
A chill ran down Zoe’s spine. "What do you mean?"
Simon turned sideways. His long, slender fingers clasped the back of her neck, pulling her close to his face. His voice was freezing cold. "If I hadn’t ordered someone to take the sample in advance and faked a paternity test report, you would have seen blood today!"
Not only would she have lost the baby, but she would have been skinned alive!