Zoe Lancaster tightly hugged Heartbreaker, who was still trembling in pain. The puppy’s beautiful big ears had been maliciously snipped with scissors, leaving a bleeding gash about an inch long. A large clump of fur was missing from its neck. The little dog shrank into her arms, looking at her with wet eyes, seemingly wronged and terrified. Seeing this made Zoe’s heart ache in waves.
It was obvious that Sean Hawthorne had grabbed Heartbreaker and abused it, causing the dog to bite back in agonizing pain!
"Why did Sean use scissors to hurt my dog?" Zoe couldn’t stop her anger, but she forced herself to suppress it. "Is this how Miss Sloan teaches the young master?"
After all, this was the Hawthorne Residence. She had no family to rely on here, and Sean was the young master of the Hawthorne family’s first branch, pampered by everyone. Even though Heartbreaker was the real victim, who would care?
Cecilia Sloan looked at Zoe with red, tear-filled eyes. Zoe didn’t miss the faint trace of resentment in the woman’s gaze. Turning away, Cecilia began to sob softly. "Mrs. Hawthorne, Chairman Hawthorne, Sean is just a child. How could he possibly have the guts to hurt a dog? Besides, is a dog as precious as Sean?"
June Hawthorne’s face darkened. He glanced at Zoe. "The Hawthorne Residence has always had its rules. Get rid of this dog."
Zoe’s heart trembled. "No..."
A servant had already stepped forward to snatch Heartbreaker from Zoe’s arms. The puppy whimpered in pain.
Zoe refused to let go. She knew exactly what they might do to Heartbreaker if they took him away!
Seeing that Zoe wouldn’t let go, the servant—who belonged to Cecilia’s quarters—secretly pinched the inner side of Zoe’s arm. Zoe’s face paled from the pain, but she still refused to release her grip. "I’ll take him away myself!"
"Young Mrs. Hawthorne, please don’t make this difficult for us," the servant said, applying even more cruel force.
Two servants flanked her, pinning Zoe down completely so she couldn’t struggle. Zoe hated the fact that she was under the control of the Hawthorne family, lacking any right to argue with them. A wave of utter desolation washed over her heart. Who could possibly... help her?
"What is this? Since when is it a servant’s place to lay hands on the Young Mrs. Hawthorne in the Hawthorne Residence?"
From behind her, Simon Hawthorne had appeared at some point. His calm tone concealed a chilling darkness. His arrival made the servants tremble for a moment, and they instinctively looked toward Cecilia, who was holding Sean.
Cecilia gritted her teeth and gave a pointed look, signaling the servants to back off.
Simon walked over to Zoe. He cast his eyes down at her pale face as she hugged the dog, shivering uncontrollably. He frowned almost imperceptibly.
Seeing him approach, Zoe’s heart struggled for a moment, but she still reached out to gently tug at his sleeve. Desperate times called for desperate measures. "Heartbreaker didn’t do anything wrong. Please help me."
June Hawthorne looked at his highly renowned son, complex emotions hidden in his eyes, but his voice remained authoritative. "How do you think this should be handled?"
Simon shot a detached glance at the weeping Cecilia.
"The dog should indeed be dealt with."
Zoe froze, feeling as if she had been plunged into an icy lake. She looked up at his callous profile in disbelief.
A flash of triumph crossed Cecilia’s eyes.
"However, I was the one who permitted her to bring it here. Since this started because of me, I will be the one to resolve it." Simon raised his eyes, his expression colder than the night itself. "Shane, take the dog away."
Shane Shaw immediately approached. Zoe stepped back in horror.
Shane grabbed one of Heartbreaker’s legs. His tone was cold and hard. "Mrs. Hawthorne, forcefully tugging at it isn’t good for the dog either. That is, if you truly want what’s best for it."
It was clear that if Zoe didn’t let go, he was willing to dislocate Heartbreaker’s leg to take the dog away. Zoe’s eyes grew red, tears brimming but stubbornly refusing to fall. She stared at Simon’s profile with profound disappointment, feeling as if the bones had been pulled from her limbs, leaving her without an ounce of strength.
Shane took the opportunity to snatch Heartbreaker away.
"Simon is truly impartial. Zoe, the Hawthorne Residence isn’t a place where you can just run wild." Cecilia couldn’t suppress her secret delight. After all, her feelings for Simon from years ago still hadn’t faded. Seeing the woman who had stolen him suffer a defeat naturally made her ecstatic!
Zoe curled her lips in self-mockery. Impartial... How ironic that word sounded to her.
"Since you say I’m impartial," Simon said, his narrow eyes sweeping over. A chilling ruthlessness fell upon Cecilia’s face, invisible to the others. Cecilia instantly felt as if her throat was being strangled. "Sean is of the Hawthorne bloodline, and the Hawthorne family places the utmost importance on the etiquette and upbringing of the younger generation. Yet, you’ve raised him to be domineering and barbaric. He’s shouting about beating and killing at such a young age. Is he going to turn the Hawthorne Residence upside down when he grows up?"
His voice was light and breezy, but it acted like a sharp blade, causing Cecilia’s face to drastically change.
In an instant, sheer panic surfaced in her eyes. "N-No... he wouldn’t..."
Watching the drama from the sidelines, Ken Lowell immediately narrowed his eyes. "Now that you mention it, two servants resigned a few days ago. They said they couldn’t endure Sean’s torment anymore and didn’t want to earn a living on their knees. Cecilia, you really should reflect on this."
A chill ran through Cecilia’s entire body. Of course Ken would eagerly twist the knife at a time like this!
Simon spoke plainly, "A doting mother makes a ruined son. If Miss Sloan doesn’t know how to raise him properly, we might as well send Sean abroad and have professionals educate him."
Cecilia’s face turned ghastly pale. "No! If he goes abroad all alone at such a young age, he’ll suffer terribly!"
"What? Zoe’s dog can be dealt with, but your son can’t be disciplined?"
Simon’s tone was airy, but his oppressive aura was terrifying.
Cecilia trembled, casting a desperate, pleading look toward June Hawthorne.
June merely shot her a cold glare. She was just a mistress, after all, and she wasn’t the only woman capable of bearing children. He wasn’t foolish enough to mix up his priorities. As for Simon... this son of his was incredibly formidable. Simon now held most of the real power within the Hawthorne family. Because June’s own health had been declining in recent years, rendering him unfit to take the helm, Mrs. Hawthorne had already favored Simon to be the next head of the Hawthorne family. Even as his father, June had to defer to Simon’s stance when it came to family rules and systems. He looked at Simon.
"You handle it as you see fit." June had relinquished his authority.
"Enough." Finally, Mrs. Hawthorne, who had been calmly observing the commotion, spoke at a leisurely pace. "Simon’s proposal is not without reason. A child will be ruined without proper discipline. Send him to Britain. Fostering some independence is a good thing."
Gripping her cane, she turned around. "The rules of the Hawthorne Residence cannot be broken."
Now that Mrs. Hawthorne had spoken, no one dared to utter another word of objection.
Cecilia finally realized the gravity of the situation. Her original intention had been to use this opportunity to teach Zoe a harsh lesson. Why had things escalated to this point?!
Zoe watched this seemingly decisive scene unfold. But the hidden crossfire sent a chill down her spine.
Simon had seized the opportunity to dispose of an illegitimate child who would have eyed his position and fought him in the future. June didn’t care about a child born out of wedlock. Mrs. Hawthorne appeared to be considering Sean’s future, but in reality, she was quietly resolving a Hawthorne family scandal. Meanwhile, Ken Lowell was more than happy to see a thorn removed from his side.
Everyone had their own ulterior motives. And the one who got hurt in the crossfire seemed to be her. It could only be her.
Waves of coldness made Zoe tremble uncontrollably. How could she ever out-argue them? How could she ever outmaneuver them? Marrying into this family was like stepping into a fathomless ocean.
Simon lit a cigarette. Watching the blue smoke swirl, he turned to look at Zoe’s lonely, isolated figure. With an indiscernible emotion, he asked, "Is this dog more important to you than anything else?"