Zoe Lancaster was shoved into the car in a daze.
Linden moved incredibly fast, immediately slamming on the gas pedal.
Arriving at Kingsford’s largest shopping district, Zoe got out of the car and looked at Simon Hawthorne. "Are you here to discuss an acquisition?"
She couldn’t think of any other reason why Simon would come to a place like this. Everything in his life was perfectly catered to, managed by dedicated personnel. He never needed to waste his own time or energy on such trivialities. After all, Simon’s time was literally worth its weight in gold.
Simon methodically adjusted his cufflinks. His long, narrow eyes fixed on her. "Weren’t you going to buy clothes?"
Zoe shrugged. It seemed Simon didn’t want to talk to her about business. She didn’t press the issue, turning around and heading straight for the third floor. Yet Simon... was actually following her at a leisurely pace. This left Zoe utterly baffled. She wondered, "What exactly is he plotting?"
Entering one of the brand boutiques, Zoe carefully selected a few warm down jackets, scarves, hats, and gloves. While the sales associate was bagging them up, she noticed the tie section next to the counter. Almost instantly, a blue-patterned tie caught her eye. It was simple yet elegant, perfectly suiting Simon’s aura. After a moment of hesitation, she walked over and picked it up. The texture was naturally superb, and her mind immediately pictured how Simon would look wearing it.
She had heard other wives talk about tying their husbands’ ties before work, a warm and affectionate routine. But something like that... to her, it felt more like an extravagant wish.
Shifting her gaze downward, she flipped over the price tag and nearly choked. Just this tiny scrap of fabric cost eighteen thousand! Why didn’t they just rob a bank!
Simon finished his phone call and strode back on his long legs, just in time to see Zoe holding the tie. She seemed to be choosing it very earnestly. He narrowed his eyes slightly. He wondered, "Could it be—"
The very next second, the woman tossed the tie back into its place as if afraid of being scammed, then turned and headed to the counter to pay. She had absolutely no intention of buying it. A subtle chill surfaced in his deep, dark eyes.
"Done with work?" Zoe asked as she walked over to him, carrying bags of various sizes. "I won’t trouble you to keep me company then. I can—"
"Zoe Lancaster," Simon interrupted. His tone was incredibly flat, aloof, and cold. His narrow eyes watched her, betraying no hint of emotion. "I helped you handle your aunt’s situation. How are you going to thank me?"
She hadn’t expected him to ask that. Zoe hesitated for a moment before saying, "Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne?" She had indeed forgotten that she still hadn’t thanked him.
The woman’s perfunctory attitude made the glint in Simon’s eyes even sharper. He almost laughed out of sheer annoyance. Tugging at the corner of his lips, he said, "You buy bags and bags of things for your aunt and her family, yet, Zoe, you’ve never bought me a single gift."
Over their two years of marriage, he had always had Linden bring back new limited-edition items for Zoe. He had never skimped on providing her with material comforts, but now that he thought about it, she had never given him so much as a single thread.
Zoe’s heart skipped a beat. Filled with trepidation, she asked, "Then what do you want?"
Simon raised his eyes and lifted his chin, gesturing toward the tie she had just put back. "That tie will do."
"No!" Zoe reacted strongly, rejecting him on the spot.
Was he joking? Eighteen thousand for a tie—was she crazy? With that kind of money, she could do a million better things! Spending money on a man would bring eight lifetimes of bad luck! Besides, most of the ties he wore were custom-made by dedicated tailors, costing many times more than this one. Why was he suddenly interested in a tie that, to him, was practically cheap?
Seeing her refuse without a second thought, Simon’s lips curled into a cold, mocking smirk. "Reluctant to spend money on me?" She really was heartless!
Zoe quickly realized that Simon seemed angry. She immediately shook her head and said quite sincerely, "No, it’s not that I’m reluctant. I just think that tie doesn’t match your aura. It would make you look tacky."
Eighteen thousand? In his dreams!
The woman spouted excuses effortlessly. She looked sincere, but in his eyes, she was far from honest. Simon narrowed his eyes. "What if I insist on having it?"
Zoe wanted to curse. Why was Simon suddenly being so difficult! Asking her for eighteen thousand was like asking for her life! Her brain working in overdrive, she quickly said, "I have something else I want to give you. Wait here for a minute."
Leaving the shopping bags by his side, Zoe quickly hurried downstairs.
Less than ten minutes later, she came jogging back.
Simon paused, a rare reaction for him, his gaze fixed on her face. Her dark hair fluttered in the breeze, and her small, delicate face was slightly flushed from running. She stopped breathlessly in front of him, looking up with a charming, bright smile. "Here, for you."
His eyes cleared as his gaze shifted from her face to her fair, open palm. Resting there was a lighter. It had a metallic finish with vintage dark patterns. It was reasonably pretty.
Zoe shoved the lighter into Simon’s hand. "Don’t you smoke cigars often? I bought you a lighter. Doesn’t that count as thoughtful?"
Simon lowered his eyes, his thumb lightly rubbing against the lighter that still carried her body heat. His tone was cold and indifferent. "Are you encouraging me to smoke more? Think I’m not dying fast enough?"
"..." Zoe’s expression froze. She was utterly rendered speechless. What kind of twisted logic was that?
Simon furrowed his brows. Other women were eager to persuade their men to quit smoking and drinking, yet she did the exact opposite.
Deciding that the man was just too hard to please, Zoe reached out to take the lighter back from his palm. "If you don’t want it, I’ll return it."
Simon raised his hand, dodging hers.
"I rarely receive such garbage. I’ll keep it for a laugh." His voice was unhurried, sounding full of disdain, yet he pocketed the item anyway.
Zoe fell into a spiral of self-doubt. Were all men this neurotic? If he hated it, why did he accept it? People always said a woman’s mind was an unfathomable mystery, but in her opinion, Simon took it to a whole new level! Whatever, let him be. No one could out-weird him.
"Suit yourself," she said, too lazy to argue further. She picked up her bags and continued shopping.
Simon followed her at a leisurely pace. Taking the lighter out of his pocket, he snapped a photo and calmly sent it to one of his WhatsApp groups.
Soon, someone tagged him.
Sean Sheffield: [Where did you dig that up?]
Simon glanced at the slender silhouette walking ahead of him and typed with an impassive expression: [My wife gave it to me.]
Sean Sheffield: [Holy shit! Think you’re the only one with a wife, huh?! Don’t tell me you’re just here to show off. I don’t want to talk to married guys.]
A few seconds later, Sean suddenly went crazy, spamming several messages in the group.
Sean Sheffield: [HAHAHAHAHA Simon, what your wife gave you is a high-quality knockoff! The authentic version of this thing costs over three grand, but yours...]
Sean Sheffield: [Can’t be worth more than two hundred!]
His footsteps came to a halt. Simon looked down at the final message, his thin, reddish lips pressing into a tighter line. Staring at the woman ahead who was completely immersed in her shopping, a chilling coldness rippled in his eyes.
Not more than—two hundred.
Zoe Lancaster.
You’ve really outdone yourself!