Zoe Lancaster hadn’t expected Miles Yates—rumored to be utterly ruthless in his methods—to be such a perfect gentleman. His demeanor, conversation, and refinement naturally drew people’s favor. How much truth was there to all those rumors, really?
Miles glanced sideways at his assistant. "Bring a glass of juice."
The assistant was sharp. He immediately prepared a glass of peach juice and placed it next to Zoe. Deeply flattered, she said, "Thank you, President Yates."
As Miles continued conversing easily with the people around him, he found a moment to reply softly, "It’s nothing. No need to be nervous."
Zoe let out a quiet breath of relief. Having seen the darkness of this social circle, she knew that in the eyes of capital, anything could be treated as a plaything for amusement. She had witnessed and experienced quite a bit of it herself. Therefore, seeing Miles’s respectful conduct felt exceptionally rare.
Perhaps Miles’s attentiveness to a minor employee was too conspicuous. Who was Miles Yates? He was a titan who controlled the economic lifeline of Portellis, expanding aggressively into Kingsford and overseas markets. For someone with such immense power to look after an unknown, lowly employee... It was far too intriguing.
President Miller, a man over fifty, didn’t just keep his murmurs to himself like the others. He smiled and asked, "President Yates, you seem to be taking quite good care of this young lady. Even an old man like me is surprised. Could it be that the two of you have some sort of relationship..."
Only then did the others dare to chime in. "That’s right. This young lady is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. We completely understand."
"Isn’t that the truth? President Yates is such a gentleman, who knows how many girls adore him."
Zoe didn’t think much of it. That was just how Vanity Fair operated. Powerful men never lacked comforting companions by their sides. Sensible, pretty, and presentable women were swapped out every so often. It was entirely possible that a woman would be with a different man the next time they met. Exchanging resources was a common, unsurprising occurrence. She didn’t even bother to explain.
"If respecting a woman is enough to imply an intimate relationship," Miles said, a faint smile on his lips, "then this world is truly a murky place."
Zoe was taken aback.
Miles’s tone remained mild. "Respecting women isn’t some sort of bonus trait; it’s the most basic etiquette and upbringing required of a man. There’s no need for over-speculation. It only damages the young lady’s reputation."
Although he was from Portellis, he spoke with a flawlessly standard accent. His voice was pleasant to the ear, effortlessly captivating. His words made Zoe’s expression shift slightly. Not to mention the others. They all looked sheepish. It was obvious they had judged a gentleman by their own petty standards.
Miles said this partly to explain, and partly to put an end to their inappropriate speculations. There were no secrets in this circle, and rumors could easily spiral out of control. He nipped it in the bud. It afforded Zoe the utmost respect.
Zoe couldn’t deny that her opinion of Miles had changed, and she felt a sense of gratitude. It was a good thing it was her today. If it had been any other woman... Who could have remained unmoved?
The social dinner lasted for nearly two hours. Although Miles had a good tolerance for alcohol, he was a little tipsy by the second half of the event. His face didn’t flush when he drank, so the only sign that he’d had too much was him occasionally massaging his brow.
Zoe quietly went to ask the hotel staff for a glass of honey water and placed it next to Miles’s hand.
Miles paused slightly. His striking eyes naturally turned to look at her. The woman continued to converse with the others good-naturedly, handling every interaction with poise and grace. She wasn’t wearing heavy makeup; simple eyebrow pencil and lipstick were enough to make her face look radiant, gorgeous, and stunningly beautiful.
Suddenly, he remembered the words of his younger brother, Jules Yates. "Our Buddy is the best woman in the world."
He traced the rim of the glass. He wondered, "Is she?"
By the time the dinner concluded, it was past ten o’clock. Zoe walked Miles to his car. He loosened his tie, got in, and then looked at her. "It’s getting late. It’s not safe for you to be alone. Mason, take Miss Lancaster home first."
Mason Sullivan was Miles’s executive assistant. Zoe bent down slightly to look at the man inside, her voice clear and light. "It’s alright. It’s safe for me to just take a cab."
Miles glanced at her, paused, and said, "It’s fine. You are an employee of Lance Langley. We should be responsible for your personal safety. Don’t feel burdened by it."
Zoe wasn’t someone who couldn’t recognize good intentions, so she didn’t refuse again.
Mason said, "Miss Lancaster, please get in."
Zoe hesitated over whether to sit in the passenger seat or the back. Seeing her dilemma, Mason smiled. "Sit in the back. President Yates doesn’t mind."
Zoe finally got into the car. Miles had probably really drunk too much. From the moment he got in, he rested with his eyes closed and didn’t initiate any conversation with Zoe. He was completely quiet. Only the pleasant scent of Jade Dragon tea radiating from him filled the space. This helped Zoe relax considerably. After telling Mason her address, she sat back comfortably. Her apartment lease was up at the end of the month, so she still had time to prepare.
About twenty minutes later, they arrived at her residential complex. Miles opened his eyes at just the right moment, his voice slightly hoarse. "Are we here?"
Zoe got out of the car, leaned down, and thanked him. "Thank you for the trouble, President Yates. Remember to drink some more honey water tonight so your stomach doesn’t bother you tomorrow morning. Have a safe trip back."
Miles gave her a deep look and finally nodded in response. Zoe smiled, waved, and turned to walk toward her building’s entrance.
Miles watched her back. A moment later, for some unknown reason, his lips curved upward. His younger brother actually had... an unexpectedly good eye for people this time.
Zoe went upstairs. Downstairs, Miles’s Bugatti gradually drove out of the complex. But no one noticed that beneath the shade of the trees across the street, a Maybach was quietly parked, obscured by the dark of the night.
Inside the car, Linden was tense all over, not daring to look at the man sitting in the back. A chilling aura spread through the cramped space of the vehicle, making him sit on pins and needles. From their vantage point just now, they had clearly seen Zoe’s entire expression after she stepped out of that car. And as for that car...
"A car with three license plates, including a Portellis plate with five ones. Who else could it be?"
In the back seat, Simon Hawthorne calmly stroked the pinky ring on his left hand, his tone distant and cold.
Linden braced himself and replied, "Miles Yates, President Yates of Lance Langley—"
The person in the car hadn’t stepped out, but the license plates were a symbol of status. Furthermore, with three plates attached, it wasn’t hard to guess who was inside.
The lenses of Simon’s glasses reflected a cold light. He remained silent for a long time. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen how Zoe smiled at the person in the car just now. Anyone could tell it was a genuine, heartfelt smile. It proved she had enjoyed her time with that man.
Linden hesitated for a moment, his gaze landing on an exquisite violin case sitting in the passenger seat. "Mr. Hawthorne, should I take this up to Mrs. Hawthorne?"
Mr. Hawthorne had gone to Veridia and brought this custom-made violin back. He had planned to give it to Mrs. Hawthorne today. Instead, he ended up watching his wife being brought home by another man. And this man... happened to be Mr. Hawthorne’s business rival.