Even a bachelor like him was shocked by the agonizing fallout playing out before his eyes.
It could have been anyone else today. Why did it have to be Miles Yates? Having been by Simon Hawthorne’s side for so long and interacting with Miles in business, Linden knew his usual style. He had never been so attentive to any woman, let alone personally escorted one home. What kind of special treatment was this? Anyone who thought about it carefully would realize this was absolutely out of the ordinary.
Simon lowered his gaze, his cold eyes fixed on the pinky ring on his hand. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, but the atmosphere inside the car was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
After a long while, he finally spoke. "Take this up to her."
Understanding his boss’s intention, Linden immediately got out of the car and headed upstairs.
***
Zoe Lancaster hadn’t been home long. When the doorbell rang, she instinctively tensed up. She checked the peephole and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was Linden.
Opening the door, she asked in confusion, "Why are you here?"
Linden smiled. "Ma’am, this is a gift Mr. Hawthorne asked me to bring up to you. It’s the violin. He should have mentioned it to you."
Zoe lowered her gaze to the exquisitely crafted box. Her heart fluttered slightly, but only for a moment before settling back into a calm stillness.
It was Peyton Joyce’s major. Whether he was giving it to her sincerely, or if he was using it as a proxy for his memories—treating her as a mere vessel for the affection meant for the woman he truly cared about—she couldn’t tell.
And so...
"There’s no need. I haven’t touched a violin in a long time. Take it back," she said.
Linden was stunned, not expecting Zoe to refuse. Mr. Hawthorne had asked him to bring it up. Although he hadn’t said much, they were all adults—how could she not grasp the underlying meaning? This was already an olive branch. Yet, she had rejected it... so bluntly.
"Ma’am, Mr. Hawthorne really put thought into this. Even if you don’t play anymore, you can keep it as a memento, right? It took quite a bit of effort to bring this all the way back from Veridia."
Zoe pursed her lips. "He put in the effort, but did I ask him to do it?"
Linden froze, speechless for a long moment. He couldn’t understand why Zoe was misdirecting her anger, but since she had made her stance so clear, there was nothing left to say. "I understand. Have a good rest, Ma’am," he replied.
Zoe closed the door. She stood in the entryway for a long time, her thoughts in chaos, her mood inevitably foul.
If she hadn’t known that Peyton studied the violin, she probably would have been quite happy that Simon had gifted her one. Back then, she had been forced to give up the instrument, and she naturally still harbored regrets about it.
But she had no desire for this kind of charity.
***
Linden returned to the car, glancing into the rearview mirror with a troubled expression. Simon stared coldly at the untouched item Linden had brought back, his expression seeming to grow even more frosty.
After a moment of hesitation, Linden relayed Zoe’s exact words.
Just as expected, a deathly silence fell over the car.
Linden broke out in a cold sweat, nervously observing Simon’s reaction while sighing inwardly. His going upstairs had already made one fact blatantly obvious: Mr. Hawthorne was definitely waiting downstairs. He didn’t believe Zoe hadn’t figured that out. Yet, she had deliberately chosen not to invite him up, and had outright rejected his gift to boot.
Why did Mr. Hawthorne ask him to deliver the violin? Wasn’t it just to tell his wife that he was here, and that he had seen Miles bringing her home? If only she had come down to welcome him upstairs, today’s drama would have been smoothed over. But... didn’t this mean Mr. Hawthorne was just shut out in the cold?!
Linden cried out in silent agony. He really should have made Shane Shaw do this. That deadpan, thick-headed blockhead had skin tough enough to weather any storm.
After a long time, Simon finally spoke, his tone terrifyingly cold. "Drive back!"
Linden didn’t dare breathe too loudly. It was over. Mr. Hawthorne was truly furious this time.
***
At nine o’clock the next morning, Zoe arrived at the office, clocked in, and took her seat. She was quite adaptable and quickly integrated into her new work environment. Felix Jennings would assign her various tasks, keeping her days relatively fulfilling.
As noon approached, Zoe received a call from Caleb Ford. Simon had helped her find this lawyer before he flew to Veridia, Kaelan. Caleb happened to be in the area today, so he asked to meet up and discuss the details of her aunt’s case.
Zoe booked a table at a restaurant near the Global Trade Concourse. By the time she arrived, she saw a man already seated at their reserved table. Dressed in a sharp suit, the man was tall and exuded an oppressive aura even while sitting quietly. He looked distinguished and untamed, with a striking appearance. His features were handsomely refined, though a hint of aloofness in his eyes suggested he wasn’t easy to get along with.
Zoe walked over. "Lawyer Ford?"
Caleb looked up, then reached out his hand toward her. "Miss Lancaster, please have a seat."
Zoe had done a bit of research on Caleb beforehand. He was Simon’s friend and a top-tier lawyer in the country. It was said that he was also the son of the prestigious Ford family from Seaport, which meant he had an incredibly powerful background.
"I’ve looked into your aunt’s situation," Caleb said. "If you want to force a divorce, you’ll need evidence proving the breakdown of the marriage—things like proof of domestic violence, or gambling debts where the daughter was put up as collateral. The more comprehensive, the better."
Zoe nodded in agreement. "My aunt was hospitalized with broken ribs before, and she has medical records to prove it. She also took photos of her bruises from his regular beatings. Our chances of winning should be quite high, right?"
Caleb’s expression remained unchanged, composed as ever. "It won’t be a major issue. The only reason it was difficult for her to divorce him before was because the opposing party is a shameless scoundrel, which naturally complicates things."
That much was true. Leo Linden’s temperament had drastically changed; nowadays, he was no different from an animal.
Zoe pondered the situation carefully. When she looked up again, she noticed Caleb subtly massaging his temples.
"Are you feeling unwell, Lawyer Ford?" Zoe asked out of concern.
Caleb paused slightly. "It’s nothing. Just a headache from a hangover last night."
Zoe didn’t pry further. She ordered their food, specifically adding a bowl of soothing soup for him.
As they were talking, someone barged through the restaurant’s entrance in a flurry of motion. Crystal Hayes hurried over with her bag and plopped down right next to Zoe. "The traffic was absolute murder! Have you ordered yet?"
Zoe had actually invited Crystal to lunch today as well, so it worked out perfectly for them to eat together. However, the moment Crystal sat down, Caleb stared heavily across the table at her.
Their eyes met. Zoe didn’t miss that split-second of subtle tension and immediately asked, "Do you two know each other?"
Crystal poured herself a glass of water, her gaze fixed on Caleb. Her eyes weren’t exactly innocent. She smiled generously, but the words that came out of her mouth were inexplicably flirtatious: "He’s my sugar daddy."
Hearing that title, Caleb frowned imperceptibly, his dark, cold eyes locked on her.
Zoe, however, suddenly understood. So the generous lawyer "sugar daddy" Crystal had been talking about was actually Caleb Ford? Was she the one teaching Caleb’s younger brother the cello?
"What a coincidence! Lawyer Ford is also Simon’s friend. I guess we’re all just running in the same circles," Zoe couldn’t help but marvel.
Crystal smiled, casually pouring a glass of water and sliding it over to Caleb. "Lawyer Ford, are you feeling better today? You drank quite a bit last night... I thought you’d be resting today."
That sentence carried a massive amount of implication. Zoe gave Crystal a subtle look. She knew Crystal well, of course, and knew she rarely took the initiative with anyone like this.
Something wasn’t right. She wondered if the two of them had been together last night.