He sat on the sofa in the same custom-tailored gray suit he had worn to finalize the divorce that morning.
He exuded an air of languid indifference, chatting idly with the doctor.
It was clear the divorce hadn’t affected his mood in the slightest.
When she appeared, he looked up at her.
Rowan Keller’s hands clenched at her sides, her eyes filled with unconcealed dislike and disgust.
“You’re here,” the doctor greeted her simply.
Rowan Keller averted her gaze.
“Mm.”
“We already went over the details on the phone.
This is the monthly payment.
Have a look, and if everything is in order, just fill out your information and sign.” The doctor handed her the cost breakdown.
Rowan Keller took it.
When her eyes landed on the six- to seven-figure monthly medical expenses, her heart sank.
If her father hadn’t tricked her out of her pre-marital assets, she could have managed for a few months.
But now, she had nothing.
Given her financial situation, there was simply no way she could cover this enormous expense.
“If the cost is a burden, you can also choose a more suitable option from these plans.” Sensing her predicament, the doctor took out another document and handed it to her.
The new plans were considerably cheaper, but still cost well over a hundred thousand per month.
Seeing that she was still poring over the documents, the doctor subconsciously glanced at Zion Hawthorne.
The latter gave him a look, and the doctor understood instantly.
“Well, take your time looking them over,” the doctor said, standing up with his phone.
“I’m going to check on a patient.
If none of these are suitable, we can talk more when I return.”
Rowan Keller’s attention was entirely focused on the treatment plans.
“Okay.”
The doctor left quickly, not forgetting to close the door on his way out.
Only Rowan Keller and Zion Hawthorne remained in the room.
The air was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
“No matter how long you stare at those papers, you can’t afford your mother’s expensive medical bills,” Zion Hawthorne spoke up.
His tone was as casually composed and nonchalant as ever.
Rowan’s anger flared up instantly.
The look she gave him was filled with rage.
“Not to mention you also have to rent a place and raise Summer,” Zion Hawthorne added.
Rowan Keller stared at him.
“What are you trying to say?”
“I can pretend this divorce was just you throwing a tantrum.” Zion Hawthorne stood and strode over to her.
“As long as you never bring it up again, I’ll cover your mother’s medical expenses, and you will remain my wife.”
“And what about Serena Sterling?” Rowan Keller asked.
“The two of you will not interfere with each other.” Zion’s expression was placid.
“If you don’t like it, I can make sure she doesn’t appear in front of you.”
A hint of mockery crept into Rowan Keller’s voice.
“And I suppose I should thank you for your consideration?”
“You know which choice is in your best interest.” Zion understood her sarcasm, continuing in the unhurried tone of a business negotiation.
“You’re used to a life of luxury.
You should know that it’s easy to grow accustomed to wealth, but much harder to live without it.”
Rowan Keller, of course, understood.
She had never known a day of hardship in her life.
Before the Keller Family’s misfortune, she never had to worry about money.
After it happened, before she even had time to process it, Zion Hawthorne married her.
He gave her a card to use as she pleased, so she naturally never had to worry about money.
Logically speaking, she should have been content.
Even with Serena Sterling in the picture, Zion Hawthorne wouldn’t treat her poorly.
He would still give her whatever she wanted, still be as meticulously attentive as before.
‘But there’s more to life than money.
Integrity and dignity are important, too.’
“You can’t eat integrity and dignity,” Zion said mercilessly, seeing right through her.
“The world out there isn’t as easy as you think.
Without me, in your current situation, every step will be a struggle.”
Rowan snapped, “I don’t need your pointless concern.
Just worry about yourselves.”
“Rowan.” Zion Hawthorne didn’t understand why she was being so stubborn.
“If you have nothing else, Mr.
Hawthorne, please leave.
I still have things to discuss with the doctor and no time to listen to your lectures.” It was the first time Rowan Keller had ever spoken to him with such hostility.
Zion Hawthorne didn’t get angry.
He just looked at her.
Under his gaze, Rowan Keller’s defenses began to crumble.
She clutched the papers in her hand, forcing herself to meet his gaze, enduring the oppressive feeling as she tried to win this staring contest.
“You have one minute to consider,” Zion Hawthorne said nonchalantly.
“For the next minute, I’ll let this go.
After that minute, you’ll just be Rowan Keller.
At that point, even if you come begging, I might not agree.”
She turned her head to look out the window, giving him her silent answer.
Zion Hawthorne didn’t linger.
When the minute was up, he left.
He felt that Rowan Keller didn’t know what was good for her.
‘Disobedient people have to hit a wall before they learn who’s truly looking out for them.’
The door slammed shut with a BANG, and Rowan Keller’s heart jolted with it.
She had once believed that although her relationship with Zion Hawthorne wasn’t as passionate and dramatic as others’, it was steady and lasting, built on sincere affection.
But now, she couldn’t understand it anymore.
Before she could make sense of her marriage, the doctor walked back in.
Before he could speak, Rowan Keller composed herself and said, “Dr.
Chapman, I’d like to take these home to consider them carefully before I give you an answer.
Is that alright?”
“Of course,” Dr.
Chapman replied readily.
“But please be quick about it.
It would be best to make a decision ten days before the payment is due.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Rowan Keller left the hospital with the treatment plans.
‘She decided to look for a job first.’
‘If the salary was decent, she could keep her mother there.’
The hospital was a private institution under the Hawthorne Group, equipped with top-tier medical technology and staffed by leading experts.
Thanks to Zion Hawthorne, her mother had received the best possible care over the years.
If she were transferred, her mother wouldn’t receive such good treatment.
She was the only family she had in this world who truly loved her.
‘She didn’t want anything to happen to her.’
With these thoughts in her mind, Rowan Keller left the hospital and went home.
On the way, she kept wondering how she would tell Summer about the divorce.
He had always been bright and sensible, with an IQ and EQ much higher than his peers.
She rarely had to worry about him.
But divorce was no small matter for a child, and she was still worried he would have a hard time accepting it.
But her worries stood in stark contrast to the actions of certain people.
The moment she got home, she was met with a nauseating sight.
Serena Sterling and Zion Hawthorne were sitting on the sofa, nestled together.
The former spoke with a hint of worry, “This is your and Rowan’s home, after all.
Is it really okay for me to be here?”
“It’s fine,” Zion Hawthorne said in a low voice.
Serena Sterling bit her lip.
“But…”
“She’ll be moving out soon,” Zion Hawthorne reassured her.
“After that, you will be the mistress of this house.”
Serena Sterling looked up at him, their gazes intertwining, unable to part.
So much so that they didn’t even notice Rowan Keller had returned.