But no one could have expected it.
Two months later, they registered their marriage because of some so-called feudal superstition. She thought heaven had finally smiled upon her, granting her heart’s desire. But the cruel cage of reality only made her suffer.
Her thoughts returned to the present.
Zoe Lancaster suddenly realized that in Simon Hawthorne’s eyes, she had long been a woman who cheapened herself. No wonder he had never respected her. A terrible lump formed in her throat. Forcing the feeling down, she said with a trembling voice, "I still have some other things to take care of. You can head back first."
Just then, Director Carter sent her a message on WhatsApp: "Mr. Hawthorne wasn’t going out of his way for you. A man of his status has never had a drink thrown at him before. He was merely using you as an excuse to unleash his temper. Don’t say anything you shouldn’t. Understood?"
Zoe understood what Director Carter meant. After all, he was the one who had pushed her into that situation, hoping to use her beauty as a shortcut. Naturally, he was worried she might speak out of turn in front of Simon. Director Carter was overthinking it. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe that Simon had lashed out just because Mr. Grayson hit her.
Simon seemed a bit tired. He cast a lazy glance at her. "Not drunk anymore?"
Zoe could feel his faint mockery. She bit her lip and stayed silent, letting a wave of shame almost drown her.
Simon couldn’t be bothered to make things harder for her. He parted his lips and ordered, "Let her out."
Secretary Linden hadn’t started driving yet, as Simon hadn’t told him where to go.
Zoe stepped out of the car. The freezing wind rushed into her lungs, bringing a sharp ache with every breath. The biting cold stung her eyes, threatening to force out tears, but she didn’t dare look back.
That was human nature; emotions were the hardest things to control. She knew Simon didn’t love her. He had even humiliated her for the sake of another woman. Yet, she had to force herself to swallow this bitter pill. She had no way out, which naturally meant she had no choice.
She wiped the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
Suddenly, a voice called out from not far away, "Zoe?"
Zoe looked up.
A group of young people was walking out of The Jade Palace. The man running toward her wore a black leather jacket. He was tall, with long legs and a handsome, striking face that carried a hint of untamed roguishness. When he saw her, he broke into a dazzling, radiant smile that revealed his perfectly white teeth.
"I called you a few times. Why didn’t you answer?"
Preston Quincy stopped in front of her. Seeing Zoe’s thin clothing, he immediately took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Your face is red from the cold. Bundle up."
From behind him came a chorus of teasing voices in perfect unison. "Evening, Mrs. Quincy!"
Zoe pursed her lips, frowning at Preston’s rowdy friends.
She had known Preston for many years. The Lancaster family and the Quincy family had close business ties. Preston had liked her since they were children, treating her as his personal property. He would tell anyone who would listen that Zoe would eventually be his. They had gone to the same high school and university, and Preston had relentlessly chased her the entire time.
He had caused quite a stir back in high school. In front of the entire student body and faculty, he had declared that if she were to date anyone, it could only be him. Because of that, she had been the school’s favorite topic of gossip for a very long time.
Things had only gotten worse in university. Preston had practically scared off all her other suitors. His affection for her was rooted in a domineering possessiveness. He never asked for her opinion, suffocating her, even though he did treat her well.
Her father, Martin Lancaster, knew exactly how Preston felt. He intended to marry her into the Quincy family to secure substantial business profits. Over the years, Martin had constantly pressured her to get closer to Preston and had even started discussing a so-called marriage arrangement with the Quincy family. He was eager to sell her off for a good price.
She resented her father and loathed Preston. But her mother was still bedridden in the hospital. If Zoe burned her bridges and rebelled, Martin would strip away his last shred of mercy. He was fully capable of cutting off all funding for her mother’s medical care, and Zoe would be powerless to stop him. Because of this, she had spent years living under immense pressure and despair, barely surviving.
The most rebellious thing she had ever done in this miserable life was deceiving everyone to register a marriage with Simon Hawthorne.
She did it to carve out a way to survive. No matter the outcome, it was at least her own choice, rather than being a puppet manipulated by others. To this day, neither the Lancaster family nor the Quincy family knew she was already married—and to the patriarch of the Hawthorne family, the man sitting at the very apex of Kingsford’s pyramid, no less.
Zoe took a deep breath, trying hard to keep her tone polite. "Could you ask them to stop calling me that? I really don’t like it."
Preston simply chuckled. He reached out and ruffled her hair. "What’s wrong? Are you in a bad mood?"
A short distance away.
The black Maybach sat quietly parked. Through the car window, Simon watched the man and woman standing beneath the streetlamp. Zoe’s back was turned to him, but anyone could see the absolute adoration in the man’s eyes as he affectionately ruffled her hair. She was even wearing the man’s jacket.
Their relationship was clearly not ordinary.
In the dim light, Simon’s eyes gleamed with a sharp, cold edge, his expression betraying neither anger nor joy. In his hand, he gripped a set of keys. Zoe had just left them behind.
Linden studied his boss’s expression with his heart in his throat. "Mr. Hawthorne, should we still... deliver these keys?"
Simon withdrew his gaze. "Back to The Imperial Residence."
That meant no.
Linden subconsciously blurted out, "Then how will Mrs. Hawthorne get home tonight...?"
"Linden."
Simon took off his glasses and methodically wiped the lenses. His deep, magnetic voice carried a hint of danger. "Did you leak my itinerary to Zoe?"
A chill ran down Linden’s spine. "Mr. Hawthorne, I..."
Simon lowered his eyes, glancing at the cherry keychain dangling from the ring. He spoke with a mix of sarcasm and mockery. "Her business dinner was on the second floor, yet she ran up to the third floor to cry. You coincidentally happened to see her and report it to me, and you already knew the PR department was entertaining clients. What? Am I employing a spy for her?"
A cold sweat broke out on Linden’s forehead. He groaned internally. Judging by those words, Mr. Hawthorne had seen through everything from the very beginning. The matter was supposed to be water under the bridge by now. Why was he suddenly bringing it up to reprimand him?
"I’m sorry, Mr. Hawthorne. It was my negligence. It absolutely won’t happen again!" Linden felt like crying tears of bitter grievance. The boss and his wife were the ones not getting along—so why was he the one catching all the heavy artillery?
"If you can’t handle things steadily, you need more experience. Go oversee the construction at the Easton Resort Area. Don’t come back until the final inspection is approved. Let Shane Shaw handle your work in the meantime."
Simon closed his eyes, his expression impassive.
Linden wailed, "Mr. Hawthorne, the Easton Resort Area is freshly developed! It’s a desolate wasteland without even an internet connection! Sending me there is no different from exiling me to the frontiers..."
"Deduct another month’s salary," Simon said.
Linden’s face turned as pale as a sheet. "Shane is all brawn and no brains! I..."
"Two months."
Linden was speechless.
Fine. He was just a casualty in the boss and Mrs. Hawthorne’s marital spat. Damned if he did, damned if he didn’t!
The freezing wind was giving Zoe a splitting headache.
Her patience was wearing dangerously thin.
"Preston, I’m not joking with you." Zoe had just suffered a harsh rejection from Simon mere minutes ago. Her mood was rock bottom, and she could no longer suppress her frustration. Throwing caution to the wind, she blurted out, "I have someone I like. I’m married."
The smile in Preston’s eyes froze for a fraction of a second. Then, he shrugged, his tone turning gentle. "Alright, alright. Don’t be mad, Zoe. I’ll just tell them to tone it down. There’s no need to say things out of spite."
He clearly didn’t believe her. He just assumed she was making up excuses to reject him.