They arrived at the top floor where the executive office was located. The outer area was the bustling secretarial department.
As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they saw Secretary Linden coming out of the office. He immediately approached them, exchanging a subtle glance with Zoe Lancaster without showing any impropriety. "This way."
Even though Director Carter was the head of a department and usually unsmiling, she was highly respectful when facing Simon Hawthorne’s secretary and special assistant, Linden. She quickly returned a smile.
Secretary Linden knocked on Simon Hawthorne’s office door before pushing it open and entering.
Zoe kept her head down and followed behind Director Carter, wishing she could blend into the background. But the moment she walked in, she felt a cold, rather aggressive gaze sweep over her.
Zoe instinctively looked up for a glance.
Simon Hawthorne sat behind an intricately crafted black desk. Today, he wore a dark gray, custom-tailored suit. His white shirt cuffs were fastidiously fastened with a pair of Jacob & Co. canary diamond cufflinks. His entire being exuded a cold, aloof nobility that kept strangers at bay, making that face—which was even more outrageously handsome than male celebrities famous for their looks—all the more stunning and beguiling.
Once upon a time, Zoe had fallen for this face at first sight. She had plunged in headfirst, remaining stubbornly devoted for four whole years.
Simon set down his fountain pen and pushed up his glasses with his fingertip. "You’ve seen the news about Stella Joyce, I assume. It’s been trending for twenty minutes now. I want you to handle the public relations crisis as quickly as possible."
Hearing this name, Zoe’s heart gave an uncontrollable lurch. Sure enough, this was nothing good!
Secretary Linden had already handed a tablet to Director Carter, and Zoe, standing beside her, could see it clearly. It was a scandal regarding Stella Joyce’s private life. The paparazzi had photographed Stella entering and leaving the BGL Hotel with a man last night. The catch was that Stella had stood up her collaborative brand’s photoshoot for this late-night rendezvous.
The internet had always been particularly harsh and unforgiving toward female celebrities. The moment one was tainted with words like "dating" or "men," the situation would quickly spiral into something filthy.
The man whose arm Stella was holding in the photos didn’t have his face captured, but his model-like physique and the clothes he was wearing were identical to what Simon had worn when he left yesterday.
Zoe tightened her fists. Did Simon really spend last night in a hotel with Stella?
Zoe looked up at Simon, who was sitting calmly in his chair. "What do you suggest, Mr. Hawthorne?"
He had called her here just so that she, his secretly married wife, could personally resolve the reputational crisis caused by his mistress’s passionate rendezvous with him? Zoe wanted to laugh. She even worried if her current expression looked terribly grim.
Simon cast a sidelong glance at her. "Stella Joyce is about to sign an endorsement deal with a brand under the Hawthorne Group. Isn’t doing PR for her exactly what you should be doing as a member of the group’s public relations department?"
Zoe was left speechless. It was a lethal strike; she had no way to refute it.
After all, how could she dare expect Simon to care more about her dignity than his true love? But with so much talent in the PR department, why did he specifically name her to take over this matter? To hit someone where it hurt the most—this was exactly it.
Zoe remained silent. Yet, Simon remained aloof and strictly professional, as if Zoe were merely an insignificant outsider. "So, how do you think this matter should be resolved, Miss Lancaster?"
Secretary Linden subtly glanced at Zoe’s stiff back.
Zoe stayed quiet for a long while. Director Carter, feeling displeased and terrified, couldn’t help but urge, "Mr. Hawthorne is asking you a question. What are you spacing out for?"
Only then did Zoe force herself to calm down, putting a professional smile on her face. "I just have one question. Is the man in the news photos you, Mr. Hawthorne?"
Simon gave her a faint, scrutinizing look. He narrowed his eyes and didn’t hide the truth. "It is."
His attitude was unapologetic and fearless. Zoe increasingly felt that in Simon’s eyes, she was truly as worthless as dirt.
She forcefully suppressed her churning emotions and said, "Since that man is indeed you, Mr. Hawthorne, then this is easy to handle. Miss Stella Joyce frequently posts about you on X anyway, and the media and netizens naturally assume the two of you are a couple. A direct confirmation will largely diminish the negative backlash against her. As for the matter of standing up the brand’s commercial shoot...
"Miss Joyce was indeed unprofessional and lacking in work ethic," Zoe finished, raising her head to look straight at Simon.
Simon’s eyes narrowed slightly. The atmosphere seemed to freeze over.
Director Carter’s expression changed. She inwardly cursed Zoe for being so blind to the situation. Wasn’t it common knowledge how much Mr. Hawthorne favored Stella Joyce? Zoe was incredibly bold! To actually berate Stella right in front of him?! Did she really think she had some invincible backing?!
Director Carter hurriedly spoke up. "Mr. Hawthorne, she’s young and doesn’t know any better. I think this matter..."
"Are you telling me to publicly confirm my involvement with another woman?" Simon didn’t lash out. He asked the question with his usual cold tone. He found this Mrs. Hawthorne of his truly amusing. She was certainly magnanimous enough, but whether it was genuine generosity or a tactical retreat remained to be seen.
Zoe’s throat felt dry. She opened her mouth. "I..."
Before she could finish, Simon let out an imperceptible scoff. His tone was mocking. "There are no secrets on the internet. I still have a lawful wife at home, and the truth will out eventually. If this gets exposed in the future, it will cause endless trouble."
Zoe froze. She truly hadn’t expected Simon to bring this up directly.
Director Carter broke out in a cold sweat. What horrifying secret had she just heard?! Mr. Hawthorne... was actually married?! Then wouldn’t that make Stella Joyce... the other woman?! Was it really this scandalous?!
Zoe pursed her lips and changed the subject. "Then approximately how long were you in the hotel, Mr. Hawthorne?"
Secretary Linden immediately replied, "Less than twenty minutes."
Zoe paused subtly. "...Oh."
Less than twenty minutes? Was Simon really a bit... lacking in stamina?
From her highly suggestive "Oh," Simon almost instantly understood the woman’s underlying implication. He shot a cold glare at Secretary Linden.
Secretary Linden, dripping with cold sweat, quickly lowered his head. He was just stating the facts, wasn’t he? If he had known, he would have added a few more minutes. However, Mr. Hawthorne hadn’t gone there to do that sort of thing with Stella anyway, so what did a few minutes more or less matter?
Zoe understood that men would stubbornly deny their shortcomings to the bitter end, clinging to their fragile egos even if it killed them. To save his pride, she simply skipped the topic.
She could only say, "If you don’t want to go public, Mr. Hawthorne, then crisis PR is about mitigating the negative factors to the greatest extent. Putting aside her lack of professionalism, the brand will be hosting a fashion show domestically in two months. The venue and approvals are all being handled by the Hawthorne Group, which means Hawthorne is also their partner. Do them a favor and have them retract their condemnation of Stella Joyce, claiming instead that the commercial shoot time was rescheduled. With plenty of future collaborations with Hawthorne on the line, they’ll understand what’s more important.
"Furthermore, Hawthorne’s film and television investment arm is currently casting for Florence. If I remember correctly, the producer and director are staying at the BGL Hotel. We can simply state that she went there to meet the director for an audition. For one, this generates early buzz for the film project. Secondly, it frames Stella Joyce as the victim of baseless attacks, earning her a wave of public sympathy and praise for being hardworking and dedicated."
Simon’s reluctance to publicly confirm his relationship with Stella... couldn’t possibly be to save face for her as his wife. He was merely worried that if the truth ever came to light, Stella would face fierce public condemnation for being the other woman in someone else’s marriage. He truly was... protecting Stella.
Simon didn’t say anything, presumably agreeing with this plan. After a few seconds, he waved his hand. "You may leave."
Director Carter walked out, looking visibly relieved. Zoe, feeling downcast, kept her head lowered and followed behind Director Carter and Secretary Linden.
Just as she reached the door, a large hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back with a measured amount of force.