Chapter 382
Zoe didn’t return home immediately. Instead, she sat in her car quietly, trying to come to grips with what she had just learned.
It was the middle of the night and she was about to drive off when
she saw a familiar silhouette in front of her car. It was none other
than the person she had just been discussing with her brother.
Liam looked sharp in a formal suit, reminiscent of noblemen of yore. He stared at Zoe quietly. At that moment, he had probably stopped pretending to be someone he wasn’t. He could tell from Zoe’s eyes that she finally knew who he really was.
On the other hand, Zoe was staring at him, tears in her eyes. Then, she stepped on the gas pedal fiercely.
He didn’t try to dodge out of the way. Instead, he stared at the white car intensely as it tore through the road and charged straight at him. A flurry of emotions was coursing through his mind as he regarded the oncoming car.
No one knew how much he had wrestled with himself for the past few years.
He had fallen in love with Zoe. What made it worse was that she was married to Mason.
The fact was that he could’ve stomped out every last surviving member of the Sanders family on multiple occasions, but he couldn’t do it. That was because he had fallen in love with her, the last lady he should’ve had feelings for.
It was a rookie mistake, he thought to himself. He should’ve just vanished into thin air once Gordon was dead, but he chose to stay by her side instead.
A sharp screech echoed in the street as Zoe slammed on the brake and brought the car to a grinding halt.
Her lean fingers were still gripping the steering wheel and her entire body was shivering. Her legs had turned to jelly as well. She glared at the man in front of her car and thought that she didn’t know Liam as well as she thought.
Then, it hit her. He loved her.
However, she harbored nothing but hatred for the man.
It was close to ten o’clock by the time she went back to Kirk Manor.
Mia was waiting for her return because she was worried about her. The moment she saw Zoe, she said softly, “Yanni wouldn’t settle down. Mason’s trying to put her to sleep as we speak! You should go, upstairs and check on them.”
Nodding, Zoe headed upstairs. She hesitated for a second, wondering if she should tell Mia about Liam and his nefarious deeds. In the end, she decided against it. She was trying to protect her stepmother from heartbreak.
Stepping into the bedroom, she looked at the warm light in the private lounge and then at Mason, who was leaning on the couch. Yanni had been bathed and was wearing a white bathrobe. She was lying on he father’s chest affectionately.
He was brushing her hair and telling her fairy tales in a loving, affectionate voice. It was obvious that the little girl loved this moment. She was on the brink of falling asleep when Zoe came in.
He made a gesture at her, signaling her to walk quietly and avoid startling Yanni. So, Zoe walked on her tiptoes and sat right next to him.
Yanni blinked and called out to her, “Mommy.”
The next thing she knew, her little girl fell asleep!
He continued to dry her hair and patted her back gently to make sure she stayed asleep. After that, he carried her and gently put her down. on the bed, gazing at his little girl with an affection more tender than the quiet night.
Bending over, he turned off all of the lights except the night light. His little girl drifted into a deep sleep.
He walked back out to the private lounge. Today was supposed to be Zoe’s birthday, but he hadn’t had a chance to spend some alone time with her until now, when the night was quiet and everyone was asleep.
She was still sitting on the couch, spacing out. It took him a glance to know what she was thinking. Sitting down next to her, he asked softly, “Was it Liam?”
Raising her eyes, she unwittingly saw the wound at the corner of his mouth. She didn’t ask him anything about it because she knew he got into a fight. She didn’t tell him about her incident with Liam either.
“I’m just feeling a little tired. I’m going to take a shower and go to sleep.”
The moment she stood up, he grabbed her hand and said
affectionately, “Aren’t you going to share your worries with me? You used to tell me everything that was on your mind, Zoe.”
That put a lump in her throat.
Pulling her over, he buried his face into her belly while he was still sitting on the couch. Then, he wrapped his hands around her waist, looking like a man who put down his pride for the lady he loved.
It made her feel bad.
Lowering her head, she brushed her lean fingers into his hair and said sternly, “We’re just pretending to be a couple for the time being,
Mason! We can look after Yanni and even sleep together, but there’s nothing you can do to mend a broken heart.
“You gave me a surprise in the form of a wedding ring this morning. I know what you’re trying to do, but I have no plans to lie to you. Your actions haven’t changed my mind. I’m still going to leave you when the time comes!”
