Timothy Xavier forcefully turned the doorknob, causing a violent noise along with the door panel.
Julian Sinclair remained close to , his scorching hand lingering around my waist. I was humiliated and furious, almost on the verge of tears.
Just then, a sudden, urgent ringtone sounded outside the door, breaking the stalemate.
Julian Sinclair slowly got up from , a knowing curve appearing at the corner of his lips.
anwhile, outside the door, Timothy Xavier answered the phone, his voice instantly changing tone.
"What? The police took your mom away? Why?"
His voice grew farther away, clearly leaving in a hurry.
I stared blankly at Julian Sinclair’s calm appearance, realizing that this phone call must have sothing to do with him.
I asked skeptically, "Who just called him?"
Julian Sinclair spoke in a suggestive tone mixed with a bit of mockery, "My consultation fee is quite high. If I tell you the answer, how will you thank ?"
Before I could respond, he suddenly pulled into his arms by my waist, kissing again.
I instinctively struggled, but he held tighter.
His warm lips carried an irresistible force, completely breaking down my defenses.
After a long while, he slowly left my lips, his deep eyes swirling with intense desire, his gaze lingering on .
I pushed him away forcefully, trying to create so distance, but his hands on my waist made it impossible to move.
Frustrated and anxious, I said, "You just said it yourself, if I decide to end it with you, you won’t force . Attorney Sinclair, are you going back on your word?"
Julian Sinclair chuckled lowly, not provoked by , and said coldly, "Have you made up your mind? It seems to you’re still confused!"
I was rendered speechless.
He continued, "Since you can’t figure it out, I’ll have to help you wake up in my own way. Wasn’t that exciting before? I think you liked it too."
I hurriedly tried to ignore the physiological sensations just now, quickly refuting, "No, you can’t do this!"
"It’s not up to you."
His Adam’s apple slightly rolled, and he propped up his hands beside , the desire in his eyes growing stronger, "From now on, we’ll stir things up from ti to ti, let’s see when Timothy will go crazy, how about that?"
I was completely panicked, not understanding what he was thinking.
Was he truly fond of , or rely enjoying the thrill of this ga? Or was it just the male desire to win at play?
"No!" I firmly refused.
Julian Sinclair’s gaze suddenly turned cold, his tone carrying a hint of warning, "Miss Ellison, while I still have so conscience for you, it’s best not to say anything that would upset ."
He paused, intensifying his tone, "Otherwise, I’ll let you know I’m not so saint. I can make you truly beco my woman right now."
Frightened, I imdiately closed my mouth, not daring to speak again.
But Julian Sinclair seed even more interested.
...
On the highway.
Timothy Xavier drove quickly, feeling both annoyed and anxious.
On one side was the possibility that Zoe Ellison was entwined with Julian Sinclair in the office, and on the other side was Serena Sawyer’s desperate cries for help.
When he returned ho, Serena ran towards him in tears in the courtyard.
She began by saying, "Timothy, my mom is innocent! She must be innocent!"
Sophia Kendall hurried forward and, speaking the way Serena had previously instructed, began, "Timothy, thank goodness you’re back! These police officers must be rushing to close the case, sloppily framing soone! It’s been so long since Zoe Ellison was kidnapped, if Faye Warren was really behind it, why didn’t Hector Shaw say so back then? And now suddenly accusing her, there’s definitely sothing off!"
Timothy Xavier’s pupils contracted suddenly, looking at his mother in disbelief, "What did you just say? Zoe was kidnapped, and it’s related to Faye Warren?"
A flash of guilt quickly crossed Serena’s eyes but was soon replaced by panic.
She grabbed Timothy’s arm tightly, tears blurring her vision, "Timothy, my father is already in jail, if my mom goes in too, I’ll beco an orphan! Think of a way to save her! If nothing else works, write a letter of forgiveness in the capacity of Zoe Ellison’s husband, I beg you!"
But this ti, her crying and pleading did not elicit Timothy Xavier’s sympathy.
He sharply pulled back his hand, causing Serena to stumble and fall to the ground.
His eyes were cold as he said, word by word, "I’ll go to the police station right now to get to the bottom of it! If Zoe was really kidnapped and Faye Warren is involved, I’ll be the first to ask a lawyer to make sure she rots in jail!"
With those words, Timothy Xavier turned and left, without a trace of hesitation.
Serena stood frozen in place, the tears on her face instantly solidified, completely dumbfounded.
She never expected, after pouring her heart and soul into everything, that Timothy Xavier would be so ruthless to her and her mother for Zoe Ellison.
Sophia Kendall stood nearby, not daring to breathe heavily.
She secretly rejoiced she hadn’t spoken out of turn, yet feared Serena might go mad and reveal her past cri of accidentally causing a death.
She shrank back, wishing to be invisible, to avoid this storm.
But reality did not align with her wishes.
Serena regained her senses, and all her grievances and anger erupted in an instant.
She suddenly charged forward, grabbed Sophia’s collar fiercely, and raised her hand to slap her.
The crisp sound of a slap echoed in the courtyard. Serena looked almost possessed, gritting her teeth, saying, "It’s all because of you, you old witch! You stubborn hag! You raised such a heartless son! I gave so much for him, and this is how he treats ! How can he do this to !"
Sophia was slapped into a daze, her ears buzzing, her cheeks burning in pain.
She dared not fight back, nor dare to call for help, only biting her teeth firmly to endure.
The Serena before her eyes was nothing like the gentle and lovely woman she once knew, clearly transford into a sinister demon!
At this mont, Sophia’s heart was filled with regret and fear.
She was truly blind back then to have chosen Serena as her daughter-in-law.
Now, she was tied firmly to Serena’s bandwagon, unable to advance or retreat.
She looked at the out-of-control woman in front of her, with only one thought in her mind: What could she do to break free from Serena’s clutches?
...
Downstairs from my apartnt complex.
The car ca to a gentle stop.
The lingering warmth inside the car had not yet dispersed.
Julian’s fingertips gently caressed the corner of my lips. Although the desire in his eyes had not entirely faded, there was more restraint.
Ultimately, he considered my situation. In the office, though his whole body was hot and tense, he didn’t truly possess .
At this mont, he didn’t accompany upstairs.
He only helped unbuckle the seatbelt, his voice deep, "Go up, call if you need anything."
I nodded, pushed open the car door, and quickly walked into the building. My heart was still pounding, truly frightened.
Afraid that once again soone might capture images of and Julian together, causing another uproar.
Opening the door at ho, the living room was lit with warm yellow lights. Doris was sitting obediently on the sofa watching cartoons, her little feet swinging, looking particularly well-behaved.
I glanced towards the kitchen, and sure enough, it was empty.
Timothy was already gone.
Earlier in the office, stirred by Julian, I had forgotten to ask how he managed to get Timothy away.
"Mom!" Doris turned off the TV and dashed into my arms, her little fingers pointing at the chocolate cake on the dining table, "Dad just said he was going to pick you up, how co you ca back alone?"
Thinking of the incident at work earlier made a bit uneasy. I patted her head and said, "I didn’t run into him; he might have gone sowhere else."
Doris furrowed her small brow, angrily putting her hands on her hips, "He must have gone to see that bad woman again!"
After speaking, she walked to the cake, her little face full of disappointnt, and sighed softly, "Sharon is not here, Dad’s not here either; let’s eat alone..."
"Mom’s not hungry, you eat."
I declined gently.
Doris blinked her clear eyes and looked up at , asking, "Mom, as long as it’s sothing related to Dad, you won’t touch it anymore, will you?"
My heart ached; looking at her dejected eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to admit it. Instead, I said, "Don’t overthink, Mom is just a bit tired."
At that mont, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Doris’s eyes instantly lit up; before I could react, she jumped up and ran to open the door, "Dad!"
Standing at the door was Timothy.
His face looked haggard, no longer carrying his usual arrogance, as if drained of all his strength.
I initially thought he ca to question about being alone with Julian at the company this afternoon. Seeing him like this, I was a bit surprised.
Doris held Timothy’s hand, leading him inside, her eyes darting between the two of us.
Looking at the cake on the dining table, she probably wanted to suggest the three of us share it as a family.
But she also knew the strained relationship between and Timothy, so she rely pursed her lips, quietly sat at the table, her small hands twisting nervously, secretly peeking at us.
Not wanting to clash with Timothy in front of the child, I stood up and moved towards the bedroom, saying, "I will go change clothes."
Just as I spoke, I heard Timothy’s footsteps behind .
He followed in closely and even closed the door behind him.
I was about to ask him to leave, but the redness of his eyes, coupled with a tone filled with remorse, stopped : "Zoe, we found out who orchestrated your kidnapping... It was Faye Warren."
The realization dawned on .
So, the call that afternoon was Serena urgently seeking Timothy’s help.
Julian must have found concrete evidence that Faye Warren had instructed Hector Shaw to kidnap , leading the police to swiftly arrest and bring her to justice.
His efficiency was indeed admirable.
Timothy Xavier seed to still be imrsed in imnse guilt, took a step forward trying to hold my hand, but I avoided it by turning sideways.
He froze in place, his voice growing more hoarse: "I’m a bastard, when you made that call for help, I didn’t believe you. I never thought Faye Warren would dare to do such a thing! I absolutely won’t let this slide this ti, I’ll have the Xavier Group’s legal departnt pursue this with all they’ve got, at any cost, to make sure she rots in jail!"
I looked at him in this state and all I felt was ridicule.
I used to think Timothy Xavier was exceptionally smart, always top of the class since childhood, and after taking over Xavier Group, he managed it so it thrived.
But now, he seems to have no sense at all.
I looked up at him and said, "Do you think Faye Warren could have done this alone?"
Timothy Xavier was silent for a mont, his brows tightly furrowed: "You an... it was Serena who instigated her?"
"Do you even need to ask?" I scoffed, my eyes full of disdain, "Don’t you know what kind of person Serena Sawyer is?"
Yet Timothy Xavier shook his head stubbornly: "Serena isn’t like her mother. She isn’t inherently bad, she must not have known about this, Faye Warren surely acted on her own. Besides, the police haven’t found any evidence of Serena’s instigation."
Here we go again!
No matter what Serena Sawyer does, he always finds a way to stand by her.
I’m long accustod to this.
Timothy Xavier is still subrged in his own guilt and self-pity.
He looked at deeply and said, "Zoe, ever since I learned the truth about your kidnapping, I keep replaying those stupid things I said to the kidnappers. How helpless you must have felt back then..."
At this, he smiled bitterly and said, "I have Julian Sinclair to thank; if it weren’t for him saving you, who knows what might have happened?"
"Saying this now is aningless." I interrupted him, my voice as cold as ice.
"How can it be aningless?" Timothy Xavier quickly stepped forward, eyes locked on , "Knowing this makes realize even more how I should cherish you. Zoe, tell , what do you truly want? How can I make it up to you?"
I curled my lips in mockery, saying, "Your so-called restitution is just to ease your own guilt and remorse. If you truly want to make it up to , then co to the civil affairs bureau with for a divorce. That’s the best compensation you can offer !"
Timothy Xavier seed like he had been doused with cold water, suddenly stunned, looking dazed as if waking abruptly from a drunken dream.
He shook his head repeatedly, his tone urgent: "No, Zoe, haven’t we just reconciled? You promised you’d move in with Doris and !"
"But it’s Serena Sawyer living in that villa now, not ." I looked at him with a half-smile, finally exposing his deceit.
His face instantly turned crimson as he explained, "It’s my mother, she’s lost her mind, insisting on bringing her in. But don’t worry, I’ve already got Jack Sullivan looking for a better house! They can have The Xavier Manor if they like it; we’ll move elsewhere as a family of three. The manor’s bad feng shui is what’s brought us to this point."
I found it utterly ridiculous and couldn’t be bothered to argue further.
Seeing my silence, face full of scorn, the look on Timothy Xavier’s face gradually turned grim.
His tone carried a tinge of displeasure, "Alright, even if I didn’t manage to drive Serena Sawyer out of Veridia, it’s my fault. But what about you? What were you doing in the office with Julian Sinclair this afternoon? Don’t think that because I didn’t knock, I don’t know what went on inside! Using when you need reconciliation; now that Julian Sinclair’s storm has passed, you want to kick aside. Zoe Ellison, shouldn’t a person have so principles? How can you just use people and discard them like that!"
I quietly listened to his accusations, then pulled out my phone and played a recording.
The next second, vile sounds from Serena Sawyer’s affair with him rang out clearly in the bedroom.
Timothy Xavier’s pupils dilated, his face turning pale.
He looked at in shock, lips trembling, unable to utter a word.
After the recording ended, I said, "That was the call Serena Sawyer made to that night."
As I spoke, I brought up the call log and showed him, Serena Sawyer’s incoming call number and ti clearly displayed on the screen.
Timothy Xavier’s gaze was fixed on the screen, his face full of disbelief.
But when that familiar number ca into view, his entire deanor collapsed, his usually straight back visibly drooped, lacking the confidence he had when questioning earlier.
He stared at intently, his voice hoarse, "You... you don’t feel hurt at all? Not even a bit?"
In his eyes, perhaps I was supposed to break down crying, hysterically questioning him.
Yet my calmness at this mont shad him more than any accusations could.
I slightly curled my lips and said, "What do you want to do? Cry and beg you, plead with you not to cheat anymore, not to touch Serena Sawyer? Beg you to look back at , at Doris, is that it?"
Timothy Xavier opened his mouth, but not a word ca out.
That was indeed what he thought.
Even after his mistakes, he hoped I would continue to tolerate and forgive him as before.
But as soon as I articulated these thoughts, even he found it ridiculous and excessive, too ashad to admit it.
He stamred in defense, "Listen to , Zoe. That night, I... I drank too much, I mistook her for you! I didn’t an to, I..."
The more he spoke, the more anxious he beca, yet his eyes dodged mine in a panic.
I simply looked at him in silence, neither interrupting nor refuting, letting him spin his flawed web of lies.
Until he couldn’t continue and his voice dwindled, I slowly said, "Do you believe these words yourself? Timothy Xavier, can you convince yourself?"
Staggering back a step, he slumped into the chair, clutching his short hair tightly, "That night, I was just mad at you! I really lost my head due to anger! Zoe, I don’t want this, I don’t love her!"
His voice was choked with despair, like a trapped beast letting out a low growl.
In my heart, there was no trace of emotion, only a cold and barren wasteland.
These tardy confessions held no aning for anymore.
Because my heart has long been scarred by him, each scar reminding not to repeat the sa mistakes.
Timothy Xavier kept muttering to himself, repeatedly emphasizing it was an unintended mistake.
Everyone who makes a mistake can always find countless reasons to exonerate themselves.
I didn’t want to waste any more energy entangled with him, so I stood up, opened the door, and headed to the kitchen to make so dinner.
After all, Doris had been waiting outside for so long; she must be hungry too.
But when I got to the living room, I didn’t see Doris anywhere.
"Doris?" I called softly, thinking she went to play in the children’s room.
However, when I opened the door to the children’s room, it was still empty.
My heart suddenly sank, a bad premonition flooded my mind, and I quickly turned and rushed to the guest room and study.
I searched every room in the house but couldn’t find her anywhere.
Hearing my anxious cries, Timothy Xavier rushed out from the bedroom, his expression tense: "Where did Doris go?"
My heart was in my throat, and I reached with trembling hands for the phone to call Doris, only to find her child’s phone lying quietly on the dining table.
I could no longer stay calm and dashed out the door, with Timothy Xavier following closely behind.
"She must’ve heard us arguing earlier!"
Timothy muttered while running, his tone full of accusation, "She wants us to reconcile the most. What child doesn’t hope for their parents to be together? Just because you like Julian Sinclair doesn’t an she’d accept it!"
"Timothy Xavier, shut up!"
I couldn’t take it anymore and yelled at him, fury and worry intertwining in my chest, almost consuming .
We sprinted to the property office, and the staff quickly pulled up the surveillance of the area.
On the screen, ten minutes earlier, Doris had walked out of the neighborhood gate alone.
But the blind spots of the surveillance outside the complex failed to track her further.
Both Timothy Xavier and I were desperately worried, and he pulled out his phone: "Call the police, call them now!"
I clenched my fists tightly, feeling helpless and desperate, "Timothy Xavier, I’m begging you, stay away from us. Why does nothing good happen when you’re around? If anything happens to Doris, I won’t spare you!"
Timothy didn’t argue, and his fingers trembled nervously as he dialed the ergency number.
The mont the call connected, there was a panic in his voice that I’d never heard before, repeatedly explaining the situation to the police.
My heart was already in a knot, and I could only silently pray inside that Doris would be okay.
Just as Timothy Xavier and I were at a loss, my phone rang suddenly.
It was Julian Sinclair.
I instinctively answered, and his low voice ca through the receiver: "Doris is with , at the Sinclair Estate."
"Doris is at the Sinclair’s?" I asked in surprise.
Hearing this, Timothy imdiately grabbed the phone, gritting his teeth: "Julian Sinclair, what do you an? Is it not enough to covet my wife? Now you want to take my daughter too?"
I hurriedly snatched the phone back, just as I put it to my ear, Julian’s cold voice ca through: "Why don’t you ask yourself what you’ve done to drive your family apart?"
I put the phone on speaker so Timothy could hear the words clearly.
Timothy was hit in a sore spot by Julian’s words, and his usual deanor was gone.
He shouted angrily, "Julian Sinclair, you better send my daughter back now! Or I’ll charge you with child abduction!"
Julian’s mocking laugh ca through the phone: "I really can’t understand how Zoe Ellison could ever fall for soone like you. Child abduction? Your daughter ca to my house on her own, held my hand, and asked to be her father. You call that abduction?"
"Impossible!" Timothy’s face turned livid with anger, yelling, "Doris would never say sothing like that! Stop trying to sow discord!"
It seed Julian was no longer interested in this argunt, his tone icy as he said, "Let Zoe Ellison co to pick up her daughter alone; the Sinclair Family doesn’t welco you."
After speaking, he hung up the phone.
Timothy was still as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, while the stone in my heart had already settled, and I no longer panicked.
To , Doris is much safer with Julian Sinclair than with Timothy Xavier.
At least, there’s no one like Serena Sawyer with ill intentions around Julian.
But Timothy was truly panicked.
He feared that Doris really wouldn’t want to acknowledge him as her father, afraid he’d lose his daughter too.
Without saying a word, he turned and got into his car, urging the driver to head straight to the Sinclair Estate.
Seeing this, I quickly got into my car and followed.
I was afraid Timothy would lose control of his emotions at the Sinclair’s and cause trouble, upsetting Madam Sinclair.
The drive took nearly an hour, and by the ti we arrived at the Sinclair’s, it was almost nine o’clock.
As soon as I got out of the car, a servant stopped Timothy, speaking courteously yet firmly, "President Xavier, Mr. Sinclair only invited Miss Ellison inside."
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