CHAPTER 135: CHAPTER 135: TELLING TIMOTHY XAVIER I’M DEAD!

After getting in the car, I hesitated for a moment and tentatively asked, "You and Maxine Hawthorne, have you known each other for a long time?"

Julian Sinclair turned his head to glance at me but didn’t answer directly. Instead, he smirked, "Why? Starting to manage me now?"

I was instantly at a loss for words.

Yes, the divorce case in Veridia is still unresolved, and there are a lot of problems on Timothy Xavier’s side. I don’t even count as anyone to him, so what right do I have to inquire about his personal affairs?

I didn’t make another sound, but my eyes glanced at Julian Sinclair’s phone, noticing he was looking at the calendar.

After asking him, I realized he was confirming the time to bring me here to see Chester Hawthorne for a check-up.

I seemed to understand something and asked softly, "You found my medical records... just to bring me to see Dr. Hawthorne and help me heal?"

He raised an eyebrow and sarcastically asked, "What did you think? Even so, I was almost mistaken for a donkey by someone’s good intentions."

The bit of depression in my heart dissipated, and I couldn’t help but purse my lips, wanting to smile.

It felt like such a long, long time since I last experienced the happiness of being cherished by someone.

I watched the bustling night scene outside and thought of the last earthquake when a county in Silverstream became a wasteland.

Fortunately, Silverstream is a metropolis. Although it can’t compare to Veridia, the city center has resumed its former glory.

Julian Sinclair saw me staring out the window and asked, "Have you ever come to Silverstream for fun before?"

I was taken aback, shook my head, and said, "Except for the time I came to Silverstream during the earthquake, but who would be in the mood to have fun then?"

Julian Sinclair paused and instructed the driver: "Head to The Orchid Court."

The Orchid Court?

What kind of place is this?

I asked him curiously, "Aren’t we going back to Veridia?"

"Let’s enjoy a few days here." Julian Sinclair rubbed his brow, seeming tired. "It’s rare to steal a moment of leisure; once we get back, it’ll be a pile of broken affairs again."

My heartbeat quickened a bit. I hadn’t been out traveling for so many years.

I thought I would never again have the chance to walk through the streets and alleys of a city with someone I liked.

However, thinking of Doris and Sharon at home, I hesitated a bit, "Should we... head back first? I’m afraid Doris and Sharon will be scared if they don’t see me for a long time. Do they... know about my kidnapping?"

Julian Sinclair, resting with his eyes closed in the car, opened them to look at me and said, "Zoe Ellison, when will you live for yourself?"

At this point, perhaps fearing I’d worry, he compassionately told me, "The two girls are at The Sinclair Estate, and the old lady is with them. Jenna Sutton has also been informed, and she knows you’re safe. As for Timothy Xavier..."

He paused and, with a heavier tone, asked me, "If you feel it’s necessary, you can tell him yourself."

"There’s no need."

Without thinking, I immediately refused.

Julian Sinclair’s lips seemed to curve involuntarily.

The feeling of excitement quietly grew in my heart, and I found myself very much looking forward to spending time alone with him.

I whispered, "Then I’ll listen to you. Wherever you take me, I’ll go."

Julian Sinclair chuckled, turned over, and gently pinched my cheek, "Not afraid I’ll sell you off?"

I blinked and said, "I cost you two billion to buy back; would you really be willing to sell me?"

"Hmm, not willing."

After he spoke, I was lost in sweetness when I heard him continue, "No one would pay that price again; I don’t do loss-making business."

I was ashamed, but in my heart, I felt unprecedented relaxation and peace after many years.

...

Veridia, Westcliff Monastery.

In the lingering incense, there was a slight chill of early spring.

Jenna Sutton supported Madam Sinclair as they just finished offering incense and headed down the mountain, mentioning Zoe Ellison.

"It truly is the Goddess of Bright’s blessing; Julian said Zoe is safe now, and our visit here to fulfill our vow can set our minds at ease."

Madam Sinclair’s tone was noticeably lighter than before.

Jenna Sutton couldn’t help but sigh, "Attorney Sinclair really is capable! No matter who Zoe is with, I’m not at ease, but with Attorney Sinclair, I am! I heard they plan to stay in Silverstream for a few days before returning."

Madam Sinclair contemplatively said, "It’s time to relax; Zoe has suffered too much. Julian... he should know where to draw the line."

Jenna Sutton immediately understood what the old lady meant but didn’t respond.

Ethically, Zoe Ellison and Julian Sinclair should wait until Zoe completely divorces and clears things with Timothy Xavier before anything happens between them.

Yet, inexplicably, she wished Zoe and Julian would just settle things now, forcing Julian to take responsibility. That way, Timothy Xavier wouldn’t be able to bully her anymore.

The two walked contemplatively down the mountain, and halfway they saw a familiar figure not far away.

Madam Sinclair took a closer look and said, "Jenna, am I seeing things? Is that... Timothy Xavier?"

Jenna Sutton looked and said hatefully, "Who else could it be?"

At that moment, Timothy Xavier, dressed in a dark trench coat, appeared dispirited. He was kneeling step by step, gradually making his way up the mountain.

Zoe Ellison had no clues, and apart from this, he didn’t know what else he could do?

He only hoped that God could see his sincerity and bless his Zoe to return safely.

Hearing footsteps, Timothy Xavier slowly looked up and unexpectedly saw Jenna Sutton and Madam Sinclair there too.

His eyes couldn’t hide his despair. He didn’t stand up, speaking in a voice hoarse as if scratched by sandpaper: "Zoe... is there still no news?"

Jenna looked at him in this state, feeling no sympathy, and said expressionlessly, "I heard she was sold to the Crimson Mile in Burona long ago. Julian Sinclair searched everywhere but couldn’t find her. Perhaps she met with misfortune, or perhaps she’s living in humiliation."

Timothy’s heart felt like it was being hammered repeatedly, aching and bloody.

Madam Sinclair beside him remained silent.

She knew full well that Jenna was deceiving Timothy, but had no intention of exposing her.

A man who could abandon his wife deserved to learn a lesson, to truly taste the flavor of regret.

Even the heavens seemed to be voicing their unfairness for Zoe Ellison.

The sky, which had been shining a bit, was suddenly covered in impenetrable clouds.

Jenna glanced at Timothy, still kneeling on the ground, and helped the old madam turn away: "Grandma Sinclair, it’s about to rain, let’s go back. Looking at such a vile man makes me sick."

Timothy said nothing, continuing to kneel forward step by step.

Meanwhile, Madam Sinclair and Jenna had already descended the mountain.

It wasn’t long before torrential rain began pouring down.

Rain soaked Timothy’s hair and drenched his clothes.

All he could hear were Jenna’s words in his mind.

Zoe was sold to the Crimson Mile!

His chest felt clenched by an iron grip, suffocating him with pain.

He wiped the rain off his face, but couldn’t erase the redness in his eyes, only able to mutter repeatedly, "Zoe will be fine, she will be fine..."

Even he didn’t believe these words, but he kept repeating them.

His knees were long worn through, and the places where blood oozed stung from the rainwater soaking in.

Suddenly he remembered last winter when Zoe Ellison was forced by him to kneel on these stone steps.

Every step he was kneeling on now was one Zoe had already endured.

Every bit of pain he was suffering was one he had imposed on Zoe back then.

Especially since at that time she was pregnant with his child, yet he forced her to kneel here to repent.

He couldn’t imagine her pain and despair when the child flowed out of her as a pool of blood.

The rain continued to fall, cold and piercing.

Finally, he realized the bone-chilling cold and pain Zoe had felt kneeling here.

"I’m sorry... Zoe, I’m sorry..."

His face was wet with rain or tears, and he screamed to the sky, begging them to return his Zoe to him.

But in the empty mountains, only his own echoes answered.

His Zoe...

Would never come back, would she?

Eventually, Timothy dragged his bloody knees to the top of the mountain.

The God he always thought of as kind and gentle appeared cold and stern under the flickering candlelight, bearing a heavy scrutiny.

That coldness resembled the way Zoe Ellison had looked at him.

Late at night, Timothy returned home, supported by Jack Sullivan as he entered the door.

Sophia Kendall was anxious and immediately approached.

Serena Sawyer took on the appearance of the dutiful wife and mother, quickly fetching a dry towel to wipe him down, "Timothy, what on earth were you doing out for so long? Why are you soaking wet?"

Timothy ignored their concerns, collapsing onto the sofa silently.

Jack quickly explained, "Madam, President Xavier went to Westcliff Monastery today to pray for his wife, even kneeling until his knees were wounded."

"His wife? What wife!"

Sophia frowned, angrily said, "Didn’t Zoe Ellison get sold by kidnappers? What wife is there anymore? Besides, they were going to divorce! The current Mrs. Xavier is Serena!"

Jack swallowed hard and didn’t dare speak again.

Timothy, with bloodshot eyes, looked towards his mother, filled with suppressed anger, "Zoe Ellison was sold to the Crimson Mile, her fate is still unknown."

Serena was thrilled beyond words, she hadn’t anticipated that the people she connected with pulled this off so well.

It was worth all the time she had spent watching Naomi Sawyer, and then contacting the Shaw Family who bore a grudge against Timothy.

Zoe Ellison would probably never learn that the call wasn’t actually from Naomi, but from someone Serena had hired to imitate her.

She didn’t expect things to go so smoothly this time, completely eliminating Zoe Ellison.

As for Naomi Sawyer, she likely had no desire to return to Timothy, hence her evasive maneuvers.

When Sophia found out that Zoe Ellison had been sold into the Crimson Mile, she showed no restraint, saying, "Really? Then can’t we apply to the court for declaring her as a missing person? This way, you wouldn’t even need a divorce, and you could marry Serena directly!"

Serena carefully suppressed her own joyful feelings, tenderly brought over a bowl of ginger soup, scooped some up with a spoon, blew on it, and gently said while sitting next to him, "Timothy, Miss Ellison is a blessed woman, she will be fine. You have to take care of your own health too. Come, drink this ginger soup first, and then I’ll run a bath for you..."

Before she could finish speaking, Timothy Xavier violently swatted the bowl from her hand and angrily shouted, "Get out, all of you!"

Serena was startled and instinctively stood up.

Sophia complained, "Timothy, what are you doing? What use is Zoe Ellison besides causing trouble for you? Are you really going to treat Serena like this for that woman!"

Timothy could no longer bear it, and angrily said, "Zoe Ellison is my wife! She always has been! If it weren’t for you meddling all the time and setting me up to sleep with Serena, I wouldn’t have come to this irreparable point with her! Now, take her and get out! All of you, get out!"

Serena had never seen the usually composed and restrained Timothy Xavier in such a frenzied state.

She was too scared to speak, and Sophia had never seen her son like this, as if possessed.

Especially confronted with Timothy Xavier’s furious gaze, Sophia dared not say another word and said to Serena, "Let’s go. Let’s give him some time to cool off. He’ll eventually come around!"

Serena quickly followed Sophia out; she wouldn’t dare provoke Timothy Xavier at a time like this.

Anyway, Zoe has gone to Burona, and she’s not expected to return!

Even if she comes back, she doesn’t believe Timothy would accept a wife who’s been with someone else.

The position of Mrs. Xavier is hers sooner or later!

She’s not in a rush!

After they left, Timothy Xavier dismissed all the servants and also had Jack Sullivan leave.

He just leaned on the sofa like that, his knee was swollen and infected, and he had a high fever.

But he didn’t feel anything?

No matter how much pain he was in, it couldn’t be more than what Zoe was going through, right?

...

Silverstream.

This is the third day Julian brought me to Silverstream.

From the old alleys in the morning to the riverside by dusk, we almost walked through every scenic spot in this city.

I stood under the red walls and gray tiles, raised my hand to adjust my hair messed up by the wind, and turned to smile at Julian, "The photos taken here would definitely look great!"

Julian paused with the camera in his hand, looked at me, his gaze softened unknowingly, and even his voice lightened a bit, "Yeah, just stand there. I’ll take your picture!"

He just held up the camera like that, patiently taking photos of me.

I kept posing, pointing at the flowers in the corner to be in the frame with them, sometimes complaining about the light and insisting on changing angles.

Girls always have exacting demands for photos.

Julian showed no impatience, patiently adjusting the lens, and occasionally offered suggestions like, "Tilt a little to the side."

While taking photos, a reporter holding a microphone and followed by a cameraman came over and said, "Hello, we’re filming a travel show. Could we bother you two for a few minutes for an interview?"

Julian generally doesn’t like interviews.

But he seemed to be in quite a good mood today, so he nodded.

I am a reporter myself, aware of how difficult it can be, so I cooperated willingly.

"Is this your first time in Silverstream? What impressions do you have of our city?" the reporter asked.

I responded, "This is my first visit; Silverstream is beautiful, and the snacks are distinctive."

The reporter smiled, "You two look like a perfect match, are you a couple? Or married?"

Those words made my heart skip a beat; I subtly glanced at Julian.

He thought for a moment and naturally said, "Friends."

The simple word landed gently in my heart, stirring a slight sense of loss.

But I quickly pulled myself together.

After all, I’m not divorced yet; Julian put it this way to avoid causing me trouble and to protect himself from rumors.

I suppressed my emotions and joined in with a smile.

The reporter, noticing nothing unusual, asked a few other travel-related questions, thanked us for our cooperation, and then turned to interview others.

The wind blew again, carrying a faint floral scent.

I took a deep breath against the breeze, and Julian looked at me, suddenly raised his camera, and pressed the shutter.

The flash startled my eyes momentarily; he smiled, looking at the photo of me on the camera, and said, "This one looks nice too."

After speaking, he looked at me, his gaze deep like a sea of shattered starlight, firmly locking onto me.

I could even see myself clearly reflected in his eyes, feeling a bit dazed, my cheeks seemingly flushing with warmth again.

His gaze slid from my eyes to my lips, his Adam’s apple moved almost imperceptibly.

The next moment, he leaned in slightly, his warm breath gently swept across my forehead. My heart leapt into my throat, my eyelashes trembling uncontrollably, and I clearly felt his proximity.

Just as his breath was almost on me, nearing my touch, I suddenly pushed against his shoulder with both hands.

Julian Sinclair also regained his composure but didn’t stand up straight, still leaning over to trap me between him and the railing behind me.

I explained, "Attorney Sinclair, you just said we’re only friends. Did you forget so quickly?"

Julian caught the undertone in my words and chuckled softly, "Are you mad?"

"No."

I looked at him seriously and said, "I think you’re right. So, I want to return to Veridia as soon as possible to sort everything out and be with you openly."

It was only then that Julian straightened his posture, gently tucked the stray hair behind my ear, and said softly, "Alright."

Just then, a familiar teasing voice reached our ears, "Tsk tsk tsk! The iron tree has bloomed!"

I was startled and looked behind Julian.

It was Mason Hawthorne holding Raina Ainsworth’s hand as they walked towards us.

Even though Raina was wearing sunglasses and dressed particularly low-key, I still recognized her.

Thinking that maybe Mason had seen the scene between Julian and me earlier, I felt extremely embarrassed.

Julian, however, remained nonchalant, loosely placing his arm around my waist as he greeted them.

After a few days apart, Mason still carried that mix of noble elegance and a hint of wickedness.

But it was Raina by his side who had changed so drastically, her once full cheeks now reduced to the size of a palm.

When she took off her sunglasses, her eye sockets were slightly sunken, and even her formerly lively gaze was clouded with an undeniable weariness.

It was easy to imagine what kind of torment she had been through since Mrs. Hawthorne’s commotion.

Mason glanced between Julian and me, the corner of his mouth curling into a teasing smile, "Well, after a disaster, you two seem to have progressed fast. Not bad, a blessing in disguise."

His ambiguous tone made my ears burn, and I was too embarrassed to look up.

Julian obviously noticed my discomfort and changed the subject calmly, "What are you doing here?"

"You can bring your loved one here for some romance, but others can’t come to enjoy some earthly pleasures?"

Mason raised an eyebrow, the teasing in his tone unabashed.

Julian’s brows slightly furrowed, and he changed the topic, "You have time to enjoy yourself here, so I assume you’ve finished what I asked you to investigate."

Mason chuckled lightly and said, "You guessed it! There’s been some progress; I just got the evidence today."

Julian nodded, his voice deep, "Let’s discuss it back at The Orchid Court."

...

The Orchid Court was Julian’s private villa in Silverstream.

Mason was clearly a regular; as he followed us inside, he didn’t even need the guidance of the servants, moving confidently like it was his own home.

Once seated, I learned from the conversation between Julian and Mason that the kidnapper, Hector Shaw, had been based in Silverstream all these years and had only returned to Veridia the night before the kidnapping.

Staying in Silverstream wasn’t just about leisure for Julian; he was also investigating Hector Shaw’s activities, especially whom he’d met and what deals he had made.

Mason placed a black hard drive on the coffee table and pushed it toward Julian, "This is the surveillance footage from last week showing Serena Sawyer’s mother meeting Hector Shaw in a café. Unfortunately, the angle limits lip-reading, and no audio was captured. But I think it’s highly likely that Miss Ellison’s kidnapping involves Serena Sawyer."

A shock went through me.

Previously, I thought the kidnapping was related to the mysterious woman who might be Naomi Sawyer, especially since she called me to the garage right before it happened.

But now it turns out Serena is involved too!

Or perhaps Serena and that woman in my mom’s hospital room are in league?

Julian picked up the hard drive, lightly tapping the casing with his finger, "Is this all you found in three days? Does this count as evidence? There’s no conversation to prove intent, no traces of financial transactions. Can this make her confess?"

Mason leaned back on the sofa, crossing his long legs casually, "This is all I could find despite going through all of Hector Shaw’s movement records frame by frame for half a month. You’re too demanding! If I were your employee, I’d be worked to death sooner or later!"

Julian was unfazed, "I thought you had real skills, having grown up in Silverstream. Seems like all your thoughts are on women."

These words unknowingly hurt Raina, sitting beside Mason.

Her face, already pale, turned even more ashen as she suddenly stood up, her voice weak but determined, "Mason, let’s go. I’m... I’m tired and want to go back."

The hostility on Mason’s face vanished instantly. He gently squeezed her hand and coaxed softly, "Be good, I haven’t finished discussing business with Julian. The garden of The Orchid Court is beautiful, with many rare plants and flowers. Why don’t you take a walk to relax?"

He then looked at me, "Miss Ellison, if you don’t mind, would you accompany Raina for a stroll? After all, you could be considered half the hostess here."

I really didn’t like listening to Mason speak; he always made things uncomfortable.

But I didn’t refuse.

Since Mrs. Hawthorne caused a scene at the film set, I hadn’t seen Raina.

Seeing the dark circles under her eyes and her frail figure, I felt a twinge of sympathy and decided to accompany her outside.

Leaving the main house, we walked along the winding stone path.

The sides were planted with rare flowers and trees, their vibrant blooms colorful, yet Raina kept her head down, uninterested in the scenery.

After a long silence, I tried to speak gently, "How have you been lately?"

Upon hearing my words, Raina paused, a faint, bitter smile slowly forming on her lips.

"What else could it be? Since the day I got involved with Mason Hawthorne, I knew this day would come sooner or later. But living so comfortably under his protection these years, having resources, fame, money at my fingertips, I almost forgot these things weren’t meant for me."