CHAPTER 81: CHAPTER 81: ZOE ELLISON, HOW SHOULD I PUNISH YOU?

Grace shook her head and said, "There used to be surveillance in Miss Sawyer’s room. But later, she said she didn’t like being watched, and she went on a hunger strike. President Xavier removed the surveillance. We don’t know exactly what happened in the room that day."

I asked, "Didn’t she have a mental illness? But from what you just described, she seemed pretty coherent."

Grace said, "Miss Sawyer’s mental state fluctuates, we’re used to it."

Thinking of that ear stud, I tentatively asked, "Have all her belongings been sorted out?"

Grace nodded, "Yes, they’ve all been sorted and handed over to her family. She has a sister, who I’ve heard is a big star in your country. Her sister kept all her belongings, I’ve heard it’s to prevent Mr. Xavier from being reminded of painful memories."

I immediately asked, "Did her sister ever say anything was missing?"

"No."

Grace confidently said, "We had her cross-check every item on the list, she didn’t say anything was missing."

I said, "Can I take a look at the list of belongings?"

If the ear studs were on the list but Serena Sawyer said nothing was missing, there must be something fishy going on.

Grace apologized to me, "After Miss Naomi died, her sister and mother kept all her belongings."

"Alright, thank you."

Before leaving, I gave Grace a tip and asked her for some photos of Naomi.

From her description, Naomi was tall and slim, very much like the woman I saw outside my mother’s hospital room earlier.

Only she deliberately covered her face that day, so I couldn’t compare her to the person in the photos.

On the way back, "Naomi isn’t dead" kept echoing in my mind.

Did Timothy Xavier know?

Or was it all Serena Sawyer’s plot, deliberately creating the illusion that Naomi was dead just to make Timothy completely detest me?

When I returned to the country, because of the time difference, it was still daylight.

Fighting sleepiness and exhaustion, I bought a pinhole camera and installed it in my mom’s hospital room.

Even though whether Naomi is dead or alive has nothing to do with me, she appeared at the entrance to my mom’s hospital room, so I have to be wary.

After taking care of everything, I returned home to shower and sleep.

Exhausted from the past few days, I fell into a deep sleep as soon as I hit the bed.

I slept until noon the next day when I received a call from The Ellison Family.

Mrs. Ellison’s voice came through excitedly, "Zoe, why didn’t you answer the phone yesterday?"

"Oh, I went to bed early yesterday. What’s up, mom?"

Mrs. Ellison explained with a smile, "We’re hosting a party at home tonight, inviting some friends from the business world. You should come too; it’s been so long since we last saw you."

Thinking about all that’s happened recently, I indeed hadn’t had time to visit The Ellison Family.

Although I was a bit puzzled, I asked, "Mom, why did our family suddenly decide to host a party?"

After all, even for my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary, we were so low-key.

Mrs. Ellison laughed so hard her mouth couldn’t close, "It’s your brother! Yesterday, he successfully won a bid, which is said to be The Ellison Group’s biggest deal in the past ten years. So, your brother is happy, and the party is like a celebration banquet!"

"I see."

I didn’t expect my brother, who had no business acumen before, to accomplish such a big thing now.

I was happy for my mother too.

But then I suddenly remembered something.

If Timothy Xavier, who is friends with my brother, was going, I’d find an excuse to skip the party.

Right now, the only motivation for me to see him is to handle the divorce proceedings.

Otherwise, I truly feel there’s no need to meet, and I don’t want to either.

So, I asked, "Will Timothy Xavier be going?"

Mentioning this, Mrs. Ellison suddenly became hesitant, "We... we didn’t invite Timothy. This whole thing, you don’t tell him, just come yourself."

I was slightly puzzled. Given Mr. and Mrs. Ellison’s satisfaction with Timothy and how much he had helped The Ellison Group’s business,

It’s in their nature to invite him; it would be logical.

But after confirming Timothy wouldn’t be there, I agreed with Mrs. Ellison, "Okay, mom, I’ll be there tonight."

...

In the evening, I chose a low-key dress and drove to The Ellison Family’s home.

By the time I arrived, many cars were already parked in the yard.

I was also happy for them because it had been a long time since The Ellison Family had been this lively and spectacular.

My brother came out of the villa at that moment, and his tailored suit made him look particularly dashing and high-spirited.

"You finally made it! Mom and Dad were just talking about you."

He seemed to forget the unpleasantness the last time we met and was very warm towards me, just like before I got married.

I handed him the gift I had prepared, "Congratulations, brother."

"Come on in!"

He urged me in and went on to greet the guests behind me.

Mrs. Ellison was dressed especially elegantly tonight, and Mr. Ellison was particularly energetic.

Seeing me come over, Mrs. Ellison couldn’t hide the excitement in her voice, "Zoe, your brother can finally take on big responsibilities! I knew it, he just hadn’t focused on the business world before. Now that he’s serious, it didn’t take long before he won such a big deal!"

While agreeing with Mrs. Ellison, I asked, "Mom, why did you say not to tell Timothy about this? Usually, you and dad always want to invite him over."

Mrs. Ellison sighed, "You don’t know, this deal, Xavier Group almost won it. But your brother’s bid was lower, and their proposal was better, so they snatched the deal from them. How can Timothy feel good about that?"

"I see..."

I nodded thoughtfully.

Timothy Xavier, who was always so strategic, wasn’t usually one to miss the mark.

Maybe this time, being hospitalized for too long affected his control over the market.

This isn’t so bad; it should teach the man a lesson. He’s had too many good days, too smoothly.

That’s why he so wantonly hurt others.

People who’ve never experienced pain won’t have much empathy.

While I was chatting with Mrs. Ellison, the banquet hall suddenly turned silent.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the entrance; Timothy Xavier actually showed up.

He was dressed in a sharp-cut dark gray suit, the watch strap peeking from his sleeve gleamed with a matte metallic sheen, every detail exuding a meticulous elegance.

I looked at Mrs. Ellison in confusion, "Didn’t they say he wouldn’t come?"

Mrs. Ellison seemed a bit nervous too, "Yes, we didn’t send him an invitation! Why did he come uninvited?"

Everyone attending the banquet should have known that Xavier Group lost to The Ellison Group in the bidding, so Timothy Xavier’s sudden appearance was met with murmurs and discreet discussions.

"President Xavier really has strong psychological resilience. I heard Xavier Group had prepared for half a year for this bid but was outsmarted. And yet, he can appear here as if nothing happened."

"I don’t think so! Maybe he’s harboring a stomach full of anger, looking to pick a fight."

"Impossible, no matter how mad he is, a person of President Xavier’s status wouldn’t lose his composure in public."

"..."

The crowd was discussing avidly when Timothy Xavier’s gaze suddenly fell on me, his eyes dark as a bottomless cold pool, filled with intense scrutiny.

I frowned slightly. He had already started heading our way.

The smiles on Mr. and Mrs. Ellison’s faces froze instantly, a trace of fluster crossed their eyes. I subconsciously straightened my back, not knowing what his intentions were.

Just then, my brother came over too.

He stood beside me, speaking in a voice only we could hear, "Timothy, I thought since you just recovered from a serious illness, you wouldn’t be drinking, so I didn’t invite you. Since you’re here, let’s take the chance to get together."

Timothy Xavier’s eyes glimmered with a chilling light, he glanced at me, then asked my brother, "How did you know I was hospitalized?"

Was he suspecting that my brother and I leaked the information?

But in fact, I did not reveal anything about it to The Ellison Family. Apparently, my brother and Serena Sawyer were still in contact privately.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t know so much.

Unexpectedly, my brother patted my shoulder and said, "Zoe took care of you at the hospital for such a long time. What’s strange about us knowing? Speaking of which, we have to thank Zoe for the bid!"

With those words, the air seemed to solidify.

I said in bewilderment, "What does this have to do with me? I only found out about your successful bid today."

Could it be that my brother deliberately said such things to make Timothy Xavier misunderstand me?

Timothy Xavier’s eyes filled with a noticeable coldness, like a thin layer of ice.

Then he let out a slight laugh, one that didn’t reach his eyes, "Right, make sure the water stays in the family."

Timothy Xavier didn’t say another word, just tugged at his tie and turned towards the terrace, his back radiating a chill that kept strangers away.

Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Ellison enjoyed a moment of glory today, soon after several partners voluntarily came to toast them with drinks.

I followed behind my brother, speaking in a low voice, and questioned, "Brother! What did you mean just now? What do you mean ’thanks to me’? This clearly has nothing to do with me!"

He acted like nothing was wrong, speaking with a bit of impatience, "You and Timothy Xavier are already like this, and you’re afraid he’ll misunderstand you?"

I stared into his eyes, "That’s not the point! Even if I divorce him, I won’t take the blame for something I didn’t do. Tell me the truth, was it Serena Sawyer who helped you with the bid? You’re slandering me intentionally for her, aren’t you?"

My brother’s smile faded away, and his brows furrowed, "No wonder Timothy Xavier cheated on you. A woman as unreasonable as you, even I couldn’t stand it! What Serena Sawyer or not, I don’t know what you mean."

He avoided my gaze, sipped the champagne from a nearby tray, clearly trying to hide his guilty conscience.

I pressed further, "You must explain to me clearly today, why involve me? How did you know I was taking care of Timothy Xavier in the hospital? I dare you to say it wasn’t told by Serena Sawyer?"

My brother didn’t mention Serena Sawyer at all and said righteously, "I just can’t stand seeing you being manipulated by him all the time. Who is Timothy Xavier? Cold-hearted and ruthless. What’s the point of entangling with him? This time I won, which means The Ellison Family won! In the future, he won’t dare look down upon you, or bully you."

He avoided my questions from start to finish, but the more he did, the more certain I became that my brother and Serena Sawyer hadn’t broken up yet.

I looked at him seriously, "Timothy Xavier is not someone easily taken down. Maybe soon, he’ll find out the truth behind this matter. Take care of yourself! I hope by then, you won’t be thrown under the bus by Serena Sawyer."

My brother let out a cold laugh, his tone full of confidence, "I take full responsibility for my actions, it has nothing to do with anyone else! Don’t blame others for being better than you, and because you can’t control your own husband, don’t pour dirty water on them."

I shook my head in disbelief, truly puzzled how Serena Sawyer had brainwashed my brother so thoroughly.

The banquet continued lively, under the chandelier, guests raised their glasses and toasted each other.

I stood in the corner of the lounge, unwilling to step forward.

So that’s how my brother’s bid was achieved.

It was as if the entire hall was celebrating the success of someone who cheated to get a high score, yet that very person was gloating about it.

How ridiculous!

I set down my glass, getting ready to leave, unwilling to linger in such a place, unable to fit into this false world.

Just as I donned my coat and stepped outside, my wrist was grabbed by a cold force.

I looked up abruptly, nervously at Timothy Xavier’s gloomy face, "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"If you don’t want to cause a scene at your brother’s celebration, come with me now!"

He said coldly, half-pulling me to the small attic in the back garden of the villa.

The stairs were layered with thin dust, and when he turned on the light, the bulb flickered as if having a faulty connection.

He finally let go of me, quietly standing in the center of the room.

The room once filled with wind chimes was now void, the gifts he sent me each year for my birthday, which I had set on the table, I discarded them all.

Now, the room felt empty, with only faint graffiti on the walls.

Timothy Xavier glanced around the room, a fleeting trace of trance in his eyes.

I intended to explain to him that I never leaked any information about him or Xavier Group to Declan Ellison.

But he spoke indifferently, "When you placed those wind chimes and divorce papers among my birthday gifts, you must have planned to join forces with Declan Ellison to retaliate against me, wasn’t it?"

"It’s not me!" I looked up at him, saying each word clearly, "Timothy Xavier, I wouldn’t do such a thing! I have no reason to deceive you!"

He stepped forward, his tall figure casting an oppressive shadow, cornering me against the wall, "I’ve guarded against the old foxes on the board, against the hidden shots of competitors, but I never guarded against you! Yet you, Zoe Ellison, turned our team’s months of effort into a joke!"

I clenched my fists, gritting my teeth, "I’ll say it again, it wasn’t me, believe it or not!"

I reached out intending to push him away, but he trapped me firmly against the wall, "Not you? Then tell me, how did the bid pricing leak? The bidding documents and pricing were only on my computer! And that computer was always with me when I was hospitalized."

"Don’t forget, it was you who forced me to take care of you in the hospital! If it wasn’t for you setting that condition to spare Ethan Xavier, I wouldn’t have stepped into your ward for a single step!"

I finished speaking, and he seemed even angrier.

Timothy Xavier’s stern face drew near, his nose almost touching my forehead.

His voice brimming with bone-chilling coldness, "That’s because I trusted you too much! But I didn’t expect that while guarding against outsiders, I fell victim to an insider. Tell me, how should I punish you?"