CHAPTER 13: CHAPTER 13: CAUGHT IN THE ACT

I looked at him blankly, and he sneered, "So it was all an act."

"What?" I was confused.

"Didn’t you stop loving me?" Henry Preston reached out and cruelly rubbed the corner of my lip with his thumb, raising his eyebrows slightly, "Looks like you were just putting on a show for our friends. Zoe, are you now playing hard to get?"

So he was testing me, using such a shameful method. My sanity quickly returned, and I immediately put on the clothes I had already half removed, trying hard to remain calm.

"Is that necessary?" I looked up at him, feeling a wave of desolate amusement, "Henry, I’m not playing hard to get with you. You’re just not used to my aloofness now, like a loyal dog suddenly not wagging its tail behind you, it’s natural you’d be a bit upset, but with time, you’ll get used to it."

"Are you the dog?" Henry asked with a playful tone, seemingly unaffected by my desolation.

"Don’t you already know?" I held onto the disarrayed collar, lowering my head and answering softly.

Henry wasn’t some naive boy, how could he not know about my feelings for him? Besides, I’ve confessed my feelings to him many times before.

It’s just that he never took it seriously. There were so many women who liked him, the only difference between me and them was that I happened to have the opportunity to marry him.

Henry chuckled, seemingly satisfied with the result, and his mood suddenly improved, "Go take a shower."

After saying this, he left the bathroom.

I quickly closed the bathroom door and rushed to the mirror. Seeing my flushed face, I wished I could slap myself.

Why was I so weak? Henry only teased me a bit, and I almost fell for it.

I took three minutes to reflect on the past, finally calmed down completely, and then quickly took a shower and went to sleep.

Henry had already left, and I heard the sound of the engine downstairs.

I stood at the window, watching his car disappear into the night, feeling a bit agitated.

Henry probably won’t come back for a while, and tonight’s incident will reassure him that I’m still under his control, so he can continue to recklessly squander my feelings.

To quickly regain some psychological balance, after I woke up, I had Lane drive me to the hospital.

I even changed into a mature champagne off-shoulder dress, going for an elegant and sexy look. I couldn’t imitate Azure Vaughn’s pure and cute style, and Joel Sutton must have seen it plenty of times too, so there was no need to compete.

Once I arrived at the hospital, I placed a bouquet of flowers by Joel Sutton’s bedside, adjusting my voice to sound soft and charming, "Sutton, is your leg feeling better?"

Joel Sutton was playing a game, and when he saw me, he quickly put his phone down. "Miss Hathaway, much better, the doctor says I can be discharged tomorrow, and I can have my stitches removed in about a week."

"That’s good," I said, sitting by the bed, gently tucking my hair behind my ear, "Isn’t your girlfriend visiting you today?"

"She’s working. We’re both working to support our families." Joel’s smile was bright and sunny, typical of a young man.

I nodded, casually chatting with Joel Sutton.

After a while, I checked my phone and exclaimed, "How is my phone out of battery already?"

"Miss Hathaway, I have a charger here." Joel pointed to the cabinet by the bed.

I opened the drawer, took out the charger, and leaned over to plug it in, almost hovering over Joel Sutton.

From an outsider’s perspective, the scene must have looked very suggestive.

Once I sat back down, Joel Sutton was blushing furiously, unable to meet my gaze.

Pure indeed, I mused.

It was then that I noticed someone at the door reflected in the corner of my eye. Turning my head, I saw Ivan Underwood standing there, looking at me intently.

When did he arrive? Did he see my charging gesture just now? Such deliberate intimacy, clear seduction.

It was a bit embarrassing, and my smile felt insincere, "Dr. Underwood, what brings you here?"

"Covering for someone." Ivan Underwood walked in, answering blandly. He checked Joel Sutton’s injury and gave a few simple instructions.

I stood aside, feeling somewhat guilty.

Ivan Underwood held a special place for me. In my previous life, our only connection was teaming up later to deal with Henry Preston. Before that, we weren’t familiar at all, nor had he ever wronged me. In the end, he even helped me seek medical treatment.

"Can you step outside for a moment?" He glanced at me.

"Oh." I stood up reluctantly.

Ivan Underwood led me to his office. The other doctors weren’t around, and he sat at his desk, flipping through patient files, not even looking up, "How are things with Henry lately?"

His dark hair was well-maintained, stylishly parted; through the neat hairline, I could see his sharp nose.

Casually, I replied, "The same as always."

"Marriage is like this. That’s why people seek excitement, but it often comes at a hefty price." Ivan Underwood’s voice matched his demeanor, calm yet somewhat distant.

I frowned, "Why don’t you advise Henry?"

"I did, but he wouldn’t listen." Ivan Underwood closed the file and finally looked at me directly.

"Then I won’t listen either." I didn’t notice my tone turning slightly petulant, as if I were being stubborn.

Ivan Underwood’s eyes flickered with an unusual expression, seemingly caught off guard by my sudden change in tone.

I quickly reverted to a normal tone, "You’re his good friend. You know better than I what he’s been up to these years. I haven’t made a scene or done anything out of line, which is more than considerate. That young boy was someone I accidentally bumped into, and I’m just visiting him, nothing more."

I acted differently in front of Henry because I wanted a divorce, but I didn’t want to lose composure before others, as I still had to live a normal life after divorce.

Ivan Underwood gave me a deep look, seeming somewhat doubtful of my words.

At that moment, other doctors returned to the office. Ivan Underwood withdrew his gaze and waved, "Mm, he can be discharged tomorrow. That’s all."

Why does talking to him feel more oppressive than with Henry?

When facing Henry, I had nothing to lose—the worst was divorce, which I was waiting for anyway.

But with Ivan, I felt exposed, as if caught doing something shameful.

After leaving Ivan Underwood’s office, I originally intended to visit Joel Sutton’s room to offer more care and reinforce my earlier mature allure. However, I stopped, quickly returning to Ivan Underwood’s office.

"Dr. Underwood!" I sat down in front of Ivan Underwood, lowering my voice, "How about we have a meal together? I have some lingering issues regarding me and Henry that I want to discuss with you."

In truth, I didn’t want that. What I intended was for Ivan Underwood to meet Azure Vaughn sooner, to beat Henry Preston to it.