CHAPTER 136: CHAPTER 136: I’VE BEEN HOLDING BACK—DO YOU WANT TO SUFFOCATE ME?

I looked at Raina Ainsworth, unsure of what to say.

Before knowing about her relationship with Mason Hawthorne, I actually quite liked this girl who was a few years younger than me.

At first, it was the admiration and affection girls have for beautiful things. Raina’s appearance was pure and lively, non-threatening, and very appealing; later, it was because she managed her relationships in the crew with ease, showing high emotional intelligence.

But now, the internet is full of posts cursing her for being shameless. She herself is like a rat crossing the street, not daring to appear in public.

During this period, she must have been having a hard time.

I sighed regretfully and asked, "Since you anticipated this day would come and now things have come to this, why haven’t you left him?"

Raina paused in her steps, looking at the shimmering lake ahead, her voice light as if carried by the wind: "Where could I go if I left him? When a person is pushed to the brink, dignity is the last thing they can care about. Zoe, you might not know the circumstances under which I ended up with Mason Hawthorne back then."

I could see that this was probably Raina’s dark past or a sore spot.

Yet perhaps it was my trait as a journalist, I ended up asking along with her words, "Would you mind sharing it?"

As soon as I said it, I regretted it.

Wasn’t I just opening old wounds, poking where it hurts?

So, I quickly added, "It’s okay if it’s inconvenient, my question was abrupt."

But Raina just smiled, her gaze drifting to the distant lake as if recalling something.

The wind lifted the hem of her thin clothes, and her light and helpless voice floated into my ears with the breeze: "It’s not inconvenient. These things have been weighing on my heart for too long, maybe saying them out loud can be a relief.

Actually, I had a happy childhood and never thought I would enter the entertainment industry. My parents ran a clothing store, business was good, and we were a middle-class family. I had a sister ten years older than me, the pride of our family, who got into a prestigious university and was also very beautiful."

Raina’s voice carried a hint of nostalgia, yet soon a thin mist clouded her eyes, "But in university, she fell in love with a man from a prominent family who treated her very well. Later, my sister got pregnant, and he resolutely promised to take responsibility. He even assured her parents that he would visit and finalize the marriage.

But on the appointed day for the parents’ meeting, several men in black barged into our house and took my sister away without a word. We frantically searched for her, only to find she was taken to a private clinic and forced to undergo an abortion."

At this point, her voice started to tremble, tears finally rolling down her face, "There was a complication during the procedure, and she bled out, dying on the operating table. I was only in high school back then and all I remember is that our family seemed cursed after that."

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, despair filling her tone, "My parents’ clothing store went bankrupt, and then they were involved in a lawsuit with massive loans. They sought justice for my sister, but the opponent was too powerful; the police brushed it off as a medical accident, closing the case hastily.

Later, my parents worked odd jobs at construction sites, only to be intentionally troubled by the foreman, being underpaid or assigned the hardest, most dangerous tasks. Desperate, they set up a street stall selling breakfast, but in a few days, thugs came to flip the stall and even beat my dad into the hospital."

Raina sniffed, her voice choked, "We knew it was all because my sister fell for the wrong man. To escape those people, we fled to Veridia overnight with no money, drowning in debt. My mom cried every day, and my dad broke down.

I was only sixteen then, forced to drop out of school and earn money. I entered the entertainment industry as an assistant, doing the hardest work for the least pay, not even getting scrap roles."

At this point, she formed an extremely faint smile and said, "Until I was eighteen, I met 29-year-old Mason Hawthorne at a dinner party. He was the center of attention, noble yet flamboyant, but he came straight to me, saying he found me interesting. To say I was unfortunate, I was indeed; but to say I was lucky, perhaps I was."

She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her pale fingers, saying self-deprecatingly, "At that time, my dad was in the hospital and debt collectors were chasing us. You know what? Foolishly, I directly asked him if I could sell myself to him for half a million."

Raina laughed, but I wanted to cry; my heart was clenched tight, feeling suffocated.

She continued talking to herself: "I knew he was much older, old enough to be my uncle, but I had no choice. Because I knew I had to survive, and I wanted my parents to live too. We still had to seek justice for my sister, to find the man who deserted her back then!"

I couldn’t help but ask, "Was Mason Hawthorne married at the time?"

Raina nodded, replied, "I am shameless, aren’t I? He told me he was married and asked me to think it over. I told him that as long as he could provide me a stable life, I would do whatever he said. But I didn’t expect that what he gave me was far more than a stable life. Except... for marriage."

Listening to her, I became increasingly depressed. Taking a deep breath, I handed her a tissue, saying, "I’m sorry for bringing up your sad story."

"It’s fine, it’s all in the past."

Raina shook her head and said to me: "So Zoe, don’t ask me why I don’t leave him. From the day I sold myself willingly to him, I lost the right to say no. Besides, he does treat me very well. And he’s so close to Attorney Sinclair, I’m thinking of consulting Attorney Sinclair about my sister’s case. That heartless man owes my sister two lives, she can’t die in vain."

I said, "Your sister was discussing marriage with that man, didn’t you even know his background?"

Raina sighed, "I think my parents probably knew, but they refused to tell me, wouldn’t say anything. I don’t understand, they’ve been harmed so much by that man, why do they still conceal for him?"

At this point, she suddenly thought of something and said, "Zoe, I’m only telling you this, please don’t let it spread."

I suggested, "Why don’t you let Mason Hawthorne investigate it for you? See if you can find out the truth about that heartless man back then."

Raina laughed, "Are you kidding? His favor towards me, he can give and take back at any time. The reason I’ve been able to stay by his side all these years is because I know how to advance and retreat and please him comfortably. How dare I ask my benefactor to do things for me?"

As we were talking, Mason Hawthorne came over.

Seeing Raina’s red eyes, Mason paused and asked, "What did you talk about?"

Raina shook her head, feigning a relaxed tone, "I just feel really sorry for Zoe; it feels like I’ve wasted her good script."

Mason gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and soothingly said, "Why feel sorry? Didn’t I invest more into Miss Ellison’s drama afterwards?"

Then he said, "No more crying, you promised to keep me company tonight. If you keep crying, you’ll dampen the mood."

His tone was so filled with unresolvable sweetness, making it uncomfortably sticky.

I really admired Mason’s audacity; after toying with the young girl like this, he still flirted so shamelessly.

His display seemed affectionate, yet it bore not a hint of respect.

Raina was also aware of this.

Though she tried to raise a smile, the bitterness in her eyes was undeniable.

Mason gently encircled Raina’s waist with a hint of control, turned to me and said, "I’ll take Raina with me now. You and Julian should enjoy a few more days in Silverstream. Feel free to contact me if you need anything."

I nodded and did not stop them.

Watching their departing figures, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Raina.

After they left, I also returned indoors.

Julian wasn’t in the living room, and upon asking the butler, I learned he’d gone to the study.

I knocked on the study door, but there was no response.

As I pushed the door open, Julian finally lifted his head from the document, with a lingering pensive look in his eyes.

A document was spread out before him, and as I approached, I accidentally glimpsed the name "Maxine Hawthorne" on it.

Julian had just been lost in thought over this document.

Seeing me enter, his expression remained calm, but his fingers swiftly closed the document and casually tucked it into the bottom drawer of his desk.

I swallowed the question that was on the tip of my tongue.

After all, I hadn’t divorced yet, and the issues between us hadn’t been completely uncovered.

I had no right to inquire about his matters.

Julian gently pulled at my wrist, and with a slight effort, brought me to sit on his lap.

Through the thin fabric, I could clearly feel his warm body temperature and steady heartbeat.

I stiffened, instinctively trying to push myself off his shoulder, "Don’t do this."

He firmly encircled my waist, his palm pressing against the skin of my lower back with a strength that wouldn’t let me escape.

The man’s breath enveloped me, his chin resting in the crook of my neck, his voice carrying a lazy huskiness, "Miss Ellison, I’ve been very restrained. Are you trying to suffocate me?"

I never thought that someone as cold and self-restrained as Julian would say such a thing.

The blood rushed to my cheeks instantly; even my breath seemed to skip a beat.

Sitting stiffly on his lap, my earlobes burning, I could only turn my head, not daring to look at him.

Yet the skin on my neck bristled because of his chin’s gentle pressure.

He seemed satisfied with my reaction, tightening his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to his chest.

His warm breath brushed past my flushed ear, with a deliberately teasing tone: "Why aren’t you speaking? Are you trying to suffocate me, hmm?"

I was even more embarrassed, wishing I could find a hole to crawl into.

Yet he wouldn’t let me go, lifting my chin with his fingers, forcing me to look at him.

In his eyes were shards of a smile, so deep they were like a vortex, yet his tone was assertively commanding, "Look at me, Zoe Ellison. When will you give it to me?"

Meeting his gaze, my mind went blank.

Under his scrutiny, I braced myself to counter-attack, saying, "Didn’t you say you didn’t want to be a Casanova? So, Attorney Sinclair, could you please not help Timothy Xavier? As long as you don’t intervene, I think I still have a good chance of winning."

Actually, I didn’t have much hope he’d agree. After all, I signed a power of attorney with my own lawyer initially. How could this relationship be easily dissolved?

But to my surprise, Julian Sinclair responded with only one word: "Okay."

"Huh?" I thought I heard wrong, so I confirmed, "You... can really do this?"

Julian Sinclair raised his brows slightly and said, "You’re half mine now. I wouldn’t hurt my own woman."

His words made my heart skip a beat, yet they stirred up a sweet thrill.

Though I believe someone like Timothy Xavier wouldn’t easily sever ties,

but this was Julian Sinclair, and I trust he would have a way!

At this point, Julian Sinclair suddenly remembered something and said, "Today, the evidence Mason Hawthorne gathered isn’t enough to convict Serena Sawyer and her mother. There’s not even enough grounds for a lawsuit. I had someone get Hector Shaw’s confession in prison, but he wouldn’t admit to being instructed. Before you were kidnapped, did you encounter any suspicious people or incidents?"

I hesitated a bit, cautiously saying, "If I tell you, will you get angry?"

Julian Sinclair paused and asked, "Does it involve Timothy Xavier?"

I nodded, "If you don’t want to hear about him, I won’t say it."

Julian Sinclair’s deep eyes locked onto mine, "I’m more concerned about your safety than jealousy. I’m just not good-tempered, but not as petty as you think."

His words lacked any mention of love, yet they were more touching than romantic words.

So I told him about Timothy Xavier’s first love, Naomi Sawyer.

Julian Sinclair listened quietly, but his gaze towards me softened increasingly.

By the end, he completely understood and asked, "So you suspect Timothy Xavier’s first love is still alive and deliberately called you to lure you to the basement?"

"Hmm."

I said regretfully, "At that time, my phone still had surveillance footage of her going in and out of my mom’s hospital room, but after I got kidnapped, I lost my phone. The satellite monitoring was something I urgently purchased back then and didn’t have cloud upload functionality. So after losing the phone, those records were lost too. Now, I can only go to the hospital where my mom was admitted to check the surveillance from that day—I recall the approximate time."

Julian Sinclair pressed his brows helplessly and said, "You should have told me this crucial clue earlier. If the woman named Naomi Sawyer was prepared, the hospital surveillance is likely already handled."

Despite this, he still called his assistant, asking him to go to my mom’s hospital now to check the surveillance regarding Naomi Sawyer from before I was kidnapped.

Leo Grant agreed, then hesitated and said, "Attorney Sinclair, when do you... roughly plan to return to Veridia? The law firm’s workload is heavy. There are also many decisions awaiting you from The Sinclair Group, I can’t hold on any longer."

"Returning tomorrow."

Julian Sinclair succinctly said and hung up the phone.

Hearing that he’d return to Veridia tomorrow, I was happy to see Sharon and Doris, but also felt somewhat dejected.

After all, I’ve been completely relaxed during these days in Silverstream, living without worries and not wanting to deal with unpleasant people and matters.

Yet, some matters ultimately require facing them.

For example, ending things with Timothy Xavier.

...

Veridia.

In The Xavier Manor, Sophia Kendall’s furious yelling was deafening.

"We’ve all been deceived by Zoe Ellison, that bitch! Truly a bitch remains a bitch, unbelievably heaven turned a blind eye and didn’t keep her in Burona completely!"

Sophia Kendall finished, then looked at her son, "You even went to a temple to pray for her, but unfortunately she was saved long ago and didn’t even bother to inform you!"

Serena Sawyer chimed in, "Yeah, Timothy’s leg nearly knelt to ruin for her, and after coming back that night he even had a high fever. Miss Ellison is too cold-hearted!"

They sang in unison, but all of Timothy Xavier’s attention was focused on the three words ’Zoe Ellison is saved.’

He asked urgently, "How did you know? Are you sure?"

Sophia Kendall snorted coldly, "To accelerate finalizing your and Serena’s matter, I personally went to the police to inquire how long a person must be missing to be written off. I reported Zoe Ellison’s name, and the police themselves told me. Could that be wrong?"

Timothy Xavier first let out a breath, then he sternly looked at his mother, "Who asked you to write Zoe Ellison off the record? Even if she’s truly missing, she’s still my wife! I said, don’t interfere with my matters anymore! Now that Zoe survived the catastrophe, I will cherish her. Anyone who makes things difficult for her is standing against me—don’t blame me for flipping out!"

His words were directed at Sophia Kendall, but Serena Sawyer listened and secretly clenched her fist.

To be with him, she gave so much, even intentionally fell down the stairs causing a miscarriage, but what about him? Just because Zoe went missing for a time, he completely changed.

What does all her efforts count for, after all this time?

Sophia was even more infuriated, saying, "I’m telling you, it was Julian Sinclair who rescued her, meaning she’s been with Julian these past few days. Who knows what those two immoral people have been up to? And here you are, that foolish romantic, worrying about her for nothing, even at the cost of your own health!"

Timothy naturally felt uncomfortable hearing this.

But no matter what, all this discomfort couldn’t compare to the relief and excitement of Zoe being rescued safely.

He said to his mother, "The reason Zoe and I have come to this point is because of my lack of trust, I misunderstood her too often. Now I believe my wife is someone who knows right from wrong, she wouldn’t do anything she shouldn’t. If you continue speaking about her this way, please don’t come here anymore. Now that she’s back, I ask you not to disturb our lives. During holidays, I will come visit you."

Sophia was stunned.

This is the good son she raised!

She worked so hard to plan for him, and this is how he repays her!

Word after word of ’you’, wasn’t it a sign of wanting to break off with her?

And as for Serena, she was even more in jeopardy. If Timothy didn’t care about Sophia, how could he possibly pay attention to her?

Just as Sophia was too angry to speak, Serena softly began, "Timothy, these days while you were recuperating, I didn’t want to tell you, but seeing how deeply you care for Miss Ellison, my heart aches for you. That day, Miss Ellison and Attorney Sinclair appeared on television..."

Timothy’s brows furrowed tightly, "On what TV program?"

Serena took out a video on her phone, "I watched a travel show that day and casually recorded it. While you were kneeling and praying for her in the heavy rain, she was in Silverstream with Attorney Sinclair, going sightseeing. They even did an interview with a travel reporter, and the two were almost mistaken for a married couple. It’s not hard to imagine how intimate they were."

Watching the video, Timothy saw Julian and Zoe very close, both smiling broadly.

That radiant look, like they were a couple in love!

Especially when Julian was being interviewed, and Zoe’s gaze towards him, what do you call that?

Oh, right, ’gazing affectionately’. It was full of admiration and adoration!

Once upon a time, Zoe looked at him like that, when she smiled at him, it seemed like her eyes were filled with stars.

And now, to see Zoe’s smile, he had to watch her smiling at someone else with such happiness on television.

Timothy clenched his phone tightly, his heart trembling, his hands shaking.

Seeing this, Serena couldn’t help but curve her lips into a cold smile.

And Sophia, thinking she had found her footing, said, "Now you should know who’s truly sincere, and who’s just pretending! This wretched girl is off enjoying herself with Julian Sinclair while Jenna Sutton deceives you. It’s utterly despicable! She might as well hope you worry yourself to death over her, saving the trouble of divorce, making way for those two to marry directly!"

Not wanting to anticipate more self-indulgence from the video, Timothy shut off the phone and tossed it aside, "Julian saved her, and taking her out to have fun to ease her fears is reasonable. At the end of the interview, Julian himself said they’re ’friends’."

"You believe that?"

Sophia was almost coughing up blood in rage, "Timothy, wake up! Julian claimed that to avoid trouble for himself, not leaving us any excuse. If they’re so close in public, who knows how sordid their actions are in private?"

"Enough!"

Timothy’s shout cut off Sophia’s words.

His sharp gaze fixed on Sophia, "Didn’t I make myself clear just now? Stop slandering her! From now on, no one is allowed to slander her again!"

Without waiting for Sophia to speak again, he called outside, "Nanny Lowell, see them out!"

"You!"

Sophia was left gasping for breath in anger.

Seeing Timothy’s determination and ruthlessness, Serena’s eyes welled with tears, pitiably saying, "Timothy, you said you’d marry me and take responsibility for me. Now Miss Ellison is back by your side, what about me?"

Looking at her, Timothy’s gaze softened a bit, he said quietly, "I’m sorry, Serena. During the days Zoe was gone, when I thought I’d lost her for good, I realized just how important she is to me! I can’t be without her; it’s I who can’t leave her! As for you, I can offer you compensation, whether it’s money, resources, or fame, whatever you want, just ask. I’ll give it to you! But I hope that after Zoe comes back, we don’t... I don’t want us to meet again."

Saying this, as if envisioning the future, he continued, "From now on, having Zoe as my wife and Doris as my daughter is enough! During this time, when I lost her, I realized how simple my desires are. Just one her, one daughter, and my life is complete."

Serena’s face turned pale, in that instant, she felt as if all her efforts amounted to nothing.

Zoe didn’t even have to appear in front of Timothy, she just went missing for a while and took away everything Serena was about to obtain!