Broken Oath: I Left, He Regretted-Chapter 175: I’ve Never Been With an Older Woman
In the past, Ethan Xavier’s handsome face always bore a carefree smile, even when he first proposed cooperation in the hospital room. There was a bit more calculation, but never such hostility as today.
But at this moment, anger surged in his eyes as he squeezed her chin, forcing her to look up. His voice was cold as ice: "How did you promise me back then? I rescued you, and you must follow my arrangements! Who allowed you to appear in front of Timothy Xavier today?"
Naomi Sawyer was shocked. How did he know she went to the mall today?
Could it be that those who were following her were sent by Ethan Xavier?
The pain in her chin hit her, and Naomi frowned, only to meet with a more ferocious reprimand from Ethan.
"Do you know, if I hadn’t stopped Timothy Xavier today, you would have been taken back by him already!"
He spoke through gritted teeth, every word laced with suppressed anger, "What exactly do you want? Tell me, what do you want?"
Naomi’s cold gaze swept over his somber face. She steadied her breath and said, "We agreed back then that I would return to Timothy Xavier’s side eventually, to work for you and repay your kindness. Now, I’m just fulfilling that promise."
Ethan stared into her eyes for a long time, scrutinizing the truth in her words.
Suddenly, a memory flashed in his mind of standing arrogantly by the hospital bed, telling her she was just his pawn and to recognize her position.
At that time, he thought he controlled everything, but now that Naomi was really keeping the agreement, he felt inexplicably panicked.
After a long while, he suddenly let go of her, the force making Naomi stagger.
"No need." He turned around, his voice cold and devoid of any warmth, "I am now the CEO of Xavier Group. Timothy Xavier is already beneath me. Your value is gone."
Naomi’s heart sank suddenly, an inexplicable sense of loss surging in her heart.
With his back to her, hands in his trouser pockets, she couldn’t see Ethan’s expression, but she could hear the familiar coldness in his tone.
It was exactly like when he said in her hospital room that he would treat her as a pawn.
At that time, she willingly agreed to his terms to escape Timothy Xavier’s captivity and to see her biological mother again.
But just now, the words "your value is gone" were like a bucket of cold water that instantly sobered her.
It turned out she was always just a pawn to him and never changed.
Naomi’s lips curled into a self-mocking smile, and she softly said, "Since I have no more value, our cooperation ends here. I’m sorry for wasting so much of your effort to save me, yet I couldn’t offer you any return."
"End?"
Ethan suddenly turned around and said, "You also know how much effort I wasted saving you? And now you tell me it’s over?"
Naomi was slightly startled and instinctively retorted, "It was you who just said I have no more value."
Ethan stepped closer to her, his tall frame blocking the light behind him, casting her entirely in shadow.
The usually smiling peach blossom eyes of the man were now full of gloom, with a hint of undeniable forcefulness.
His gaze locked on her face, his voice deep and ambiguous: "I only said you have no more value in dealing with Timothy Xavier. I didn’t say you have no value in other aspects."
As he spoke, his gaze slowly shifted downwards from her eyes to her neck, his fingertips gently brushing her cheek with a scorching temperature.
His ambiguous tone was like feathers tickling the heart, yet it made Naomi feel a chill all over.
"I’ve been mingling among flowers for years and have seen countless women, but now it seems I’ve never had an affair with an older sister."
The word "sister" was spoken tenderly and playfully, yet it felt like a knife stabbing into Naomi’s heart.
She looked up in shock, her heart throbbing with dull pain.
"Ethan Xavier, what do you take me for?"
Her voice trembled as she stepped back abruptly, turning to grasp the doorknob.
But her wrist was seized again, this time with more force than before.
Although Ethan was tall and thin, the disparity in strength between genders was undisguised at this moment.
He yanked her into his arms, his arm tightly wrapped around her waist, making her unable to move.
He lowered his head, his warm breath brushing against her neck with an undeniable dominance.
Naomi’s pupils contracted sharply, and panic seized her heart in an instant.
Even though they had been living in this villa together, with Ethan flirting every now and then, he had never made any excessive moves.
And even if she knew he had many flirtations, she believed he wasn’t indecent.
But now, Ethan’s actions made her feel she had misjudged him!
Naomi struggled desperately, her hands pushing against his chest with all her might, afraid to make a sound for fear of being heard outside.
But Ethan’s arms were like iron bands, holding her tightly in place.
As their lips were about to touch, she turned her head, and his kiss landed on her cheek, the scorching heat making her body stiffen, enveloped by fear.
Just then, there was a sudden knock on the door, and Katherine Sheldon’s voice came through the door panel: "Is Naomi back?"
Ethan’s movements halted abruptly, a trace of impatience flashing in his eyes, clearly not wanting to respond.
But Naomi felt as if she had grasped a lifeline, using the moment he was distracted to push him away forcefully and quickly opened the door.
Katherine saw her son in Naomi’s bedroom, her face turning dark instantly, frowning tightly: "Ethan, what are you doing here?"
Ethan cast a cold glance at Naomi, that fierce look making her heart tighten.
He did not answer his mother’s question, only left behind a cold silhouette, striding past Katherine with a loud slam of the door.
Naomi instinctively breathed a sigh of relief, her back already covered in a thin layer of cold sweat.
"If I had been a moment later, Ethan would probably have..."
Katherine walked into the bedroom, her sharp gaze sweeping over Naomi’s face with an enigmatic smile that made Naomi instantly understand her unspoken implication.
Naomi curved her lips bitterly, her voice ethereal and light: "Ms. Sheldon, you’ve misunderstood. Ethan has always only seen me as a trump card and pawn against Timothy Xavier. He doesn’t have the feelings you’re imagining."
"Ethan said that himself?"
Katherine paused slightly, raising her eyebrows in disbelief, her gaze still holding a trace of scrutiny.
Recalling Ethan’s words earlier, Naomi felt a dull pain in her heart.
She forced down the bitterness, gently nodding: "Yes, he said so. So, Ms. Sheldon, you don’t need to worry anymore."
Katherine still seemed half-convinced but didn’t probe further, instead changing the topic to a more pressing matter: "What are your plans next?"
"We’ll stick to our previous arrangement. I’ll appear in front of Timothy Xavier on his wedding day."
Naomi raised her eyes, her gaze restored to its usual clarity. "Today, I appeared in front of him to test if he still has any interest in me."
"You’re a smart child," Katherine smiled with satisfaction, a hint of calculation in her eyes. "Judging by Timothy Xavier’s demeanor today, if you appear at the wedding, he will definitely leave Zoe Ellison for you."
"Yes."
Naomi Sawyer nodded and said, "In front of everyone, he left the wedding, abandoning the bride himself. No matter how he tries to cover it up later, it’ll be impossible. The much-anticipated wedding of the century was turned into a public spectacle with the groom fleeing, and public opinion will burn him for it. Zoe can use this as an excuse to file for divorce, and no one will blame her."
Katherine Sheldon sighed softly, her eyes on Naomi’s face with a hint of regret. "You’re such a clever child; if it weren’t for your past with Timothy Xavier, I would have liked you as Ethan’s wife. What a pity, life is tricky."
The words "past with Timothy Xavier" pierced Naomi’s heart like a needle. Her fingers clenched inch by inch on her knees, nails almost digging into her skin.
No one believed that she and Timothy Xavier had never had that kind of relationship; all along, Naomi Sawyer had been entirely innocent.
Even though she loved so deeply back then, she never gave up her principles.
But these words never came out of her mouth.
Now, defending herself no longer mattered.
Because, for Timothy Xavier, she had lost something very important and wouldn’t arrogantly attach herself to Ethan Xavier.
Moreover, a man like Ethan Xavier, who had seen many women, wouldn’t fancy a woman three years older and incomplete.
...
Meanwhile, I sat at home, my mind filled with thoughts of Naomi Sawyer.
A person as stubborn as Timothy Xavier was probably using all his resources to find her by now.
At that moment, Sharon approached me, looking at me timidly.
I put away my worried expression and asked her, gathering some spirit: "What’s wrong, Sharon? Are you upset? Did you have a fight with Doris?"
"No."
Sharon shook her head, hesitated, and said, "The kids at kindergarten are saying that you and Doris’s dad are getting married. Doris said I could go home with her then, but I..."
She didn’t finish her sentence.
I knew she was tired of the bitter feeling of being a foster child.
Even though Mason Hawthorne had always left her in my care, she must have seen me as a mother, so she didn’t feel the usual awkwardness of being a foster child.
But if I really moved back in with Timothy Xavier at The Xavier Family, Sharon would feel her situation had changed.
I looked at her empathetically and spoke softly, "Sharon, do you trust Auntie?"
Sharon paused and gave a firm nod.
I said each word clearly, "Then let me tell you a secret: Auntie won’t go back to The Xavier Family with Uncle Xavier or be with him."
"But... doesn’t getting married mean being together?"
Sharon looked at me quizzically, tilting her little head.
I stroked her soft hair and said, "You’re still young; many things aren’t the way they seem or sound. If you trust Auntie, then keep this secret for her. Auntie will never leave Sharon, okay?"
Sharon pursed her lips and leaned into my arms, saying, "Auntie, I’ve always envied kids with their real mothers. But now, I don’t envy them anymore. I don’t know why my real mom didn’t want me, but you are exactly what I imagined my mom would be like."
A wave of warmth flooded through me.
At the same time, I told myself I needed to resolve things quickly with Timothy Xavier, so Sharon wouldn’t have to live with anxiety because of me.
After getting the kids ready for bed, I returned to my room.
I really wanted to know if Timothy Xavier had found Naomi Sawyer yet.
I thought, only the appearance of Naomi Sawyer could make him truly let go of his obsession with me.
So, I called Timothy Xavier.
The phone rang for a long time, and just when I thought he wouldn’t pick up, it finally connected.
Before I could speak, his hoarse, deep voice came through: "You’re right, Naomi might really not be dead."
I suppressed the excitement surging within, trying to keep my voice calm and unaffected: "Well, congratulations on finally getting her back. As for our wedding..."
"Zoe Ellison!"
Before I could finish my sentence, Timothy Xavier interrupted me.
His voice turned cold abruptly, and he said sternly, "Unless Naomi Sawyer is truly found and she comes back to me, you can’t escape this wedding! Even if she comes back, it won’t erase the fact that you colluded with Julian Sinclair and betrayed me! I won’t let you off easily."
I took a deep breath, swallowing the curse that reached my lips and continued with patience: "Our wedding is in three days; are you sure you can find Naomi Sawyer in that time? Why not postpone it a little? Give yourself a chance, and give Naomi a chance."
I deliberately softened my tone and said, "I really hope you and she become a loving couple."
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, followed by Timothy Xavier’s cold sneer dripping with unmasked sarcasm: "I think it’s you who wants to end up with Julian Sinclair!"
The hope I had so painstakingly nurtured shattered with this call.
...
Unknowingly, another two days passed.
Tomorrow is the wedding.
But there’s been no movement from Timothy Xavier’s side, nor any news of Julian Sinclair.
Anxiety gripped my heart like vines, leaving me increasingly restless and uneasy.
Is Julian Sinclair planning to act on the wedding day itself?
If he remains inactive, I will have to walk down the aisle in my wedding dress, performing this sham ceremony before all the guests with Timothy Xavier.
The thought of standing by this man on the red carpet, receiving everyone’s blessings, makes my stomach churn with disgust.
And today, Timothy Xavier asked me to bring Doris for the wedding rehearsal.
This man even wanted Doris to be the flower girl.
I went to the hotel myself; Timothy Xavier expressed dissatisfaction at not seeing Doris.
There was no joy in his face at the imminent marriage but rather his usual broodiness.
Seeing this, I knew Naomi Sawyer still hadn’t been found.
Otherwise, this man wouldn’t have such a grief-stricken look.
He frowned and asked me, "Why didn’t you bring the daughter?"
I replied expressionlessly, "I’m afraid it would scar her childhood."
Timothy Xavier was stumped by my comment, stepping closer and lowering his voice: "Zoe Ellison, are you still hoping Julian Sinclair will come to take you away? You should give up on that thought. He won’t put himself in the spotlight for you. You’ll never fly away with him."
Casually, my fingertip brushed a speck of dust off my dress, a smile tugging at my lips though my eyes remained cold: "Same goes for you."
Timothy Xavier’s face darkened instantly.
I met his gaze and said clearly, "The Naomi Sawyer you’re obsessed with hasn’t appeared, has she? You also haven’t managed to be with the woman you love most. I’m quite curious as to what you did to her, making her prefer to stay hidden rather than come to you. Timothy Xavier, turns out you’re equally lousy with every woman, not just me."
