Chapter 578: Chapter 578: Everything That Was Meant to Happen Has Happened
"Haha, you really overestimate an abandoned woman. I bet she’s the one who’s clingy, trying hard to win back President Hawthorne’s heart."
"Really shameless, doesn’t even look in the mirror to see if she’s worthy of President Hawthorne."
"Whether she’s worthy or not doesn’t matter, isn’t the lady in President Hawthorne’s office right now surely worthy?"
"Exactly, appearance and demeanor-wise, she outshines that Ann Vaughn by miles. If I were a man, I’d also prefer such an intellectual and elegant woman."
"Hearing you guys, if I were Ann Vaughn, I’d be utterly ashamed and never show my face at the company again, haha."
"..."
A few women gossiped gleefully for quite a while before touching up their makeup and leaving the restroom.
Much later, Ann Vaughn emerged from the stall, her legs slightly numb, a cold look on her face as she walked to the sink.
The reflection in the mirror showed her pale, ghostly white face, devoid of any color, unsure if it was from too much pain or another reason.
She curled her lips in a faint, mocking smile, listening to the sound of running water, her limbs gradually turning cold, unable to move for a long time.
As Ann Vaughn was about to head towards the elevator after exiting the restroom, the secretary from earlier approached her with a cup of steaming brown sugar ginger tea.
"Miss Vaughn, if you’re suffering from abdominal pain, drinking this might help."
Ann Vaughn didn’t want to drink anything but noticed the secretary’s genuine concern, so she accepted it with a smile, "Thank you, you’ve been a great help."
"You’re welcome."
After drinking the cup of brown sugar ginger tea, Ann Vaughn handed the ceramic cup back to the secretary and asked with a gentle smile, "Could you do me a favor and not tell Cyrus Hawthorne that I was here today?"
The secretary was momentarily dazzled by her smile, and quickly nodded, "Of course!"
"Thank you." Nodding slightly, Ann Vaughn turned and headed toward the elevator without glancing at the president’s office.
Once she left, the secretary returned to the secretarial room, smiling with a besotted expression, "If I were President Hawthorne, I’d choose the beauty over the kingdom too."
They all worked on the top floor and knew very well about how Ann Vaughn had used her shares to checkmate Henry Hawthorne, who wanted to take over Hawthorne Corp.
Therefore, they jokingly referred to Cyrus Hawthorne as a king who loves beauty over power behind his back nowadays.
But the secretary’s comment soon sparked some skeptical voices.
"But how do you explain President Hawthorne instructing us to say he’s not in if Miss Vaughn comes?"
"And with such a beautiful woman... If President Hawthorne and Miss Vaughn aren’t true love, I won’t believe in love anymore!"
"Sigh, let’s pray that Miss Vaughn doesn’t find out about this. As much as I’m a bit of a pervert, I don’t want to see a beauty shed tears..."
"Being in a room alone with a woman for so long, whatever should have happened probably already did..."
...
Ann Vaughn didn’t know how she managed to leave the building; it was only when she snapped out of her daze that she realized the sunlight today felt a bit bleak.
Not a trace of warmth, only a bone-chilling cold that made one feel like they were in an ice cellar.
She lightly clenched her cold fingers, her face expressionless as she got into the car, fastened her seatbelt, and left the place.
Even though the conversations she overheard in the stall and the secretaries’ lies kept replaying in her mind.
Her expression remained extremely calm, without a ripple of emotion.
Sometimes, if silence does not end in death, silence will lead to an outburst.
Earlier, Ann Vaughn did have a moment of impulse, wanting to storm into the office and confront Cyrus Hawthorne, to see if he really had a woman hidden there.
But she backed down.
That ring... perhaps it was never meant for her from the start.
Just her wishful thinking.
Villa No. 8.
Upon return, without even greeting anyone, Ann Vaughn went upstairs clasping her cramping stomach, wanting to take a hot shower and sleep.
"Miss Vaughn." Leo Lowell, who had been waiting at the master bedroom door, immediately approached when he saw her figure.
Ann Vaughn paused, her furrowed brows never relaxing for a moment, "What is it?"
"I would like to ask for your help." Leo Lowell’s usually steady voice was tinged with urgency, "Could you please plead on behalf of Levi Lowell to the Family Head, so he won’t be sent back to The Beast Den? I can go in his stead!"
The Beast Den?
What kind of place is that?
The pain in Ann Vaughn’s head felt like it was being torn apart, making it difficult to distract herself and ponder for a moment, "What mistake did Levi Lowell make?"
Leo Lowell’s expression stalled, "He... made a slight error, but not enough to deserve this."
Yet he wouldn’t say what the error was.
Sensing the concealment in Leo Lowell’s words, Ann Vaughn felt her headache worsen, taking a deep breath, she said, "I can’t help. That’s not an excuse, it’s the truth. Cyrus Hawthorne won’t punish anyone without a reason. Levi Lowell accepting his punishment for his mistake seems just to me."
"I can take the punishment in place of Levi Lowell!"
"Then you should go to Cyrus Hawthorne, not me," Ann Vaughn replied calmly, "Besides, Leo Lowell, I’ve always wondered why on the day Kenny went missing, you two inseparable brothers were apart, with only you showing up. Where was Levi at that time?"
Leo Lowell choked, his pupils slightly dilated.
He hadn’t expected Ann Vaughn to be so perceptive, guessing it involved Levi from that single point.
The punishment for Levi Lowell was conducted privately to avoid Ann Vaughn and Kenny witnessing any brutality.
Therefore, Leo Lowell didn’t think Ann Vaughn would have heard anything about it.
"So, just so you know, I don’t owe you brothers anything, similarly, I’m not obliged to help you either. That’s all." After saying those words, Ann Vaughn walked straight into the master bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Leo Lowell stood outside, never understanding how Ann Vaughn could be so ruthless.
The Beast Den is a place where even trained warriors find it hard to survive.
Much less... Levi Lowell, who has lost both hands!
If it were Miss Miya, she definitely wouldn’t let someone die without trying to help—
Thinking of this, Leo Lowell’s eyes suddenly lit up with joy, and he quickly strode down the stairs.
Inside the master bedroom.
Ann Vaughn didn’t care what Leo Lowell thought of her. After taking a hot shower in the bathroom, changing into clean, comfortable clothes and stepping out,
she buried herself into the soft bed, placing a hot water bottle on her abdomen, forcing herself to sleep.
Ever since Cyrus Hawthorne had the doctor prescribe medication to regulate her body, and always insisted on watching her drink it before letting it go, she hadn’t experienced such pain in a long time.
It’s not that she didn’t know how to take care of herself, she just hated the taste of medicine, opting not to drink it whenever possible, which is why it had no effect.
But Cyrus Hawthorne seemed to have long seen through her little tricks, making it impossible for her to skip her medicine, she had to drink it all in front of him to count...