Chapter 53

Claire's face fell. "How about I hire a nanny for you?"

She adored Gabriel and Travis, but those kids were way too smart. Even playing a simple puzzle with them made Claire feel like she couldn't keep up.

How could two kids under three years old solve such a complicated puzzle?

Puzzles were Claire's thing, but these little geniuses beat her every time, and it was a real blow to her ego.

Watching them for a few days was fine, but long-term? No way.

Zoey shook her head firmly. "Not right now."

She patted Claire on the shoulder. "I'll make sure Gabriel and Travis behave."

Claire thought to herself, 'this has nothing to do with them behaving or not.'

Considering the important stuff Zoey had to handle, Claire finally nodded.

At Evergreen Hospital

Alexander opened his eyes and saw his mom, Amelia. "Mom, am I dead? Is this heaven?"

Amelia lightly smacked his forehead. "What are you talking about? You just have a fever and you're in the hospital."

Alexander realized he was safe.

His eyes welled up. "Mom, I'm sorry. I should've listened to you and Dad. I regret everything. Catherine never loved me; she only wanted my money."

Seeing her son so worn out, Amelia's heart ached. "It's good you realize your mistake. Once you're better, you should talk to Zoey about getting back together."

Alexander looked troubled. "Mom, I'm scared Zoey won't agree. She hates me."

Amelia thought for a moment and then said, "I'll figure something out."

Zoey was driving to Apex Group when she noticed someone tailing her.

Her eyes narrowed. Was Arthur having her followed?

She quickly turned the wheel and headed into a narrow alley.

The car behind her followed.

Zoey floored it, speeding up so fast the car behind struggled to keep up.

Halfway through the alley, Zoey suddenly stopped.

The car behind had to stop too.

The alley was too narrow to back out.

The bodyguard driving the car watched as Zoey got out, opened her trunk, and pulled out a baseball bat.

With a bright smile, Zoey walked towards the bodyguard.

He had seen all kinds of scary stuff, but Zoey's smile still freaked him out.

Zoey tapped the car window with the bat. She was ready to smash it if he didn't open up.

To her surprise, the window rolled down, revealing a somewhat familiar face.

"Miss Spencer, what a coincidence. We're on the same road," he said with a forced smile.

Zoey finally remembered him.

"You're Mr. Windsor's bodyguard, right? What's your name?" she asked.

The bodyguard quickly replied, "My name is Hugo Graves."

"Did Mr. Windsor send you to follow me?" Zoey asked, lowering the baseball bat.

Hugo shook his head. "Miss Spencer, you got it wrong. Mr. Windsor didn't send me. It's just a coincidence."

Zoey stared at him for a moment, making Hugo nervous. He tried to keep his cool, thinking of a good excuse if she kept pressing.

Then Zoey said, "I'm heading to the mall to buy clothes for my two sons. Are you going there too?"

Hugo was taken aback. Considering the direction Zoey was driving, it did seem like she was heading to the mall. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding.

"No, I'm going to a seafood market near the mall. Mr. Windsor wants some seafood, so I'm picking it up," Hugo replied.

Zoey didn't ask any more questions, just smiled at him, and said a quick goodbye before returning to the car.

Hugo, still worried, decided to keep following her but from a distance this time.

Zoey seemed unaware of him, and ten minutes later, she stopped at the mall.

Hugo got out and followed her quietly. When he saw her enter a children's store, he finally felt relieved and left.

Back in his car, he called Henry to report. "Now Miss Spencer is shopping in a children's store. Should I keep following her? I'm worried she'll notice me again."

On the other end, Henry was in his study, looking at stock charts on his computer. He frowned slightly. "No need to follow her. Just go to the seafood market, buy the seafood, and send it to the manor. Have Lally prepare it and send it over at noon."

He remembered that Zoey enjoyed seafood during their dinner yesterday, and Gabriel and Travis liked it too.

By the time Zoey finished shopping and returned, it would be almost noon.

Zoey left the mall, not seeing the bodyguard again. She threw the two big bags of clothes into the back seat, put on her sunglasses, and drove straight to Apex Group.

"Hello, I'm Zoey Spencer, the head of the Southside project from the Spencer Group. I'm here to discuss the project with Mr. Jimenez. Could you please inform him?" Zoey said at the front desk, taking off her glasses and smiling at the receptionist.

The receptionist was initially annoyed, thinking, 'You think Mr. Jimenez is willing to see anyone?'

But when she looked up, even as a fellow woman, she was momentarily stunned by Zoey's beauty.

However, jealousy quickly took over, and her gaze turned malicious.

Such beauty, Miguel would definitely like it.

"Please wait a moment, I'll check if Mr. Jimenez is available," the receptionist said, picking up the phone and connecting to Miguel's office.

"Mr. Jimenez, there's a woman named Zoey Spencer here to see you. Do you have time?" she asked, glancing at Zoey. "I didn't expect the head of the Spencer Group to be such a beauty. Even I am stunned."