Chapter 669 Nothing but a Wreck
Through the haze, Samuel thought he heard Taylor calling his name.
"Samuel, wake up."
"I'll get you a hot towel from the bathroom. You'll feel better after you wipe down."
"Why are you smiling like that? Even when the company made a profit, you never looked this happy. Is marrying me really such a joy?"
Samuel's brow tightened.
It had been their wedding night. Taylor had been so tender, so attentive, caring for him with a warmth that felt endless. Now, that same tenderness belonged to another man — Julian.
"Taylor... Taylor."
The night wind whipped around him as Samuel drained a glass of the bitterest liquor he could find. He leaned heavily against the side of his car, summoning every ounce of strength just to stay upright, to keep from collapsing onto the pavement.
The phone in his coat pocket kept buzzing. Zenobia.
He had no intention of replying. She was probably here to make amends, but Samuel was finished with her.
Once, he had seen Zenobia as the untouchable girl he could never forget. Now, she was venom in his veins.
And because of her, he had lost Taylor.
He had let go of their marriage while he still loved her.
Leaning against the Range Rover, he let out a hollow, self-mocking laugh.
So this is what it feels like to be the biggest fool of all.
Midnight struck. The first hour of the new year.
Samuel lifted his gaze toward the dark silhouette of the villa. He knew Taylor was inside with Julian.
He stood there quietly, watching the night, watching the ache in his own chest, before whispering, "Goodbye, Taylor."
They had spent seven New Years together.
This was their first apart. The rest of his life would be without her. Samuel stood in silence, lost in thought.
At one a.m., he drove back to his own villa.
The thin crescent moon slipped behind the treetops. The driveway was dark, but a tall, lean figure stood in the shadows.
Samuel slowed the car, and the figure came into view — Leo, Zenobia's legal husband.
Leo saw him too. He hurried over and tapped on the driver's side window, looking anxious. "Mr. Collins, I need a word."
Samuel despised Zenobia, but he bore no grudge against Leo. He eased the car to a stop.
The window slid down, revealing Samuel's sharp, composed features.
Leo hesitated, clearly uneasy, but his need outweighed his pride. "Mr. Collins, I..."
Samuel leaned back in his seat, eyes fixed on him. Then, without a word, he reached for a pack of cigarettes, shook two loose, and handed one over. He even leaned out with his lighter.
Leo waved his hands. "That's not necessary, Mr. Collins."
Samuel lit it for him anyway. Reluctantly, Leo accepted.
They both took a drag before Samuel's voice broke the silence, rough and low, "Sorry, Leo. I swear I didn't mean for it to happen. She came to Evergreen City already talking about divorce."
The air between them shifted.
Leo's face was gentle but worn, his hands rough from years of hard work. He took another deep pull from the cigarette, letting the smoke burn through his chest before exhaling slowly.
"Mr. Collins, this isn't your fault."
If anything, Samuel was a victim too. Zenobia's lies had destroyed his marriage — and Taylor, with her beauty, her grace, and her powerful family, had been a prize no man would willingly lose.
Leo could imagine how much Samuel hated Zenobia. He felt the same.
A pale ribbon of smoke drifted away on the wind.
Leo's eyes were shadowed. "An hour ago, Zenobia drove off. Thalassa's still at the villa. Mr. Collins... I just want to see her. I won't stay long."
His voice cracked, and his eyes reddened.
From inside his coat, Leo pulled out a small stuffed toy. Samuel recognized the brand — Taylor had bought the same before. Even the smallest size cost over two hundred dollars. For a man like Leo, it was a sacrifice born of love.
Samuel didn't care where Zenobia was or who she was with. In truth, he wanted her behind bars — and Leo might be the key to making that happen.
He finished his cigarette, then said flatly, "Get in."
Minutes later, they were upstairs.
The hallway was lined with luxury. Leo's eyes flickered with something between awe and bitterness.
No wonder Zenobia had chased wealth — it was an easy temptation.
"My ex-wife's taste," Samuel said quietly.
Leo had no reply.
Samuel's voice carried a trace of sorrow, but he didn't linger on it. He opened the door to the children's room. A warm bedside lamp cast a soft glow over the space.
"She had surgery only two weeks ago," Samuel murmured. "She's better now, but it's best not to wake her. No strong emotions."
Leo's eyes locked on the sleeping Thalassa. "I'll just look, then go."
Samuel stepped back, leaving him the space, and walked to the end of the hall to smoke.
As he inhaled, he thought about how generous he was being, letting Leo into his house to see her.
Generous? No. Pathetic.
But his kindness had conditions. Leo would never walk away from Zenobia unscathed. In the end, they would both be ruined.
That was exactly what Samuel wanted.
He wanted Thalassa to stay with him, to be his and his alone. Zenobia had shattered his marriage, and now the sight of anyone else's happiness felt like a blade twisting in his chest.
Sometimes Samuel wondered if there was something dark and broken inside him that could never be fixed.
The ember of his cigarette glowed as he drew in another breath.
A soft click behind him — the bedroom door closing. Samuel turned to see Leo in the light of the crystal chandelier, his eyes still wet.
Leo had been crying.
The toy was gone from his hands, left behind with Thalassa. His hands were empty. Maybe his heart was too. He must have known how this would end for him, yet he accepted it calmly.
He said he trusted Samuel.
Samuel's throat tightened.
Trust him? What a joke. Thalassa was Leo's own daughter — he should be the one raising her.
Samuel's jaw worked as he fought the sudden, irrational rush of sympathy.
Or maybe he just couldn't stand the sight of a grown man crying.
That was it. He wasn't a good man. He just hated the look of it.