Chapter 671 Samuel: Zenobia, I Have Never Loved You!
Zenobia pushed open the door to the CEO's office without knocking.
Samuel was on the phone.
He lifted his gaze to her, his expression cold and unreadable.
Quentin saw it all with the clarity of a polished mirror.
When Zenobia had first set foot in Evergreen City, Samuel had hovered near her like a steadfast guardian. But now, after her betrayal, his gaze toward her was nothing but cold, stripped of even the smallest kindness.
To Quentin, the truth was almost laughably simple: Samuel had never truly loved Zenobia. If he had, love would have found a way to forgive — no matter how low she had sunk, no matter how sordid her sins.
Quentin cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ms. Carthage, I told you, Mr. Collins is in the middle of an important call."
Zenobia gave a sharp, mocking smile. "Call me Mrs. Collins."
Samuel murmured a few last words into the phone, hung up, and tilted his chin toward Quentin, signaling him to leave. Only then did he look at Zenobia — his former first love — and smirk as he pulled a slim white cigarette from the pack. "Don't you already have a husband? That guy... Leo, isn't it?"
The color drained from Zenobia's face.
A few words from him, and she was cornered into silence.
When she found her voice again, she said quickly, "Samuel, we had a wedding. In the old days, that would have been a marriage. Don't think you can deny it."
Samuel lit the cigarette. Smoke curled in pale blue wisps around his face, blurring the sharp lines of his features.
"I'm not denying anything," he said with a low laugh. "I did marry you — without knowing the truth. Which means you committed bigamy, and I'm the innocent victim. Tell me, am I wrong?"
Zenobia's face went even paler. "You know?"
"The house staff told me," he replied, exhaling smoke.
She let out a slow breath, trying to recover, then stepped closer, abandoning her pride.
She reached for his cigarette, helping him hold it, her voice soft and coaxing, "Samuel, I admit I wasn't always easy to deal with. But you weren't perfect either. You changed the company's name to TaySam Tech without even telling me. Any woman would be upset. But I let it go. Please, let go of what happened between Leo and me. Once I end things with him, we can start over."
Samuel looked down at her from above, his voice almost gentle. "And what exactly would I be getting out of that?"
His eyes hardened. "A woman who's been married before? Who's had a child? Who flirts with every man she meets and might bring home a disease one day?"
The words were a slap. Zenobia's voice sharpened. "You're not afraid I'll drag you down with me? You forget I still have leverage over you?"
He gave a cold smile. "Oh, I'm terrified. Which is why I made sure to destroy every piece of evidence you had. Even if you tried to expose me, it wouldn't touch me. And in case you didn't know, I've reconciled with Taylor. You know what the Montague family is capable of."
Zenobia froze.
Samuel glanced at the glowing tip of his cigarette.
His voice dropped. "I did her a favor. She promised to do one for me."
There was a long silence.
Zenobia snorted. "A favor? That's just an excuse. You regret what happened. You don't want to stay on bad terms with Taylor. You want to get close to her again. You want her back."
He could lie to everyone else, even to himself, but not to her.
To her surprise, Samuel didn't deny it.
"I'm still in love with Taylor. Zenobia... I never loved you. All I ever loved was the way it felt to be needed. God, how ridiculous — and by the time I realized it, it was already too late." He took a breath. "We both deserve our punishment."
"Our punishment?" Zenobia let out a bitter laugh. "You're right. We do."
She was quick to put the pieces together. Samuel and Leo had been in contact. That weak man would never have dared to sue her without Samuel's backing. But she realized it too late.
In the end, old lovers became enemies, and all that was left was her scream, "Samuel, you bastard!"
Samuel didn't spare her a shred of courtesy. He shot back at Zenobia, his voice sharp as broken glass, "A bastard? Haven't I given enough? I lost my marriage. I lost my home. I lost Taylor. Isn't that enough? Tell me, isn't it? And how did you repay me? With your affair?"
Zenobia had no answer.
"Get out," Samuel said. He swept the files from his desk onto the floor. "Get the hell out. The game is over. From now on, we're nothing to each other. You're no longer Mrs. Collins."
Zenobia's whole body trembled. "No, Samuel, you can't do this."
He leaned back in his chair, exhausted, his voice almost a whisper, "TaySam Tech's PR department has already released a statement about your sham marriage. As of today, I'm free. No more being tied to a woman like you."
Zenobia shouted in fury, but it was useless.
Once a man had stopped loving you, you could have died at his feet, and the only thing he would have felt was revulsion.
Samuel's smile was slight, almost fragile. A stray lock brushed his forehead; his teeth flashed white in the light before fading back into shadow.
The stillness between them was steeped in sorrow—because victory had eluded him. He had lost Taylor.
By dawn, Zenobia stood alone. The world had turned its back
She couldn't show her face in the social circles she once ruled. She even sought out Geraldo, but he avoided her.
In the end, it was his wife who agreed to meet her. The elegant woman slid a check for two million dollars across the table.
"Take it," she said. "If Geraldo were here, he wouldn't be so generous. Men stray; I can understand that you cared for him. But Geraldo moves on. He's seeing a young actress now — no ex-husband, no child, and worth more than you. When they part, I doubt I'll be the one to step in. Geraldo has his own way of being gallant."
Every word stripped away what was left of Zenobia's dignity.
After Geraldo's wife left, Zenobia sat frozen, the check heavy with humiliation beside her coffee cup.
Once, she would have scoffed at such a sum. But now, with all her credit cards cut off and nothing left in her name, she had no choice.
In the end, she took the money.
She decided to go back for Thalassa. There was still one path left: reconcile with Leo, beg that fool to take her back. If he withdrew the lawsuit, she could rebuild. When Thalassa was older, she could bring her to Samuel again.
Samuel loved Thalassa. He wouldn't let her suffer.
Zenobia calculated every step and rushed to the villa — but she was too late.
Samuel had already sent Thalassa away.