Chapter 628 Taylor, Where Are You?
Samuel was the one who arrived.
But when he stepped into the stairwell, he found only Zenobia waiting there.
She looked heartbreakingly fragile, and as soon as she saw him, tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks.
"Samuel, he's such a bastard!" Zenobia's voice shook as she sobbed. "He found out I brought Thalassa here for treatment and showed up just to make trouble. He brought along some stuffed animal to lure Thalassa away—she actually thought he was a good father. But Samuel, you have no idea. He never cares whether Thalassa lives or dies. Now he's using her to blackmail me for twenty thousand dollars. He refuses to work, just dreams of striking it rich gambling.
"Samuel, my life is just miserable. I know I made a bad choice, but Thalassa is innocent. Even if I get him to leave this time, I don't know when he'll come back to torment us again."
Zenobia's performance was flawless—Samuel believed every word.
But he could never have guessed that the delicate woman before him was capable of such manipulation.
She'd been with several wealthy men while pregnant, which was why Thalassa was born with a congenital heart defect. Naturally, the rich boy had tossed her aside when he got bored, leaving Thalassa to pay the price.
Samuel's heart twisted with sympathy.
He reassured her, voice gentle, "Don't worry. I won't let anyone hurt you."
As he said it, Taylor was the last thing on his mind. For now, all he could see were Zenobia's tear-stained cheeks.
Zenobia's lips trembled.
A moment later, she flung herself into his arms, sobbing harder. "Samuel, I can't even imagine what would happen to me and Thalassa without you. Her father would take her away for sure—maybe even sell her. He has no conscience at all."
Samuel felt his heart breaking.
He stroked her shoulder, soothing her, "I'll take responsibility for Thalassa. I promise, I won't let anything happen to either of you."
Through her tears, Zenobia looked up at him, seizing the moment. "Samuel, if only you could be Thalassa's father."
Be Thalassa's father?
Samuel pitied Zenobia and Thalassa, but to become Thalassa's father would mean divorcing Taylor—something he wasn't ready for.
He could still tell the difference between reality and emotion.
His feelings for Zenobia were nothing more than a fleeting impulse.
Taylor was the woman he truly saw as his wife.
Zenobia gazed at him, hope flickering in her eyes. But when Samuel stayed silent, she looked away, embarrassed and disappointed. "I'm sorry, Samuel. I lost control. I was foolish to think I could ever take Dr. Montague's place as your wife. I know I'm not worthy—I've been married, I have a child. I'm not the woman you once dreamed of."
Samuel's heart ached for her again. "Zenobia, don't say that."
Zenobia forced a tearful smile. "Let's not talk about it anymore. Samuel, how are things with Dr. Montague? Has she forgiven you?"
Samuel's face darkened, his mood clearly soured.
Zenobia could see that Samuel's heart belonged to Taylor; it was only their messy entanglement that kept Taylor away.
But that was fine by her.
As long as she stood between them, they'd never have the chance to reconcile.
After a while, they returned to the hospital room.
Thalassa was still playing quietly with her toy.
Zenobia looked at her daughter with a trace of disdain, though Samuel didn't notice. He washed his hands and made Thalassa's favorite cream of mushroom soup, feeding her himself.
Thalassa clung to him, wanting to be held even before finishing her meal, and ended up spilling soup on Samuel's suit.
"Samuel, I'm so sorry," Zenobia said quickly, grabbing tissues to dab at the stain while scolding Thalassa. "Thalassa, you need to be more careful. Samuel's suit is expensive."
Thalassa shrank back, clutching her toy, watching the adults anxiously.
Samuel said gently, "Don't frighten her. I'll just rinse it off."
He took his phone from his jacket pocket, set it on the table, and went into the bathroom.
Zenobia had already memorized his passcode.
As water ran in the bathroom, Zenobia quietly picked up Samuel's phone, shooting a warning look at Thalassa. The little girl obeyed, knowing that if she didn't, Zenobia would leave her out on the street.
Originally, Zenobia just wanted to check on Samuel's divorce progress. But she stumbled upon a video—intimate footage of her and Samuel in the car.
Taylor had sent it to Samuel.
Zenobia bit her lip.
She realized that if this ever got out, there'd be no hope for Samuel and Taylor. The scandal alone would force Taylor to cut him off for good.
Zenobia quickly recorded the video onto her own phone.
She finished just as Samuel emerged from the bathroom.
The phone was back in its place.
Thalassa sat silently, fiddling with her toy, not daring to utter a sound—Zenobia had just threatened her: if she said a word to Samuel, she'd be tossed out of the hospital and left to fend for herself.
Samuel didn't linger.
He left around seven. Sitting in his car, he tried calling Taylor. She didn't pick up, so he typed out a message, deliberate and careful: [Taylor, where are you?]
Taylor was at Julian's place.
After work, Julian had called, inviting her to meet the child at his house. Taylor, feeling she owed him a favor, told her secretary before heading to the parking garage. But as soon as she stepped outside, she saw a Rolls-Royce waiting.
Julian stood by the car.
He wore a pale grey shirt under a navy trench coat, perfectly matching the car's understated elegance. He opened the back door for Taylor, a playful glint in his eye. "I came to pick up Dr. Montague myself."
The way he said "Dr. Montague" was almost teasing.
Taylor smiled and, not wanting to make Julian her chauffeur, slid into the passenger seat beside him. Julian was easy company—during the half-hour drive, he shared stories from his time abroad and funny moments from his startup days, never once mentioning the hardships.
Taylor glanced sideways at him.
Julian was nothing like Samuel. Samuel always talked about his struggles, but Julian seemed to savor the present.
Thinking of Samuel, Taylor drifted off for a moment.
Julian's long fingers curled around the steering wheel as he asked lightly, "Did that video cause you any trouble?"
Taylor gave a slight smile. "No."
Julian's smile widened. "Glad to hear it. Taylor, you really haven't changed since high school. Whatever you do, you always give it your all…"
He almost added "It's really adorable," but held back—now wasn't the time for that kind of intimacy.
Over a decade ago, he'd liked Taylor, but never expected anything to come of it.
Seeing her again, she was still that earnest, determined girl from their school days—admirable, and stirring a longing for something more.
At a red light, Julian stopped the car.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel, his tone casual but sincere. "Is there really no way to fix things with him?"