Chapter 3
Zoe's heart, which had felt dead inside, was reignited with hope.
She scrambled to her feet and limped to the side of the road, waving her arms like crazy, not caring about her appearance. She was doing everything she could to make sure the driver saw her.
Inside the car, the man arched his handsome brow, a mysterious smile tugging at his lips.
He motioned for his assistant to pull over by the curb and lowered the window himself.
"Do you need a ride somewhere?" the assistant asked.
Zoe bent down eagerly, but when she saw the distinguished man sitting inside, she froze.
"Hector Yates?" she blurted out.
It was the famous elite of Yanam, Hector Yates.
Hector was a big deal. Even the Jenkins family and the Lynch family had to show respect and call him "Mr. Yates".
Zoe had only seen him several times, always tagging along behind her aunt, but he was drop-dead gorgeous and had this aura that made him unforgettable.
What on earth was he doing here?
"Oh? Ms. Nelson?" Hector said, with a bored look as he sized her up, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
"What happened?" he asked.
This was even worse than what his men reported.
Zoe clenched her fists, gathering her courage. "I ran into some trouble. Mr. Yates, if you don't mind, could I hitch a ride with you?" she asked politely.
Hector didn't answer right away. He casually tapped his long fingers against the car window.
"Mr. Yates, consider it a favor I'll owe you. Please help me out," Zoe pleaded.
Her vulnerable look caught Hector's deep, shadowy gaze. After a moment, he curved his lips into a smile and said, "Alright, since you asked so nicely, get in."
Zoe's eyes sparkled. She thanked him and hopped in right away.
The car was warm, and a subtle hint of perfume lingered in the air, enough to make her heart skip and her breath catch.
Hector shot her a casual glance, a smug, almost predatory smile curling at his lips.
When his men told him the four of them had gone out and didn't take Zoe to the hospital, he knew this was the opening he'd been waiting for.
Playing the hero while she was at her lowest, Hector thought this favor would be enough to ensure that she would never forget him.
Zoe didn't notice his expression at all and had no clue that what she thought was a stroke of luck was a carefully laid trap. She sat up straight in the car, still shell-shocked, like she'd just escaped from a disaster.
"Where are your two sidekicks?" Hector asked.
His deep, magnetic voice filled the car's confined space.
Zoe's eyes grew dim, and she replied with a bitter smile, "They took Emily to the hospital."
She paused, not sure if she was convincing herself or Hector, and then said softly, "Emily's situation was more urgent."
Hector's dark eyes locked onto her.
Her hair was all over the place, her skin smudged with dirt, and two streaks of tears stood out on her cheeks.
Anyone could tell she'd been crying her heart out.
"Zoe, stop pretending to be tough. You look worse," Hector said.
With that, he took off his suit jacket and leaned in toward her.
The scent of his perfume rushed over her. Zoe's eyes widened, her whole body going rigid as she stared at his handsome face inches away. Her breath caught. The air was heating up, and it was so quiet that she could hear both their heartbeats.
Hector draped the jacket over her shoulders, moving with deliberate calm. He looked up, his long, narrow eyes catching her look of shock.
"This should keep you warmer," he said.
Harry Lewis, the assistant, knew Hector could have had him turn up the heat.
For the rest of the drive, Zoe was restless, her heart unable to settle down.
Hector's scent lingered on the jacket, cool, self-controlled, and yet dangerously alluring. She couldn't ignore it.
Her mind was in turmoil the whole way. When the car pulled up to her house in the upscale neighborhood, Zoe's first move was to hand the jacket back to Hector.
"Thank you, Mr. Yates," she said.
As she was about to get out, Hector's voice floated over, soft and playful.
"If you don't add me on WhatsApp, how are you going to pay me back?" he teased.
Zoe hadn't expected him to be so blunt. Her cheeks turned pink, and she smiled awkwardly.
"Then, I'll add you as my friend," she mumbled.
After adding him on WhatsApp, Zoe stepped out of the car. She hadn't had a chance to say goodbye to Hector when Julian's voice suddenly broke the silence.
"Zoe, so this is why you took so long? You were out on a secret date with some guy?" Julian called out.
Before Zoe could respond, Hector stepped out as well. His voice was cold and commanding as he said, "Do you two not know that Zoe has a heart condition?"
When Julian realized it was Hector, he felt a chill running down his spine.
Hector strode over to Zoe, his mesmerizing eyes glinting with icy disdain. Then he scolded, "You knew she wasn't feeling well, and not only did you leave her stranded in the middle of nowhere, you went off to fuss over someone with barely a scratch?"
Zoe stared at him in disbelief.
How did Hector know all this in such detail?
Julian had always been a little scared of Hector, and now, with Hector grilling him, he lost his nerve. He could only grit his teeth and say, "We didn't ditch her. She wouldn't get in the car."
The vibe around Hector instantly turned menacing.
Not liking where this was headed, Zoe quickly moved to stand between the two men and said, "Anyway, I'm home now. I'm still not feeling great, so I'm going upstairs to rest."
"Thanks for bringing me back, Mr. Yates. I'll make sure to return the favor. It's getting late, so take care on your way back," she said.
With that, Zoe turned and walked into the villa.