Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 387: Chapter 387

Zoe met Shawn's gaze. For a split second, she actually wanted to tell him everything. But she crushed the impulse.
Firefox had sworn to kill Shawn. If she admitted it now, it would mean publicly turning against him.
Zoe wasn't ready to ruin their relationship yet. 'I'll find a way to confess—one that saves my dignity and doesn't destroy what we have,' she said to herself.
"What is there to explain?" Zoe continued to play dumb.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Shawn's deep eyes. 'Even now, she still won't come clean. Does she really not want to marry me?' he wondered.
Both of them wanted to speak, but their concerns about each other's identities kept them from being honest, leaving their thoughts and intentions completely at odds.
Still, this didn't mean their feelings had changed; if anything, one buried their emotions even deeper, while the other pursued more intensely.
Shawn let out a soft sigh and said, "If you don't want to talk about it, I won't push you."
"Would you care for a glass of red wine, sir, ma'am?" A waiter approached with a tray of wine glasses.
Feeling guilty, Zoe instinctively reached for a glass, while Shawn, without batting an eye, took one as well.
Their glasses clinked with a crisp sound.
Zoe took a small sip, her smile betraying her nerves, while Shawn drank calmly, quietly taking in every nuance of Zoe's guilty expression.
Shawn asked unexpectedly, "Don't you want to know what Sophia used to force me to act with them?"
Zoe had assumed Shawn would never bring up something as humiliating as being coerced, but now that he mentioned it himself, her curiosity only grew.
"So what exactly did Sophia say to you? Did she threaten you with the Ludwig family?" Zoe pressed.
Shawn replied, "The Ludwig family is indeed my weakness. But if the White family wants to go after us, they'd better be ready for mutually assured destruction." His meaning was clear. He wasn't afraid of a showdown between the two families.
Zoe fell silent, thinking, 'If it's not the Ludwig family, then what else could possibly threaten Shawn? He wouldn't care about his own position or reputation, and the White family alone couldn't twist the truth anyway.
'Could it be... me? But I'm right here. What about me could possibly make Shawn wary?'
"Hey, Mr. Ludwig," Zoe joked with a playful smirk. "Don't tell me you and Sophia had some indiscretions in the past, and now she's holding it over you." Since she couldn't figure it out, she decided to lighten the mood with a joke.
Shawn suddenly reached out, wrapping an arm around her slender waist and pulling her into his broad, warm chest.
Zoe tilted her head up, her lively eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint. "You do realize this is an international reception, right? The room is full of the world's most influential people. Isn't it a little inappropriate for you to hold me like this?"
She teased, raising her hand to gently touch Shawn's chiseled features. "Unless you're planning to kiss me in public?"
Shawn knew she was deliberately trying to tease him in front of everyone, hoping to make him lose his composure. But as the legendary warrior, he had more than enough self-control.
As seconds ticked by without Shawn's response, disappointment grew in Zoe's heart. 'Guess this trick isn't working anymore,' she thought.
She'd have to think of another way to get his attention next time, or it'd be hard to change the subject again.
Shawn saw the disappointment on Zoe's face and realized she was already scheming something else. Her attention was clearly not on him. 'Being ignored like this really doesn't feel good,' he thought.
He gently cupped her face, turning it toward himself until their eyes met. Only then did Shawn speak, his voice low and serious. "Rick has temporarily taken control of your family."
Zoe's smile vanished in an instant. She shoved Shawn away forcefully, her entire demeanor transformed.
'How dare they touch my family? They're dead,' she thought coldly.
Shawn had anticipated Zoe's reaction and reached out to stop her.
Zoe swatted his hand away and strode toward the exit.
Shawn closed the distance in quick strides, blocking her path.
"Get out of my way," Zoe commanded, fixing him with an icy glare.
'I could ignore everything else, but my family is my only weakness. If anyone dares to touch them, I'll hunt them down, no matter where they are,' she thought.
Shawn gripped Zoe's shoulders. "Don't act rashly. I know what you're thinking, but I can assure you they wouldn't dare harm your family."
"If you could really assure that, you wouldn't have been threatened in the first place. Move." Zoe coldly pushed Shawn aside, determined to confront Rick herself.
Seeing he couldn't restrain her, Shawn forcefully dragged Zoe into a corner and pinned her against the wall.
Had this been a tender moment, that wall-pinning would have set her heart racing. But now, with Shawn stopping her from confronting Rick, she was fuming with anger.
"Are you trying to cover for them?" Zoe snapped, glaring at Shawn.
"If they dare lay a finger on your family, I'll be the first to make them pay," Shawn vowed firmly.
Zoe let out a cold snort. "You're all the same—just a bunch of snakes in the grass. I won't rest until I'm sure my family is safe. Otherwise, this isn't over."
It wasn't that she was being impulsive. Someone had crossed her line.
Shawn took out his phone, quickly dialed Sean's number, and handed it to Zoe. She immediately fell silent.
The call connected, and Sean's voice came through. "Shawn? Why are you calling me now? Did something happen to Zoe?"
Zoe took the phone and asked, "Sean, where are you guys right now?"
Sean was confused. "Zoe?"
Zoe snapped, "Tell me. Now."
Sean replied, "I'm at the White family's place. Samuel and his brothers invited us over. What's wrong?"
Zoe's face turned as cold as ice. She hadn't expected the whole White family to mobilize. They were clearly dead set on helping Sophia win Shawn over.
"Zoe, talk to me. What's wrong?" Sean asked urgently.
"Sean, if you trust me, get everyone out of the White residence right now," Zoe said, her voice icy.
Even through the phone, Sean could sense his sister's displeasure. "Zoe—"
"Whatever, suit yourself," Zoe said, taking a deep breath.
'Guess I forgot I'm just an 'outsider' after all. Why would the Evans family ever listen to me?' she scoffed inwardly.
"I'll go tell Mom and Dad right now, and we'll leave the White residence immediately," Sean vowed suddenly.
Zoe froze, startled. "Why would you—"
Sean said firmly, "You're my sister, Zoe. The White family are outsiders. Did you really think I'd ever trust them over you?"
He'd failed her once before. This time, he chose to stand by his sister.
Zoe said, "Since you say so, let me add one more thing—stay away from the White family from now on, and never agree to any of their terms."
Sean stared at the hung-up phone, a tangle of emotions swirling inside him. But there was no time to dwell on it. He strode over, pulled his father, who was engaged in a lively discussion with Eric, aside, and quickly explained the situation.