Chapter 131: A Morning Aftermath

Trevor’s sharp, dark eyes fixed on Peyton, searching her words for any trace of falsehood. His last clear memory: I was holding Summer, kissing her. Yet, when I awoke, it was Peyton lying beside me.

Peyton’s scalp prickled under his intense stare; her heart raced with fear that he might see through her. Trevor pulled his gaze away, regaining his composure. “Get dressed first. We’ll talk after,” he said, leaving the bedroom for the suite’s living room.

A tangle of frustration constricted his chest, making it hard to breathe. He lit a cigarette, inhaled deeply a few times, and exhaled a slow stream of smoke that veiled the faint redness in his eyes.

Peyton emerged in a blue skirt, her expression a blend of innocence and subtle grievance. Trevor’s eyes flicked to her, his brows creasing at the sight of the blue skirt. Trevor thought to himself, Had I mistaken her for Summer?

His head pounded, his stomach twisted, and his body ached as if stabbed repeatedly, but he forced himself to stay composed.

“Peyton, let’s pretend this never happened,” Trevor said.

Her eyes widened, tears brimming instantly. She couldn’t believe his words. Peyton thought, I thought waking up together would shift our relationship, not end in this rejection. I wasn’t a virgin, but I was still a respectable woman; how could he dismiss me like this?

“Trevor, what did you say? Did I hear you wrong?” Peyton asked.

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, head in his hands, eyes lowered. “I’m sorry.”

Peyton shook her head, stifling a sob. “I don’t want an apology. I want you! Trevor, I love you, I’ve always loved you. Have you never… loved me at all?”

Trevor stayed silent, the cigarette glowing between his fingers, ash dropping to the floor. His indifference broke her, and tears spilled down her cheeks. “Then why have you been so kind to me?” Peyton asked.

“I’ll compensate you properly. But you can’t tell anyone about this,” Trevor replied.

With that, he stood, walked out, and shut the door behind him. Peyton felt as though her heart had been pierced by countless arrows. Peyton thought to herself, Keep this a secret? Compensate? All I wanted was him. Did he love Summer that much?

Wiping her tears, she made a call. “Proceed as planned. Only when Summer is gone can I have Trevor’s heart,” Peyton said to the person on the phone.

Summer had taken time off to recover emotionally, and with work messages piling up, she decided to return to the office. Before leaving, she passed the living room desk and pulled the 30% stake document for Stewart Group from a drawer. After a quick look, she shoved it into her bag.

At the door, the Stewart family’s housekeeper, Zoey, stood waiting with a thermal bag. “Ms. Stewart, Mrs. Stewart asked me to bring you some porridge and noodles for breakfast.”

“I don’t need it,” Summer replied.

12:30 PM

Chapter 131: A Morning Aftermath

“She genuinely regrets her mistakes.”

“Is that so?” Summer took the bag, and Zoey’s face brightened, until Summer tossed it into the nearby trash can without a second thought. “Tell her not to send anything anymore,” Summer said.

She brushed past Zoey’s stunned figure.

At the office, employees cast curious glances her way. To them, Summer was the Stewart heiress yet worked as hard as anyone else. Her long absence was unusual, sparking rumors.

Ignoring the whispers, she went to her office. Staring at the mound of files on her desk, she sighed, feeling exhausted for the first time. She didn’t linger long before heading to see Jasper.

At the chairman’s office, she knocked and entered, finding Harvey seated by the marble desk. Her clear gaze briefly noted the bandage on his forehead, which gave him a weary, diminished look.