Mrs Hale, I Surrender
Chapter 85 - 085 His gaze was wolfish, as if he wanted to devour her.

Chapter 85: 085 His gaze was wolfish, as if he wanted to devour her.

Zoe Bell was stunned upon hearing these words, and even after hanging up the phone, she still felt dazed.

Astonishment, delight, excitement—all sorts of emotions were building up inside her, and she tried hard to keep them under control, telling herself not to get too happy too soon, as long as the adoption had not been officially dissolved.

"Zoe?" Lily Lott saw her spacing out and called out to remind her.

To distinguish her from William Hale’s nickname, she called Zoe Bell "Zoe."

"What’s up?"

"That’s my question to you, what are you daydreaming about?"

"It’s nothing."

"Massage is over, come shopping with me."

Feeling good, Zoe Bell nodded in agreement.

Lily Lott usually shopped with close friends, her younger siblings from her second marriage, or simply had clothes delivered to her home to pick from; it was rare for her to shop with younger girls Zoe’s age.

She noticed that Zoe Bell hardly ever chose clothes for herself but always accommodated her preferences.

Girls of this age should love shopping and dressing up.

Lily Lott didn’t have any daughters of her own and always felt the absence; when Wyatt Hale was little, he had once been envious that little girls got to wear dresses, so she had gotten him a beautiful little dress.

However, chubby as he was back then, the dress squeezed his arm fat whenever he wore it.

With his delicate features, he looked almost like a sturdy Barbie.

Without a daughter to dress up, she began to buy all sorts of things for Zoe Bell.

"Aunt Lott, we’ve bought too much," Zoe Bell frowned.

"We’re just in time for the change of seasons, so it’s good to buy a bit more," Lily Lott mentioned, recalling what Nanny Parker had said after she arrived at Larkhill, that when Zoe Bell had come, she hadn’t even brought a change of clothes.

Thrown out into a rainy night, the Bell family had certainly been heartless.

But Zoe Bell still harbored reservations inside; nothing was settled until it was settled, and everything was subject to change.

She just hadn’t expected that her adoptive parents, who had even risked the chance of Mina Bell being caught just to avoid letting anyone go, would so easily capitulate to Lucas Bell.

It was a case of one thing conquering another.

——

At this moment, however, discontent was already budding in Mina Bell’s heart within the Bell family.

Last time in the hotel, when William Hale threatened to have her arrested, her father had not wanted to dissolve the adoption; now, he had not only left most of the immovables to her younger brother, he also agreed to anything he said.

Such differential treatment had thrown her mentality off balance.

That immovable property was all money!

She had been present throughout the signing and notarization of the agreement; perhaps feeling that it was inappropriate, Vivi Lange whispered to her, "Your mother still has two properties and a lot of jewelry in her name; all that will be yours later on."

During the days when Kevin Bell was hospitalized, apart from the nursing staff, she was the one accompanying and taking care of him.

Lucas Bell did not show up at all.

Even though their brother had hurt them so much, their parents’ thoughts were still with him, even pondering whether his prolonged stay in the country would disrupt his studies abroad.

They said, "Lucas Bell carries the hope of the entire Bell family."

What did that make her?

Her mother also stopped mentioning houses or jewelry.

No doubt they thought she was dumb, just causing them trouble, disdainful of her low education and inability to be of significant use.

All this had caused Mina Bell’s dissatisfaction to gradually reach its peak.

If they could be so cruel to Zoe Bell, who had been with them for nearly twenty years, what did they consider their own daughter?

**

Larkhill

William Hale was feeding the fish, while Wyatt Hale lay on the couch, rewatching "Lurk" with his father. He glanced at his phone, "Dad, mom has been out shopping with sister-in-law for quite a while now, why aren’t they back home yet?"

"They should be back soon."

No sooner had he spoken than the sound of a car was heard outside.

Someone had arrived.

But it wasn’t Lily Lott and Zoe Bell; it was an employee from a luxury brand delivering their spoils of the day to the house.

Wyatt Hale was gobsmacked, "Is mom planning to move the entire mall back home?"

"She likes it, you object? It’s not like she’s using your card," Brock Hale glanced at his son.

"Where would I dare have an opinion," Wyatt Hale frowned. "A single piece of clothing from Mom is worth a year of my living expenses, why are you skimping on my allowance?"

"Keep talking, and you won’t get any allowance this year."

"Dad, am I really your son?"

"Without saying, no one would think you’re a Hale."

...

As soon as Brock Hale finished speaking, the phone vibrated. It was a call from Lily Lott: "I’m having dinner out with Zoe tonight, Nanny Parker asked for leave, so you three can just fend for yourselves."

Then, the three men looked at each other in bewilderment.

Dinner was prepared by Brock Hale; he had learned to cook when he was raising his son alone.

But the atmosphere was a bit awkward with three grown men sitting down to eat together.

"Wyatt," Brock Hale started.

"Hmm?"

"Tell a joke, it’s a bit stuffy in here."

Wyatt Hale was stunned.

What do they take me for!

It wasn’t until Brock Hale said that a good joke would double the allowance that he perked up immediately.

Brock Hale also rarely had alone time with his two sons, and looking at his youngest, he rarely felt the urge to have a heart-to-heart: "Wyatt, have you met any girls you like at university?"

Faced with his father’s sudden concern, Wyatt Hale was taken aback.

However, William Hale had something to say: "It’s no use meeting someone he likes, with his current status, staying single for life won’t be a problem."

"Brother, you underestimate me!"

"Not really?"

Just one look from William Hale made someone back down.

Brock Hale glanced at William, signaling him not to scare his brother, then continued, "Don’t you have any desire to date? Kids your age love to go out on dates."

Wyatt Hale sighed, "In this house, my only desire is: to live well."

...

Brock Hale frowned, he shouldn’t have had the thought of having a heart-to-heart with his son.

He once wished to be the kind of father who could play sports with his son and talk about anything.

But with William’s personality, if he sought him out, he would only ask: "Dad, did you argue with Aunt Lott, or have you encountered some trouble recently?"

As for the younger son, not two minutes into the conversation and it’s all about eating, drinking, and money!

The more he thought about it, the more he felt raising sons was rather pointless.

About half an hour later, Lily Lott returned with Zoe Bell.

At that moment, William Hale was in the study dealing with work. Hearing the sound of the car, he stood up and walked to the window.

At a glance, his eyes darkened a fraction.

He remembered clearly, when Zoe Bell left, she was wearing long pants; now, a mermaid dress hugged her figure, not revealing anything unnecessary, yet accentuating all her physical virtues.

Swan neck, slender waist, long legs, the cream-white color shimmered under the lights, highlighting her curves even more exquisitely.

Her long, shoulder-length hair had been styled into gentle curls, adding elegance to her demeanor.

William Hale felt his throat go dry,

itchy,

and a hard-to-describe irritation took over him, inexplicably making him want to light a cigarette.

"Aunt Lott," Zoe Bell thought the dress looked good but it was too form-fitting; aside from on stage, she wouldn’t wear this in her private life, and certainly, the Bells wouldn’t allow it.

"I think it looks very nice," Lily Lott, whose judgment was always sound, said. "Why don’t you show William, he would definitely approve."

Because as she spoke, William Hale had already come down from upstairs.

For a moment, their eyes met,

and the crystal chandelier light in the living room reflected in his eyes, radiating an alarming warmth.

His gaze remained as intense as a wolf’s, sharp and dangerous,

as if he were about to devour her.