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Chapter 25
As Zane mused over Zachary’s upbringing, his earlier antipathy towards the boy seemed to dissolve. His lips were pursed into a severe line, a stormy spark lighting his childish voice. “How can you raise a kid like this when you do not even know the simple stuff about being a parent? If anyone can win after crying, what does fairness even mean?”
His words dripped with disdain, his eyes rolling in a theatrical display of contempt. Here was the man who abandoned him, his sister, and their mother. And now, he couldn’t even muster simple regard for the boy he was supposed to be raising!
Taken by surprise, Drake recoiled as if struck by the abrupt verbal onslaught, his brows knitting in confusion. His face clouded over, a storm brewing in his thoughts. Who knew a five–year–old could lecture him?
Anxiety nibbled at the edges of her composure as Annie watched Drake, seeing a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. She quickly gathered herself, swiping away a tear with a trembling hand. “Am I wrong to teach my own child?”
“It’s clear that you don’t grasp the essence of motherhood. What sort of mother thrusts her child into the harsh glare of the limelight?” Zane retorted, his bitter past and her actions. against his mother stoking the embers of resentment within him. For a brief moment, it appeared as if he was seeking retribution aside from defending Zachary.
“Y–You!” Annie spluttered, rendered speechless.
“Although you are my parents, you have never demonstrated genuine care for me. You want perfection, but my teacher says I don’t have to be perfect. I just need to be myself!” Zachary, a spitfire from the start, grabbed the closest flowerpot in retaliation and let it fly. “I’m tired of being in your shadows. I want to go live with my teacher!”
“No.” The single word from Drake reverberated around the room, laden with an iron–clad determination.
“Why would she allow you to spend the night at her place?” Annie added, standing in staunch opposition. Zachary was always sharp for his age. His maternal connection to her felt insincere, almost fake. If he were to reconnect with Jane, his biological mother, he would undoubtedly recognize the genuine motherly love Jane exuded.
Coddled by his grandmother and Miss Lea from infancy, Zachary was strong–willed and defiant. “If anyone dares to obstruct me today, I’ll report to Grandma, and your wedding dreams will be up in smoke!”
The color drained from Annie’s face, frozen mid–step, her expression a complicated mix of fear, anger, and desperation. She reached for Drake’s arm, shaking her head in a wordless plea. Their wedding was already on a precarious footing due to Grandma’s objections, and a word of dissent from Zachary could break the delicate balance entirely! Nothing was going to stand in the way of her wedding!
“Fine! If you’re so desperate to leave, then leave!” Annie defiantly lifted her–chin, her neck resembling a graceful swan, symbolizing her exquisite beauty.
Drake understood the depth of Annie’s fear. He had already wasted a significant portion of her life and couldn’t bear to let her down any further. He maintained silence, keeping his
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gaze lowered. Perhaps, Jane could indeed shape Zachary’s character better. The boy was, after all, their biological child.
“Go, but remember to behave yourself.” Drake’s voice was a low rumble, like distant
thunder.
Jane had always harbored a soft spot for Zachary. Afraid of stifling the boy’s spirit, she didn’t,object either. She gave Zane a signal, which he understood instantly.
“Zachary, Uncle, I’ll take my leave first.” They couldn’t leave together, or it might arouse Drake’s suspicion. Caution was the key.
Once Zane had left, Jane held Zachary’s hand, her eyes icy as they rested on Drake and Annie. “Since you both consent, I’ll escort Zac home.” She ignored the sinister glare from Annie and led Zachary out of the mansion towards her humble apartment.
As they stepped into the apartment, Zachary’s eyes widened in wonder. “Why… Why are
you
here?” he stuttered, taken aback.
Was it the closeness between Zane and his teacher that brought them here so often?
“Surprised?” Zane asked with a teasing smile, handing Zoe a robot to tinker with as he rose and strolled toward the entrance.
“How can I not be?” Zachary accepted the slippers offered by Zane, his forehead creasing with confusion.
Zane guided Zachary to the sofa, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Your tutor happens to be my mom, but this needs to be our secret.”
“Why can’t my dad know?” Zachary’s brows knit together in curiosity.
Jane quietly slipped into the kitchen, leaving Zane to deal with their unexpected guest.
“Your dad, the CEO of Warner Corp, might exploit her vulnerability if he discovers she isn’t tutoring you anymore, right?” Zane explained, carefully crafting a story Zachary could accept.
“And if he threatens my mom…”
“I promise to keep it a secret.” Zachary nodded, although he wasn’t entirely convinced his father could be so menacing.
“Brother, where does this part go?” A delicate voice piped up from a corner.
Zachary turned to see a tiny girl dressed in a pale yellow dress approaching them with a headless robot held tightly in her delicate hands. Her greeting was a shy smile, and Zachary responded with a nod, a strange sense of kinship dulling his usual sharp edges.
-Zachary felt peculiar as he watched the little girl. He usually found children his age or
younger annoying. But with Zane and his sister, he felt an inexplicable bond with them.
“Like this, you just attach this part here.” With an amused look, Zane showed Zoe where the piece fit.
“She’s really into robots, huh?” Zachary noted, fascinated by Zoe’s focused expression.
Zane nodded, a touch of admiration in his voice. “My sister has been captivated by robots from a young age. She can deconstruct and reconstruct a robot in no time.”
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“Seriously?” Zachary couldn’t help but express his surprise.
“Absolutely.”
Engrossed in her mechanical project, Zoe barely registered their conversation.
Fascinated, Zachary suggested, “How about a little robot building competition?”
Zane responded with a casual shrug. “That’s up to Zoe.”
Zachary crouched on a cushion, looking directly at Zoe with unusual patience. “Would you like to have a robot–building competition, little one?”
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