CHAPTER 31. Baking! "I'm so sorry, it's obvious that was really important to you.""I should have told you before, but... the truth is, no one in my family ever met Giselle. I didn't think my sister would bring her up," he murmured."Yeah, you should have told me. Now I look like a homewrecker, but at least I'll be a very sweet homewrecker," she replied, and Zack lifted his head to look into her eyes."If my sisters came here to make trouble, it's only going to get worse," he said. "Maybe it’s better if we stay at a hotel, or a cabin...""Absolutely not!" declared Andrea. "We came here so you could have a beautiful Christmas with your father, and if your sisters get difficult, that's on them. What's the worst they can do?"Zack sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "I have no idea, but they'll come up with something," he murmured helplessly. "And by the way, what was that 'Little Thor' thing?"Andrea let out a laugh and smiled mischievously. "You said I should give you a cute nickname, an

CHAPTER 32. Christmas spiritZack was caught up in the Christmas spirit, and although some thought they were too old for these games, no one dared contradict Mrs. Luana. They scattered around the mansion's kitchens, and Zack raided the sweets pantry.Adriana was more than happy in Mr. Nikola's arms, who pampered her like a princess. Soon after, Andrea was pounding the dough.“Everything okay?” Zack asked as he approached her. “No, wait, that's too much dough, and if you add too much flour, it will be too tough...”“That's what I want.”“But then no one will want to eat it,” Zack replied.“Trust me, when I'm done with this house, no one will want to eat it,” she declared. “Besides, your mom said the prettiest house, not the tastiest.”Zack pointed a finger at her and laughed. “You’re a cheater! I like it! Need help?”“Actually, yes, the dough is heavy, and my fingers hurt,” she said, pouting.Zack rolled up his sweater sleeves and stood behind her, putting his fingers into the dough to

CHAPTER 33. “Seriously, nothing?!”“Mom... what are you talking about?” Zack whispered, and his mother raised her eyebrows suggestively.“Son, your father was one of the most respected bankers in this country for years. Trust me, he's used to people lying to his face, but never this poorly.”“Mom...”“Save it, Zack. I heard everything you said,” his mother warned.“Were you eavesdropping at the door?” he exclaimed.“Yes. Any problem?” Luana replied firmly, and the big guy that was Zack Keller shrank.“No, Mom.”“No, Mom, exactly. Now... let's take a walk, and you’re going to tell me everything in detail without skipping anything. Agreed?”Zack nodded when he realized he didn’t have many options. They walked along the path around the mountain, his mother hanging on his arm, and Zack told her absolutely everything that had happened since Giselle’s miscarriage. When they returned and had the house in sight again, Mrs. Luana stopped.“I’m really sorry, Mom, but I didn’t know how to take t

CHAPTER 34. Now What?Dinner was quite calm, and it was clear that Mr. Nikola was more than happy. Adriana was resting in her high chair, but it seemed that in just one afternoon, she had learned to recognize his voice because as soon as he spoke, she immediately paid attention. During dessert, the two of them entertained themselves by throwing cereal at the rest of the family.“Zack, why don’t you take tomorrow off to show Andrea around the place?” his father encouraged him.“I don’t trust your goodwill. You just want to hog the baby,” his son laughed.“That too! But don’t tell me this isn’t a beautiful place. Don’t tell me you don’t want your girlfriend to see it!” Nikola exclaimed. “You can even take her to the professional slopes where you used to compete.”Andrea laughed and shook her head. “No, no, no, no. Better take me to the beginner slopes and don’t let go, or I’ll end up at the bottom as a snowball.”“Wait, you don’t know how to ski?” Chiara asked with a mocking laugh.“No,

CHAPTER 35. Little Thor's Morning HammerAndrea and Zack looked at each other for a second, and he shrugged."No problem, I’ll sleep on the floor."The closet was full of blankets, but having Adriana sleeping in that princess crib and her in an empress bed while Zack slept on a blanket on the floor seemed like the worst idea in the world to Andrea."Come on, let's not exaggerate. We can share the bed," she said maturely. "We're adults, and neither of us bites.""Speak for yourself," Zack replied, and Andrea shoved his shoulder."Very funny!"After all the day's activities, Adriana fell asleep immediately, and by the time Andrea came out of the bathroom in her cloud-print pajamas, Zack was already lying on the right side of the bed.It had to be acknowledged that it wasn't a small bed, but for a man the size of Zack, it looked like a toy.There was enough space for the two of them, but not much more.Andrea got into bed and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. She tried to relax, b

CHAPTER 36. An incredible kiss"Hey, what do you think if I actually take you skiing today?" Zack asked conspiratorially while pouring her coffee."Do you really want to see me roll down the mountain?" she retorted."No, but if we stay away from the house, we're less likely to be bothered and questioned. What do you say?" Zack asked."Well, it's fine with me, but are we going to be away from Adriana all day?""Face it, my dad's not going to let you have her," Zack smiled, and Andrea saw how happy the baby was with Mr. Nikola and Mrs. Luana."Okay, let's go then."They had breakfast with the family, and of course, when Zack asked his parents if they could take care of the baby, they eagerly agreed."Oh, by the way! What’s our prize for the gingerbread house?" Zack asked his father, who clapped his hands twice."Alright! After much deliberation, your mother and I have decided to give you... your honeymoon!" he exclaimed excitedly, and Andrea and Zack froze, their smiles plastered on the

CHAPTER 37. A ruined dinnerZack was speechless for a few moments, unsure of what to say. There was something pure and beautiful in her eyes that made his heart pound in his chest.They spent the rest of the day together and returned home as the sun was setting because the family was expecting them for dinner.Andrea was still nervous. Zack's parents were very nice, but she couldn't say the same about his sisters. Neither Noémi nor Chara missed an opportunity to make her feel like an intruder. Chiara, especially, had been eyeing her with suspicion since they arrived.But despite his sisters' evident discomfort, Zack was determined to make the dinner a success...And dinner was a disaster!Chiara kept questioning Andrea about how they met, why they hadn't visited the family before, and if she had met Zack's other girlfriends. Andrea was content to make her feel uncomfortable and avoid her questions until Chiara made the mistake of asking about her daughter."Healthy and happy, as you c

CHAPTER 38. A Ring on Her FingerAnd he was right in thinking that Mr. Nikola was not enjoying these conflicts."It doesn’t matter how I found out; what matters is that I know," he replied to Zack sharply. "My granddaughter doesn’t have my last name, and I want to know why."Zack tried to explain the situation and apologize for the baby not bearing his name. He appealed to Canadian citizenship, insurance, saints, and God, but his father didn't seem to understand any of it."It was my choice," Andrea said firmly and clearly, and both of them looked at her. "I’m sorry, Mr. Nikola, but that was my decision. I don’t have any other family; Adriana is all I have...""Andrea...""I’m sorry, Zack, but you know it’s true," she replied determinedly. "My daughter is all I have in the world, and regardless of how well things are going between Zack and me, having legal control over my daughter makes me feel... secure. When Zack settles permanently in Canada and gets his residency and everything ne

CHAPTER 39. DEFCON 1!Andrea gave Zack a questioning look when he took her hand and led her to one of the gardens of the house. Inside the small wooden gazebo, a table was set with a romantic dinner, music, candles, everything needed for the perfect marriage proposal, and he was as nervous as if it were a real one. The sky was painted a deep black with a few clouds, and the garden was filled with soft lights."Zack? Don't scare me! What is this?" she whispered.Zack pulled out a chair for Andrea, and they both sat down."I'll tell you in a moment, just play along with me."She settled in and looked at the beautiful dinner as Zack poured champagne."This looks delicious... but I feel like I'm going to choke on the food," Andrea whispered, her eyes bright with anxiety. "Why do I feel like I'm going to choke on the food, Zack?"They looked into each other’s eyes, and she saw he was just as worried."Because we’re at DEFCON 5, Sweetie!" he replied."That means everything is normal, Little

CHAPTER 40. A Service Agreement"Okay, Dad, whatever you want...""No." That single word came out with more determination than Andrea had expected, making everyone look at her."No?" Mr. Nikola murmured, surprised."Sorry, but no," she repeated, and Zack approached her as Andrea shook her head."Andrea...""It's too soon, no," she insisted before turning around and leaving.Everyone stood in stunned silence, watching her walk back to the terrace, and Zack ran after her. Besides the barely concealed satisfaction on the twins' faces, only one other face showed emotions, and it was Luana's before she turned to her husband."Why did you do that, Nikola?" she questioned."What's wrong with it? I was just happy they were getting married!" the man murmured."But you shouldn't have pressured them! What they do, they should do on their own time, not yours!" Luana replied."For God's sake, they already have a daughter!" Noémi interjected."You stay out of this," Milo growled."But she's right,"