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 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 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 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 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,"