CHAPTER 71. A debtZack looked out the enormous window of his office in the heart of Manhattan. It had been two days since that phone conversation with Andrea, where she had asked just one question and he hadn’t even known if she had heard his answer because all he could hear after that was Ben yelling at her not to leave.He would have liked to say that he hadn’t been able to sleep since that moment, but the truth was he hadn’t been able to sleep since the moment he boarded that plane to leave Canada. The shadow of Mason Lee standing in his doorway kept returning to his mind. The unpleasant introduction, the threats he didn’t care about at all, and then that declaration.“You can ignore everything, but the reality is that Andrea and I will never be apart because there is a child involved,” Mason had hissed with satisfaction.“A child you abandoned!”“That doesn’t matter, it doesn’t change the fact that I was Andrea’s husband for years while you’ve only been with her for two weeks. Ha

CHAPTER 72. I want to see my granddaughter“But less sick than your father’s,” his mother explained. “They would perform two surgeries in one, the transplant and the repair of a valve in the new heart... I know it’s complicated, but his doctor says it’s our only chance to have him with us for a few more years,” Luana explained. “Please, you need to come. He’ll already be in surgery when you arrive, but I need the family together. Please.”Zack took a deep breath. Any chance to have more time with his father, he would take without hesitation, so he simply nodded.“I’ll head out right away, Mom.”An hour later, he was flying to Zurich, and indeed, when he arrived, his father was already in surgery. The worry and anxiety about the operation made it easier to avoid questions about Andrea and the baby with a simple, “They’re fine,” but deep down, he knew that sooner or later, he’d have to face that conversation with his father.Hours passed until a doctor finally came out.“He’s in critica

CHAPTER 73. A Desperate AttemptPeople might take a day to cry, but Andrea didn’t give herself even a minute; she couldn’t, because all she wanted was to get her daughter back. The social worker accompanied them to Mason’s residence that afternoon, and Andrea felt like vomiting at the sight of the mansion he lived in and the car he drove while she only had a crib for her daughter.Of course, the social worker didn’t miss the impact, nor the pain of having to leave her daughter in the arms of Mason’s nurse, because the moment he held her, the baby started crying desperately.That night Andrea felt like she was dying without her daughter. She could only think about how she was probably unable to sleep because she was with strangers. The next day, Andrea couldn’t even drink a coffee while anxiously waiting at the building’s entrance until Mason arrived in his Mercedes, and the nurse, looking haggard and tired, handed her the baby.Andrea hugged and kissed her daughter as if she hadn’t se

CHAPTER 74. The person on the other side"I don't have business cards, Mrs. Stormhold. I'm not that important. And if I did, you wouldn't call me. You're just trying to get rid of me politely. But we both know you wouldn't call, which is why I asked for five minutes of your time."The woman stared at her in silence for a long moment, then looked at the rink where her son was practicing and nodded. "Let's go outside; I don't want to distract him."Andrea followed her out of the stands, and Mrs. Stormhold stopped in front of her in one of the deserted hallways."Alright, what did you want to tell me?""Mrs. Stormhold, I am an apprentice to a representative at Nexa Sport Representation, an American company newly established in the country, although it already represents many Canadian athletes," Andrea said firmly. "I'm here to offer my services. I would like to be your son's agent."The woman in front of her was very well-mannered, so she simply shook her head gently. "Thank you, but my

CHAPTER 75. What happened?”Andrea felt her heart stop for a second when she saw him there. He was wearing a long black trench coat, a turtleneck sweater, and his hair was as impeccable as ever. His expression was tired, as if it was a burden for him to be there. He was still seductive, still attractive... and suddenly, it was as if all the butterflies she had felt for him had turned into rats trying to devour her stomach from the inside.For days, Andrea had wished to see him appear at that threshold, but now... now it was very different.Zack discreetly glanced inside and was surprised that absolutely nothing had changed there, but he refrained from saying so. By that time, he expected Mason to have moved back into the apartment and to have to negotiate with both of them.“Hi,” he said with his usual softness.“Hi,” murmured Andrea, but her hand didn’t move from the handle and her body continued to block the door.For a long minute, neither of them spoke. She looked at him with a bl

CHAPTER 76. Nothing More to SayAndrea sighed and ran her hand through her hair. She felt exhausted, lost, and a bit numb.“His lawyer said that this place as it is wasn’t suitable for raising a child, that it wasn’t a healthy environment, and the judge agreed,” she murmured.“And what did your lawyer say? Didn’t he argue against that?”Andrea bit her lip, feeling the deep pain these kinds of conversations brought, especially because she was having it with him.“Why won’t you answer me, Andrea?” Zack insisted.“Because I’m making a huge effort not to call you ‘stupid’!” she snapped, and he held his breath. “I don’t even have a bed to sleep in, Zack! Where the hell was I supposed to get money for a lawyer?! Mason sued me for custody, and within two weeks, he had taken my daughter, and there was nothing I could do!”Zack’s eyes filled with tears, and he roared with frustration. He couldn’t believe Mason had been so cruel to Andrea and the baby, but even more so that Adriana was alone wi

CHAPTER 77. How can I not blame myself?!If there was ever a time for the ground to open up and swallow someone whole, for Zack Keller, that moment was now.Their conversation hadn't been long, but Andrea's words echoed endlessly in his mind: "Mason took my daughter because I refused to go back to him.""I don’t even have a bed to sleep in, Zack! Where the hell was I supposed to get money for a lawyer?!""I just want you to leave.""You didn’t ruin anything, you were just... inconsequential."Perhaps the worst part of it all was that after promising to help her, to protect her, he hadn't been there to make any difference. Andrea had lost her daughter, and no matter how much she insisted it wasn’t his fault, Zack couldn’t stop feeling that it was.Ben jumped when he arrived early the next morning and found Zack pacing the office like a caged lion. His disheveled appearance made it clear he hadn’t slept all night, and his eyes were red from worry. Ben approached slowly, feeling a pang

CHAPTER 78. Way out of your leagueA luxury car stopped in front of the building, and Mason, dressed impeccably, stepped out along with a nurse holding the baby in her arms. Andrea immediately took her and cradled her against her chest."Ben... do you know a good private investigator?" she suddenly asked."I can get one. Why?" her friend responded."Because it seems too strange that a man who had to steal from his wife and daughter six months ago is now driving a high-end Mercedes-Benz," she replied angrily. "I need everything on that man, Ben, right down to the color of his damn underwear!"She walked away quickly, trying to contain her emotions, and headed toward the door. She had to find Andrea; she had to apologize for abandoning her and tell her that he would help, that he would move heaven and earth to permanently put Adriana back in her arms, but first, he had something to do.He took the stairs because, with Adriana in her arms, Zack was sure Andrea would take the elevator, an

CHAPTER 79. That kind of powerAndrea walked to the reception area nervously. She was expecting one of the old clients who were obviously nervous about the change in management, but what she found was an unexpected surprise.Standing before her was a tall and handsome young man, dressed in a dark blue coat. He had a kind face and a gentle demeanor that Andrea had seen many times over the past two weeks, though mostly via video.“Mr. Stormhold?” she exclaimed.“Please, just call me Gideon. I’m only twenty years old even if I look older,” he responded in a deep, soft voice, extending his hand to greet her. “And you must be Mrs. Brand. I’ve come to meet you.”Andrea felt her heart skip a beat. She had been chasing after him, of course, but she never expected him to show up there.“Of course, please… Can I offer you a coffee?”Gideon nodded, and Andrea used the company card to take him down to the café. A few minutes later, they were seated at a small table, and Andrea gave him her full a

CHAPTER 80. A WeaknessShe was about to tear her hair out when the receptionist girl came running in."Someone's here to see you again, and this time it’s a woman who looks really angry. I think she's going to hit you. Should I call security?" the girl warned.Andrea hurried to the reception area to find herself face-to-face with Dianne Stormhold and her son. They spoke briefly, and less than five minutes later, Andrea was pushing open Ben's office door without even knocking."I need…" she gasped, leaning on the doorframe because she had run across half the floor, "I need… a contract… a representation contract for my client," she said excitedly. Ben stood up while Zack, who was standing by the window, fixed his gaze on her."Your client? Who?" Ben asked, puzzled.Andrea walked over to her mural, took down the last photo, and placed it on her desk."I got Baby Storm," she said. "He’s in one of the conference rooms. I need a contract… now, Ben! Now!" she exclaimed excitedly, and Ben cam