CHAPTER 105. Excess suspicion?Andrea clenched her fists, and silent tears began to fall down her cheeks.“Is this what you were expecting?” she asked Zack, who was looking at his phone with an expression that alternated between anger and helplessness after listening to that message.“Honestly, no,” he replied. “I was expecting a threat, some boasting about his money or something... But I didn’t expect this.”“Well, I guess he gave you more than you expected,” she replied, heading into the bathroom with the urge to break everything in sight.Zack knew what they had just heard was very tough, and he also knew he needed to let Andrea calm down, so he left to talk to Mr. Gazca and bring him up to speed on the situation.However, they didn’t have much time to wallow in their frustration because, in a few hours, they had to take another very important step.Andrea was scared. It was useless to say otherwise. But that afternoon, when the social worker arrived at the apartment to inspect it,
CHAPTER 106. I told youIt was too obvious which way the scales were tipping, and there was no longer any reason to consider Andrea unfit to care for her daughter, so Basil Gagnon decided to play his next card.“We want to call Mrs. Brand to the stand.”Andrea took a deep breath, but she knew she had to get up on that stand. She swore on the Bible and waited for the attack.“Mrs. Brand, isn’t it true that you have an informal relationship with your boss and could be fired at any moment?”“No,” she responded immediately.“Are you sure? Because as far as we know, he’s the one paying for your lawyer, and if you were to break up then...” Gagnon persisted.“I appreciate your concern, counselor, but I think you’re misinformed. My lawyer is paid by my job, and it’s covered by my company’s insurance. Zack is my formal partner, not just my lover,” Andrea replied firmly.Andrea saw Mason clench his fists, but his lawyer didn’t seem to care.“So you are aware of the level of job vulnerability yo
CHAPTER 107. The sentenceMason’s face was a mask of fury as the audio played.“Objection!” Basil stood up. “We were not informed this evidence would be presented! It can’t be admitted!”“The order just came in,” Gazca smiled, showing the judge a document where experts confirmed the authenticity of the voice message, signed only ten minutes earlier.The judge took the document and read it thoroughly. Then he turned to Gazca.“Counselor, please play the audio again.”Gazca didn’t need to be told twice, and a second later, everyone was listening to it again.“You fucking whore! Are you fucking him? Are you fucking that bastard right now, Andrea? Did you forget what happens when you provoke me, bitch? You want me to send the brat to the hospital again? Huh? Is that what you want? Last time I just gave her bad milk, but who knows what I’ll come up with now! I told you, you can’t escape me! You’ll never escape me, because if you try, your brat will be the one to suffer the consequences! Di
CHAPTER 108. We're LeavingThe two of them looked at each other in silence for a moment, unable to express their feelings but sharing that happiness as Zack brought his face closer to Andrea’s until their lips met in a kiss.“I love you,” she whispered as they hugged.“I love you too,” Zack replied. “We have our baby back now, and I won’t let anything or anyone separate us again.”Zack hugged her tighter, whispering in her ear how much he loved them, sharing all the relief they felt at that moment.“Oh my God, I can’t believe it!” Andrea murmured when Milo brought Adriana over. “I can’t believe no one will ever take her away from us again!”Zack kissed the little girl, and their siblings hugged them, congratulating them.“Fifteen days. That’s all we need for the sentence to settle legally, and then you’ll get all the new documents for Adriana,” Gazca told them. “I’ll make sure everything is ready as soon as possible.”Zack shook his hand with a gesture of gratitude, and everyone left
CHAPTER 109. You were born for thisZack and Andrea had never been together in their own world... ever. Until that moment, they had been two people under the scrutiny of others, and now that it was finally over and they no longer felt judged, life seemed simply wonderful.They had already decided to go to Switzerland for a while.“Well... where are we going to live in the meantime?”“How about we stay at my apartment? I love your new house, but it's not very close to work,” he said, and Andrea nodded.“Sure, plus it’s only for fifteen days, one last chance to enjoy ourselves before facing the harsh reality.”“What harsh reality?” Zack was startled.“That we can’t scream while... you know... at your parents’ house.”Zack burst into laughter, knowing that wouldn’t last long either because they’d find their own home in Switzerland immediately. But they finally packed up what they needed and moved it to Zack’s apartment.Loan and Milo didn’t leave immediately. With the danger a bit furthe
CHAPTER 110. A Proud Man—$200,000... $200,000 a year...? You got a $200,000 annual sponsorship for the kid? —Zack exclaimed, unable to believe it.—Is that too little?—No, it’s a lot for someone who’s still two years away from the professional league! —Zack exclaimed. —The first sponsorship I ever got was for $60,000.Andrea’s eyes widened.—Really? You swear? —she exclaimed, jumping on her tiptoes like a child.—I swear, love, I swear! —Zack said, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her. —You’re amazing! You’re spectacular!After the game, Zack and Andrea headed to the parking lot to go home. As they walked, Andrea couldn’t help but think about how nice the outing had been and felt she had much to be thankful for despite everything.—What would I do if you hadn’t come into my life? —she asked quietly.—You would have found a way to move forward because that’s just who you are, —Zack replied without hesitation. —I, on the other hand, would have spent the rest of my life being
CHAPTER 111. The Perfect MomentMason drummed his fingers on the kitchen counter. He had been waiting for hours for the man he was told could handle the job. He was furious, anxious to hear what his contact had to say. Finally, there was a knock at the door, and a short, scrawny, utterly insignificant-looking man with a suitcase greeted him.“I’m not buying anything,” Mason growled, but before he could close the door, the man stopped him.“But I am for sale, for a good price, of course.”Mason frowned.“You’re the one they call 'Rat'?” he asked incredulously.“The one and only,” the man smiled.Mason tensed, his heart racing as he let him in.“Tell me you’re good for something.”“What I can do will cost you double what you offered. Zack Keller is a complicated target. His apartment is a fortress, his building is full of cameras, and his parking lot is completely private,” the man replied. “He’s always on the move, and his office is no longer easily accessible. The building is very wel
CHAPTER 112. You have to be quiet..."You're an incredible man," she said, setting the suitcase aside and hugging him.He held her tightly and promised he would never let anyone separate them. Andrea kissed him in response, her tears slowly rolling down her face. Once again, Zack had saved her in ways he couldn’t even imagine. She knew their lives would change forever, but she felt like she already had everything she wanted in the world.They couldn’t resist the impulse to cling to each other. The kiss was passionate, their lips meeting in a perfect melody only they could understand.“I want to take it slow,” Zack murmured as his mouth traveled down her neck to her breasts, and Andrea gasped, tilting her head back.“Liar! You’re going to lose control just like always,” she accused, feeling her body start to tense and vibrate.“Maybe, but at least this time I have the intention.”Zack undressed her completely and kissed her desperately. Every part of her skin was a delight to his sense