CHAPTER 135. GuiltFor a long minute, an infinite and terrible minute, Andrea closed her eyes and tried to accept it. She had to; there was no other choice. Zack was standing in front of her, consumed by guilt, and she was sure that would never leave him because he was a good man, a man with a good conscience, so forgetting that he had caused a death, even indirectly, would not be easy for him. So the only thing she could do was try to alleviate that feeling.She slipped into his arms and pressed herself against his chest."I know you only wanted to protect us. I know, Zack," she said softly as she clung to him and stroked his back. "This will never leave us, but you can't blame yourself because if I had been in your place... maybe I would have done the same...""Or maybe not," he murmured. Tears came out forcefully, and he sought refuge in her arms."You know what? Parents don't have a choice," Andrea said, playing with his hair. "You've taken responsibility from the beginning; you'v
CHAPTER 136. A Difficult Solution"Do that... I can't have any doubts, Gazca, not a single one," he murmured.He hung up the call and ran his hands through his hair, unaware that Andrea was watching him from a corner of the hallway, worried because she knew this would be one of the most difficult obstacles for both of them to overcome.They got ready in silence that morning and took Adriana to Nikola. The grandfather was improving a lot and might be able to come home in a couple of weeks. While Andrea chatted with him and played with the baby, Zack took some time with his mother to tell her everything that had happened."In a way, I’m relieved that your sisters have become more human," Luana stated. "And regarding everything else, I can only say that I’m proud of you, son. You did what you had to do, and no matter how hard it is, you will get through it. Now please tell me you're going to stay here for a good while."Zack looked up, and she was glad to see his eyes shining with more c
CHAPTER 137. Everything will passAndrea held her breath. The idea that Adriana might still be in danger was unbearable, but Zack's reluctance to share his solution with her was even worse.“What do you mean? Why... Why wouldn’t I like it?” she asked.“Well... the easiest way to legalize Adriana’s situation is for us to get married, for me to adopt her as my daughter,” he said without looking at her. “The Keller name carries a lot of weight in this country; we could have everything sorted out in a matter of days.”Andrea swallowed hard because Zack didn’t seem very convinced about what he was proposing.“I understand, but... are you okay with that? With getting married?” Andrea asked. At this point, she was willing to do anything to ensure Adriana’s safety.“Yes, yes, of course... But I know you don’t want to get married. I swear this would be just a legal thing, only to keep Adriana safe. You don’t have to see it as a real union if you don’t want to,” he tried to explain, and Andrea
CHAPTER 138. A Ghost LurkingAndrea knew that in some way, he was broken, and it wasn't good that he refused to talk to a professional about it, but she ultimately decided not to pressure him. Four days later, however, that small bubble of tranquility burst with a single phone call.“Gazca? What happened? Is everything okay?” he asked, seeing the time the man was calling.“Yes, everything is fine, but I'm calling to inform you of two important things,” the lawyer said. “First, the official documentation for the girl is ready; I can send it to you by official courier.”“That’s good news,” Zack sighed. “What’s the other?”“The court granted me an appointment to see Mason’s body. I'm in Montreal for that.”“Have you seen it already?” Zack asked, his heart skipping a beat.“No, I just got the appointment but haven't scheduled it yet. I’m calling because soon the body will no longer be under investigation and will be buried,” Gazca said. “If you want to convince yourself that he’s truly de
CHAPTER 139. “You’re leaving?”“Are you going to be okay?” Gazca asked when he saw Zack place a hand on the rail of the airplane stairs.“Yes...” Zack replied, but there was no conviction in his words. “I just need to get my thoughts in order.”However, his thoughts were much worse than when he had arrived. The image of Mason’s corpse wouldn’t leave his mind, and he thanked God and all the saints that Andrea had never had to see it.But that wasn’t enough, and she immediately noticed something was wrong when he returned from his trip, and the kiss he gave her on the lips was too fleeting. While she was dying to hug him, Zack handed her documents or unpacked the suitcase, occasionally giving her a hug that was lacking in passion.“Did everything go well?” Andrea asked while reviewing her daughter’s papers.“Yes, very well. With this, we can go to the courthouse first thing in the morning, and I’ll start the adoption process. It should be done in a few days,” he said while unpacking.An
CHAPTER 140. …With a different lookZack stared at her for a second. He knew all the resentment and despair Mason had put her through, but he couldn’t ignore what he was feeling, which was why he was determined to leave.“I’m really sorry. You didn’t deserve any of that, but I’m not okay. I need to get this out of my system somehow…”“And you can’t do that here!? You can’t do it with me? With Adriana?” she retorted.“Of course not! I can’t be like this around you. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I did because every time I see you…” Zack stopped himself, and Andrea stifled a sob because she already knew how that sentence was going to end.“Every time you see me, you remember that you had a man killed for me,” she finished and closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see the sadness in his.For a long minute, she turned her back on him and looked out the window. She couldn’t believe it was happening again, that she was going to be left alone because of the same man who, even in death
CHAPTER 141. As long as I can“Time and space?” Chiara growled as she picked Adriana up in her arms. “Did the idiot really ask you for time and space?”“Tell me you gave him a watch and a spaceship to go to hell!” Noémi grumbled, leaving Andrea stunned for a moment. The twins had arrived to spend the weekend with their parents, and the first thing they did was pick up the baby to take her with them.“I thought you guys didn’t curse,” she murmured, trying to hold back a laugh.“True, we don’t,” Chiara muttered, elbowing her sister. “But it’s not fair! Zack fought so hard for you, it’s stupid for him to leave now.”Andrea took a deep breath and sank onto the sofa, burying her head in her hands.“Your brother is a good person,” she murmured openly, because the twins and the Keller boys already knew. “And for good people, it’s hard to accept that they were capable of hurting someone. If he needs to be alone and… process everything that happened, then that’s what he should do. Honestly, it
CHAPTER 142. The Best and the WorstZack smiled in desperation. “Of course I miss her, Ben…!”“Then find your player and get back home before you find it empty, Zack, don’t push your luck!” Ben warned him.Zack took a deep breath and looked at the star-filled sky. “You’re right, as soon as I close this deal, I’ll come back. If I’m lucky, I can negotiate a contract with Ambasi tomorrow or the day after and then head home,” he decided.“Alright, keep me informed,” Ben requested, only to hear Zack explain why he definitely wouldn’t be informing him of anything. The next day he would head to small towns and remote communities where communication would be more difficult.At that same moment, the twins were saying goodbye to their mother. Only Mr. Nikola hadn’t been informed of everything that had happened in Canada, but now the Keller boys and the twins were keeping a close eye on Andrea and the baby.Chiara and Noémi returned to Andrea’s house with the baby already fed and asleep. They kn