CHAPTER 30. Little Thor and SweetieZack wanted the ground to swallow him up. He had no idea when his sister had met Giselle or if that was even true. But if it was, it must have been in the past year when they were already separated. His hand unconsciously tightened around Andrea's, and she knew something was very wrong.“Well, if you met Giselle,” he said sharply, “then I don’t understand why you're putting on this act because you know perfectly well that the woman beside me is not her. Giselle and I separated a long time ago. This is Andrea, my girlfriend, so come say hello properly or save the theatrics.”“Alright, little brother, don’t get upset,” Noémi said dismissively. “You must understand that you were with Giselle for years. When you told Dad, 'My girlfriend is pregnant,' we all assumed you were talking about Giselle.”Andrea remembered Zack’s words like a punch: "If life were fair, I’d have a wife and a baby." So whatever had happened, it was clear it had been very difficul
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