CHAPTER 94. Really urgentZack thanked them, and soon after, they passed by the office building on their way to the apartment. Adriana quickly started playing with Milo, and Zack dragged Andrea to her room."Let me see you," he growled, lifting her chin."Zack, it really wasn't anything..." Andrea tried to pull away, but he shook his head."Of course, it was something! That bastard dared to lay his hands on you! I'll kill him!" he hissed helplessly, gritting his teeth.Andrea ran a hand through his hair and pulled him close to her."Zack, you need to calm down...""I can't believe you're telling me that," he said desperately. "How can you ask me to calm down when that man dared to hurt you?""Because I can't let you do anything stupid. We're in the middle of a trial, and we need to endure this until the end... there's a lot at stake here. Adriana is at stake."Zack looked at her with narrowed eyes. He knew she was right, but the helplessness was eating him up inside."I know, but I ca
CHAPTER 95. Friday nightMilo was charming his way through the transfer process like the best of playboys, but luckily, in less than twenty minutes, the transfer was completed, and the documents were digitally signed.“All done. Just need to print them out, and then help me disappear because I swear that woman will come after me,” he warned.Zack nodded, relieved, as they sent the documents to attorney Gazca via email. Shortly after, they were entering the elevator and noticed Mason and his lawyer causing a major scene in the company's reception area.“My daughter should be here! The judge ruled she should go to daycare, not that Andrea could take her away from here!” Mason growled angrily.“We're going to file a complaint with the court right now!” threatened Basil Gagnon, his lawyer. “And we’ll make sure you never get custody…”“Did your idiot client not tell you?” Zack was angry but knew staying calm was the best way to ensure the situation didn’t spiral out of control. “Ms. Brand
CHAPTER 96. A Midnight MadnessO'Grady and Byren were off duty for the weekend, but they were thrilled to help the family of the Baby Storm representative; so, they would also stay to enforce the law if necessary.“Well, it’s time,” said Zack as the clock struck midnight.Adriana had fallen asleep early, and Andrea was pacing around her room like she couldn't find any solace. From the second floor of the house next door, Zack could see her perfectly, and he also noticed that all the lights in the house had already gone out.“As police officers, we can’t condone trespassing,” Byren stated.“That’s why we’re going to turn towards the TV and pretend we didn’t hear your plan,” declared O’Grady. Zack smiled as he said goodbye to his brothers.He took a deep breath, strapped on his backpack, and cracked his knuckles.“Ready, set... go!” he whispered before sprinting towards the fence.Climbing it was easy for him. Silently, he landed on the other side and ran towards the side of the house,
CHAPTER 97. This doesn’t feel rightZack watched her sleep. In her exhausted and nervous state, she was perfect, and seeing her rest in his arms gave him at least a little peace in the midst of the storm. Holding back his desires, on the other hand, was a self-imposed punishment that he knew he deserved and, in a way, was also enjoying. He waited until almost dawn and left as silently as he had entered.It must have been around eight in the morning when Mason was pacing the kitchen like a caged lion. What the hell was going on with Andrea? Was she planning a hunger strike?He brooded over his frustration until he saw her come down with the baby and settle her in her stroller.“Do you think I'm playing, Andy?” he growled, approaching without even a greeting, and she gritted her teeth.“I don’t know what you’re talking about, and believe me, I don’t care,” she replied.Mason approached her and grabbed her arm, shaking her.“You’re in my house! You’re my wife! How long do you plan on con
CHAPTER 98. Mistakes“Well, I have an idea... it wouldn’t hurt to keep a close watch on him,” Milo replied, and shortly after, they agreed on what they wanted to do.Zack played with Adriana for a while, and once he saw she was perfectly comfortable with his brothers, he took Andrea so she could try to sleep for at least a few hours.“I’m scared...” she murmured, looking out the window. “This is a side of Mason I’ve never seen before.”Zack hugged her from behind and kissed her head.“Sometimes that happens. We never really finish knowing people.”He held her tightly, and she shook her head.“No, but if he had at least given me a hint... I don’t know, I feel like I made too many mistakes in choosing him and that I must have been blind if he sent signals and I didn’t see them.”Zack turned her around and kissed her slowly.“Sometimes people change. Don’t think you made a mistake; you’re a good person. He’s the one making mistakes. Don’t think about it anymore; everything will be alrigh
CHAPTER 99. Entering and Leaving HellThe patrol took both of them away. The officers had no choice but to attend to both complaints, but upon arriving at the station, they ensured to place them in separate cells.The lawyers arrived quickly, and if Mason thought he had hit the jackpot with his clever idea, Basil Gagnon was quick to clarify that he had not.“I filed a complaint against him for trespassing! Isn’t that what we needed?”“Yes, Mr. Lee, but not at your expense!” the lawyer exclaimed impatiently. “I managed to submit the request to advance the trial as soon as I received the notification of Zack Keller’s arrest, but I get here and find that you’re also under arrest!”“Well, but the custody trial is the priority!” Mason hissed. “I have to take the kid away from her once and for all!”“We have a date set, the hearing is on Monday, but that’s not going to go well if you have an attempted rape charge against you,” Gagnon stated.“That’s not a problem. It’s her word against mine
CHAPTER 100. A deep bond Zack frowned."The trial?" he asked, confused."The lawyer can explain it better, but Mason's attorney managed to move up the trial and requested permanent custody of Adriana."Zack cursed in frustration. He couldn't believe that guy was so intent on causing harm that he didn't hold back."Don't be like that, Gazca says this is good," Loan replied. "We just have to hurry, there's a lot to do in two days."When they got back to the house, the lawyer sat down to talk with him. He had his strategy mapped out and a clear idea of how to handle the trial against Mason."The law is on our side, but I'll be honest, guys like this never stop causing trouble," the lawyer assured him. "Even if Mrs. Brand gets permanent custody, the law gives the father the right to have the child at least on weekends, and in the best case, if he's only allowed supervised visits, he'll still take the opportunity to create problems. That will never stop."Zack clenched his fists. He had a
CHAPTER 101. Screams Under the ShowerThe water ran over their clothes and bodies as they tried to take them off with clumsy, urgent movements. The heat, the need to feel each other's skin, the desperation to be together was consuming them. Andrea lifted her eyes to meet Zack's, who looked at her with a mix of desire, love, and guilt."What’s wrong?" she murmured, caressing his chest, and Zack ran his fingers over the bruises on her arms."I'm sorry...""Hey, it wasn’t your fault," Andrea interrupted."But if I hadn’t left..."Andrea took a deep breath and turned her back to him, lifting her face so the shower water fell on it."You have to let that go. Guilt won’t help us now," she whispered. "If you don't focus on what’s coming, nothing will get solved."Zack rested his forehead on her head, moved her hair aside, and kissed the nape of her neck gently, sending a shiver of pleasure through her body. Andrea closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of his lips on her skin. Zack kissed d