Ch. 611..620
Chapter 611: In the future, it will definitely progress faster than Cindy
Decades later, they would be forced to part.
The time she and Adrian Zhekova had together was so short.
Even before that time came, Cindy Clarke’s heart was already filled with reluctance, as if the time were already imminent.
She was originally quite happy, but now, she felt an sourness in her heart.
While Cindy was suffering, she heard someone crying.
It wasn’t her.
Unexpectedly, it was the usually tear-free little Morgan Zhekova.
Morgan suddenly cried out loud and hugged Adrian Zhekova’s thigh directly.
Adrian Zhekova: “…”
“Morgan?” Cindy called him in surprise, “What’s wrong?”
Rarely, the little guy didn’t come over to hug Cindy but continued to hold on to Adrian Zhekova’s thigh, saying: “Dad, I don’t want you guys to get old, and I don’t want you to leave me, wuwuwuwuwu!”
Cindy was stunned for a moment.
Only then did she realize that the little guy had heard Adrian Zhekova’s words earlier.
He had thought of what they would look like when they got old.
Cindy was both touched and amused.
At such a young age, the little guy was already thinking about the distant future.
Children were different from them.
When adults reach a certain age, they feel the urgency of time.
Time flies by so fast, and in the blink of an eye, a year goes by.
Yet, within that year, it feels like nothing has been accomplished.
In the twinkling of an eye, they keep getting older.
Unknowingly, they reach their old age.
However, children are so small, they always feel that time is not passing fast enough.
They are still so young, wishing they could grow up quickly.
Adulthood seems so far away, let alone the idea of growing old.
For Morgan, this should be a distant event.
Unexpectedly, the little guy was already worried about it first.
Adrian Zhekova even felt somewhat touched.
Despite the little guy’s usual carefree demeanor, when it came to important moments, he really cared about his dad!
Adrian Zhekova suddenly felt a sense of comfort as an old father.
Who would have thought, soon after, he heard Morgan say: “Dad, you’re so much older than Cindy, you’ll definitely leave before Cindy does!”
Adrian Zhekova: “…”
Adrian Zhekova’s eye twitched, and the moving feeling he had before suddenly disappeared.
That stinky kid not only thought about him getting old but also his demise!
“Wuwuwu, I won’t let you go!” The little guy cried again.
Adrian Zhekova’s heart was filled with mixed feelings.
Morgan was reluctant to let go of him, which showed that he still had a conscience.
But the reason for this reluctance made Adrian Zhekova feel bitter.
“It’s okay, don’t cry.” Adrian Zhekova took Morgan off his leg, “It’s still a long way to go, and you don’t have to think about it that far.”
Morgan sniffed and looked up at Adrian Zhekova with his watery eyes.
Adrian Zhekova cleared his throat and said, “I’ll take good care of myself, and I’ll live at least another 50 years. You can rest assured.”
Upon hearing this, the little guy’s mood improved a lot.
He quickly tugged on Cindy’s pants: “Cindy, you have to take good care of yourself, and live at least another 60 years!”
Adrian Zhekova silently made a promise that he would try to live for another 60 years too.
He wasn’t going to leave Cindy behind!
Cindy couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Okay.”
What was originally a touching topic suddenly became a bit sad.
But the direction of the conversation had suddenly become a bit funny.
“Let’s go and choose the photos.” Adrian Zhekova said.
So, the three went back to Cindy’s study room.
Cindy had indeed taken a lot of photos of Morgan.
Each of them took a few albums and selected their favorites. They would then discuss which ones should be chosen.
When Aunt Jenkins came, the three of them were still in Cindy’s study room.
Aunt Jenkins didn’t see anyone and came looking for them.
She heard what seemed to be noises from the second floor and went to check it out.
Fortunately, the door to the study room was not closed.
Adrian Zhekova and Cindy felt that since it was just them at home, there were no outsiders.
Now that the three of them were in the study room, it didn’t matter whether the door was closed or not.
Aunt Jenkins followed the sound, stopped at the door, and knocked on it a few times.
Adrian and the other two looked over.
“Aunt Jenkins is here.” Cindy said with a smile.
“Yes, I just came in and didn’t see anyone. The housekeeper had just called a while ago, and it seemed like he was at home, so I came to check.” Aunt Jenkins laughed.
“We’re selecting photos to hang on the wall.” Cindy explained with a smile.
“I saw, I won’t disturb you then. I bought the ingredients according to the list. Let me know what you want to make tonight, and I’ll prepare it.”
Cindy thought for a moment then listed a few dishes: “Can we have these for tonight?”
Cindy asked for Adrian Zhekova and Morgan’s opinions.
“Sure.” Adrian Zhekova nodded.
He was easy to please, really.
As long as it was cooked by Cindy, he liked it, no matter what it was.
Likewise, the little guy had no objections.
Except for a very few vegetables, the little one was not picky.
So, Aunt Jenkins went downstairs.
Adrian Zhekova, Cindy, and Morgan spent a long time together to choose five satisfactory photos.
These photos were taken when Morgan was just born, and when he was one, two, three, and four years old.
Morgan’s fourth birthday had already passed in June.
At that time, the interaction between Adrian Zhekova and Cindy was not that many.
Although Adrian Zhekova intended to get close to Cindy and spend more time with her.
But at that time, neither of them had openly admitted it.
Adrian Zhekova needed many excuses to look for Cindy.
Moreover, at that time, Adrian Zhekova was not yet sure if Morgan was his son.
This matter had always been a matter of great regret for Adrian Zhekova.
Despite having already met Morgan, his son was right in front of him, but he missed Morgan’s birthday.
He would have to wait until the following year for the next opportunity.
Adrian Zhekova missed Morgan’s birthdays for four years.
These four years were irreplaceable.
“Next year, I’ll throw you a huge birthday party.” Adrian Zhekova said to Morgan.
“The scale of the party doesn’t matter.” Morgan said, “It’s just… it would be good if Great Grandfather, Great Grandmother, Grandfather, Grandmother, Dad, and Cindy are all here! If Derek Smith and the others have time, they can join too.”
The little guy blushed: “As long as the people I love, and those who love me, are all together, that’s good enough.”
Adrian Zhekova smiled and counted Morgan’s fingers: “By then, if we invite Derek and the others, wouldn’t your Uncle Kai and the others have to come too?
“And, this is the first birthday party I’m throwing for my son. Wouldn’t all my friends, your uncles, have to come and join as well?”
“So, when you count them, isn’t the number of people a lot?” Adrian Zhekova said.
“Does the celebration have to be this big?” Cindy felt that Morgan’s birthday should just be a family celebration.
Chapter 612: When it comes to shamelessness, he still lost.
After all, the child is older, not a full moon or a hundred days kind of thing, there has to be some scruples.
Before, when she celebrated Morgan’s birthday, it was just her, Peggy Lewis, and Morgan – just the three of them.
The birthdays were simple but warm and fulfilling.
“For the birthdays to come, just our family members will celebrate it, I don’t think there’s any need for a big fuss,” Adrian Zhekova said.
Their family has always been low-key.
Whether it’s the elderly or his parents, Adrian Zhekova included.
Anniversaries, birthdays, any celebrations are done within a small family circle.
Adrian Zhekova’s academic achievements were excellent.
Adrian Zhekova, when he first joined Pingla, handed in a very outstanding report card, which helped Pingla make a big leap forward.
At the time, Adrian Zhekova had just graduated and joined Pingla.
Because he was the heir to the Zhekova Family, there was not much that could be said about this guy who had parachuted in.
He led Pingla without any experience?
Privately, there was no shortage of people making sarcastic remarks.
At that time, Adrian Zhekova, under such pressure, finally proved himself to the whole Pingla and the entire Zhekova family.
Later, Adrian Zhekova’s decisions never went wrong.
Even with such achievements, the Zhekova family did not celebrate it much.
All they did was have a family dinner and celebrate a bit.
This has been their family’s custom.
Not only Adrian Zhekova, even Maverick Zhekova was the same.
As a child, except for weddings, there was nothing done significantly just for him.
“But I missed Morgan’s birth, missed Morgan’s full month, missed Morgan’s hundredth day.” Adrian Zhekova said.
“These are all very memorable days.”
“Days that should be celebrated too,” said Adrian Zhekova.
Morgan blushed a little uneasily.
So…Dad remembers everything!
He thought his dad was deliberately angry with him, bullying him, and annoyed with him.
Unexpectedly, Dad remembered.
Morgan looked at Adrian Zhekova with shining eyes, feeling deeply touched.
“I missed these moments, and time can’t go back,” Adrian Zhekova said. “Morgan and I just got acquainted, and I missed his birthday this year.”
“Next year’s birthday will be the first birthday Morgan and I spend together.”
“For me, it’s my first birthday, and for us three, it’s our first time as a family together, celebrating Morgan’s birthday.”
“So I think, the first birthday should be lively. I want to make up for the full moon, a hundred days, and the four birthdays that I missed before. ”
“I can’t participate in past events, but if there’s even a slim chance for me to make it right, I want to seize it,” said Adrian Zhekova.
“So, can we make it high-profile this time?” Adrian Zhekova asked Cindy.
Cindy then said, “I have no objections. Morgan, what about you?”
The little guy clenched his clothes, twisted, and looked particularly shy.
“Since…since Dad wants it to be a big deal, I’ll comply.” Morgan’s face turned red as he said, “This is Dad’s heart for me!”
“As his son, I should fulfill Dad’s wish.” Morgan nodded vigorously, “I’m being a good son!”
Adrian Zhekova: “…”
Turns out his son was just being filial by letting him host a big birthday party?
“Well, it seems you don’t really care. Since you don’t mind, just keep the birthday low-key within our family. It’ll also save me some trouble.” Adrian Zhekova said.
He doesn’t need his son to be filial in this way.
In the end, he spent money and effort to throw a birthday party for Morgan. But instead, it turned out that he was capricious, and the little guy only reluctantly agreed to be filial to him.
For this reason, Adrian Zhekova only wanted to laugh twice at the little guy.
Whose character did this child inherit to be so cunning?
Certainly not from Cindy.
This little guy definitely didn’t inherit this side from Cindy.
However, Adrian Zhekova also firmly believed that the little guy didn’t inherit this aspect from him, either.
His face wasn’t that thick!
“I care about it!” As soon as Adrian Zhekova changed his mind, Morgan immediately grew anxious and grabbed Adrian Zhekova’s arm, saying, “I really care about it!”
How come Dad doesn’t understand his son’s heart!
He was just saying that, holding back a little.
How could his dad just change his mind!
Morgan hurriedly looked at Cindy for help.
Seeing the little guy’s urgent and pitiful-cute look, Cindy’s heart softened.
She quickly gave Adrian Zhekova a hint.
Adrian Zhekova then said, “Oh, so you actually want to have a party?”
Morgan nodded quickly, fearing that Adrian Zhekova would change his mind again.
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Adrian Zhekova pretended to say.
Morgan: “…”
“Next time you like something, just tell me,” Adrian Zhekova struck back, “Why be polite with me, your dad?”
Morgan: “…”
Dad is just trying to irritate him!
It’s just that when Adrian Zhekova said this, there was no fault to be found.
Even if Morgan wanted to say that he was wrong, he couldn’t find a reason.
The little guy thought to himself, when it comes to cunning, the Old Fox himself is the most cunning.
He still has a little way to go.
Seeing Adrian Zhekova’s smug look, Morgan pursed his lips, raised his jaw, and said, “Dad, didn’t you say you wanted to make up for all the ones you missed? Why do you keep bullying me then?”
However, he didn’t expect Adrian Zhekova to have an even thicker skin, as he asked outright, “When did I ever bully you? It’s such an injustice when you say things like that.”
After saying that, he looked at Cindy with a face full of complaints, “Cindy, look, this is how Morgan usually bullies me.”
Cindy: “…”
Morgan was so angry. How can his dad be so shameless!
When it comes to being shameless, he still loses!
Cindy, caught in the middle of this father and son duo, was like a sandwich cookie, stuck in a quandary.
Cindy didn’t want to deal with them anymore and didn’t reply to either of their comments.
She went back to the original topic, “Let’s go and hang up the pictures.”
Let’s not forget their purpose in the Study Room.
“What about your photos?” Morgan asked.
Cindy looked at Adrian Zhekova.
Adrian Zhekova thought for a moment and said, “We took a lot of photos at the photo studio before, and some of them were just of the two of us individually. They were quite casual and natural, not at all like they were taken on purpose.”
“They looked more like casual snapshots of life. I think those few are quite suitable. Let’s pick one of them to serve as a memorial photo for the first day of our marriage.”
After saying that, Adrian Zhekova sought Cindy’s opinion, “What do you think of this idea?”
Chapter 613: Legitimate Marital Relationship
“If you think these photos are not formal enough, we can go and take some more photos.” Adrian Zhekova said again.
Cindy Clarke felt that this was quite good, and said, “I think this is very good. Besides, we just got our marriage certificate yesterday, and today we officially take photos as a family.”
“The photos we took today were for our wedding, and they meet our requirements. Besides, there are various styles in the photos we took today.”
Formal and casual, both are included.
There was no need to take more photos.
“So let’s settle this.” Adrian Zhekova said with a smile.
Thus, Cindy Clarke and Adrian Zhekova picked out another photo that they both thought came out well.
In the photo, the two of them did not pose deliberately, it was a natural scene captured by the photographer while they were chatting.
Because Cindy Clarke was close to Adrian Zhekova, she felt very relaxed when she was with him.
Unconscious subtle expressions on their faces, small movements of their hands, small details in their eyebrows and eyes during conversation, none of these could be expressed through posing for photos.
Just by looking at the photo, one could feel the genuine emotions between them, which was much better than posed shots.
They took these selected photos and put them in picture frames.
Morgan Zhekova also helped, although her framing actions were slower.
Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke finished framing the other photos, while Morgan Zhekova only finished one.
Later, Adrian Zhekova nailed these photos one by one according to their plan, and hung them on the wall of the staircase.
Corresponding to each step.
Morgan already had 5 photos, like 5 steps in life.
And for Cindy Clarke and Adrian Zhekova, they only occupied one step.
Speaking of which, it has been a long time since Morgan has seen her childhood photos.
Now seeing herself as a baby, obediently looking into the camera, she found it quite novel.
It was like looking at a strange child, yet with a familiar feeling.
After looking at the photos for a while, Morgan nodded in agreement, “I was so cute back then, really good-looking.”
Cindy Clarke: “…”
For now, there are only his 5 photos hanging on the wall beside the stairs, but there will be more and more in the future.
For Cindy Clarke and Adrian Zhekova, there is only a temporary one for now.
As Morgan Zhekova examined the photos on the wall, Adrian Zhekova was also looking at them, not idle.
“The wall looks like it’s missing something.” Adrian Zhekova touched his chin, saying seriously.
“Are you saying we don’t have enough photos?” Cindy Clarke unconsciously wrapped her arms around Adrian Zhekova’s waist and giggled, “In the future, every year we will add a new photo. Gradually, there will be more of our photos.”
Cindy Clarke looked at the few they had now, but thought that one would be added each year.
It really was meaningful.
Adrian Zhekova’s idea was really good.
Cindy Clarke secretly glanced at Morgan Zhekova.
She noticed that Morgan had already lost interest and had gone to play with her toys.
Cindy Clarke tiptoed lightly and quickly kissed Adrian Zhekova’s cheek.
Adrian Zhekova was stunned.
This girl was rarely so proactive.
Even at home, it was very rare.
Because Morgan was always around, Cindy Clarke was afraid of being caught by her and felt embarrassed.
Even when the two of them were alone in the bedroom, or when Morgan was staying at the family mansion.
Adrian Zhekova had to coax her, and she would only agree then.
Like now, without him asking, Cindy Clarke gave him a surprise.
It was really rare.
Without thinking, Adrian Zhekova pulled Cindy Clarke into his arms.
His arms tightly circled her waist, “Why are you so nice today?”
“When am I not nice?” Cindy Clarke’s big eyes flickered, and she was very dissatisfied with Adrian Zhekova’s words.
“But you rarely take the initiative to kiss me, which makes today extra special.” Adrian Zhekova said without any attempt to hide it.
His words made Cindy Clarke’s face turn red.
Adrian Zhekova lowered his head and kissed her lips deeply for a while.
“Why suddenly so proactive?” Adrian Zhekova asked with a smile.
Cindy Clarke felt wronged, as if she had never been proactive before.
It’s just… it’s just less frequent.
“It’s nothing.” Cindy Clarke said, “I just think that you’re particularly nice.”
“When am I not nice?” Adrian Zhekova raised his eyebrows, returning her words back to her.
Cindy Clarke’s nose wrinkled, and she pinched his waist.
Adrian Zhekova laughed lightly, not feeling any pain, and kissed Cindy Clarke’s lips again.
“I just think that your idea has a particularly meaningful commemoration, and it’s very good.” Cindy Clarke said.
Only those who truly cared could think of these things.
Otherwise, where would they bother to think about them?
“It was you who thought of this first and reminded me.” Adrian Zhekova said with a smile.
He looked up at the blank wall behind them, “We have many more photos to put up.”
Together, they would slowly fill the wall with their future life.
Understanding Adrian Zhekova’s words, Cindy Clarke felt a warm and comforting anticipation in her heart.
She looked up at Adrian Zhekova, and together with this man, they would slowly walk the path in the future.
“By the way, what did you say was missing on the wall just now?” Cindy Clarke remembered her original question.
Almost forgot about it because this man sidetracked her.
Adrian Zhekova pointed to the bottom of Morgan’s photos, “Don’t you think it’s a bit empty down there?”
“The wall only has photos of the two of us and Morgan. It’s a bit too thin.” Adrian Zhekova hinted.
Seeing that Cindy Clarke’s face still looked a bit confused.
Adrian Zhekova leaned into her ear and whispered, “I want to hang Morgan’s little sister’s photo up as soon as possible.”
Cindy Clarke’s original light blush turned into a deep red.
“Now that the two of us are legally married, it is perfectly legitimate to have children.” Adrian Zhekova whispered again.
Cindy Clarke: “…”
“Or, you don’t want to have a second child so soon? It doesn’t matter if we wait until Morgan is older.” Adrian Zhekova said again.
“No, not at all.” Cindy Clarke said, “I just haven’t thought about it and want to let it happen naturally.”
She did not deliberately think about when to have a baby.
Just… whenever she becomes pregnant, that will be the time.
“All right, let’s let nature take its course.” Adrian Zhekova nodded.
“This time, I won’t miss my child’s birth, her growth, and all those memorable days. I will be there.” Adrian Zhekova said, “Together, we will accompany her through every important day.”
Cindy Clarke nodded, understanding Adrian Zhekova’s regrets.
If she had missed these past four years of Morgan’s life.
Morgan’s birth, his full moon, hundred days, all his memorable days.
When he learned to turn over, sit up, and walk.
When he could call dad and mom.
When he could say more words.
If she missed all those moments, she would be very sad.
Chapter 614: Wanting a Daughter
“However, I worry that because we are so involved in Cindy’s life due to her abundance of blessings, we may miss out on being involved with Morgan’s,” Adrian Zhekova continued, “Morgan might feel upset–he might feel unhappy about this.”
“Morgan is a magnanimous child, he won’t allow his frustration to be directed at his sister,” Adrian Zhekova said, “I’m more worried that he’ll repress his feelings, keeping the sadness to himself.”
Without a comparison, the little boy might not realize what exactly he missed out on.
But in the process of accompanying his sister, Morgan was also fully involved.
This would let him know, what he had missed out on from his own childhood.
Morgan is good, he wouldn’t feel jealous or take it out on his sister due to this matter.
Adrian Zhekova is afraid that Morgan might feel sad.
He would realize that other kids have these experiences, yet he doesn’t.
What he missed, could never be made-up for.
“That’s why I want to plan his birthday celebration on a larger scale next year, make it more lively, more grand,”
“What we didn’t prepare for him in the past, I want to make up for it all at once.”
“Maybe this still won’t make up for what he lost, but at least he’ll know that we’re not ignoring him, that we’re trying to makeup for our past neglect. The past cannot be changed, but in our eyes, he and his sister are equal,” he said.
Cindy Clarke was surprised that Adrian Zhekova had thought these through.
He usually didn’t seem too concerned about the little guy’s feelings.
But in fact, Adrian Zhekova had many thoughts in mind.
He is a thoughtful husband and a responsible father.
Cindy Clarke was truly grateful that the father of Morgan is him.
Indeed, Morgan is a fortunate child.
Cindy Clarke couldn’t help but laugh, she too, wrapped her arms around Adrian Zhekova’s waist in his embrace.
Looking up at him, all she could see was Adrian Zhekova’s chin.
The height difference between the two was quite noticeable.
Cindy Clarke tiptoed, yet could only manage to reach his chin to give him a peck.
Adrian Zhekova’s chin was clean-shaven, yet inevitably a bit prickly, giving a contrasting feel to Cindy Clarke’s soft chin.
It held a faint scent of men’s moisturizer.
Adrian Zhekova was taken aback again.
What’s gotten into her today?
She’s so forward?
Although it was already dark outside in the winter time, and it was only just after five in the afternoon, it wouldn’t be suitable to just carry Cindy Clarke back to their room now.
Adrian Zhekova had no choice but to hold back.
Seeing that Cindy Clarke had already warmly embraced his waist.
Resting her chin gently on his chest as she looked up at him, she said, “You’re wonderful.”
Adrian Zhekova felt a profound sense of satisfaction, “As long as you think I’m good, that’s enough.”
He didn’t much care about what other people thought of him.
It was enough as long as Cindy Clarke thought he was good.
“However, how do you know our next child will be a daughter?” Cindy Clarke laughed and asked, “It could also be a son.”
Adrian Zhekova, surprisingly, even displayed a somewhat worried expression, “That’s a bit risky,” he said.
By genetics, their family tended to have more sons.
But Cindy Clarke’s family had two daughters.
So the chances of having a daughter for both of them would be fifty-fifty, right?
Since the first child turned out to be Morgan, the chance of the second one being a girl is high!
Adrian Zhekova revealed his thoughts to Cindy Clarke.
Even though there wasn’t any scientific logic behind his thoughts, he was simply guessing.
Cindy Clarke was amused by Adrian Zhekova’s calculations.
Just how much does this man wish for a daughter.
He even brought up such a topic.
***
Nork City.
Mr. Lopez’s wife, Mrs. Lopez, had just left a friend’s house after playing Mahjong.
Just as she was about to get in her car, someone called out to her, “Mrs. Lopez.”
Mrs. Lopez stopped by the car, turned her head, and saw a young woman walking towards her.
The woman was Wendy Clarke.
Mrs. Lopez’s expression instantly turned somber.
She did not know Wendy Clarke and had never seen her before.
The two were complete strangers, with no understanding of each other.
If Wendy Clarke’s restaurant was brought up, Mrs. Lopez would have knowledge of it.
She had even dined there before.
However, she didn’t know who the restaurant owner was.
Therefore, Mrs. Lopez knew nothing about Wendy Clarke.
Seeing Wendy Clarke approach, Mrs. Lopez raised her eyebrows.
Her first instinct was that Mr. Lopez had found another woman.
Mr. Lopez had a penchant for flirting.
Previously, when they didn’t have any children, Mr. Lopez always wanted to sneak around and find someone to have a child with.
Mrs. Lopez had caught him several times.
Of course, Mrs. Lopez would hope to have her own child.
A child of her own would be more reliable.
In the future, the child would inherit the family’s wealth.
Bringing back a child born from another woman, even if she didn’t tell the child the truth and raised it herself, there would still be a lump in her heart.
Who knew if that woman would have other intentions, take the opportunity to find the child, and reveal the truth?
By then, wouldn’t all her years of nurturing have been in vain?
They might even snatch away all of the family’s assets, and she would be left with nothing.
Why should the Lopez family’s assets be inherited by someone who had absolutely no relation to her?
As for Mr. Lopez, Mrs. Lopez had long been indifferent.
With Mr. Lopez’s large and pudgy appearance, Mrs. Lopez became too lazy to entertain him.
With her time and wealth, why not find a young lover?
Both of them could have their fun, there was no problem with that.
As long as Mr. Lopez’s mistresses didn’t threaten her status,
And didn’t come up with a child for her to raise, she wouldn’t mind.
But Mr. Lopez actually intended to let a woman outside bear a child.
Even if Mr. Lopez assured her that he would find an unknown woman, and would not let her cause any trouble,
Simply a surrogate, end of story after the birth,
Mrs. Lopez couldn’t believe such words.
Anyway, if it wasn’t her own child, she wouldn’t feel reassured.
So Mrs. Lopez was on high alert.
If it weren’t for the child, Mrs. Lopez wouldn’t bother to deal with Mr. Lopez.
Until four years ago, when Mr. Lopez suddenly brought home a child.
He said it was a surrogate birth from outside
And it was through proper channels, there would definitely be no trouble.
But how could Mrs. Lopez believe that?
Domestic surrogacy wasn’t allowed.
Mr. Lopez’s business was not yet that big to be expanded overseas.
Moreover, she was well aware of Mr. Lopez’s travels.
Just around the time when the child was born, Mr. Lopez had not left the country at all.
Clearly, Mr. Lopez was lying.
Mrs. Lopez couldn’t let it go and argued with Mr. Lopez for a long time.
But Mr. Lopez insisted on not disclosing who the biological mother of the child was.
He repeatedly assured that the biological mother would definitely not come looking for them.
Moreover, it was just this child.
Considering Mrs. Lopez’s age, Mr. Lopez didn’t have much expectation from her.
Chapter 615: What does this have to do with me?
She couldn’t always be at loggerheads with Mrs. Lopez like this, growing old, he wouldn’t even be capable of seeking life if he wants to, the quality of his own life would be terrible.
Mr. Lopez assured Mrs. Lopez that this would be the only child.
Now that he had a child to inherit the family business, his aim had been achieved, he wouldn’t bring another one home.
He reassured Mrs. Lopez that she would only have to endure this one.
What could Mrs. Lopez say at this point?
She couldn’t simply abandon the child.
This child, it’s obvious upon sight that he’s Mr. Lopez’s offspring.
He looks just like Mr. Lopez.
Especially that fat face and wide ears, narrow eyes and broad mouth.
No average child would look that ugly.
Of course, it also because the child is not of her own making.
So, no matter how Mrs. Lopez looks at him, she’ll always find him unattractive, and she feels no pressure in making complaints.
In the end, Mrs. Lopez had no other choice but to suffer in silence and accept this reality.
However, she clarifies that there’s only one child.
Afterwards, Mr. Lopez truly did not bring another child home.
It’s just that his nature of flirting around didn’t change.
But Mrs. Lopez was too lazy to care about this.
As long as these women didn’t bother her, and didn’t want to become the legitimate wife, she didn’t bother with what Mr. Lopez did outside.
As for Mr. Lopez, due to his guilty conscience, even if he knew that Mrs. Lopez was also playing around, he didn’t really care.
Anyway, Mrs. Lopez couldn’t give birth to a child, he wouldn’t possibly become a proud father again.
So, just let it be.
Therefore, now that Wendy Clarke has appeared and directly claimed that she was here to find Mrs. Lopez.
Considering Wendy Clarke’s age and her seductive look, she didn’t seem like a respectable woman.
Mrs. Lopez’s first instinct was that this woman is probably one of Mr. Lopez’s mistresses outside.
This lady looked restless, and she might just be here to show off and obtain a higher position.
Mrs. Lopez looked at her with cold eyes.
She sized up Wendy Clarke from head to toe and from foot to head.
Then, Mrs. Lopez put on a cold face and asked impatiently, “Who are you?”
Why did she have to block her in this manner?
And to be able to appear here, she obviously investigated her beforehand.
Otherwise, how would she know that she was playing mahjong at her friend’s house?
And how could she find her friend’s house so accurately?
When she thought of this, Mrs. Lopez’s face turned even colder.
No one would want to be investigated like this.
If this woman could investigate and figure out which friend’s house she went to today, and the left position, she could figure out more tomorrow.
The thought of this was enough to make someone’s skin crawl.
Who gave her the audacity to investigate people like this!
Mrs. Lopez stared at her unhappily, Wendy Clarke quickly smiled and said, “Good afternoon, Mrs. Lopez, I am Wendy Clarke, this is my business card.”
Wendy Clarke immediately handed her business card over to Mrs. Lopez with both hands.
Mrs. Lopez extended her hand and accepted Wendy Clarke’s business card.
Mrs. Lopez looked down and saw, Leafe Restaurant.
Turns out she’s the boss of a restaurant.
She had been to this restaurant before.
Frankly speaking, compared to the high-end restaurants in Belfard, S City, and other big cities, Leaf Restaurant is seriously lacking.
If it was only placed in a small place like Nork City.
The Leafe Restaurant would be passable.
From the environment to the dishes, they are acceptable.
After all, the competition in a small city isn’t as fierce.
Many famous restaurants in big cities would not be able to expand here even if they wanted to.
Leaf Restaurant, at least in the short term, would not be threatened by those famous chain restaurants in other places.
Just because Nork City is not that big, many famous restaurants, net celebrities’ restaurants, have not even stepped in yet.
So in Nork City, some restaurants start making counterfeit versions, naming their places after those net celebrities’ restaurants, only with slight alterations in the characters and brand logos.
Some even copied the restaurant’s menu, decor, dishes, everything’s the same.
The reason why Wendy Clarke’s Leafe Restaurant can do well in Nork City.
Is because it has its own features.
“What do you want with me?” Mrs. Lopez asked bluntly.
“Mrs. Lopez, can we go somewhere quieter to talk?” Wendy Clarke asked.
“No need.” Mrs. Lopez sneered, “Whatever you want to say, just say it.”
Anyway, it’s Wendy Clarke and Mr. Lopez’s messy business that’s going to be exposed, not hers.
She’s still young, good looking, and even runs a restaurant.
Why did she choose Mr. Lopez of all men, ugly and old.
Mrs. Lopez suddenly paused.
Wait a minute, Wendy Clarke’s restaurant, wasn’t funded by Mr. Lopez, was it?
Mrs. Lopez couldn’t help but suspect, what if the biological mother of the child at home, is Wendy Clarke?
Of course, every time she encountered a mistress, Mrs. Lopez would have such suspicion.
And try to find some resemblance between their face and the child at home.
Now, Mrs. Lopez was trying to find some similarities between Wendy Clarke’s face and the child’s features.
Unfortunately, Mr. Lopez’s genes are just too strong, they influenced the child’s features too much.
No matter how hard Mrs. Lopez looked, she couldn’t come up with a conclusion.
So, Wendy Clarke sighed, “The thing is, my sister… she sneaked off to Belfard City a few years ago without telling our family.”
Mrs. Lopez impatiently said with a cold expression, “What does that have to do with me.”
Deal with your family’s affairs on your own.
She came here to talk about her sister, it didn’t make any sense.
“We just found out that she has a son, and she’s not even married.” Wendy Clarke continued.
“I’ve told you, it has nothing to do with me.” Mrs. Lopez felt that something was not quite right, and became increasingly impatient, “Why are you telling me all this? It’s absolutely ridiculous!”
“Mrs. Lopez, please let me finish. Because the situation is a bit complicated, that’s why I wanted to find a place to talk calmly.” Wendy Clarke said, “I should lay things out in a systematic way, right?”
Mrs. Lopez raised her eyebrows, saying, “Get in the car.”
Mrs. Lopez and Wendy Clarke both got into Mrs. Lopez’s car parked nearby.
The driver was sent down by Mrs. Lopez.
Only the two of them were in the car.
“Alright, go ahead,” said Mrs. Lopez coldly.
The car was parked on the roadside without moving. Only the two of them were in the car.
The environment was considered quiet now.
Wendy Clarke took a deep breath and said, “My sister’s name is Cindy Clarke. She’s currently a contestant in the ongoing Pingla Culinary Competition. She hasn’t been eliminated and is still competing. She also happens to be a food blogger and has gained some fame.”
Mrs. Lopez impatiently stated, “You’d better explain things clearly using as few words as possible. I don’t have much patience.”
“Alright, I’ll try,” conceded Wendy Clarke, swallowing her pride.
She took a deep breath, then continued, “Five years ago, she suddenly left home without our knowing. She didn’t even go to school, took a leave of absence, and was eventually expelled by the school.”
“Our family has been looking for her ever since, and it wasn’t until recently, thanks to the live broadcasts of the culinary competition, that we spotted her and found out that she was in Belfard City.”
Chapter 616: I’m Doing This for Her Sake
“We found out that she’s actually that food blogger, named Cain Velman.” Wendy Clarke said.
“Because of some issues at my restaurant, I can’t go to Belfard to find her right away. And we don’t have her contact information, so even if we went, we wouldn’t know where to look for her.”
“So during this time, I’ve been asking people to help find her address. Our family doesn’t have any ill intentions, we just want to ask her why she left without a word, and if she knows that we’ve been looking for her all these years?”
“We’ve been worried that something might have happened to her.” Wendy added.
“Enough, I don’t have the patience to listen to your ‘true feelings’ anymore.” Mrs. Lopez said impatiently.
Wendy was overacting a bit.
This act might work on some men, it could be really effective.
Mrs. Lopez looked at her coldly, as if Wendy had used this act on many men before.
However, it was useless against her.
Mr. Lopez had had many mistresses, and Mrs. Lopez had seen all kinds of them.
As for Wendy, trying this on Mrs. Lopez was not going to work.
Wendy immediately stopped talking: “Although we can’t go to Belfard to find Cindy Clarke right away, after we found out she’s Cain Velman, we immediately watched all her videos, and in them, I found out she has a child!”
Mrs. Lopez’s brow twitched, but she didn’t speak.
Wendy said, “There’s something… that you might not know. Five years ago… Cindy had… had a relationship with Mr. Lopez.”
“I accidentally found out about it back then, and I tried to persuade her to break up with Mr. Lopez. After all, he’s married, has a family, and is much older than her. She was still in college at the time; how could she do something to break someone else’s family?”
“I advised her against it, but she wouldn’t listen; she was only interested in Mr. Lopez’s money.”
Mrs. Lopez’s face turned frosty.
Of course.
Who would be with Mr. Lopez if it wasn’t for his money?
“Helplessly, I went to my parents and asked them to help persuade her.” Wendy said, “She was a good college student, with her own future ahead of her. How could she break up another family for money?”
“When my parents found out, they scolded her severely. Especially my dad, who couldn’t stand this kind of behavior.” Wendy continued.
“He ordered her to break up with Mr. Lopez or he’d sever their relationship.” Wendy said.
“Unexpectedly, half a month later, she suddenly left.” Wendy said, “At the time, we didn’t connect her leaving with this matter.”
“We just thought that Cindy was rebellious, and that she never listened to anyone in our family. After she left, we couldn’t find her.”
“But recently, after watching Cindy’s videos, we saw the child in them. However, the child’s face wasn’t shown.”
“However, all her fans know that she has an illegitimate son, who is now 4 years old.”
“Although the specifics of the child’s birth date aren’t known by the fans and Cindy hasn’t mentioned it, if you calculate the timing, it was five years ago that she was with Mr. Lopez. Half a month later, she suddenly went to Belfard.”
“Soon after that, she gave birth to the child. According to the timeline…” Wendy carefully looked at Mrs. Lopez, “The child should be… Mr. Lopez’s.”
“So at the beginning, I told you that before Cindy went to Belfard, she didn’t have a boyfriend for the first year. And when she was in Nork City, she only had a relationship with Mr. Lopez.”
“By this calculation, 99% of the reason that Cindy’s child is Mr. Lopez’s.” Wendy said.
Mrs. Lopez raised her eyebrows sharply: “What do you want to tell me with this?”
“Do you have any evidence that the child is Mr. Lopez’s?” Mrs. Lopez asked.
There was already one child in the house; how could she allow another one to appear!
“I’ve already considered it; once I’ve dealt with the issues at my restaurant and have some free time, I’ll go to Belfard to find Cindy and have a paternity test done for her child. Then we’ll know everything.”
“So what? You still haven’t said what you want from me.” Mrs. Lopez said coldly.
“I’d like to ask for your mercy.” Wendy said.
Mrs. Lopez’s expression suddenly turned cold: “What do you mean!”
With a pleading look, Wendy said, “If it’s proven that the child is indeed Mr. Lopez’s, I hope you can allow the child into the Lopez Family. Even if it means severing the relationship with Cindy, it’s fine.”
“As long as you agree to accept the child, I can make sure Cindy never contacts the child again and doesn’t bother your lives.” Wendy said.
“Why?” Mrs. Lopez sneered, “You can even make decisions for Cindy now?”
“I can. Even if she doesn’t agree, I can make her agree.” Wendy said.
“If you’re capable of that, why couldn’t you persuade her back then and let her run away?” Mrs. Lopez didn’t believe it.
“Also, why should I accept that child? Our family already has an heir, and that child is just extra. Even if Cindy isn’t willing to give him up, it’s perfect for me; why should I go looking for trouble?”
“Even if she’s willing, I wouldn’t want him. I’d prefer it if she’s not willing to give him up. It’s exactly what I want.” Mrs. Lopez said coldly.
“I’m doing it for her own good.” Wendy said, “Cindy is still young; she can’t afford to be held back by this. How can she get married as an unmarried woman with a child? Who would accept her like this?”
“We discussed it in our family, Mrs. Lopez, please accept the child and let Cindy return to being single. I promise that Cindy will never contact the child again and not disturb your lives.”
“Mrs. Lopez, all I ask is that you accept the child. Cindy can definitely give the child to you. Even if she doesn’t want to, I’ll make her want to!”
“Miss Clarke, this is just your wishful thinking. Cindy doesn’t want to give the child up, and I don’t want to take him either. What makes you think you can force both of us to do something we don’t want to do?” Mrs. Lopez ridiculed, “You’re really taking things for granted and it’s quite ridiculous.”
“Mrs. Lopez, if you just take a look, you’ll know.” Wendy hurriedly said, “I’m really out of options. I can’t let that child hold Cindy back.”
“Five years ago, she made a mistake. I can’t let her continue to make mistakes.” Wendy said with apparent sincerity, “I am her sister, I have a responsibility.”
“And also…” Wendy took a deep breath and said, “That child is Mr. Lopez’s, and Cindy knows it in her heart.”
“She didn’t just have a child for someone and then take the money and leave. She really had a relationship with Mr. Lopez.”
Chapter 617: Is there really no grudge with Cindy Clarke?
“So, she knows who the father of the child is, and she knows what she can get if she gives the child to the father,” Wendy Clarke said.
At this point, Mrs. Lopez’s expression finally turned serious.
Wendy had finally touched on her weak point.
“Cindy Clarke didn’t go looking for him with the child, but it doesn’t mean she never will,” Wendy said, “If one day, Cindy finds life unbearable, she might take the child to find Mr. Lopez…”
Mrs. Lopez frowned: “That makes me wonder, with such an option available, why did Cindy go to Belfard with the child in the first place?”
“If she had told my husband about the child’s existence from the beginning, things would have been a lot easier for her,” Mrs. Lopez said.
“I don’t know this either, I’ve never known her thoughts,” Wendy shook her head, “Or maybe, when she left, she had actually broken up with Mr. Lopez and had already taken his money.”
“Otherwise, how could an ungraduated college student survive in Belfard? It would be difficult for her to live alone there, let alone raising a child by herself.”
“It’s possible that she had already taken Mr. Lopez’s money.”
What Wendy didn’t know was that her words had coincidentally aligned with Mr. Lopez’s side of the story.
Mrs. Lopez thought back to when Mr. Lopez brought home a child whose biological mother was unknown.
He had assured her that there was only one child and that there would never be a second one, and he would not bring any more children home.
Maybe by that time, Mr. Lopez had brought home the child, and the promise had already been made.
Later on, he found out that Cindy was pregnant, so he gave her a sum of money.
Or perhaps, earlier in their breakup, Mr. Lopez had already given her a breakup fee.
Later, he found out that Cindy was pregnant, which was after Mr. Lopez had brought a child home.
Mr. Lopez had already made a promise to Mrs. Lopez. Even if it was his child, Mr. Lopez didn’t acknowledge it.
Considering Mr. Lopez’s untrustworthy character, this was indeed a possibility.
“Miss Clarke, your attitude confuses me,” Mrs. Lopez raised her eyebrows at Wendy.
“You keep saying it’s for Cindy’s own good,” Mrs. Lopez said, “But the words you say, no matter who hears them, will only make them hate Cindy more and be even more unwilling to accept her child.”
“I absolutely didn’t mean that!” Wendy vehemently denied.
“We, my parents and I, just thought you should know,” Wendy said, “No matter what, it was Cindy who made the mistake and caused you harm.”
“It’s only natural for you to be angry. If you want to punish Cindy, it’s understandable. We thought about it and as long as you don’t take her life,” Wendy said, “Whatever you do to her, we won’t interfere.”
Mrs. Lopez felt that something was amiss as she listened.
As long as her life wasn’t threatened, they wouldn’t care how Cindy was treated?
Of course, she couldn’t take a life.
She didn’t have that capability.
But in this world, besides death, there are many things that can cause more suffering.
Making someone’s life worse than death.
Was Wendy implying that she should make Cindy’s life miserable?
Did Wendy really have no grudge against Cindy?
Mrs. Lopez stared at Wendy for a while, making her feel uneasy.
Mrs. Lopez finally asked, “Why didn’t you talk to my husband about this? After all, it’s his own son.”
“Since your husband is a married man, no matter what, I should keep my distance,” Wendy said defensively.
“Besides, men are only responsible for bringing children home. The rest of the time, they mostly work, socialize, and even…,” Wendy glanced at Mrs. Lopez, “Even having fun. How can they have time to manage a child’s life?”
“It’s up to you to manage the child’s daily life. If you don’t agree, the child in the Lopez family, to tell you the truth, would have a hard time.”
“That’s why I thought it would be better to come directly to you,” Wendy said.
Mrs. Lopez narrowed her eyes and said, “What about the evidence? You can’t just accept that the child is part of the Lopez family with just your words and without any paternity test results.”
“My family isn’t a welfare institution that takes in any child,” Mrs. Lopez snarked.
“There will definitely be a paternity test,” Wendy replied. “Of course, if you don’t trust me to handle it, you can find someone else to do it. If you handle it yourself, the result will surely satisfy you.”
The reason Wendy was so sure was because, according to the timeline, she believed that the father of Cindy’s son could only be Mr. Lopez.
Who would have thought that Cindy’s son’s father would be Adrian Zhekova?
Even before meeting Adrian Zhekova, Cindy herself didn’t dare to imagine that possibility.
“I hope Mrs. Lopez will give it serious consideration,” Wendy said.
Of course, she didn’t want Mrs. Lopez to take Cindy’s child into the Lopez family.
What a joke.
The child currently in the Lopez family was her own son.
Since Cindy had been competing with her at home, how could she let Cindy’s son compete with her own son!
“What do you know about Cindy’s son?” Mrs. Lopez finally asked.
After a long while, Wendy finally got out of the car, satisfied.
Mrs. Lopez was more cautious than she had imagined.
But as long as there was doubt in Mrs. Lopez’s heart, and she went to investigate, Cindy would be doomed.
Mrs. Lopez sat in the car and watched Wendy leave.
With a heavy expression, she asked the driver to take her home.
Mrs. Lopez didn’t tell Mr. Lopez about this matter.
She thought about it the whole night, and the next day, she got in touch with a private detective.
She wanted to investigate Cindy.
Wendy sounded nice, but she had seen too many people like her in her life.
Wendy was clearly trying to harm Cindy and also use her as a pawn.
Mrs. Lopez didn’t think she was that stupid.
After leaving the detective agency, Mrs. Lopez didn’t want to go home.
Going home meant seeing that annoying stepson.
Seeing that stepson would inevitably remind her of Cindy.
Halfway through the drive, Mrs. Lopez suddenly said, “Don’t go home, change the destination.”
Eventually, Mrs. Lopez contacted Brenda Wright, the wife of the richest businessman in Nork City.
She had a good relationship with Brenda Wright, and most importantly, Brenda was a sensible person.
Although Mr. Lopez wasn’t a decent man, Mrs. Lopez was also a sensible person.
These two sensible people naturally became good friends.
Brenda was not fond of Mr. Lopez.
As the business partner of the top tycoon, the Doones, Brenda would avoid seeing Mr. Lopez whenever possible.
Chapter 618: This is incredible
Seeing too much can hurt the eyes.
When they arrived at the Doones’ house, only Brenda Wright was there, along with the housekeepers.
It wasn’t surprising that Mr. Doone was not present.
“Where’s Ella?” Mrs. Lopez didn’t see Ella Doone, “She’s not at home either?”
“That child went to Belfard, and this time she came back with a few classmates to play. They plan to have a tour.”
“So her classmates came with her to have a tour in Nork City first, and then they would continue to other places.” Brenda Wright laughed.
“You rarely come to visit.” Usually, they met outside.
“Hey, I have something to talk about and ask for your advice.” Mrs. Lopez sat down and sighed, “I’ve been holding this in my heart, and it makes me uncomfortable.”
“I can’t trust others with this.” Mrs. Lopez sighed, “I can only trust you. Your judgment is good, and you can help me analyze it.”
“What’s the matter?” Seeing Mrs. Lopez’s serious appearance, Brenda Wright’s expression also became serious.
Mrs. Lopez is an understanding person.
That’s why Brenda Wright was willing to be friends with her.
Usually, when Mr. Lopez is acting unreasonably, Mrs. Lopez takes care of herself splendidly. As long as she protects her position, she doesn’t care much about Mr. Lopez.
Brenda Wright admires this attitude of Mrs. Lopez.
Mrs. Lopez then told Brenda about what Wendy Clarke had told her.
“Before coming here, I just went to the detective agency and asked the detective to investigate.” Mrs. Lopez said.
“There are also many pitfalls in Wendy’s words.” Mrs. Lopez first told Brenda her analysis, “Her words, in my opinion, don’t seem to be helping her sister, but rather like asking me to deal with her sister.”
“If she really wanted that child to enter the Lopez Family, she could have talked to Mr. Lopez directly. Why come to me? That excuse she used only works for deceiving men, but not women.” Mrs. Lopez sneered.
Brenda Wright nodded: “We haven’t seen her sister, so it’s not easy to draw a conclusion.”
“But from what you’ve said, Wendy Clarke herself has a lot of issues.” Brenda Wright said.
She thought for a moment and said, “Do you know when Wendy Clarke’s restaurant opened?”
“Oh, I really haven’t noticed that.” Mrs. Lopez said. “Her restaurant has been in Nork City for a while. When it first opened, I hadn’t even heard of it.”
“It wasn’t until it gained some reputation in Nork City that I heard about it from others and went to try it.” Mrs. Lopez said.
Brenda Wright thought for a moment and said, “I don’t know if my guess is correct or not. But… you might as well investigate the opening date of her restaurant and trace back to the preparation time before the restaurant opened.”
“There are only so many wealthy families in Nork City. I don’t say I am familiar with all of them, but even if I am not, I can still call their names.”
“After all, Nork City is not that big, and somehow it’s always in that range. Even if a nouveau riche appears, it will be immediately spread.” Brenda Wright said.
“Yes.” Mrs. Lopez also knew this.
After all, everyone is in the same circle.
“But before that, I had never heard of a Clarke Family.” Brenda Wright said, “This is not to say it’s wrong; I had indeed heard of a Clarke Family, but that was in Belfard.”
“The famous culinary dynasty in Belfard that has been passed down for generations.” Brenda Wright said, “However, it’s obviously not related to the one in Nork City; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so unknown for so long.”
“So how did Wendy suddenly become rich? And she opened a high-end restaurant right away.” Brenda Wright said, “I can remember the general time, but not the specific details.”
“You mean…” Mrs. Lopez, being a smart person, understood Brenda Wright’s meaning.
Brenda nodded, “Their family is not rich, otherwise, according to Wendy, her sister wouldn’t have to get involved with your husband for money.”
“Of course, whether there is any involvement is still debatable.” Brenda Wright said.
“Do you think there isn’t any?” Mrs. Lopez asked.
“It’s hard to tell since we haven’t met Cindy Clarke. But you’ve seen Wendy with your own eyes and, given your judgment, it should be pretty accurate.”
“Besides, from your description of Wendy, I feel that those things she said about Cindy Clarke can be quite suitable for her as well. As for whether the sisters are the same kind of people, we’ll have to wait for your detective to investigate.”
“However, you might as well compare the time when Mr. Lopez brought the child home with the time when the Clarkes opened their restaurant.” Brenda Wright said.
“Is there any possibility…” Mrs. Lopez suddenly stopped.
She wanted to say, is there any possibility that the money for the Clarke Family to suddenly become rich came from Cindy Clarke having the child.
But thinking about it, Cindy Clarke’s child was still with her.
Putting aside whether it’s Mr. Lopez’s child or not, since she didn’t give it to Mr. Lopez, where would there be money?
Therefore, the sudden wealth of the Clarke Family has nothing to do with Cindy Clarke.
Mrs. Lopez nodded, “I understand.”
“I have seen the Cooking Competition where Cindy Clarke participated. You might as well go home and find the video to have a look. I think Cindy Clarke’s words, actions, and wits in the Competition are not ordinary.”
“To be honest, I find it really hard to associate such a girl with your husband.”
“I have to say that she is outstanding. With her outstanding performance alone, she can succeed and attract equally successful and excellent men. There is no need for her to become a mistress.”
“So, since you think Wendy Clarke is not a good person, don’t believe what she says without verifying it yourself.” Brenda Wright said.
“Investigate both Cindy Clarke and Wendy Clarke thoroughly before making any conclusions.” Brenda Wright said.
“Yes, you’re right.” Mrs. Lopez sighed with relief, “I feel much better after talking to you.”
Brenda Wright thought for a moment and said, “I know a good private detective. Do you want me to introduce you?”
“The one Mr. Doone usually uses?” Mrs. Lopez immediately asked.
Brenda Wright nodded.
Mrs. Lopez was happy. A detective that the richest person uses must be better than just finding one randomly.
“Of course, that would be great.” Mrs. Lopez said quickly.
“Wait a minute, let me find his business card.” Brenda Wright said.
She found the detective’s Whatsapp contact, and then sent his contact card to Mrs. Lopez.
Mrs. Lopez then took her leave.
***
Belfard.
On Monday, Little Morgan came to the Nursery.
As he followed his teacher into the classroom, he encountered the headmaster who seemed to be passing by their classroom door unintentionally.
Little Morgan immediately ran over: “Good morning, Headmaster.”
“Good morning, Little Morgan.” The Headmaster smiled and asked, “How was your weekend?”
“It was wonderful!” Little Morgan nodded, “I attended Aunt Zhiqing and Uncle Walter’s wedding.”
“Oh, my!” The headmaster heard this and thought it was incredible.
Chapter 619: Realizing That I’ve Been Overthinking
The wedding between Charlotte York and Walter Wells had always been kept a strict secret from the public.
Everyone knew they were married, and Charlotte’s studio later released pictures of the wedding scene.
Aside from that, no one could find out anything more.
“There’s more.” Little Morgan waved to the Headmaster, “Headmaster, let me show you something.”
“Hm?” The Headmaster immediately bent down and moved closer to Morgan.
Morgan then took out his mobile phone and showed it to the Headmaster.
A photograph was displayed on the phone screen.
Upon closer inspection, the Headmaster saw that it was two marriage certificates!
“Huh?” he was surprised, “This is…”
“My mom and dad’s marriage certificate,” Morgan explained.
Good children don’t lie, so Morgan didn’t bother telling the headmaster the same excuses that Adrian Zhekova had given him.
Anyway, he didn’t say much else, nor did he mention when the marriage certificate was issued.
He just showed the photo to the Headmaster and let him figure it out for himself.
As expected, the Headmaster’s imagination never disappointed Morgan.
Sure enough, the Headmaster gasped, “They’ve got the marriage certificate?”
“That’s right!” Morgan nodded, “I told you, they’re my real mom and dad! Otherwise, why would I call them mom and dad?”
The Headmaster now looked at Morgan as if he were the future heir of the Zhekova Family.
Outsiders don’t know about the concept of the Family Head’s abilities.
Therefore, the Headmaster didn’t know that the Zhekova Family chooses their head based on their abilities.
He thought that the Old Master was the head, Maverick Zhekova was the head, and Adrian Zhekova was the next head.
So by this logic, Morgan was naturally the rightful next-next head.
Morgan put away his phone and said, “I just wanted to share this good news with the Headmaster.”
“Very good.” The Headmaster nodded hastily.
What a righteous child Morgan was!
Telling him first thing, so he wouldn’t make the wrong decision again.
Now, the Headmaster’s conviction was even stronger.
Morgan, unaware of the Headmaster’s thoughts, happily returned to his classroom.
In the blink of an eye, Thursday arrived.
Outside Morgan’s nursery, across the street, a woman sat in a car.
It was Mrs. Lopez.
The private detective recommended by Brenda Wright was indeed skilled.
He had found Little Morgan and even tracked down his nursery.
He also provided Mrs. Lopez with photos.
When she saw the photos in Nork City, she felt that something was off.
Morgan looked too good to be true.
There was no trace of Mr. Lopez in him at all.
Mr. Lopez had a round, flat face, narrow eyes, and a wide mouth.
However, Morgan had a fair and slightly melonseed-shaped face.
Thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a mouth much smaller than Mr. Lopez’s.
Even if he inherited more from his mother, it shouldn’t be so different from Mr. Lopez.
At that time, Mrs. Lopez became suspicious, thinking that Morgan might not be Mr. Lopez’s child.
“I could only find out so much. The child is picked up by someone when he goes to and leaves school, making it impossible to get close. We can’t even tail him. I suspect that the driver is a professional with strong anti-tracking measures, so we can’t follow at all.”
“How did you find out about the nursery then?” Mrs. Lopez asked quickly.
“That’s exactly what I wanted to mention. I think this may have been intentionally leaked by the other party. If they didn’t want to, we couldn’t have found any information about the child.” said the detective.
“What does that tell us? It means they knew we were investigating the child all along. Even the information I found may have been approved by them. In other words, this is what they wanted you to know.”
Mrs. Lopez’s expression turned grave.
The detective continued, “What does that say? It says that they are already aware of our investigation. Their power and influence might be unimaginable. Just the driver alone, with such professional anti-tracking ability, is extremely rare.”
“And how rich and powerful must an employer be to hire someone with that kind of talent? And yet they employ them as just a driver, a driver for a child.”
“How great must the power and wealth of that employer be?”
“In all my years as a detective, I have yet to see anyone like this.”
“Truth be told, I’ve been a detective for many years, investigating people and incidents for numerous clients, most of which are wealthy families like yourself.”
“Even those richer than you, even richer than Henry Doone himself, I’ve met, entertained, and investigated.”
“But an opponent like this is a first for me.”
“People like them don’t lack money. It’s even more unlikely that they would have any connections with your husband for money.”
Mrs. Lopez nodded, “After hearing you say this, I have a clearer understanding of the situation.”
The detective then said, “I wrote down the address of the child’s nursery in the file.”
“I suggest you go have a look in person, but be prepared – they know we are investigating Cindy Clarke and her child, so they might also know you’re the one who ordered the investigation and that you went to Belfard to see the child.”
“It’s likely that your every move is under their control.”
“I’m not sure what they want to do or whether they will harm you, but I do hope you are careful and think it over.”
Mrs. Lopez glanced at the information handed over by the detective, noting the address of Morgan’s nursery.
She nodded and replied, “I understand, and I will be careful.”
Knowing this, the detective realized that Mrs. Lopez still wanted to go to Belfard.
That was why she was now sitting in the car outside the nursery, waiting for it to let out.
Mrs. Lopez looked at the time displayed on the car’s front screen.
In just 5 minutes, the nursery would let out.
She kept her eyes fixed on the direction of the nursery entrance.
A little while later, she finally heard the sound of children’s laughter and play from inside the nursery across the street.
Mrs. Lopez gripped Morgan’s photo, her gaze fixed on the entrance, scared to miss him.
But she soon realized her concerns were unnecessary.
Morgan stood out so much in the crowd, it was impossible to miss him.
She spotted him among the children at the nursery in an instant.
Chapter 620: Do You Know Me?
With fair skin and a height similar to other children of his age.
He is very lively and loves to laugh.
Walking while shaking his head, holding his face, not knowing what he’s saying.
There’s even a hint of narcissism in his cheekiness.
Mrs. Lopez wondered if she was seeing things, how on earth could she detect such a strong narcissistic expression on the face of a 4-year-old child?
Then, she saw Morgan leaving the nursery with his little friends.
Other children were boarding the nursery’s school bus under the guidance of the teacher, while only Morgan was led by another teacher to a black Mercedes-Benz car.
As the driver got out of the car, Morgan saw him and immediately burst into a big smile, greeting the man.
Then, she saw Morgan climb into the back seat himself.
Afterward, the Mercedes-Benz left slowly.
Mrs. Lopez watched for a long time until the taillights of the Mercedes-Benz disappeared in the rearview mirror, her gaze still not recovering.
Her eyes were still somewhat vacant, lingering at the spot where the Mercedes had vanished.
She hasn’t seen Cindy Clarke yet, but judging from Morgan’s treatment, Cindy’s life now must be good as well.
In fact, it’s more than just good, perhaps Mrs. Lopez herself can’t even match their life.
With that kind of life, there really was no need to cling to Mr. Lopez or anything.
And there was no need to send the child to the Lopez Family.
Moreover, now that she had seen Morgan with her own eyes, Mrs. Lopez really couldn’t say that Morgan was Mr. Lopez’s child.
The two of them didn’t resemble each other, from their facial features to their temperament.
Moreover, even as a young child, Morgan had an air of nobility about him.
Clearly, he was dressed like an ordinary child, with nothing special about his clothes.
Laughing and playing, he even seemed a bit naughty.
He wasn’t overly serious, and he wasn’t surrounded by assistants.
Yet, this child had an inexplicable air of nobility about him.
Mrs. Lopez found it strange.
What she didn’t know was that Morgan had spent a lot of time with Adrian Zhekova and in the family mansion with his grandparents, which naturally influenced him.
In addition, there were the genes inherited from Adrian Zhekova, his Zhekova Family bloodline.
The Zhekova Family was, after all, descended from the noble royalty, so Morgan naturally wasn’t any different.
Mrs. Lopez finally pulled her gaze back, letting out a long breath.
There was no need for a paternity test anymore.
Morgan couldn’t possibly be Mr. Lopez’s son.
Nobody who had seen Morgan and Mr. Lopez could think that way.
Backing off a bit, even if it were true.
Morgan didn’t need to enter the Lopez Family anymore.
And Cindy probably wouldn’t care anyway.
No matter whether Cindy really had anything to do with Mr. Lopez in the past, it was all in the past now.
From the looks of it, Cindy would never have anything to do with Mr. Lopez again.
Moreover, Mrs. Lopez felt that what Wendy Clarke said might not be the truth.
Initially, she was only somewhat skeptical about Wendy’s words.
But now, her skepticism had only increased.
If what Wendy said was true, and if she had really investigated it thoroughly, she wouldn’t be unaware of the gap between Morgan and Mr. Lopez.
Mrs. Lopez thought that Wendy probably just wanted to use her as a tool to harm others.
And she was that tool.
The target, of course, was Cindy.
Of course, whatever issues the sisters had between them was their own Clarke Family business.
It had nothing to do with Mrs. Lopez who didn’t want to pry and wasn’t interested.
But now that Wendy dared to use her, she had to let Wendy know she wasn’t that easy to manipulate.
Mrs. Lopez suppressed her thoughts, preparing to drive away.
Suddenly, the car window was knocked, and Mrs. Lopez instinctively turned her head to see a strange man standing outside the car door.
The man was not dressed in any special clothes, just ordinary casual attire.
The kind which wouldn’t attract any attention on the street.
Yet, there was something dangerous about him, standing outside her car.
Mrs. Lopez lowered her window and heard the man say, “Mrs. Lopez.”
Mrs. Lopez was astonished: “You know me?”
Mrs. Lopez was sure that she didn’t know this stranger.
“You hired a detective to investigate my Young Mistress and Young Master, of course I know you,” the stranger said.
Mrs. Lopez was startled and asked: “Your Young Mistress and Young Master?”
The man chuckled, not hiding anything, and said, “Naturally, it’s Cindy Clarke and the little Young Master you just saw.”
“What exactly is their identity?” Mrs. Lopez asked in a deep voice, her heart shaking tremendously.
“You don’t need to know that. You just need to know that whatever Wendy Clarke told you is false. My Young Mistress has nothing to do with your husband. That’s all you have to know,” the stranger said.
“Forget those unloved children, it has nothing to do with your family.”
“To put it bluntly, with your husband’s looks, how could he possibly father a child as clever and adorable as our Young Master?”
Mrs. Lopez: “…”
Actually, there was nothing to deny. The stranger was speaking the truth.
“Wendy Clarke doesn’t get along with my Young Mistress. To be precise, Wendy is jealous of my Young Mistress and can’t stand to see her do well. Upon learning of my Young Mistress’s whereabouts, she wanted to extort a large sum of money from her, so she went to you; this is purely to discredit my Young Mistress,” the stranger explained.
Mrs. Lopez was very cautious, still not daring to get out of the car. As long as she was inside the car, she could flee at any moment if anything dangerous happened.
So, she sat in the car and asked, “But what good does it do for Wendy to find me and hurt Cindy?”
“Hurting others without benefiting one’s self,” the stranger said. “With Wendy’s personality and mindset, who knows what she’s thinking?”
“Perhaps as long as my Young Mistress isn’t doing well, she feels good. Perhaps even if there’s no substantial benefit, she just enjoys it.”
“So before, you purposely let the detective I hired find out all this,” Mrs. Lopez said.
“Of course,” the stranger said. “Since you have doubts, it’s only appropriate that you see for yourself.”
“Nothing is more persuasive than the truth you’ve seen with your own eyes,” the stranger smiled. “Just look at our Young Master today, wouldn’t you agree? He couldn’t possibly have any connection with your husband.”
“Besides, my Young Mistress’s taste isn’t that bad. She wouldn’t be interested in someone like your husband. After all, now that we have our Young Master, no one else could catch our young lady’s eye.”
Mrs. Lopez: “…”
At first, the man had some restraint. Although he was blunt, he at least added a prefix, indicating a little apology for telling the truth.
But now there was no restraint whatsoever, and the truth he spoke was heart-wrenching.
“Now that you’ve seen for yourself, you can rest easy, right? Our Young Master had this intention, so you don’t need to think about it too much. And since you do have some sense of propriety, our Young Master won’t do anything to you.”
“You just have to be a little wary of Wendy Clarke when you go back. Don’t believe anything she says. And my Young Master has been keeping an eye on her all this time.”