Ch. 271..280
Chapter 271 Legitimate
Colton didn’t seem to be surprised by Nicole’s question. He put down his spoon and looked at her with dark eyes.
“Nicky, Richard’s paternity test can’t go wrong. Hayden is definitely mine.”
Hearing his words, Nicole felt her head starting to ache. She pursed her lips. Clenching her hands into fists, she muttered, “I have only ever slept with one man. It was on that night five years ago.”
Colton nodded and admitted, “Same here. It was also five years ago. However, the woman on the bed was Queenie after I woke up.”
Nicole finally understood the truth. Queenie had lied to Nicole that the man Nicole slept with was Joseph, in order to hide the fact that it was actually Colton.
The man from five years ago was Colton!
That’s why Hayden looks so similar to him.
However, Nicole still had some doubts. “Didn’t you do a paternity test earlier? It shows you’re not related to Hayden, no?”
Colton had the same doubt too. After Richard’s paternity test results were out, Colton went to the previous hospital to investigate. It turned out someone secretly tampered with the results.
“That report has been tampered with.”
Now, everything made sense. Five years ago, Nicole slept with Colton. However, only Queenie knew the truth. Queenie was afraid the truth would be exposed, so she revised the paternity test report and lied to Joseph. She made a fake report to confuse everyone.
“I—” There was a lump in Nicole’s throat and she didn’t know what to say. There was an information overload at this moment.
However, Colton was considerate.
“If you find it troublesome, don’t think about it anymore. I won’t force you. You can figure it out yourself before telling me your decision.”
He paused and continued, “Five years ago, I was drugged by a woman. You and I slept together by accident. However, I was not in a clear state of mind, and I couldn’t remember whom I had slept with.”
This was why Queenie was able to impersonate Nicole.
Knowing Queenie had lied to him for five years, Colton found that he was not as angry as he imagined. Instead, he was calm.
Nicole lowered her eyes. Although she went through many troubles, she still didn’t know how to handle this matter.
Do I have to make Colton thank me for saving him? There’s no need, is there?
Nicole hesitated for a while. After raising her head, she said thoughtfully, “I have been raising the child for a long time. I never thought about marrying into a wealthy family with Hayden.”
Colton thoughtfully nodded at Nicole’s words.
“I understand. With your current fame and income, you can live a good life without the Gardner Family.”
Nicole lowered her eyes and her long eyelashes trembled. After finally gathering her courage, she said, “You are Hayden’s biological father. If Hayden likes you, you can be his father. However, we have no feelings between us, so—”
Colton looked at Nicole and grinned with his thin lips. His voice was a little lazy as he drawled, “Who says we have no feelings between us?”
Nicole was stunned and she looked up suddenly, not understanding what he meant.
Colton said bluntly, “Nicky, I like you very much. I can give you and Hayden a legitimate identity if you are willing to marry me.”
Nicole was shocked. She came here today to distance herself from the Gardner Family. Never did she didn’t expect Colton to say such a thing.
Her throat was sore. She opened her mouth and tried to say something, but nothing came out.
After a long time, she spat out a few words, “President Gardner, are you kidding me?”
Chapter 272 Let Hayden Choose
Colton lowered his head and smiled. He countered, “Do you think I’m joking?”
Nicole looked at Colton seriously. He didn’t look like he was joking.
Can it be that he really likes me?
Nicole stared at Colton and she accidentally looked into his dark eyes. Those eyes were as dark and deep as a bottomless lake, making it hard to guess what he was thinking.
Nicole was startled and she quickly averted her gaze. With her head lowered, she muttered, “President Gardner, stop teasing me. I am financially independent now. I can raise Hayden well by myself. Moreover, your aunt will not agree to it.”
Colton looked at Nicole, who denied the offer. Hence, he smiled and said in a low voice, “We shouldn’t care what others think about us.”
Nicole didn’t expect Colton to say such a thing. She froze for a moment before standing up.
“President Gardner, there is nothing between us. Although we had… skinship five years ago and Hayden is your son, there is nothing between us!”
Looking at the emotional woman before him, Colton felt a fire light up in his heart when he heard her trying hard to distance herself from him.
He squinted and he scanned her with a meaningful gaze.
He knew Nicole was not trying to play hard to get. She simply didn’t want to get involved with him.
He paused and said, “My mother told the reporters I have a son, so the Gardner Family will definitely take Hayden away. Otherwise, the Gardners will be embarrassed.”
Because of this, Anna chose to announce the news at Wendy’s 18th birthday party.
This was the only way to force Colton to recognize Hayden. However, Anna had overthought things. If Colton knew Hayden was his birth child, the man would be willing to acknowledge Hayden if Nicole agreed.
Presently, Nicole was silent, but she knew that Colton was right. Every reporter would be eyeing this case since Anna had spoken at the party. They could not drag it on.
Nicole closed her eyes. The cooperation between F&M Apparel and the Gardner Corporation… This would never happen if I had listened to Zachary and did not visit the Gardner Corporation.
Now, I can’t even keep my son.
“However, Olivia will not agree to this. If I give Hayden to you, I don’t think he can live in peace.”
Nicole pursed her lips and raised her eyes to look at Colton.
It was apparent Olivia refused to recognize Nicole and Hayden. She looked at them like the plague. Nicole didn’t mind Olivia complaining to Benedict, but she was afraid the woman would hurt Hayden.
“Aunt has already married into the Schumacher Family. She can’t control the affairs of the Gardner Family,” Colton said firmly.
However, Nicole still didn’t want anything to do with Colton, and it showed on her face.
“If you want to ask for my opinion, then I want to maintain the previous relationship and go with the flow.”
Colton didn’t show any surprise at Nicole’s words, as her rejection was in his prediction. In the end, he grinned.
“Then, did you tell Hayden that I’m his father?”
Nicole was stunned. Of course, she didn’t tell Hayden this fact.
Colton also predicted that, so he continued, “Hayden has the right to choose his father. Nicky, you might as well tell Hayden about this news and let him choose if he wants me as his father.”
Nicole stayed silent as she didn’t know how to respond to this. She knew that Hayden longed for fatherly love, though he had never shown it.
There was no way for Nicole to pretend to be intimate with Colton. Although they had an absurd one-night stand, she still couldn’t convince herself.
Chapter 273 Understand
Colton looked at Nicole’s hesitation as he nodded and said, “Nicky, I don’t mean to force you. However, my mom has announced the news. The Gardner Family will still recognize Hayden even if my aunt stops you. We can’t afford to lose our reputation.”
Nicole balled her hands into fists. She understood this and it was inevitable.
However, she felt a faint pain in her heart.
It seems to be out of the question.
“I… Let’s leave it at that, President Gardner, I will leave now.”
The atmosphere was terrifyingly depressing, and Nicole needed to calm down.
Colton suddenly stood up and walked over to her. His tall figure cast a shadow on her body. Although Colton didn’t say or do anything, Nicole still felt a rush of invisible pressure.
“Nicky, you can’t keep running forever.”
Nicole stepped back and distanced herself from Colton. Her eyes were red. As she stubbornly looked at Colton and said, “President Gardner, I carried Hayden to term and gave birth to him, and I raised him alone. I can’t give him to anyone, not even his biological father.”
Colton looked at Nicole. Truth was, he knew that he failed as a father.
“I will distract my mother for you. You must figure it out for yourself. You can call me if you need me.”
Colton looked meaningfully at Nicole before he turned around and kept quiet.
Nicole looked at Colton’s back. Honestly, she didn’t expect the man to compromise. Pursing her lips, she left without saying anything.
She walked outside and breathed in deeply, finally releasing troubled breaths.
Nicole scanned her surroundings, but she did not know where to go.
When she returned home, Whitney shouted, “Miss Nicole, I found the recording!”
Nicole was stunned. She knew the man was Colton, but she still hoped it wasn’t.
Her steps were heavy and it seemed to slow down her movement.
She walked to Whitney, and her eyes fell on the laptop.
“The footage on the stairs has been deleted, but I can find the footage in the elevator that night,” Whitney explained. “Only four people were going back and forth. You, Queenie, an unknown man, and Colton.”
Nicole looked at the screen. At first, it showed a man carrying Colton out. Soon, that man returned to the elevator. Then, Queenie and Nicole appeared.
Looking at herself running away in the recording, Nicole could still remember that feeling despite the figure in the recording being blurry.
The third part of the recording was the following day, when Queenie stood beside Colton.
After Nicole watched the recording, she was sure the man from five years ago was Colton Gardner.
Nicole didn’t know why Queenie lied to her that the man was Joseph. Perhaps Queenie was afraid Nicole would return and rob her share of glory and wealth.
For the past five years, Nicole has always thought the child’s father was Joseph. However, she never thought it was all Queenie’s trap!
“Miss Nicole, there’s one more thing. This happened after a week when Colton announced Queenie as his fiancée.”
Whitney showed Nicole the news announced by Colton back then.
Nicole looked at the time posted. After sorting it out, she understood everything. Back then, Queenie tricked Nicole into sleeping with Joseph. However, the man on the bed was Colton. In the end, Queenie took Nicole’s place and became the glorious Young-Madam-Gardner-to-be for five years!
Chapter 274 I Can’t Lose You
Whitney looked at Nicole’s dark expression and then she comforted, “Miss Nicole, don’t worry. If even I can find out the truth, the Gardner Family can surely find it too. Queenie is finished!”
Nicole shook her head. She didn’t care about Queenie now. What she cared about were herself and Hayden.
“Whitney?” Nicole suddenly called out, to which Whitney hurriedly responded, “I’m here. What’s the matter?”
“Is news about Colton’s child going viral online?” Nicole asked.
Since last night, Nicole has been in a slump and didn’t pay attention to any news on the Internet.
Whitney knew what Nicole was thinking, so the former didn’t hide it and said, “Yes. Wendy’s birthday party was lively. Your design, Triton Studio’s jewelry, and Mrs. Gardner’s words were all trending.”
Nicole closed her eyes as a hint of helplessness flashed across her face. If the Gardner Family didn’t suppress the news, it meant they would never give up on Hayden.
When Whitney finished speaking, she hesitated as she saw Nicole’s tiredness. However, she still asked, “Miss Nicole, did you and President Gardner come to a conclusion during your discussion this morning?”
Nicole opened her eyes and rubbed her temples. “He said he is willing to marry me and give Hayden and I an official status.”
Whitney was surprised upon hearing that.
The Gardner Family was amazing. Although Gardner Apparel was not as well-known, the technology of their businesses was one of the best in the world. Such an influential family business would surely be advantageous.
“Did you agree?” Whitney asked with gleaming eyes.
Whitney knew about Zachary’s crush on Nicole. Presently, he was still abroad, resisting his father for Nicole.
“No.” Nicole nodded.
Although she didn’t dislike Colton, it did not mean she would marry him. They had a professional relationship and they didn’t have to force themselves into a marriage.
Looking at Nicole’s hesitation, Whitney finally shut up.
“Miss Nicole, please think about this. You can discuss it with Hayden too. He is not as fragile as you think.”
That kiddo is very clever. He must have already gotten the information that I investigated earlier.
No wonder he’s always so clingy to Colton. He must have figured out his birth father is Colton from the beginning.
“I know. Thank you, Whitney,” Nicole replied with a wry smile.
She had never been so confused since she gave birth to Hayden four years ago.
Meanwhile, Whitney didn’t say anything else and went upstairs with her laptop, leaving Nicole alone.
…
At 8.00PM, a doorbell rang in the villa. Nicole wondered who would come over so late.
As soon as she opened the door, she was greeted with a hug. Nicole knew it was Zachary as soon as she smelled the familiar scent.
Zachary hugged Nicole so tightly that he almost crushed her in his arms. He greedily breathed in her scent as they stood at the doorway, and they hugged for five minutes.
After a while, Nicole was uncomfortable being squished in his embrace, so she pushed on his chest and asked, “Zach, what’s wrong? What happened?”
Zachary finally let go of Nicole. “Nicole, I’m scared. I’m afraid of losing you!”
Nicole looked up and found herself face to face with a fatigued Zachary. He had stubble on his chin and he looked rather haggard.
Seeing Zachary looking at herself with watery eyes, Nicole knew what he was feeling.
“Let’s talk after you come in. We can’t just stand at the door, can we?” Nicole murmured with a light smile.
Zachary came closer. As soon as he closed the door, he hugged Nicole and kissed her.
Chapter 275 For You
Nicole was startled by the sudden kiss, and she opened her eyes wide to look at the man before her.
At that point, Zachary had lost his gentle demeanor and became domineering.
He held Nicole’s head in his hands as he pinned her and kissed her.
Nicole was breathless being kissed by Zachary. This was the first time he had kissed her after pursuing her for so long.
Nicole placed her hands on Zachary’s chest to push him away. However, a female was no match for a male in terms of strength. In the end, she couldn’t push him away despite how hard she tried.
After kissing her for a long time, Zachary finally let go of her. Then, he stared at Nicole deeply, his gaze filled with affection.
Nicole touched her lips.
Zachary has always been gentle. Although he pursued me for a long time, he never forced me. What happened?
Nicole took a few steps back to keep a distance from Zachary. Clenching her fists, she growled, “Zachary Yates, what are you doing?!”
Facing Nicole’s question, Zachary was rather emotional. He took a step forward and grabbed her arms, a gleam flashing through his eyes.
“Nicole, I like you. I have always liked you.”
Facing Zachary’s sudden confession, Nicole was confused and she pursed her lips. Looking at his emotional demeanor, she could not help but soften her tone as she murmured, “Zach, please calm down. Don’t be emotional.”
However, Zachary couldn’t calm down. When he was abroad, he heard the news that Hayden was Colton’s son.
Zachary was afraid that Nicole would be taken away by Colton.
Looking at Nicole’s expression, he forcefully suppressed the panic in his heart. Then, he smiled helplessly and released Nicole.
“I’m sorry, Nicole. I was too emotional,” he mumbled, guilt lacing his voice.
Nicole knew Zachary must have heard some news to act like this.
“Zach, you don’t look well. Why don’t you rest first?” she said softly.
Zachary never told Nicole what was going on, she didn’t know what had happened to him.
When Zachary looked at Nicole, he felt his throat tighten. He had a lot to say, but his mind was a mess.
After a long time, he nodded. “Okay. Nicole, let’s have a good talk tomorrow.”
“Alright. Please rest now. I’m always here,” Nicole said gently.
Zachary closed his eyes, and he dragged his tired body and turned to leave.
After Zachary left, Whitley came out from a corner. She saw the two when she went downstairs. However, she avoided them because Zachary was there, and she did not come out till now.
She was shocked. To her, Zachary was always a gentle person. Although he had a crush on Nicole, he never acted on it. This time, he seemed to be emotional.
“Miss Nicole?” Whitney called in a low voice.
Nicole opened her eyes and turned her head. As she looked at Whitney, she sighed slightly. “Did you see it all?”
Whitney nodded. She touched her nose in embarrassment. Looking at the expression on Nicole’s face, Whitney felt she needed to explain.
She looked at Nicole and said, “Miss Nicole, truth is, President Yates being tired these days is all because of you.”
Nicole frowned and looked up at Whitney. The former’s gaze flashed with puzzlement.
Whitney felt it was better to clarify it, as it wasn’t a good idea to keep Nicole from the truth.
Hence, she explained, “President Yates’ father wants to kick you out of F&M Apparel, so he bought many of the company’s shares. You can take full control of a company if you hold more than a certain percentage of the shares. President Yates is afraid that you will be kicked out of F&M Apparel, so he returned abroad and has been busy with it. He is against his father. It’s all for you, Miss Nicole!”
Chapter 276 All for You
A trace of shock flashed across Nicole’s face. She had always thought Zachary had been busy abroad because of family affairs. She didn’t expect it was because of herself.
She felt a little distressed as she remembered what Zachary had done to her earlier.
Whitney looked at Nicole’s lost expression and continued, “Miss Nicole, President Yates has repeatedly told me that I must not tell you about this. However, I think you have the right to know what he has done.”
Nicole did not expect Zachery could do so much for her.
“Thank you,” Nicole said in a low voice, a wry smile playing by her lips.
At that point, Whitney looked at Nicole and hesitated.
Nicole knew the woman wanted to say something, so she uttered, “Just say it.”
In the end, Whitney said, “President Yates returned here before he finished resolving the affairs in F&M Apparel because he heard Hayden’s news. He’s afraid. Miss Nicole, we all know how well he treats you.”
Nicole knew Zachary was kind to her. The man liked her and pursued her, but he would never put pressure on her.
Just like now, he was doing everything behind Nicole’s back, and he didn’t let her know what he had done.
Nicole lowered her eyes and stared at the floor for a while before she mumbled, “I see. Zachary is tired now. After he rests, I will have a good talk with him tomorrow.”
After speaking, she reached out and patted Whitney on the shoulder. “I may be busy these days, so please take care of Hayden for me.”
Whitney nodded. “Please be rest assured, Miss Nicole.”
Nicole did not sleep with Hayden that night because she was busy. She slept alone in the guest room.
Because of the Gardner Family’s affair, she could hardly sleep. All she thought about was this matter.
Nicole lay on the bed as she stared at the ceiling, her mind in a mess.
Colton… Zachary…
…
Near dawn, Nicole was woken up by a nightmare. She opened her eyes in shock, and a layer of cold sweat covered her forehead.
She sat on the bed, gasping for breath. She just dreamed that someone stole Hayden away.
She pursed her lips. Too many things had happened in the past few days, causing her mind to be filled with messy thoughts.
She looked down at her phone and found it was still early, at 5.00AM.
However, she couldn’t fall asleep after being woken up by the nightmare.
So, Nicole simply got up, changed her clothes, and prepared to go downstairs.
Passing through the corridor, she saw a light in the study. She paused and walked over.
The study door was not closed, and a small gap was there. In front of the mahogany table sat Zachary, his back ramrod straight.
Zachary held the cell phone in one hand while rubbing the bridge of his nose with the other.
“Okay. You must keep an eye on this matter. Let them contact me if there’s any shareholder who wants to sell. I will offer 20% more than my father’s price. Don’t worry, I have some savings. If I don’t, I’ll borrow it from James.”
Nicole heard everything clearly. She also knew James Lopez. He was a loan shark. Although Zachary knew the man, she doubted Zachary would live in peace after he owed James money.
Nicole pushed the door open and entered. When Zachary saw her coming in, he lowered his voice and said to the person on the other end of the line, “I’m busy now. I’ll talk to you later; I’ll hang up now.”
After he finished speaking, he pressed the end button.
After that, he raised his head to look at Nicole. The tired expression on his face had subsided, and he said warmly, “Nicole, you’re awake rather early today.”
“Yes. Haven’t you slept yet?” Nicole’s gaze fell on the coffee on the table.
Zachary stood up and explained, “I went to bed early and got up early. I had nothing to do, so I came here to deal with things.”
Nicole had a dark expression and her gaze was fixed on him.
Zachary’s expression stiffened. Knowing she had heard him earlier, Zachary sighed. “So, you have heard it all.”
“Yes.” Nicole nodded. “Zach, James is a loan shark. Once you borrow money, it is difficult to pay him back!”
Chapter 277 I Can Handle It
Zachary’s eyes glowed with anguish as he simply said, “I just need some capital for now. I’ll repay him once the situation improves. It’s not a big deal.”
However, Nicole immediately interrupted, “Zach, we both know exactly what kind of person James is. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Nicole, I…” He wanted to explain, but she cut him off again.
“I’m already aware that your father wishes to have me fired from F&M Apparel. Zach, this isn’t a big deal. You don’t have to be at odds with your father just because of me.”
Learning that she was aware of everything, he remained silent. He couldn’t think of anything to say and could only clutch his hands tightly.
After a long while, he finally opened his mouth. “My father has some misconceptions about you, Nicole. He would not have loathed you if he had seen you.”
Nicole only gave a bitter smile in response. She could tell what Zachary’s father was thinking. The Yates Family had their own empire that could last a few generations. As a result, Zachary was expected to take over the family business as well as marry someone who could match his status, rather than messing around with Nicole in F&M Apparel.
“Zach, no matter what your father thinks, you should not oppose him. You’re not capable enough to do so,” she spoke of the harsh reality.
Zachary knew that too. He was well aware that he would never be able to defeat his father and was just struggling now to pave a way for Nicole. “I don’t want you to be hurt or upset, Nicole.”
Nicole sighed as she looked at Zachary, who was an obstinate man. He was gentle, but he was so stubborn that no one could talk him out of what he had decided on. “My abilities wouldn’t change, Zach. Even if I’m no longer the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel, I am still Lisa. I can live comfortably even after leaving F&M Apparel.”
However, Zachary shook his head. He wasn’t selfish in wanting Nicole by his side, but he knew his father all too well. Since his father had decided to fire Nicole from F&M Apparel, his father would also make certain that she had no other options.
“Nicole, you don’t know him. He won’t let you survive. If you leave F&M Apparel, I won’t be able to protect you anymore.”
His face was filled with misery as he spoke.
Nicole noticed Zachary’s anxious demeanor and realized that things might be more complicated than she thought. “Zach, we’ll cross the bridge when we come to it. Don’t do anything stupid,” she reminded him with sincerity.
He didn’t want her to get involved, so he planned to tell her only after everything was settled. But now that she knew about it, he couldn’t keep it a secret any longer. “Nicole…” His eyes were filled with agony since all he wanted was to protect her.
She took a step forward and placed her hand on his cheek. She noticed that despite him having shaved, he was still tired and appeared weary.
“Zach, it’s not important to me whether I am the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel or not. What matters most is that I can continue to design,” she insisted.
Zachary looked at her as she said that. It was Nicole’s nature to shoulder everything on her own without implicating anyone else.”
“You don’t have to be worried,” she went on.
He simply kept staring at her. After a while, he exhaled deeply and said, “Nicole, you’re always afraid of being a burden to others.”
Yet, she shook her head. Retracting her hands, she said, “We might as well give up since we can’t beat your father on this. Even if I don’t have the title of Chief Designer of F&M Apparel, I’m still Lisa, or Nicole as everyone knows. I believe I can handle anything your father throws at me!”
Chapter 278 You Don’t Have to Worry
Zachary laughed as he looked at Nicole’s confident manner. “Always the forever-confident Nicole that I know,” he said, his lips curved.
With that, Nicole cast a glance at him before grabbing his arms. “Let’s go down together. I’ll make us some breakfast. After breakfast, you have to go back and rest.”
When Zachary felt her hand on his wrist, he stared blankly at it but quickly averted his gaze.
“Sure.”
Alicia was awake and was tidying the room when both of them went down. She was surprised to see both of them and quickly said, “I thought it was still early, so I didn’t prepare anything. I’ll start cooking now.”
However, Nicole stopped her. “No worries. I was the one who woke up early. I’ll prepare breakfast, Alicia. You can rest after you’re done tidying.
Hearing that, Alicia looked at Zachary, and he nodded to her. “Thank you, Miss Anderson,” Alicia responded.
There were quite a lot of ingredients in the kitchen. Nicole made a simple breakfast for Zachary and herself and placed it on the dining table.
While having his breakfast, Zachary finally got to the important part. “Nicole, about Hayden…Is he really Colton’s son?”
Nicole knew this could not be kept a secret, and she had no intention of keeping it from Zachary either. As a result, she nodded and said, “Yes. I investigated the incident five years ago and the DNA paternity test result. Hayden is indeed Colton’s son.”
Zachary put down his utensils and looked solemnly at Nicole. “I can treat Hayden as if he’s my own, regardless of who his father is. Nicole, I don’t care what happened five years ago.”
Nicole, of course, was aware of this. When Zachary was pursuing her, she told him everything.
And at that point of time, he said the same thing as well, that he wasn’t bothered by the incident five years ago.
But that was not the challenging part now. “Zach, it’s not a matter whether you mind it or not. It’s the Gardners…” Nicole voiced her concerns.
Now that Hayden was discovered to be Colton’s son, the question was whether the Gardners wanted Hayden to return to their family, rather than whether Zachary minded it or not.
Zachary thought of this too and he lowered his gaze, lost in thought for a long time. In the end, he stated “Nicole, if you’re not willing for that to happen, I can deal with the Gardners. You don’t have to deal with it.”
But all she could do was smile helplessly. Zachary was in a bind himself; how could he possibly help her? “I’ve discussed with President Gardner and he said he won’t force that on me. Olivia does not agree for Hayden and me to be in their family as well, so that’s great news for me.”
Nicole then paused for a moment before continuing, “In any case, nothing bad will happen to me. Don’t be concerned. Regarding Hayden’s relationship with Colton, I’ll find a way to tell Hayden about it and I’ll respect his decision.”
Though Zachary respected her decision, he was concerned that if Hayden truly acknowledged Colton as his father, Nicole and Colton would develop another type of relationship in the future.
And, as a fellow man, Zachary could tell Colton didn’t just treat Nicole as a friend!
“Okay. I’m almost done with my matters abroad, so I’ll stay in the country with you for the next few days,” Zachary said.
He could not bring himself to leave Nicole, for he feared that once he left, she would grow further away from him as well.
“Alright, and you no longer have to be at odds with your father because of me. He only wants me to leave F&M Apparel, so I’ll do whatever he wants,” she said casually.
This caught Zachary off guard. He had not expected her to say such a thing so easily.
Looking at his surprised expression, she explained, “I’m in F&M Apparel because I like its working environment, but if there’s anyone who doesn’t want me to be there, you can’t stop that either. I’ll just leave.”
Then, Nicole looked at him and continued solemnly, “I’ve saved a significant amount of money over the years working at F&M Apparel, and it’s enough for me to open my own clothing store and raise Hayden. You don’t need to be worried about me.”
Chapter 279 Useless
Zachary gave a wry smile and finally did not insist anymore. So, he nodded and said, “I understand.”
He stared at Nicole for a while before telling her the worst, “Nicole, if you’re sure, you need to be prepared. Without me around, my father would act very quickly.”
When she heard this, she nodded as she forced a gentle smile on her face. “I know. Thank you for the past few days.”
Right then, he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he no longer felt the burden he had before. Then, he continued, “If I step back, you will be expelled from F&M Apparel in about a week, at most. Nicole, have you really made up your mind?”
However, Nicole did not expect that it would happen so promptly. It was no wonder he was in such a hurry when he went abroad. It turned out that without him, she would have long lost the title of Chief Designer.
“I’ve thought it through, Zach.” A week was enough for her to make all her necessary preparations.
Zachary continued to look at Nicole for a long time before finally sighing. Then, he continued speaking with a bitter smile, “Okay, I understand. But, Nicole, you can always tell me what is on your mind. I will always try to help you.”
She looked at the gentleman in front of her and thought of how he would always look out for others no matter when. Although she was very grateful for him, there was nothing she could do.
…
Back in the Anderson Residence, once Queenie had discovered that Anna knew about Nicole’s child, she had been afraid to leave the house.
William knew that his daughter had lost the chance to gain a way into the Gardners’ good graces, so his face was flushed with anger as he threw insults at Lydia. “Look at the good-for-nothing daughter you’ve given birth to. She can’t do anything! She can’t even hold a man down!”
At this moment, Lydia’s expression changed because she witnessed the events that had unfolded at the banquet through the news. Anna announced on the spot that Colton had a son. However, he had never been seen with a woman in years.
And the only woman that was with him was Nicole five years ago.
If she had known this earlier, she would have thrown Nicole to the bottom of the ocean, and Queenie’s lies would have never been uncovered!
“Neither of you, mother nor daughter, is of any use! Look at Nicole. She is now the Chief Designer of F&M Apparel. If you look closely, do you think she has skills other than seducing men?”
In the face of William’s wrath, Lydia’s face turned uglier as she squeezed her palms tightly and her pupils darkened.
Just as he was about to continue, she reached out and shoved him. “If you want to take Nicole back as your daughter, go ahead and look for her. Let’s see if she wants you back!”
William was stunned as he watched this gentle woman change in front of his eyes. Then, he started to ask, “What are you talking about?!”
Lydia let out a cold snort as she stood in place, looking at him coldly. When she spoke, she had a hint of sarcasm in her voice, “William Anderson, I was really blind to have married you back then. The Anderson Family would have perished a long time ago in the past few years if it wasn’t for Queenie. Not only do you not think about your own faults, you’ve also decided to put the blame on her? If it wasn’t for your gambling, would the Anderson Family be so looked down upon?”
When he heard this, he was taken aback. He had never known that he was so unbearable in her heart. He couldn’t stop himself for a moment and wanted to raise his hand to slap her, but she immediately caught him by the wrist as soon as he raised his hand.
“Are you trying to hit me? Do you know that the Anderson Family is nothing but an empty shell now? If it weren’t for Queenie and me, you would be nothing by now!”
Lydia threw his hand away fiercely. Back then, she eagerly wanted to marry into the Anderson Family so she could live lavishly without worrying about food and clothes. She had never expected William to be such a useless person!
At this point, William’s face was red with anger after hearing what she said, but he could unfortunately stand there mute with rage.
Nevertheless, she ignored him and turned around before heading toward Queenie’s room.
Chapter 280 Finding Another Way Out
Queenie was now afraid. She was scared that Colton would try and get even with her in the future. In the past, she was confident that she had done everything perfectly, leaving no trace of evidence.
But she never expected that Nicole would give birth to that b*stard!
A child of a one-night stand was an embarrassment; no normal person would keep it!
However, not only did she give birth to the child, they actually reunited with Colton five years later.
It would be easier if he were more of a player like Joseph. Unfortunately, Colton was too pure and had not laid his hands on another woman. He could easily trace the dots of when Nicole’s son was born and guessed that he was a product from that night five years ago.
Lydia, who was just done arguing with William, headed toward Queenie’s room to find that she was curled up in her blanket. Then, Lydia straightened her face and asked, “Queenie, now that the Gardner Family knows that Nicole’s child is Colton’s biological son, what is your next move?”
This was the first time Queenie had heard such a serious tone from her mother. She raised her head from the bed, looked over, and hesitated before saying, “I-I don’t know either.”
There was nothing she could do. This time, the evidence was conclusive. Even if she quibbled, it was of no use.
Queenie had always known that the only reason that she was given a chance to be Colton’s fiancé was that she had sacrificed herself to save him five years ago, but now that the lie had been exposed…
“Queenie, you need to calm down. We still have other options if the Gardners don’t work out.”
Lydia was someone who had experienced various hardships to get to where she was now and had quickly regained her senses after the bad tidings.
Now that William had lost all his influence, the Anderson Family would soon fall apart. In addition to that, the situation with the Gardners was unsalvageable.
As Queenie raised her head while she was thinking about this, her eyes began to redden. Her pitiful appearance was a heart-wrenching sight to see.
Nevertheless, Lydia just calmly coaxed, “Queenie, the Gardners aren’t the only powerful ones in this city.”
Queenie was shocked by what she heard and tilted her head in confusion.
Then, Lydia grabbed Queenie’s hand as she said, “There’s Bryan Kohlberg from the Kohlberg Family.”
This surprised Queenie even more to the point where her pupils dilated. Bryan Kohlberg, the CEO of the Kohlberg Group; the Gardners’ mortal enemy.
Bryan was a man in his thirties. Although he looked plain and honest, he was anything but that.
Queenie, who had been following Colton for years, often overheard the employees in the office mentioning his name, saying that the Kohlberg Group had caused trouble to Gardner Corporation.
“Mom, I’m not Colton’s fiancé anymore. So, even if I go to Bryan, I don’t have any leverage,” Queenie said, pursing her lips.
With her hand still in Lydia’s, Lydia said, “Queenie, when you were in the Gardner Corporation, didn’t you come in contact with all sorts of projects? There are many ongoing projects right now, am I right?”
Queenie quickly understood what Lydia was trying to say and was taken aback as she instantly shook her head.
“No, Mom, if I do that, Colton will never let me go.”
Lydia saw how terrified Queenie was and scolded, “Colton would not let us live peacefully even if you didn’t do anything about it. You’ve impersonated Nicole for so long. Do you think he will let you go this easily?”
It was only after hearing what Lydia said that Queenie finally calmed down a little. She squeezed her mother’s hands tightly as her long lashes fluttered.
Lydia knew that Queenie was nervous, so she continued to comfort her, “Go for Bryan and help him fight the Gardners for a fair share of the money. Then, I’ll take you away from here once you’ve got the money.”
When Queenie heard this, she tried to hide the panic on her face as she turned to Lydia. Queenie’s lips trembled slightly as she softly asked, “Mom, what do you mean?”
“The Anderson Family is crumbling. I don’t have much money with me now. We need money. Once we have enough, we’ll no longer stay here and move abroad to start a new life. That way, we can ignore everything that is going on in this country,” Lydia said. The Anderson family was corrupted and useless now.
Although Queenie was a little scared, she knew that this was her only chance. So, she bit her lips and thought for a while before she responded firmly, “Okay!”