Four months after we broke up, I called Leo. "I'm pregnant. Do you want this baby?" Leo was quick to distance himself. "We used protection every single time. Don't you dare pin this on me." I asked one more time, just to be sure. "So you're positive you don't want this child, right?" "Do whatever you want. I don't want it." I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I wouldn't have to worry about a custody battle. I had the baby on my own. Raised her on my own. When she was six, I spent most of my savings on a house in the city center to get her into a top-tier school district. On her first day of school, she brought a man home. "Mom, he keeps saying he's my dad and wants to fight you for custody." My daughter, Zoe, looked completely exasperated. "What's the deal? You never told me my dad was an idiot." 1 It was the first time I’d seen Leo in six years. To be fair, he hadn't changed much. He was still dressed like he’d just walked out of a magazine, not looking a day over thirty. He was scowling at me like I was his mortal enemy. "Mom, I'm hungry. Is there anything to eat?" Zoe rubbed her stomach. "Yep." I went into the kitchen and got her a slice of the coffee cake I’d baked. Leo just stood in the doorway, motionless, as if he planned to stand there until the end of time if I didn’t invite him in. Zoe finished her cake, then turned to look at Leo and sighed dramatically. "Mom, maybe you two should talk? I have homework to do." She picked up her little backpack. "But just so we're clear, my custody is non-negotiable." The word "custody" finally struck a nerve. Leo glared at me, his voice rising. "Zara, you've got some nerve, having my kid without telling me—" "Stop!" I held up a hand. "You're a grown man. Can you please get your emotions in check?" "You secretly had my child and you're telling me to be emotional?" He stared at me, dumbfounded. I glanced at Zoe’s closed bedroom door. She was mature for her age, but this wasn't a conversation for her to overhear. Worried the walls were too thin, I walked out of the apartment and led Leo to the stairwell. "Zara, don't think I don't know what you're up to. You saw my family's money and thought you could have a baby to get a piece of it, right?" Leo sneered. "Well, I'm telling you, it's not that easy!" I pulled out my phone and played a six-year-old recording. "I'm pregnant. Do you want this baby?" "We used protection every single time. Don't you dare pin this on me." "So you're positive you don't want this child, right?" "Do whatever you want. I don't want it." When it finished, I played it again, just in case he hadn't heard clearly. He looked like a duck with its neck wrung, his accusations dying in his throat. "I knew this day might come, so I kept the evidence." I crossed my arms, looking him up and down. "Still just a trust fund kid after all these years. Looks like your parents know your limits, not even letting you touch the family business." I leaned in. "You should take good care of that face. If you ever manage to bankrupt your family, you can still trade on your looks." "She's my daughter. Past, present, and future, she has absolutely nothing to do with you." "You want to fight me for custody? Who do you think you are?" Furious, Leo punched the wall. The move might have had a certain angsty, teen-movie charm if he were seventeen. On a thirty-year-old man, it was just pathetic. I patted his shoulder. "If you have issues, get help. And I'm warning you, stay away from my daughter, or I'll call the cops and report a kidnapping." "On what grounds? I'm her father!" "Oh? And your proof?" "I can get a paternity test!" "Buddy, open your eyes." I gave him a pitying look. "A DNA test after six years of silence doesn't magically grant you rights." 2 Leo left, reluctantly. At dinner that night, Zoe was sighing dramatically. I put a spoonful of broccoli on her plate, which only made her face scrunch up more. "Mom, why weren't you more careful when you were picking out a dad for me?" she grumbled, poking at her food. "Did you only care about his face?" "I was young and wasn't thinking clearly," I said, reflecting on my past choices. "Is he going to keep bothering me?" "Hard to say," I mused. "He definitely didn't want a kid back then, but people change when they get older." "He just doesn't seem very bright. I'm worried my friends at school will see us together and ask who he is." I thought her concern was a bit misplaced. Kids are way more focused on looks than adults. Leo was still as handsome as ever. With that face, he could be a complete moron and some kind-hearted first-grader would still think he was the coolest. "But how did you even run into him? And how was he so sure you were his daughter?" That was the part I couldn't figure out. Our social circles didn't overlap at all. If we passed on the street, I doubted he'd even recognize me. "After school today, I saw him talking to our principal," Zoe said, not looking up. "I guess they know each other?" I thought about it but couldn't connect the dots. Oh well. It wasn't important. 3 The next day, after dropping Zoe at school, I drove to my shop. When Zoe was little, I ran a small baking business from home so I could look after her. After she got a bit older, and I won a fairly prestigious international baking award, I opened my own patisserie. Business had been good, and I was even thinking about opening a second location. Not long after I arrived, a customer came in. She wanted to order a five-tier cake for a birthday celebration. "Of course," I said, smiling as we sat down to discuss the details. She was an elegant woman in a green dress, impeccably maintained, with a warm smile. But having met all sorts of people, I felt her smile was a little… eager. As we chatted, she mentioned her "good-for-nothing" son who refused to get married or have kids, causing her endless worry. "You know how it is, they have their own paths. Maybe the right person just hasn't come along yet," I offered politely. "I have a friend who was single until she was 34, then suddenly met the one, got married, and just had a baby last month." "Oh, I've given up on him," she said. "I was just hoping that while his father and I still have some energy, we could help raise a child. He's such a waste, I'm afraid my granddaughter will turn out just like him." "You don't even know if you'll have a granddaughter," I laughed. "It's a gut feeling, you know? A really strong one." She grabbed my hand enthusiastically. "And we're not one of those families that prefers boys! We'd cherish a grandson or a granddaughter all the same! Even though my son is useless, our family values are very strong. If we had a sweet grandbaby, the whole family would rally to support her!" I looked at her overly bright smile and hesitated. "Excuse me for asking, but do you know Leo?" "Oh, heavens, I'm his mother! Daughter-in-law, so nice to finally meet you! This is a little something for you!" It was like she was just waiting for me to ask. She eagerly pulled a stunningly clear jade bracelet from her purse and tried to slide it onto my wrist. My heart sank. That bastard, Leo. He knew he couldn't win, so he sent his mother. Was he taking advantage of the fact that my own mother was no longer around? 4 Leo's mother was gracious the entire time. To ensure I didn't mistake her intentions, she quickly clarified that she just wanted to be close to the child, not fight for custody. "I won't lie to you, Leo is a disappointment. He only holds a nominal position at our company; we wouldn't dare give him any real power." "But his father and I can't work forever, can we?" "We've lost hope in Leo, but you've raised your daughter so well. Zoe is brilliant! The sky's the limit for her!" "And it's always easier when more people are there to support a child, don't you think?" I wasn't naive enough to believe she was as benevolent as she appeared. This was a formidable woman who had navigated the business world for decades. The family must have already done a private DNA test and confirmed Zoe was Leo's daughter. They'd probably also consulted a lawyer and found out their chances of winning a custody case were slim. So, they settled for the next best thing: shared parenting. But if Leo ever got married and had another child, I wondered if they would still be this accommodating. "Ma'am, I respect my daughter's wishes," I said with a smile. "As long as she is willing to be close to you, I have no objections." I knew my daughter. Her motto was "never turn down a free lunch." Her other motto was "take the sugar coating, then fire back the cannonball." I could already picture how frustrated the Jiang family was going to be. 5 With my approval, the family was eager to schedule a formal dinner to introduce themselves to Zoe. I told them I needed to talk to her first. "Of course. We'll wait to hear from you." After we exchanged numbers, she beamed and made a phone call. "You can come in now. Apologize properly to Ms. Hayes, and thank her." A moment later, an awkward-looking Leo pushed open the door. He’d clearly been waiting in the car. He shot me a triumphant look, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. "You said she was your daughter alone, but in the end, you had to admit I'm her dad!" I gave a subtle eye-roll. A thirty-year-old man who still needed his parents to solve his problems and give him an allowance. What a man-child. Thank God Zoe didn't inherit his brains.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "385777", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel