Abigail frowned. “The baby-“
“Lulu’s baby,” he interrupted her again.
Abigail glared at him like she could bite him just then. “Could you please let me finish?”
Zachary said “If it’s about Lulu, you don’t have to tell me.”
“Alright, you said that yourself! Don’t you regret it later!” Abigail snapped. She then started to stride outside, calling out to Eagle.
Zachary gave chase. “Fine, I’ll keep my mouth shut. What is it? Tell me!”
Abigail did not turn toward him or stop in his tracks. “Lulu told me that something happened to Martin, and she asked me to bring her child over or leave her in your care.”
Zachary froze.
Wary that he might have misheard, he strode up and caught her arm. “Are you for real, Abigail?”
“Of course,” Abigail replied, nodding. “There’s no reason for me to lie.”
Zachary’s breathing turned rushed, and he asked, “Am I getting this right? That I’m raising Jean from now on?”
“You’re getting it right,” Abigail nodded.
“Okay. Let’s go,” Zachary said, suddenly walking faster than Abigail.
“We’re still in Franconia,” Abigail reminded him. “You have to book a flight to the nearest airport to New Kent.”
Zachary seemed to only realize that then.
“Right, right. I need to book a ticket to fly over,” he said, whipping out a phone and adding excitedly, “I have a daughter now…”
Abigail asked him, ” Are you still going to sleep around from now on?”
Zachary pouted. “Could you not hit me where it hurts?”
Abigail grinned. “You need to set an example for your daughter.”
“I know,” Zachary replied.
Eagle arrived just then. ‘Ma’am?”
“I’m leaving for a while,” Abigail told him. “I’m counting on you to keep an eye on the family.”
“You have nothing to worry about, ma’am,” Eagle replied. “I’ll take good care of your children.
And Abigail was certainly relieved to have him around.
“The next flight is in three hours,” Zachary then said.
“Then book it,” Abigail told him.
Zachary naturally did.
When it was done, he heaved a deep sigh.
This piece of news certainly came out of the blue.
Hold on… Martin had told Zachary that he would take care of Jean.
How could this happen?
“Is Martin’s issue serious?” Zachary asked.
Abigail shook her head. “Lulu didn’t tell me. We’ll know after we go.”
Abigail and Zachary boarded the flight to the airport nearest to New Kent, while Lulu packed all of Jean’s belongings.
She would be waiting for them, and they would be able to take Jean away once they arrived.
Abigail and Zachary’s flight lasted eleven hours, and they got a car that took them straight to Lulu’s apartment afterward.
Lulu received them with Jean in her arms, and Abigail could tell immediately that Lulu got skinnier.
Abigail held out her hands. “I can carry her.”
“You’re tired-I can carry her myself,” Lulu said. “Come on in.”
As she turned and went inside, Abigail glanced at Zachary to see him pursing his lips and staring at Lulu from the back, with a faraway look in his eyes.
“What’s on your mind?” Abigail whispered.
Zachary swallowed but said, “Nothing.”
That was not quite the truth since he was not feeling calm at the moment.
He decided to get over Lulu and earnestly wished her happiness.
Why did her happiness have to be ruined again?
“Is Martin cheating on you or did he die in the line of duty?” Zachary asked.
He was convinced that something serious had to happen to Martin for Lulu to decide on something like that.
Lulu stopped in her tracks in turn, her figure wobbling a little.
However, she did not reply and kept walking into the distance.
Abigail in turn put a hand on Zachary’s arm, gesturing for him to stop talking.
Zachary was not playing along. “If it’s the former, I’m going to kill him.”
“You need to calm down, Zachary,” Abigail said, frowning.
“I’m calm,” Zachary replied.
He remembered Martin promising to take care of Lulu.
How could he not get upset when Lulu was left in this state?!
Lulu never answered and instead led them to the apartment where she stayed with Martin.
The building was a little old, but it was managed well and much better than newer apartments.
They entered the rather dark walkway, and Lulu opened the door for them.” Come on in.”
Both Zachary and Abigail did.
It was the first time they were there-it was not a large place, but Lulu managed it well, giving it a sense of homeliness.
The windows were open, and they could see the clothes being dried on the balcony, flapping gently with a gust of breeze.
There were succulents blooming over several pots, and their leaves were plum and healthy.
Warm sunlight spilled in through the windows, illuminating the living room and shrouding a stroller.
It was a gentle, cozy sight.
Lulu had already packed up everything for Jean and put them on the couch.
As she brought them drinks, she said, “Jean’s stuff is all there.”
Abigail was staring at her. “What happened to Martin? Is it serious?”
Lulu sat on the chair by the dining table, keeping her gaze lowered at Jean as she said, “Don’t ask.”
Abigail pursed her lips and refrained from saying anything else.
On the other hand, Zachary was less than calm since he saw Lulu. “Then why did you ask us here?”
He was not upset at Lulu, but her refusal to talk made him feel like Lulu was protecting Martin, which made him further convinced that Martin had done something wrong.
“That’s the man you chose?” he huffed. “He’s no better than me! You’re really blind, aren’t you, messing up with the men you choose not once, but twice-“
“That’s enough from you,” Abigail said, putting a restraining hand on Zachary.
However, he was plenty upset inside and pointed at Lulu just then. “Can’t you see that she’s still defending that man?”
Abigail was frowning, but she lowered her voice. “Lulu is not telling you because she has her reasons-“
“What reasons could she have? She chose the wrong man and refuses to admit it. She’s afraid to say it, to let others know that she was blind,’ Zachary huffed, upset at Lulu’s silence.
She just had to say that Martin messed up, and he would stand up for her and beat Martin up for her!
Even if they were not lovers, they could be family-he could at least do that much for her.
On the other hand, Abigail was watching Lulu, who kept her head lowered as she held Jean in her arms.
Abigail could sense that Lulu did not want to part with her baby, that she was compelled to leave Jean in someone else’s care.
While Zachary was not exactly a stranger, Lulu was still the one who carried Jean for ten months, and they were dearest to each other.
As a mother, Abigail understood that feeling.
Rising to her feet then, she said, “I’m hungry. I’m going to get some food.”
Abigail was sure that although Lulu had told her to raise Jean, Lulu actually wanted to give the baby to Zachary. Lulu probably did not want to say it directly and would have other things to say.
That was why Abigail ought to give them some space.
As she left the apartment, she closed the door behind her.
Zachary used to yearn to be alone with Lulu, but the only thing that connected them was Jean.
No matter how deep a bond there had been between them, it had long since faded.
In fact, he had no idea what to say to Lulu when it was just them alone-he was quite eloquent when Abigail was with them, and the room was immediately silent once she left.
Unable to stay seated, Zachary strode off to stand out at the balcony.
Both him and Lulu remained silent, and the stalemate lasted until Jean started crying.
Zachary returned inside to Lulu, lowering his gaze on the baby when Lulu said, “Hold her.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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