Chapter

54

Zane picked up the artwork and examined it thoughtfully.

Willow watched him eagerly. "So, what do you think?"

Zane went quiet. His taste didn't quite stretch to appreciating an entirely pink piece. But when he saw Willow's hopeful look, he hesitated for a long while before finally nodding. "It's nice," he said.

Happy with his response, Willow packed her books into her backpack, making sure not to leave anything behind. She double-checked before finally zipping it up.

Then, Willow took a seat and enjoyed the steak Zane had cooked for her. The well-done steak was tender and juicy. After taking a bite, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Daddy, you always make the best food!" "Thanks," Zane replied, happy to hear her compliment.

Willow saw that I hadn't tried my steak yet and quickly encouraged me, "Mommy, you should give it a taste!"

Even though she was just a little girl, she loved sharing with others, whether it was delicious food or her joy, I cut a piece and took a bite while she watched closely. Then, I turned to her, my eyes wide in surprise. "Wow, this is really good!" Willow's happiness grew with my approval, and the meal somehow tasted even better.

After returning to his room, Zachary stayed inside even though it was already dinner time. Steven felt at a loss. Worried that Zachary might be hungry, he gently knocked on the door. "Zachary, come on out for dinner." "No," Zachary replied, still angry. "You only trust Mommy Jessie, not me, You're not a good dad at all!"

Steven felt helpless, He wanted to believe Zachary, but the evidence was clear. Jessica had treated Zachary well. He just wasn't ready to accept that.

Concerned that Zachary was starving, Steven reassured him. "I trust you."

"Really? Zachary opened the door and gave Steven a hopeful look.

Steven nodded. "Let's grab a bite."

Zachary wiped away his tears and grabbed Steven's hand. "You need to set her straight so she doesn't accuse me like this again."

His voice softened as he added, "If she could just treat me a bit better, I could still see her as my real mom." Zachary loved Jessica so much that he was willing to give her another chance, even after getting hurt

Steven picked Zachary up and held him in his arms. Zachary's eyes were red from crying, looking like a little bunny's. They stopped before Jessica's door, and Steven raised his hand to knock ""Jessica," he called

Jessica opened the door with a smile at the sound of Steven's voice. She had thought he'd come by himself, but he brought Zachary

along

Her smile faded immediately. "What's wrong?"

Steven glanced away, feeling uncomfortable. "You need to apologize to Zachary. Otherwise, he'll just stay holed up in his room and won't eat anything."Property © of .

"s line if you don't want t

apologize," Zachary murmured.

Steven glanced down at him. Zachary's voice lowered even further. "Mommy Jessie, all I need is for you to promise to treat me like your own son from now on. That's what matters

Jessica was about to tell Zachary to quit dreaming but realized Steven After everything that happened this time, she understood just how much Zachary meant to Steven Zachary was his only son, after all. was around. She took a deep breath to steady herself.