Chapter 423
Shortly after Sam called Ashley, Chase’s man arrived.
Ultimately, Sam left without seeing Ashley again.
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In the private room, Sam threw himself into Chase and Tanya’s arms.“Daddy! Aunt Tanya!” Chase smiled, ruffling his hair. Tanya helped him put his backpack down.
Zark, Ethan, and Catherine were already there.
Seeing how much Sam loved Chase and Tanya, Ethan said, “Chase, I told you guys you should have taken Sam abroad with you. Look how much he missed you both! If you’d stayed away a few more days, he’d probably have been in tears.”
Ethan’s words implied that Sam
implied that Sam wasn’t happy when
when he was with Ashley. Before Chase or Tanya could say anything, Zark smoothly changed the subject.“Sam, did you have fun these past few days?”
Sam sat down.“Yeah, Mom took me to see a movie. We played VR games, and ate out.”
Ethan asked, “That’s it?”
“Yep,” Sam said casually, “Mom was too busy, she didn’t have much time for me.”
Ethan assumed that Ashley was busy with New Year’s social obligations. After all, he and Zark had gone through the same thing. They’d been swamped since the end of last year. Just as they finished dealing with their relatives, they had to go back to work. This dinner was a rare break after several busy days.
Tanya was reading a book.
Feeling bored, Sam took a sip of his drink and glanced at the cover of Tanya’s book. Recognizing it, he looked closer.
sked, Sam,
Zark asked, “Sam, are you interested in it?”
Sam shook his head.“No, it’s just that Mom has the same book.”
Hearing this, Tanya paused, a slight smile playing on her lips.
The beginner and advanced versions of this book had identical covers. Hers was the advanced version, which was out of her depth when she was doing her phd.
Tanya had been reading it diligently lately, and Catherine frequently visited the Mond family, so she knew about the two versions.
Hearing what Sam said, Catherine automatically assumed Ashley was working on the beginner’s edition.
She almost laughed out loud, but with Chase and Zark present, she held it back. Zark knew what was going on. He smiled faintly, saying nothing.
Then, Ethan, as if remembering something, raised an eyebrow at Zark.“I hear your mom’s been setting you up on blind dates lately. How’s it going? Found anyone suitable?” The question successfully redirected everyone’s attention.
Catherine had also heard about this. This made her even more anxious. She had a crush on Zark.
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Ignoring Catherine, Zark merely glanced at Ethan.“You’d die if you didn’t gossip, wouldn’t you?”
Ethan chuckled.“I’m just curious.”
Zark remained silent.
Everyone could see Zark wasn’t keen on blind dates. His silence spoke volumes.
Ethan couldn’t help but say, “Speaking of which, how’s it going with that ‘aunt‘ of Betty? If you like her, just tell your mother! Or she’s from a different family and you’re worried your mother won’t approve…”
Zark cut him off and looked at Chase.“Why do we have so much food here and still can’t stop him from talking?”
The less Zark said, the more curious Ethan became.
He said, “I see. You can’t bring her to your parents because you’re worried your mom won’t like her, right? But it’s been so long, you can at least let us meet her. What do you say, Chase?”
Chase smiled, glanced at Zark, and said, “No need to push him. When the time is right, Zark will bring her to meet us. Let’s stay out of this.”
Ethan snorted. He was just curious!
Catherine tugged at Tanya’s sleeve.“Tanya…”
Earlier, to discourage Catherine, Ethan had told her that Zark was already seeing someone. She hadn’t believed him then. Now, it seemed to be true.
Tanya, however, smiled faintly and said nothing.
There was definitely a woman they didn’t know about.
But…
Was Zark really dating that woman? Or was that woman merely a decoy? Maybe Zark was doing this to hide who he truly liked.
