Chapter 8

"Zake, I want to talk," Mrs Adeline Addam called out to her son as she saw him entering the dining room for dinner. 

A waiter pulled out a chair for Zake, and he took a seat. 

Zake glanced at Rita from the corner of his eye; his wife sat close to his mother, pretending not to notice him. She was seemingly occupied with caring for Adrian, even though she usually paid little attention to their baby.

Zake knew that Rita must have influenced his mother, and he also knew exactly what topic his mother wanted to discuss. 

"Do you want me to dine outside, Mother? I'll lose my appetite if you're going to lecture me," Zake responded coldly. 

His equally aloof father, Zenon Addam, only gave a glance before continuing to read trade balance reports on his tablet. Their attitudes were quite similar—disinterested in household affairs and opposed to being bothered with trivial matters.

True to her nature, Adeline didn't pay much heed to her son's threat. Her husband had sufficiently ignored her, and now, with her son adopting the same attitude, she remained unfazed. 

The servants placed appetisers on each family member's table. Adeline looked at Rita and advised her gently, "Eat first, let the nanny take care of him. You mustn't fall ill."

Zake gritted his teeth. His mother never treated Serena the same way; she always made Serena's life miserable in this house. 

Initially, Zake thought his mother disliked having another woman as the lady of the house. However, after Zake divorced Serena and married Rita, Adeline welcomed Rita warmly and quickly became close.

Especially when Rita brought Adrian along, Zake, who initially thought his rigid mother wouldn't love her grandchild, was surprised to see Adeline transform into a grandmother, a role Zake had never imagined for her since she had never been warm to him as a mother, as portrayed by most people.

Initially, Zake was happy witnessing the interaction between Adeline and Adrian, feeling ironic about the warm welcome that Serena never received. Yet, Serena never complained; she accepted Adeline's brusque treatment and continued to respect her mother-in-law.

Thinking about Serena made him feel that everything he had now was not worth their time together. He still longed for his old life with Serena. 

But apparently, she didn't want what he desired.

If only Serena understood that she remains his priority and true love, even though he has another life behind the curtain.

"Look at your child, Zake. You should redirect your money towards him and spoil him instead of wasting it on that pitiful woman!" scolded his mother.

Zake, about to take his first bite, stopped abruptly, losing his appetite. 

His suspicion was correct—Rita had influenced his mother. Zake couldn't fathom why Rita—she who was lifted from the pit, from her dirty life as an upscale prostitute to becoming a lady—never felt satisfied with what he provided.

Still, she's only satisfied if she disrupts Serena's life. Zake shot a sharp look at Rita, who was gracefully spreading port wine sauce over her foie gras, seemingly oblivious to Adeline's words, intentionally avoiding eye contact—she was indeed a snake.

"Rita did nothing wrong, Zake. What she said is only fair. Your flesh and blood should reap the benefits of your hard work, not that some woman with an unknown background!" retorted his mother, her tone rising.

Zake laid down his knife and fork. 

A waiter, understanding Zake's unspoken gesture, promptly pulled out Zake's chair just as he stood up.

"Where do you think you're going? I haven't finished talking," his mother blamed him, glaring, urging him to sit back down.

"You can continue talking to her, mother. She'll listen attentively. I suspect she enjoys every bit of potion she poured for you through her sweet words," Zake sneered at his wife. 

Rita lowered her head like a polite and obedient wife, disgusted, and made Zake realise how he fell for her manipulation in the past.

He was too foolish, falling into a trap that caused him to let go of the gem he already had in his grasp.

Actually, without being asked, he was trying to find a way to avoid paying the alimony to Serena anymore. However, his intention wasn't to reclaim the money but to intimidate Serena into returning to him.

But beyond that, he knew his responsibility towards Adrian. He had considered their suggestions beforehand but preferred to avoid being ordered around. He was Zake Addam, and no one could command him. 

The alimony he had to pay Serena, amounting to eight million dollars, was less than a tenth of his monthly income. What he provided for Adrian and Rita was far more significant, but that snake of a woman was too greedy to feel content.

"Your wife is expressing her concerns; this is all for your child's future, Zake. It's a mother's instinct," his mother advised, making Zake laugh.

"A mother's instinct? Quite an instinct regarding money, which isn't even rightfully hers. Why doesn't she learn first how to clean her baby's mess? That would be a more useful instinct or tend to him when he cries. I would appreciate that more."

"You always defend that woman, Zake. She's no longer your concern, and you have no responsibility towards her, especially since she can't give you an heir, a defective woman," his mother scolded.

Zake slammed the dining table hard, startling Adrian, who woke up crying loudly. Rita glanced at their nanny, the old woman who moved to soothe Adrian in her arms.

"See, Mother, I just spoke, and she immediately proves it to you, right? Is that what you proudly boast about, with such a low level of motherly instinct?" Zake pointed out.

Rita's eyes moved around in confusion, unaware she had fallen into her husband's trap. Zake was genuinely outrageous, exposing her in front of both her in-laws.

"B-but I'm eating..." she feigned innocence.

"Oh? But you'll always make time to manage money, which is none of your business, right?" Zake intimidated Rita, glaring at her.

"Zake, enough!" the mother shouted at Zake, asking him not to be rough with his wife.

Rita pretended to cry before Adeline and her mother-in-law gently patted her back. Zake felt utterly disgusted.

He left the dining room, headed straight to the garage, chose the latest Bentley, and drove quickly towards Seraphim Hospital. He parked his car at a café away from the hospital, glancing at his watch, which showed 09:00 pm. Without surgeries, it would be Serena's time to come home.

He waited inside the car, where he could freely observe Serena waiting for the bus at the bus stop. 

Suddenly, rain poured heavily. He saw Serena running through the rain towards the bus stop, using her work bag to shield her head from the rain.

As the rain intensified, he considered turning on his car to offer her a ride home, but his hand paused when he saw another man offering an umbrella right above Serena's head. He watched Serena smile and thank the man, and they walked together towards the bus stop.

Zake's heart suddenly burned with anger.