Chapter 144 Goodnight Kiss
Time seemed to freeze in that instant.
Adela's eyes went wide as saucers. The elevator doors closed in her face. Flustered, she fumbled for her phone and called Basil, the HR director.
"What's the deal with the new girl, Cindy?"
Some plain-looking woman who cleaned toilets for a living—what connection could she possibly have to Zachary? Why had he just held her hand?
"She's one of Mr. Martin's relatives from his hometown. No degree, no background." Basil's voice came through the line.
Adela didn't buy it. "Send me her resume."
A minute later, she was staring at the file. High school dropout. Divorced. Work history that was basically a train wreck.
Yet somehow this disaster of a woman had caught Zachary's eye? How?
Inside the elevator, Quinley yanked her hand away from Zachary's. She seemed genuinely angry as she snapped, "Listen to me. When we're around other people, you don't touch me. You don't act childish. Unless I tell you to speak, you keep your mouth shut. Got it?"
She was fierce, like a mama tiger.
Lucas glanced at Quinley, then deliberately looked away, pretending he hadn't noticed anything.
"Okay, I get it." Zachary's response was reluctant.
"It's not enough to 'get it.' You need to remember. Otherwise you'll screw yourself over and drag all of us down with you. Do you understand?"
Her tone was sharp and aggressive. Zachary looked like a kid who'd been caught doing something wrong. His eyes immediately dropped.
Faced with such an assertive Quinley, he didn't argue back. "I'll remember. I won't mess up again."
Maybe sensing Quinley's anger, he added in a small voice, "Cindy, I know I was wrong. Please don't be mad at me, okay? I promise I'll listen to you and Lucas from now on."
"Good."
Quinley's reply was curt. The elevator fell silent. Three people standing there, eyes fixed in different directions, nobody speaking.
Quinley didn't know why she'd gotten so angry just now. But she was furious.
The old Zachary had been careful and cautious. He never would have given outsiders any ammunition to use against him. But just now, he'd actually...
The image of Adela's bulging eyes made Quinley's mood darken like storm clouds gathering. She didn't want anyone paying attention to her, but Zachary had just broken that rule spectacularly.
"Shouldn't we tell Ms. Gomez about Mr. Jennings's condition?" Quinley looked at Lucas as the elevator neared their floor.
His expression was grave. "The fewer people who know about this, the better."
Clearly, he didn't trust Adela.
They left the Apex Global Group Building and got into the Maybach. Quinley and Zachary sat in back. Her eyes stayed fixed on the window. His gaze never left her.
"Cindy, what happened to the scar on your forehead? Does it hurt?" As he spoke, Zachary reached out to touch the scar.
Quinley quickly dodged, brushing her bangs down to cover it completely. "It's nothing."
"Oh." Zachary withdrew his hand, dragging out the sound, but his eyes kept drifting toward her forehead anyway.
The car pulled into Maple Estate. Lucas wheeled Zachary inside. Martha wasn't there—the massive house held only the three of them.
"I'll go set up a room for you," Lucas said, heading for the stairs.
Quinley stopped him. "Don't bother. I'm going home tonight anyway."
On the drive over, she'd thought it through. She'd come back here with a purpose. She couldn't let Zachary's situation throw off her plans.
"Going back and forth will be exhausting," Lucas tried to persuade her.
"It's fine. I'll get used to it." Quinley was firm, so Lucas didn't push.
He ordered takeout. The barbecue chicken arrived quickly.
At the table, Zachary pulled off a drumstick and dropped it in Quinley's bowl. "Cindy, I'm giving you the best part. You should be happier now, okay?"
Then he tore off the other drumstick and gave it to Lucas. "Lucas, this one's for you."
Lucas smiled and patted Zachary's shoulder. "I don't like drumsticks. You have it." He put it back on Zachary's plate.
Zachary couldn't hide his delight. His eyes sparkled with childlike mischief as he grabbed the drumstick and dug in.
"I don't want it either. You take it." Quinley also returned her drumstick to Zachary.
His mouth was already stuffed full. "You guys don't want any? This chicken is so good!"
Kids always had that instinct to guard their food, didn't they? With both Lucas and Quinley giving him their drumsticks, he ate with even more gusto.
In that moment, Quinley had a strange feeling—Zachary really had become an eight-year-old child.
They'd ordered a lot of food, but Zachary didn't touch anything else. He demolished the entire chicken by himself. If this were the old days, Quinley wouldn't have believed it possible.
After dinner, Lucas put on cartoons for him. Zachary leaned back on the sofa, completely absorbed.
In Quinley's memory, Zachary rarely watched TV. Aside from financial news, he didn't follow current events, much less watch shows or movies.
Lucas went to the study to work. Quinley stayed in the living room, keeping Zachary company through the cartoons.
"Cindy, I'm thirsty. I want something with flavor." Zachary was bossing her around again.
Quinley got up and went to the kitchen, pouring him a glass of water. His eyebrows immediately scrunched up like caterpillars. "I don't want water. I want a drink."
"Lucas! I want a drink!" He suddenly yelled toward the study.
Quinley glared at him coldly. "You're being bad again, aren't you?"
Zachary puffed out his cheeks. He was holding in his frustration, saying nothing.
They sat there quietly, both staring at the TV. The story of the bald logger and two bears—simple, kind of boring.
But soon Zachary was completely into it. When the bears played tricks on the logger, he burst out laughing.
"Do you really not remember anything?" The question came out of nowhere.
Zachary froze, looking at Quinley in confusion. "Cindy, what don't I remember?"
He didn't remember. He didn't remember anything. He didn't even remember her.
"Never mind." Quinley sighed in disappointment.
Maybe it was better this way—that he'd forgotten.
After a while, she got up and grabbed a Coke from the fridge that Lucas had just bought. The old Zachary would never have touched carbonated drinks.
Zachary took the drink, his face lighting up with that brilliant smile again. "Cindy, you're so nice."
He reached out, hooked his arm around Quinley's neck, and planted a quick kiss on her cheek.
Quinley froze. The spot where he'd kissed her burned like fire.
His movements were swift—kiss delivered, he immediately returned to his original position. As if nothing had happened, he tilted the can back and chugged, eyes glued to the cartoon.
"Cindy, look at this!" At an exciting part, Zachary yelled enthusiastically.
Quinley kept repeating to herself: He's only an eight-year-old. Don't overthink it. Don't overthink it.
They watched three episodes in a row. By nine-thirty, Quinley grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. "Time for bed."
Zachary looked like he wanted to protest, but when he met Quinley's cold, unwavering gaze, he backed down.
"Then you have to tell me a bedtime story." He started negotiating.
"How old are you? You still need bedtime stories?" Quinley refused.
Zachary's lip jutted out dramatically. "I'm only eight! What's wrong with wanting a bedtime story? Lucas always tells me one. You won't let me watch cartoons, and you won't tell me stories. I won't be able to sleep. I'm scared. What if those people come to hurt me in the middle of the night..."
His voice was small, mumbling on and on. Seeing how pitiful he looked, Quinley's heart softened.
"Fine. I'll tell you one bedtime story. But just one, and then you have to sleep."
In the bedroom, Zachary curled up under the covers. Quinley sat on the edge of the bed with a book of fairy tales, doing her best to tell the story with expression.
Zachary listened, completely engrossed. His eyes were bright and alert—he definitely didn't look ready for sleep.
Quinley's story was short. She finished quickly. "Okay, time for bed now." She stood to leave.
Zachary grabbed her sleeve. "I need a goodnight kiss." He turned his cheek toward her face.
Quinley took a deep breath. She felt helpless but ultimately gave in. Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to his cheek.
Just as she started to pull away, Zachary kissed her back. "Goodnight, Cindy."