No Remarriage for us Stay Away (Lenora)

Chapter 480 She Is My Daughter

Isla casually adjusted her hair, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

It seems I have chosen the right approach. I have only tried to get close to Harrietta for a short while, and now, Zachary has already softened his attitude toward me.noveldrama

Twenty minutes later, Zachary appeared in the private room.

This was the first time the two of them had met since that day.

He took a seat beside Harrietta, giving a slight nod to Isla. "Sorry to intrude, do you mind if I join you for the meal?"

"Sure, have a seat," Isla said.

She maintained an indifferent expression, as if she was still upset over Zachary bluntly rejecting her in front of Allison and Tamara the other day.

"I've been swamped with work. I appreciate how much you've cared for Hattie."

"Hattie is my child. It's only natural for me to do that," she said. "I wasn't aware you were coming, so I didn't order the food with you in mind. Once the dishes are served, you can see if you want to add anything else." "I'm fine," Zachary stated.

Subsequently, the waiter began serving the dishes.

Zachary gazed at the table full of lamb dishes, falling silent for a moment. He then lowered his eyes to look at Harrietta, who lowered her head self-consciously.

Isla picked up her fork. "Don't be a stranger. Let's start eating."

Zachary hesitated for a moment. "Alright."

Isla took the initiative to make conversation. "Last time, I didn't expect Mdm. Fuller to actually suggest that we get together. But what surprised me even more was your immediate refusal without giving it a second thought. Didn't you even consider the possibility at all?" She was implying that Tamara had made the decision unilaterally, and it had nothing to do with her.

"No, getting together for the sake of a child only serves as a shackle for the child."

"Although I had thought about it, I disagree too. I understand that Mdm. Fuller wishes for Hattie to grow up with both her parents. I've been absent from Hattie's life for so many years, so she would undoubtedly be my priority moving forward. What if Hattie wants us to be together?"

Isla felt a twinge of dissatisfaction in her heart, yet she was afraid to show it openly for fear of being mocked by Zachary. Her only option was to use Harrietta as a pretense to probe further.

She believed that her scheme was flawless, but in Zachary's eyes, it couldn't be anymore obvious.

Zachary glanced at Harrietta. "My life won't be dictated by a child."

Isla's expression stiffened, contemplating whether to slam down her fork and leave.

After enduring repeated humiliations from Zachary, she truly wanted to give up and head straight back to Fairlake.

Isn't he just a man? Can't I find someone better?

Yet, she couldn't bear it. How am I any lesser than Fay? Why does he have to treat me this way?

Returning to Fairlake was merely a thought out of frustration.

After the revelation of Harrietta's identity, she was not allowed to back down.

"I heard you've taken Hattie back, so what's your plan?"

"Raising her."

"Anything else?"

"What would you like to ask?"

"Aren't you going to remarry Fay?"

""Not for now."

What Harrietta said turns out to be true.

Isla's eyes softened. "Why?" she asked.

Zachary retorted instead of answering, "Why? You want me to remarry her?"

"Of course not. It's better if you two don't reconcile. A gold-digger like her, who schemes and steals, will only be a bad example for Hattie."

A hint of sarcasm flashed in Zachary's eyes before he changed the subject. "Do you plan to stay in Jacaster indefinitely?"

"Perhaps, I intend to make it up to Hattie as much as I can."

This time, when I spoke ill of Lenora, Zachary, surprisingly, didn't react defensively.

A faint sense of glee sprouted in Isla's heart.

On the day the DNA test results were revealed, Lenora moved out of Galaxy Bay. It's clear she can't accept Harrietta, and presumably, Zachary must have thought her to be narrow-minded, causing her image to plummet in his eyes. However, when it came to her own affairs, Isla found herself somewhat troubled.

She realized that she had been too hasty in agreeing to Tamara's plan. At that time, all she could think of was to get close to Zachary through Harrietta.

However, now that the deed was done, the magnitude of it finally struck her.

If her parents, her uncle, and her aunt knew she had a daughter out of wedlock, they would surely interfere. They might even insist she bring the child home.

"Isla, I understand that as her

biological mother, you're eager to build a bond with Hattie. However, don't rush things, especially when it comes to frequently visiting her at the kindergarten. This could potentially disrupt her daily life."

"I already know. I won't go looking for her at the kindergarten again. I noticed you didn't eat much, is it because the food doesn't suit your taste?" Zachary replied, "I... had something before I came."

After lunch, Harrietta insisted on leaving with Zachary.

She had effectively thrown a tantrum typical of a five-year-old, complete with crying and rolling about. Isla was consequently helpless against her. Left with no other choice, Isla had to return to Matthew's house.

"Isla, you're back."

Upon seeing Alice seated on the

living room couch, Isla approached and took a seat beside her. "So, how did it go? During your trip to Cutvine, did you manage to orchestrate a coincidental encounter with Caesare and share a meal with him?

Alice broke into a smirk. "No."

"Why? How could you let such a great opportunity slip by?"

"He was always swamped with work, and I was afraid to bother him, fearing it might make him dislike me even more."

"You know, why can't you be a bit more persistent? If you were half as cunning as Fay, you wouldn't be in this situation."

Alice managed a weak smile. "Enough about me, how are things with you?"

Isla let out a laugh. "I had lunch with

Zachary and Harrietta today. Zachary said he has no immediate plans to remarry Fay, and when I spoke ill of her in front of him, he

didn't try to defend her."

Though the ending was somewhat marred by Harrietta making a fuss about leaving with Zachary, the meal had largely met Isla's expectations.

"Things seem to be going well, so allow me to congratulate you in advance on winning Zachary's heart."

"Thank you."

As they were speaking, the living room door swung open and Zephyr walked in, luggage in tow.

"Zephyr, you're back. You must have been swamped these past few days, right?"

Upon hearing the voice, Zephyr lifted his gaze to look at Isla.

"Zephyr, why are you looking at me like that?"

Isla felt something off about Zephyr's gaze. It was as if he was looking at a criminal.

Zephyr shifted his gaze. "Alice, could you give us a moment? I need to have a word with Isla."

A pang of anxiety struck Isla's heart.

Could he possibly have found out?

Although she knew this day would inevitably come, she hadn't yet figured out how to explain herself.

Alice cast a reassuring glance at Isla before she obediently ascended the stairs.

"Zephyr, what is it that you want to talk to me about?" Isla swallowed nervously.

"What's this business about Harrietta?"

Zephyr pushed his suitcase against the wall, striding over to the couch. He hitched up his pant leg and sat down, his gaze intense as he began to interrogate his sister. "D-Don't you already know? She's my daughter," Isla replied softly.

"What exactly happened? Explain it to me clearly!"

Isla briefly shared the version of the story she and Tamara had agreed upon.

As Zephyr listened, the furrow in his brows deepened. Once Isla finished speaking, he asked, "Is that all?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"So, you're saying the reason you returned to the country and decided to acknowledge Harrietta was all for Zachary?" Isla's face flushed slightly. "I like him, you know."

Speaking of maternal love in front of Caesare was futile; he simply wouldn't believe it.

Zephyr would probably support me, right? After all, if I end up with Zachary, he would then have a chance with Fay. Unexpectedly, Zephyr said, "I've already bought you a plane ticket. You're heading back to Fairlake tomorrow!" "What?"