For ten years, Zita loved Yonah with every fibre of her being. Five of those years were spent in a secret marriage where she acted as the perfect, humble wife—a "lowly nurse" who had once spent eight gruelling months healing Yonah's paralyzed legs. To the world, she was a gold-digger; to Yonah, she was a mere shadow. No one knew that beneath her rusted BMW’s shell beat the heart of a high-performance Bugatti, just as no one knew she was the long-lost heiress of the legendary Stratford empire. The breaking point came on their son Zachary’s fourth birthday. Zita found a pink hairpin in Yonah’s pocket—a gift for another woman’s daughter. That night, Zachary made a silent vow: he would give his father three last chances to choose his family. The game was over. Zita removed her wedding ring and unveiled her true self. The "lowly nurse" became the most powerful woman in the industry, the surgeon who could take back the very health she had gifted him. When a shattered Yonah finally realized his mistakes and tracked them down across the ocean, he fell to his knees, begging for a second chance. "Zita, if our daughter were still alive, could I have another chance to be a father?" But Zachary stepped forward, blocking his path with the cold dignity of a Stratford heir. "It’s too late, Daddy," the boy whispered. "I already counted to three. You’re out." And from behind Zita, the little princess he had once pampered stepped forward. "Yeah! Daddy is a big fat liar!"

Chapter 1It was their son's fourth birthday, and for the first time ever, her husband had come home early.Zita smiled as she hung up his suit jacket, but something fell out of it with a sharp click.She bent down and picked up a pink diamond Peppa Pig hair clip. Her smile froze, and her grip tightened around the small accessory.She and Yonah had been secretly married for five years and only had a four-year-old son together, so why was he carrying a little girl's hair clip?Zita's gaze snapped toward the bathroom, where the sound of running water had stopped, and she could faintly hear Yonah on the phone."Don't worry, I'm looking for it...""Yeah."Zita suspected her husband was having an affair. She slipped the hair clip back into his suit pocket, pretending nothing had happened.Moments later, Yonah strode out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Beads of water rolled down his chiseled abs, every inch of his body radiating raw, masculine energy.Not only was his physique exceptional, but he also possessed a devastatingly handsome face.Even after five years, Zita's heart still skipped a beat.But Yonah didn't even glance her way, his expression stony as he walked straight to the coat rack.He slipped his fingers into his suit pocket, pulled out the hair clip, and the tension in his sharp features visibly relaxed.Zita pressed her lips together in a tight line, watching him get dressed with cold, detached eyes.The light gray Italian bespoke suit made his towering six-foot-two frame look even more commanding and upright. Especially those long, powerful legs—it was almost impossible to believe he had once been paralyzed for eight months."Are you going out?" Zita stopped him.He simply gave a low hum of confirmation."Do you remember it's Zachary's fourth birthday tonight?""It's just a birthday, is it really that important? I haven't celebrated mine in twenty-eight years, and I'm still alive."Yonah strode out of the room without another word.Zita stood frozen in place. So he hadn't left work early for Zachary at all.Her mind spun for a moment before she decided to follow him, trailing his car until he made a turn at an intersection.As the traffic light turned red, Zita slammed on the gas, terrified of losing him. The secondhand BMW, which hadn't been pushed this hard in ages, roared like a trapped beast.Executing a flawless drift, Zita cleared the intersection just in time, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white as she slightly reduced her speed.Yonah had always been exceptionally sharp. At eighteen, fresh into college, he single-handedly developed an AI program and took his company public in just three years. At twenty-three, he took over the Hayes Group, transforming it from the wealthiest corporation in Kingsbridge into the richest in the entire country.She had made such a huge commotion just now, and she was terrified he had noticed.To her surprise, his car maintained its steady pace, completely oblivious to the unique roar of her quad-turbo Bugatti engine.Zita offered a bitter smile. After five years of marriage, Yonah still thought of her as nothing more than a gold-digging nurse. How could a man like him ever realize that her car was actually a Bugatti wrapped in a BMW shell?Thanks to his lack of attention, she successfully trailed his car all the way to the entrance of the Statesman's Club. He stepped out of the car, carrying a box for an Odette Patisserie cake.Someone shared the exact same birthday as Zachary?Zita frowned slightly, carefully following behind him."Daddy!"A little girl, about three or four years old in a pink tutu, fluttered toward Yonah like a little butterfly.Zita felt like she had been struck by lightning, her ears ringing loudly.He really was cheating! His illegitimate daughter was already this old!"I didn't lose the hair clip. Let me put it on you.""I thought it was gone! You scared me."The little girl stuck out her tongue playfully, radiating a bright, bubbly energy that could only come from a child who was fiercely loved and nurtured.Yet her own Zachary, back when he was just learning to speak, had said "Daddy" as his very first word, only for Yonah to forbid him from ever saying it again.He hadn't even celebrated a single birthday with Zachary!At the thought of her son, Zita's heart felt like it had been blown wide open, bleeding profusely.Yonah carried the little girl into the private room, where a welcome sign at the entrance displayed a photo of her.Beneath it read a single line: Happy 3rd Birthday to Princess Minnie Hayes.Three years old...The night before Zachary's first birthday banquet, Yonah had insisted on going abroad despite the objections of everyone in the Hayes family.So that was it. His daughter was being born.Zita saw it clearly. The little girl had a face strikingly similar to Yonah's, looking almost exactly like a female version of Zachary.How similar? So identical that a paternity test was completely unnecessary to know she was Yonah's flesh and blood.Her deceased daughter was part of a set of boy-girl twins with Zachary. If she had lived, she would have looked exactly like this little girl.Zita had imagined her daughter's face countless times, but she never expected to see those features on the daughter Yonah had with his mistress. It was a dagger to her heart!Zita's eyelids fluttered. Yonah had once believed those boy-girl twins were the result of her scheming against him. He didn't even care about Zachary, so how could he ever care about her dead daughter?Zita took heavy steps forward, stopping right outside the door of the private room."Yonah, if your mother hadn't forced Willow away back then and you hadn't rushed out to chase her, you never would have been in that car crash.""Your car crash left you paralyzed, and that cheap nurse from the country actually drugged you and slept with you just to climb the social ladder!""You and Willow's daughter is already three. Hurry up and divorce Zita! Just thinking about her vile actions makes me feel so bad for you!"Zita's face drained of color.Yonah's car crash was actually because of Willow. The person he truly loved was Willow?Zita had heard the servants at the Hayes Manor mention Willow before; she was the orphaned daughter of Yonah's father, Michael Hayes's first love, a girl with an unknown father. Ten years ago, Michael brought her back and legally changed her surname to Hayes.It wasn't until five years ago, when Michael passed away, that Yonah's mother, Eloise immediately kicked Willow out of the house.Zita's thoughts drifted back to five years ago. That night, Yonah's eyes had suddenly burned with an intense fire as he pulled her onto the bed, demanding her until dawn, only to be caught red-handed by the two matriarchs of the Hayes family. Yonah was forced to sign the marriage license with her.Even now, Zita remembered the look in Yonah's eyes—a look that suggested he wanted to devour her whole.She stood frozen in place, the blood in her veins turning to ice.For five years, she had wanted nothing more than to uncover the truth, to clear Yonah's misunderstanding of her, and to earn Zachary even the slightest bit of a father's love.But now, she finally understood that her marriage was nothing but a trap. Yonah didn't love her. Eloise, refusing to lose to a romantic rival, had used her as a pawn. She was the only one who willingly stepped into the trap, exhausting her true feelings and dragging her two children down with her.What was she still waiting for? What was she still hoping for?It had been five years; it was time to wake up from this dream!Fortunately, when they signed their marriage license five years ago, Yonah had made her sign a divorce agreement. As long as she secured custody of Zachary, she could leave for good.Choking back her tears, Zita took photos of the birthday party, got into her secondhand BMW, and drove straight to the Hayes Manor.Over the past five years, despite how much she loved Yonah, his refusal to let Zachary call him "Dad" had pushed her to consider divorce several times. Eloise had promised her that if Yonah still felt nothing for her after five years, she would allow Zita to take Zachary and leave.She threw the photographic evidence she had just taken onto the table in front of Eloise and stated firmly, "I want a divorce, and I want full custody of Zachary!"Eloise slammed her cup down onto the table. "Zachary is the eldest grandson of the Hayes family. Don't even dream of taking him away."Zita knew it would come to this!She had the divorce agreement; she could leave whenever she wanted. The only problem was that when she signed it, she hadn't known she was pregnant, so Zachary's custody was never clearly stipulated.Given Yonah's cold attitude toward Zachary, he probably wouldn't care if she took him. The real obstacle was Eloise and Mavis, which was exactly why she made this trip to confront Eloise. She couldn't leave Zachary behind to suffer any longer."You promised me a five-year limit!"Eloise had only said that back then to placate Zita. There was no way she was going to let Zita take her precious grandson, so she resorted to playing dirty."How was I supposed to know you'd give birth to a boy on your first try? Besides, Zachary belongs to the Hayes family. One day, this entire empire will be his. If he goes with you, what can you possibly give him?"Zita curled her lip. "Maybe just as much as the Hayes family can.""Who gave you the audacity to say something like that?"For her son's sake, Zita dropped all pleasantries. "If you break your promise, I'll tell Yonah the truth about how you drugged him five years ago!"Eloise's face turned a bruised shade of purple. "Do you have proof? You can run your mouth all you want, but do you really think he'd believe you?"Zita countered, "How do you know I don't have proof?"Eloise stiffened abruptly. Her relationship with Yonah had been strained for years. If Zita really had evidence, Yonah might just bring that woman back purely to spite her.Eloise quickly found an excuse to deflect. "There are still three months left, aren't there? What's the rush?"Zita was about to respond when a soft knock echoed from the door.Zachary pushed it open and walked in."Great-Grandma says it's time to blow out the candles and make a wish. Mom, I want you to be there with me."Zita swallowed the lump in her throat and managed a single word: "Okay."Zachary didn't have his father to accompany him, so as his mother, she absolutely could not be absent.Zita took Zachary's hand and led him to the dining room. Eloise followed close behind.The dining room was beautifully decorated with ribbons, balloons, and birthday posters, creating a perfect celebratory atmosphere. But Zita knew exactly what Zachary really wanted—he wanted his dad.Unfortunately, that bastard was busy celebrating another child's birthday.Zita, Eloise, and Mavis sang "Happy Birthday" together and watched Zachary blow out his candles. Zachary clasped his small hands together and made his fourth birthday wish.That night, Zita stayed at the Hayes Manor. She didn't sleep in the master bedroom, opting instead to sleep in Zachary's room."Zachary, tell Mom, what did you wish for tonight?"Before turning three, Zachary was too young to understand the concept of making a wish. This year was his very first time making one. Zita wanted to help him make it come true.Zachary sat up in bed, looking at Zita with soft, almond-shaped eyes that were a carbon copy of Yonah's."But Grandma said wishes can't be spoken out loud. If you say them, they won't come true."Zachary's wish was undoubtedly for Yonah to let him call him "Dad" and to spend more time with him.That was a wish Zita couldn't fulfill. A lack of love was the original sin. Women who gambled on love usually lost everything, and she had not only ruined herself but Zachary as well.Zita's eyes grew red. "I'm sorry, Zachary."Zachary didn't say anything else, obediently leaning into Zita's embrace. She gently patted his back.A few minutes later, Zachary peeked his head out from her arms."Mom, I'm the one who should say sorry.""I heard you and Grandma talking about getting a divorce.""But I made a wish that went against what you wanted, so I decided to say it out loud so it wouldn't come true.""Don't say it," Zita whispered, pulling him tightly against her.She didn't want Zachary to shatter his own birthday wish just for her sake.When hope was destroyed, even adults needed a long time to process it, let alone a four-year-old child.Chapter 2It was their son's fourth birthday, and for the first time ever, her husband had come home early.Zita smiled as she hung up his suit jacket, but something fell out of it with a sharp click.She bent down and picked up a pink diamond Peppa Pig hair clip. Her smile froze, and her grip tightened around the small accessory.She and Yonah had been secretly married for five years and only had a four-year-old son together, so why was he carrying a little girl's hair clip?Zita's gaze snapped toward the bathroom, where the sound of running water had stopped, and she could faintly hear Yonah on the phone."Don't worry, I'm looking for it...""Yeah."Zita suspected her husband was having an affair. She slipped the hair clip back into his suit pocket, pretending nothing had happened.Moments later, Yonah strode out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Beads of water rolled down his chiseled abs, every inch of his body radiating raw, masculine energy.Not only was his physique exceptional, but he also possessed a devastatingly handsome face.Even after five years, Zita's heart still skipped a beat.But Yonah didn't even glance her way, his expression stony as he walked straight to the coat rack.He slipped his fingers into his suit pocket, pulled out the hair clip, and the tension in his sharp features visibly relaxed.Zita pressed her lips together in a tight line, watching him get dressed with cold, detached eyes.The light gray Italian bespoke suit made his towering six-foot-two frame look even more commanding and upright. Especially those long, powerful legs—it was almost impossible to believe he had once been paralyzed for eight months."Are you going out?" Zita stopped him.He simply gave a low hum of confirmation."Do you remember it's Zachary's fourth birthday tonight?""It's just a birthday, is it really that important? I haven't celebrated mine in twenty-eight years, and I'm still alive."Yonah strode out of the room without another word.Zita stood frozen in place. So he hadn't left work early for Zachary at all.Her mind spun for a moment before she decided to follow him, trailing his car until he made a turn at an intersection.As the traffic light turned red, Zita slammed on the gas, terrified of losing him. The secondhand BMW, which hadn't been pushed this hard in ages, roared like a trapped beast.Executing a flawless drift, Zita cleared the intersection just in time, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white as she slightly reduced her speed.Yonah had always been exceptionally sharp. At eighteen, fresh into college, he single-handedly developed an AI program and took his company public in just three years. At twenty-three, he took over the Hayes Group, transforming it from the wealthiest corporation in Kingsbridge into the richest in the entire country.She had made such a huge commotion just now, and she was terrified he had noticed.To her surprise, his car maintained its steady pace, completely oblivious to the unique roar of her quad-turbo Bugatti engine.Zita offered a bitter smile. After five years of marriage, Yonah still thought of her as nothing more than a gold-digging nurse. How could a man like him ever realize that her car was actually a Bugatti wrapped in a BMW shell?Thanks to his lack of attention, she successfully trailed his car all the way to the entrance of the Statesman's Club. He stepped out of the car, carrying a box for an Odette Patisserie cake.Someone shared the exact same birthday as Zachary?Zita frowned slightly, carefully following behind him."Daddy!"A little girl, about three or four years old in a pink tutu, fluttered toward Yonah like a little butterfly.Zita felt like she had been struck by lightning, her ears ringing loudly.He really was cheating! His illegitimate daughter was already this old!"I didn't lose the hair clip. Let me put it on you.""I thought it was gone! You scared me."The little girl stuck out her tongue playfully, radiating a bright, bubbly energy that could only come from a child who was fiercely loved and nurtured.Yet her own Zachary, back when he was just learning to speak, had said "Daddy" as his very first word, only for Yonah to forbid him from ever saying it again.He hadn't even celebrated a single birthday with Zachary!At the thought of her son, Zita's heart felt like it had been blown wide open, bleeding profusely.Yonah carried the little girl into the private room, where a welcome sign at the entrance displayed a photo of her.Beneath it read a single line: Happy 3rd Birthday to Princess Minnie Hayes.Three years old...The night before Zachary's first birthday banquet, Yonah had insisted on going abroad despite the objections of everyone in the Hayes family.So that was it. His daughter was being born.Zita saw it clearly. The little girl had a face strikingly similar to Yonah's, looking almost exactly like a female version of Zachary.How similar? So identical that a paternity test was completely unnecessary to know she was Yonah's flesh and blood.Her deceased daughter was part of a set of boy-girl twins with Zachary. If she had lived, she would have looked exactly like this little girl.Zita had imagined her daughter's face countless times, but she never expected to see those features on the daughter Yonah had with his mistress. It was a dagger to her heart!Zita's eyelids fluttered. Yonah had once believed those boy-girl twins were the result of her scheming against him. He didn't even care about Zachary, so how could he ever care about her dead daughter?Zita took heavy steps forward, stopping right outside the door of the private room."Yonah, if your mother hadn't forced Willow away back then and you hadn't rushed out to chase her, you never would have been in that car crash.""Your car crash left you paralyzed, and that cheap nurse from the country actually drugged you and slept with you just to climb the social ladder!""You and Willow's daughter is already three. Hurry up and divorce Zita! Just thinking about her vile actions makes me feel so bad for you!"Zita's face drained of color.Yonah's car crash was actually because of Willow. The person he truly loved was Willow?Zita had heard the servants at the Hayes Manor mention Willow before; she was the orphaned daughter of Yonah's father, Michael Hayes's first love, a girl with an unknown father. Ten years ago, Michael brought her back and legally changed her surname to Hayes.It wasn't until five years ago, when Michael passed away, that Yonah's mother, Eloise immediately kicked Willow out of the house.Zita's thoughts drifted back to five years ago. That night, Yonah's eyes had suddenly burned with an intense fire as he pulled her onto the bed, demanding her until dawn, only to be caught red-handed by the two matriarchs of the Hayes family. Yonah was forced to sign the marriage license with her.Even now, Zita remembered the look in Yonah's eyes—a look that suggested he wanted to devour her whole.She stood frozen in place, the blood in her veins turning to ice.For five years, she had wanted nothing more than to uncover the truth, to clear Yonah's misunderstanding of her, and to earn Zachary even the slightest bit of a father's love.But now, she finally understood that her marriage was nothing but a trap. Yonah didn't love her. Eloise, refusing to lose to a romantic rival, had used her as a pawn. She was the only one who willingly stepped into the trap, exhausting her true feelings and dragging her two children down with her.What was she still waiting for? What was she still hoping for?It had been five years; it was time to wake up from this dream!Fortunately, when they signed their marriage license five years ago, Yonah had made her sign a divorce agreement. As long as she secured custody of Zachary, she could leave for good.Choking back her tears, Zita took photos of the birthday party, got into her secondhand BMW, and drove straight to the Hayes Manor.Over the past five years, despite how much she loved Yonah, his refusal to let Zachary call him "Dad" had pushed her to consider divorce several times. Eloise had promised her that if Yonah still felt nothing for her after five years, she would allow Zita to take Zachary and leave.She threw the photographic evidence she had just taken onto the table in front of Eloise and stated firmly, "I want a divorce, and I want full custody of Zachary!"Eloise slammed her cup down onto the table. "Zachary is the eldest grandson of the Hayes family. Don't even dream of taking him away."Zita knew it would come to this!She had the divorce agreement; she could leave whenever she wanted. The only problem was that when she signed it, she hadn't known she was pregnant, so Zachary's custody was never clearly stipulated.Given Yonah's cold attitude toward Zachary, he probably wouldn't care if she took him. The real obstacle was Eloise and Mavis, which was exactly why she made this trip to confront Eloise. She couldn't leave Zachary behind to suffer any longer."You promised me a five-year limit!"Eloise had only said that back then to placate Zita. There was no way she was going to let Zita take her precious grandson, so she resorted to playing dirty."How was I supposed to know you'd give birth to a boy on your first try? Besides, Zachary belongs to the Hayes family. One day, this entire empire will be his. If he goes with you, what can you possibly give him?"Zita curled her lip. "Maybe just as much as the Hayes family can.""Who gave you the audacity to say something like that?"For her son's sake, Zita dropped all pleasantries. "If you break your promise, I'll tell Yonah the truth about how you drugged him five years ago!"Eloise's face turned a bruised shade of purple. "Do you have proof? You can run your mouth all you want, but do you really think he'd believe you?"Zita countered, "How do you know I don't have proof?"Eloise stiffened abruptly. Her relationship with Yonah had been strained for years. If Zita really had evidence, Yonah might just bring that woman back purely to spite her.Eloise quickly found an excuse to deflect. "There are still three months left, aren't there? What's the rush?"Zita was about to respond when a soft knock echoed from the door.Zachary pushed it open and walked in."Great-Grandma says it's time to blow out the candles and make a wish. Mom, I want you to be there with me."Zita swallowed the lump in her throat and managed a single word: "Okay."Zachary didn't have his father to accompany him, so as his mother, she absolutely could not be absent.Zita took Zachary's hand and led him to the dining room. Eloise followed close behind.The dining room was beautifully decorated with ribbons, balloons, and birthday posters, creating a perfect celebratory atmosphere. But Zita knew exactly what Zachary really wanted—he wanted his dad.Unfortunately, that bastard was busy celebrating another child's birthday.Zita, Eloise, and Mavis sang "Happy Birthday" together and watched Zachary blow out his candles. Zachary clasped his small hands together and made his fourth birthday wish.That night, Zita stayed at the Hayes Manor. She didn't sleep in the master bedroom, opting instead to sleep in Zachary's room."Zachary, tell Mom, what did you wish for tonight?"Before turning three, Zachary was too young to understand the concept of making a wish. This year was his very first time making one. Zita wanted to help him make it come true.Zachary sat up in bed, looking at Zita with soft, almond-shaped eyes that were a carbon copy of Yonah's."But Grandma said wishes can't be spoken out loud. If you say them, they won't come true."Zachary's wish was undoubtedly for Yonah to let him call him "Dad" and to spend more time with him.That was a wish Zita couldn't fulfill. A lack of love was the original sin. Women who gambled on love usually lost everything, and she had not only ruined herself but Zachary as well.Zita's eyes grew red. "I'm sorry, Zachary."Zachary didn't say anything else, obediently leaning into Zita's embrace. She gently patted his back.A few minutes later, Zachary peeked his head out from her arms."Mom, I'm the one who should say sorry.""I heard you and Grandma talking about getting a divorce.""But I made a wish that went against what you wanted, so I decided to say it out loud so it wouldn't come true.""Don't say it," Zita whispered, pulling him tightly against her.She didn't want Zachary to shatter his own birthday wish just for her sake.When hope was destroyed, even adults needed a long time to process it, let alone a four-year-old child.Chapter 3It was their son's fourth birthday, and for the first time ever, her husband had come home early.Zita smiled as she hung up his suit jacket, but something fell out of it with a sharp click.She bent down and picked up a pink diamond Peppa Pig hair clip. Her smile froze, and her grip tightened around the small accessory.She and Yonah had been secretly married for five years and only had a four-year-old son together, so why was he carrying a little girl's hair clip?Zita's gaze snapped toward the bathroom, where the sound of running water had stopped, and she could faintly hear Yonah on the phone."Don't worry, I'm looking for it...""Yeah."Zita suspected her husband was having an affair. She slipped the hair clip back into his suit pocket, pretending nothing had happened.Moments later, Yonah strode out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Beads of water rolled down his chiseled abs, every inch of his body radiating raw, masculine energy.Not only was his physique exceptional, but he also possessed a devastatingly handsome face.Even after five years, Zita's heart still skipped a beat.But Yonah didn't even glance her way, his expression stony as he walked straight to the coat rack.He slipped his fingers into his suit pocket, pulled out the hair clip, and the tension in his sharp features visibly relaxed.Zita pressed her lips together in a tight line, watching him get dressed with cold, detached eyes.The light gray Italian bespoke suit made his towering six-foot-two frame look even more commanding and upright. Especially those long, powerful legs—it was almost impossible to believe he had once been paralyzed for eight months."Are you going out?" Zita stopped him.He simply gave a low hum of confirmation."Do you remember it's Zachary's fourth birthday tonight?""It's just a birthday, is it really that important? I haven't celebrated mine in twenty-eight years, and I'm still alive."Yonah strode out of the room without another word.Zita stood frozen in place. So he hadn't left work early for Zachary at all.Her mind spun for a moment before she decided to follow him, trailing his car until he made a turn at an intersection.As the traffic light turned red, Zita slammed on the gas, terrified of losing him. The secondhand BMW, which hadn't been pushed this hard in ages, roared like a trapped beast.Executing a flawless drift, Zita cleared the intersection just in time, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white as she slightly reduced her speed.Yonah had always been exceptionally sharp. At eighteen, fresh into college, he single-handedly developed an AI program and took his company public in just three years. At twenty-three, he took over the Hayes Group, transforming it from the wealthiest corporation in Kingsbridge into the richest in the entire country.She had made such a huge commotion just now, and she was terrified he had noticed.To her surprise, his car maintained its steady pace, completely oblivious to the unique roar of her quad-turbo Bugatti engine.Zita offered a bitter smile. After five years of marriage, Yonah still thought of her as nothing more than a gold-digging nurse. How could a man like him ever realize that her car was actually a Bugatti wrapped in a BMW shell?Thanks to his lack of attention, she successfully trailed his car all the way to the entrance of the Statesman's Club. He stepped out of the car, carrying a box for an Odette Patisserie cake.Someone shared the exact same birthday as Zachary?Zita frowned slightly, carefully following behind him."Daddy!"A little girl, about three or four years old in a pink tutu, fluttered toward Yonah like a little butterfly.Zita felt like she had been struck by lightning, her ears ringing loudly.He really was cheating! His illegitimate daughter was already this old!"I didn't lose the hair clip. Let me put it on you.""I thought it was gone! You scared me."The little girl stuck out her tongue playfully, radiating a bright, bubbly energy that could only come from a child who was fiercely loved and nurtured.Yet her own Zachary, back when he was just learning to speak, had said "Daddy" as his very first word, only for Yonah to forbid him from ever saying it again.He hadn't even celebrated a single birthday with Zachary!At the thought of her son, Zita's heart felt like it had been blown wide open, bleeding profusely.Yonah carried the little girl into the private room, where a welcome sign at the entrance displayed a photo of her.Beneath it read a single line: Happy 3rd Birthday to Princess Minnie Hayes.Three years old...The night before Zachary's first birthday banquet, Yonah had insisted on going abroad despite the objections of everyone in the Hayes family.So that was it. His daughter was being born.Zita saw it clearly. The little girl had a face strikingly similar to Yonah's, looking almost exactly like a female version of Zachary.How similar? So identical that a paternity test was completely unnecessary to know she was Yonah's flesh and blood.Her deceased daughter was part of a set of boy-girl twins with Zachary. If she had lived, she would have looked exactly like this little girl.Zita had imagined her daughter's face countless times, but she never expected to see those features on the daughter Yonah had with his mistress. It was a dagger to her heart!Zita's eyelids fluttered. Yonah had once believed those boy-girl twins were the result of her scheming against him. He didn't even care about Zachary, so how could he ever care about her dead daughter?Zita took heavy steps forward, stopping right outside the door of the private room."Yonah, if your mother hadn't forced Willow away back then and you hadn't rushed out to chase her, you never would have been in that car crash.""Your car crash left you paralyzed, and that cheap nurse from the country actually drugged you and slept with you just to climb the social ladder!""You and Willow's daughter is already three. Hurry up and divorce Zita! Just thinking about her vile actions makes me feel so bad for you!"Zita's face drained of color.Yonah's car crash was actually because of Willow. The person he truly loved was Willow?Zita had heard the servants at the Hayes Manor mention Willow before; she was the orphaned daughter of Yonah's father, Michael Hayes's first love, a girl with an unknown father. Ten years ago, Michael brought her back and legally changed her surname to Hayes.It wasn't until five years ago, when Michael passed away, that Yonah's mother, Eloise immediately kicked Willow out of the house.Zita's thoughts drifted back to five years ago. That night, Yonah's eyes had suddenly burned with an intense fire as he pulled her onto the bed, demanding her until dawn, only to be caught red-handed by the two matriarchs of the Hayes family. Yonah was forced to sign the marriage license with her.Even now, Zita remembered the look in Yonah's eyes—a look that suggested he wanted to devour her whole.She stood frozen in place, the blood in her veins turning to ice.For five years, she had wanted nothing more than to uncover the truth, to clear Yonah's misunderstanding of her, and to earn Zachary even the slightest bit of a father's love.But now, she finally understood that her marriage was nothing but a trap. Yonah didn't love her. Eloise, refusing to lose to a romantic rival, had used her as a pawn. She was the only one who willingly stepped into the trap, exhausting her true feelings and dragging her two children down with her.What was she still waiting for? What was she still hoping for?It had been five years; it was time to wake up from this dream!Fortunately, when they signed their marriage license five years ago, Yonah had made her sign a divorce agreement. As long as she secured custody of Zachary, she could leave for good.Choking back her tears, Zita took photos of the birthday party, got into her secondhand BMW, and drove straight to the Hayes Manor.Over the past five years, despite how much she loved Yonah, his refusal to let Zachary call him "Dad" had pushed her to consider divorce several times. Eloise had promised her that if Yonah still felt nothing for her after five years, she would allow Zita to take Zachary and leave.She threw the photographic evidence she had just taken onto the table in front of Eloise and stated firmly, "I want a divorce, and I want full custody of Zachary!"Eloise slammed her cup down onto the table. "Zachary is the eldest grandson of the Hayes family. Don't even dream of taking him away."Zita knew it would come to this!She had the divorce agreement; she could leave whenever she wanted. The only problem was that when she signed it, she hadn't known she was pregnant, so Zachary's custody was never clearly stipulated.Given Yonah's cold attitude toward Zachary, he probably wouldn't care if she took him. The real obstacle was Eloise and Mavis, which was exactly why she made this trip to confront Eloise. She couldn't leave Zachary behind to suffer any longer."You promised me a five-year limit!"Eloise had only said that back then to placate Zita. There was no way she was going to let Zita take her precious grandson, so she resorted to playing dirty."How was I supposed to know you'd give birth to a boy on your first try? Besides, Zachary belongs to the Hayes family. One day, this entire empire will be his. If he goes with you, what can you possibly give him?"Zita curled her lip. "Maybe just as much as the Hayes family can.""Who gave you the audacity to say something like that?"For her son's sake, Zita dropped all pleasantries. "If you break your promise, I'll tell Yonah the truth about how you drugged him five years ago!"Eloise's face turned a bruised shade of purple. "Do you have proof? You can run your mouth all you want, but do you really think he'd believe you?"Zita countered, "How do you know I don't have proof?"Eloise stiffened abruptly. Her relationship with Yonah had been strained for years. If Zita really had evidence, Yonah might just bring that woman back purely to spite her.Eloise quickly found an excuse to deflect. "There are still three months left, aren't there? What's the rush?"Zita was about to respond when a soft knock echoed from the door.Zachary pushed it open and walked in."Great-Grandma says it's time to blow out the candles and make a wish. Mom, I want you to be there with me."Zita swallowed the lump in her throat and managed a single word: "Okay."Zachary didn't have his father to accompany him, so as his mother, she absolutely could not be absent.Zita took Zachary's hand and led him to the dining room. Eloise followed close behind.The dining room was beautifully decorated with ribbons, balloons, and birthday posters, creating a perfect celebratory atmosphere. But Zita knew exactly what Zachary really wanted—he wanted his dad.Unfortunately, that bastard was busy celebrating another child's birthday.Zita, Eloise, and Mavis sang "Happy Birthday" together and watched Zachary blow out his candles. Zachary clasped his small hands together and made his fourth birthday wish.That night, Zita stayed at the Hayes Manor. She didn't sleep in the master bedroom, opting instead to sleep in Zachary's room."Zachary, tell Mom, what did you wish for tonight?"Before turning three, Zachary was too young to understand the concept of making a wish. This year was his very first time making one. Zita wanted to help him make it come true.Zachary sat up in bed, looking at Zita with soft, almond-shaped eyes that were a carbon copy of Yonah's."But Grandma said wishes can't be spoken out loud. If you say them, they won't come true."Zachary's wish was undoubtedly for Yonah to let him call him "Dad" and to spend more time with him.That was a wish Zita couldn't fulfill. A lack of love was the original sin. Women who gambled on love usually lost everything, and she had not only ruined herself but Zachary as well.Zita's eyes grew red. "I'm sorry, Zachary."Zachary didn't say anything else, obediently leaning into Zita's embrace. She gently patted his back.A few minutes later, Zachary peeked his head out from her arms."Mom, I'm the one who should say sorry.""I heard you and Grandma talking about getting a divorce.""But I made a wish that went against what you wanted, so I decided to say it out loud so it wouldn't come true.""Don't say it," Zita whispered, pulling him tightly against her.She didn't want Zachary to shatter his own birthday wish just for her sake.When hope was destroyed, even adults needed a long time to process it, let alone a four-year-old child.