Chapter 363
Zachary watched the three of them walk away, his handsome features drooping. "Not even a thank you," he muttered.
He settled into the car, where his grandfather, an old man with a head full of gray hair, awaited him. "You good-for-nothing brat," the old man scolded. "Don't you know how to pursue a woman if she says no the first time? Have you never heard of persistence?"
Zachary's grandfather had poured his heart and soul into arranging his marriage. He'd only learned of Jonathan's note about searching for his father through Zachary's casual mention. Upon hearing it, he'd insisted Zachary intervene, threatening dire consequences if he refused. This was why Zachary had arrived at the wedding.
"Do I seem like someone who doesn't know how to take a hint?" Zachary retorted.
His grandfather brandished his walking stick. "Listen to me! I've set my heart on Vivian as my granddaughter-in-law. No matter what, you must marry her." He'd had his men investigate Vivian after seeing her; her background was impeccable. Even after her practicing certificate was revoked, she'd remained diligent as a secretary. Most importantly, he believed she could control his grandson.
Zachary couldn't understand his grandfather's assessment, but he agreed with it.
Meanwhile, Mason reported the resolution to Nathaniel.
Back home, Cecilia and the others remained puzzled by Zachary's sudden appearance at the ceremony. Vivian then remembered Jonathan's promise to help her find a better man than Ernest. She asked, "Jon, was Zachary the man you were talking about?"
Jonathan hastily shook his head. "Of course not."
"Then where's this special man?" Vivian pressed.
Jonathan was speechless. Cecilia, listening, felt puzzled. "What do you mean, 'special man'?"
Under Cecilia's stern gaze, they confessed. She learned that Jonathan frequented the Elite Club, a haunt of wealthy young elites, including Zachary.
"Perhaps Zachary saw Jon at the club and intercepted him," Cecilia analyzed, her face growing serious. "Jon, Vivian, how could you go behind my back like this? What if you'd ended up with a conman?"
Vivian and Jonathan remained silent. Cecilia, when angry, was terrifying. But Vivian, remembering Cecilia's earlier defense against Greta, embraced her. "Ceci, what would I have done without you?"
Cecilia, though wanting to scold them further, couldn't resist Vivian's embrace. "You silly goose," she said. Friendship, to her, meant mutual support.
Jonathan, seizing the opportunity, chimed in, "Mommy, I can't live without you either! I'll listen to you from now on."
Cecilia's anger melted away. Jonathan secretly resolved to learn Elliot's charming tactics.
That night, Cecilia and Jonathan stayed at Vivian's. At the Rainsworth residence, Elena, having sent congratulations to Ernest, learned of the wedding commotion.
"So, Vivian claimed Jonathan as Zachary's son?" Elena questioned, remembering Zachary's claim of a mistake and that the child wasn't his. She'd assumed Jonathan was Ernest's son. "If the child was Ernest's or Zachary's, why is his surname Smith?"
Her secretary added, "Ms. Smith was there and scolded Greta."