Chapter 522: Blunt Refusal

“The child is still sleeping. You can’t see him now,” Nathaniel coldly rejected.

Zachary hadn’t expected such a direct refusal. “Nathaniel, this is my second time here. At least let me see him once. If he’s sleeping, I promise not to disturb him.”

“No.”

Zachary was taken aback. Nathaniel was overly protective of his son, refusing to let anyone see him. Unwilling to leave without a glimpse, Zachary said, “Fine, I’ll just use the bathroom.” He planned to sneak a look.

Outside, in the garden, Cecilia and Vivian strolled together. Vivian avoided mentioning the recent news, fearing it would upset Cecilia, instead chatting about other events. Cecilia, understanding her friend’s concern, reassured her she wouldn’t compromise herself. This eased Vivian’s worries.

“If you ever feel unhappy, tell me. Don’t keep it bottled up,” Vivian urged.

Cecilia nodded. “I know.”

Cecilia then asked, “How are things going with the Sinclair family?”

Vivian’s resistance lessened when the Sinclairs were mentioned. “Other than Zachary, everything’s been good—better than living with my own family. Old Mr. Sinclair is very open-minded. I have a lot of freedom, and he even supports my resuming my law career.”

Mentioning George, Vivian remembered something. “Oh, Ceci, Old Mr. Sinclair knows Jonathan isn’t Zachary’s son. But he said as long as the child is mine, that’s all that matters. He truly treats me like his granddaughter.”

Cecilia was genuinely happy for her.

Vivian continued, “You won’t believe how much he loves Jon. Today, Zachary wanted to bring Jon over, but Old Mr. Sinclair wouldn’t let him. He insisted on keeping him.”

“Jon does seem like the kind of child elderly people adore.”

Cecilia sensed George’s fondness for Jonathan, though she hadn’t witnessed it herself.

As they conversed, a young voice called out, “Mommy.”

Cecilia initially thought she’d misheard, until she saw Elliot emerging from the room.

“Mommy, I swear I didn’t leave the room myself! It’s all because of this bad mister!” Elliot’s face was flushed.

Cecilia and Vivian were confused. They hurried back to the room, finding Zachary standing there, shocked, still holding Elliot’s jacket.

“Mommy, he tried to take off my clothes!” Elliot exclaimed.

Zachary was bewildered. “Mommy? He’s your son?”

Cecilia protectively positioned herself before Elliot.

Nathaniel, sitting on the couch, massaged his temples. “Zach, weren’t you going to the bathroom?” He hadn't expected Zachary to be so bold.

“Can I say I got lost?” Zachary felt awkward. His priority was identifying the child.

He turned to Vivian. “Don’t you think this kid looks similar to Jon?”

Vivian wanted to correct him. They were identical twins! “Maybe a little,” she replied awkwardly.

Zachary, though momentarily confused, wasn’t a fool. “Nathaniel, I’m leaving the gift here. I have something to attend to.” He then dragged Vivian out, leaving Elliot’s jacket behind.

Outside, Zachary’s demeanor shifted to serious. “Okay, spill it. What’s really going on?” Two mothers couldn’t give birth to identical children.

“I told you the child isn’t yours, but you didn’t believe me,” Vivian admitted, fiddling with her fingers. “I borrowed him from Ceci to scare off blind dates.”

Zachary’s face hardened. The child wasn't his.