Chapter 84: Catch Him in an Hour

Stella glanced down at Jonathan clinging to her legs. A flicker of impatience crossed her eyes, but she masked it, bending to return his smile. "Yes, I am. Hey kid, why are you all alone? Where are your mom and dad?"

She studied him, noting his exquisitely defined features, particularly his captivating eyes. One look told her his parents were no ordinary people.

Jonathan gazed at her earnestly. "I heard you took my daddy away. Could you give him back, please?"

Stella froze. Nearby, several wealthy women watched with disdain. Their whispers carried on the breeze: "How shameless!" "She already has Mr. Rainsworth, yet she's involved with other men?" "No wonder Mr. Rainsworth didn't marry her. A woman like that is only good for a fling."

Overwhelmed, Stella suppressed her anger, crouching to look intently at Jonathan. "Hey kid, did you remember wrong? I don't know you or your daddy."

Leaning closer, she placed her hands on his shoulders, lowering her voice to a threat. "You little rascal, if you dare spout nonsense again, I'll toss you into the sea to feed the fish."

She'd underestimated him. Jonathan, it seemed, possessed considerable acting skills. He immediately batted away her hand, whimpering, "I was wrong! Please don't pinch me! It hurts…"

Stella quickly withdrew her hand. "When did I pinch you?"

Surrounding them, reporters captured the scene. Tears streamed down Jonathan's face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you. Please don't hit me. Don't throw me into the sea…"

Stella wanted to cover his mouth. "I didn't… He was lying…" she explained hastily.

A growing crowd attracted Zachary's attention. He was still enduring a forced social engagement. Recognizing the child from a previous hotel incident, he reacted instantly.

The woman beside him exclaimed, "How could she lay a hand on a child? She's just too wicked."

Suspecting a connection to his past, Zachary couldn't stand idly by. He strode towards them.

Jonathan, intending to leverage this incident to smear Stella, was caught off guard by Zachary's imposing arrival. What a blunder! he thought. His small stature and the crowd had obscured Zachary's approach.

"Please don't be angry. I'm leaving now," Jonathan said, fleeing immediately.

Zachary, however, recognized the child's feigned escape. He remembered the humiliating hotel incident and wouldn't let him off so easily. Even if he were his son, a lesson in respect was in order.

Jonathan darted towards the denser parts of the crowd. Zachary found navigating the throng challenging, but he simply summoned his bodyguard.

"Did you see that child?" After a moment's consideration, Zachary instructed, "Let him run for a while. Catch him in an hour."