Redmption 199


    Yes, everyone would get old, but aging overnight was truly heartbreaking.


    Zack still made me a cup of mocha, but it tasted awfully bitter.


    “Take these coffee beans home. You can brew it yourself. It’s high in antioxidants.” Zack packed the


    leftover coffee beans for me.


    He treated me like his own daughter, and now there was an addedyer of guilt to it.


    I couldn’t refuse, or it would make him feel worse.


    “Okay, I’ll ask for more when I finish it,” I responded in a light casual tone to ease his mood.


    “Hmm, ask for anything you want. Maddie, you are my daughter, do you understand?” Zack spoke


    from the bottom of his heart.


    I firmly nodded. “You’re my father too.”


    When I was in school, Zack usually attended my parent–teacher meetings. Sometimes Bree wanted


    to go, but Zack insisted with the excuse that given his status, the teachers in school would take me


    more seriously.


    Although my parents died early, Zack never made me feel like an orphan in front of my ssmates.


    Zack nodded hard. I nced at his hair thinking that Bree might worry. “Zack, Bree is very worried


    about you. If she sees you like this…”


    “I still look handsome, don’t I?” Zack ran his fingers through his hair.


    Iughed through my tears and nodded. “Yes, you do. You look the best no matter how you age.”


    We heard footstepsing up the stairs as we talked andughed. We heard Bree’s voice before


    we saw her. “I’vee to realize that only Maddie can handle you, old man.”


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    Bree hade up to the door after she spoke. I saw her with a yful smile through the open door.


    The smile froze on her face the moment she saw Zack. She looked at him in disbelief with eyes


    widened in shock. Momentster, tears started to fall.


    Zack and I both stood up. I quickly walked to her for fear that she couldn’t handle the shock.


    “Bree…”


    Instead of looking at me, Bree kept staring at Zack’s hair.


    Zack walked over and wiped her tears. “What’s wrong? Do you think I look ugly?”


    Bree’s eyes were fixed on Zack’s hair. She raised her trembling hand after a long while. “Your


    hair…”


    “I now have more gray hair than you do. You don’t have to worry about yours anymore, right?” Zack


    joked while wiping her tears.


    Bree’s tears wouldn’t stop as she trembled. She was in so much pain.


    It was the first time I had seen he cry so bitterly.


    Zack had always doted on her. She rarely shed tears, but even while crying uncontrobly, her


    hands kept stroking Zack’s hair.


    Seeing this, I quietly went downstairs.


    ”


    Conrad saw me. “What happened? I heard my mom crying.”


    “Zack… His hair grayed overnight.” My words shocked Conrad, and his eyes widened. Moments


    later, he lowered his head and fell silent.


    I didn’t know how tofort him. Although I came with a purpose, I was no longer in the mood to


    execute my ns.


    “I’m heading back,” I told Conrad.


    He nced upstairs. “I’ll see you out.”


    I got in the car and tried to start it, but the engine wouldn’t turn on.


    I then remembered that beforeing over, I had mechanics at the repair shop tamper with the car


    so I could ride in Zack’s.


    “Has your car broken down?” Conrad noticed.


    I couldn’t meet his eyes out of guilt and softly murmured a confirmation.


    “I’ll call someone to fix it. Get Stewart to send you home,” Conrad suggested. Stewart Glover was


    Zack’s chauffeur.