Chapter 314 I Want a Child
Zaire reached over and tapped her phone. "Quit staring at it."
Miley grabbed her phone again. "Gonna edit these pics and send 'em to Isabella."
She was so into it that even with Zaire giving her the side-eye, she kept on editing.
Zaire's excitement fizzled out. He fired up the car and started driving.
After a bit, Miley said, "All done."
Zaire stayed quiet, just driving.
Miley didn't look at him either, eyes straight ahead. After a long pause, she said softly, "Mr. Jose, I want a kid."
Zaire slammed on the brakes when he heard that.
The car screeched to a stop, leaving a gray tire mark on the road.
"What did you just say?" Zaire gripped the steering wheel, staring at Miley like she was nuts.
Miley said seriously, "I want a kid."
Zaire was quiet for a few seconds, then said, "Why not get a dog instead?"
"A kid and a dog are pretty much the same," Zaire said.
To Zaire, a dog was way easier to handle than a kid, less drama, and could even guard the house.
Miley looked away, leaned back in her seat, and a faint smile played on her lips. "Mr. Jose, you sure know how to joke."
"I'm not joking." Zaire restarted the car and said seriously, "If you think I'm not giving enough money, just ask for more. But don't dream about unrealistic stuff."
Miley felt a pang in her heart. 'Unrealistic?' She didn't say anything more.
Zaire lost interest too. He had planned to hit up a hotel, but now he made a U-turn and took Miley home instead.
"Where are my peaches?" Kelsey asked Jack as soon as she got in the car.
Jack said, "They're at my place."
Kelsey asked, "You haven't been home since you landed, so how are they at your place?"
"I mailed 'em back," Jack said, "They got there five minutes ago. Was gonna bring 'em to you tomorrow."
Kelsey said, "I want 'em now!"
"Alright." Jack drove back home.
At this hour, parking was tight, so Jack went to find a spot and gave Kelsey the house key to go up first.
It wasn't Kelsey's first time there, so she knew the place. She took the elevator up and used the key to open the door.
As soon as she pushed the door open, she noticed the lights were on and heard water running in the kitchen.
Kelsey was startled and thought, 'Did a thief break into Jack's place?'
She quietly opened a cabinet, grabbed a long umbrella, and held it as she slowly approached the kitchen.
The water stopped, and footsteps headed towards the door.
Kelsey silently counted in her head, and just as the person stepped out of the kitchen, she swung the umbrella wildly at them.
What she heard was a woman's scream.
At first, Kelsey didn't stop and hit a couple more times.
When Kelsey finally stopped, she saw a woman crouching on the floor.
Nancy was wearing a nightgown, her hair down, crouching with her hands over her head. At her feet were scattered plastic fruit trays and freshly washed peaches rolling around.
As soon as Kelsey stopped, Nancy looked up to see who had hit her.
When the two women locked eyes, both were equally stunned.
Kelsey called, "Nancy?"
Nancy called, "Ms. Jose?"
A noise came from the doorway, and Jack walked in.
"Jack." Nancy stood up, looking all pitiful at him.
Jack was stunned for a moment. He changed his shoes and walked in, his eyes sweeping over the mess on the floor and then noticing the bruise on Nancy's cheek. Then he saw the umbrella in Kelsey's hand and instantly got the whole picture.
Seeing Nancy made Kelsey even more furious.
She'd dealt with Nancy a few times and knew a bit about her.
Seeing Nancy move closer to Jack, Kelsey felt even more uncomfortable. She stepped forward and pulled Jack to her side. "Why is she in your house?"
Jack clearly didn't know either and looked to Nancy for an explanation.
"Jack, I'm sorry; I had nowhere else to go." Nancy stood there. One of her slippers was missing, her toes curled tightly together, her thin shoulders trembling slightly, and tears streaming down, making her look super pitiful.
Kelsey, however, wasn't buying Nancy's act and said coldly, "Nancy, you already broke up with Jack, and now I'm his girlfriend. Despite him having a girlfriend, you still moved into his house without permission. I won't guess your intentions, but I'm very territorial. I'm warning you; stay away from Jack!"
Nancy bit her lip and looked at Jack.
Jack hesitated for a moment, then walked over to the sofa, picked up the slipper, and placed it by Nancy's feet.
Nancy's face showed a hint of joy, while Kelsey bit her lip tightly.
"Jack." Nancy put on the slipper, trying to continue acting weak.
But Jack interrupted her, "Give me the key."
Nancy was stunned but obediently took the key out of her bag and handed it to Jack.
"You have ten minutes to pack your things and leave. I won't be seeing you off." Jack said, then turned to Kelsey. "I'll wash the peaches for you."
He then pulled Kelsey into the kitchen.
Kelsey leaned against the stove, watching Jack wash the peaches. "The ten minutes are up."
Nancy was still dawdling outside.
Jack drained the peaches, peeled them, cut them into small pieces, and handed them to Kelsey. He glanced outside and said, "Give her a little more time. Her parents, Liam Wilso and Barbara Inome, were kind to me. I don't want to make this situation too unpleasant."
Kelsey picked up a piece of peach with a fork and put it in her mouth. The sweet taste spread across her taste buds, slightly lifting her mood. "What did her parents do for you?"
Kelsey couldn't understand what kind of kindness would make Jack so tolerant of Nancy.
Jack said, "I lost my parents when I was young. It was Liam and Barbara who adopted me, gave me a home, and supported my education."
Kelsey was stunned. Looking at Jack, she felt a strong sense of guilt and stood up straight. "I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't know."
"It's not your fault." Jack smiled. "I was planning to tell you at a suitable time, but I've been busy."
Kelsey knew Jack was an orphan but didn't know about his connection to Nancy's family.
Kelsey started to feel a bit guilty. "If that's the case, isn't it a bit harsh to kick her out?"
She indeed disliked Nancy, but she had to consider Jack's reputation. If word got out, wouldn't people say Jack was ungrateful?
Jack looked at Kelsey. "Do you want her to stay?"
