The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Steven fell silent.

The executive pressed on, "You better find a way to fix this mess quickly, or we won't be so forgiving!"

Steven felt a headache coming on. The stock market was closed for trading now, but with the public's growing aversion to Pelham Group, their stock would likely plummet as soon as the market opened tomorrow. He had only one night to resolve this crisis.

After much hesitation, Steven decided to call Zachary. As soon as Zachary answered, Steven snapped, "Are you satisfied now that things have blown up like this?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Zachary replied coolly, aware that Steven was likely recording the call. He knew that if he said anything incriminating, Steven would immediately post it online to prove this was all Zachary's fault.

Zachary continued calmly, "Haven't you been the one causing trouble all this while?"

Steven struggled to contain his anger. "That may be true, but do you realize how much Pelham Group's stock will drop tomorrow because of your rash actions? At this rate, even if I wanted to leave you a larger inheritance, there won't be any money left."

Even at this point, Steven was still trying to dangle empty promises in front of Zachary. Zachary couldn't help but find the situation darkly amusing. Annalise was the one who truly wanted to leave him assets, having already put shops and other properties in his name.

And Steven? He never gave Zachary any money. Yet he was incredibly generous when it came to Jessica. He only seemed to remember Zachary's share when he was in trouble-it was clearly a ploy.

Zachary replied calmly, "I'm not your son anymore. Why would you give me any money?"

Steven was struck speechless. Zachary could hear Steven's increasingly agitated breathing through the phone, and it lifted his spirits.

As Steven angrily prepared to hang up, Zachary said, "Dad."noveldrama

Steven froze. Zachary asked unhurriedly, "So, are you satisfied with the gift I've given you?"

Steven's expression froze. He recalled the familiar words just as he was leaving Zachary's house.

"I plan to give you a gift. I hope you'll like it." It dawned on Steven that from the moment he left, Zachary had already devised his plan for revenge.

Steven suddenly realized just how terrifying Zachary could be. At only five years old, when wrongly accused he was already capable of proving his innocence in such a manner. More importantly, he had managed to punish Steven in the process.

Suddenly, Steven felt fearful of Zachary. He had initially thought he could manipulate Zachary with money, but the reality proved that Zachary cared nothing for such things.

He couldn't believe that a child could outmaneuver a grown man like him. "You've made such a mess of things. Aren't you afraid I'll tell your mother?" he threatened.

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Zachary scoffed, "How old are you? Why are you still resorting to tattling when things don't go your way? Besides, even if you did, I'm not worried.

"After all, when I was close to Jessica before, Mom didn't blame me, but you. In her eyes, I'm just a child who doesn't understand anything."

Zachary added, "If it weren't for your deliberate guidance, I wouldn't have approached Jessica on my own. She'll surely understand my perspective this time."

Steven fell silent for a long while before finally muttering, "I don't believe it."