The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Chapter 456

Steven felt suffocated.

Tears started to roll down his cheeks and onto the floor, causing his vision to turn blurred. He wiped the tears off his face so that he could see Annalise clearly.

...

Portia heard the door opening when Zachary returned home. She smiled and hurried to the door to greet him.

"Are you back?" she asked.

Zachary looked at Portia's beaming face, and a strange feeling surged in his heart. Ever since his parents' divorce, no one had greeted him with this much warmth.

He felt deeply moved. Not wanting to disappoint his grandmother, he responded, "Yeah."

Portia took Zachary's backpack and said, "I made the soup today, while Ms. Ludwig made the rest of the dishes. Her culinary skill is really good. I watched her cook the whole time." Portia sighed and continued, "I don't know why, but even with the same dishes, hers always looks more delicious."

Zachary enjoyed this kind of interaction. Even if there weren't many topics to talk about while living with a family, there were always opportunities for casual chatter.

he asked

without hesitation, "Yes. Why

bathroom to wash his hands and sat at the dining table. He looked at the spread of dishes, all

opened his mouth

she doted on me. Every day, she would ask what I liked to eat, and when I got home from school, the

But

and Mom divorced..."

before continuing, "When Jessica cooked while Dad wasn't around, she wouldn't let me have any food. There were even times when she took her son out

nothing to

fridge.

Jessica even told Dad it was my fault for being greedy, and Dad scolded

Swney

this happened, Zachary felt it was unfair. He hadn't done anything wrong. How could

that Jessica could act this way and get away with it

what Jessica did, Steven

about how Jessica treated Zachary. Initially, Zachary was heartbroken, frustrated, and unsure