Chapter 8

"Mommy forbade us from telling anyone her name. She said that if anyone asks, we're supposed to tell them her name is Her Majesty the Queen," Nina said, giggling. Linda sputtered when she heard this, but she quickly regained her composure before Jay could notice. She could not believe how adorable these kids were. Jay turned to glance at the little girl speaking to him, the one who had eyes identical to his. If it were not for the fact that he had never been with anyone else besides Winona, he would have wondered whether these kids were, in fact, his. The resemblance was uncanny. Nina glanced at her watch and said, "Uncle Handsome, we have to go home now. Otherwise, Her Majesty the Queen will worry." Jay put her down and turned to look at Roger. "Send these children home." Roger paused, then nodded in understanding. "Will do, sir." "Goodbye, Uncle Handsome!" Nina chirruped, waving at Jay cheerfully, then turned and trotted away alongside Bobby and Roger. As soon as they stepped out the door, Nina brandished the lock of hair she had been clutching in her hand to Bobby. Then, she tugged on Roger's shirt and asked, "Sir, our Mommy is in the hospital now because she's sick. Can you send us there instead?" Roger was in awe at how smart and caring these two children were. He nodded. "Alright. get in the car." Meanwhile, at Baywatch Villa, Zora came home to the sight of Casper playing the piano alone. She glanced around the house and asked, "Where's Nina and Bobby?" "They went to audition for a children's fashion wear. Don't worry, Aunt Tonya went with them," Casper replied. Zora, who was in the middle of placing her bag on the sofa, froze when she heard this. "Audition for children's fashion wear?" "Yup. They wanted to help lighten your burden by earning an income too." Zora walked over to Casper's side and stroked his hair lovingly, but Casper twisted away from her, wailing, "You're ruining my hair, Mommy." "Our little music genius doesn't like getting his hair messed up?" "Hmmph!" Casper puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. "Casper, neither of you need to put yourselves out there to help support me. Mommy is still perfectly capable of taking care of all of you with my salary." The truth was, Zora could not help feeling a little guilty about this. "No, we won't allow you to put yourself under so much stress. By the way, I received an offer letter from Zoland Royal Music Academy, so you don't have to worry about my tuition fees anymore. They're offering me a scholarship, and once I get the money, I'll be able to bear the costs of Nina and Bobby's school fees too, so you don't have to worry anymore, Mommy. You finally have the freedom to enjoy doing what you love now." Tears welled in Zora's eyes when she heard this. "My little Beethoven is all grown up now. He's paying for his siblings' tuition now!" Casper's exceptional gift in music was discovered late, but his talent more than made up for the time lost. Back when they still lived in Scoythe, he had been offered a position at the Nepal Royal Music Academy, but Zora had refused to send him there since he was too young to go to boarding school. She had intended to send the three children off to school once they turned six, but Casper's talent was so exceptional that she could no longer bear the thought of delaying her child's future for her own sake. "Mommy Queen, we're home!" Nina and Bobby called out as they walked through the door and leaped right into Zora's arms. "Casper told me you two went to audition as fashion models. Is that true?" "Yes, and we got the job! What do you think of that?" Nina exclaimed, winking. Zora kissed her two children on their cheeks. "You're all amazing! Come on. It's almost time for dinner. Mommy's going to make you some food." Every last wisp of her dreadful mood dissipated the moment she saw her children. The moment Zora walked into the kitchen, the three children huddled together for discussion. Casper whispered, "How did it go?" "Don't worry. We've already sent the sample to the hospital. We need to wait two days for the DNA analysis results," replied Bobby. "Everything's good and dandy with me around," declared Nina, thumping her chest proudly. Meanwhile, at the Jacobs household, the color drained from Lauren's face after Winona told her what had happened. "You must be kidding me! That bitch Zora ended up becoming a world-famous jewelry designer?" The worst part of all of this was that Jay had hired Zora specifically to help save Vienna Jewels. Since Winona had taken Zora's place six years ago and eventually became Jay's girlfriend, she could not help wondering if Zora would try to take everything back once she found out what she had lost. "What are we going to do, Mom?" Winona was beginning to get worried. Lauren curled her lips into a sneer. "So what if she's Zora the designer? You still have Jay with you, and with him around, she wouldn't dare lay a finger on you. "By the way, since that bitch is back, you'd better get a move on. The best-case scenario would be if you got pregnant. That way, Jay will definitely marry you, and you'll finally become Mrs. Sullivan." Winona lowered her head at the mention of this. "Jay never once touched me throughout these six years. She longed more than anything to bear Jay's children and become his wife, but he refused to lay even a finger on her. Lauren could not help feeling frustrated at how naive her daughter was. "Don't be an idiot. Stop waiting around for him to make the first move. Be the proactive one instead and strike first. Do you honestly think any man can resist a woman who offers herself to him?" Winona froze upon hearing this. Her mother was right; she had been too passive over the past six years, and she should have taken matters into her own hands. She blushed and replied, "Thanks for the tip, Mom."