"Zach, don't argue with the kid. I'll pay attention to you later." Sonia turned around, only to see Idris, Dianne, and Freya right behind her.
"He is?" Dianne asked in a high-pitched and lively tone. The pent-up tension in her face melted when she saw Sonia with a man who was not Idris.
"Zachary, a friend of mine."
Dianne approached Zach. "Can I shake your hand?" she said, so Sonia looked at Zach wondering if he knew the gesture.
Zach extended his hand with hesitation. His palm, faced upward as he awaited hers. "It's a pleasure to meet you, madame."
"The pleasure's mine. I'm Dianne." She grabbed Zach's hand and squeezed it tight. "You must be a special friend since you're accompanying her on a holiday."
"You think so, madame?"
"Oh! You do not know?" Dianne looked at Sonia who's feeding Frey a piece of chocolate. Then, she leaned in.
"Other than my husband and her family members, she doesn't go out with anyone else. It really puts me on edge," she whispered.
"Dianne, your man is here. At least maintain appropriate distance... and you haven't let go of his hand yet," Idris reminded, so Dianne stepped back.
"I hope I'll see you with Sonia more often."
After Idris's family left, Sonia turned to Zach. "What do you want to say earlier?"
"Miss Sonia, you can lean on me if you feel weary," he said since he heard the female child was definitely hers.
Based on the rumors he heard. Idris impregnated his wife and his boss in the same month. When Sonia was already in full term, she left the country and returned later. Her child was then given to Dianne, who also gave birth in another country. However, they told people the kids were twins to protect their reputation.
Besides, Zach heard Sonia never entertained suitors before because she still loves her secretary, who was already married to another woman. Thus, she never accepted Idris's resignation letter even when he begged for it because she couldn't let him go.
'Miss Sonia must be hurting so much. She can't even be with her child, and to think she'd see the man she love with his wife and kids...' Zach became heavyhearted.
'I want to comfort her somehow. In times like this, I hope I could at least see her facial expressions for signals.'
Sonia looked at him stupefied. Then she embraced him then and there, not caring if they'll be on the front page of a newspaper tomorrow, or on social media sites. "Thank you," she said.
If there's one thing she's grateful about in becoming part vampire, it's the ability to feel and hear genuine care directed to her. She can't just hear any thoughts though, it must be something the other person strongly desires and is willing to act on.
The last three lines of Zach's thought, she heard it.
She has only felt and heard from a few, even from people she's been with for years, so she never expected she'd feel it from a stranger she just met the other day, and that fact made the experience magical for her. Besides, the care she felt from him was so heartwarming, it seemed unreal.
"Miss Sonia..."
Zach patted her back, ignoring the footsteps that had stopped and the muffled giggles and hushed voices he heard around them.
The next day...
Luke slammed a tabloid newspaper on a wooden table. He has just returned from his trip abroad, but what greeted him on his way home was his sister and an unfamiliar man on the cover page of newspapers and social media sites. What's worse, Sonia was hugging him and the man's filthy hands were on her.
'Over the Top: Founder of CG Sonia Gale spent 5.5 million dollars within a half-day-shopping spree for a man.'
'Is he her secret lover?'
'Who is this unidentified man? Could he be the reason she announced her retirement?'
'Has she moved on from her secretary and is pursuing another man?'
'Sugar mommy?'
'Public display of affection.'
Luke's aura darkened when he recalled words that stood out. He took his phone and dialed a phone number. "News," he said.
"The one about your sister? Should we take down the videos posted on social media sites too?" The guy from the other side of the phone asked.
"Yes, and the man."
"I'll send his information as soon as possible. That's what you mean, right?"
"His location too."
"Got it, send the deposit to my bank account first. I won't start working unless I see the zeroes."
Meanwhile, in Sonia's mansion, Zach stood in front of a window's room. His pink locks flowed softly with the breeze, as he bathed in the morning sun.
"Mommy... Mommey, there's indeed a difference in the kid's pronunciation," he said.
'Miss Sonia told me, she's just the kid's godmother, so they call her mommey. All my assumptions were wrong... so why did she hug me out of the blue? She even bought me more custom-made clothes after that.'
'Maybe she'll tell me later, or else I'll never know.' Zach placed his left hand on the wall and traced it till he arrived at a study table. Then he fumbled for a swivel chair and sat.
'This place, it's really different from home. From yesterday's trip alone, I could tell, the culture and norm here is unique. There are also many unfamiliar tools that work like magic does. Like the car, and the technology she mentioned.'
Zach fumbled for a smart speaker and turned it on.
"E…Esther, can you play a record from the playlist for me?" he said, but the speaker didn't respond.
"Esther, play a record from the playlist."
"Got it, hi! simple and straightforward, hi is often used as a quick greeting in English amongst friends, coworkers, and even family…"
Zach leaned in. 'But I already listened to that recording after Miss Sonia taught me how to operate the speaker yesterday. Right, she told me to be specific.'
"Esther, stop. Tell me what records are available in the playlist."
"The records available in the playlist include greetings, human rights, law, science, politics, economics, religion, culture, philosophy, history, and quick facts."
"Play something from history."
"About 4.5 billion years ago…"
'This is phenomenal. Besides speaking with human voice, it can even understand and obey orders, but Miss Sonia acted as if it was normal.'