His Contractual Mistress

Zaijan contracted his pupils, gazing at Rodney with intent. After staring at each other's eyes, it was he who broke the silence. "This is Aunt Hilda's birthday party. Stop making a scene, especially putting Fraine in an unlikely situation." 

"I am not, and you don't have the right to lecture me," Rodney scowled at Zayn. He turned around and walked toward the hallway where Fraine headed to. 

"Leave Fraine alone," Zaijan's tone is full of warnings. 

Rodney turned his head at Zayn, and he glared at him and did not hide his displeasure toward his cousin. Even in such a situation, he remains calm as nothing has happened, and it's one thing he hates about the guy. 

"I could take care of her myself! I can do what you cannot!" 

Sharp glares flash through his eyes—Zaijan darkened his face.. He lifted his right arm and reached for his necktie to fix it. It is his habit every time he is upset or mad at someone, and Rodney knew this very well. 

"Things are already going well with Fraine in the passing weeks." Zaijan warned, "Stop making things hard for Fraine again." 

Rodney frowned. He wanted to open his mouth, but he saw Sheila Lopez, Zayn's mom, approaching them. 

"Zayn! What are you both doing?" 

"What do you want, mom?" Zaijan asked his mother coldly. Still, he was upset about what she had done recently. 

"Stop this craziness, Zayn! And even you, Rodney!" The older lady scolded them. "Many people saw when you dragged Fraine away just like that in front of your elders!" 

Sheila is talking to Rodney. Then her gaze returned to her son. "And what are you doing? Can't you just let that girl go? Do you think I will accept that woman even if you chose her over Jessie?" 

"She has a name, mom." Zaijan's facial expression is getting colder, and it can see that he is only controlling himself to show respect to his parents despite the dispute between them. 

But Sheila only ignored this… 

"You have been engaged to Jessie for a long time already! But what you did, instead? You didn't tell me you went to the Rodriguez family and cut off the engagement! You don't give us a face!" 

Zaijan pursed his lips. "I've already said before, mom. There will be no marriage between Jessie and me." 

"You never listen!" Sheila is losing her sanity. Her son would choose their relationship as mother and son would shatter completely, which she could not allow! No outsider can destroy their family! "I am warning you, Zayn! If you cannot kick that woman out of your apartment, then come back to the villa!" 

"Sheila, enough already." Finally, Zaijan's dad spoke, who was only standing silently behind his wife. 

Sheila throws a dagger look at her husband, Zed Lopez. "Are you siding with your son now?" 

"I do not. But this is my first cousin's birthday party, so we can not create any scenes." Zed's voice is low, but it can sense the firmness in them. "Let this important occasion pass. If you want to talk to our son, then speak in private!" 

Displeasure is written all over Zed's face as disappointment keeps knocking on his head. In all these passing years, his son performed so excellently at running the Lopez Corporation. 

However, he could not control one thing, and that is his private affairs. Above all, he doesn't care that his relationship with his fiancee would mess up, which brought a scandal to their family after someone from Michaels's family appeared again. 

Zaijan only made a quick glance at his dad to say, "Bring mom back inside, dad." 

"No. I'm going to the lady's room." Sheila was distraught that her son was only treating her like she was the stranger in the family! 

"Dad…" Zaijan looked at his dad with a sullen expression on his face. Both his parents are stubborn as a mule, but he isn't afraid of them anymore, and he inherits that obstinacy, anyway. 

He started to disobey and be rude to his parents after the past numbed his heart. They once destroyed his life, but they cannot take control of everything forever, especially his decisions in his life. 

"Let's go, Sheila." After Zed wrestles gazes against his son, he first gives up and gives in. Zed clearly knew that no one could stop Zayn anymore, not even Sheila. 

"Zed!" Sheila had no plan to yield, but she was alone, and her husband showed no interest in reprimanding their son any longer! 

And that was true. Zed chose to ignore his wife's furious glare. Instead, he reached for his wife's arm and pulled her back to the grand hall. "Come on." 

However, Sheila only struggles and jerks her arm to get free from her husband's grip. 

"I'm going to use the restroom! You—" Sheila stated annoyingly. 

"You just wanted to talk to Fraine," Rodney cut in. He walked toward the middle of the hallway to block his aunt if Sheila planned to follow Fraine. 

Sheila, on the other hand, sneered inwardly inside her heart. 'These men become as hard as steel because of that woman! They aren't listening to their elders anymore!' 

"You ungracious nephew!" Sheila rebuked. "Are you fighting against your elder now, huh, Rodney? You don't respect us anymore!" 

Rodney is not just Zed's nephew. Rodney's dad is Zed's twin brother, and his mom is her sister. 

Zaijan and Rodney are not just first cousins; they are more likely siblings as they grow up too close to each other, like their parents. That is why Rodney is like Zaijan's shadow, and he is always tailing him around. 

"I'm sorry, Aunt Sheila, but I won't let you get near Fraine." 

Sheila was furious, listening to her nephew. Zayn already gives her a headache, and Rodney worsens it! 

"Both of you have guts to threaten your elder just for a woman?" she sneered at them. 

"Enough, mom. I won't repeat myself. You can't touch Fraine, nor can you chase her away." 

Sheila snapped, "And if I would? Are you threatening your mother, Zayn?" 

"Yes, mom. I won't forgive you this time. You've ruined my life once. But you can't do that again." 

After saying this, Zaijan glanced over his shoulder and looked at Rodney. "Let's go back." 

Zaijan walked ahead; Rodney followed him not that long after he sizes up his aunt and uncle. "Excuse us, uncle and aunt." 

Sheila could only grit her teeth and clenched both of her palms into fists on her side. 

"Did you see that, Zed?" She cannot fret, but only in front of her husband. 

"Sheila, your son is right… You almost ruined his life before, and this has to stop. You've done enough damage already." 

"What do you mean by that, Zed?!" she snarled at her husband. 

"I said, enough! Our son is already in his thirties, and he isn't married yet nor has a child!"

"But if he married Jessie a long time ago, we already have grandchildren now!" 

"Sheila…" Zed raised his hand and reached for his nape to massage it violently. "Can't you see it didn't earn a good result, no matter what we did in the past? It even makes our son distant from us! He's our only child, but we have no good relationship with him!" 

"It's all because of that woman!" 'She should not come back!'  Sheila recalled the distant past, and every time she remembered them, the more she became furious. 

"Enough. Let's go back now." This time Zed lowered his voice. It happens; Zaijan and Rodney remained outside the door of the grand hall, watching them. 

Obviously, they wanted to make sure that Sheila would not attempt to go to the lady's room now that they had left them behind. 

Sheila was too frustrated. But she could not make scenes in front of everyone, so she controlled her mood and headed back to the grand hall with head high. 

She glared at Rodney when she passed him. "Your mom has been depressed lately. You are an ungracious son who doesn't know how to pay back your parents!" 

Rodney didn't retort. He is done arguing with the elders. He already made a choice, and no one could stop him, even his own parents. 

Zaijan also only ignored his mom. He walked back to the table where his cousin gathered around after ensuring that his mom went back to their table. 

That is only what he needed to see, as he knew his mom. She would pretend as if nothing happened, even though everyone's expression displayed how eager they were to hear the drama of their family. 

Meanwhile, Zaijan and Rodney are back at their table, and everyone shares a meaningful look at each other. 

They knew that something was happening outside. But as they could see that these two didn't have bruises on their faces, now they could relax and breathe properly. Of course, it also worries them if they fight. 

Somehow, Zaijan and Rodney's relationship truly amazed them. They proved that their blood was thicker than fighting for one girl. 

"Where is Vincent?" asked Zaijan after he sat down. 

"There…" Tyler replied; his hand was hanging in the air as his thumb was pointing at the corner. 

Zaijan and Rodney followed the direction Tyler pointed at. They saw two silhouettes under dim lights three tables away from theirs. 

"Is he drunk?" asked Rodney. 

"Yeah…" the cousins are somewhat guilty. 

"Are you guys, idiot? Why did you give him more liquor?" Zaijan scolded them. 

Tyler, who is older than Zaijan, scratched his temple. "He was too happy after we all wired him some money." 

"Hailee is pregnant! You guys forgot she has a sensitive condition!" Rodney lectured them. 

'Jeez… We all just wasted our time and heart worrying about these two men; might they break each other's bones.' 

*

Meanwhile, Vincent had a massive grin on his face. 

Hailee could only stare at Vince helplessly. "You're drunk." 

"I'm sorry, darling. I'm just too happy tonight." 

Hailee's left eyebrow lifted upward after Vince used this endearment. 'He's playing I am Hailey Hillson?' 

"You are so beautiful tonight." 

Vince murmured near her ear. His hot breaths awaken all her senses. Added to that, his palm is also rubbing her lower back. 

'He's really drunk!'