The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife
Chapter 104: After The Meal

Chapter 104: After The Meal

Thomas answered Zeke, "Yeah. Xavier’s newly opened restaurant."

Zeke’s reaction confused Thomas, but he still wanted him to know. "By the way, I also saw a little girl named Claire. Is she the one you asked me about before?"

Zeke didn’t respond to the question. Instead, he asked, "What were they doing at Xavier’s restaurant?"

Thomas explained that Xavier had just opened a new place, and today was the grand opening.

Zeke replied flatly, "Did you call me just to talk about this?"

Thomas was caught off guard. "What?"

He had, in fact, called Zeke to tell him exactly that. But it seemed like his friend didn’t care. Zeke sounded calm, almost indifferent toward his ex-wife.

"If that’s all you wanted to say, I’m hanging up," Zeke said.

Then the call ended.

Thomas frowned, not expecting Zeke to stay that composed. "Has he really moved on?" he muttered under his breath.

"What about the child? Is she Zeke’s child? Argghh... I don’t know. Zeke didn’t even care. Why must I care?"

Hannah, who had been listening to the conversation the whole time, scoffed.

"Seems like your best friend didn’t appreciate your information, honey."

"You’re right. I got too involved. Maybe Zeke really has forgotten about his ex-wife."

Hannah heard his words and smiled to herself.

If he has moved on... then Xavier might actually have a chance, right?

Suddenly, Thomas remembered something. He still didn’t fully understand the relationship between Xavier and Cassidy, or why Zeke had been asking about Xavier in the first place.

Thomas asked, "Are Zeke’s ex-wife and Xavier just friends?"

Hannah turned her face away, pretending to look out the window, and answered, "I don’t know. Maybe."

Thomas frowned at his wife’s vague answer.

"What do you mean maybe?"

"I said I don’t know, honey. How would I know about Xavier’s relationship with Cassidy?"

Then Thomas recalled something. "Didn’t you once say Xavier liked someone? Was that person Cassidy?"

Hannah started to look irritated. "Stop asking so many questions. If you want to know, ask Xavier yourself. Besides, didn’t you say your best friend doesn’t care about his ex-wife anymore? And they’ve been divorced for a long time. If Xavier and Cassidy are involved, that’s no longer Zeke’s business."

Thomas was taken aback by her words, which, to be fair, made sense. "You’re right, honey. I’m sorry for upsetting you with all my questions."

Hannah crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Good. Glad you understand. Now drive."

Thomas let out a small chuckle, amused by how Hannah could still boss him around even when she was annoyed.

"Yes, ma’am. Right away, honey."

He started the car and drove off, leaving Xavier’s restaurant behind.

***

But what Thomas didn’t know was that right after ending the call, Zeke, who was currently in Seattle for an inspection of their medicinal plant farm, didn’t just forget about the conversation.

He immediately turned to Andrew, his personal assistant, who had been walking beside him, taking notes.

"Did you get any updates on that pediatric dentist I asked about in New York?" Zeke asked without looking up.

Andrew nodded, pulling out his tablet. "Yes. Dr. Anastasia Campbell. She’s one of the best pediatric dentists in the city. Very experienced, great with kids, and her clinic has top-notch reviews."

"Good. Email me the details."

"Yes, sir."

Without another word, Zeke pulled out his phone and stared at the screen for a moment. Then he scrolled to a familiar contact name.

Cassidy.

Standing by the open doorway of the storage building, Zeke kept his eyes on the vast field of medicinal plants stretching out before him. Without looking at Andrew, he lifted a hand and gave a small wave, a clear signal for him to leave.

Andrew took the hint and quietly walked away.

Once he was alone, Zeke finally pressed the call button.

Cassidy picks up on the fifth ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Zeke says, his voice softer than usual. "Am I bothering you?"

"Of course not," she replies warmly. "Is everything okay? Do you want to talk to Claire?"

He hears Cassidy say to someone, probably Claire, "Uncle Zeke’s calling."

"Yeah. I’d love to talk to her. I miss her," Zeke says. "Are you two at the apartment?" He asks the question casually, pretending not to know where Cassidy actually is.

Cassidy replies, "We’re out right now. At Xavier’s restaurant. He invited us because it’s the grand opening of his first restaurant here in New York."

"Ah, I see," Zeke says casually, masking the tightness in his chest. "If I had known, I would’ve sent some flowers to congratulate him."

In the background, he hears Claire’s voice, soft and eager. "Mommy, I want to talk to Uncle Zeke."

Cassidy returns to the line. "She wants to talk to you. Do you want to speak to her now?"

"Yeah," Zeke says. "But can we switch to video call? I want to see her."

"Of course. Hold on."

She ends the call.

Seconds later, his phone lights up again. FaceTime. Cassidy.

Zeke doesn’t hesitate. He answers the call and instantly, their eyes meet through the screen.

Her large brown eyes, light makeup, and soft pink lips made Cassidy look effortlessly beautiful.

"You look beautiful," Zeke said, his voice low but sincere.

Cassidy looked slightly surprised by the compliment, but she still replied with a small smile, "Thank you."

She handed the phone to Claire, and soon, her adorable face appeared on Zeke’s screen.

"Hey, kiddo. I heard you’re at Uncle Xavier’s restaurant. Have you eaten?"

Claire nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. I’m full now."

"What did you eat?"

Claire turned to Cassidy and asked, "Mommy, what did I eat earlier?"

Cassidy replied, "Filet mignon."

Claire turned back to the phone and answered proudly, "Fiye minyon."

Zeke chuckled softly, amused by her mispronunciation.

Then Claire asked, "Where are you, Uncle Zeke?"

Zeke switched to the back camera and showed her the herbal garden behind the warehouse.

Zeke’s pharmaceutical company doesn’t only produce chemical based medicine, they also develop herbal remedies extracted from plants.

Claire gasped. "There’s so much grass!"

Zeke gently corrected her, "Not grass, sweetheart. Those are medicinal plants. They’ll be turned into medicine."

"Ohhhh..." Claire said in awe.

Zeke smiled. "I’ll come visit you tomorrow, okay, kiddo?"

"Okay, Uncle Zeke." Claire says cheerfully.

Zeke smiles. "Can you pass the phone back to Mommy, kiddo?"

Claire nods and hands the phone to Cassidy.

Once Cassidy is back on the screen, Zeke says, "I found a good pediatric dentist for Claire."

Cassidy raises her brows slightly. "Really? Who is it?"

"Dr. Anastasia," Zeke replies with a nod. "She has great reviews. I’ll send you her info."

"Okay. Thanks," Cassidy says.

"I’ll see you tomorrow," Zeke adds.

Cassidy gives a small nod, and Zeke ends the FaceTime call.

***

Back at Xavier’s restaurant, Cassidy, Claire, and Clara have finished their meal and are getting ready to leave.

Cassidy checks her phone, then looks at Clara. "He’s probably still really busy in the kitchen," she says.

Clara nods. "Should we just head out?"

Cassidy nods. "Yeah. I’ll send him a quick message."

She types: Thanks for the food. We’re heading out now. Congratulations again, hope everything goes well today.

After hitting send, she turns to Claire and Clara. "Alright, let’s go."

As they step outside, Cassidy spots Gianna standing in front of the restaurant, talking to someone.

When Gianna sees Cassidy, she says something to the person beside her and walks over with a smile.

"Hi, Cassidy, right?" Gianna greets her warmly.

Cassidy nods. "Yeah. Gianna, right?"

Gianna nods in return.

Cassidy takes a quick glance at her. Gianna doesn’t look like someone who enjoys lounging around or wasting time. She gives off the same composed, commanding presence as Zeke. Even her outfit is formal, like she’s about to walk into a board meeting. But that doesn’t make her look any less stunning, if anything, it makes her stand out more.

Gianna doesn’t forget to greet Clara with a polite nod and a small smile.

Then she turns to Claire. "Hi, Claire..."

"Hi... aunty," Claire replies shyly, leaning against Clara’s side.

"Are you heading home now?" Gianna asks Cassidy.

Cassidy nods. "Yeah, we are."

Gianna nods back. "I’m just about to leave too. It was nice seeing you here. Maybe we can have lunch together sometime."

Cassidy only smiles in response. She doesn’t say anything, after all, she barely knows Gianna.

Gianna then says her goodbye and walks away.

Cassidy, Clara, and Claire walk to Cassidy’s car together.

As Cassidy unlocks the doors, Clara opens the back seat for Claire. "Come on, sweetie. Hop in."

Claire climbs in and buckles up. "I’m sleepy," she mumbles, resting her head on the seat.

Cassidy smiles and gets into the driver’s seat. "That’s what happens after a good meal."

She starts the engine. "Alright, let’s get home."

They drive off, heading back to the apartment.

However, on their way home, a black sedan suddenly speeds toward them from the opposite direction. It doesn’t slow down. In fact, it looks like it’s coming straight at them.

Clara and Claire scream from the back seat, panic rising in their voices.

Cassidy’s heart leaps into her throat. The sedan hits the side of their car, but only slightly just before she quickly turns the wheel to avoid a worse crash.

The sound of shattering glass and crunching metal fills the air. Cassidy’s car slams into the front of a small convenience store. Airbags deploy with a loud pop, and everything goes silent for a moment.

The black sedan doesn’t stop. It races past them and disappears down the street, leaving the scene in disarray.

***