Chapter 4The Terms and Conditions

Leo's mother was gracious the entire time. To ensure I didn't mistake her intentions, she quickly clarified that she just wanted to be close to the child, not fight for custody.

"I won't lie to you, Leo is a disappointment. He only holds a nominal position at our company; we wouldn't dare give him any real power."

"But his father and I can't work forever, can we?"

"We've lost hope in Leo, but you've raised your daughter so well. Zoe is brilliant! The sky's the limit for her!"

"And it's always easier when more people are there to support a child, don't you think?"

I wasn't naive enough to believe she was as benevolent as she appeared. This was a formidable woman who had navigated the business world for decades. The family must have already done a private DNA test and confirmed Zoe was Leo's daughter. They'd probably also consulted a lawyer and found out their chances of winning a custody case were slim. So, they settled for the next best thing: shared parenting.

But if Leo ever got married and had another child, I wondered if they would still be this accommodating.

"Ma'am, I respect my daughter's wishes," I said with a smile. "As long as she is willing to be close to you, I have no objections."

I knew my daughter. Her motto was "never turn down a free lunch." Her other motto was "take the sugar coating, then fire back the cannonball." I could already picture how frustrated the Jiang family was going to be.