Chapter 377 Still Alive
After a few rounds of verbal sparring, Owen and Lucian had more or less taken each other's measure.
Neither man was easy to fool.
Owen glanced at Lucian, then abruptly shed his quiet, unassuming demeanor and asked, "How did you and Zara meet?"
Lucian answered smoothly, "We met overseas. I ran into some trouble a while ago, and Zara stayed by my side and took care of me."
Then he turned to Zara, his eyes practically shimmering with tenderness. "I love her very much."
Zara held her glass in midair and stared at him, suddenly unsure whether she should take a drink or put it down.
[That's disgusting. I think I've lost my appetite.]
Lucian was speechless.
Owen merely smiled. "I haven't been there for her all these years. Knowing that she has someone to look after her now puts my mind at ease."
Zara immediately set down her glass and beamed. "Don't worry, Dad. I'm very happy with Lucian. I honestly feel like the luckiest woman in the world!"
Wilson, Peter, and Lucian all scoffed at the same time.
Zara fell silent.
[Three assholes!]
Owen nodded. He did not entirely understand what was going on, but he found that he had no desire to hear any more of that painfully saccharine exchange. Instead, he turned his attention to Soraya.
"What is the story with this child?"
Zara gave him a brief explanation. "We found her overseas. She looked so pitiful, and she didn't have parents or any identification. We couldn't find her family, so I took her in for the time being."
She sighed. "Besides, she's cute. I can take her around to visit relatives during the holidays and score some cash gifts."
Everyone fell silent.
Owen nodded.
After that, the conversation became much more casual. Although they had only just met and there was still some awkwardness between them, that would naturally fade once they spent more time together.
Owen took a particular liking to Karen. The occasional warmth in his expression revealed the affection of a father.
After lunch, those who had school went back to school, and those who had work returned to their jobs. Karen and Soraya were taken to school, while Nancy said goodbye to Zara and headed back to the hospital.
Zara told Owen that she would be away for a while and asked him to help look after the younger ones.
She was holding Dino in her arms when Owen lowered his gaze to him. "How did you get him here?"
Zara glanced at Dino. "I didn't bring him here. He came on his own."
Dino had been too embarrassed to speak in front of everyone earlier. Just as he was about to say something, Aurelion poked his head out of Zara's backpack first. "Holy Sovereign?"
Owen's expression changed instantly. "Aurelion?"
He had barely sensed Aurelion while the dragon was hidden inside the backpack. But the moment Aurelion emerged, Owen shot out a hand and seized him by the throat.
Aurelion's eyes bulged, and he could not make a sound.
What the hell?!
Why had the Holy Sovereign grabbed him by the throat without a word, looking as though he wanted to kill him?
Zara was equally shocked. "What are you doing? He's my cash cow!"
She hurriedly rescued Aurelion from Owen's grasp, prying his fingers apart with effortless ease.
Owen gave her a long, searching look before drawing a deep breath. "I can't let anyone from the Imperial Clan discover that I'm still alive."