CHAPTER 144: ZEKE’S FATHER

After leaving Cassidy’s apartment, Zeke immediately called Andrew back, who had been calling nonstop. Zeke suddenly remembered that there was a board meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. today.

He blamed himself for waking up late, thinking he had stayed too long enjoying Cassidy’s warm body.

"I’m sorry. I’m on my way to the office," he said directly.

"Why are you just calling now? I’ve been calling you all this time," Andrew complained.

"I’ll be there in ten minutes. How’s the meeting going?"

Andrew replied, "I postponed it until tomorrow. I used the excuse that you were sick, so it got delayed."

"Good job. I’ll add a bonus to your salary this month."

"Thank you, sir," Andrew said, his tone already brightening with happiness.

When Zeke arrived at the office, he called Andrew into his room.

"What’s up? Why did you call me?"

"How’s the land search going? Have you found anything yet?"

Andrew frowned. Zeke had only told him about this yesterday. How could there already be good news after just one day? Andrew thought Zeke was rushing things—he seemed eager to move in with Cassidy and Claire as soon as possible.

Andrew replied, "Not yet, sir. I just found a property agent who can help find the kind of land you want."

Zeke frowned. "Hurry up. I want you to find it within a week if possible."

"Understood, sir," Andrew replied.

They then started discussing work matters — Zeke’s schedule for the coming month, the new drugs they were developing, and other important topics.

"You can go now," Zeke said, dismissing Andrew from his office once he had everything he needed.

Then he suddenly remembered what Cassidy had said about Claire wanting to go back to school.

Zeke took his phone out of his pocket and called Blake.

Blake picked up Zeke’s call on the fourth ring.

"Yes, sir?"

"Blake, I want you to personally watch over Claire when she starts school again next week. Hand over your duty to watch Grandpa to Markus," Zeke instructed.

"Understood, sir. I’ll pass the order to Markus."

"How’s Baker’s case progressing? Have you learned anything from him?"

"Yes, sir. I was about to report to you. We found a lead, a large sum of money was transferred into Baker’s mother’s account. The sender is a shell company with no real name."

Zeke’s smooth forehead furrowed as soon as he heard Blake’s words.

"A shell company?"

"Yes, sir. We went to the address, it used to be a laundry place. When we arrived, the building was already empty. The buyer’s name is someone without family, and no one knows where he is now."

"Is that all?" Zeke raised one eyebrow, starting to get frustrated. It had been more than a month, and they still didn’t know who wanted to hurt Claire and Cassidy.

"Yes, sir. That’s all."

"Is it really that difficult to track down whoever’s targeting Claire and Cass? It’s been more than a month, and we still haven’t found any leads. How is that possible, Blake?" Zeke asked, his voice sharp with irritation.

Blake was silent for a moment, feeling he deserved the scolding. "I’m sorry, Sir. I’ll order my team to be more thorough in watching Baker."

Zeke sighed, clenching his fist hard on the table, he had made his decision. "Use our way, Blake."

"But, Sir—"

"I said use our way. If you don’t want to, I’ll find someone else to replace you. My patience is running out, Blake. I won’t let the person hurting Cassidy and Claire roam free while they live in fear."

Blake exhaled heavily. "Alright, Sir. If that’s what you want, I’ll use our way."

"Good," Zeke said, then ended the call.

Just as Zeke set his phone down on the table, it rang again. He picked it up and saw it was his mother, Margaret, calling.

"Hey, are you at the office?" Margaret asked as soon as Zeke answered.

"Why are you calling me?"

"Your father... he’s very sick."

Zeke paused for a moment, then rubbed his face and said, "I’m coming over right now."

He left his office immediately and told his driver to take him to Bastiano’s house.

In the car, Zeke thought about his father. His parents’ marriage wasn’t exactly equal in social status, since his father’s family was much wealthier than his mother’s. But the main reason he married her was because of her strong character. He already knew he had a weak heart and needed a partner who could help him manage the company.

When Zeke was 25, his father suddenly suffered a stroke and has been receiving inpatient care at home ever since.

Zeke and his father weren’t very close. Growing up, his father preferred to stay locked away in his office or focus on work rather than spend time with the family. That’s why, as a child, Zeke was closer to Nicole—she was the only one who comforted him when he felt lonely with both his parents busy working.

When Zeke arrived at Bastiano’s estate, he walked straight to his parents’ home. Their residence was in a separate wing of the large estate, away from the main building where his grandfather, Bastiano, lived. The estate was vast, with multiple pavilions and wings spread across the grounds.

Inside, Bastiano and a few people wearing doctors’ coats were already there.

"Zeke," Bastiano said when he saw him come in.

"Grandpa," Zeke greeted.

"Your father is in his room. Hurry inside," Bastiano said, worry clear in his voice.

Zeke nodded and stepped into the room where his father was resting.

Inside, Margaret was sitting not far from the bed.

Their eyes met briefly before Zeke approached his father. Seeing him struggle to breathe with slow, labored breaths, a wave of sadness washed over Zeke.

Though their relationship was distant, as a child Zeke had longed for his father’s love, love he never received. As he grew older, he buried that need deep inside, and his heart grew harder.

"Gregory, look—Ezekiel is here," his mother whispered weakly, now seated at the foot of his father’s bed.

But Gregory didn’t open his eyes.

Zeke just looked at his father quietly, then stepped out of the room. He grabbed his phone and called someone.

"Funny you’re calling me during work hours," Nicole said from the other end.

"Father is dying. If you want to see him one last time, come to the house," Zeke said, his voice heavy.

There was a pause before Nicole replied, "I’m not coming."

Zeke sighed, understanding. "I get it," he said before hanging up.

Unbeknownst to Zeke, as soon as she ended the call, Nicole started crying.

Zeke went back into his father’s room. Margaret was holding Gregory’s hand now.

"You know, during our marriage, your father never once told me he loved me," Margaret whispered. "I knew we married without love. But over time, the more I spent with him, the more I started to feel sorry for him," she added.

Zeke stayed quiet, taking in Margaret’s words.

"Your dad’s always been a cold, closed-off guy. He rarely shows his feelings, and that makes people misunderstand him a lot. He’s a lot like you in that way. From a young age, he was taught exactly how a Salvador is supposed to act. He grew up following those rules strictly. That made him distant and made him see others as beneath him."

"The difference with you is that behind his cold exterior, his body is actually fragile. He’s sick. And thankfully, you’re healthy—I’m grateful you didn’t inherit his illness."

Whether Gregory heard Margaret’s words or not, suddenly his breathing grew heavier and more labored.

After a few moments, his breaths weakened until they stopped completely.

Zeke quickly called the doctor and informed him of Gregory’s condition. The doctor rushed in and examined him.

After a few minutes of checking, the doctor shook his head and said, "I’m sorry. He has passed away."

At that moment, Bastiano almost collapsed to the floor if it wasn’t for someone hadn’t caught him.

Margaret shed a few tears before wiping them away and standing up to wrap Zeke in a tight hug.

Zeke returned the embrace, trying to comfort his mother. From the look on her face, it was clear that even though his parents never truly loved each other, they had still been a couple for over thirty years.

Zeke took a deep breath and gently stepped away from his mother, his face still heavy with the weight of the moment. He pulled out his phone and dialed Andrew’s number.

"Andrew," Zeke’s voice was serious, "My father has passed away."

There was a brief pause on the other end before Andrew responded, "I’m so sorry to hear that, sir. What would you like me to do?"

"Arrange everything for the funeral. Notify the family and make sure everything is handled smoothly. I want it to be dignified and private."

"Understood, sir. I’ll get started right away. If you need anything else, just let me know."

"Thanks, Andrew. I’ll be in touch."

Zeke ended the call and took a moment to steady himself before turning back to his mother.