167: [Bonus chapter]An unknown part of him

[Bonus chapter]An unknown part of him

[This chapter is dedicated to Yanti_Izan, Sinjin, and Khandra_A_Ahmed, this month's Golden Ticket's top contributor. Thank you, dearest.]0

Perhaps the only thing that Heaven overlooked from the incident was how Dominic and Sebastian adored her. They cared for her so much that they never left her side. Dominic stayed with her for the entire week, doing his work at home. Once Sebastian goes home from school, he would replace his father so Dominic could step out for a moment. 

This had been their setup for the entire week since Heaven got discharged from the hospital. Understandable, since the two of them were afraid someone would attack her again. Not that Heaven didn't like spending time with them, but at this point, she couldn't do anything if they were with her almost 24/7!

"Is there something wrong, Madam?" Heaven snapped her eyes up to the person across the kitchen counter. "You've been sighing since this morning."

"Miriam, just what should I do to make them believe I'm fully healed?" Heaven pouted while Miriam chuckled. 

"Just be a little patient with them, madam. The incident was shocking and even now, I am getting nightmares. But they will eventually move on from it." Miriam flashed Heaven a warm and reassuring smile. "I'm sure they just want to make sure you're okay."

Miriam arrived a day after Heaven got discharged, along with three other maids to do the house chores. The rest of the servants in the mansion were either laid off or stayed in their previous house until Dominic and Heaven's matrimonial home was finished. 

Despite the decrease in the number of servants — which Dominic personally investigated — the guards around the penthouse increased. The penthouse and even the level below them were filled with guards' people would be intimidated by the security. 

"To be honest, my wound is only a scar now. All I need to do is put ointment on it to help with the scarring." Heaven sighed for the umpteenth time. "But, well, what else can I do?"

Miriam maintained her smile, continuing to make refreshments for her employers. Heaven was initially with her husband and son, but she tagged along with Miriam just to get a breather. 

"By the way, Miriam, I don't think I already said this, but thank you for looking after Basti that night." Miriam paused when Heaven spoke after a moment, looking at the young madam with raised brows. "When Andrea subdued me, all I could think of that time was Basti. If I didn't manage to scream for help and if she got away with it, I was terrified she would hurt Basti."

Miriam's eyes softened. "Of course, young madam. I might be the little master's nanny who is in charge of taking care of him, but my job also extends to prioritizing his safety."

"Now that I think about it, weren't you also Dom's nanny?"

"Yes." Miriam nodded, smiling proudly. "I worked for the Zhu Family almost all my life. Watching the young master grow up into a fine young man and being able to take care of his son is an honor for me. I'm just glad to be a part of his life, even when he already has a family of his own." 

Heaven cupped her cheek, smiling. "You must be very fond of Dominic."

"He's like my son, young madam." Miriam continued in preparing the refreshments as she added, "To be honest, the little master is like the master when he is young. The master was considered a genius at a young age and he had always been involved in the family business and affairs. I remember that time he saved himself from a perilous situation."

Miriam suddenly trailed off as her eyes widened. When she cast Heaven a look, Heaven tilted her head to the side.

"From a perilous situation?" Heaven blinked. "What did you mean by that?"

"Uh. It's… it's nothing." Miriam cleared her throat, forcing a smile. 

"Miriam." Heaven frowned a little. "What happened when Dominic is still a child?"

Miriam could only sport a conflicted look as if she was hoping for Heaven not to pry. It was a slip of the tongue, which she didn't mean to mention. 

"Don't you still trust me?" Heaven's frown deepened. "I won't pry about it anymore if you don't want to say it. But, don't you think I should have any idea of something about my husband's past? Maybe that way, I can have a deeper understanding of him."

"Well…" Miriam pondered about it with reluctance flickering across her eyes. She looked around for a moment, checking if someone was around. When she was certain it was just Heaven and her, Miriam faced Heaven once again. 

She sighed before summarizing a story from the past. "When the master was young, he had a natural inclination in the family business. He was smart and even at the tender age of eight, he already had a voice in the family."

"His bluntness offended some adults in the family, though. Mostly relatives. And soon enough, this became a problem in the family. Some say he was too young to make decisions in the family, while others argue that because of the master, the incompetence of those complaining was being displayed in broad daylight. In other words, the family's unity showed cracks that even the Old Madam couldn't repair," Miriam continued, giving out details that would be important later. "Until one day, when Master was on his way home from school, some people ambushed his car."

Deep lines appeared between Heaven's brows as she blurted out, "he was kidnapped?"

"Yes." Miriam sighed. 

"Oh…"

"His abductors were asking for ransom, but the amount they were asking was almost the Zhu Family's fortune. That time, the family was already having internal problems on top of the economic downturn that affected the company," Miriam detailed. "Still, the Old Madam and the chairman were willing to give everything to save the master. However, the day before the trade, the master came home on his own."

"What?"

"He escaped his abductors and even found out the mastermind behind the abduction." Miriam's face turned serious. "It turned out the mastermind was also a part of the Zhu family and someone who was very close to the master. It was the chairman's twin brother and the master's uncle, Sir Leon."

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