Chapter 54: Chapter 54

Emma’s cheeks were in a permanent state of being puffed up, since Mila came. It was so very clear that Emma was annoyed.

"Hey, look who's here!" Gianna exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as Mila entered the room.

"Ugh, it's the little monster," Emma muttered under her breath, though her annoyance was met with amused glances from her friends.

Mila was like a shadow behind Gianna, following her around, asking cute questions, making Gianna smile from time to time.

No wonder Emma is jealous. Ever since they reached, Gianna has only been a typical strict mom. Zian felt a bit of anger towards Gianna for making Emma feel she isn’t enough.

Admittedly, Daniel Hart has spoiled his little girl rotten and Gianna only seems to compensate for that by being a bit strict, but Emma isn’t mature enough to understand that.

To those listening, Emma’s jealousy only seems funny, but Zian could clearly see the deep insecurity behind it.

Mila, however, seemed unfazed by Emma's irritation. She marched over to the dining table, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Hi, hi, hi! I am Mila!" she chirped, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hi, Mila. I am Zada," Zada replied with a warm smile.

"Hi, Zada! Are you Emma's friend?"

"Yes, I am. And this is Emily," Zada said, gesturing to Emily.

"I know Emily. I have seen her before."

"Aww, you remember me." Emily replied, her lips twitching into a smile as she played along with Mila's cheerful interrogation.

As the introductions continued around the table, Mila's curiosity seemed insatiable. She bombarded the group with questions about their favourite colours, animals, and even their shoe sizes.

When it was Zahir's turn, Mila regarded him with wide, innocent eyes.

"And who are you?"

Zahir leaned back in his chair, adopting a casual posture.

"I am Zahir. And I am a prince." Zahir said and Emily rolled her eyes at that mention.

"Wow, a prince? Like in the fairytales?" Mila's eyes grew even wider, her face a picture of awe.

"Yes, exactly like in the fairytales." Zahir smirked, clearly enjoying the attention.

Mila's gaze shifted to Zian.

"And you? You look just like him." Mila said in wide eyed wonder.

"I am Zian, and I am Zahir's brother," Zian replied with a chuckle.

Mila's head tilted to the side, as if she was deep in thought.

"So, are you also a prince?" Mila asked cutely.

“Yes, but my prince.” Emma slotted in with an annoyed look on her face.

Daniel raised his eyebrow at that bold declaration.

Zian looked around the table awkwardly. His siblings were trying to hide their smiles.

The atmosphere turned a bit tense, as Daniel focused his laser sharp eyes on Zian, whom his daughter proclaimed to be her prince.

Zian shot a sheepish smile at Daniel and focused on the delicacies on his plate.

The only two people unaware of the sudden tension were Mila and Emma herself, who caused it.

The breakfast table was soon filled with laughter and lively chatter, as Mila's presence injected a dose of childlike wonder into the gathering. Gianna moved around the table, ensuring everyone had enough to eat and drink.

"Gia Gia, can I have a chocolate donut, please?" Mila asked, her eyes wide and hopeful.

"Of course, sweetie. I will get you one right now," Gianna replied, heading toward the kitchen.

Emma huffed in annoyance hearing the endearment her momma used while calling the little devil. Zian’s brows marred with worry, as he sensed her insecurities were running deeper that anybody realised.

“Emma, darling, did you try out these bacon? They are awesome.” Zian said fondly, as he served her some bacon. He knows nobody knows Gianna’s awesome cooking skills better than Emma, but anything to distract her.

Emma beamed at Zian as he called her darling.

“You are the best, Zi - Zi.” Emma beamed as she dug into her food.

As breakfast continued, the atmosphere became increasingly relaxed. Stories were shared, jokes were exchanged. It was as if the morning sunlight had seeped into the room, casting a warm glow over the group.

Eventually, as the laughter subsided and plates were cleared, Gianna addressed everyone.

"I hope you all enjoyed breakfast. We have some plans for the day, but feel free to make yourselves at home."

"Thank you so much for the wonderful breakfast, Gianna. Everything was delicious," Zada said sincerely.

"Yes, thank you, Gianna. It was amazing," Zian added.

Gianna smiled warmly.

"You are all very welcome. Now, why don't you take some time to relax and settle in? We will discuss our plans for the day soon."

With that, the group dispersed, each person finding a comfortable corner to unwind and chat.

“I need a power nap. I woke up early today, I need to pack up my energy.” Emma said and hurried to her bedroom for her much needed sleep. Zada and Emily walked out to have a walk around the beautiful cottage.

A few minutes later, Zian went after Emma to check whether she was okay.

Maybe he should have a talk with Gianna regarding Emma’s insecurity. They might have dismissed it thinking it was simply Emma being Emma.

Maybe it was just the lover in him being overly worried about Emma. Maybe it was nothing at all. But I couldn’t stay calm until I was absolutely sure.

As I reached the room and peeped in, I saw Gianna pulling up the blanket upto Emma’s chin, caressing her hair and dropping an affectionate kiss on top of her head before silently walking out.

She stopped short when she found him at the doorstep.

“Oh hey, Zahir? Or Zian?” Gianna asked in confusion and he chuckled.

“It’s Zian, Gianna. I just came to check whether Emma is alright.” Zian said and Gianna frowned at that.

“Why? What happened?” Gianna asked anxiously, turning back to look at her only daughter once again to make sure she is absolutely alright.

“You adore her.” Zian said. It wasn’t a question, it was an observation.

“Obviously. She is my only daughter. I adore her.” Gianna said, with a little laugh as she closed the door behind her, so that Emma could have an uninterrupted sleep.

“She is insecure, Gianna. She thinks you love Mila more than her.” Zian said and Gianna looked at him in surprise.

“That’s nonsense. Yes, I love Mila. I have known her since the moment she was born. But that doesn’t mean I love her more than my own daughter.” Gianna said with a frown.

“I understand that. Emily mentioned something like you started being strict with Emma as she grew up and it coincided with Mila’s birth. And Emma has got it into her head that you stopped loving her when Mila was born.” Zian said softly and Gianna sucked in a sharp breath.

“I didn’t mean to offend you in any way, Gianna. I just care for Emma and I don’t like seeing her upset over anything. Maybe you could have a woman to woman talk with her and clear all her insecurities?” Zian prompted with a smile. Gianna nodded and walked away.

“Maybe it's time we have a man to man talk, hmm?” Daniel asked, appearing out of nowhere.

“Uh oh!”