Chapter 359 Zacharias‘ Birthday Bash
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Carter had to admit that their R&D funding relied heavily on Jonathan’s resources, so they had no choice but to bow to power.
Similarly, Joel sighed to himself.
He was hoping to bring two projects to life with Jonathan’s help, and winning a wasn’t worth offending him.
card
game
Zane, however, thought of his unlucky sibling.
Given how Jonathan regarded Anneliese as the apple of his eye, his younger brother was a fool for trying to make a move on her.
For the sake of his safety, Zane had no choice but to swallow his pride and maintain a good rapport with Jonathan.
The atmosphere in the corridor’s other VIP room was starkly different from the relaxed, cheerful vibes of the other box.
Colorful lights, balloons, and fresh flowers filled the space, meant to celebrate, yet the tension was palpable.
It was Zacharias‘ birthday—a day Anneliese had usually orchestrated meticulously.
They’d usually host his birthday at Sunrise Residence, and Anneliese would be in charge of getting everything ready.
But this year, she ended up getting married to Jonathan, and they had just flaunted their relationship at Derek and Marlowe’s Silver Jubilee.
Needless to say, she wouldn’t be continuing the tradition now.
To make matters worse, Melody and Lenora had been detained by the police.
Zacharias had only managed, through some channels, to secure their release the following day.
He’d be celebrating his birthday alone this year, and in truth, he hadn’t planned much.
All he wanted was for Jackie to drop him off at Sunrise Residence so he could spend some time
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Chapter 359 Zacharias‘ Birthday Bash
there.
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Halfway there, however, a friend called to say they had spotted Anneliese at a club nearby.
Zacharias immediately turned the car around.
When he finally arrived at the VIP room, he entered with a sense of expectation.
But instead of seeing Anneliese, he only spotted Selina.
Dressed in a white gown, she was pushing a towering three–tiered cake.
Candles flickered as she smiled warmly, joining the others in singing him a birthday song.
Zacharias‘ gaze swept the room, looking for Anneliese, but she wasn’t there.
Instinctively, he reached to turn on the lights.
As the birthday song faltered mid–note, the lights turned on, leaving everyone in the room frozen in astonishment.
Zacharias‘ gaze swept across the room, confirming that Anneliese really wasn’t there.
His eyes immediately locked on Bowie Dasher, the one who had called him over.
“Where’s Anne? You said she was here,” he asked, frowning.
In an instant, the atmosphere froze completely, thick and tense.
Everyone instinctively looked at Selina, for she had organized this birthday surprise.
People assumed that with Anneliese gone, Zacharias would’ve turned his attention to Selina instead.
At that moment, Selina felt her face burn as though Zacharias had slapped her in public.
She forced herself to stay calm and looked at Bowie in confusion.
“Why did
you
ruin the surprise for him?” she asked.
Bowie was exasperated.
Selina hadn’t wanted Zacharias to know about the party, for she wanted it to be a real surprise.
Bowie had tried every excuse, but Zacharias wouldn’t budge.
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Chapter 359 Zacharias‘ Birthday Bash
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In the end, the only way to get him out was to use Anneliese as bait, and technically speaking, he hadn’t lied.
“I did see her!” he said, meeting Zacharias‘ piercing gaze.
“She went into the other VIP room with someone else.”
Selina furrowed her brows, never expecting Anneliese to be here with Jonathan.
Zacharias‘ expression darkened for a moment.
On the way over, he’d urged Jackie to drive faster, for he truly believed Anneliese would be at the party.
For fourteen years, Anneliese had never once missed his birthday.
He expected her to be here this year too, and the reality of her absence left him utterly disappointed.
Selina, however, seethed inwardly at Zacharias‘ forlorn look, thinking he paid no attention to her efforts at all.
She quickly walked over, slipping her arm through his.
“Who would’ve thought Anne would be here too? Maybe she’s too shy to join us. Let’s blow out the candles and send her a piece of cake.”
Zacharias‘ thoughts stirred at her words.
Could it be that Anneliese had heard about his birthday party and came here deliberately?
“You’re thoughtful as always, Selina,” he said, nodding.
The surprise resumed.
Selina immediately signaled someone, and they dimmed the lights.
The guests resumed singing Zacharias his birthday song, and the awkward tension gradually
eased.
After Zacharias blew the candles out, he instructed the staff to move the entire cake away, ending Selina’s carefully laid–out surprise.
