CHAPTER 61: WHAT’S WRONG?

Alpha Maxwell didn’t want to argue with Deborah. He looked at her and said, "We are not doing anything bad. We are just playing with baby Zed. Don’t overthink. Can’t you see I’m enjoying my time with our son? Now go back to the girls and continue discussing our wedding. OK?"

Deborah fell silent for a few minutes, and then she said, "I warn you, don’t try to sabotage our wedding. I will never forgive you if you do that."

Alpha Maxwell nodded his head. "I hear you. Now get back to the conversation and plan the perfect wedding for us. That’s where you are good at," he said sarcastically.

Deborah glared at him before going back to the girls. She intentionally avoided Grandma’s penetrating gaze to avoid offending the old woman.

"What’s wrong?" Luna Adela asked when Deborah rejoined them.

"Nothing, Mom, let’s continue with our discussion." Deborah flashed a smile while replying to her mother-in-law.

Luna Adela glanced at her son. She didn’t know what he was thinking in his mind right now. Although he was looking fine and cooperating in silence with the wedding discussions, she still couldn’t avoid worrying about him. The upcoming wedding is an important event for the two families. The preparations must be carried out without any problems. She will talk to him later.

The wedding discussion continued and everyone was excited about it except Grandma Franchia and Alpha Maxwell. It will be the first wedding for the Burke family in a long time. Besides, after all the chaos that has been happening lately in their lives, they needed a happy occasion to celebrate and the wedding was the perfect event to begin with.

Back to Alpha Maxwell and Grandma. They were discussing baby Jacob.

"You know what... I longed for the day I could finally meet your other son with Naomi. I wanted to see baby Jacob and hold him in my arms," Grandma said wistfully.

"That’s the problem, Grams, the people in the facility were holding him and they will only release our son until Naomi and I can sort out our individual problems," Alpha Maxwell said in a tone filled with anguish.

"That’s truly tragic, my boy. How to catch the mastermind of your kidnapping? Why until now they are still holding you and Naomi hostage by using your son? Is there any other way we can catch these kidnappers and make them pay for what they have done to you and Naomi? Aren’t you doing anything to find them and make them pay for ruining your life?" Grandma asked.

Alpha Maxwell took a deep breath. "That’s the problem, Grams. I’m grounded and I can’t even drive my own car. I can’t leave the house freely. And the worst thing is, my father is not giving me back my previous position in the company until I marry Deborah. My parents are obsessed with making sure I marry her. That’s all they want. How can I track down the mastermind of my kidnappers if I have no resources to deploy and my movements are restricted? That’s how difficult my situation is right now," he said morosely.

"You are right my boy, until you marry Deborah you can’t do anything because you are obviously lacking in resources." Grandma agreed with a sigh, patting his shoulder gently, comforting him.

"After I marry Deborah, I will get my positions and resources back, am I right, Grams?" he asked, glancing at his father and brothers.

"Yeah, that’s more like it. If you want to get what you want, you should give them what they want. That is one secret to a successful negotiation, my boy," Grandma replied casually. "And after you get all your resources back, will you go after the mastermind of your kidnapping? You will take the facility down in revenge? Is that your plan?"

"Yeah, that is my plan, although it’s difficult to find that place," Alpha Maxwell replied in a serious tone.

Grandma nodded her head and said, "I will support you in seeking justice for what they have done to you."

"Thank you, Grams." Alpha Maxwell smiled, grateful for the only person who was ready to help him during the lowest time of his life.

"Anything for you my boy, anything." Grandma patted his shoulder affectionately.

A few minutes later, she stood up and said, "I’m going to the kitchen to make my tea." She walked away, heading to the location of the kitchen.

Luna Adela left the girls and sat beside her son on the sofa. She asked, "Son, how are you? "

Alpha Maxwell looked at his mother and smiled. "I’m fine, Mom."

"Are you sure?" she asked not believing his lies.

Alpha Maxwell sighed. "If you want to know the truth, I don’t want to marry Deborah. But since you and Dad and the rest of the family wanted the wedding to happen, I would just go with the flow to make everyone happy." He responded with a shrug.

"I’m so sorry, son. I feel sad that you have to experience this kind of situation. It must be hard on your part," she said apologetically, her heart was suffering for her son.

He smiled. "Don’t be sad, Mom. Everyone has to survive their trials and calamities in life. No one is exempted. It’s just that I went through a series of events that made me what I am now. But rest assured my spirit is not broken yet. Sometimes I just have to say yes to all to satisfy everyone’s wishes. Do you understand what I mean, Mom?"

"Yes, son. I truly understand what you mean," Luna Adela replied. Tears glistened in her eyes. "But please whatever you are planning in your head just promise me one thing: you will never do something stupid during the wedding. Can you promise me that you will behave during the wedding?" she asked, looking deeply into his eyes.

Alpha Maxwell sighed. "Mom, please stop worrying about everything. I swear I will behave during the wedding for your own sake," he said reassuringly.

"Thank you, son. Now I’m greatly relieved after hearing your promise. Today, things might not be in your favor but one day you will come out of the dark tunnel stronger than ever. You just need to bend a little and wait for the right moment to strike. Do you understand, son?" she said cryptically.

Alpha Maxwell raised a brow. "Mom, you aren’t talking about riddles. I can’t get you," he said, trying to act innocent.

Luna Adela smiled. "My son, you are a businessman and we both know a business transaction can only succeed if both parties meet in the middle and make compromises so they can achieve their goals individually. Am I right?"

Alpha Maxwell nodded his head. "Exactly, Mom."

Luna Adela added, "And what is happening today is not yet the end game, right?"

"Yeah, correct!" he replied.

Luna Adela said, "That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Your life doesn’t end on the day of your wedding. Your future starts after your wedding. How you handle everything will determine what kind of future you will have in the years to come."

"You are making sense, Mom. I shouldn’t fear and prevent the wedding. I should just welcome it because only by letting it happen can I finally figure out what I’m going to do with the rest of my life," he said softly.

Luna Adela’s face turned serious. "And there is only one thing I can tell you about marriage. People marry and divorce several times before they can meet their soulmate and settle for good. A first or second marriage doesn’t guarantee a lifetime of happiness. Your marriage to Deborah might work or may not work..." she paused for a few seconds to catch her breathe.

Then she continued, "I just want to remind you that your upcoming wedding to Deborah is the right step to redeem yourself and get back all your resources. Without your resources it will be difficult to climb back to where you used to be. Everything in this life requires hard work, endless patience and wise planning to make everything work according to your wishes. So use your head wisely — don’t let your emotions destroy your chances. Right my son?"

Alpha Maxwell smiled and gave his mother a thumbs up. "You are right, Mom. I agree with everything you say. You make things easier for me to see. Thank you for your words of wisdom. I appreciate it very much."

Luna Adela smiled. "I love you son."

"I love you too, Mom," he responded, beaming happily.

Luan Adela stood up. "Alright, I’m done talking to you, son. Time to get back to the girls and continue discussing wedding preparations," she said cheerily and headed back to the girls.

Alpha Maxwell smiled. His mother’s words of wisdom somehow calmed his turbulent mind. It’s her way of saying that if he keeps defying his father’s wishes he will continue to suffer. But if he goes with the flow, he can get back everything he lost and take control of his life one day.

He glanced at his son in the crib. Baby Zed was now sleeping peacefully despite the chatter of people in the living room. He suddenly remembered his other son Jacob. His heart longed to see him again. It would be nice if he could get his two children to live in the same place as him. It would be amazing!

Meanwhile, back to the girls...

Deborah was puzzled about what the mother and son were discussing earlier. They smiled as if they were talking about some joke or a secret. She felt paranoid. She looked at her future mother-in-law suspiciously. "Mom, what did you and your son talk about?" she asked her directly.

Luna Adela smiled. "Ah, I told him to take this wedding seriously. I also made him promise to me that he would behave on the day of the wedding. That’s all."

"Thank you, Mom." Deborah grinned happily, satisfied with her mother-in-law’s assurance and never ending support. Now she can finally look forward to her wedding with no worries and fears. She can’t wait to marry the love of her life, the one and only Alpha Maxwell, the father of her son.