Keira and Zach were just discharged from the hospital and were going to their apartment building when Keira noticed they were heading in the wrong direction.
"Jim, are we stopping by somewhere first?" Keira asked.
"Yes, Madam. Field Marshal Chan instructed me to drop you off at this place first," Jim answered.
Keira nodded and looked through the car window. They were still in the city, for sure, but the road they were on had started to become a quiet one, with lush green trees by the roadsides.
If her deductions were correct, this would lead them to the new and esteemed neighborhood, nestled on the outskirts of the city. It was making a name as one of the affluent and wealthiest residential areas, which boasted a quiet and peaceful area surrounded by nature reserves. Many of the wealthiest people in their country, even from the neighboring states, owned a house there.
"No way," Keira gasped excitedly.
"What is it?" Zach asked with a baffled look.
"It"s dad... I think he had this as a surprise for us," Keira murmured as they entered the residential area that was tightly secured.
They pa.s.sed by the guarded yet posh entrance, and Keira noticed several houses were still under construction.
The car went through a large automatic gate just a few blocks from the entrance of the residential area, and stopped on the private driveway of a remarkable contemporary house, with a big green front yard.
Trees were planted densely around the perimeter of the house, forming a private area, which was entirely hidden from beyond the residence, ensuring full privacy of the inhabitants of the house.
She saw her parents waiting for them with a big grin from ear to ear.
"Surprise!" Her dad burst out as soon as they went out of the car.
"This is our gift for both of you. For your marriage, and also for giving us a grandchild so soon. Since you both insisted not to live with us and stay at your own place, I requested our architects to build a comfortable contemporary family home in the safest residential area near us. I hope you two will like it," explained Field Marshal Chan.
He patted Zach"s shoulder and said, "Don"t you dare refuse the good heart of your in-laws, or I will not approve your resignation from the military. Besides, this is for my future grandchildren too…"
Zach smiled. It was a genuine smile of grat.i.tude as he said, "Thank you, dad."
Then he s.h.i.+fted his gaze to his mother-in-law and said, "Thank you, mom…"
Keira hugged and kissed her parents. "Thank you so much! I love you so much! Mwahh…. Mwahh," Keira burst as she gave both her parents a loud smooch on their cheeks.
"Well, come on then. Hurry and let"s go inside. All your things are already here. Your mom helped us pack your stuff, Zach, while I packed Keira"s, so you both can directly settle in now. If we missed anything, you could get it back anytime from your apartments," his mother-in-law excitedly pulled them inside the house.
Zach felt blessed with the fantastic in-laws he had been gifted. If he were the proud Zach from before, who disdained those that had it easy in life just because they were born with a silver spoon, he would definitely refuse the gift. But of course, he now knew better than to prejudge something based on its outer appearance. Not all people from the high society were overbearing and self-ent.i.tled as he had once believed.
Besides, Keira would definitely scold him. She would often tell him that they were a married couple now. Legally and lawfully. So everything that was hers was his too, and likewise, everything he had was hers.
Keira had always made sure that pride, wealth, money, and name would not be a hindrance in their relations.h.i.+p. And most importantly, it should never cause an argument between them.
They entered a granite cave-like entrance that was leading to an underground lobby, of which the roof was apparently the backyard of their house. There were two big skylights on its roof. One exhibited the blue sky above, while the other one displayed an area of water positioned directly on top of them. Zach asked, "Is that a swimming pool up there?" to which his father-in-law nodded brightly.
Zach could only nod his head because he loved it. His father-in-law absolutely had a great taste. They went further into the house, toward a prominent spiral staircase made of gla.s.s and steel, which led them up to the living room.
From the living room, Keira could see the lushness of the backyard garden. It had a natural design swimming pool with a natural rocky landscape. And the highlight was the small waterfall in the middle.
It reminded Keira of their beautiful waterfall on the island. "It"s very nice…" she murmured. Zach somehow knew what his wife was thinking, and he hugged her from behind and whispered, "I know..."
Meanwhile, her parents were still busy, giving them a grand tour of the house. Keira loved the open but detached living and dining s.p.a.ces which were surrounded by terraces, which led to the large green backyard garden with the swimming pool in the middle.
"As you can see, this ground level is a s.p.a.ce that blended indoor and outdoor. And the upper floor architecture is of two rectangular travertine blocks, that are connected by an enclosed floating bridge," Mrs. Chan explained.
"We meticulously checked the plan of this house. I"m sure you"re gonna love exploring it later," Field Marshal Chan added with a grin.
Zach admired his in-laws" professional capabilities as the owner of a construction company, which was evident from the excellent design of their new home.
Mrs. Chan laughed and paused as she looked at Keira and suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! Before I forgot. We need to plan your grand wedding soon, dear. Let"s have it before your b.u.mp becomes visible."
"Oh, sure, mom, but can we talk about it tomorrow?" Keira responded. Then she whispered something in her mom"s ear.
"You ungrateful child..." Mrs. Chan whispered back but then smiled knowingly.
"Alright, then. Darling, let"s leave these two alone now…" Mrs. Chan suddenly declared as she pulled her husband to exit the house.
"Huh? But we"re not done showing them the whole house," Field Marshal Chan hesitated. But he saw his wife giving him a meaningful glance, so he shut his mouth and bid his farewell to the couple.
Inside the car, Field Marshal Chan looked at his wife and asked, "What was that about?"
Mrs. Chan stared back at him and sighed, "Your beloved daughter wanted us out of the picture, saying that she and her husband will explore the rest of the house on their own."
"Huh?" Field Marshal Chan gave her a puzzled look that was met with shrugged shoulders from his wife.