Chapter 127: Chapter 127

The emerald was a keepsake from Anna Thornton’s mother.

Originally, they were a pair of earrings. Later, Dad Thornton personally designed the emeralds into a single necklace suitable for a young girl, and gave it to Anna as a gift for her eighteenth birthday.

That was the last gift Anna received from her father!

Once, she seized the opportunity to escape from the mental health institution, and Anna risked returning to the Thornton Family once. That time, she wanted to reclaim the keepsake her parents left behind.

Ultimately, she couldn’t find it. She guessed it was probably hidden by Holly Sutton.

But what no one expected was that four years later, her emerald necklace would appear at Marilyn Ford’s birthday party?

Holly Sutton actually used her parents’ keepsake to curry favor with Marilyn Ford!

How could they know each other?

Marilyn Ford is a courteous person; even though the necklace Holly Sutton gave wasn’t as flashy as other expensive jewelry, the gemstone’s luster looked good. She stood up to express her thanks: "I really gift, you are thoughtful."

"As long as Miss Ford likes it, I’m just worried you might find this necklace’s style outdated. Although the design isn’t great, this emerald is a true heirloom. You can have it appraised by an expert to know its value is definitely not less than any of the gifts present."

Holly Sutton made a special trip from Veridia to give Marilyn Ford a gift!

From Finn Grant’s previous tone, it could be heard that Veridia’s development couldn’t compare to Aethelgard’s. The company Anna Thornton had cherished so much, for which Dad Thornton even lost his life, was actually insignificant compared to these families in Aethelgard.

Holly Sutton even considered hooking up with the Grant family’s company to develop the Aethelgard market, but was rejected.

Now that there’s an opportunity to curry favor with the Ford family, how could she not use all her might to please?

Anyway, the gift she sent was given by Kenneth Thornton to his daughter, a treasure for them father and daughter, but Holly Sutton holds it in contempt.

Now the company and assets are firmly in her hands, just waiting to clear out these old things, no longer needing the Thornton name.

Marilyn Ford treated the emerald necklace, which once bore witness to blood, tears, and intrigue, indifferently, casually placing it atop other gift boxes and having someone put it away.

But others in the surroundings were itching to see the spectacle; this person picked it up and looked, that person also passed it over for a look.

Anna Thornton, whose whole body seemed frozen at this scene, felt her blood rush instantly. She wanted to rush forward to snatch back the necklace.

But before her hand could fully reach out, a huge force grabbed her, pulling her out from among the gawking guests.

"Conrad Sterling, let go of me!"

"Didn’t you hear me?"

Clearly, he heard, but it wasn’t until Anna was pulled to the front garden where there were no guests that Conrad Sterling released her.

Seeing Anna still wanting to go back, the hand that had just been freed was restrained again. Thɪs chapter is updated by novᴇlfire.net

"Where do you think you’re going?" President Sterling asked her.

"That necklace originally belonged to me, I want to take it back! It was my father’s birthday gift to me, what right does she have to give it to Marilyn Ford? Conrad Sterling, you know it too! Let me go!"

Looking at her struggling out of control, the man remained unmoved, only reminding her, "Calm down!"

"OK!" Anna Thornton took a deep breath, "I didn’t expect that before I could go find her, she came to find me first! Holly Sutton appearing here is absolutely not a coincidence!"

Conrad Sterling stared at Anna Thornton’s face, making sure she had calmed down before releasing his grip, no longer interfering with her subsequent actions.

By the time Anna returned to the hall, the gift-opening segment was nearly over.

She noticed Marilyn Ford’s neck was already adorned with the emerald necklace. Anna Thornton’s eyes lowered slightly, her hand at her side quietly clenched.

"An... Anna, is that you?"

Holly Sutton hadn’t been able to attend the lunch banquet, she arrived in the afternoon. Earlier, by giving a gift that Marilyn seemed to like, she thickened her face and insisted on having it placed on her, proudly making it onto the scene only to see Anna Thornton.

Holly Sutton thought she had mistaken, rubbed her eyes, and upon focusing, couldn’t help but get up to greet her: "Anna, is it really you?!!"

"President Sutton, do you know Miss Thornton?" Marilyn Ford asked only to suddenly remember something, "Oh right, Miss Thornton is also from Veridia, are you fellow townspeople?"

"More than just fellow townspeople!" Holly Sutton collected her surprise and seamlessly switched to a loving and caring smile, grabbing Anna’s hand, "Anna, I never thought I’d see you here. Where have you been? Do you know how worried mom has been since you disappeared?"

This self-titled claim shocked everyone present.

Because Holly Sutton looked no older than thirty, how could she possibly be Anna Thornton’s mother?

What exactly is going on?

Adding to the confusion was Anna’s disdainful smile the next moment, as she dismissively threw off Holly Sutton’s hand: "My mother passed away more than ten years ago!"

Upon hearing this, Holly Sutton sighed self-pityingly: "Anna, no matter what, I was married to your father properly. Even though he later passed away, the relationship between us remains, and will never be severed."

Anna Thornton suspected Holly Sutton mentioned her father’s death upon meeting to deliberately provoke her.

She glared coldly at her adversary, sneering.

Holly Sutton couldn’t explain why; when confronted by the little girl’s gaze, she suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

In four years, she couldn’t describe what had changed about Anna.

But if the Anna from four years ago heard this, she would have lost control and lunged to strangle her, shouting about avenging her father.

Who knows what happened, she could now maintain her composure.

Coming back from abroad, she didn’t return to Veridia but stayed in Aethelgard and became a star. If nobody had tipped her off, Holly Sutton might have remained unaware of her return to the country.

"Anna, why didn’t you return home first when you came back? Are you still angry with me because of what happened four years ago? Are you mad I sent you to a mental hospital for treatment... But I had no choice; just after your father’s death, you suddenly showed symptoms of emotional disorder and rambling speech. The company was in chaos then, and I couldn’t spare enough effort to care for you."

"Do you still blame me for harsh words then? I was wrong indeed, I shouldn’t have scolded you! But I wasn’t intentional. At the time your father’s body was barely cold, you somehow appeared pregnant by a stranger, I was panicked. But the subsequent decisions were all made to preserve the Thornton family’s reputation. Aren’t you aware I’ve been regretful and blaming myself since you ran away from the hospital after giving birth?"

As Holly Sutton spoke, she even squeezed two remorseful tears from her eye corners. Had her acting not been stellar, she wouldn’t have managed to deceive Dad Thornton back then, nor would she have smoothly taken control of the Thornton family’s company today.

If she entered the entertainment industry, most in the circle would probably lose their livelihoods.

This statement convinced most people.

"Oh my, what did I just hear? Anna Thornton actually gave birth in a mental hospital?"

"Seems like her stepmother implied the child was conceived without reason, a bastard."

"Today’s revelations are too big!"

Anna Thornton finally understood why Marilyn Ford invited her to her birthday party today.

Turns out, the real big reveal was here!