Chapter 131: Chapter 131

Conrad Sterling’s car stopped downstairs at the hospital. He looked up and saw that the window of Pop’s ward was already closed.

It looked like she was asleep, so he didn’t go up to disturb her. Instead, he sat in the car and lit a cigarette.

Conrad Sterling is not someone addicted to smoking; he only smokes occasionally during work events or when he’s troubled.

Moreover, the cigarettes he smokes have a strong spiciness, mainly used to refresh his mind.

After exhaling two smoke rings, even though he should be more awake, somehow today, because of the scenery triggering his feelings, the scene from four years ago when he first met Anna Thornton suddenly appeared before him.

It wasn’t the time when Anna escaped from the psychiatric hospital to find him. Actually, Conrad Sterling’s first meeting with Anna was even further back... tracing back to the day of the girl’s eighteenth birthday celebration.

Even though the Thornton family’s financial strength couldn’t compare to the Ford family, Kenneth Thornton had only this one daughter late in life, and his love for her was well-known throughout Veridia. Anna’s eighteenth birthday bash was no less significant than today’s birthday party for Marilyn Ford and just as lively as today’s Ford family gathering.

At that time, Conrad Sterling was still developing in Veridia, so he naturally received an invitation.

He still remembered the venue of that banquet, it was a unique choice: a theme park named ’Fairytale World,’ which was Dad Thornton’s first adult gift to Anna.

The just turned eighteen Thornton family princess wore a pure white fairy dress with snow-white wings on her back and a small tiara encrusted with thousands of diamonds slanted on her head. Her seaweed-like curly hair was draped over her shoulders, intentionally covering the tender, flawless skin on her shoulders and back because Dad Thornton stubbornly thought strapless styles were a bit too revealing. To him, Anna was still just a young girl.

Anna descended from the Ferris wheel as her entrance, and all the eligible young men in Veridia flocked to take a look at her eagerly.

At that time, Conrad Sterling was on the outskirts of the crowd, drinking alone. With a sideways glance, Anna’s figure in the air was reflected in his eyes through the Ferris wheel glass, and her silent demeanor resembled that of a fairytale princess.

But as soon as she came down and touched the ground, her footsteps were light. She lifted her skirt and ran off quickly, glaring back at those young gentlemen trying to show off.

Eighteen-year-old Anna Thornton actually had an even prouder temperament than Marilyn Ford and carried a touch of the spoiled innocence like Sarah Grant, the kind nurtured from childhood. Relying on her beauty to get through life, she ignored the numerous boys trying to woo her and walked down the red carpet with her chin held high, not paying attention to anyone.

Dad Thornton wanted her to pick one of the male guests to dance the opening dance with, and after considering for a moment, Anna prepared to walk towards a handsome senior she had a crush on, although she was unsteady on her high heels.

But just as she walked by Conrad Sterling, somehow Anna tripped and fell right onto him.

The man reached out a hand to catch her, naturally wrapping it around her waist, and then smiled and stood up, saying, "Miss Thornton, it’s hard to refuse your kind offer!"

"Hey! Who are you?" Just like that, Anna was forcefully brought into the dance floor with "kind offer refused," unhappily glaring at the unfamiliar man in front of her. "Uncle, the partner I intended for my opening dance isn’t you."

The partners Dad Thornton introduced her to for business, most of them were middle-aged.

Although Conrad Sterling looked much younger than the others, seeing him dressed so formally and expressionless, Anna always felt he wasn’t from her generation.

Especially since this man was hard to communicate with, he didn’t listen to what others said and forcibly held Anna to dance.

His grip was strong, and the hand around her waist was like a machine, unmoved despite Anna’s struggles.

With so many people watching at the banquet, causing a scene would be embarrassing. Anna could only grit her teeth and endure, reluctantly dancing the opening dance with Conrad Sterling.

However, she wouldn’t just endure, and took the opportunity to stealthily stomp on Conrad Sterling’s foot with her high heels to vent her anger.

Conrad Sterling wasn’t someone to easily bully. When Anna stomped him, he stomped back.

He didn’t stomp on her tender little feet, but on her dress.

Yet it still made the little princess bristle like a cat whose tail was pulled: "Uncle, do you know this dress is designed by the internationally renowned designer, Mr. Nick Walters?"

"So what?" Conrad Sterling never studied these designers that women tended to pay attention to.

"You don’t know Nick Walters? He had already stopped designing clothes, but my dad spent a fortune inviting him to meet me and he agreed to make an exception. Do you know how much this dress I’m wearing is worth?"

"Whatever it’s worth, I can pay for it!"

"Heh, turns out you’re just a nouveau riche who solves problems with money, without considering whose turf you’re on. Beware, I’m the eldest Miss of the Thornton family, and don’t think having some money means you can make advances on me. I’ll tell my dad, and he will settle accounts with you."

Before the dance even finished, the little princess stomped hard on his foot, angrily leaving.

Of course, Dad Thornton never came to settle accounts with Conrad Sterling.

Because at that time, Conrad Sterling’s status in Veridia was like it is now in Aethelgard; he was already someone not to be offended.

And four years ago, Conrad Sterling was as steady and calm as he is now, usually keeping a cold face even in business talks, and outside work, barely willing to engage with people.

It’s hard to believe he would tease Anna Thornton.

Even Conrad Sterling himself didn’t quite understand what he was thinking at that time.

Conrad Sterling snapped out of his memory, the cigarette on his fingers burned out, leaving a long trail of ash.

He used another hand to dial Henry Willow’s number: "Come out for a drink."

The day Pop was discharged, Conrad Sterling was already waiting at the hospital entrance early in the morning.

Seeing Anna Thornton coming out with the child, before he even said anything, Ethan proactively stepped forward to help with their luggage.

Anna Thornton didn’t shy away but directly asked, "Ethan, are you sending us off today, or has someone had a benevolent heart and found us a place to stay?"

Upon hearing this, Ethan hadn’t spoken yet when the ’someone’ in Anna’s words responded, "Aunt Murray made a call yesterday; she’s worried and wants me to bring you and Pop back to the Sterling Residence."

"It seems our mother and daughter haven’t been kicked out of Aethelgard. We’ll depend on Aunt Murray from now on," Anna said, asking the little bundle in her arms, "Pop, if there’s a chance, mommy will take you to visit your great aunt at the sanatorium and spend more time with her, okay?" The source of this content ɪs n0velfire.net

The little bundle nodded, then tilted her head to glance at her daddy, holding out her little hands for him to carry.

Conrad Sterling naturally reached out and took Pop, the little one soft and carrying a milky fragrance, akin to a freshly steamed custard bun, leaving one unsure how to handle her at first, afraid of bumping into her.

With his entire arm stiffened, Conrad Sterling personally opened the door for Anna: "Get in the car."

Upon returning to the Sterling Residence, Anna found it had undergone some changes; Pop’s room was now twice as large.

"Miss Thornton, President Sterling said you should stay with the child, so he had the wall in the middle knocked through to combine the two rooms," Granny Chandler explained to her.

"When did this setup begin?"

Granny Chandler whispered to her, "About two months ago."

Two months ago, wasn’t that when Anna had just taken Pop to the hospital?

They had just left the Sterling Residence, and Conrad Sterling was already having someone arrange rooms, indicating an early plan to bring them back!

This man, always using Aunt Murray as an excuse!