Chapter 204: Chapter 204

Anna Thornton drove out of the Sterling Residence and happened to run into Harold Ford at the gate.

The security personnel had just informed President Ford that President Sterling wasn’t in, but Harold Ford didn’t believe it and insisted on waiting at the entrance.

Indeed, it wasn’t long before he saw the Aston Martin that Conrad Sterling often drove!

Harold Ford waved his hand, but the sports car didn’t stop, probably because the windows were rolled up, and he didn’t hear him.

From yesterday to today, Harold Ford couldn’t just watch Conrad Sterling slip away under his nose.

He immediately got into his car and followed!

Anna saw from the rearview mirror that a car was following her, furrowed her brows slightly, and accelerated.

She led Harold Ford’s car around a few circles in the downtown area but couldn’t shake him off.

Anna wouldn’t admit she was a poor driver; she could only say that Harold, being a native of Aethelgard, surely knew the layout of every street better than she did.

Anna simply stopped trying to shake him off and parked in front of a restaurant. She put on her essential going-out disguise of a mask and a baseball cap, got out, and quickly entered the restaurant with her head down.

Harold Ford’s car also stopped behind. He initially thought he had caught Conrad Sterling.

Who would have thought that what got out of the car was clearly the back of a woman.

Unfortunately, once the woman entered the restaurant and Harold Ford followed her in, she was nowhere to be found in a blink of an eye.

What’s going on here?

A woman came out of Conrad Sterling’s house early in the morning?

Could it be just as Marilyn said, that Conrad had an affair?

He even lent her this expensive car; it seems Conrad really dotes on this woman!

The reason Harold Ford couldn’t find Anna in the restaurant, even after turning it upside down, was because Anna turned a corner halfway, skipped the restaurant, and went into the cinema next to it.

It wasn’t the weekend, and Anna chose a very obscure movie.

In that screening, there were only two people in the theater seating.

"How’s Holly Sutton’s situation recently?"

"The same as always! For four years, some company subordinates and partners questioned why your father didn’t leave the inheritance to his biological daughter but instead gave all the company shares to her. But Holly is indeed adept at doing business and good at winning people’s hearts. I’ve heard that even the Ford Family, one of the four major families of Aethelgard, gives her some respect!"

"Did it not affect her when I had those videos of her exposed before?"

"Well... not much impact! Anna, your father has been dead for four years. Over these years, Holly has indeed kept a few young men, but no matter how chaotic her private life is, it doesn’t become a significant flaw. Besides, the Thornton Family’s company is firmly in her control, and many of her followers fawn over her. Even your relatives and uncles have been brainwashed and are all listening to her now."

Upon hearing this, Anna sneered, "Relatives and uncles? They indeed stuck close when my father was in his prime, but the moment the Thornton Family encountered trouble, they were the quickest to switch sides! Uncle Douglas, only you are different; thanks to you, I escaped the hellhole of that mental hospital!"

"Sigh, it’s a pity I was a step too late back then. I could only take you and Pop out, but couldn’t save the other child..."

The middle-aged man, whom Anna referred to as ’Uncle Douglas,’ paused and sighed with self-blame when he spoke to this point. He shouldn’t have brought up the deepest, most hidden pain buried in Anna’s heart.

"Anna, in any case, it’s not yet a good time for you to return to Veridia. I’ll keep watching Holly’s movements for you."

"Don’t worry, Uncle Douglas. I’ve grown up. I won’t be as restless as four years ago, eager to scream and shout to the whole world as soon as I learn the truth, only to give Holly a chance to destroy all evidence of her poisoning my father."

It’s said that the law ultimately catches up, but Anna, after four years of investigation, still couldn’t find the evidence to bring Holly to justice.

"Since this path is blocked, I’ll focus on her will forgery and take back what belongs to the Thornton Family first."

"By the way, the attorney you asked me to look into, the one who conspired with Holly to alter your dad’s will four years ago, has moved to Aethelgard last year, here is the information!"

"This lawyer might be the breakthrough point. I’ll take the information home and go through it carefully. Thank you, Uncle Douglas!"

Anna took the file bag and stood up, eager to study it in a well-lit place.

"Anna!" The middle-aged man called out to her, asking worriedly, "Are you really doing well abroad?"

If she was doing so well, why would she still hold on to the hatred from four years ago so deeply?

Anna knew what he meant.

But if she didn’t let the hatred engrave itself, how could she answer for the innocent relatives who died?

Anna’s father and what she lost back then are the same. Perhaps only she in this world remembers and occasionally feels the pain.

That night, Anna came back to the Sterling Residence smelling of alcohol.

Just outside the corridor before the children’s room, Conrad Sterling stopped her.

"President Sterling, are you waiting up this late for me?" Anna instinctively flashed a bright and enchanting smile, "Could it be that you’re aroused again? No, it can only happen once a month!"

Anna wagged her index finger at the man, then was about to push him aside to go back to the room and sleep with the child.

But Conrad Sterling grabbed her back: "Anna, where did you drink so much? Was it necessary to get this drunk when meeting directors and collaborators?"

"Of course, if you want resources, you have to drink. That’s the rule in the entertainment industry, don’t you know?"

Conrad Sterling couldn’t understand it. With just a word from him, everything could be resolved; did she have to work so hard?

Would she rather go out to socialize with other men than show weakness to him?

"Ah! You swore!" Anna exclaimed, looking at Conrad Sterling in surprise, blinking and covering his mouth, "You broke the fourth condition; that’s not right!" Follow current novels on novelFɪre.net

"Those four conditions only apply to you, not me."

As Conrad Sterling spoke, Anna was still holding her hand over his mouth, her index finger tightly pressed against his lips.

The man couldn’t help but feel a dry mouth, subconsciously licked his lips.

"You touched me! So annoying!"

Anna rubbed the wetness from her finger disdainfully on Conrad Sterling’s shirt bustling across him.

This woman must really be drunk!

Last night she had just set a rule of once a month for Conrad Sterling.

Tonight she’s doing these gestures in front of him, doesn’t she know how alluring she is?

Conrad Sterling’s throat tightened, and he threw caution to the wind, carrying Anna horizontally.

"Conrad Sterling, put me down, I want to sleep!"

"Alright, I’ll take you to sleep!"

The next day, Anna hadn’t fully opened her eyes when the inexplicable soreness in her waist made her moan softly.

She was about to rub it when a warm big hand got ahead of her.

With calloused fingertips, he gently pressed her most sore spot, helping her ease it.

"Oh, did I drink too much last night and fell? Why does my entire body feel achy?"

Anna habitually reached forward for the soft, fragrant little boy she was used to.

Instead, she turned in the quilt, and saw Conrad Sterling lying beside her.

As if hit by a bolt from the blue, the memories of last night swiftly flashed through Anna’s mind.

Yesterday, after seeing Uncle Douglas in the cinema, she recalled many unhappy things and went drinking.

Drunk, she encountered Conrad Sterling who then took advantage of her, carrying her back to the room and...

Thinking of this, Anna’s hair stood on end, she flung off Conrad Sterling’s hand, could no longer care about her aching body, and rushed into the bathroom, locking the door.

Conrad Sterling seemed to hear retching sounds from inside, but it was soon drowned out by the sound of the shower.

After finishing her shower, Anna came out of the bathroom without reprimanding or criticizing Conrad Sterling for taking advantage last night.

She merely informed him in a half-joking, half-serious tone, "President Sterling, you’ve already used up your quota for this month!"

With that, Anna changed out of her nightgown, planning to see if Pop was awake and take care of the child.

Conrad Sterling couldn’t stand her attitude, pulled her back and pushed her against the door: "Anna, stop talking about quotas. I am your husband; what if I want you now?"