Chapter 299: Chapter 299

Anna Thornton watched President Sterling get ’kicked out of the group chat’ firsthand, laughing so hard while holding the script that her stomach hurt.

"Is it that funny?" President Sterling, having his pride wounded by a three-year-old, sat beside Anna, hoping for some comfort, "This kid still hasn’t called me dad even once."

However, he sought solace from the wrong person. Anna was currently immersed in the joy of having found Lola again and was naturally on her son’s side without question: "Who’s to blame for that? You brought this on yourself!"

Conrad Sterling thought she was about to bring up the incident from four years ago again.

But Anna wasn’t one to dwell on grievances. Now that Lola was back, she hadn’t explained to him why, three years ago, his mom and sister were separated from him.

Including Conrad Sterling’s unreliability, Anna chose not to mention it.

As for whether Lola would ever call him dad, it’d be up to Conrad’s own efforts.

"Conrad, I heard William Sutton’s clamoring to see me in prison? He must’ve heard about Holly Sutton’s death and realized there’s no hope. Now, he’s trying to use Lola as his last card, hoping I’ll let him off."

"Well, I’ve already silenced him."

William Sutton and Freya Vaughn, in the end, were nothing but small players.

They thought they held the trump card, but the rules were set by people like Conrad in the upper circles, silencing them didn’t even require lifting a finger.

William Sutton still didn’t know Lola had reunited with Anna and returned to his biological parents.

As for Freya Vaughn, she had treated Lola as a cash cow, but at least never truly mistreated him.

So, Anna and Conrad didn’t plan to act against her.

However, Freya still hadn’t stopped searching for news about Lola. But since the child was stolen, she didn’t dare make a fuss or call the police.

Let that couple hold onto their dream of an inevitable freedom, and the other in constant fear, it would at least let them feel a tenth of the pain Anna felt when she lost her child back then.

"Conrad, I think Lola had it tough. He was so little when Holly Sutton took him, raised as William Sutton’s son for three years. I can’t imagine how he grew up to be ; it’s a miracle he wasn’t ruined."

Listening to Anna’s worrying tone, it seemed her next step would likely be to vow more devotion and attention to Lola.

Ever since Lola was found, Anna’s focus had been solely on this little guy, and Conrad was ignored daily under her watchful gaze.

President Sterling originally didn’t have high status at home, and the little he had was taken away.

How could he be content with that?

"You don’t have to worry about him being bullied, this kid is very smart. Being raised next to Holly Sutton for three years without suffering a loss, and every time Holly met him, it was her who ended up unlucky."

"Of course, my son is clever!" Anna couldn’t help but feel proud, "Lola told me he found my old photos in The Thornton Residence. And after overhearing Holly and William Sutton’s conversations, plus Holly’s anxious attempts to hide him when I returned, he knew there was something off. He even secretly took my hair to do a DNA test with his own, this kid is really bright, must take after me!"

"They’re twins, obviously, Lola’s intelligence takes after me, but Pop’s intelligence clearly takes after you!" Anna half-joked at Conrad, saddened at having to lower Pop’s inherited intelligence.

President Sterling: "...Are you sure? Say it again with your hand on your heart?"

Lola, appearing to chat with Pop, actually caught snippets of Anna and Conrad’s conversation, and at the critical moment, chimed in, "I’m like mom!"

"See, the person involved has spoken." Follow current novels on novel(ꜰ)ire.net

Conrad Sterling: "Alright."

This mother and son duo have no conscience!

"Lola, come here, mommy will reward you with a kiss!"

Anna waved at Lola, and the little bundle surprisingly cooperated, getting up to let Anna plant a kiss on his chubby little cheek.

He even deliberately turned the cheek with the lipstick mark towards Conrad, flaunting it back and forth.

President Sterling: "..."

This kid definitely inherited Conrad’s cunning nature.

Only Pop remained blissfully unaware that his intelligence was mutually dismissed by both dad and mom, happily trotted over to Anna: "Mommy, Pop wants a kiss too~"

"Kiss my precious Pop!"

Conrad looked on jealously as Anna kissed both Pop and Lola, yet looked right through him as if he were invisible.

"Mommy, want some cookies~"

"Aunt Mary will take you and your brother to buy some cookies. Mommy will rest for another day, how about I play with you tomorrow?"

Upon hearing this, the little bundles obediently let Mary, one in each hand, lead them away.

Just as they left, Anna immediately let out a cry: "Conrad, my arm wound suddenly hurts a lot! Call a doctor to give me a painkiller!"

"Are you treating painkillers like glucose? The wound is healing and hurts a little, bear with it, it’ll pass."

"I can’t stand it, it hurts so much!"

The wound on Anna’s arm wasn’t actually big, the doctor said once it healed, even the scar wouldn’t be visible.

Conrad Sterling was injured more severely, but he wasn’t as delicate as she was.

However, Anna had a trait, she would never express pain in front of the kids; she truly understood the concept of ’maternal strength.’

But the moment out of sight from Lola and Pop, she’d start howling louder than a three-year-old.

Conrad helplessly shook his head, popped a milk candy into her mouth, and comforted her in his arms: "There, there, bear with it, be good!"

"Pop, do you think this little backpack looks good?"

"What about you, Lola?"

"...Uh, I guess it looks nice."

"Now, pick out the color you like? Each backpack has a different little animal on it. Pop, you like the little duck, right?"

"Now, help your brother pick one, which little animal backpack do you like for your brother?"

"Little tiger, Lola, do you one?"

"Uh... I guess I like it."

"This is from our own brand’s new collection, you know. Mommy collaborated with the designer, aren’t they cute?"

Anna was helping Lola with his school transfer procedures; after this weekend, Lola and Pop would both return to Aethelgard.

The siblings attending kindergarten together would be good for looking after one another.

Lola wasn’t eager to go; he wanted to stay in Veridia with mom.

But Anna couldn’t always stay in Veridia; her main career battlefield was in Aethelgard.

In retrospect, there’s some regret; if it weren’t for the new show’s contract she signed in advance, she really wanted to return with Lola.

The child hadn’t been with his biological parents for three years, and now, just reunited, she couldn’t spend more time with him.

Feeling guilty, Anna could only strive to make up in other ways by meticulously preparing daily necessities for Lola before he gets home.

Anna used to dream of having two children, that way, she could buy matching but differently colored sets of clothes, backpacks, shoes, and have two little bundles holding hands, looking so cute and delightful that she’d be in awe.

Lola clearly didn’t quite understand this dream, looking at those little ducky and tiger items with an expression of disdain ready to burst out, but since mom bought them, and said it’s their brand, with her input in design, he reluctantly accepted them.

Buying so many things obviously required an adult to drive them back.

That night after dropping off the two little bundles, Conrad Sterling also left.

Anna sat alone on the bed, suddenly finding the ward so spacious and the emptiness strangely unsettling.

She straightforwardly called Mary to accompany her: "Mary, did you say there’s a new production crew dinner tomorrow?"

"It was initially scheduled for tomorrow, but the crew just called saying it might need to be postponed, exactly when hasn’t been determined."

"Seems the male lead’s schedule suddenly changed. I heard the male lead booked this time really loves to act like a diva, I didn’t expect we’d encounter something right from the start."

Hearing this, Anna couldn’t help but grumble: "He doesn’t settle, and I can’t leave. Leaving me all alone in Veridia, how am I supposed to endure this life?!"