"Mommy, I finally found you."
The words were like a sudden clap of thunder, stunning everyone in an instant.
Eliza Sutton looked down at the child hugging her leg.
He was holding her tightly, his face pressed against her, so she couldn’t see his features clearly—only the top of his head.
But judging by his height, he looked to be about five years old.
The child’s appearance brought all of Eliza’s mories flooding back.
That chaotic night when she was eighteen, and the strong man who pinned her to the bed and took her forcefully.
And the twins she had given birth to in prison.
Harrison Sutton had told her that her firstborn, Leo, had died shortly after being brought to the Sutton family, and her second, Theo, had gone missing.
Ever since she got out of prison, she had been searching for Theo. A few days ago, she finally got news of him, but it was that he had died too.
But Eliza had never accepted it. She kept praying that Mr. Preston’s neighbor had been mistaken, that her Theo wasn’t dead.
Now, this child’s cry of "Mommy" felt like a gift from heaven, the answer to her prayers, as if she had finally found her poor, lost Theo.
Almost uncontrollably, Eliza wrapped her arms around the child.
"Mommy, I’ve been waiting for you. I looked for so long. Why didn’t you co find ? Is it true what people say? That you hate for being a bastard and don’t want anymore?"
The little boy began to cry as he spoke. His sobbing was so miserable it would have broken even the hardest of hearts.
Beside them, Erik Irvine couldn’t help but say, "President Lockwood, this must be a sche. The Mistress would never be so reckless!"
Shane Lockwood’s expression was grim, like the darkness before a storm.
Erik Irvine couldn’t help but tremble.
Not even when the second branch of the family had tried to kill President Lockwood had his expression been this terrifying.
Eliza didn’t notice Shane’s expression. Her eyes were fixed on the child.
’Theo...’
"The—" Eliza had just started to speak when she heard a voice from behind her.
"Eliza."
Eliza jolted, her muddled mind instantly clearing.
She broke out in a cold sweat, realizing she had almost fallen into a trap.
Eliza took a deep breath and regained her composure.
"Little one, I think you have the wrong person."
"I don’t have the wrong person! You’re my mommy, my only mommy. I promise I’ll be good from now on. I’ll listen to you and never make you angry again. Mommy, I’m begging you, please don’t abandon , okay?"
The child looked up as he spoke, revealing his small face.
The little boy’s face was as if carved from jade, every line and feature exquisitely perfect.
When Eliza saw his face clearly, she gasped.
’This child...’
Eliza instinctively glanced at Shane Lockwood, her expression full of unspoken words.
To everyone else, Eliza’s reaction looked like the fear and guilt of soone whose hidden secret had just been exposed.
Alia Sutton walked out, a worried look on her face. "Sister, I know you don’t want to bring up your reckless past. But you have to acknowledge the child, don’t you? Look how pitiful Theo is."
Harrison Sutton sighed as well. "Eliza, Dad was just angry before because you were being foolish, that’s why I scolded you. But how could you be so petty as to throw away your own son? Ai, thankfully the boy is tough and found his way back. No matter what, he’s our own flesh and blood. A reunion is always a good thing."
Harrison Sutton’s words sent the scene into an uproar.
The reporters went wild.
"Folks, can anyone tell what’s going on? Wasn’t Eliza Sutton just revealed to be the great master Innis? How did she suddenly beco a deadbeat mom who abandoned her son?"
"You can’t just excuse this by saying she made a mistake when she was young. Even a vicious tiger won’t eat its own cubs! Abandoning your own child is worse than an animal."
"This kid looks like he’s only four or five. Eliza Sutton is only twenty-three, which ans she was only eighteen at the ti. Eighteen is just after high school graduation, right? If she was already sleeping around at such a young age, how can we believe she can be a positive influence on the younger generation?"
"Believing a criminal who’s been to prison could be a positive influence was a ridiculous idea in the first place."
Erik Irvine said, "President Lockwood, you should take the Mistress and the Young Master and leave. I’ll handle things here."
Shane Lockwood held up a hand to stop him. "No need to rush. Let’s see what other ghouls crawl out of the woodwork."
The mont Shane finished speaking, a man pushed his way through the crowd.
He was dressed in rags, unshaven, and his face was a mask of grief and indignation. "Eliza, how could you be so cruel? It was bad enough that you abandoned and had driven out of Seabourne, but how could you abandon our son too? Did you know you threw him in a trash can in the middle of winter? He nearly froze to death!"
The man’s eyes were red, his expression utterly heartbroken. His miserable appearance drew sympathy from many in the crowd.
The reporters and onlookers began to point and whisper about Eliza Sutton.
Alia Sutton listened to the crowd’s accusations against Eliza, an indescribable sense of satisfaction blooming in her heart.
’Yes.’
’This is exactly how it should be.’
’Eliza Sutton deserves to live amidst everyone’s scorn and contempt.’
’She should be a rat scurrying across the street for everyone to hate!’
Alia put on a sympathetic smile. "Brother-in-law, don’t be too sad. My sister was young back then, after all, and she did a lot of things improperly. But it’s all better now. You’ve co back with the child, so the three of you can live happily as a family now."
’Brother-in-law?’
Eliza’s face turned to ice. She had still underestimated Alia’s shalessness. How could she possibly utter the words "brother-in-law" if she weren’t completely shaless?
"That’s right, Eliza, co back with . Theo is still so little; we can’t let him grow up without a mother. Theo, quick, tell your mommy you miss her, that you want Mommy and Daddy to be together."
The child burst into tears, tugging on Eliza’s clothes and crying a river of snot and tears. "Mommy, I really, really miss you! Please don’t leave again, okay? I don’t want people to call a motherless bastard anymore! Mommy!"
The child’s shrill cries were heartbreaking to hear.
So of the more soft-hearted people in the crowd couldn’t help but shed a few tears.
"This Eliza Sutton is too much. No matter what problems she has with the child’s father, she can’t just abandon the kid."
"What’s the difference between soone who abandons their child and an animal?"
"Exactly. Soone who abandons her husband and son is scum, no matter how talented she is."
Eliza ignored the gossip, looking coldly at the man before her. "I don’t care who paid you to co here and slander , but I hope you understand one thing: what you’re doing right now is illegal!"
’Never mind that this child could not possibly be Theo. The re fact that this man showed up with Alia and Harrison Sutton was enough for her not to trust him.’
’Besides, even though it had been five years, the mory was still fresh. The man from that night was taller and stronger than this one.’
’He was definitely not the man she had spent the night with.’
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