Restaurant—
"I’m really sorry! We only have one set of the toy al left, and the gift as well."
The waitress clutched the nu to her chest and explained to Anna Thornton.
Seeing how young Anna looked, she hesitated to call her "madam," but she heard the little kids beside her call her "mom." Unsure what to do, she decided not to use any honorifics.
"I don’t want the toy, I don’t like it!" Lola said with her head down.
"Then one toy al and one regular kids’ al."
"Alright, I’ll bring the last gift over."
After the waitress left, Anna reached out to ruffle Lola’s hair.
Granny Chandler ntioned how he looked after his sister both at school and ho.
Though he acted like a little distant on the surface, even turning his head awkwardly, he cared more than anyone.
Seeing Lola being so mature, Anna felt both comforted and a bit guilty towards him.
"Sweetheart, where do you want to go play after lunch?"
"After lunch, I still have class!" Lola replied.
"Oh, right!" Anna didn’t forget it was Wednesday, and there were classes in the afternoon.
She just thought, it’s kindergarten after all, attending classes wasn’t that important.
She originally planned to take this rare chance of being back and take her little ones out for fun. But then, as a parent, setting an example by skipping school didn’t seem right, especially when Lola enjoyed studying so much.
"Alright, think about where you want to go, and Mommy will take you on the weekend."
"Yay~" Pop cheered.
"Okay." Lola nodded.
It’s not that Lola loved learning. Given his intelligence, being in a kindergarten class could be seen as an insult to him.
Conrad Sterling noticed this too, but had no plans to advance him a grade yet.
After all, being only three years old was too young. Maybe in a couple of years.
The little tyke was keen on going back to school in the afternoon, not to avoid skipping class, but because he had a fight to settle.
Pop looked at Lola with wide eyes. Lola put a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet.
Children should settle their own disputes, no need to involve adults.
Just as the waitress was bringing over the ’Cat Princess’ toy for Pop, a woman walked in with a child.
"Do you have a promotion where you get a toy with a al?" she asked the waitress.
"Yes, but the gifts are all gone."
"But I see you have one in your hand. Give it to !"
"Uh... this one is reserved by another custor."
Saying this, the waitress pointed towards Anna Thornton’s direction.
Seeing the other woman was not to be trifled with, the waitress quickly handed the toy to Pop: "Here, little friend, this is your gift. Hold onto it tightly."
Pop accepted it, and seeing it was her favorite Cat Princess toy, she was overjoyed. She gently placed it into her backpack.
"Are you also from Sacred Heart Kindergarten?" Tanya Ford noticed the school emblems on Pop and Lola’s clothes.
The little boy beside her tugged at her, pointing at Pop: "She’s from our school, Violet Sterling, and that’s her brother Skyler Sterling."
"Sterling?" Tanya quickly ran through her mind; there weren’t any major families with the surna ’Sterling’ in Aethelgard that had a standing worth noting.
Despite the famous Sterling Group, Tanya didn’t make the connection to Conrad Sterling.
President Sterling was young, had no relationships or marriage. Except for being rumored with her niece, Marilyn, there’s no other woman around him. Who would believe he had two kids this big?
"Are you Mrs. Sterling or Miss Sterling?" Tanya looked at Anna, feeling she looked familiar but didn’t think too much of it.
After all, the other was too young, and since this family was dismissed from being part of Aethelgard’s elite, Tanya didn’t intend to waste effort on them.
She directly pulled out ten hundred-yuan bills from her purse and slapped them in front of Anna: "My son wants that toy!"
Hearing her arrogant tone, Anna finally raised her eyes.
The woman before her seed about thirty, but likely older. She took good care of herself and wore clothes that exuded luxury.
Such a thick mink coat, how could it not be expensive? The embodint of wealth.
However, Anna glanced at the stack of money in front of her, raising an eyebrow: "Just this much?"
"It’s just a little toy; how much could it be worth?" Tanya dismissed.
"If it’s not worth much, why not buy it sowhere else yourself?" Anna retorted.
Lola added, "Exactly!"
Pop tried to open her mouth wide but only managed a small bite of her taro bun. While eating, she mimicked her sister in echoing, "Exactly~"
"You all..."
Being a Ford by birth, and married into the Hawthorne Family, Tanya was part of two of the grand families. Who in Aethelgard could outshine her?
Wherever she went, she was always treated like royalty.
When had she ever faced such cold treatnt?
"Do you know who I am?"
"Who are you?"
Hearing such a question from Anna, Tanya was more convinced the other was insignificant and freely ridiculed her: "Haven’t even heard of the four grand families? I thought Sacred Heart Kindergarten had high admission standards, so how can any random family enroll their kids here? Alas, I should have sent my child abroad, ensuring they receive the best environnt and education."
"Mom!" The little boy tugged at her, whispering, "I don’t want the toy anymore!"
He initially wanted the toy to give to Pop.
He knew Pop loved Cat Princess!
However, to Tanya, the issue was no longer a re toy but about face.
Whatever her son desired, even if it were a star from the sky, soone should make it happen.
Given her connections with two of the grand families, Anna Thornton may disregard Tanya, but she couldn’t slight both the Hawthorne and Ford families!
"I’ve co across many like you; today I’ll give you a chance to make a fortune. I don’t have much cash on , so tell , how much do you want?" Tanya said, readying a check from her designer clutch.
Anna, however, ignored her, focusing instead on feeding the two kids.
Lola concentrated on behaving well in her mother’s presence by eating properly.
Pop focused on eating!
Tanya: "..."
"I’m talking to you, you..."
"Waiter, could you please clear the area? We don’t want to be disturbed!" Anna directly cut Tanya off.
Though in the service industry, the staff hated unruly custors like Tanya the most, and had been itching to ask: "We don’t have any toy als left, would you like to order sothing else?"
"What’s good about a shabby restaurant like this? I’m worried about the hygiene!" Tanya said scornfully.
She then turned to Anna, delivering a parting threat: "I’ve rembered you! Both your kids are Sterlings, right? I’ll soon show you the cost of offending ."
After Tanya left, Anna asked Pop and Lola: "What’s the na of that kid just now?"
"Evan Hawthorne!" Lola sneered, "I dislike him!"
"Hawthorne Family, huh?" No wonder that woman kept prattling about the four grand families.
The Hawthorne family’s real estate bood in recent years, still thriving, it’s as if they wish to brand ’wealth’ on their foreheads.
Anna had learned about Aethelgard’s four families since returning and was just feigning ignorance earlier.
Old man Hawthorne had three sons and allegedly chose Mason Hawthorne, the third son, as his successor. So, the woman earlier was likely the wife of the set successor, surnad Ford, supposedly.
No wonder she was so arrogant, collecting threats from both the Hawthorne and Ford families. That indeed could be intimidating.
"Is Sacred Heart Kindergarten partially owned by the four families?" Anna asked herself, about to check on her phone.
Lola looked up to reassure her: "No! Don’t worry, soone will handle it!"
Hearing this, Anna set down her phone: "That’s a good point!"
Pop raised her head blankly: "..."
Unsure who this ’soone’ was they referred to?
After lunch—
Anna took the little ones back to school and used the afternoon to visit the agency.
Mary had arrived early and whispered a report the mont she saw Anna: "Young Master Willow just told the company’s about to sign a new recruit. Guess who?"
"Who?"
"Angela Thornton!"
"..."
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