Chapter 95: A Striking Resemblance
Tristan Sterling looked at the nanny and asked, "What is lissa doing?"
The nanny answered, "Miss Evelynn is with the young miss for her afternoon nap."
Tristan Sterling walked forward, his hand on the doorknob. He instinctively softened his movents as he pushed the door open and went inside.
He saw the two of them asleep on the hospital bed, holding each other.
Rachel Royce was lying on her side, gently holding lissa in her arms. lissa was nestled against her, her little hands balled into fists in front of her chest. Her rosy little face looked exceptionally sweet as she slept.
From this angle, their two profiles—one large, one small—were strikingly similar.
Tristan Sterling stood frozen, silently watching the two on the bed, his dark eyes deep and inscrutable.
Rachel Royce woke up in a daze. She shifted, but her body suddenly tensed instinctively. Looking down at the still-sleeping lissa, she stopped moving.
Gazing at her daughter’s sweet, beautiful little face, she couldn’t resist leaning down to give her a kiss.
She carefully pulled her arm back, sat up, and lifted the covers, intending to go to the bathroom. However, just as she sat up, she turned her head and saw the man sitting silently on the sofa.
Rachel Royce’s eyes flew wide open, and she jumped in fright.
"You..."
The word was on the tip of her tongue, but she stopped herself.
She frowned. ’When did this man get here?’
Tristan Sterling lifted his gaze from his phone screen, his dark, somber eyes fixing on her.
’He obviously already knows that I slapped Claire Ainsworth.’
By tacit understanding, neither of them spoke.
Rachel Royce lowered her legs, slipped on her slippers, and turned to pull the blanket properly over lissa before finally heading to the bathroom.
When she ca out again, she was completely awake.
Tristan Sterling glanced at her and said in a low voice, "Co outside."
Rachel Royce watched his retreating back. ’When I slapped Claire Ainsworth, I knew he would co to settle the score. I have nothing to be afraid of.’
She followed him out of the hospital room.
Tristan Sterling told the nanny to go inside and watch lissa.
They went to a quiet public lounge.
Rachel Royce stopped, keeping a distance of about two steps from him.
Tristan Sterling turned around, his hands in his pockets. His handso face was cold and grim as he looked down at Rachel Royce condescendingly. "Give a reason for hitting her."
Rachel Royce let out a soft laugh. "So, President Sterling really did co to call to account. I hit her. So what? What reason do you need? If she wants money, I’ll just pay her. It’s no big deal."
Tristan Sterling stared at her. "You think you’re so capable, don’t you?"
"I wouldn’t dare boast about my capabilities in front of you, President Sterling."
"Even though Rowan and Procare have signed the contract, there’s no guarantee things will proceed smoothly."
At his words, Rachel Royce’s expression darkened. "So, is that a threat, President Sterling?"
"If you think it’s a threat, then it’s a threat."
Rachel Royce locked eyes with him in defiance.
A brief silence fell.
The air around them seed to grow heavy with oppression.
"President Sterling, you really are deeply infatuated with Miss Ainsworth. But to fall for a woman of her character... your taste really isn’t all that great."
Tristan Sterling retorted mockingly, "What, would it be good taste only if I’d fallen for you?"
Rachel Royce’s face turned cold. "Then I’d just consider myself cursed with a lifeti of bad luck." With that, she turned to walk away. "Do whatever you want. But you’d better keep Claire Ainsworth away from . Otherwise, it won’t be as simple as a single slap."
Having said her piece, she strode back toward the hospital room.
By the ti she reached her room, Rachel Royce had cald down. She pushed the door open and saw that lissa had just woken up. The little girl was sitting on the bed, rubbing her eyes and yawning.
The nanny poured a glass of warm water and handed it to lissa.
lissa took the cup, had a sip, and then saw Rachel Royce. "Aunt Evelynn," she called out in her soft, sweet voice.
Hearing lissa’s voice, Rachel Royce felt her heart lt, and a smile involuntarily blossod on her face.
"lissa’s awake."
She walked over, and lissa reached out her arms, asking for a hug.
Rachel Royce bent down and lifted lissa into her arms.
lissa rested lazily on Rachel Royce’s shoulder.
The nanny watched them and couldn’t help but remark, "The young miss is usually very particular about who she’s with when she wakes up. I’ve never seen her cling to a stranger like this."
Hearing the nanny’s words, Rachel Royce rely gave a faint smile and didn’t respond.
Just then, Tristan Sterling walked in through the doorway and saw Rachel Royce holding lissa.
When lissa saw her father, she wanted him to hold her too.
Rachel Royce glanced at the man. In front of lissa, they both tacitly pretended that nothing had just happened. Tristan Sterling took lissa from Rachel’s arms and held her, gently patting her back.
Having just woken up, lissa was feeling clingy and wanted to be held.
Tristan Sterling held her for a while, his usual cold, imposing aura replaced by the gentle, doting tenderness of a loving father.
"Let’s go wash your face first, okay?" the man asked softly.
lissa nodded lightly, and Tristan Sterling took her to the bathroom to wash her face.
The nanny prepared a cup of milk for her.
lissa stood in front of her father, holding the cup with both hands and sipping through a straw, while Tristan Sterling skillfully combed her hair and tied it into braids.
Rachel Royce sat on a nearby stool, quietly watching the scene unfold before her.
Once lissa was all tidied up, she was back to being a cheerful little angel.
But Tristan Sterling was preparing to leave with lissa.
"This is a hospital. lissa can’t stay here for too long."
Rachel Royce looked at Tristan Sterling. He sensed her gaze and glanced sideways at her.
’What was there not to understand?’
’Tristan Sterling was deliberately taking lissa away.’
lissa didn’t want to go. "No, no, I want to stay with Aunt Evelynn."
Tristan Sterling said, "Be good, lissa. If you get sick, you’ll have to get shots and take dicine, and you’ll be stuck at ho and won’t be able to go anywhere."
lissa pouted, clearly scared by Tristan Sterling’s words. "lissa doesn’t want to take dicine."
"If you don’t want to take dicine, then let’s go ho."
lissa turned to look at Rachel Royce.
Rachel Royce forced herself to speak. "lissa, you should go ho for now. When Auntie is better, you can co visit again."
’If Tristan Sterling wanted to take lissa, she couldn’t stop him, even if she wanted to.’
’lissa was still too young to spend so much ti in a hospital anyway.’
Once the nanny finished packing, Tristan Sterling left, carrying lissa.
Rachel Royce sat stunned on the sofa, watching the door close. She felt an empty, hollow ache, as if her heart had been scooped out.
’She knew it wouldn’t be so easy to see lissa again after this.’
A sudden ache gripped her heart. The tip of her nose tingled, and her eyes reddened uncontrollably.
Soti later, Thomas Sterling called.
Rachel Royce was lying in bed.
"What’s wrong?"
Thomas Sterling heard the strange note in her voice.
Rachel Royce sat up. "It’s nothing. I was just resting."
"I’m off the high-speed train. What’s the address?"
Rachel Royce gave Thomas Sterling the address.
She had just hung up the phone when Julian Jennings pushed the door open and walked in. He imdiately saw Rachel Royce’s eyes, which were clearly puffy from crying. "What happened? Did they take lissa?"
Rachel Royce nodded. "Tristan Sterling took her away."
Julian Jennings, of course, guessed what had happened. "What did he say to you when he ca?"
Rachel Royce reached for a tissue and sniffled. After calming herself, she said, "We need to keep a close eye on the follow-up work for Procare."
Julian Jennings frowned. "He threatened you."
Rachel Royce gave a sarcastic smile. "It’s only normal for him to threaten . After all, the woman he cherishes so much got slapped."
Julian Jennings said, "This is Athera. It’s not so easy for him to think he can control everything."
Rachel Royce just humd in agreent.
The atmosphere grew silent.
Julian Jennings looked at her. ’Of course, he understood that she wasn’t so upset because of the threat. It was because Tristan Sterling probably wouldn’t let lissa see her again.’
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