CHAPTER 20: CHAPTER 20: WHOSE CHILD IS THIS

"Hmm? What did you say, Pop?"

Mary turned her head and followed Pop’s little, lotus root-like arm, but saw nothing.

Yet, the little one was obviously still excited, her short legs kicking in Mary’s arms, wanting to get down.

Mary had no choice but to put her down, though she insisted Pop hold her hand tightly: "Alright, you can walk a bit yourself. Your mommy said not to run around, always keep Aunt Mary’s hand tight, and tell me if you want anything."

Pop nodded earnestly, agreeing with a serious expression.

After they had almost finished shopping in the supermarket, Anna Thornton called Mary: "I’ve bought everything, let’s meet at the parking lot."

"Okay, I’ll just buy some mosquito repellent for the baby and bring her over. I’ve seen our little Pop bitten by mosquitoes and getting several red bumps lately, and it breaks my heart..."

Mary analyzed her old aunt heart while glancing back at Pop.

But where was that little figure behind her?

Mary then realized she was holding the phone in one hand and looking at the mosquito repellent product’s instructions with the other, unaware of when the child let go.

"Oh no, Anna, Pop is missing!"

"What?!!"

"I... I just couldn’t hold her earlier, so I let her down. But I remember holding her all the time, so where... where did she go?"

Mary searched all the nearby shelves but didn’t see the child’s figure, getting so anxious that she couldn’t form words, while Anna on the phone was calmer than her: "Don’t worry, Pop is so small, she certainly wouldn’t walk too far. There’s surveillance inside and outside the large supermarket, so contact their staff now and ask for help."

"Oh, you’re smart, I’ll go ask them to check the surveillance to find the child now. You just wait at the parking lot, and don’t let anyone notice. I’ll definitely bring Pop back safely."

Mary ended the call and hurriedly went to find help.

Meanwhile, Conrad Sterling had finished shopping with Marilyn Ford, and they sat in a cafe.

Conrad Sterling didn’t like coffee; he just needed a place to sit and catch up with the work messages left on his phone these past few hours.

Soon after he focused on dealing with work, he felt something soft touch his knee.

When he finished reading an email and lifted his gaze, he saw a little one with Nezha-style hair lying on his knee, her big round eyes staring at him.

Conrad Sterling: "..."

Pop tilted her little head, first observing him for a while, and once he responded with his gaze, she immediately grinned at Conrad Sterling with a sweet smile, opening her little arms for a hug.

Conrad Sterling: "..."

"Conrad, whose child is this? She’s so cute!"

Marilyn Ford, at her age, was completely defenseless against cute children.

She picked up a stack of delicate, beautiful desserts from the table and teased Pop: "Little baby, would you like some candy from Auntie?"

Hearing this, Pop just turned her head to glance at her, seemingly not tempted by sweets.

The little one still stood in front of Conrad Sterling, refusing to move, as if afraid he wouldn’t understand her meaning. Pop patted Conrad Sterling’s thigh, continuing to open her little hands, whispering in a baby voice: "Hug!"

"Conrad, this child seems to really like you. I wonder whose she is, I haven’t seen her parents. It’s irresponsible not to keep an eye on kids in such a bustling place."

Marilyn Ford reminded Conrad Sterling: "This is your mall, why not have the staff announce it to notify the child’s parents to come and claim her?"

Notify the child’s parents?

Wouldn’t that mean running into Anna Thornton?

Conrad Sterling snorted lightly inwardly, possibly another one of that woman’s tricks.

Pop’s arms were sore from keeping them raised, but she didn’t receive the ’Daddy’s’ hug, and the clear and bright eyes gradually dimmed, her little mouth drooping down.

Fortunately, Mary hurried over at that moment.

She had just communicated with the supermarket staff and saw from surveillance that Pop ran out of the supermarket and entered the cafe opposite.

Seeing the little one, Mary’s heart, which had been scared out of her body, finally returned to its place.

"Oh my, my sweetheart, didn’t we say no running around? If you want to play hide-and-seek, not now."

She quickly stepped forward and took Pop in her arms, but the little one was still a bit reluctant to be picked up by her, holding tightly to the corner of Conrad Sterling’s suit.

Mary finally noticed that the man sitting here all the time was Conrad Sterling, and her heart that had just returned flew out again.

"Mu... President Sterling?"

Moreover, opposite Conrad Sterling sat the film queen Marilyn Ford, currently making waves both domestically and abroad, creating an utterly magical scene.

"Are you this child’s mother?" Marilyn Ford asked Mary.

"I..."

Mary was about to shake her head no, then suddenly worried that casually revealing information might cause trouble for Anna.

She swallowed back her words, giving Marilyn Ford a polite smile, letting her guess.

"Having such a small child without adults nearby is quite dangerous; don’t let her run around in the future," Marilyn Ford advised.

"Okay, I’ll be careful. Sorry, Miss Ford, for causing you trouble."

"What? Do you know us?"

"You’re a well-known star, and President Sterling is a representative of young, capable entrepreneurs, who wouldn’t recognize you here in Aethelgard?"

Mary’s compliment barely registered with Marilyn Ford, while the latter looked at her face with a slightly puzzled look, as if remembering something: "Haven’t we met before?"

"Miss Ford, someone of your caliber as a film queen, where would I have had the chance to meet?"

"No, I definitely have seen you before!" Marilyn Ford affirmed.

She had a good memory and generally remembered anyone she had come across.

Moreover, Marilyn Ford was sure Mary must be in the circle. Usually, people would call her a star or Miss Ford; ordinary people would not casually refer to her as the film queen.

"Last week at The Lumina Film Festival, weren’t you an agent for some artists?" Marilyn Ford asked.

Mary: "..."

Damn, Marilyn Ford does have a good memory!

Back then, Mary accompanied Anna Thornton to the film festival, and they entered the venue just before and after Marilyn Ford. Because Anna was wearing a dress with a large hem, Mary needed to help her arrange the dress at any time to ensure the most elegant and delicate pose.

That was when Anna Thornton had exchanged a few pleasantries with Marilyn Ford.

Yet, Mary guaranteed she had kept her head down the entire time and hadn’t had the opportunity to interact, unsure how Marilyn Ford remembered her.

Afraid the longer she stayed, the more the other might recall.

Mary gave a quick dismissive ’it’s not’, then rushed off with Pop in her arms.

"Hey..."

Watching Mary’s guilty fleeing back, Marilyn Ford frowned: "This person is very strange! Conrad, you can’t just let her go like that, the relationship between her and the child hasn’t been proven yet."