CHAPTER 24: CHAPTER 24: WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH PRESIDENT STERLING?

Ethan waited at the hospital entrance under the blazing sun, and when President Sterling finally came out, he quickly opened the car door for him.

"President Sterling, I really didn’t mean to scare the child. Now...is everything okay inside?"

Ethan stood outside nervously as long as Pop was being examined inside.

He really wanted to go in and check the situation, but President Sterling asked him to stay outside, and he was afraid to go in and further upset the child.

Ethan was still confused about one thing. Although he wasn’t as handsome as President Sterling, his features were decent enough not to scare a child, right?

Only Conrad Sterling knew that Pop wasn’t scared by Ethan but because of him...

Earlier today, the little one was hurt emotionally at the mall by Conrad Sterling. When they got home, Pop was still pouting unhappily, but Ethan had managed to calm him down with candy.

No one expected that when Anna Thornton returned home, Conrad Sterling followed her. Pop realized that these unfamiliar men were sent by Conrad Sterling, hence calling them ’bad uncles’.

So it wasn’t Ethan who scared Pop; it was Conrad Sterling.

Unaware of the truth, Ethan was still immersed in guilt: "Miss Thornton must be very upset, right? Should I send some gifts to apologize?"

"Do you know what needs to be prepared for a three-year-old child in the hospital?" Conrad Sterling suddenly questioned him.

"Fruit? Nutritious porridge? Toys?"

"Go handle it."

...

After Conrad Sterling left, the doctor came to the ward again.

Anna Thornton thought there might be additional issues concerning the child and stood up nervously.

"Miss Thornton, please sit down. I heard your foot is injured; I’m here to treat your wound."

The injury on Anna Thornton’s foot was caused when she shattered a car window with her high heel and cut her foot on the glass after stepping out barefoot.

But due to her concern for Pop, she hadn’t tended to it, and now the bleeding had stopped.

Strangely, she hadn’t noticed it herself; how did the doctor hear about it?

The next day—

Ethan brought several bags of infant nutritional products and toys in his left hand, and held a thermos in his right hand, as he came to the hospital to visit Pop.

Standing at the ward door, he hesitated for more than ten minutes, embarrassed to enter.

Anna Thornton noticed him first and invited him in.

"Miss Thornton, I’m really sorry about yesterday."

"It wasn’t your fault, relax."

Anna Thornton comforted Ethan, knowing that Pop’s crying was all the fault of Conrad Sterling, the big pig’s knuckle.

The little one was already awake, leaning against the bedhead drinking milk. Seeing Ethan enter, Pop didn’t show fear, but instead stared wide-eyed at the things ’bad uncle’ had brought.

"This is my token of appreciation."

Ethan placed the gifts he brought on the table and handed the thermos to Anna Thornton with both hands: "Inside is porridge made specially for the child, it’s best to drink it while warm."

Anna Thornton didn’t rush to take it, instead scanning the gifts Ethan had brought: "Is your salary high as Conrad’s assistant?"

"Well...it’s decent enough." Ethan answered, rubbing the back of his head.

"The nutritional products you bought are all from the most expensive brands; that’s humble."

Anna Thornton took the thermos, opened the lid, and sniffed: "Smells great, did you make this porridge yourself?"

"No, I... I ordered it from a restaurant."

Anna Thornton tasted a spoonful herself and couldn’t help but praise: "It tastes really good."

Pop eagerly put down the bottle, almost drooling on his chin, but seeing his mom didn’t intend to feed him.

"Can you give me the restaurant’s phone number? I’ll need it the next few days." Anna Thornton asked Ethan.

"If you and Pop like it, I can deliver it every day."

"That would be too much trouble for you! You’re Conrad’s assistant, not mine."

"It’s no problem, I’m not busy the next few days."

"I heard big companies like Sterling Group are notoriously demanding; can you really decide your level of busyness?" Anna Thornton asked him.

Ethan: "..."

"Be honest, where did you actually get this porridge?"

Before today, Ethan had pondered the origins of Miss Thornton. He had never heard of her before, yet she returned to the country and instantly got involved with President Sterling.

But after today, Ethan thought he wouldn’t be surprised anymore.

This Miss Thornton is indeed something special; after all, he had only sweated nervously in front of President Sterling, but was feeling similarly pressured by someone else now.

"The porridge was made by President Sterling’s household chef." Unable to hide the truth from Anna Thornton, Ethan confessed.

"Probably not just any chef; Conrad sure knows how to enjoy himself."

Anna Thornton said this while putting down the thermos.

"Miss Thornton, don’t you like the taste of the porridge?" Ethan asked her.

"The taste is good, but I don’t dare eat it; I’m afraid that man might poison it to kill me and Pop, silencing us once and for all."

"Miss Thornton is joking, that’s impossible! The porridge is meant to nourish Pop, and President Sterling personally selected these nutritional products and toys; I’m just the delivery guy." Ethan explained, "But don’t worry, these are definitely safe; if you like, you can have them examined by the doctor."

"This hospital belongs to the Sterling Group."

"Uh...President Sterling wouldn’t harm you two. He specifically instructed the medical staff to provide 24-hour enhanced care. If you and Pop are harmed, everyone involved would face consequences."

Conrad Sterling really going to such lengths?

Actually, Anna Thornton wasn’t genuinely concerned about being poisoned; after all, that man had many ways to make them leave.

Even if Pop’s sudden situation delayed him yesterday, he wouldn’t resort to such an underhanded method.

Her words just aimed to probe this honest assistant.

Anna Thornton picked up the thermos again, spooning some porridge to test the temperature before feeding Pop, who eagerly opened his mouth.

"Pop, does it taste good?"

"Real good!"

The child’s happiness is simple; savoring tasty food makes him beam with joy and forget all of yesterday’s troubles and pain.

Ethan wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him; the more he looked at Pop, the more he found him resembling President Sterling.

Simultaneously worried about discovering something unbelievable, Ethan hoped he wouldn’t return only to be silenced by President Sterling.

"Miss Thornton, here’s my business card. Please feel free to contact me if you need anything."

Anna Thornton put down the spoon and took his card, giving it a glance: "Is this also Conrad’s instruction?"

"No, no, mainly because yesterday I felt so guilty. I should be responsible for the trouble caused to you and Pop."

"Considering a man’s responsibility, your President Sterling should really learn from you."

Hearing Anna Thornton say so, Ethan quickly waved his hand, his facial muscles tensing to signal modesty.

But a shadow of suspicion seemed caught in his mind; every time Miss Thornton mentioned President Sterling, resentment tinged her words, suggesting an untold past between them?

Just thinking about this, Anna Thornton’s agent arrived.

As soon as Mary entered and saw Ethan, she instantly put her hands on her hips, her face falling: "What are you doing here? Haven’t you harmed little Pop enough?"

"I sincerely apologize for yesterday’s incident." Realizing Mary was less forth-coming than Anna Thornton, Ethan nodded again and apologized before attempting to leave, "Miss Thornton, I’ll go now. Feel free to contact me for anything."

"Alright."

"Anna, how could you let him leave so easily?" Mary complained, watching Ethan sneak around her and exit faster than a rabbit, "Yesterday, he brought a group into the house, rummaging through everything and said they were going to kick us out of Aethelgard."

"He’s just following orders; what’s the point of venting at him?"

"Whose orders?" Mary pulled up a chair beside the hospital bed, glancing at the table full of high-end nutritional products, then looking at Anna Thornton, "Today, you must tell me clearly, what’s your relationship with that President Sterling?"