CHAPTER 397: CHAPTER 397: SHE NEVER LETS GO OF A GRUDGE

Conrad Sterling returned to the Sterling Residence in a very disheveled state!

Anna Thornton was responsible for taking Finn Grant to get his wounds stitched, while Conrad Sterling, after taking Riley Osborne to the hospital, also dealt with the aftermath.

Scrapper dared to touch his woman, Conrad Sterling could never let him off.

The reason he watched him escape was because President Sterling wanted to figure out if there was anyone else behind the scenes orchestrating things, to capture them all in one fell swoop.

However, after investigation, it seemed that the person Scrapper wanted to meet had nothing to do with this matter.

Because the other’s actions were swift and clean, they even managed to deal with Scrapper before Conrad Sterling could personally make a move.

As for Ethan Hawthorne...

This person was too naturally dull to be worth supporting, and Conrad Sterling was ready to remove him.

"President Sterling, you’re, you’re back?"

When Granny Chandler met Conrad Sterling at the door, her experienced old eyes looked particularly flustered.

She had never seen President Sterling like this before.

Conrad Sterling was injured too heavily, so much so that Granny Chandler wanted to reach out to support him, yet hesitated because she was afraid of touching any wounded areas on President Sterling.

It was evening at this time, almost after dinner, the most relaxed period.

In the hall, Jade Sterling was sitting in a wheelchair accompanying Pop and Lola watching cartoons.

She raised her eyes and glanced at Conrad Sterling, taking it as nothing unusual.

She remembered before Conrad was fifteen, he often came home covered in wounds.

Back then, Conrad Sterling wasn’t President Sterling yet, though she felt hurt for him, Jade Sterling never asked what he did outside, or how he got injured.

Because she understood Conrad’s temperament, even if asked, he wouldn’t tell.

However, Jade Sterling could see the difference between now and then.

The Conrad Sterling who was not yet President Sterling didn’t have the calm and restraint he now had, but rather exuded a gloomy aura, no different from the average frustrated and unfulfilled teenager, who felt like the whole world owed him something.

But the current Conrad Sterling, his brow was very peaceful, even if there were any negative emotions, he had suppressed them all before entering the door.

After all, once inside, there were still two little kids at home.

Pop, hearing the commotion, perked up his little head and stared blankly at daddy.

Then the little one abandoned his favorite "Cat Princess" and ran to fetch the medicine box.

Conrad Sterling didn’t let Granny Chandler assist him, he walked to the sofa and lay down by himself.

Even though he was seriously injured, he had undergone basic treatment before coming home, even changed clothes to disperse the smell of blood, so as not to scare the children.

Pop had already found his little medical kit and came running over with ’rat-a-tat’ steps.

However, his little medical kit was really small, like one used for playing house.

The little guy rummaged around, finally finding a band-aid to stick on daddy’s wound, but the band-aid was barely enough to cover just one of Conrad Sterling’s fingernails.

"Use this!"

Lola came over with a serious face holding a medicine box, this time normal-sized.

However, he didn’t use it, but looked toward Granny Chandler.

"President Sterling, why don’t I help you go upstairs and rest for a while?" Granny Chandler asked.

Conrad Sterling waved her off, declining the offer.

Granny Chandler immediately understood, and Aunt Murray even more so realized who he was putting on this show for.

The two adults worked together to coax the little ones back to their upstairs room.

As a result, when Anna Thornton came home that night, she saw Conrad Sterling lying weakly on the sofa, with a medicine box in front of him but no one to care for him, not even a blanket to cover him, looking pitiful.

Conrad Sterling’s stature was quite tall, the long sofa almost couldn’t contain him. Therefore, the man had to slightly curl up into a shrimp-like shape, his face pale, with undried cold sweat at his temples, even his originally stiff short hair was mostly damp, appearing to be in great pain.

However, Anna Thornton just glanced past him.

She wasn’t even willing to spare an extra glance, directly going upstairs.

When he heard the woman’s footsteps moving further and further away, Conrad Sterling’s tightly closed eyelids subtly twitched.

She’s still mad at him!

Conrad Sterling thought he had fulfilled her wish today and she’d be better.

But Anna Thornton really held a grudge!

Even if President Sterling voluntarily let Scrapper’s men beat him up badly, it didn’t evoke any compassion from this woman at all.

After visiting Pop and Lola in the children’s room, Anna Thornton went straight back to her bed, pulled the covers over herself, and fell asleep.

Compassion? Ha...

Back then, Dad Thornton’s life was lost, and when did Conrad Sterling ever show compassion?

She definitely held a grudge!

So what?

Some people do the same, holding onto grudges for over twenty years without knowing why.

Why shouldn’t she take the opportunity to hit back? Isn’t it these certain people’s fault for implicating her when taking revenge?

That night, Anna Thornton was still woken up.

Granny Chandler looked worried and said President Sterling had a fever.

"Conrad Sterling has a fever? Then you should take him to the hospital, what do you need me for?" Anna Thornton was groggy and didn’t want to open her eyes.

"President Sterling refuses to go to the hospital or allow us to call a doctor. Miss Thornton, we all don’t dare to persuade him, could you please try?"

"I just won’t persuade him, if he wants to die, let him die far away!" Anna Thornton said, utterly annoyed upon waking up.

Granny Chandler: "..."

Anna Thornton was ultimately dragged out with a face full of resentment!

In this world, who can resist the nagging of middle-aged women?

When Anna Thornton arrived at Conrad Sterling’s room, she noticed that the man’s face was quite off. Upon checking his temperature, he indeed had a high fever!

Moreover, what’s up with Anna picking out a piece of grass leaf from Conrad Sterling’s clothes?

"President Sterling seemed to have gone to the backyard before going to bed. I saw some wet soil and weeds stuck to the soles of his shoes, and his pants seemed to have some as well. Miss Thornton, I’ll have to trouble you to change his clothes in a bit!"

Granny Chandler, a properly salaried nanny, was quicker to shirk responsibility than anyone else when something happened.

With one sentence, "President Sterling’s personal matters don’t allow outsiders to interfere," she cleaned herself off completely and left Anna Thornton alone in the room.

The crux is that Anna doesn’t even acknowledge herself as his insider. Their current relationship, if truly defined, should be enemies.

The kind that only kills each other but never loves!

Anna Thornton carefully checked Conrad Sterling’s pant legs, which indeed had backyard weeds, and even his cuffs were stained with the specific wall dust from the second-floor exterior wall.

Which means the damn man got injured like this, yet his thieving heart wouldn’t die. He tried climbing the wall from the second floor to sneak into Anna Thornton’s room.

But as a result, he didn’t have the strength and fell off, unsuccessful?

Serves him right!

Anna really didn’t want to care for him, but the man, who was already delirious with a fever due to a wound infection, suddenly grabbed her hand just when she was about to turn and leave.

Conrad Sterling’s hand was burning hot, like a searing iron, branding Anna Thornton so that she wanted to pull away but couldn’t.

If the fever continues, could it burn him silly?

If so, that’d be perfect. Once he’s foolish, all his wealth belongs to the trio of them!

But Lola and Pop are too young now, not capable enough to inherit such a vast empire like the Sterling Group.

Anna herself would be busy with filming and certainly has no time!

Upon careful thought, it seems this money-making machine, Conrad Sterling, can’t collapse just yet.

So, after some hesitation, Anna changed his clothes.

The wounds on Conrad Sterling were so carelessly treated; she didn’t know if it was intentional, but it left Anna to unwrap and rebandage them.

While she was binding, the man had already woken up, glaring at Anna’s nimble hands as she dealt with the wounds, not saying a word.

When she finished, he finally spoke, "Where did you learn that?"

"Didn’t learn! It’s just experience!" Anna responded with annoyance.

Handling wounds and changing bandages is merely a skill gained through practice.

Even though Anna is deathly afraid of pain, cutting herself slightly with a fruit knife would make her scream incessantly.

But when the wounds are on others, no matter how grim, she instantly calms down.

Only now did Conrad Sterling realize Anna’s calmness in facing bloody scenes, like the time she shot Scrapper’s hand today.

What on earth did this woman go through?

"Curious?" It seemed Anna saw right through Conrad’s mind. "How about exchanging the grudge between you and the Thornton family for it?"

Exchanging a secret for a secret, fair, isn’t it?

Anna thought to herself, after all, besides the film industry experience, her years abroad were quite interesting.

However, although Conrad Sterling was curious, he showed no intention of exchanging.

He’d naturally investigate what happened to this woman abroad and was confident he’d find out.

But as for the grudge between Dad Thornton and himself, Conrad had no intention of letting Anna know.

He’d long made up his mind never to reveal a word about it in this lifetime!

"Tch, who the hell cares? If you won’t say, then forget it!"

Anna pouted, disdainful as she tried to leave by slamming the door.

But those finger-like burning irons of Conrad Sterling once again clamped tightly onto her wrist, somehow finding the strength to pull Anna onto the bed.

In the previous second, the fever-weakened man had his limbs wrap around her like an octopus, holding Anna tightly in his embrace.

Conrad Sterling’s chest was like a furnace, burning Anna with discomfort all over.

Yet, he had the audacity to lower his head, wrapped like a mummy from the neck down, and lightly kiss Anna’s hair tips, seemingly infatuated with the fresh scent on them.

His hands involuntarily touched her slender waist, even trying to rub gently. The more he rubbed, the higher they went...

Damn it, can you endure this?

Anna directly elbowed backward with force, hearing a light hiss from the man behind her, right next to her ear.

"Trying to play a rogue? I used to not be able to beat you, do you think I can’t beat you today?"

Anna took this chance to repay the humiliation she suffered under Conrad Sterling before.

Isn’t there a saying, ’take advantage of his illness to claim his life’?

So, seeing as Conrad Sterling was already this injured, Anna decided to go all out!

She pinned him to the bed and gave him a solid beating.

Conrad really didn’t resist!

However, Anna realized after the excitement, all the wounds on the man’s body had reopened.

Great, now she’d have to personally help him treat them again!

Not that she could ignore it; President Sterling’s face, punched by a formidable little fist, was bleeding from the nose, completely immobilized.

But when Anna earnestly changed the bandage without lifting her head, the man’s mouth corners seemed to twitch slightly upward.

...