When Rylee heard the commotion, she rose to her feet from the villa steps and dashed in. Hurriedly, she stood in front of the car’s path to block its way.
“Anth, are you going to meet my mother? Bring me along!” Rylee pleaded when she saw Anthony.
“Joe will pick you up later,” Anthony replied in displeasure.
At Anthony’s rejection, Rylee’s eyes reddened with sorrow. “It’s freezing! Anth, please! I’m begging you to bring me along!”
“Come in!” I said in annoyance, “Ms. Lorraine, you do not have to resort to such wretched measures to gain our pity.”
Rylee’s face turned pale when she heard my comment. Yet, she still shifted her pitiful gaze towards Anthony.
Anthony’s mood turned foul at the sight of her pleading stare. “There’s no more space in the car! Wait for Joe!” he snarled brusquely and started the car. Immediately, he drove around her and sped out of the villa.
I peered at Rylee’s motionless figure from the rearview mirror before turning to Anthony. “Could you really bear to treat her that way?”
“Do you want me to take pity on her?” Anthony rebuked.
“Focus on the road!” Anthony’s mercy towards her made no difference to me.
During the ride, Summer behaved very obediently. The reason for her well-behaved mannerisms must be due to her love for car rides. She was always very excited when she was in the car. Occasionally, she’d reached her hands out to grasp at empty air.
Anthony stopped at the entrance of Pear Garden. Cameron and Zachary were already standing by the gates when we arrived. It seemed as if they had been waiting for us for a long time.
“Welcome! Dinner is ready. We have been expecting your arrival.” Cameron stepped forward with a warm beam.
As Anthony carried Summer out of the car, Zachary and Cameron shared an equal look of shock in my direction. “T-The child is alright?”
“Ms. Anderson, are you planning to make another move on me?” I asked her in a frigid tone.
Cameron’s bright eyes reddened with unshed tears as she shook her head to deny profusely. “It’s not like that. My dear, please don’t think too much about it. I’m just glad that your child is safe.”
“Let’s go.” Anthony did not comment any further. Instead, he cradled Summer to his chest and turned to me.
The dining hall was located on the first floor. Alongside Jackson and Nick, even Jared, who was rarely seen, had attended the occasion. Jared was accompanied by Kristina.
It was a surprise to meet her here.
Jackson once told me that most of Macy’s troubles were caused by Kristina. I could feel my anger growing the more I looked at her.
“Sienna, come sit here!” Jackson beckoned me over when he caught sight of me.
I walked over to Jackson and took a seat next to him as Anthony pushed the stroller aside.
The Pear Garden villa was possibly the most luxurious in J City. The dining hall alone spanned over one hundred square meters. It was much larger compared to an average hall.
The round table was equally huge. I figured that the guests seated opposite would not be able to hear me unless I raised my voice.
There was a hint of tenderness in Cameron’s gaze towards me. Together with Zachary, they took a seat next to Anthony and me as Cameron instructed the butlers to serve the dishes.
“She is adorable. I think that she is around four months old now,” Cameron peered towards Summer in her stroller as she cooed with a bright smile.
Zachary’s expression seemed to drop when he caught sight of my stony face. “Sienna, Summer seems to be a little smaller than most children. Are you giving her the proper nutrient intakes?” he asked with concern.
“As an infant, she has faced countless struggles. That’s why she’s much more petite than most children,” I replied as my mood soured upon hearing Zachary’s question.
Cameron tugged on Zachary’s sleeve with a hurtful expression. “It’s all my fault,” she murmured.
Why are they acting so strangely? I turned to Anthony with a puzzled look, and he clasped my hand in his palm comfortingly. “Thank you for inviting us to dinner!” he said and shifted his gaze to Cameron and Zachary.
As if sensing my displeasure, both Zachary and Cameron merely murmured in acknowledgment.
I couldn’t help but feel utterly bewildered at their demeanor due to two main reasons. Firstly, their attitudes towards me were a stark contrast to their past mannerisms.
Secondly, Zachary must have found out about Cameron’s past through the videos. Yet, he remained as cool as a cucumber.
Is there such a husband who holds no regard for his wife’s past? There were even more to those that I haven’t seen. How could Zachary face her with such a calm composure?
“Since the dishes are served, let’s dig in while they are warm.” Cameron gestured for the guests to begin eating.
Before she could finish her speech, a discordant noise resounded through the hall. “Mom, what have I done? Why won’t you meet me?” Rylee’s voice echoed through the hall.
Rylee and Joe appeared in the room. She was still dressed in the same clothes as she had on when she visited Peakville Estate. Her disheveled clothes gave her a very ragged and pathetic appearance.
Cameron leaped to her feet in an instant. It was clear that her mood had turned foul at the sight of Rylee. “I thought I told you not to come looking for me?”
She was about to storm over towards Rylee. Yet, Zachary yanked her to a screeching halt.
“Sit down and share a meal with us,” Zachary said coolly as he addressed Rylee.
Rylee remained standing despite his invitation. “Dad, what did I do for you and Mom to abandon me?” she asked with swollen and reddened eyes filled with anguish.
Zachary sighed heavily as if he had nothing more to say. “Since everyone is present, why don’t we talk after dinner?” he asked.
Rylee opened her mouth to retort, but she was yanked away by Joe before she could cause a commotion. He dragged her to the table, where they both took a seat.
Rylee glared at me in a haze of murderous rage when she saw how Anthony helped to pick my favorite foods.
“I heard that you have a sweet tooth,” Cameron beamed. “I asked the cooks to prepare a matcha dessert for you. Why don’t you try it? You should drink more soup to replenish your energy since you are still breastfeeding Summer. Ah, you should put on more weight! It’s also important to remain healthy if you are breastfeeding.”
As she spoke, she sliced a piece of cake and placed it in front of me. Cameron even helped to fill up a bowl of warm soup.
I was not accustomed to her sudden warm hospitality. Warily, I turned to Anthony and looked at him with a confused look.
“You should try it and see if you like it,” Anthony replied.
Reluctantly, I took a small bite of the cake. Although it tasted great, the sweet taste of the dessert was muddled by my chaotic thoughts. I pushed it aside after a single nibble.
Next, I decided to sample the soup. To my surprise, I found it rather delectable.
Upon seeing that I savored the soup, Cameron quickly leaped to refill my bowl. However, Anthony stopped her in her tracks. “It’s alright, Ms. Anderson. I can take more for my wife if she likes it.”
Although it was a minuscule movement of kindness from Anthony, Rylee still met my gaze with fury.
In the stroller, Summer babbled loudly. With a single glance, Jackson could tell that she was hungry.
“Have you brought her milk?” he asked me.
Before I could reply, Anthony was already one step ahead of me. He had already prepared her milk powder and was ready to feed Summer. Yet, the little rascal refused to drink from her bottle. Instead, she clutched onto my hand tightly.
Gently, I cradled her as she continued to warble in my arms. “What’s wrong, my dear?” I cooed at her fondly.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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