Although I should have assured Anthony, I still felt I needed to caution him a little. “This island is on international waters. It does not fall under the jurisdiction of any country. Who knows what he’s gonna do. It’s better we stay wary.”
At my statement, Anthony’s footsteps fell short, and his piercing gaze landed on my face. “Remember, I’m your husband. I’ll protect you no matter what. Promise me you’ll trust me no matter what happens.”
My brows stitched together as I reciprocated his gaze. If Nicolas were a loving parent like Cameron, I could well let Anthony face him up on his own, but that was not the case. Nicolas and his wife did not love Anthony.
Thoughts raced through my mind, and I let go of his hand, taking a step back to look at him sternly, right into his eyes. “Since you married into the Stanhope family, you’re now one of us. I will do everything I can to make sure you’re safe.”
I might have acted too dramatically, but I meant every word I said.
The Hall family did not take Anthony seriously, but they could not treat me the same way. They could not ignore the Moore and the Stanhope family. I needed to use my family background in our favor.
A resigned smile broke out on my husband’s face as he looked at me, trying to maintain a serious expression. He thought I was trying to be funny, but I was not playing around at that moment. I went over and held him by his arm. “I know you’re always rational, but your loved ones are at stake here. It’s difficult to be sure that you’ll be able to keep your cool, so leave everything to me. All you need to do is to keep quiet.”
Before Anthony could disagree with anything I said, I pulled him toward the huge door.
“Mr. and Mrs. Featherstone.”
A neat line of immaculately dressed servants greeted us the moment they saw us. Seeing them all dressed in black and white, I could not help but feel as if I had just time-traveled back to the past century.
I stole a quick glance of Anthony and was pleasantly surprised to see him calm and composed. We walked down the spacious hallway before we arrived at the hall.
The interior decor of the hall echoed the outer appearance of the castle. It was lavishly furnished, and every detail of the hall exuded elegance and class.
Over on the leather couch, the owners of the castle sat unperturbed as we walked in. That was the first time I ever saw Anthony’s mother, Simone.
She sat beside Nicolas, wearing a faint smile on her face as if she was waiting for a photograph to be taken. Her dark hair flowed smoothly down her fair shoulders as she watched us approach.
“It’s nice to see you guys. Do make yourself at home,” Simone said, gesturing at us to take a seat.
Although she did not look a lot older than Anthony and me, her voice sounded frazzled.
Anthony was clearly taken aback by her voice as well. He stood right in front of them without moving an inch. The air grew tense with every passing moment.
Nicolas buried himself in his newspapers, not bothering to look up. Simone sat slightly apart, and the two seemed not to have much interaction.
I guessed Simone was probably the more expressive one between the two. I shook off Anthony’s hand, trying to snap him back to reality. When he finally looked at me, I pulled him toward the seats.
Now that everyone was seated, we were anticipating the patriarch to speak.
Silence ensued for about two to three minutes before Nicolas showed his face behind the newspapers. His cold glance swept across Anthony before finally stopping at me.
“Sienna Stanhope. You’re certainly a brave one. I still remember how you lectured me at the hotel,” he stated without betraying the slightest hint of emotion. His tone and demeanor made me feel as if he was interrogating a criminal.
Is he raking up old grievances?
I pursed my lips and smiled. “Birds of the same feather flock together. This is why I got together with your son. I need to live up to my title as his wife. You and Simone must be honored to have a son like Anthony.”
Nicolas scoffed without replying, allowing Simone an opportunity to interject and speak instead. “Mom and Dad,” she corrected how I addressed them.
I was stunned for a while but quickly repeated after her, “Dad, Mom.”
Although we had our differences, some things still had to be done for cordiality’s sake. Civility was the basis of negotiation.
“That’s right,” Nicolas spoke again, giving me a curt nod. His brown eyes darted toward Anthony, waiting for him to address him in the same manner.
Calling someone “Dad” or “Mom” might be an easy task for many, but not for Anthony, especially after so many years of neglect.
Anthony had already put aside his pride and trauma for the sake of obtaining the antidote. I could not bring myself to ask him to make any further compromises.
Noticing the dissatisfaction budding on his face, I quickly patted him on the back and spoke on his behalf. “Anthony caught a cold after he fell asleep beside the kids’ bed while he was reading them bedtime stories. He’s having a sore throat, so I hope both of you don’t mind me doing it in his stead. Dad, Mom, I hope you guys can be understanding towards this matter.”
Anthony cleared his throat right after I finished talking.
“Dad, Mom,” he said, his hoarse voice sounding across the room. It did sound as if he was really sick.
I turned to look at him, but his provocative gaze was fixated on Nicolas, waiting for his reaction.
Ultimately, Anthony still could not bear to let me deal with them on my own. He still backed down.
I could not imagine how his heart felt, after having to call the people who caused him so much hurt and pain his parents.
Before either of them could speak, a series of footsteps echoed down the staircase. A familiar female voice followed. “Anthony, Sienna! Let me have a look at the kids,” Tiffany exclaimed.
Her voice and her hasty footsteps relayed the joy she felt upon seeing us. A man wearing a champagne-colored suit came into our line of sight after her. Underneath his neatly combed hair was a fine and chiseled face, accentuating his debonair outfit that would otherwise be bourgeois.
I trailed my gaze to him. He must be Nathaniel, Tiffany’s second elder brother.
Tiffany dashed toward the children, but Anthony blocked her way. “The kids are still the same. There’s not a need to see them.”
His sharp words caused Tiffany’s expression to turn sour. “They’re my niece and nephew. Why can’t I see them? Do you have to behave like this, Anthony? We’re a family!”
I wondered if Nicolas would say the same. After all, the man was so cold-blooded. Simone looked at the kids in anticipation, and all of a sudden, all eyes were on Anthony, waiting for a satisfactory answer.
I knew I had to act quickly before they did anything to him.
Simone would be my best bet.
“It’s not like that, Tiffany. Anthony is just worried about the babies.”
I plastered a smile on my face as I headed over to the nanny. I took Gregory, who had started crying the moment he realized he was in a new environment, into my arms. I coaxed the child gently, and he soon quietened down.
“Gregory was abducted right after he was born, so he’s always on edge and very sensitive to his surroundings. He feels safe when he’s close to someone familiar. That’s why Anthony hopes we can all take things slow, but of course, we’re more than happy to let Dad and Mom carry them.”
My words put everyone present in a tight spot because the Hall family members were accountable for what had happened to Gregory. There was no way they could deny what they did.
I carried my child over to Simone’s side, allowing her to look at him. “Mom, meet Gregory.”
As expected, Gregory burst into tears the moment he saw Simone, eliciting a frown on the old couple’s faces.
“It’s okay. You can carry him.” Nicolas quickly added impatiently, “How annoying. Ask the servants to bring them around the house. They should get familiar with this place.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly handed Gregory back to the nanny before I gestured to Joseph to bring the children out for a walk.
Since Nicolas had spoken, Tiffany could only sit down on the couch without playing with the children. Nathaniel, who had been silent all this while, came forward and held out his hand toward Anthony. “Welcome home, Anthony.”
Anthony took a brief look at him and shook his hand grimly.
Their first encounter was rather peaceful. Perhaps what Tiffany said was true. The whole family actually looked forward to Anthony’s homecoming; everyone except for Nicolas, of course.
Just as I was deep in thought, Nathaniel stepped forward. “Dad, since Anthony is back, why not I bring him over to the company to take a look around?”
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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