Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Of Course You Can
With that, he called everyone to the dining room to be seated.
Everyone sat down. The seat beside Nathan Fawcett was empty, and he sat there alone. The atmosphere around him was starkly different from everyone else’s, as if the living King of Hell himself had joined them at the table. No one dared to say a word.
Charles Prescott, sitting to the side, didn’t mind seeing Nathan Fawcett in such a foul mood.
In fact, he was quite pleased. The worse this ’forefather’ behaved, the more the Sutton family would realize how perfect Charles was in comparison.
They might even try to persuade Anne Sutton to think things through.
Mrs. Sutton took in the scene and said, "I’ll go to the kitchen and see if I can help."
She went in and saw Anne Sutton bustling about. "Let me help you," she offered.
"It’s all done," Anne Sutton replied.
"That Nathan Fawcett is terrifying," Mrs. Sutton said. "How can he be so disrespectful, even to his own father?"
Hearing her mother, Anne Sutton walked out of the kitchen and glanced at Nathan Fawcett. He was just sitting there silently, but his mere presence had brought everyone’s business discussion to a complete standstill.
After listening to them discuss topics she couldn’t follow, Anne Sutton was surprised to find that she actually welcomed the silence now that Nathan had shattered the atmosphere.
Anne Sutton placed a bowl in front of Nathan Fawcett. "Let’s eat," she said.
Then, she turned to her mother. "Mom, please take a seat."
With that, Anne Sutton sat down beside Nathan Fawcett.
It might have been their imagination, but everyone felt that as soon as Anne Sutton appeared, Nathan Fawcett’s mood improved considerably.
Anne Sutton glanced at the others. "Why is everyone so quiet?"
Chairman Fawcett said, "Anne, thank you for all this! You’re pregnant now; you should leave these chores to the staff."
"It’s no trouble," Anne Sutton replied. "I’m happy to do these things for Nathan!"
As she spoke, she shot him a deliberately affectionate glance.
Charles Prescott was left speechless.
He sucked in a sharp breath. ’Is this woman blind or just stupid?’
’Everyone can see what kind of man Nathan Fawcett is, but just to spite me, she’s willing to throw away all her self-respect and put on this lovey-dovey display with him.’
Nathan Fawcett glanced at her. Everyone else was terrified of him; it seemed she was the only one who wasn’t.
In fact, in front of everyone, she could still talk to him like that.
’I admit I just see her as a tool for bearing my child, a relationship of mutual convenience,’ he thought. ’But sometimes... her gentle side still gets to me.’
Anne Sutton placed some food on Nathan Fawcett’s plate. "Try this. See if you like it. It’s a new recipe; you haven’t had it before."
Nathan Fawcett ate the food she had given him. The flavor was, of course, impeccable. Her cooking was the only food he could actually taste.
Just then, a member of the staff came in and announced, "Ms. Stella Shields is here."
At the mention of her name, both Charles Prescott and Nathan Fawcett froze for a moment.
Anne Sutton, sitting beside Nathan Fawcett, felt her own body go rigid. She shot a look at Charles Prescott. ’It’s him again!’
’He must have called her here!’
’He knew my parents were coming for dinner, yet he deliberately invited Stella Shields. He just can’t stand to see me have a single moment of peace.’
Charles Prescott glanced at the scene and said, "What is she doing here at a time like this?" frёewebnoѵēl.com
"I don’t know," the staff member replied. "She said she has something to discuss with Mr. Fawcett."
With that, the staff member glanced at Nathan Fawcett.
Chairman Fawcett had previously entertained the idea of Stella Shields getting together with Nathan, but that was when he had a misunderstanding about Anne Sutton.
Now that Anne Sutton was pregnant, he certainly didn’t want this other woman entangled with Nathan. He simply said, "Tell her to leave. We’re having dinner."
The staff member looked to Nathan Fawcett. "Mr. Fawcett, Ms. Shields says she has something important to discuss with you."
Hearing this, Nathan Fawcett stood up. Anne Sutton looked at him. ’He’s not... actually going to see Stella Shields, is he?’
A second later, Nathan Fawcett did exactly as she feared. He actually walked out, leaving her there alone.
Seeing this, a smirk played on Charles Prescott’s lips. ’Weren’t you just fawning all over him a moment ago? What a shame. He clearly doesn’t give a damn about you!’
Even Chairman Fawcett hadn’t expected Nathan to walk out at a time like this. He looked at Anne Sutton and tried to smooth things over. "Anne, dear, Nathan must have something important to handle. He’ll be back in a little while."
Mrs. Sutton, sitting nearby, watched her daughter, her expression darkening.
After dinner, Anne Sutton went outside and saw Stella Shields and Nathan Fawcett emerging from his house together.
Stella followed behind Nathan. The last time she had come, she was impeccably made up and looked beautiful. Today, however... she had come without a trace of makeup.
’They say a woman will always dress her best to show her most beautiful side when meeting a man she admires,’ Anne thought. ’Her appearance today is rather disappointing.’
Seeing they were about to leave, Anne Sutton walked over to Nathan Fawcett. "Are you going out?"
Stella Shields stood to the side, looking at Anne Sutton with a pitiful, doe-eyed expression.
Nathan Fawcett glanced at her. "I have something to do."
"But..." ’My parents are still inside,’ she thought. ’My mother already has a bad impression of him, and now he’s doing this...’ ƒгeewebnovёl.com
Nathan Fawcett said nothing more and got into the car. Stella Shields followed him in.
A chill ran through Anne Sutton as she watched. The last time, at the hospital, she had watched Charles Prescott do the very same thing... but she never expected that Nathan Fawcett would put her through it as well.
’He explicitly said he wouldn’t let other women get close to him!’
’What a joke that turned out to be!’
When Anne Sutton returned to the dining room, Chairman Fawcett saw her and asked, "Where’s Nathan? Has he finished his chat?"
"He had something to attend to, so he went out," Anne Sutton replied.
Charles Prescott, still sitting there, heard her words and smirked. He looked at Anne Sutton with a gloating expression, as if to say, ’So this is the man you chose?’
Mrs. Sutton looked at her daughter, feeling even more upset than Anne herself. She turned to Chairman Fawcett and asked, "May I see where Anne is living?"
Eager for a grandchild, the Chairman was now quite indulgent toward Anne Sutton. "Of course. Anne, go ahead and show your mother."
Anne Sutton helped her mother out the door and over to the adjacent building where Nathan Fawcett lived.
Once inside, Mrs. Sutton sat down, and Anne Sutton had someone bring her a glass of water.
Sitting on the sofa, Mrs. Sutton could no longer hold back her tears and began to weep.
"Mom," Anne said softly.
"If it weren’t for our family, you would never be with a man like that," Mrs. Sutton said. "It’s all my fault, and your father’s. We’re useless. We couldn’t protect you."
Hearing this, Anne Sutton said, "It’s nothing. He just had some business to take care of. It’s not what you’re thinking!"