CHAPTER 22: CHAPTER 22: IN WHAT WAY AM I INFERIOR TO MARILYN FORD?

After arriving at the underground parking lot, Anna Thornton was directly forced into the car by Conrad Sterling.

At first, she didn’t know where this man was taking her, but later realized the road led to the Aethelgard International Airport, and Anna pushed out the tie in her mouth using her tongue with force.

"Conrad Sterling, what do you mean? Human trafficking is illegal!"

"Human trafficking? With you?" The man driving in the front seat sneered, "Do you think you have the value to be trafficked?"

"Why not? In terms of looks and figure, how am I inferior to Marilyn Ford? It’s just that someone like you, with selective blindness, can’t see my worth. Other men who want to pursue me could line up from here to Italy. I proposed marriage to you on my own initiative, yet you don’t cherish it. You can go out and ask around, see if those middle-aged, empty-souled executives and second-marriage affluent men aren’t fighting over the chance to marry me?"

While Anna Thornton spoke to him, she was focused on untying the knot tightly binding her wrists, not noticing how ugly his expression became as reflected in the rearview mirror after hearing her words.

"Middle-aged, empty-souled executives, second-marriage affluent men? Those are your second choices, after gaining nothing from me?"

"They aren’t targets, just options I’ve ruled out. Even though those people have good conditions, I’ve rejected them because my target is only you!"

"I’ve given myself two months’ time. If I can’t successfully walk into the marriage hall with you, President Sterling, within two months, then I won’t rule out stepping back and choosing from those rejected options. After all, people need to eat; you are cold and heartless, but my child and I still need to live."

Faced with Anna’s candor, Conrad Sterling gave a light snort.

Because the sound was too brief and President Sterling rarely displayed emotions, it was hard to tell whether it was mostly disdain or mixed with other dissatisfaction factors.

"Conrad Sterling, I’ve been so honest with you, can’t you be honest with me too? What exactly are you going to do with me?" Anna asked him.

"Send you away!"

Was this ’away’ just a literal meaning, or did it imply some cruel and frightening connotation?

Anna Thornton hadn’t had a chance to ask this when Conrad Sterling handed back the phone he had just confiscated from her: "Call your agent and have her help you pack your luggage and send it to the airport."

"You want to pack Pop and me off, so you can soar freely and sleep peacefully with your Miss Ford? Don’t even think about it; I won’t leave!"

Although she was in this man’s car now, Anna’s tone was stronger than his: "Conrad Sterling, I believe you should have received the paternity test results by now. Knowing Pop is your flesh and blood, you still think about cutting ties and distancing yourself from us. Do you think that by doing so, the sins you committed four years ago can be erased as if they never happened? There’s no such easy thing in this world!"

"You knew I wouldn’t take responsibility, yet you still had the child. Don’t say it’s just to remind me now; if so, you’re even dumber than I imagined!"

"Yes, Conrad Sterling, I am so dumb! Dumb enough to know I was deceived, yet after finding out I was pregnant, I still couldn’t bear to abort the child. Dumb enough to hold hope for you, expecting you might give the two of us, mother and daughter, a home, and play a good father role for Pop. Dumb enough not to catch your eye, but that doesn’t stop me from calling you heartless and cruel!"

Conrad Sterling: "..."

Though he spoke little, in the Sterling Group and the business field, President Sterling’s sharp-tongued prowess was fearsome.

For some reason, facing Anna Thornton once or twice, he always managed to be rendered speechless by this little woman.

Especially Anna’s method of defeating the enemy with self-deprecation first and stealing words he could use against her in advance; she was an original trailblazer.

"It doesn’t matter if you don’t call, there are twenty minutes to the airport; you’ll find the luggage already packed there waiting for you."

Upon hearing Conrad Sterling say this, Anna suddenly, for some reason, began to feel nervous: "What do you mean? Did you send someone to my house?"

"..."

"Conrad Sterling, are you out of your mind? That will harm the child! Stop the car... Stop immediately, I want to go back!"

Anna finally managed to untie her hands and immediately pounced towards the driver, seizing the steering wheel and shaking it recklessly.

"Anna Thornton, you’re crazy! This is the highway!"

"Stop the car, I want to get out! Stop the car!"

The luxury sports car swerved out of control on the highway, prompting Conrad Sterling to slam on the brakes to prevent an accident.

Anna tried to use this opportunity to get out but found the door was locked, she couldn’t open it.

She simply took off her high heels and smashed them against the car window.

Conrad Sterling didn’t know what was going on with this woman, becoming so emotionally charged all of a sudden.

Both had stubborn temperaments, and they stubbornly confronted each other in the car until Anna shattered the car window, and the door finally opened.

Anna jumped out of the car, not even bothering to put her shoes on, and began walking barefoot back along the highway, simultaneously pulling out her phone to call Mary for information.

Through the rearview mirror, Conrad watched as the woman carelessly put herself in danger, his expression turning extremely grim.

Later—

Anna returned home and noticed the front door was open and her luggage was neatly placed at the entrance as soon as she got off the elevator.

Mary was with Pop, confronting a group of strange men.

As Anna approached, she recognized the leading man seemed to be Conrad Sterling’s driver and assistant.

Ethan also saw Conrad Sterling following directly after Anna out of the elevator and approached to report the situation: "President Sterling, the belongings have been packed, but there was a little situation. They refuse to leave; we’re... we’re trying to figure something out."

Don’t look at Ethan and this group of burly, black-clad bodyguards; they exuded a fierce demeanor.

But in reality, this was Ethan’s first time doing such a thing, and he didn’t expect anyone to be home while they packed the luggage.

Facing a woman with her hands on hips, short in stature but full of spirit, and a doll-like toddler, the group of men truly didn’t know how to ’invite’ them to the airport.

"Mummy!"

Seeing Anna, Pop immediately ran towards her.

The little child, with tears in their eyes, dove into Anna’s arms, breaking her heart terribly.

"Mummy... Bad uncles..." Pop cried while complaining to her.

Upon hearing this, Anna glanced at Ethan.

The latter awkwardly scratched his head, giving a slight nod to express apology, as they were just following orders.

Earlier, Mary had come home and found these strange men rummaging through the place and was about to call the police, but Ethan explained for a long while.

They hadn’t bullied the child; they had even tried to soothe little Pop with candy.

But for some reason, the little one was still frightened, crying continually and nestling in her mummy’s arms.

Even Mary realized something was wrong, stepped up to exchange looks with Anna.

Anna reached out to feel Pop’s forehead and found it terrifyingly hot: "Fever!"

"Oh no, we have to get to a hospital immediately!" Mary said anxiously.

After all, Pop’s condition was not the same as ordinary kids.

Even for a normal three-year-old, a fever is a big deal.

Earlier, Anna had rushed back from the highway out of concern for this very thing.

Unexpectedly, what she was worried about still happened...