CHAPTER 382: CHAPTER 382: RIGHT AT THIS CRITICAL MOMENT

"There isn’t any prominent family named Sterling within the country; actually, our Sterling Family has lived on an island for generations. The ancestral teachings say that with the resources of Haven Isle and the accumulation of ancestral wealth, we can be entirely self-sufficient and avoid contact with the outside world... cough, cough!"

Upon hearing Aunt Murray speak up to this point, Anna Thornton regretted not grabbing some sunflower seeds.

Is this the beginning of some fantasy story?

An isolated island, a mysterious family, this also sounds like the beginning of a martial arts story.

Just like Robin Hale’s Isle of Nectar.

Jade Sterling seemed to notice what Anna was thinking. After recovering from her cough, she forced a smile: "Sounds quite interesting, doesn’t it? This is the background of Conrad and my hometown."

"But... reality is not like the story... it’s much crueler! Look at today’s developed society; how could people just live on a solitary island? One generation, maybe two barely can, but by the third generation... cough, cough, young people’s concepts are completely different."

"Conrad’s father was the first outsider to come to our island. Haven Isle is just like a paradise on earth, with beautiful scenery, pleasant climate, and particularly simple folk customs. If there’s one thing it’s lacking, it’s the advanced medical conditions of the outside world. Conrad’s father was a very talented doctor, and our island lacked such a talent. Cough, cough..."

It was rare for Anna to hear about Conrad Sterling’s father, who turned out to be a doctor.

Jade Sterling said that Conrad’s mother, Mercy Sterling, fell gravely ill in her youth, and they almost couldn’t save her.

Due to the limited medical conditions on the island, Mercy was sent away for a while.

At that time, there was a doctor named Dr. Maupin who had been taking care of her.

Later, when her condition stabilized, the doctor returned to Haven Isle with her.

When Mercy turned eighteen, they got married!

There were no marriage laws on the island, nor any regulated marriage age.

The only requirement for marriage was mutual affection.

Thus, this was supposed to grow into a tale of mutual care and support, a beautiful romance of talented man and beautiful woman.

It could have been greatly promoted to alleviate patient-doctor relationships.

But the latter part of the story took a different turn.

It didn’t turn into a typical melodramatic marriage love drama, with every kind of best friend and mistress popping up to create chaos and perform home temptations.

According to Aunt Murray, the customs on Haven Isle were very pristine.

Without the constraints of marriage laws, every couple that voluntarily lived together did so for love. Life was uneventful, and such coexistence had become a social habit until old age.

Conrad’s parents were practically exemplary of loving couples on the island.

However, Dr. Morton was a medical genius, destined for greater ambitions and more passion. The small world of the island couldn’t contain him.

His wife shared the same thoughts, so in the second year of their marriage, Dr. Maupin began to secretly leave the island.

He needed to conduct research and participate in the world’s top medical expert exchanges, staying outside for at least a month every year.

Eventually, it gradually increased to two months, three months, even half a year without being able to return home...

In the fifth year, Dr. Maupin finally returned after being away for six months.

He brought back novel items collected from all around the world, intending to gift them to his young wife.

At the same time, he brought back four dashing men to the island.

"Those four men are the heirs of the four major families of Aethelgard. They came to the island as investors because Conrad’s father discovered an important element, and through research and application, it could potentially overthrow the history of human genetics. The four families saw this point and united to invest in the world’s most expensive medical research lab. Dr. Maupin treated them as like-minded people, yet the arrival of these four men marked the beginning of a nightmare on the island... cough, cough, cough!"

Anna Thornton felt Aunt Murray’s cough might be used as an interruption at important nodes.

Just like some unscrupulous novel authors, always putting the most exciting plot points at the end and saying only half of what needs to be said, enticing readers to eagerly click to the next Chapter.

However, just as Anna Thornton leaned forward, waiting to ’turn the page,’ Conrad Sterling returned.

The man might have heard the conversation between Jade Sterling and Anna Thornton just before; when he approached with heavy steps, his eyebrows were tightly knit.

Jade Sterling had moved to the Sterling Residence with Conrad’s consent from the nursing home; he didn’t say much about it.

He just lowered his head and instructed: "Your body is not suitable for too much talking."

After speaking, he didn’t give others the chance to wrap up the topic, directly picked up Jade Sterling, and carried her to the guest room arranged for her on the second floor.

Anna Thornton, caught up in the crucial plot point: "..."

She uttered a dirty word in her mind and didn’t know whether to say it aloud or not!

Damn it, Conrad Sterling just had to return at this critical moment!

Anna had no particular interest in his backstory at first, but now that Jade Sterling had told her so much, Anna was as curious as a cat and wanted to know what happened next!

What nightmare was it?

What did the four major families do?

What happened to Conrad’s parents?

Why did Aunt Murray end up in such a state?

Is that island still there?

Truth be told, Anna Thornton was considering planning a trip during this year’s vacation to see for herself. In the 21st century, does an isolated little island really exist?

Initially, Anna Thornton listened to Aunt Murray’s story just to find out what grudge or grievance her family had with the Sterlings? Why did Conrad want to watch her father die?

Oh, that’s right!

Aunt Murray mentioned a lot just now, but she didn’t mention the Thornton Family at all.

What kind of relationship does her family have with them?

Anna Thornton was truly dying of curiosity!

At this time, Lola, who was supposed to be taken upstairs by Granny Chandler and already asleep, suddenly appeared in front of her.

Lola was wearing a bear-themed pajama, with matching bear-themed slippers. Because of her short legs, she had to pause between steps when coming downstairs, looking like an adorable little bear cub, exceptionally charming.

Since being taken in by Anna Thornton, the little guy didn’t mind when his mom dressed him up adorably like Pop.

He was even quite willing to show his childlike side in front of his mother.

But when it came to certain serious issues, Lola would become quite serious.

Like now!

He specifically came down when the hall was occupied only by Anna Thornton, to remind her: "Don’t believe everything she says!"

"Do you mean Grandma Murray? Why?"

"I don’t know, but I feel like we can’t believe everything!"

Aunt Murray was Conrad Sterling’s only family; even Conrad trusted her.

Why did Lola, who had met Jade Sterling for the first time today, harbor suspicion?

Anna Thornton knew Lola was incredibly perceptive for his age; she didn’t simply dismiss what he said as a child’s casual remark.

Instead, she stayed extra cautious!