CHAPTER 118: CHAPTER 118: MADAM, PRESIDENT LANCASTER ADMITTED HIS MISTAKE AND BEGGED FOR MERCY

Sophie couldn’t swim and was thrashing about in the water.

The water was crazily flooding into her mouth, and Sophie was in a panic. The more she struggled, the faster she sank.

At this moment, the servants cleaning nearby heard the commotion and came over.

Noticing people approaching, Annelise pinched her nose, quickly jumped in, and shouted, "Sophie, don’t be afraid, sister is coming to save you, Sophie..."

"Oh my god!" The servants saw the two children struggling in the water and immediately dropped their brooms to call for help.

"Help, help, Miss Sophie and Miss Annelise have fallen into the swimming pool, someone come quickly!"

Someone ran to tell Damien Lancaster, "Sir, Miss Sophie and Miss Annelise have fallen into the water."

"What?" Ivy Summers suddenly stood up and immediately ran out.

By the time Damien Lancaster and Ivy Summers arrived, the two children had already been rescued.

"Sophie, Annelise?" Ivy quickly squatted down to check on the two children’s condition.

Sophie was in a worse state, the little girl was limp in the servant’s arms, constantly coughing up water, while Annelise had only been underwater for a short time and was closer to the edge, so she was quickly rescued without much issue.

"What happened?" Damien Lancaster looked at the two children who had fallen into the water and asked the servant who had just come to call for help.

The servant immediately shook her head and said, "I don’t know, I was just cleaning over there and heard the sound of someone falling into the water, came over and saw it was Miss Sophie, and Miss Annelise jumped in to save her."

At this moment, Annelise lay worriedly beside Sophie, her young face full of regret as she looked up at Damien Lancaster, "Daddy, it was my fault, I brought Sophie here to play, and Sophie accidentally fell in because of me. It’s all my fault."

Damien Lancaster frowned, "Go call two doctors over, and get two sets of clean clothes."

Damien Lancaster squatted down and picked up Sophie. He said to Ivy Summers, "Let’s take the children to change into clean clothes first."

Ivy nodded and anxiously followed Damien Lancaster.

Just after taking a few steps, she turned back to look at Annelise, who was standing there timidly behind, as if she had done something wrong. Ivy felt a pang of heartache for this neglected child and also gratitude for her bravery in rescuing Sophie.

Ivy walked over and took Annelise’s hand, "Auntie will take you to change clothes too."

Annelise nodded sensibly.

Sophie knew it was Annelise who pushed her, but she didn’t say anything because she didn’t know why Annelise would do that to her.

After all, she did nothing.

In the room, the servant quickly brought some clothes, and Ivy was about to take off Sophie’s clothes when she glanced at Damien Lancaster standing beside her, "You should go out first, both Sophie and Annelise are girls."

Damien Lancaster glanced at the two children, followed Ivy’s instructions, and left, closing the door behind him.

"Julian Jacobs."

After such a big incident, Julian Jacobs also arrived, "Sir, I’ll go investigate immediately."

"Go ahead."

Damien Lancaster frowned. The backyard area was not small, so they had set up a large swimming pool, but it was still quite spacious around it. Normally, no matter how children played, they wouldn’t fall in, yet Sophie just happened to fall in by chance.

So Damien had his doubts.

Ivy Summers quickly dried Sophie’s body, placed her on the bed, and dressed her. Seeing Sophie hang her head low in a gloomy manner, she wasn’t sure if Sophie was frightened.

Ivy asked, "Sophie, tell Mommy, how did you fall into the swimming pool?"

Sophie looked downcast, with things on her mind, and slowly lifted her head, her red eyes looking at Ivy, hesitating, "Mommy, does everyone not like Sophie?"

"How could that be? Sophie is the most adorable and well-behaved baby, who wouldn’t like Sophie?"

Sophie lowered her head again, looking very dejected.

Ivy gently pinched the little girl’s soft cheeks and patiently continued to ask, "What’s wrong, Sophie? Do you have something on your mind? Tell Mommy, okay?"

Sophie rubbed her eyes, making them look red.

Ivy grew more worried, furrowing her brows.

"What’s up, Sophie? Are you scared? Or do you feel uncomfortable somewhere?"

Sophie shook her head.

"Mommy, is Annelise an orphan?"

"Annelise is an orphan."

"Annelise doesn’t have a daddy or a mommy; is she very pitiful?"

Ivy didn’t understand why Sophie suddenly asked these questions but patiently answered, "It is sad that Annelise doesn’t have parents."

"Annelise is even more pitiful than Sophie."

Ivy reached out to wipe Sophie’s tears, "Sweetheart Sophie, what’s wrong with you? Tell Mommy."

Annelise was more pitiful than Sophie, and if everyone knew she was so bad, maybe she wouldn’t be able to stay here anymore and would become a pitiful orphan again.

Sophie didn’t want Annelise to become so pitiful.

So Sophie thought about asking Annelise why she did this to her before deciding whether to tell Mommy about this incident.

Sophie shook her head, "It’s nothing, Mommy, I was just badly scared."

Ivy used a hairdryer to dry Sophie’s hair but still felt that Sophie was hiding something.

Meanwhile, Annelise was the first to change her clothes and come downstairs, seeing Damien Lancaster sitting there alone.

Annelise walked over cautiously and stood beside Damien Lancaster, "Daddy."

Damien Lancaster looked up at her and beckoned the doctor over.

"Check her."

"Daddy, I don’t need a check-up."

Damien Lancaster frowned at her, paused, and then had the doctor step away, looking at Annelise, saying, "Annelise, I told you I’m not your daddy. Although the Lancaster Family adopted you, you can’t call me daddy."

"But..." Annelise pursed her small lips, "but Grandma said I should call you daddy. Daddy, Annelise has been a child without parents since she was little; don’t you want me either?"

Damien Lancaster glanced at Annelise again.

Even though Annelise was obedient and as cute as Sophie, Damien just couldn’t bring himself to like this child.

So he didn’t like her calling him daddy.

In Damien Lancaster’s view, the only person who could call him dad would be his own biological child, which would be Ivy Summers’ child.

"From now on, you can call me Uncle Lancaster."

Annelise lowered her head, looking very sad, and continued, "Alright, so Annelise really is a child nobody wants."

Damien Lancaster slightly furrowed his brows.

Why did he feel like this child’s tone was a bit like Rachel Shaw’s?

According to popular online phrases, it was a bit pretentious.

Julian Jacobs quickly checked the situation, "Sir."

"What happened? How did Sophie fall?"

"Uncle Lancaster." Before Julian could speak, Annelise spoke first, "Actually, Annelise lied."

Damien Lancaster looked at her.

Annelise continued, "Actually, Sophie didn’t fall by accident. Sophie insisted on playing by the pool, but I told her it was dangerous. She didn’t listen, so she fell. Uncle Lancaster, it was my fault. I’m older than Sophie; as her sister, I should have taken care of my little sister."

Saying this, Annelise lowered her head and tears started to fall.

Damien Lancaster frowned and looked at Julian Jacobs, who said, "Sir, the security camera in that area was broken last time and still hasn’t been repaired, so nothing was seen."

Since Ivy Summers left, Damien Lancaster hadn’t stayed at home for a long time.

With the owner away, the servants here had become lazy; the camera broke but nobody was called to fix it.

Damien Lancaster nodded, "Got it."

Annelise sat alone on the side, crying.

Seeing such a small child, Damien Lancaster’s heart softened a little, "Annelise, you’ve already saved your sister, so it’s not your fault. Uncle should thank you."

Annelise raised her head, "No need to thank, Uncle. It’s what I should do."

Sophie had a scare with the water, leaving Ivy Summers worried sick, as she carried Sophie down the stairs. Sophie obediently stayed in Ivy Summers’ arms, her little face resting on Ivy Summers’ shoulder.

Seeing this, Damien Lancaster walked over and took Sophie from Ivy Summers, calling the doctor to check her.

Sophie wasn’t very happy, sitting in Damien Lancaster’s arms, quietly accepting the doctor’s examination.

Luckily, Sophie wasn’t hurt, just a little scared. Ivy Summers breathed a sigh of relief.

Ivy Summers looked at Annelise and thanked her, "Annelise, thank you for bravely going down to save Sophie."

Annelise glanced at Sophie, clearly Sophie hadn’t said anything.

Annelise gave a shy smile, "It’s good that Sophie is okay."

After all the fuss, it was already time for lunch.

Ivy Summers sat on the sofa and didn’t go over.

Damien Lancaster raised an eyebrow, "Do I need to invite you?"

Ivy Summers glanced at him, "Didn’t you say you didn’t prepare my portion? I’m not hungry, you all go ahead, don’t mind me."

Damien Lancaster, "You’re not eating?"

"No."

"Alright."

Damien Lancaster didn’t bother with her anymore and walked straight to the dining room.

Sophie, seeing her mommy not coming over, looked at Damien Lancaster, "Why isn’t Auntie eating?"

"She’s cultivating immortality, don’t worry about her."

Sophie looked towards Ivy Summers, understanding it must be because Damien Lancaster wouldn’t let her eat. Sophie put down her little bowl, "If Auntie doesn’t eat, Sophie won’t eat either."

Damien Lancaster, "Why do you care about her?"

"Auntie is so good to Sophie, of course Sophie should care about Auntie."

Damien Lancaster didn’t expect this little girl to be so loyal, "Then you go accompany her to be hungry."

With that, Sophie quickly got down from the chair, running towards Ivy Summers.

And so it became one big and one small figure sitting on the sofa.

Damien Lancaster looked at their backs, thinking if they didn’t eat, then no one would eat—was he supposed to beg them to eat?

Ha, ridiculous, not going to happen.

Damien Lancaster picked up his chopsticks, just about to pick up some food when he paused, their backs sitting on the sofa unconsciously appearing in his mind...

He stopped himself from thinking about it, moved some food into his bowl, and paused again, his thoughts drifting off again...

He clenched his molars, pushing the food into his mouth, finding today’s food tasteless.

Looking once more at the two not planning to come over, Damien Lancaster clenched his molars harder.

With a "snap", he slapped his chopsticks on the table, speaking in a deep voice, "Julian Jacobs."

"Sir, I’m here."

Damien Lancaster glanced at him, "Are you going to call them over to eat?"

"?"

"If you want to call them, go ahead and call them; I’m not stopping you."

"??"

"Why are you looking at me? Aren’t you going to call them over for dinner?"

"???"

"...Yes!" Julian Jacobs pursed his lips, taking a moment to understand, suppressing his smile, and quickly went over to fetch the two living treasures.

Coming in front of the two, Julian Jacobs thought about Damien Lancaster’s earlier forced composure and eventual compromise, finding it hard not to smile.

"Madam, Miss Sophie, the Sir has conceded, the Sir admits he’s wrong, the Sir invites you to join for dinner, and the Sir also says if you don’t come to eat soon, his heart might ache to death."