A Night of Desire

The thought made him scoff at himself. ’The child wasn’t one she wanted to have with him, and what happened between them was hardly something the Shelby family would have wished for. Why would they care?’

’Even back in the U.S.A., it was always him and the nanny who took care of the baby. Autumn barely lifted a finger.’

The baby’s gurgling broke him from his thoughts. He turned to look at his son, who was resting on his shoulder and calling out toward the Shelby family’s front gate, "Mama, Mama..."

Sierra Sutton gently patted the little one’s head and said softly, "Be a good boy, little one. Mama can’t come out right now, but she’ll come find us tomorrow."

’Since she just promised, she’ll definitely come, right?’

’Besides, Evan Shelby said he wouldn’t object to Autumn returning to the U.S.A. with him.’

...

「Inside the Shelby residence.」

Seeing that Sierra Sutton had left, Evan Shelby stopped pretending to walk upstairs and sat down on the living room sofa.

A servant came forward to ask if they should serve dinner, but Yvette Zimmerman cut her off sharply. "Dinner, dinner, what’s there to eat! Can’t you read the room?"

After scolding the servant, she turned to Autumn Shelby and said tentatively, "Autumn, the child is your own flesh and blood, after all. He wanted you to hold him so badly, why didn’t you?"

Autumn snapped back, "Hold him? So what if he’s my flesh and blood? He’s not the child of the man I love! Choosing him means I have to give up Seth, and I won’t do it! I can’t accept this!"

"Exactly!" Evan Shelby’s firm voice cut in. "If you still want any hope of marrying into the Quinn family, you can’t have the slightest bit of affection for that child. Children can be replaced. If you marry Seth Quinn, you can have more. But if we lose Seth for good, there won’t be another Quinn family waiting for us."

Autumn hurried over to him and complained, "Then why did you tell him just now that I would go back to the U.S.A. with him?"

Evan Shelby glanced at her. "If I hadn’t said that, do you think he would have backed down? You know Sierra. He might seem gentle and reserved, but he’s quite decisive when he acts.

What if we anger him and he runs straight to the Quinn family and tells them everything? It’s not impossible!"

As he spoke, Evan pressed his temples. He had visited Cherie Rhodes at the hospital today, and she had glared at him as if he were her mortal enemy. Sarah, meanwhile, had refused to even acknowledge him.

’Dealing with his mistress and younger daughter was frustrating enough. Then he had to come home to his wife and elder daughter... Honestly...’

’Not a single one of them gives me a moment’s peace!’

’The marriages of his two daughters weren’t going smoothly either. Autumn wanted to get married, but the man wouldn’t have her. And Sarah? The man wanted to marry her, but she refused!’

Yvette Zimmerman chimed in, "Autumn, your father’s right. If you still want to marry Seth Quinn, you can’t push Sierra too far."

"So," Evan Shelby spoke again, "you should try to coax him back to the U.S.A. If he insists on going back with you, then find a way to placate him. Just make sure he doesn’t cause any trouble."

After speaking, he paused, then asked thoughtfully, "Autumn, what kind of business does Sierra run in the U.S.A.? How is his company doing?"

Autumn Shelby muttered, "How should I know? I’ve never been to his company or asked him about his business."

Then, raising her voice, she added, "Besides, what kind of major business could he possibly be running? It’s just a small company. The money you gave him back then was probably just enough to cover the three of us’s living expenses in the U.S.A. Where would he get the capital to start a big business!"