Chapter 229: Then What Do You Want?
Anne Sutton watched the little guy’s actions. He wasn’t even tall enough to reach the lock, yet he knew to use it, afraid that Ethan Linden would come back.
Anne Sutton secured the door and led Ian back into the room. "He’s gone now. Let’s go back to sleep."
’Even though I know Ethan Linden will be back tomorrow, I can’t deal with that right now.’
Ian said, "Bedtime, bedtime!"
Holding Anne’s hand, he trotted toward the bedroom on his short little legs.
Lying in bed, Anne Sutton saw Ian lying beside her and realized this was probably the first time they had ever formally slept together like this.
Back at the Linden family’s home, Ian always slept in the children’s room.
Anne Sutton would sometimes go tuck him in.
But she would never sleep in his room.
Now, looking at the little one beside her, who was lying there so quietly, he spoke to Anne, "Mommy, why don’t you and Daddy live together? Did Daddy make you unhappy again?"
"..." Anne said, "There are a few reasons for that."
"Will you come home with me?" Ian asked. "If you come home with me, we can live together! Don’t ignore me. Please don’t abandon Ian, okay?"
Hearing her son’s words, Anne’s eyes reddened. "Mommy wants to be with you forever too, but... the Linden family isn’t my home. I can’t go back there."
"Why not?" Ian said. "I want you to come back. I want you to live with me every day! Other kids’ mommies and daddies all live together. If Daddy made you angry, I’ll make him apologize to you. Mommy, can you forgive him, please? Daddy is actually really nice! If he does something wrong and you tell him, he’ll change."
Anne looked at Ian and said, "Your daddy is going to be with someone else in the future. He’s going to marry someone else."
"Why?" Ian asked. "Why don’t you just marry him? He has to get married anyway! Mommy, don’t you like Ian? Don’t you want to live with me and Daddy?"
"..." Anne was stumped by the little guy’s question.
She didn’t know how to answer.
’The Ethan Linden of today is completely out of my league!’
’I can’t just force him to marry me!’
’Right now, I just want to be with Ian!’
’I’m well aware of my own status.’
’Marrying Ethan Linden... I could never say something so brazen.’
Ian was too young to understand these things.
After all, in his eyes, a mommy and a daddy were supposed to be together.
He had no idea that parents could also get divorced.
Anne said to Ian, "Aren’t you sleepy? Why are you still awake?"
Ian put on a serious little face and said, "I’m too worried to sleep."
"..." Anne couldn’t help but laugh. "What could you possibly be worried about? You’re so young."
"I’m afraid that when I wake up tomorrow morning, Mommy will be gone again."
Both Anne and Ethan Linden had been away for a while. Ian hadn’t even expected to see Anne yesterday.
"That won’t happen," Anne said. "I’ll make you breakfast when I get up tomorrow morning."
"So you’re not going to work tomorrow?"
"I’ll go after I have breakfast with you." She wondered when Ethan Linden would come to pick him up.
Ian asked, "What about at night? Will you come back to be with Ian at night? Will it be many days again before I see you?"
"..." Ian’s words made Anne’s heart ache with worry.
’He’s right.’
’If Ethan Linden comes and takes him away, when will I get to see him again?’
’The Linden family doesn’t welcome me. I can’t just go in and out of there whenever I want.’
’It was already a struggle just to have him stay here for one night.’
’The only thing I can do now is probably sue Ethan Linden, but that would blow things way out of proportion.’
’If it really came to that, I’d have to completely burn bridges with Ethan Linden, and that wouldn’t be good for our child either.’
「...」
But no matter what, she would never give up her rights as a mother.
She had already missed so many years of Ian’s life. From now on, it was impossible for her to cut off contact with Ian, no matter what Ethan Linden thought.
Anne said, "Mommy will always be by Ian’s side. It’s just that sometimes I have to take care of other things."
Hearing this, Ian said, "Okay, that’s good!"
Anne looked at him, a small smile playing on her lips. "How are your days at home? Does the housekeeper make you good food?"
Ian nodded. "Mhm, but it’s not as yummy as yours! Mommy’s cooking is the best in the whole world."
Anne laughed. "From now on, don’t run off like you did today. If you get lost, where would I ever find you?"
"I won’t do it again!" Ian said. "As long as I can see Mommy, I’ll never run off again!"
"That’s good," Anne said. "Ian is the best boy."
The mother and son chatted in bed for half the night. Eventually, Anne, worried he wouldn’t be able to get up the next day, made him go to sleep.
「...」
After leaving Anne’s place, Ethan Linden returned home to find both Anna Linden and Stella Shields still awake, waiting specifically for him.
Chloe Chase saw him. "Sir, didn’t young master Ian come back with you?"
"..." Ethan Linden said, "He’s at Anne Sutton’s place. He didn’t want to come back."
Anna Linden said, "He’s just a child, what does he know? How could you just leave him at Anne’s and not care! What are you thinking?"
Anna Linden had a fiery temper. She had spent the entire day looking for Ian, and now, seeing that Ethan Linden hadn’t brought him back and had even left him with Anne, she had the urge to hit someone.
Ethan Linden said, "Ian missed her, so he’s staying the night there."
Hearing this, Anna Linden was incredulous. "Ethan Linden, Ian’s a child, what does he know? But you’re an adult, don’t you understand? Aren’t you aware of why Anne Sutton is here this time?"
Ethan Linden looked at Anna Linden and raised his voice. "Haven’t you seen how much Ian has been missing her lately? Why do you think he ran away today? It’s because Anne hasn’t been coming to see him! Letting him stay there for one night isn’t going to hurt anything."
"..." Anna Linden fell silent for a moment. Recalling how Ian had suddenly disappeared today and how they couldn’t find him for so long... it was indeed terrifying.
She said to Ethan Linden, "Since we’re on the topic, I want to ask what you’re thinking! What are you and Anne Sutton going to do about the child? You’re not actually going to give him to her, are you?"
"Of course not," Ethan Linden replied. "I’m not that generous. I’m just letting Ian stay there for one night. I’m not doing it for her, I’m doing it for our son!"
"For our son?" Anna Linden said. "Fine, then let me ask you: what will you do if Anne Sutton uses the child to blackmail you into marrying her?"
"..." Ethan Linden looked at Anna Linden and said, "She wouldn’t do that."
"Why wouldn’t she?" Anna Linden retorted. "You know better than I do what kind of person she is. She married you for money when you were on the verge of death. What makes you think she wouldn’t do it now, with who you are today!"
Ethan Linden looked at his mother and asked, "Then what do you want to do?"