Chapter 397: They’re the Same Person, Right?
They saw Master Linden and said, "Hello, Grandpa Linden."
Master Linden said, "Summers, have a seat!"
Caleb Summers sat down.
Nathan Fawcett also sat down, holding Ian.
Master Linden looked at him and said, "How are things with Anne Sutton?"
Nathan Fawcett said, "I’m not sure what you’re referring to, Grandfather."
"The matter with the child!" Master Linden asked Nathan Fawcett, "What are your plans? Are you planning to just leave Ian with Anne Sutton from now on and not bring him back to the Linden family?"
Nathan Fawcett said, "Ian likes being with his mother! He grew up without her, and how long has he even been able to spend with her now? Grandfather, just let Ian be happy!"
"Nathan!" Master Linden said, "Let’s be reasonable here. Do you think I was wrong? Tell me, weren’t the lessons I arranged for Ian for his own good?"
"They were," Nathan Fawcett said. "I don’t deny that."
"But she thinks I was too harsh on Ian!"
"Grandfather," Nathan Fawcett said earnestly. "It’s normal for people to have different opinions when it comes to children. This is something we can communicate about."
"Communicate? How am I supposed to communicate with her?"
Nathan Fawcett looked at the old man and said, "I know you’re not satisfied with Anne’s circumstances, and you don’t want me to be with her. She’s not as perfect as you’d like, and sometimes, she even has a temper of her own."
Master Linden said, "I never said that, nor did I demand perfection from her."
"Right!" Nathan Fawcett said. "You didn’t say it outright, but your dislike for her is written all over your face! Regarding the child, she was just offering her own suggestion, and you called her worthless! She is the woman I love, and she is not worthless! She’s a doctor, just like my mother! She’s outstanding, too. One day, she might even become a source of pride for Ian."
"There’s only one person like your mother in this world! How can Anne Sutton compare to her?"
"In my heart, she is just as important as my mother!" Nathan Fawcett said. "I respect you very much, Grandfather, but it’s still quite painful to see the woman I love being scorned by you like this."
"..." Master Linden glanced at him but didn’t speak.
Nathan Fawcett said, "If you don’t want to see Anne in the future, then I won’t have her come over! She does just fine on her own, free and unconstrained. She never wanted to marry me in the first place, afraid people would say she was marrying up! But in reality, only I know that when we’re together, there’s no such thing as one of us marrying up. I’m the one who can’t leave her!"
"..." Master Linden said, "That woman wasn’t good to Ian before, was she?"
Nathan Fawcett said, "That was all a misunderstanding on my part! While she was pregnant with Ian, she was bullied endlessly by the Fawcett family. She could have given up the child long ago, but she didn’t. It’s because of her perseverance that I have Ian as a son! I promised her that I will always be by her side to protect her from now on."
Caleb Summers sat to the side, watching Nathan Fawcett. Seeing him being so sincere and earnest—and all for Anne Sutton—he had to admit, even he was a little moved.
...
After all, Nathan Fawcett had long since proven his feelings for Anne Sutton with everything the Linden family had to offer; he would rather give it all up than lose her.
So...
Trying to separate him from Anne Sutton now, or saying anything to get him to leave her, would be completely useless.
Caleb Summers said to Master Linden, "Grandpa Linden, Anne is actually great! If you spend more time with her, you’ll find she’s a really good person! Otherwise, Nathan wouldn’t like her so much, right?"
Master Linden, sitting to the side, said, "I only said a couple of things to her. She’s the one who decided to leave."
"Then why did you have to say anything to her?" Nathan Fawcett looked at Master Linden and said, "What kind of daughter-in-law gets talked to like that before she’s even married into the family? After you did that, how upset do you think she must be? Her mother didn’t go through all the trouble of raising her just to be treated like this!"
"..." Hearing Nathan Fawcett’s words, Master Linden said, "Nathan, you’re blaming your grandfather."
Nathan Fawcett said, "No! I just feel it’s unfair! So many people like her, and I had such a hard time persuading her to be with me. Then, with just a couple of words, Grandfather, you’ve undone all my effort."
"Are you kidding me?" Master Linden said. "You’re my grandson. Is she really going to dump you for someone else?"
"I don’t know about other women, but she would! Anyway, if I end up without a wife and Ian ends up without a mother, you’ll have to take responsibility, Grandfather."
Master Linden said, "Take responsibility for what? Are you trying to guilt-trip me?"
"Well, it’ll be your fault anyway!"
Nathan Fawcett had a completely serious expression on his face.
Master Linden pointed at him, exasperated, and said to Caleb Summers, "Caleb Summers, look... this is your boss! Look at him! He’s a grown man! Still so childish! Is it necessary to act like this over a woman? Is it really necessary?"
Caleb Summers said, "I think Nathan is actually being quite cute."
"Compared to you, he is indeed a lot cuter."
Caleb Summers: "..."
’So I’m the clown here!’
After dinner, Nathan Fawcett saw the old man out and said, "I’ll take you home."
"No need." Master Linden said to Nathan Fawcett, "You go on and get busy. I’ll get back by myself. Butler Shepherd is with me, so nothing will happen."
Seeing that he wouldn’t let him give him a ride, Nathan Fawcett didn’t insist. He said, "Then be careful on your way."
He and Caleb Summers escorted Master Linden downstairs. After watching the old man get into the car, Nathan Fawcett and Caleb Summers took the child and returned to the company.
「That afternoon」
Anne Sutton was in surgery. When she finally finished and came out, she was exhausted.
She worked in the obstetrics and gynecology department, which was one of the most tiring and demanding departments there was.
There were very few female doctors in the department.
When she was done, she felt like she was drenched in sweat.
She took a shower, changed her clothes, and as she walked out, her assistant said to her, "Dr. Sutton, someone is here to see you."
Anne Sutton walked out the door and saw that it was Charles Prescott.
Charles Prescott stood there with a complicated expression on his face.
Anne Sutton was also a little surprised to see him.
’Why did he show up here without a word?’
’There’s been no news from him recently!’
Anne Sutton looked at him. "What are you doing here again?"
Charles Prescott stared at Anne Sutton and said, "I have something I need to ask you."
"Couldn’t you have just said it over the phone? You really came all the way to the hospital to bother me at work? You think I have a lot of free time?"
Charles Prescott looked at Anne Sutton and said, "I saw the news. It said Nathan Fawcett has taken over the Linden Group."
"..." Anne Sutton said, "So you know now!"
’After all this time, he’s finally found out!’
’The whole world knew already. There probably wasn’t anyone who found out later than Charles Prescott.’
Charles Prescott asked, "What is the relationship between Nathan Fawcett and Ethan Linden?"
"Didn’t you already know?" Anne Sutton said. "They’re brothers!"
"But the real Ethan Linden is already dead!" Charles Prescott said. "The Nathan Fawcett of today is the Ethan Linden from before, isn’t he?"
