Chapter 390: Entrusting Ian to Him

"Good morning, Mr. Linden!" Anne Sutton greeted him politely as well.

Hearing Anne Sutton’s voice, Ian quickly opened his eyes. "Mommy."

Anne Sutton said, "Morning. Still sleepy?"

Ian nodded. "Sleepy."

"Then after we eat, you can go back and sleep a little more," Anne Sutton said gently.

Master Linden said, "If you keep spoiling him like this, when will he ever develop the habit of waking up early?"

Anne Sutton said, "Children need plenty of sleep when they’re growing. It’s very important. He went to bed late last night, so we should just let him sleep in a bit!"

’This is Nathan Fawcett’s grandfather,’ Anne thought. ’I have to be extremely careful with my words around him. I’m terrified of saying the wrong thing and offending him!’

After listening, Master Linden glanced at her but didn’t argue.

He wasn’t about to criticize her in front of Ian and Nathan Fawcett.

He would only end up offending both Nathan Fawcett and Ian.

He spoke up, "Nathan, let Ian live here from now on. And have your wife move in as well."

"I can’t," Anne Sutton said. "I’m living with my mother right now, and she needs someone to look after her. Ian has been staying with me there, too. Mr. Linden, if you’re fond of Ian, I can have him and Nathan stay here for a few days. I’ll be sure to bring him to visit you more often in the future!"

’She couldn’t just move into the Linden Family home and leave her mother to live all alone, could she?’

Mrs. Sutton hadn’t been in Veridia for long and wasn’t familiar with anything, so Anne Sutton couldn’t leave her alone.

Lana Langley, who was sitting to the side, let out a soft laugh and seized the opportunity to stir up trouble. "Anne, you should just listen when Great-uncle speaks! Ian used to live here anyway. For Great-uncle to allow you to move in to take care of the child is already a great courtesy. How can you refuse?"

’She loved seeing Anne Sutton defy Master Linden!’

’Maybe he would finally get angry and teach her a proper lesson.’

Master Linden looked at Anne Sutton and asked, "So how long do you plan on living with your mother? Surely you don’t intend to refuse to live with the Linden Family even after you and Nathan get married, do you?"

Anne Sutton replied, "My family has some things going on right now. Even if Nathan Fawcett and I were to get married, it wouldn’t be anytime soon. We’re both very busy, and a wedding isn’t something that can be rushed. We’ll have to see how things are when the time comes."

Master Linden said, "So, you’re saying you plan to continue living elsewhere?"

Anne Sutton looked at the old master and could tell he was displeased by his words.

Nathan Fawcett said, "Grandfather, Anne and I already agreed that she would stay with her mother. We’re not comfortable with her mother living alone!"

"You’re not comfortable?" Master Linden retorted. "So you’re comfortable with your own mother living here by herself?"

Hearing this, Anna Linden chimed in, "It’s fine. I’m busy with work and am rarely home anyway. If Anne is worried about her mother, she should stay with her."

’In the past, she definitely would have been upset.’

’But now...’

She often visited Mrs. Sutton’s home, and it was easy to see Nathan Fawcett and Ian there, so she didn’t really mind.

Besides, talking to Nathan Fawcett could be irritating at times.

But she got along quite well with Mrs. Sutton.

Master Linden looked at Anna Linden and said, "Since when did your standards for your son get so low?"

’Was this still his daughter?’

He had heard from Nathan Fawcett that Anna Linden had changed a lot, but Master Linden had assumed she was merely no longer being stubborn about Nathan’s identity.

’He never expected...’

’...that she would now tolerate Nathan Fawcett rarely coming home and even taking Ian out with him!’

’Wasn’t she being... a little too permissive?’

Anna Linden looked at her father and said, "Dad, if you’re so fond of Ian, why don’t you let him stay here and keep you company? We’re all quite busy, and Ian has been staying with his maternal grandmother anyway. With you looking after him, we can all be at ease."

Master Linden was speechless.

’Well, I’ll be!’

’So now he was the babysitter?’

He found himself unable to refute her.

He spoke up, "Fine, I’ll look after him. However, I’m quite strict with children, as long as you all don’t mind."

Nathan Fawcett glanced at Ian, who was sitting beside them, and said to Master Linden, "With you looking after him, Grandfather, of course we’re at ease!"

Ian was an adorable child, and Nathan Fawcett knew he was often a bit too lenient with his son.

Letting Master Linden raise him for a while wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Anne Sutton sat to the side. Master Linden looked at her and asked, "You have no objections either?"

Anne Sutton glanced at her son and shook her head. "None."

’Master Linden is his great-grandfather, after all. He wouldn’t actually hurt Ian... He wouldn’t abuse him, would he...?’

Anne Sutton wasn’t overly worried.

Ian, sitting beside her, looked at Anne Sutton and asked, "Mommy, what do I do if I miss you?"

Anna Linden said, "If you miss your mommy, she’ll come and see you. Don’t worry! It’s not like she’s going to abandon you, right?"

Now that she had cleared the air with Nathan Fawcett and accepted Anne Sutton, she already considered Anne her daughter-in-law.

They were all family now. Anne Sutton could come back anytime she wanted, as long as she was free.

Ian looked at Anne Sutton, and she nodded back at him.

...

After the meal, Anne Sutton and Nathan Fawcett left together, with Nathan driving her home.

Anne Sutton asked, "Does your grandfather really hate me?"

Nathan Fawcett said, "No."

Anne Sutton looked at the man and said, "You’re such a blatant liar, all just to get me to marry you."

Nathan Fawcett replied, "He’s actually a very good person, just a bit strict when it comes to raising children. He’s afraid Ian will turn out like Ryan Linden, and you know as well as I do that spoiling a child does them no good. Besides, Ian won’t be at a disadvantage there. You know how adorable our son is! Who could possibly have the heart to bully him?"

"..." Anne Sutton said, "Fine."

Since Nathan Fawcett put it that way, Anne Sutton felt a bit more at ease.

...

After a day at work, Anne Sutton headed back to her own apartment first.

She had slept over at the Linden estate the previous night and hadn’t changed, so she planned to go home and get into a fresh set of clothes.

She still hadn’t decided whether or not she would go to the Linden estate that evening.

But if she didn’t, she’d want to go see her son. She had no idea how he was faring with Master Linden.

Anne Sutton was worried that Ian wouldn’t adjust after being so suddenly left with Nathan Fawcett’s grandfather.

...

When she arrived home, Mrs. Sutton was already there.

Anne Sutton saw her mother lying on the sofa.

Anne Sutton asked, "Mom, what’s wrong? Are you sick?"

"My head hurts."

Anne Sutton walked over and felt her forehead. "You have a fever."

Mrs. Sutton said, "I got home late last night."

Business at the shop had been booming for the past couple of days, so she had been working late every night.

She hadn’t expected her body to give out on her.

Anne Sutton said, "I’ll take you to the hospital. We can get you a shot, and you’ll get better faster."

Just letting it drag on at home was not an option.

Anne Sutton took her mother and left.

Nathan Fawcett got a call and rushed over as well.

He entered the hospital room and saw Mrs. Sutton asleep on the bed, an IV drip in her arm. He turned to Anne Sutton and asked, "How is she?"