Chapter 128 My Daughter Is Here to Pick Me Up, Excuse Me

Chapter 128: Chapter 128: My Daughter Is Here to Pick Me Up, Excuse Me

Sophie Winslow knew Adrian Hawthorne was quite indulgent with Lydia. He acted like a proper father, showering her with gifts year after year and constantly checking in on her. Aside from living abroad, he hadn’t neglected a single responsibility. Sophie showed her phone to the little girl.

Lydia knew how to read now and could understand Adrian’s message perfectly. She immediately said in a serious tone, "Mom, I know how to read. You don’t need to pass the message on for me."

She had her own WhatsApp account, too. Whenever she encountered a word she didn’t know how to type, she would simply send a voice note. The little girl was beginning to develop a sense of pride, her small face looking incredibly earnest.

Sophie burst into laughter. She cupped the little one’s soft, fair cheeks and planted a kiss on them. "Alright, alright. Go change your clothes, and Mom will drive you there."

Lydia immediately scrambled over to her wardrobe on her little legs to pick out an outfit. Looking at the closet full of children’s clothes, Sophie couldn’t help but click her tongue in amazement.

Hector and Sylvia believed in raising children with absolute luxury. They practically wanted to move the entire shopping mall into their home. The elderly couple’s favorite pastime was browsing children’s boutiques. They would buy everything—this pretty dress, that nice hat, a cute hairclip, or a soft plush toy. The collection rivaled a princess’s wardrobe.

Sylvia Sinclair hadn’t been traveling much lately and had come to Kingsford as well. Seeing Sophie taking Lydia out, she stood there with a spatula in hand. "Let me know before you come back! Food only tastes good right out of the wok."

Hector Caldwell, wearing reading glasses and reading a research paper, lifted his eyelids. "Drive safe."

Sophie waved her hand, quickly grabbing Hector’s car keys before hurrying out the door with Lydia.

At the evening banquet.

While Adrian Hawthorne was replying to messages on his phone, Evan York made a subtle observation: Adrian seemed to have smiled. The smile was so faint that it would have gone completely unnoticed without careful observation. This struck a nerve in Evan. After all, Adrian was still bound by a marriage contract. Even though his sister hadn’t been found yet, as her older brother, he had the responsibility to monitor and guard what belonged to her.

"Busy with work, Mr. Hawthorne?" he asked.

Stella Sutton also glanced over. After all, Adrian had been so busy earlier that he hadn’t even shaken her hand.

Julian Sterling appeared entirely at ease in this vanity fair. He took an unhurried sip of his brandy, showing no interest in other people’s private matters and simply acting as a spectator.

Adrian tucked his phone back into his suit’s inner pocket and clinked glasses with Evan. "No, it’s a family matter."

Evan’s brow twitched slightly. "Is your father doing well? If I have time another day, I should go visit him."

Adrian could easily read Evan’s underlying attitude. Evan wanted to confirm his loyalty and remind him of the connection between the two families. He replied calmly, "You’re welcome to visit."

Just then, someone approached Adrian to discuss a project. He stepped a short distance away to talk with them.

Stella glanced at Adrian before asking Evan, "Is the marriage contract between your two families just going to drag on like this?"

Evan reined in his usual casual demeanor. "He’s my sister’s future husband. I have to protect this good match for her."

As long as the York family didn’t bring up a cancellation, the Hawthorne family could likely endure it for at least another two years.

Stella could see that even a playboy like Evan couldn’t hide his unreserved affection for his sister. It was truly enviable. She inexplicably tugged at her lips and remarked, "Your sister is really lucky."

She even wondered what would happen if Evan’s sister returned. Given how much he doted on her, he would probably introduce her to their entire social circle and demand that everyone cater to her every whim. She would become the most pampered princess in their group.

If that happened, what about her? Would she still be the center of their attention? Would the kindness they showed her be transferred to someone else? The thought made Stella involuntarily frown, and her smile lost its relaxed ease.

Naturally, she instinctively rejected the existence of such a person. However, she quickly felt a sense of relief. After all, there had been no news of the girl for so many years. It wouldn’t be that easy to find her. For all they knew, she had died out there long ago, her bones already reduced to dust. There was no need to trouble herself over nothing.

At this thought, Stella raised an eyebrow, her mood brightening considerably.

Walking over to Julian’s side, she gazed at his refined, handsome features, her chest warming slightly. "Mr. York is so good to his sister. It reminds me of how much you seemed to like that little girl you met the other day, Julian. Have you ever thought about having a daughter in the future?"

Julian had a younger brother. A half-brother, to be exact. His own aunt had given birth to a son for his father. Stella knew that Julian actually had no affection for his brother, Stanley Sterling.

This topic naturally brought up the image of a tender, youthful face from deep within Julian’s memory. Although her features hadn’t fully matured yet, one could already tell she would grow up to be breathtakingly beautiful. Her lovely dimples, in particular, were very iconic.

He swirled the wine in his glass, an unprovoked smile lifting the corners of his lips as his gaze warmed. "Perhaps."

Stella’s cheeks suddenly flushed red as her mind wandered to certain possibilities. Her gaze toward Julian grew even more eager. "You’d make a great father. I’m sure of it."

The word "perhaps" meant that he was open to having children and didn’t reject the idea, which meant...

A calculating gleam flashed through Stella’s eyes.

Just as she was deep in thought, Adrian, who had been discussing a partnership nearby, returned. His expression was cool and aloof. His gaze swept over Evan and Julian before he offered a polite farewell. "I have a personal matter to attend to tonight, so I’ll be taking my leave now. Mr. Sterling, let’s catch up another day."

Julian looked up at him and nodded. "Do as you must, Mr. Hawthorne."

Evan, however, cast a sharp look his way. Seeing Adrian look down to reply to a WhatsApp message, he couldn’t help but ask, "You’ve just returned to the country, Mr. Hawthorne. What sort of emergency requires you to leave the banquet so abruptly?"

Julian also cast a nonchalant glance in their direction. There were quite a few important guests tonight, representing various industries and even government officials discussing future policy directions and arrangements. It was a rather crucial event. To leave halfway through meant it probably wasn’t a business matter.

Adrian finally looked up. After turning off his phone screen, he answered smoothly, "It is indeed an emergency." He paused, waving his phone slightly, a faint smile gracing his usually cold and solemn face. "My daughter has come to pick me up, and I need to go spend time with her. Please excuse me."

With just one sentence, the bustling banquet hall, filled with the clinking of glasses, seemed to fall dead silent. It was so abrupt that people began to wonder if they had hallucinated the words.

Evan’s expression changed drastically. Julian stopped tracing the rim of his glass and looked at Adrian.

Stella instinctively blurted out, "Mr. Hawthorne, you have a daughter? Are you married? Or do you have a girlfriend who had a child out of wedlock? Why haven’t we heard anything about this?"

She had essentially asked all the critical questions. In high society, having children out of wedlock wasn’t particularly rare. There were plenty of women who elevated their status through their children, gaining everything but an official title.

Adrian clearly had no intention of answering questions about his private life. He simply nodded and said, "My daughter is at the entrance. I’ll see you all next time."

With that, the man turned without hesitation and strode toward the exit.

Staring at Adrian’s retreating back, Evan’s face turned uncontrollably cold.

Was his sister being cheated on?