Chubby Mommy: Scheming Daddy, Surrender Now!-Chapter 410: Believe It or Not

After arriving in Nissa, Ethan Sterling returned the rental car. Ruby Sullivan didn’t know the rest of his itinerary and didn’t want to ask, nor did she want him to know that she was flying to Caelus that night.

Tomorrow, she would attend a private party. Although she was going for Alex, there was a high chance she would encounter L. After that incident, she didn’t know how to handle having both men present.

No matter the reason at the time, it was a thorn in her heart, lodged in her flesh — impossible to remove, and painful at the slightest touch.

The two had lunch together in the hotel restaurant, talking mostly about their child. While it seemed harmonious, Ruby Sullivan couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholic knowing their only common topic was their child.

However, both tacitly avoided mentioning what would come next, as if whatever happened tomorrow — whether returning home or continuing work — had nothing to do with the person sharing this meal.

This did, indeed, make Ruby Sullivan breathe a sigh of relief, as she was no longer used to lying or covering up in front of him. Yet, back in her hotel room, a trace of melancholy lingered in her heart.

Perhaps, he only came to bother her as a side trip for work and had no time for anything else, hence didn’t even ask.

Once this thought crossed her mind, Ruby Sullivan couldn’t help but feel a little stunned. Was she crazy? What was she hoping for? She quickly slapped herself on the head to wake herself up.

In the afternoon, she slept in the room, and after waking up, she tidied up, put on loose sportswear, and pushed her suitcase out the door. Anna was already waiting downstairs at the hotel.

Ruby Sullivan glanced at Ethan Sterling’s room, hesitated, and decided to say goodbye to him. However, after knocking for a long time, there was no response. A passing server saw her and said with a smile, "Hello, this guest has already checked out." As it was recently processed, he remembered clearly, and there was yet no new guest in the room.

"Thank you." Ruby Sullivan smiled awkwardly, feeling a bit uneasy inside.

Guessing is a kind of feeling, but guessing correctly brings a different flavor to mind.

For a moment, she felt a bit stifled, but quickly comforted herself with various reasons, once again placing Mr. Sterling back in the position of "the most familiar stranger."

She looked around at the hotel entrance, and saw Anna waving at her from the car. After getting into the front passenger seat, she was startled by a sudden voice.

"What a coincidence."

Frightened, she shrank her hands to her chest like a startled little rabbit, blinking in alarm.

Ethan Sterling was amused by her adorable gesture and laughed out loud, then somewhat smugly said, "Hmm... I ran into Anna on my way down. You don’t mind if I hitch a ride to the airport, do you?"

"Bumping into... are you underestimating my intelligence with such nonsense?"

Ruby Sullivan straightened her face, "If I minded, would you get out of the car?"

"No."

Ruby Sullivan turned around and sat properly, unwilling to speak further with him.

Anna, on the other hand, was in a good mood, a smile constantly on her face. Seeing they weren’t talking, she turned on the music and hummed along the way.

Ruby Sullivan thought Anna might be tired from driving back from Veridia and then taking her to the airport, but now it seemed that long drives were nothing unusual for Anna. However, Ruby still sensed a happiness in Anna different from before. Since just sitting idly was boring, during a break in the music, Ruby gossiped, "You’re so happy today."

"Yes." Anna paused and smiled, "Overall, just really happy." He said he really liked the birthday gift she gave him.

It was a tie clip set with emerald, and she thought he could use it. Although his words of liking might be courteous, she was still very happy.

They broke up six months ago because she wanted to continue her studies in Caelus, and he planned to research perfumes in Veridia. Anna was sensitive to various scents because he was also a perfumer, and L was his idol, while Wenny was someone he greatly admired.

Seeing that Anna didn’t seem to want to share more, Ruby Sullivan didn’t ask further and continued to focus on listening to the lazy French tune. Feeling a bit sleepy due to the music, she couldn’t understand why Anna enjoyed such tunes while driving; perhaps they brought a sense of peace.

Anna had impressive driving skills and no road rage, perhaps somewhat due to her choice of music.

At the airport, Ruby Sullivan thought Anna would leave through the express lane, but Anna parked the car and got out.

"Thank you for these past two days." Ruby Sullivan hugged her with a smile, "Rest assured, I’ll definitely give you a good review."

Anna also smiled, "Actually, I have a presumptuous request." She hesitated all the way, but decided to voice it.

Ruby Sullivan didn’t know what could make Anna stammer in front of her; could it be asking for more tip?

"Go ahead."

"I know you’re Dr. L’s only apprentice. Since you left The Lawson Group, I haven’t heard of him taking on anyone else. Do you think he’d take on another apprentice in the future?"

Ruby Sullivan observed the urgency in her eyes, hesitating for a probe, "You want to be his apprentice?"

Anna shook her head, "It’s for a friend."

Ruby Sullivan understood; no need to ask, she knew this friend was important to her.

"I haven’t talked with my mentor in a long time, and I don’t know his current thoughts. I’ll promise you to ask if I see him, and then text you, how about that?"

"Great, thanks so much. If you ever return to Nissa, I’ll give you a free tour." Anna excitedly took her hand.

Ruby Sullivan smiled, "Then it’s settled."

Anna glanced at Ethan Sterling waiting nearby, then smiled, "I won’t see you off inside. Safe travels, and here’s something I’d like to say: cherish the people in front of you. Sometimes missing one opportunity makes you appreciate them more; while you can still turn back, be brave and don’t regret it later."

These words were what she wanted to tell herself.

Moved by the sincerity in Anna’s eyes, Ruby Sullivan said, "Thank you." Yet, a voice in her heart answered that they had missed their chances not just once or twice. Any more mindless bravery would just seem reckless.

She walked with Ethan Sterling towards the airport, Ruby Sullivan breaking the silence first, "Are you heading back home, or going on another business trip?"

Ethan Sterling didn’t answer but instead asked, "And you?"

"I’m going to Caelus to see Alex. Thanks to you, Nirvana’s plan to enter the Euronia market has been temporarily shelved."

Listening to her sarcastic tone, Ethan Sterling sighed, "If I told you I haven’t spoken with any distributors, would you believe me?"

Ruby Sullivan paused, uncertain whether to believe, but something in his tone seemed genuine.

Looking at her, Ethan Sterling gave no explanation, merely walking forward with his head held high, "If you don’t believe me, never mind."

Surprised, Ruby Sullivan watched his back, wondering if he’d been possessed — since when had he become so childish?

Little did she know he did this simply because she liked it.