He Wouldn't Claim Me — Another Man Did-Chapter 18 - 16: Brother-in-law
Isla Prescott couldn’t worry about Sienna Prescott right now. She was more curious about why Shane Sterling was here.
"Sean, what are you doing here?"
"She’s being discharged today, isn’t she? I came to be your driver."
"How did you know my sister was being discharged today?"
"I’m psychic, remember?"
The moment Shane Sterling finished speaking, Sienna Prescott’s attending physician walked out of his office. As soon as he saw Shane Sterling, he waved and said with a wide smile, "Sienna Prescott’s brother-in-law is here to pick her up from the hospital."
’Brother-in-law?’
Isla Prescott looked at Shane Sterling in confusion. He shrugged. "I didn’t say a thing."
He had only asked the attending physician for his phone number so he’d know what day Sienna was being discharged. The doctor, however, had automatically assumed he was Sienna’s brother-in-law.
Isla Prescott didn’t press the issue. She just felt bad that he’d gone to the trouble of making another trip for them.
Not wanting to waste any more of Shane Sterling’s time, she quickly went to complete the discharge procedures.
Isla Prescott had packed her and her sister’s things that morning. Shane Sterling first helped her put the two large bags in the trunk, then walked around to open the car door for Sienna Prescott.
"Thank you." Sienna spoke her first words of the day.
"You’re welcome." Shane Sterling had the air of a charming playboy. "It’s my honor to be of service to a pretty girl."
A blush rose on Sienna’s cheeks.
For a few seconds, alarm bells went off in Isla Prescott’s mind. Shane Sterling’s face was just too captivating; it would be as easy as breathing for an innocent girl to fall for him.
She was afraid her sister would fall in love with another impossible person.
However, she was overthinking it.
Because Sienna’s next sentence was: "Should I call you brother-in-law?"
Sienna Prescott had misunderstood the relationship between Isla Prescott and Shane Sterling.
Just as Isla Prescott was about to explain, she saw Shane Sterling laugh. "If that’s a nickname you’ve given me, then I suppose I can reluctantly accept it."
Sienna Prescott: "Then let’s just say it’s a nickname I made up for you. I’ll call you brother-in-law from now on."
Shane Sterling: "Alright."
Isla Prescott: "..."
’Seriously? Is anyone going to consider my feelings? Who’s going to speak up for me?’
The three of them got into the car.
As soon as Isla Prescott sat down, she noticed two more cushions in the car than the last time she’d ridden in it. These cushions were perfect for the injured Sienna; otherwise, such a long car ride would have been torture for someone with a broken rib.
’Was it a coincidence that there were two extra cushions?’
No, Isla Prescott was more inclined to believe Shane Sterling had put them in the car specifically to pick Sienna up from the hospital. With his level of thoughtfulness, he would definitely consider such details.
Shane Sterling’s car drove all the way to North Lane.
Isla Prescott had contacted her mother, Susan Dudley, beforehand, and she was already waiting anxiously at the entrance to the lane. The moment the car stopped, she rushed over.
"Sienna, are you okay? Does it hurt?"
The car door was only half-open, but Susan Dudley was already carefully looking Sienna over from head to toe.
Sienna had been trying her best to keep her emotions in check over the past few days, but seeing her mother’s worried expression, she started to lose her composure.
"Mom, I’m fine," she choked out.
Isla Prescott and her mother helped Sienna out of the car. Shane Sterling got the bags from the trunk and carried them.
Only then did Susan Dudley notice Shane Sterling, who was with them.
"And this is?"
Shane Sterling stepped forward and politely introduced himself to Susan Dudley. "Hello, ma’am. I’m a friend of Isabelle’s. My name is Shane Sterling."
His natural air of nobility allowed Susan Dudley to see at a glance that he was a cut above the rest.
"You’re... Isabelle’s friend from the Lockwood Family?"
Shane Sterling paused for a moment. "You could say that."
For years, Isla Prescott had only ever told her mother the good news, not the bad. As a mother, however, Susan Dudley had always worried about Isabelle’s life with the Lockwood Family. She was afraid her daughter couldn’t adapt to the disparity in wealth and would be lonely without friends. Shane Sterling was the first person from that world to accompany her daughter back to North Lane.
Susan Dudley was very happy.
"Mr. Sterling, thank you for bringing Isabelle and Sienna home. Why don’t you stay for dinner?"
When she said this, Isla Prescott froze. She felt her mother’s invitation might seem a bit presumptuous to extend to someone like Shane Sterling.
However, to her surprise, Shane Sterling accepted immediately.
"Great. In that case, I’ll be imposing. And please, just call me Sean."
