Begging For A Reconciliation

Chapter 286

Chapter 286

Chapter 286 The Lady of the Ford Household

The incoming little one swept the callousness off Shawn. The man bent over to pick the little girl up.

Shawn’s voice was gentle and low. His dark eyes set off a soft shimmer. “Did you miss Daddy?”

Carlotta was still learning how to talk. She bobbed her head amid the babbling.

With Carlotta in his arms, Shawn approached Leah. “I brought you a gift.”

Shawn would always bring Leah a gift every time he went away for business. Leah refused to accept the present in the beginning, but now she simply left him be.

By the looks of Leah’s eyebags, Shawn knew that she had not gotten much rest lately.

“It must be some rough few days of watching over Carlotta.”

Carlotta preferred to be in the presence of adults for her age, and her favorite spot was Leah’s embrace. Shawn was able to be more involved in the parental role in the past, but he had been busy lately. His trip abroad for work had increased tremendously.

Leah smiled at Carlotta. “It’s not that bad. Lucy helped.”

She made the right call to give birth to Carlotta.

“Stop getting Daddy to hold you, Carlotta. Get down and walk yourself.”

Leah wanted to take Carlotta off Shawn, but Carlotta shrunk further into Shawn’s chest while clinging tightly to his arm.

“No, Mommy! You bad!”

Leah made an angry face. “Daddy has just gotten off the plane. He’s tired.”

At the rate Shawn was doting on the child, Carlotta would one day be spoiled rotten.

Shawn secured Carlotta in his embrace before taking strides out of the airport.

“It’s fine. I’m not tired.”

In a vehicle, Han aloofly looked outside the window and curled his lips in cynicism.

It never occurred to him that he would run into familiar faces on his first day back in Linkville.

“Ethan, what are you looking at?”

The woman beside Han turned to see what he was looking at.

Outside the window, a couple and a little girl got into a car in laughter and chatter.

Was Ethan thinking about starting a family? Had he come around?

“Do you think the little girl is the most adorable thing in the world too? We can also…”

Shawn cut Anna off mid-sentence and curtly told the chauffeur to get a move on.

The glimmer of hope Anna finally gathered was crushed.

Fighting back the tears, Anna looked away and solemnly asked, “Will you be attending the event tonight?”

Han nodded. “Yeah.”

Well, everybody should get the memo that he was back.

Anna furrowed her brows. It was not Han’s thing to attend social gatherings in Fetriybia, not even for the sake of it.

Shawn did not let go of Carlotta during the car ride back to the Fords’ residence or even at the house. Leah had to make Carlotta give Shawn a break.

Due to the sweltering heat, Shawn’s head was covered in sweat. “I’m really not tired.”

He was not Carlotta’s biggest fan when the girl was born. Nevertheless, Shawn gradually warmed up to her as she grew, to the point that he could disregard her birth.

If possible, Shawn would rather make the best of the situation and keep things the way they were.

Leah pulled out a handkerchief and gave it to Shawn. “Don’t spoil her.”

“Go on. Go and play with Lucy.”

Leah told Lucy to take Carlotta away.

Shawn took a seat on the sofa and pulled out a jewelry box from his pocket.

“I picked this out for you. See if you like it.”

Leah paused in motion for a bit before taking the jewelry box. She lowered her gaze for a quick look.

“That’s nice, but you don’t have to get me expensive gifts next time. I have everything.”

Shawn made it sound like it was not a big deal, but God knew the number of jewelry stores he went to get the custom-designed necklace.

“I saw it and thought of you. That’s all. Besides, I bought Carlotta a gift too.”

Seeing that Leah was still obsessing over it, Shawn diverted her attention to something else.

“Alright. Stop dwelling on it. Come with me to the party tonight. We have a new investor in town, and I want to have a talk with him. A successful partnership will bring the company to great heights.”

Shawn had put Howard Group and White Group on the right development path in the last two years. Nevertheless, it was not enough for him.

Leah nodded her head to the invitation. “Got it.”

The two years had lessened the awkwardness between her and Shawn. It seemed to dawn on Leah the reason why Shawn insisted on keeping her by his side.

That evening, darkness shrouded the earth, but it was a festival of lights in the grand hall of an international hotel. The upper crust of Linkville was gathered here.

Everybody was waiting on a certain somebody – the investor from Fetriybia.

Shawn led Leah to the event hall, and their arrival attracted a lot of attention. Many with a discerning eye carried their wine glasses and drew close.

A woman in a mermaid-style dress approached the couple with a smile. “Long time no see, Mrs. Ford. You have grown more beautiful than the last time I saw you. The gown you’re wearing tonight is stunning and brings out your fair tone.”

Leah had been Shawn’s plus-one in countless social events over the last two years. Since Leah and her daughter were permanent residents in the Fords’ residence, the people of Linkville were under the impression that Leah was Shawn’s wife and the lady of the Ford household.

“I designed it myself.” Leah put on a courteous smile.

Truth be told, Leah chose a less conspicuous dress today because she did not want to be the center of attention. Despite her adorning a dark-colored gown today, these people could somehow find something to praise about.

“Oh, you’re good with your hands. You have a knack for jewelry design and dresses.”

“Mr. Ford is lucky to have you.”

These people knew the words to Shawn’s heart.

Leah was put in an awkward position as she felt nothing. Still, she kept a smile on her face.

Shawn relieved Leah and murmured, “I’m heading there to say hello.”

He had his people get information on the investor before the latter’s arrival at Linkville. Nevertheless, the best they could dig out was that the investor was the princess of Fetriybia’s fiancé.

The men tried to hide their disappointment when they saw Shawn as Shawn’s presence there showed his determination to bag the investor.

No one on-site could beat Shawn in terms of wealth.

They had no hope now that he was here.

Still, everybody said hello to Shawn with a smile.

Shawn circled the room to exchange pleasantries before taking a seat in a corner. Tom came over and respectfully stood next to him.

“Will the investor be here?”

Tom replied, “He should be.”

Shawn scowled. “We couldn’t get any news of his arrival at Linkville?”

His business and network in Linkville were expanding well in the last two years so much so that he rubbed shoulders on both sides of the law. Hence, Shawn always had intel at the tip of his fingers.

Tom gave a nod. “That’s right/”

Shawn chuckled and took a sip of his glass of red wine. “Interesting.”

It was a deliberate act on the investor’s part to withhold news of his landing in Linkville. Yet, the same investor made a big hoo-ha about attending tonight’s party.