Chapter 185



Her question stunned Joel. “What?”

Pete looked at a cowering Mia and said truthfully, “She really likes to dance. Restricting a girl’s hobbies and interests is not something a good parent does.”

“…”

Seeing that Joel’s expression had tightened and he wasn’t speaking, Tanya motioned to Pete and said, “Come on down now.”

Pete got out of the car.

The two of them walked into the Anderson villa holding hands.

The car door slowly closed as they disappeared out the door. When the car started up again, Joel finally looked at Mia.

He motioned to Mia, who meekly approached him at once. She tried to oblige him and said cautiously, “Mia doesn’t like to dance daddy…”.

Her eyes flickered as she spoke, and there was a hint of panic in them.

Joel’s heart ached for some reason. He asked, “Was it your mother who forbade you to learn to dance, Mia?”

Mia nodded, but then shook her head again. Finally, she lowered her head and said uneasily, “Mom said that Dad hates people who dance, and told me not to learn to dance. Don’t worry, Daddy, Mia won’t dance.”

Her words made Joel’s eyes widen in surprise.

Joel had always wanted to know Mia’s interests and preferences as she was growing up, but found that everything the girl liked to eat and play with were things he liked.

He had always thought she had inherited those traits from him.

Little did he know that they were actually all the result of Hillary’s training.

Joel’s expression darkened. “Dad doesn’t dislike dancing.”

Mia’s eyes immediately lit up and she asked, “So, can Mia learn to dance with Miss Turner?”

Joel looked at her. His jaw tensed as he asked, “How much do you like Miss Turner, Mia?”

Mia flashed him a shy smile and replied, “Yes.”

She lowered her head and twiddled her thumbs as she said, “Miss Turner dances very well, yes. I’ve met her secretly a few times. She also likes to smile a lot. I like her very much…. But Mom doesn’t like Miss Turner…”

At this point she seemed rather depressed. Then she added, “Besides, Miss Turner doesn’t like Mia either.”

The disappointed girl said, “She refused to teach me today.”

Tanya had refused to teach her? It must have been because she really didn’t want anything to do with him, right?

Joel’s long, slender fingers curled into a ball slightly, and the look in his eyes became even colder than before. He rubbed Mia’s head gently. After a brief silence, he said, “All right. I’ll think of something if you want to learn to dance.”

🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙

At the Anderson’s.

Nora had just come out of the bathroom when Pete arrived home. The woman, who was wearing a silk nightgown, let out a lazy yawn and collapsed on the bed.

Pete greeted her, “Hi, Mom.”

Nora waved and said, “Yes. You do your homework.”

“Okay.”

Pete left for the den after that. Nora was about to go to bed when suddenly her cell phone rang. Cherry’s tender young voice rang on the phone as she answered the call.

“My dearest mom, have you found out where Grandfather Sponsor is?”.

They had been chatting on Messenger for over a month. Their spark of friendship had grown stronger and stronger, but their chat had been inactive all the previous day.

Why hadn’t Grandfather Sponsor logged on yet today?

Cherry panicked.

As if her actions were right and justified, Nora replied, “Oh. I forgot about it.”

“…”

Cherry sighed. “So, are you willing to look it up for me now mommy?”.

“No, I’m not.”

Cherry was so angry that her little chest was heaving up and down. She silently told herself that it was her birth mother…. She could only smile and hold it in to finally ask, “So, when will you be free to look it up for me?”

Nora raised her eyebrows and replied, “When I wake up, I guess.” Okay, I’ll hang up!”

Now she was really sleepy.

Beep… beep… beep….

The disconnected tone made Cherry’s heart go cold. Her little shoulders slumped as she looked at the large villa in front of her, on the verge of tears.

At that moment she was staying with her father in the Hunts’ family home.

The family home was actually a mansion.

By rights, since Justin was the head of the Hunts, he should live in the mansion. However, since the Hunts all lived together, that meant that his second uncle’s family also lived there. In addition, the incident with Elder Mrs. Hunt had already occurred. Therefore, Justin had taken Pete with him and had taken up residence elsewhere.

Since Justin had taught his second uncle’s family a good lesson and had also gotten something on them after that mistake, they had been much better behaved and no longer dared to come. Coupled with the fact that the two of them were staying in the main house, this meant that Cherry still hadn’t met any of the Hunts, even though it had been two days since they had moved back in.

In the midst of her thoughts, Justin walked into the room. He looked at her and asked politely, “There’s a family dinner tonight, do you want to join them?”

A family dinner?

Cherry liked lively places best of all.

Besides, several of her elders would be there too, which meant she would gain a few more people who adored and loved her. So, she nodded and replied, “Yes, I want to go!”

“Okay.”

Justin smiled at her. If it had been his son instead, he definitely wouldn’t have wanted to go. As expected, his daughter’s personality was different. She was much more animated and cheerful than his son.

He bent down, lifted Cherry with one arm and carried her downstairs.

The Hunts hosted a family dinner every month. All the Hunts were required to attend it as long as they were in New York, which was a rule in the family.

When they went downstairs to the main hall, the spacious living room was already full of people.

Their second uncle, Roger Hunt, was sitting quietly in a corner.

Roger’s son, Fatty, was playing with his cell phone with his head down. Apart from them, the other Hunt family members were also present. Elderly Mrs. Hunt had already been discharged from the hospital and was sitting in the chair next to the main seat.

The main seat belonged to the head of the family.

The moment Justin came downstairs, all the Hunts stood up. Even though they were his elders, they had to show courtesy to the head of the family.

Mrs. Hunt, who was the oldest there, said, “There you are, Justin.”

Justin nodded and greeted his grandmother. Then, as if he was teaching his daughter manners – although, in reality, he was reminding her – he said, “Say hello to your great-grandmother, Pete.”

Cherry looked at Mrs. Hunt eagerly.

So, was she the great-grandmother who had taken a fall some time before, which had caused her brother to be accused of pushing her?

Mrs. Hunt looked at her, too.

He had come to know what had happened after she had regained consciousness following the operation. The old woman had been quite distressed that her son and his family had used her against a child.

Pete was not like other children; he was mildly autistic and did not like to talk.

After that incident, the relationship they had built up after so much effort must have all but disappeared by now, right?

Mrs. Hunt let out a sigh at the thought and looked at Cherry warily. Knowing that her great-grandson probably didn’t dare come near her anymore, she said regretfully, “Never mind…. Let’s not make things harder for the child!”

“Yes, that’s right! Don’t make things difficult for Pete anymore. He has mild autism, you know,” said Raymond Hunt, Justin’s second uncle. It sounded like he was agreeing with Mrs. Hunt, but he was actually embarrassing Pete in front of all the other Hunts. He added, “He doesn’t like to talk!”.

How could a child who didn’t talk inherit the company in the future?

Even if his authority was taken away, once Justin got older, wouldn’t the company still be his in the end?

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