Meanwhile, Ethan carried Anastasia, who was soaked from the heavy rain, back to the old Reed family home where she lived. As soon as the gates opened, Anastasia's parents, anxiously awaiting news, appeared in the courtyard.
"How did it go? Did Thaddeus agree?" This was the moment they had been anxiously awaiting. They wanted to see if Thaddeus Reed would let them off the hook.
Ethan frowned. When the couple saw Ethan enter with Anastasia in his arms, they were stunned and flustered.
"Anastasia? What's happened to you?" Claudia quickly seized Ethan's arm and demanded, "Tell me, scoundrel, have you done something to Anastasia again?!"
"Mother…" Anastasia opened her eyes weakly and called out.
When Ethan noticed the pink tinge to Anastasia's complexion, he immediately thought, "Oh no." He then brought her inside the house.
"Stop! I haven't permitted you to enter! I'm asking you a question!" Claudia firmly blocked Ethan.
"You're her mother; can't you see she's ill?" Ethan's tone was already distant as he glanced coldly at Claudia. He walked past her, up the stairs, and took Anastasia to her room.
Charlotte dashed over after hearing the commotion and was taken aback when she saw Anastasia's state. "Anastasia, what happened to you?! You were perfectly fine earlier. How did you end up so drenched?"
"Didn't your father say you should go and beg your grandfather? How did you end up like this? Did Thaddeus agree?" Claudia murmured as she followed them into the room.
"What?! Did you tell Anastasia to beg Grandpa? Why didn't you go yourselves? It's still pouring outside! Anastasia must have fallen ill after getting soaked in the storm!" Charlotte was frustrated.
"What are you saying? She's the one who upset him and is causing us to be thrown out. Of course, she needs to go and plead with him. It's the only way," Claudia stated righteously, infuriating Charlotte even more.
"Enough!" Ethan interrupted, annoyed. "The most important thing now is to give Anastasia a warm bath and change her clothes. I'll contact a doctor to come over."
He stood up and gazed at the two women across the room, making them feel oppressed by his towering presence. "She's ill now, so I hope you won't trouble her with these matters again."
With that, Ethan left the room.
Claudia was momentarily stunned before reacting. This good-for-nothing was giving me orders in my own house. He even seemed domineering just now. She even felt a little respect for him.
"This is infuriating! Who does that slacker think he is? How dare he speak to me like that?!" Claudia was highly displeased.
"Alright, Mum, if you can't take care of Anastasia, just leave. Stop bothering her with more nonsense," Charlotte muttered to Claudia, irritated as she assisted Anastasia, who was running a high fever. "Anastasia, can you still walk? I'll take you to the bathroom now."
Soon, Ethan returned with a bespectacled doctor dressed in a white coat.
Claudia looked at Ethan and the doctor worriedly. "Where did this doctor come from? Is he some random person you found? If you end up harming Anastasia, I will not spare you."
The doctor glanced at Claudia with irritation. "Excuse me, my name is Bert Lennie, and I am the director of the respiratory department at Emerald General Hospital of Emerald Coast County. If you are unsure, you can seek medical attention elsewhere. Please move aside and do not distract me while I diagnose the patient."
"Director? You must be boasting! Emerald General Hospital is a top-tier facility, and their doctors never consult outside the hospital, let alone the directors," Claudia said suspiciously, refusing to let them in.
Charlotte angrily pulled Claudia aside and objected, "Mum, he's here to treat Anastasia. Must you continue to act like this? If you have time, make some ginger soup for Anastasia, or bring a warm water bottle here!"
Charlotte was deeply annoyed by her inconsiderate parents talking nonsense instead of taking care of Anastasia.
They had forced Anastasia to go out in the rain to apologize, resulting in large bruises on her knees, which Charlotte noticed while helping her change. Her skin also looked pale, indicating she had been kneeling in the rain for quite some time.
She had been kneeling because of their callous grandfather, who held complete power over the family!
Charlotte felt both frustrated and sad for her sister.
However, Anastasia's parents did not seem to care that she had a high fever and injured legs from kneeling. They even continued to question the doctor, suspecting him of being a fraud. This left Charlotte speechless.
If it weren't for her parents, Charlotte would have lost her temper.
Feeling a little guilty because of Charlotte's angry stare, Claudia grumbled continuously as she went downstairs. "You've all turned disobedient as you've grown up. How dare you speak to me like that? You are a bunch of ingrates."
Fortunately, Anastasia's fever was not severe, and it went down after she took some medication and was put on a drip.
When Anastasia opened her eyes again, she saw two faces looking at her beside the bed.
"Mommy, you're finally awake!" Sophia leaped forward and kissed Anastasia on her cheek. "Mommy, you've been sleeping because you were ill. I tried to wake you, but Daddy told me not to disturb your sleep. I was so worried!" Sophia lay down beside Anastasia, gleefully trying not to squeeze her.
Anastasia gently stroked her daughter's head before looking at the other person beside the bed, only to find it was Ethan. He sat on the carpet, looking at her with a sympathetic gaze, his hair and clothes still soaking.
Anastasia was deeply moved as she gazed at Ethan.
Earlier, she had been kneeling in front of the Reed residence's cold iron gates while everyone inside watched her through the glass windows, laughing at her misery. The only person who came out was the old butler, who confirmed that her family had been disowned and told her to leave.
Her dignity and body were both severely tortured. Anastasia feared she wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.
At that moment, someone wrapped a warm jacket around her and placed his strong arms on her shoulders, lifting her away from that oppressive scene.
That person was Ethan.
Ethan was the one who had rescued her.
For the first time, Anastasia felt that Ethan was reliable, giving her a sense of security.