Ch. 976..980: Powerful Papa with Triplet Babies Chapter 976-980

Chapter 976

‘It’s fine. It’s just been a few days. Anne was inside for much longer,‘ Bianca thought, glad that she persisted and managed to keep her partnership with Lilian a secret, or she would not be able to see lights again.

It was a shame that Anne was alive and survived it perfectly fine when it was the once-in-a–lifetime chance for Bianca to be rid of Anne.

Bianca swore that she would never let Anne live.

It had been a few days since Anne had returned home, and instead of going to work, she remained home with her children.

Since there were no important matters to attend to in the Archduke Group, Anthony stayed home with them most of the time as well.

Everything seemed to have resumed to normal, but Anne had significantly become less talkative.

She would sit quietly even when she was with the children and would only respond if the children came to her for something.

Anthony stood in front of the glass window of the study room and stared at Anne, who sat on a bench by the grass field. She had not touched the food on the table and was simply staring off into the distance where the children were playing with a dazed look on her face.

Anne sobered slightly when she heard footsteps approaching from behind her.

Anthony sat down next to her and placed a hand on the back of the chair she was sitting on. “Why aren’t you eating?”

She glanced at the food. “… Just waiting for the kids to join me.”

“Leave them be.”

“I’m not hungry anyway. It’s fine,” Anne said.

He studied her face, and his piercing eyes threatened to stare into her soul. “What were you thinking?”

“Nothing at all…” She muttered blankly.

“Do you feel unwell in any way?”

“No. I’m fine.”

Anthony was satisfied with how obedient Anne was as this had what he wanted all along, though he did think that she was slightly too quiet.

Not knowing what else to say, she asked, “Do you want to eat?”

He glanced at the cake on the table. “Are you feeding me?

“Why? Do I have to?” She seemed taken aback by his request.

“I feed you as well, don’t I?”

Anne realized he was right but muttered regardless, “I don’t want to.”

“Why not?”

“You can eat on your own.” She felt uncomfortable and reluctant, though she could not tell why.

As she looked away, he pulled her over to sit on his lap.

“What are y…” She tried to get up, but he kept her in place with his arms around her waist.

Anthony grabbed the fork and scooped a large bite of cake before waiting for her to open her mouth.

“It’s… It’s too big.”

“It’s fine. Open your mouth,” he teased.

Not wanting what he was trying to do, she was forced to open her mouth and took a bite.

Before she could finish the bite, Anthony moved closer and pressed his lips to hers.

“Umph!”

He devoured the cake inside her mouth along with her lips to his content teasingly until she blushed.

She did not know if Anthony was tasting the cake, her, or both, but Anthony did not stop until the cake in her mouth was gone.

At the brink of suffocating, she leaned onto his chest helplessly.

“Did that taste good?” he asked hoarsely.

She could not lift her head up and think to herself, ‘He’s so out of line…‘

 

Chapter 977

She noticed Hayden approaching from afar but stopping in the distance.

Embarrassed, she sat up and shoved Anthony before returning to her seat.

Anthony shot Hayden a cold glare as Hayden walked over. “Mr. Marwood, there’s a guest.

“I

Anthony narrowed his eyes and said, “Send them away.”

“She said that there’s something important she needs to talk to you about,” Hayden said.

Anthony glared daggers at Hayden, and without another word, Hayden hastily left.

Anne had not heard any mention of the guest’s name and asked, “Who’s looking for you? Is it really okay to send them away?”

Anthony lifted an eyebrow. “People need to make appointments if they want to see me, and even then, everything ultimately comes down to my mood.”

The triplets hurried over, and Chloe asked, “What mood?”

“Papa and Mama are sharing secrets?”

“We want to know as well!”

Seeing how the triplets were covered in their own sweat, she grabbed a towel to wipe their faces and hands. ” Secrets? We were just talking.”

The triplets turned their focus on the table and crawled onto their chairs before reaching out for the food with their chubby hands adorably.

Anne watched them with a faint smile on her face.

“I saw Papa and Mama kissing just now!” Charlie said all of a sudden, and Anne flushed at the realization that the triplets saw them.

She turned and glared at Anthony.

Anthony was not at all bothered and said, “It’s between us, adults.”

Anne was surprised at how thick–skinned Anthony was.

The triplets proceeded to ignore them and continued enjoying their high–tea.

Just then, Anthony’s phone started vibrating. He took it out before walking to the side to answer it.

Anne looked at him as he walked away and glanced at the entrance of the Royal Mansion, wondering who the ‘guest was and who was called Anthony.

‘Could it be Bianca?‘ she thought.

She could not hear what Anthony was saying, and the call ended shortly after.

Anthony returned to his seat as though nothing had happened, which made Anne wonder even more. Eventually, her mind drifted to the memories of her time in the police station.

Fear grew like weeds within her, and she shivered.

“What’s wrong?” Noticing her reaction, Anthony grabbed her hands. “Your hands are cold.”

The weather was not chilling in any way.

“It’s nothing. Probably because of the juice,” Anne said.

Anthony touched her glass that contained juice and moved it aside. “Don’t drink this.” He then turned and ordered the servants to bring warm milk.

“Mama, let me blow at your hands. That way, you won’t be cold!” Chloe got closer and took her mother’s hands before blowing warm air at Anne’s hands.

Amused, Anne chuckled. “Thank you, Chloe.”

Seeing how her expression had brightened slightly, Anthony relaxed.

A servant brought back a glass of warm milk, and Anne took a few sips. Before she could set it down on the table, Chloe batted her eyelashes at Anne and said, “Mama, I want milk, too!”

Anne fed Chloe a few sips, and Chloe shook her head afterward. “It doesn’t taste as good as Mama’s milk!”

Sensing the darkened look in Anthony’s eyes, Anne desperately hoped that she could bury herself in the ground.

As they returned to the house, Anne instinctively glanced at the entrance once again and saw no sign of the guest Hayden mentioned.

‘Probably already gone,’ she thought.

The next day, Anthony had to head to Archduke Group. Since Anne was not sleepy, she waited until the triplets went to their afternoon nap before heading to work.

Chapter 978

Xander greeted her cheerfully when he saw her at work while the others all acted normal.

She realized that the others might not be aware of what had happened, as the employees often went to Xander instead of her when they needed instructions.

She felt as though she remained frozen at a certain point in her life, and Anthony was the only one she could rely on. Even the children were no longer as important, and she felt like she would lose all her values without Anthony.

The door to her office opened, and she snapped out of her thoughts as she watched Bianca walk inside.

The last time the two saw one another was in the holding cell, and Bianca looked enchanting as always.

“Are you busy? Am I interrupting anything?” Bianca asked.

“No.”

Bianca sat elegantly across the table. “I came from Anthony’s to apologize. I thought that you were the murderer and said some horrible things. Please understand that I was grieving for my loss.”

Anne’s heart sank at the mention that Bianca had been to

the Archduke Group. However, Bianca’s apology seemed reasonable, and Anne could not find any reason to blame her. After all, losing one’s mother was traumatizing, and all the evidence pointed to Anne at the time.

“Anne, have you talked about the divorce with Anthony?” Bianca asked.

Anne had been depressed since she was held in the cell and had not thought of divorcing since, so she shook her head.

Though Bianca did not let it show, she itched to kill Anne deep inside and thought, ‘Who knew that she would still be this shameless despite losing her memories?!”

“That’s good. He will agree to a divorce if you bring it up, and I would feel so guilty if that happens,” Bianca said, meaning to hint that Anthony was more than willing to divorce Anne and that Anne was the one who was refusing to let go.

Anne’s chest tightened. Indeed, she did not dare to propose a divorce as she did not know what her chances were in winning against Bianca if her only advantage was the triplets.

“Anthony locked you up in a cell to find the person who murdered my mother, and I didn’t see that coming. I know that he cares for me and could not exactly be fair, so I hope you can understand. It’s a good thing that they found the real killer now,” Bianca said sheepishly.

Anne pursed her lips and tightened her fingers around the hem of her dress.

She had never been able to understand why Anthony left her in the cell without care and judging from what Bianca was saying. He did so out of concern that she would get in the way of their plans…

“Anne, why aren’t you saying anything? Are you mad at me?” Bianca insisted on getting a response from Anne.

Anne shook her head stiffly. “No…”

“Good, then.” Bianca stood up. “Call me if you need anything. I shouldn’t stop you from working any longer.”

Bianca left, and Anne relaxed as though she had been tortured in the most traumatizing manner.

‘Bianca must be really upset about the fact that Anthony was forced to marry me,‘ she thought.

Feeling like her heart was being roasted on the fire before being tossed into the ice, she fell into devastation.

Just then, her phone rang, and after seeing Anthony’s name on the screen, she answered, “Hello…”

“Why did you go to the office? I will go pick you up from work later.”

“It’s fine. You are busy, too. I will get home by bus later.” Anne was not in the mood to see Anthony.

“Are you leaving now?”

“Soon.”

“Alright.”

After hanging up, Anne sat on her chair and dazed off, wondering how Anthony truly felt about her; her heart twisting in pain as she remembered the days she spent in the holding cell.

Chapter 979

If both Bianca and Anne ran into trouble, Anne was certain that Anthony would help Bianca before her.

“Mama!” The triplets ran into the office.

Surprised, she asked, “Why are you three here?”

“We are here to pick you up from work!” Chloe leaped toward Anne and wrapped her arms around Anne’s leg.

Charlie crawled onto the chair to wrap his arms around her neck instead while Chris held onto Anne’s other leg.

Instantly, she looked like a tree with three children growing on her.

“Are you done with work, Mama?” Chloe tilted her head to the side.

“Yes. Let’s go home.” Anne pinched Chloe gently on the cheek.

“Mama, let’s go outside to play!” Charlie batted his doe- like eyes.

“Let’s play, Mama!” Chris agreed.

Anne checked the time, and since it was still too early for dinner, she agreed, “Sure.”

The four walked out to the streets, and Anne led the children across the road with her hand on Chloe; Chloe held Chris’s hand while Chris held Charlie’s.

There was not much traffic on the road, so it was relatively safe.

The triplets walked around with their eyes darting around.

“Mama! There!” Charlie pointed in a direction excitedly.

Anne looked in the direction and saw a shop selling crepes with a gigantic crepe model at the entrance.

“Mama, we’ve been here before. The crepe here is great!” Chloe said.

“Huh? You’ve been here before?” Anne asked.

“Yeah!” Chloe propped her head on her two fists and batted her eyelashes.

“Mama, we will buy one for you!” Chris tugged at Anne’s dress.

She chuckled and decided to play along. “Do you have money?”

“We do!” Chloe turned to show Anne her backpack. “The money is inside.”

The four walked toward the shop and looked at the various choices; there were fruits and different salivating toppings.

The four picked a flavor each, and Anne watched as Chloe opened her backpack. There were five hundred in cash inside, along with two bank cards. Though she did not know how much money was in those accounts, she knew it must be a fortune.

This was something unimaginable for other children their age.

The total was eighteen dollars, and Chloe handed the shop owner a twenty–dollar bill. “Please give me the two- dollar change!”

It was clear that Chloe was great with mathematics, and Anne could not help but feel proud of her daughter.

“Anne?”

Hearing someone calling her name, she turned and froze at the sight of the man standing in the distance. If she remembered correctly, this was the man who stood outside the police station, saying that he would find her the best lawyer.

“Daddy!” The triplets were shocked at first but immediately darted toward Lucas.

Lucas crouched to wrap his arms around them before patting each of them on the heads. “It’s been a while.” “We miss you so much, Daddy!” Chloe pouted.

“I miss you, too.” Lucas meant what he said but knew that it was best for Anne and the children if he did not visit. “You have all grown taller.”

Chapter 980

“We want to be as tall as Daddy!” Charlie raised his arm and tried his best to reach as high as he could in the air.

“And you will.”

Anne remained dazed as she thought to herself, ‘What did the kids call him? Daddy? Shouldn’t that be Anthony? Who is this?‘

Lucas stood up to find Anne staring at him in confusion, so he took a few steps closer to her. When she visibly tensed, he reassured her, “I’m not a bad person. Don’t be afraid.”

Anne knew that he meant well, or the triplets would not have called him ‘Daddy‘.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t really remember things of the past. Um… Why do the kids call you Daddy? Who are you to me?” she asked.

“Back when Anthony didn’t know about the kids, you were wearing yourself thin taking care of the kids on your own, so you leave them at school when you work. That’s how we met. Before long, the kids started calling me Daddy,” he explained in a gentle, comforting voice.

“Oh…” She smiled.

Lucas stared at the enticing smile on her face dazedly.

There was still so much to their stories, such as how they used to love one another and almost got engaged.

However, if he were to tell her everything, it would simply be a burden to her.

“Thank you, about the last time. I’m fine now.”

“Good to hear.”

“Are you a teacher?” she asked.

Before Lucas could respond, the triplets walked closer, and Charlie corrected Anne, “Mama, Daddy is the principal!”

“Oh… The principal …” Anne could not imagine that she would know the principal. “I couldn’t tell. You are so young.”

Lucas smiled at the feeling like he was meeting Anne for the first time all over again.

“He’s handsome, too! Daddy, we bought crepes for you!” Chole added.

While Anne and Lucas talked, the triplets went to get another crepe.

“It’s strawberry–flavored! It tastes nice!”

“Thank you.” Lucas accepted it and took a bite. “It’s nice.

The triplets were overjoyed with his approval.

“Daddy, let’s play together!” Charlie invited.

Anne could not believe that the triplets would invite him when she did not even know his name. She could guess that the man before her must have taken care of the children, however…

“The principal is busy, and we shouldn’t bother him,‘ she said sheepishly.

“I’m done with work, so it’s fine,” Lucas said.

Anne and Lucas started accompanying the triplets on their walks.

The triplets would run before them and circle around the two occasionally. Chris was still holding his crepe while Chloe and Charlie had almost finished theirs.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Lucas asked.

Realizing that he was speaking to her, Anne glanced at the crepe in her hand and took a bite. It was savory and sweet at the same time, and it was not hard to imagine why the children liked it.

Just then, Lucas noticed the accessories Anne wore on the hand she used to hold the crepe: a watch, a bracelet, and a wedding band.

Tommy had not lied about Anne marrying Anthony.

After taking a bite of her crepe, she turned around and noticed the sorrowful expression on Lucas’s face.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Lucas sobered and smiled. “Nothing. Just thinking about the past.”

Anne seemed interested in the past and said, “I’ve been in a car accident and I don’t remember anything of the past. Can you tell me about it?”

“There’s nothing much worth remembering…” Lucas felt as though his feelings for her were about to burst from his chest.

She studied the look on his face and thought to herself, That look on his face says otherwise, though. Is that something he can’t tell me?‘

“Some things are better to be left forgotten.” He took a deep breath and suppressed his urge to tell her the truth about how Anthony had been lying to her and manipulating her, to tell her that the reality she knew was merely an illusion.

“What is it?” Intrigued, Anne stopped walking forward.

Lucas finally lost control over his emotions at how much she wanted to know the truth and said, “Let’s say a man runs into his female friend’s husband dating someone else. He is enraged but isn’t sure if he should tell his friend the truth. If he keeps quiet, his friend could remain in her bubble of happiness. If he does, his friend will be in misery or worse. So, do you think that he should tell his friend?”

Anne froze, wondering if she was asked to make a choice for the man in the story or herself.

In her mind, Anthony, Bianca, and herself instantly filled in the roles in Lucas’s story where she was the female friend, Anthony was the husband, and Bianca was the woman the husband was dating.

Her heart twisted in pain. She had known that there was something between Anthony and Bianca all along but could not bear to think too deeply about it.

“What are you talking about?” A man’s voice interrupted the conversation abruptly, and tension instantly rose.

Anne snapped out of her thoughts as Anthony approached before wrapping his arm around her waist and looking at her endearingly.

She had not expected to see Anthony here and instinctively turned to glance at Lucas, who did not fret or turn away at all.

Anthony stared at Lucas fiercely while maintaining a normal tone of voice. “Is there something you need from my wife?”

Lucas narrowed his eyes sharply as he clenched his fists.

‘He is bending the truth in front of all our eyes. I suppose he intends to play this out to the very end?‘ Lucas thought.

Knowing that there were things that he could not discuss in front of Anthony, he relaxed his fists and said, “We just bumped into one another.” He nodded at Anne before turning to look at the triplets from not far away. “Daddy is going back now. Bye.”

“Bye, Daddy!” The triplets waved and watched as Lucas disappeared into the crowd.

Soon, they sensed an intimidating glare on their backs and turned to face their father, terrified.