Signed Mrs. Sterling Chapter 11
The funny thing was, the moment Sebastian left, the sleeping child’s eyes popped open.
His blue eyes were full of cunning and a touch of anxiety, as if he was afraid I’d kick him out too.
“Are you hungry?” I asked, crouching down to his level.
Leo nodded enthusiastically.
“How about I make you some pasta? With meat sauce?”
Sensing that I wasn’t going to abandon him, Leo obediently let go of my jacket and sat on a barstool, swinging his little legs.
As I worked in the open-plan kitchen, I could feel his eyes glued to my back. It was the look of a stray animal—wary, but desperate for warmth.
It reminded me of Henry when he was little, before he was corrupted by Vanessa’s candy and Harrison’s cold indifference.
Half an hour later, a heaping plate of spaghetti bolognese was on the table.
No gluten-free noodles, no low-calorie sauce. Just traditional, carb-loaded happiness in a bowl.
Leo devoured it, getting sauce all over his face. After his last bite, he wiped his mouth with a napkin, hopped off the chair, ran over to hug my legs, and planted a loud, wet kiss on my cheek.
“Auntie, that was the best! A million times better than the cold sandwiches the nanny makes!”
“Can you make it again tomorrow?”
Looking into those big, pleading eyes, I found myself nodding.
After dinner, he snuggled into my arms as I read him a classic children’s book.
Outside, the waves crashed. Inside, I held a warm, small body.
Just then, the peaceful moment was shattered by my ringing phone.
The name flashing on the screen made me frown—it was the Sterling family’s housekeeper.
“Mrs. Sterling… oh, I mean, Ms. Julianne,” the housekeeper’s voice trembled. “Something’s happened to the young master! He knocked over a cup of fresh tea and burned his arm. He won’t stop crying… can you please come back? Mr. Harrison is at a dinner and isn’t answering his phone…”
In the background, I could faintly hear Henry’s hysterical sobs and Vanessa’s annoyed complaints.
My hand tightened around the phone.
Logically, I knew this was Harrison’s problem. I had quit that job.
But he was still the child I had given birth to.
“Why haven’t you called an ambulance? Or taken him to the ER?” I asked coldly.
“Miss Vanessa said… she said not to make a big deal out of it, that some ointment would be fine. She said calling an ambulance would attract reporters.”
“Idiots!” I couldn’t help but curse.
At that moment, it sounded like Henry had snatched the phone.
“Mommy… it hurts so much… that woman is a monster… she did it on purpose…”
“Mommy, save me!”
That cry for help—”Mommy, save me”—shattered all my defenses.
No matter what horrible things he had said, he was still only five years old, and he was asking me for help.
I took a deep breath and stood up.
“Leo, Auntie has to go to the city for a bit. Do you want to…”
“I’m going!” Leo immediately jumped off the sofa and grabbed my hand, his eyes determined. “I’m going to protect you, Auntie!”