Chapter 590: Chapter 590: Sister Complex
She glanced at the warm pillow he had tucked behind his waist, pursing her red lips with some discontent, and then silently climbed onto the other side of the bed to lie down.
Fortunately, there were two warm pillows. Ann Vaughn held the one in her arms tightly, curling up near the edge of the bed, trying to force herself to fall asleep quickly.
Cyrus Hawthorne moved his focused gaze away from the document and saw Ann Vaughn curled up in a corner, looking pitifully small and aggrieved.
She hugged the pillow in her arms as if holding onto it tighter than she usually did when she slept next to him.
He frowned slightly, losing interest in the multimillion-dollar contract in his hand, and raised his hand to press on his faintly aching brow.
Last night, he had indeed been too angry.
It wasn’t until reason returned, and he saw her body covered in kiss marks and trembling uncontrollably, that he abruptly realized what he had done.
She was fragile by nature, needing coaxing for a long time for even a little pain.
But last night, no matter how she cried and pleaded, he didn’t let her go.
Now, regret had already come too late.
This morning, the vigilance and fear in her eyes when she looked at him was his punishment.
Yet if he heard that sentence from her mouth again, he would probably still lose control and act that way towards her.
...
In the middle of the night, Ann Vaughn drowsily felt that something was off.
The temperature of the pillow was always warm and comfortable, but tonight, the "pillow" seemed excessively hot, making a fine layer of sweat appear on her forehead.
Especially the "pillow" resting on her abdomen, its warmth quickly dispelled the soreness, feeling unbelievably comfortable.
Due to her lethargy, Ann Vaughn didn’t even have the energy to open her eyes to confirm, her soft hand resting on the "pillow," her peach-colored cheeks rubbing against it as she slept soundly.
The man lowered his eyes, gazing at her dependent yet charmingly innocent face that had lost its usual wariness when awake, her cheeks as pink and tempting as ripe peaches, inviting one to pluck them.
How nice it would be if she were this obedient and compliant when awake too.
After a long while, the man sighed softly, his thin lips landing a kiss on Ann Vaughn’s cheek, hugging her soft and boneless body as he slowly closed his eyes.
And those two warm pillows were ruthlessly discarded to the bed’s corner, unable even to climb onto the bed.
...
The next day.
At the request of Kenny, Ann Vaughn took him to White Queen Town for skiing.
Like something out of a fairy tale book, there were mushroom house buildings, snow-covered roofs, walls of varying colors, even the pebble streets were exquisitely cute, very dreamlike.
Unlike the fast-paced lifestyle of The Imperial Capital, this town seemed far from the madding crowd, quiet and peaceful.
Of course, the neighboring Red Queen Town was worlds apart from here.
At the ski resort.
Ann Vaughn had stayed for a long time in places perpetually covered in snow, having learned to ski during that time, so it wasn’t difficult for her.
Though it was Kenny’s first time skiing, under Ann Vaughn’s guidance, he quickly grasped the ropes.
He learned quickly and was already able to rule the area.
Thankfully, Ann Vaughn chose an area with a safe slope, so no matter how Kenny played, there wouldn’t be any danger.
Ping.
The phone in her coat suddenly vibrated.
It was Ian Vaughn calling.
Ann Vaughn’s eyes curved as she answered, "Uncle."
"Sweetie, how have you been lately?" Ian Vaughn’s slightly weary voice was full of concern.
"I’m good. How about you, Grandpa and Grandma? How’s your health?"
"Your prescriptions and acupoint diagrams have been a great help, and our health is better than before," Ian Vaughn said, "There’s something you might need to know."
His suddenly serious tone made Ann Vaughn tense up, "Uncle, what is it?"
"I just got word today that Stanley Sheridan... your father, plans to transfer your mother’s shares in The Sheridan Group to Cynthia Sheridan."
Saying this, Ian’s tone grew heavier, "This signifies that he truly acknowledges Cynthia as his daughter, and those shares are her foundation in the Sheridan Family and The Sheridan Group."
Unlike publicly announcing it at a banquet, the more prestigious the family, the more they emphasize the division of shares and assets.
Only by having shares of your own can you truly be considered part of the Sheridan Family.
Although Ian didn’t want Ann Vaughn to approach the pit that is the Sheridan Family, the shares belonged to Shuhua Vaughn, and she once said they’d be left to her only daughter.
Ann Vaughn has the right to know these things.
After hearing this, Ann Vaughn felt no great fluctuation in her heart, for Stanley Sheridan’s image in her mind was already like that.
If he could mistake his own daughter, what rational act could she expect from him?
But...
Eli Sheridan and Wilder Sheridan were still kept in the dark.
"Uncle, about Cynthia being an impostor, shouldn’t we tell Elliot and Wilder?" Ann Vaughn hesitated for a long time before deciding to ask.
She didn’t care about Stanley Sheridan, but she cared about Elliot’s and Wilder’s feelings very much.
Yet the more she cared, the more she didn’t know how to bring it up to them.
Ian Vaughn was silent for a moment, "Wilder must be kept in the dark; that kid can’t hide his emotions and could easily be tricked. As for Elliot... you might be able to trust him."
Might be able to trust?
Ann Vaughn didn’t quite understand what Ian Vaughn meant by that, but she could sense—
His distrust and wariness of the Sheridan Family had reached a peak.
So much so that he harbored strong vigilance even towards Eli Sheridan and Wilder Sheridan, who usually had a good relationship with him.
Is it because of her mother, that even towards them, he can’t let go?
But why is it that he has no reservations about her?
Ann Vaughn couldn’t understand this, feeling as if a crucial piece of information was missing, but she had no way of knowing what it was.
"Uncle, whatever you’re worried about, but trust me, Brother is not a bad person," Ann Vaughn said confidently.
Eli Sheridan could never be a bad person.
Back then, he went out of his way to help her, a complete stranger, giving his all without expecting anything in return, offering her hope and encouragement.
He pulled her up when she was at her lowest, so how could he be a bad person?
Even if Ann Vaughn couldn’t recall the despair she faced after giving birth to Kenny, she still thanked Eli Sheridan.
He erased her memories, yet gave her a new beginning.
Without him, there wouldn’t be today’s Ann Vaughn.
Hearing the trust and persuasion in Ann Vaughn’s words, Ian Vaughn couldn’t help but smile, "You’d better be careful; Elliot is certainly a sister complex."
Sister... sister complex?
It can’t be?
Ann Vaughn’s lips twitched. That must be Ian Vaughn’s misconception. How could such a steady and mature big brother be a sister complex?