Chapter 351: Drink a Little Less

This feeling of having your destiny in someone else’s hands... it was truly awful.

Anne Sutton stood to the side, glancing at him. She wanted to go over and talk to him, but she held back.

She remembered what Nathan Fawcett had said—he would only spare the Shields Family if she promised to stay away from Justin Shields.

Anne Sutton found her seat and sat down. She heard the people next to her pointing at Justin Shields and talking. "See him? That’s Justin Shields, the young master of the Shields Group."

"Oh, him!" The speaker’s tone was clearly mocking. "Didn’t they say his sister was going to marry Ethan Linden?"

"As if!" Gossiping is human nature. "Ethan Linden doesn’t even like his sister. I heard she was the one throwing herself at him. He never wanted to marry her in the first place. And now look. Not only did they fail to latch onto someone powerful, but they also offended Ethan Linden. How tragic."

"Serves them right! As if the Linden Family is someone they could ever hope to associate with. I met Stella Shields once. She really acted like some big celebrity, wouldn’t even give me the time of day when I asked her to have a drink. Now that the Shields Family is in this state, let’s see how smug she can be."

Anne Sutton sat to the side, listening. She had endured this kind of gossip and scorn before.

Whenever someone fell on hard times, there would never be a shortage of people to mock them.

When she and Charles Prescott had their falling out, plenty of people had gossiped just like this.

Before long, Nathan Fawcett arrived.

As the Head of the Linden Family, the moment he appeared, all eyes fell on him.

Caleb Summers and Butler Walters followed behind him.

Nathan Fawcett walked over, his gaze landing on Anne Sutton.

He saw her and sat down beside her.

Anne Sutton glanced at Nathan Fawcett. "What are you doing sitting here?"

Nathan Fawcett said, "This is my seat."

After speaking, he flipped over the nameplate in front of him. Sure enough, it read "Nathan Fawcett."

Anne Sutton was speechless. "...How could I possibly be sitting with you?"

’I’m here representing my company today!’

’No matter what, the Fawcett Group shouldn’t be seated with the Linden Group!’

The moment Nathan Fawcett walked in, everyone stared at him.

Unlike Anne Sutton, whom no one even glanced at.

Although the Fawcett Group had some influence in Westhaven, no one really paid it any mind here.

Hearing her words, Nathan Fawcett glanced at her. "I had it arranged."

"...You’re so childish."

Nathan Fawcett didn’t respond.

He just sat there. Caleb Summers, who was also sitting nearby, glanced at Anne Sutton and greeted her.

Anne Sutton glanced at him and nodded.

Anne Sutton said to Nathan Fawcett, "By the way, Justin Shields is here today, too."

Hearing this, Nathan Fawcett said unhappily, "Why are you so concerned about him?"

Anne Sutton said, "I’m just letting you know."

Nathan Fawcett replied, "I’d feel better if you hadn’t told me."

Anne Sutton thought of the people who had just been mocking the Shields Family.

Now that Nathan Fawcett had sat down, quite a few people came over to greet him, all very polite.

Now, everyone was a little envious of Anne Sutton for being able to sit next to Nathan Fawcett.

’If only that seat was ours!’

Caleb Summers, sitting to the side, saw all these people bothering Nathan Fawcett and bluntly told them to leave.

He was a prickly presence at Nathan Fawcett’s side, specifically dealing with matters that Nathan found inconvenient to address himself.

After all, Caleb Summers wasn’t afraid of offending people.

Nathan Fawcett sat beside Anne Sutton. Noticing her gaze fixed in Justin Shields’s direction, he glanced over as well.

He turned back, his eyes landing on Anne Sutton. "If you don’t think he’s miserable enough already, feel free to keep staring at him."

"You’re unbelievable!" Anne Sutton glared at Nathan Fawcett. "Are you going to control who I look at, too? Why don’t you just gouge out my eyes and put them in your own head!"

Nathan Fawcett stared at her. "If I wasn’t so reluctant to part with them, you think I wouldn’t?"

She reached out and pinched him.

...

The meeting was incredibly boring. Anne Sutton wasn’t a businessperson to begin with and had no love for these kinds of events.

Sitting there, she felt herself starting to doze off.

When it was finally over, she and Nathan Fawcett walked out the door.

Nathan Fawcett glanced at her. "Let’s go eat together."

"I don’t want to."

She didn’t want to eat with him.

Nathan Fawcett said, "Justin Shields will be there, too. What, aren’t you curious about what’s happening with the Shields Family?"

"..." Anne Sutton glanced at the man. "I’m not curious."

Nathan Fawcett said to her, "Behave."

His tone was a complete command.

Caleb Summers chimed in from the side, "Ms. Sutton, you should come with us! You probably don’t attend many events like this. In any case, you’re a chairman now, big or small. You have to learn to handle some things yourself. You can’t rely on Charles Prescott for everything."

Hearing this, Anne Sutton thought for a moment. He had a point, so she followed them.

Nathan Fawcett said, "So you won’t listen when I talk, but you’ll listen when Caleb Summers does?"

Anne Sutton retorted, "Don’t you have any idea how obnoxious you are?"

There were quite a few people at the meal.

Many of them were from companies that partnered with the Linden Group.

Anne Sutton sat next to Nathan Fawcett, looking at all the tycoons. Most of them were well-known figures from the rich lists.

For her to be there at all was completely out of her league.

Anne Sutton had been sitting with Nathan Fawcett for a little while when Justin Shields arrived.

He walked in, saw Nathan Fawcett, and said, "Mr. Linden."

Nathan Fawcett said, "Have a seat."

Justin Shields sat down, and Anne Sutton looked at him.

Justin Shields didn’t greet Anne Sutton, either.

After all, the Shields Family’s current predicament was a direct result of him getting too close to her.

Everyone was surprised to see that Nathan Fawcett had actually invited Justin Shields to the meal.

They had thought the Shields Family was finished!

Now, it seemed Ethan Linden didn’t plan on being that ruthless after all.

Sitting beside Nathan Fawcett, Anne Sutton looked at Justin Shields. It had only been a few days, but he already looked much more haggard.

’The pressure on the Shields Family must be immense.’

Throughout the meal, everyone talked business with Nathan Fawcett.

Anne Sutton sat to the side. She rarely paid attention to such things and couldn’t get a word in, so she could only listen.

Seeing that she was Nathan Fawcett’s guest, no one said anything.

When the meal was about to end, Justin Shields said, "Ethan, let me toast you."

Nathan Fawcett looked at Justin Shields and said, "Why aren’t you talking to her today?"

Nathan Fawcett’s gaze fell on Anne Sutton.

His words were a clear provocation.

Hearing Nathan Fawcett’s words, Justin Shields glanced at Anne Sutton, then smiled at Nathan. "What are you talking about, sir? Ms. Sutton and I are just acquaintances. There’s nothing between us."

Nathan Fawcett sat there and said to Anne Sutton, "Tell me, should I drink this toast or not?"

Anne Sutton glared at the man. ’So he brought me here just to humiliate Justin Shields?’

’He said he would only spare the Shields Family if I promised not to see Justin Shields anymore!’

’So now he’s asking for my opinion.’

Anne Sutton looked at Nathan Fawcett, then back at Justin Shields. He already looked so pitiful, having cast aside even his pride in front of Nathan.

Anne Sutton didn’t have the heart to make things worse. "Just drink a little."

Nathan Fawcett looked at her, raised his glass, and took a sip. He had gotten drunk just last night, so he was being restrained today.