Chapter 811: I’ll Tell You a Story, and You Go to Sleep After I Finish, Okay?

Chapter 811: Chapter 811: I’ll Tell You a Story, and You Go to Sleep After I Finish, Okay?

Annabelle Linton stared at him steadily for a moment, her gaze calm as it met his.

To be completely honest, Leona Grant felt genuinely apprehensive. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he watched Annabelle lean down to press a soft kiss to his forehead.

"Then I’ll tell you a story," she said with a helpless sigh. "But we go to sleep right after, okay?"

A story?

Hmm... Leona felt like a three-year-old toddler, even though he had never actually been told bedtime stories at that age. Yet, looking at Annabelle’s gentle and composed features, he could not help the curiosity and anticipation swelling within him. What kind of story was she going to tell him? Bafflingly, a simple "Okay" slipped right out of his mouth.

As it turned out, human genetics were deeply hereditary.

Much, much later, whenever little Evan went to bed, he would always demand that Annabelle tell him stories. Sometimes, he would even fake an illness just so she would hold him to sleep and hand-feed him his meals, completely hijacking all of Leona’s special privileges. Leona would be so furious he could practically spit blood. However, the brat constantly leveraged his young age to tattle to Annabelle. Evan was an absolute little drama king with a devious core, leaving Leona nowhere to vent his frustrations.

Annabelle tucked the covers securely around Leona, her eyes flashing with a complex emotion as she began her tale.

"Once upon a time, there was a handsome boy who met a girl. That girl was a Princess. The Princess had been separated from her parents and had no one to take care of her, so the boy eventually took her in. However, the Princess didn’t know how to do anything at all. She was completely clueless about the world.

"Since she knew nothing, how was she supposed to survive? The boy decided to teach her some basic life skills. To help her develop these abilities, he came up with a system.

"Eating and sleeping properly earned her twenty bucks. Brushing her teeth and washing her face earned thirty. Doing things independently was forty, and going to bed like a good girl was fifty or more. If she failed to complete a task, she would be fined. Watching her look so lost and utterly clueless, the boy found it highly amusing. So, he added another rule: saying something he liked to hear would earn her ten bucks.

"The Princess never went to bed on time, nor did she know how to sweet-talk him. Between failing her tasks and the constant deductions, she was only left with a measly few bucks. But she didn’t care. Her pampered upbringing meant she had no concept of what money was actually used for. Seeing this, the boy merely smiled and said nothing, though he strictly adhered to his reward system.

"Later, a supermarket opened downstairs in their neighborhood. They sold delicious chocolates, which the Princess loved. The boy had taken her there once, telling her she could come buy things herself since it wasn’t far from home. The Princess silently memorized the route.

"One time, when the boy wasn’t home, the Princess felt bored. Remembering her pocket money, she grabbed her cash, headed down to the supermarket, and bought her favorite chocolate. It tasted absolutely wonderful, and she smiled with pure bliss.

"From then on, the Princess always completed her tasks on time because she knew it was the only way to earn more money. When the boy saw her becoming increasingly obedient, he knew his method was working. With money in her pockets, the Princess slowly discovered its perks, and the list of foods she craved grew longer.

"Though she was happy while eating, the money vanished as soon as the snacks were gone. Her expenses grew rapidly. Soon enough, even after working hard to be a good girl and complete her daily tasks, the money was never enough. She was very distressed.

"One night, the boy was working in his study. He had a heavy workload and hadn’t slept or rested properly in days."