Spoiled by Eight Uncles

Everything happened so fast that the Hatchers had no time to react.

By the time Stephen rushed out, he saw Anthony preparing to get into his car and drive off. However, he had not been in time to see Gilbert brushing the snow off Lilly and picking her up from where she had been kneeling by the gate.

“My goodness! It’s Mr. Anthony Crawford!” Stephen plastered a bright smile onto his face and greeted the other cheerfully. “What brings you here? It’s an honor to have you visiting our humble abode!”

By then, Richard, Paula, and some of the Hatcher servants had hurried out to join Stephen as well, their faces wreathed in smiles of welcome.

When they saw Anthony’s stern, aloof countenance, they became even more fawning and obsequious.

Anthony Crawford was the current head of the Crawford family’s business empire and the CEO of Crawford Holdings!

The Crawford family was one of Clodston’s four influential families; everyone wanted to butter them up and curry favor.

A true aristocratic family like this with old money and such deep ties to Clodston was rare. The Crawfords were an elusive, mysterious entity; they kept themselves out of the limelight. The only thing anyone in Clodston knew for sure was that the Crawfords had eight sons, but even then, few had even set eyes on them.

Anthony was occasionally featured in the headlines of the financial news, which was why the Hatchers had recognized him.

“Mr. Crawford, please come in! It’s freezing out here. We’d love to have you stay a little while if you don’t mind such humble surroundings,” Richard said enthusiastically.

“Yes, yes, please do come in and have something hot!” Stephen chimed in, smiling.

Now that they were in the presence of a truly distinguished person, all the Hatchers could not help trying to ingratiate themselves with him.

The Ador Hatcher Corporation was in dire straits; for the Hatcher family, this was a catastrophe.

However, just a word from Anthony would revive their flagging fortunes!

If luck favored them, they might even become one of Clodston’s top ten influential families…

Anthony’s face betrayed no hint of expression; instead, he studied Stephen with keen eyes.

Was this Lilly’s father?

Still without expression, Anthony declined Richard’s offer coolly and enigmatically. “Very well, Mr. Hatcher and family.”

Without another word, he got into his car and drove off.

The Hatchers stood there, confused and dazed, watching him leave.

Paula was the first to speak. “Mr. Crawford said very well… Does that mean he’s intending to help us?”

Richard frowned. “Given his expression, I don’t think he meant anything complimentary.”

enlighten him

away, and that a man in black had stripped off his coat and wrapped it around her, cradling her in his arms. He had also

was thunderstruck. Suddenly, everything became terrifyingly

a daughter. However, the daughter’s health was

that the woman he had rescued four years ago was the Crawford family’s one and only precious

the Hatcher family felt their

“So Jean was the Crawfords’ daughter… hurry, we need to go

Lilly to kneel in

they would have treated her like a goddess

he recalled how he

get her back? Do you

long moment of consideration, he said, “Well, regardless, we’re still Lilly’s blood relations. We’re

to do was to teach

the better of him

clear up any misunderstandings with the Crawfords. All they had to do was to have a satisfactory explanation for everything. Once that was

…

of returning to Clodston after rescuing Lilly, the Crawfords went straight to the nearest

best hospital was now a

dared to raise their voices. The atmosphere was extremely tense, punctuated by the

with the help of his walking stick. “Why are they still

time, then gently told his father, “Dad, you should

as they reached

emergency room, Gilbert examined Lilly’s

the worst thing that could happen in cases of severe frostbite. A more detailed examination revealed that Lily had been badly beaten; in fact, her arms, ribs,

Some of the areas were so severely frostbitten

four years old, and she had

eyes. Leaning down, he murmured, “Lilly, this is your Uncle Gilbert. Can you hear me? If you can, please hang in there. You’ll make it through, I

her body feeling very light and

ear that constantly murmured, “Lilly…Lilly dear…little Tulip…Can you see me? Can you hear

was this

eyes,

to her as well, but she could not make a sound, no matter how frantically she

…

three hours of surgical procedures before Lilly was out of danger, and the

was wheeled into a hospital room,

Anthony the report from Lilly’s examination. When

growled in fury, “A fine, upstanding bunch, these Hatchers! They even had

a frosty voice, he replied, “The Hatcher family’s business goods are under suspicion of being contraband. The

can count themselves lucky if I

was so enraged that he wanted to tear the entire