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.”

servants to enlighten him about what

at the Hatcher Mansion and taken Lilly 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 identified himself as

heard this, he was thunderstruck. Suddenly, everything became

knowledge that the Crawfords had eight sons and a daughter. However, the

this mean that the woman he had rescued four years ago was the Crawford

felt their hearts sinking.

lips trembled. “So Jean was the Crawfords’ daughter… hurry, we

would never have forced Lilly to kneel

treated her like a goddess and

actions as well; when he recalled how he had

Do you think

of consideration, he said, “Well, regardless, we’re still Lilly’s blood relations. We’re her grandparents, after all! The Crawfords can’t deny that, no matter how angry they are. Then again, Lilly did

was to teach Lilly not to be an

temper get the better of him and had

with the Crawfords. All they had to do was to have a satisfactory explanation for everything. Once that was settled, they

…

rescuing Lilly, the Crawfords went

South Town’s best hospital

their voices. The atmosphere was extremely tense, punctuated by the sounds of hospital equipment beeping and doctors and nurses

back and forth with the help of his walking stick. “Why

at the time, then gently told his father,

to the emergency room as soon as they reached the hospital. Gilbert had gone with her; up until now, neither of

Gilbert examined Lilly’s bruised

could happen in cases of severe frostbite. A more detailed examination revealed that Lily had

patches of frostbite all over her body. Some of the areas were so severely frostbitten they

four years old, and she had

stung Gilbert’s eyes. Leaning down, he murmured, “Lilly, this is your Uncle Gilbert. Can you hear me?

of her body feeling very light and warm all over. It was

by her ear that constantly murmured, “Lilly…Lilly dear…little Tulip…Can

was this mysterious

tried very hard to open her eyes, but she was unable to

as

…

before Lilly was out of danger, and the doctors all

little girl was wheeled into a hospital room, IV tubes plastered all over

he handed Anthony the report from Lilly’s

these Hatchers! They even had the nerve to lay hands

a frosty voice, he replied, “The Hatcher family’s business goods are under suspicion of being contraband. The company is in pretty desperate straits. Recently they’ve been trying to find

merely laughed derisively. “Help them? They can count themselves lucky if

was so enraged that he wanted to tear the entire Hatcher family to pieces