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.”

to enlighten him about what had happened

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

he was

daughter. However, the daughter’s health was frail,

the woman he had rescued four years ago was

their hearts sinking. How they

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

Lilly to kneel in the snow if they

her like a goddess and worshiped at her

his actions as well; when he recalled how he had disciplined Lilly so

back? Do you think we can walk in and take

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

to do was to teach Lilly not to be an

let his temper get the better of him and had disciplined her more severely than he

misunderstandings with the Crawfords. All they had to do was to have a satisfactory explanation for everything. Once that was settled, they would be able to look forward to a future of wealth

…

to Clodston after rescuing Lilly, the Crawfords went straight to the

suite in South Town’s best hospital was now a hive of

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 are they still in there?”

gently told his father, “Dad, you

whisked off to the emergency room as soon as they reached the hospital. Gilbert

Gilbert examined Lilly’s bruised body with shaking

in cases of severe frostbite. A more detailed examination revealed that Lily had been badly beaten; in fact, her arms,

Some of the areas were so severely frostbitten they

old, and she had

is your Uncle Gilbert. Can you hear me? If you can, please hang

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

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

this

open her eyes, but she was unable to

that she could hear this person talking to her as

…

was out of danger,

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

report from

upstanding bunch, these Hatchers! They

had already done a background check on the Hatcher family. In a frosty voice, he replied, “The Hatcher family’s business goods are under suspicion of being contraband. The company is in pretty desperate

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

that he wanted to tear the entire Hatcher