Chubby Mommy: Scheming Daddy, Surrender Now!-Chapter 191: A Strange Dream

The scent of the bath sachet in the tub was exactly to Ruby Sullivan’s liking, a blend of lavender, jasmine, and rose that was very hypnotic.

She initially just wanted to soak a little longer, but without realizing it, she closed her eyes and fell asleep in the bathtub.

In a daze, Ruby Sullivan vaguely saw Ethan Sterling lift her out of the water and place her on the bed. It seemed like he even casually wiped her with a towel.

At the time, she thought it must be a dream. As for when she fell asleep, she was too lazy to think about it anyway, the pillow was comfortable, and the bed was soft.

When she opened her eyes and saw the ceiling, the first thing that came to mind was last night’s dream.

It wasn’t until she felt the warm body beside her that she suddenly realized it was not a dream at all. Last night, the one who carried her from the bathtub to the bed was indeed Ethan Sterling himself!

"Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?" She blinked, looking at the man struggling to open his eyes beside her, getting angrier. He returned, so what about the kids? Ethan Sterling always treated the children like adults. If he hadn’t been so strict with Seth, Seth wouldn’t have been such a little stiff from an early age.

Ruby Sullivan’s now fully awake mind ran further and further toward her chosen target, provoking her to give Ethan Sterling a hard kick.

Still reacting, Ethan Sterling frowned slightly, "Ms. Sullivan, I brought the kids back too."

"What?" Ruby Sullivan’s eyebrows knitted into a knot. "Both kids are still adapting to a new environment, and you brought them all back, so when they go back they’ll be strangers to the other kids again. Also, Seth is in first grade, what if he can’t keep up with the lessons when he goes back?"

Ethan Sterling’s sleep-filled yet still bright eyes watched Ruby Sullivan as she attacked him like a fighter jet. Suddenly, he sat up and embraced her, "Calm down, take it easy, okay?"

It seemed that The Sterling Group was truly toxic. While in Meridia, she lived like a carefree girl, yet the moment she returned she became a warrior ready for battle at any moment. Even her breathing seemed tense; his decision was indeed correct.

Ethan Sterling gently patted her back and affectionately asked, "Did those old folks on the board bully you while I was away? You tell me, I’ll handle their bonuses at the end of the year and show them they can’t mess with just anyone."

He initially wanted to say that his woman, Ethan Sterling’s woman, couldn’t be bullied casually, but he feared she’d suddenly snap, so he changed his words. For now, having her in his arms like this was more than enough.

Hmm, it seemed her life in Meridia was indeed not bad.

Ruby Sullivan shoved him away, "Don’t change the subject."

Ethan Sterling looked down at her and helplessly pulled the blanket up higher for her. Her bold appearance truly made him a bit flustered.

It was then that Ruby Sullivan realized her current state was quite revealing. Her face flushed as she hastily pulled the blanket tighter.

Ethan Sterling smiled, "I spoke with Honey’s kindergarten teacher; getting a leave was really easy, just had to fill out a card to retain enrollment. Then I talked seriously with Seth’s teachers, the principal, and Seth himself; there won’t be any issues with his studies. As for social relations, of course, there’s a problem. But this problem won’t change whether he stays there or leaves for a few days, plus both children really miss their grandmother."

Ruby Sullivan tensed up hearing about Seth, "Seth isn’t happy in primary school?"

"In that school, he’s just a little brat, plus his character is quite arrogant. He’ll have some social difficulties, but isn’t that normal?" Ethan Sterling tried to downplay the issue because he felt he had done everything a parent could.

This included arranging for a bodyguard in places Seth couldn’t see and even talking with the parents of the two brothers. Of course, he also exerted some pressure on the parents’ jobs. However, he didn’t want to keep it from Ruby Sullivan, because he feared she’d be even angrier if she found out on her own later.

"Why didn’t you tell me sooner?" Ruby Sullivan was displeased with having missed it.

Ethan Sterling sighed, "Can you trust that I’m a fairly competent dad?"

"If you were competent, you wouldn’t have left him to the maid and Rhonda Sullivan-like women in the past."

Ethan Sterling sighed, "I was out of my mind back then, okay?" He looked helpless, but his attitude was sincere, not trying to provoke her with self-deprecation.

Seeing his tender look, Ruby Sullivan suddenly realized her shoulders were hunched high, her whole body tense like a prickly little leopard.

She let out a long breath, unable to resist asking herself in her heart, What’s wrong with me?

Seeing her in a daze, Ethan Sterling felt infinite affection. He never realized she was still such a young woman. He raised his hand to pat her head, "Is the company stuff making you too nervous?"

Ruby Sullivan slumped down, hardly able to raise her head, "Almost all the issues this time are on me. I skipped a step, leading to the past three months of work nearly going to waste. Now everyone has to work overtime with me, and..."

She paused, even more apologetic, "I know The Lawson Group temporarily halted their advance into the Celestian Market because you intervened, so time is crucial. Daydream is a product that can’t be delayed for release. I messed up, and now you’re under great pressure too."

She felt very guilty, whether from an employee’s standpoint or as an ex-wife.

"It’s okay, I’ll bear it if the sky falls. The Sterling Group won’t collapse just because one Daydream doesn’t launch, nor will it fail to stock just because the domestic market gains a Lawson Group. You’re underestimating me." Ethan Sterling stretched his arms, feeling all his sleepiness had been driven away by Ruby Sullivan. "The two little guys are probably still adjusting to the time difference. They both came to see you secretly last night. Seeing you so tired, they didn’t have the heart to disturb you. Do you want to see them?"

Ruby Sullivan thought for a moment, then shook her head, "Let’s not wake them up." She glanced at the clock, "And I need to get ready for work soon."

With that, she got out of bed to find clothes in the suitcase.

"Go to the wardrobe; your things are in their original place," Ethan Sterling said.

Ruby Sullivan was somewhat surprised but thought no more of it and hurried to the wardrobe. Despite being old spouses, she still felt utterly embarrassed having him watch her rummage through the suitcase in such a revealing state.

On her way to the company, Ruby Sullivan remembered her previous question and asked Ethan Sterling about the raw material channels.

"The Sterling Group’s fragrance raw materials are directly contracted with domestic and international plantations, using the highest international extraction standards, so the requirements for OEM factories are also uncompromising. Do you think there’s a problem?" Even though Ethan Sterling was 99% sure there would be no glitch here, he trusted Ruby Sullivan’s intuition.

"Actually, I checked the lab fragrances, and they seem a bit different from the previous batch, but such things are normal."

"Normal?"

"It’s like there are no two identical leaves in the world, and every batch of extracted essential oils will definitely have subtle differences." Ruby Sullivan sighed, "Maybe I’m overthinking it."