The Villain Mom Awakens — Going Viral by Parenting on a Reality Show-Chapter 407 - 409: Is Ian Missing?

Jenna Shaw sighed helplessly. "Mom, you really won’t listen to anything. No wonder all the other ladies say you’re too headstrong and stubborn."

"Are you lecturing me now?" Jane Chandler said, her face cold. "I never should have agreed to let your brother have you stay at their place. It looks like Naomi Kenway has completely bewitched you, just like your brother..."

"That’s not it at all..." Jenna Shaw pursed her lips. "Forget it."

"Don’t you try to play peacemaker here. It’s useless," Jane Chandler said impatiently. "I can’t be bothered to cause trouble for Naomi Kenway, and she doesn’t come and bother me. That’s the ideal situation. And as for Ethan Shaw..." Tears welled in her eyes, but she quickly suppressed them. "If he keeps acting so foolishly, I’ll just disown him!"

"So you only want an obedient son? And you’ll cast aside the one who isn’t?"

Jane Chandler took out a handkerchief and wiped away a tear, stressing, "Of course. I worked my fingers to the bone raising him. The last thing I expect in return is his defiance!"

Jenna Shaw clutched her purse and paused for a moment before saying, "I think... Mom, you should still get Ian a birthday present. No matter what, he’s your own grandson, related by blood. Besides, our Ian is so smart and adorable. How could you bear to disappoint him?"

Jane Chandler’s expression faltered. After a moment of internal struggle, she said, "I already told you, I don’t have a grandson like that! He’s slow, doesn’t like to talk, and you can tell at a glance he’s not cut out for business. He’s young now, so people don’t say much, but what about when he grows up? If he’s still so dull, won’t he become a complete laughingstock?"

The more Jane Chandler spoke, the angrier she became. "I seriously suggested they have a second child, but they wouldn’t listen. None of them respect me in the slightest! Do they even see me as their mother? As his grandmother?!"

Her chest heaved with anger. Suddenly, she slammed the teacup onto the table, giving up completely. "Fine, I’ll just wash my hands of them! Your father and your brother are healthy. By the time Ian gets his inheritance, I’ll be long dead and buried. I won’t care what people say, how they gossip, or how they ridicule the family. I won’t be around to see or hear any of it!"

"Why are you cursing yourself? You’re going to live a long and healthy life!"

"You’re all talk. When push comes to shove, you’ll still side with Naomi Kenway." Jane Chandler grew increasingly agitated and waved her hand dismissively. "Go on, get out of here. Stop bothering me."

Jenna Shaw gave her a helpless look and left.

*

「Eleven o’clock at night.」

Naomi Kenway was woken by a rustling sound. It was extremely faint, but her hearing was so sharp that even the softest noise couldn’t escape her ears.

The embrace around her was broad and warm, a steady breath just inches away. Naomi Kenway slowly realized she was nestled in the crook of Ethan Shaw’s arm. ’When did I end up in his arms?’

Naomi didn’t ponder the question for long, because she quickly noticed that the other side of the bed was empty.

"Ian..."

Naomi Kenway shot upright.

Hearing her, Ethan Shaw opened his eyes. He sat up in bed, looking utterly exhausted, but his voice was still steady when he spoke:

"What’s wrong, Nina?"

"I..." Naomi had already scrambled out of bed, panic written all over her face. "Our son is gone..."

The sob in Naomi’s voice jolted Ethan Shaw fully awake. He got out of bed, wrapped his arms around her, and said comfortingly, "Don’t panic. There are photographers stationed right outside, so Ian couldn’t have gotten lost. He probably just went to the bathroom. Don’t be scared. We’ll look for him together."

Ethan Shaw smoothed Naomi’s hair and placed a light kiss on her head.

Naomi was in no state to pay attention to his actions, but upon hearing his voice, her frantic, anxious heart inexplicably calmed.

The lights in the yurt flicked on, revealing a cold sweat beading on Ethan Shaw’s forehead as well.

Naomi felt a pair of large, warm hands take hers. "We’ll look together. We’ll find him soon."

Stepping out of the yurt onto the grassland, they were met with pitch-black darkness. The surrounding yurts were all quiet. In the distance, they could see the dark blue tents that served as the program staff’s temporary living quarters. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

All their electronic devices had been confiscated, but thankfully, there was a flashlight inside the yurt.

Ian wasn’t lost. Naomi quickly spotted him just outside their yurt. He was sitting cross-legged on the grass, holding a tablet. When the flashlight beam found him, he looked up, revealing a pair of large, glistening dark eyes before squinting against the glare.

When he realized the people in front of him were Naomi and Ethan Shaw, he seemed to let out a breath of relief, yet at the same time grew more flustered. "Dad... Mom..."

The moment she saw Ian, Naomi nearly burst into tears.

Ian was brought back into the yurt. Still clutching the tablet, he stood in the middle of the room, looking somewhat lost and helpless.

Ethan Shaw’s voice was uncharacteristically stern. "Why did you sneak out in the middle of the night? And why do you have that tablet? Weren’t all electronic devices supposed to be confiscated?"

Ian lowered his head, his eyes welling up at the sternness in his father’s voice.

Naomi had already checked Ian over and confirmed he wasn’t hurt; it seemed he had just gone outside for a bit. Seeing his pitiful, aggrieved expression, she couldn’t help but say, "Maybe he had a reason for going out. Don’t scare him."

"He made you worry for so long. He needs to be spoken to sternly so he’ll learn his lesson." Ethan Shaw looked at Ian. "Do you understand? Will you dare to sneak out by yourself again?"

Ian wiped the tears from his face and choked out an apology. "I’m sorry, Dad. I’m sorry, Mom. It’s all my fault for making you worry. I was very careful when I left. I was afraid I’d wake you up, so I went outside. Can you please forgive me?"

Naomi ruffled his hair. "Ian, tell Mommy, why did you run out in the middle of the night? You know that’s very dangerous, right?"

Naomi’s gaze fell to the tablet in his hands. "How did you hide this? And why did you take it outside in the middle of the night?"

"I was doing my homework."

"Homework?" Naomi remembered that homework was the very thing that had been troubling Ian all day.

"Does your kindergarten give you this much homework? It’s okay. If there’s something you don’t understand, Mom and Dad can help you. Look at you, you’ve cried so much your eyes are all swollen. It breaks our hearts to see you like this. And don’t blame your dad, Ian. He was just really worried about you."

"No, it’s not homework from kindergarten."

Naomi frowned. "Then what homework is it?"

Ethan Shaw’s expression also turned serious. "Can I see your tablet?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Ian handed over the tablet.