Chapter 455: She Recorded It

Anne Sutton looked at Leo and said, “Go on, eat! It’s okay, I’m here.”

Leo nodded at Anne Sutton’s words.

Ian sat to the side, looked at Anne Sutton, and asked, “Mom, what’s wrong with Leo?”

“It’s nothing,” Anne Sutton said. “He just ran into a little trouble.”

They continued eating.

Before long, Mia Shaw arrived.

The butler led her in. Her gaze landed on Leo. After giving the boy a glance, she turned to Anne Sutton and said, “I can’t believe you actually brought Leo here.”

Given how poorly Anne Sutton and Charles Prescott got along, Mia Shaw was quite surprised she would involve herself in this.

Anne Sutton said, “No one was looking after him, so I had to step in!”

“What do you mean by that?” Mia Shaw retorted indignantly. “What do you mean, ‘no one was looking after him’? Wasn’t I? You’re the one in the wrong for bringing the child here without permission!”

“That’s why I told you to call the police. Why didn’t you?” Anne Sutton raised an eyebrow, looking at Mia Shaw. “You came alone!”

Mia Shaw gritted her teeth. After all, she had been mistreating Leo; calling the police would only cause trouble for herself.

People who do wrong always have a guilty conscience and are afraid to face the police.

She glanced at Leo and ordered, “Leo, come home with me.”

When Leo heard Mia Shaw, he looked up at her. He had thought he would get to stay here tonight, but he hadn’t expected her to show up so fast, demanding he go home with her.

He slowly scooted back his chair, preparing to get down.

Mia Shaw watched him and snapped, “Can you be any quicker? I’m in a hurry. Honestly, you’ll go with anyone who so much as calls for you.”

She had no patience at all for Leo.

Watching Mia Shaw’s impatience and then seeing Leo cowering at her arrival, Anne Sutton couldn’t take it anymore. She said to Mia, “Let Leo stay here tonight. His father can pick him up when he returns.”

Though she had no idea when Charles Prescott would return.

Hearing this, Mia Shaw looked at Anne Sutton in disbelief. “You accuse me of not taking care of the child, but now that I’ve come to get him, you’re trying to keep him here? What gives you the right?”

“I’m just letting him play at our house for a bit, what’s wrong with that? After all, Charles Prescott still has to address Nathan Fawcett as ‘Uncle.’ That makes our families practically relatives. Surely letting Leo stay for one night isn’t a problem, right?”

If she takes him back now, there’s no telling how she’ll take it out on him.

Anne Sutton could see that Mia Shaw wouldn’t dare act out against anyone else; she would just take out all her frustrations on Leo.

Hearing Anne Sutton’s words, Mia Shaw said coldly, “Relatives? You all kicked Charles Prescott out long ago. What kind of relatives does that make you?”

“That has nothing to do with you,” Anne Sutton said. “I said Leo is staying, and I mean it.”

“Anne Sutton!” Mia Shaw said. “Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you have President Fawcett backing you. Kidnapping a child like this is against the law, do you understand?”

“I’m not kidnapping any child,” Anne Sutton said. “You can leave now!”

Mia Shaw pointed at Anne Sutton and said, “Fine! You’ll regret this.”

With that, she walked out the door and began to call the police.

She had been hesitant at first, but with Anne Sutton insisting on keeping the child, she decided she was done being civil.

Anne Sutton sat inside, watching Mia Shaw making the call outside through the window.

Leo sat nearby, not eating his food anymore. He had clearly lost his appetite.

He thought about what would happen if Mia Shaw took him back—he’d almost certainly get a beating and be forbidden from sleeping tonight. His mood completely soured.

Anne Sutton looked at him and asked, “Done eating?”

He looked at Anne Sutton and said, “Maybe… I should just go back.”

Anne Sutton looked at Leo. “Do you want to go back because you actually want to, or because you’re afraid of her?”

Leo remained silent.

It was clearly the latter.

Anne Sutton said, “If you want to go back just because you’re afraid of her, then don’t. I’m here. I won’t let this woman bully you like she did before.”

This issue wouldn’t be over until it was resolved properly.

She wasn’t like Sylvia Warren. She wouldn’t just back down and ignore it after a few threats from Mia Shaw when things got difficult.

Leo listened to Anne Sutton’s words and lowered his head. “No. No one can help me.”

He remembered calling his mother. He had gathered all his courage, thinking that once she arrived, things would never be like this again!

And yet…

Nothing had changed at all. Mia Shaw still bullied him however she wanted.

Every time he was beaten, scolded, and forbidden from sleeping, he would be reminded that there wasn’t a single person in the world he could rely on.

It wasn’t long before the police arrived in response to the call.

Mia Shaw led them in and pointed at Anne Sutton. “That’s her! She kidnapped my child, and now she won’t let me take him home.”

Anne Sutton looked at Mia Shaw. ‘I can’t believe she’s so good at twisting the truth, making me out to be a kidnapper.’

The police looked at Anne Sutton. Just as Nathan Fawcett was about to speak, Anne produced a recording of the phone call she’d made to Mia Shaw earlier. The recording proved that Leo was at her house with Mia’s consent.

Mia Shaw hadn’t expected Anne Sutton to have recorded the call. “Even if that’s true, I’m here to pick up the child now. What right do you have to stop me?”

“Because you abuse him,” Anne Sutton said, looking at Mia Shaw. “Letting him go back with you would be irresponsible of me. I never said he couldn’t go home; I said his own father can come get him when he returns. Miss Shaw, you aren’t his biological mother, much less his legal guardian. How do you abuse him at home? Look at what your torment has done to a perfectly healthy child! He’s trembling at the very sight of you. Are you blind?”

The officers weren’t unreasonable. They called Leo over and asked him what was going on.

Perhaps feeling safe with the officers, Leo finally told the truth.

Coupled with the fact that the bruises from Mia Shaw’s past abuse were still visible on his body—faded, but still there—the police did not take her side.

They contacted Sylvia Warren and Charles Prescott. Neither of them made an issue of it upon hearing the child was with Anne Sutton. In the end, Leo stayed with Anne, and Mia Shaw was taken to the station for a reprimand.

After Mia Shaw was taken away, Leo was visibly in much better spirits.

Just moments before, he had truly thought he was going to be taken away by her again.

This whole episode had distracted Ian from his earlier unhappiness; he’d forgotten all about it.

After dinner, he took Leo and Finn upstairs to play.

Anne Sutton stood by the door, watching the children. Ian was probably still a little mad at Finn and wasn’t talking to him.

Finn looked at him. “Ian.”

Ian glanced at Finn but didn’t want to speak to him.

Finn said, “I’m sorry. I won’t speak out of turn again.”

Nathan Fawcett came over and stood behind Anne Sutton. He looked at her as she stared intently at the children and asked, “Tired of standing?”