Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Annie’s Mom Is So Gentle

With the cameras there, Renee Jennings couldn’t just lose her temper. She said gently, “Mona, go play by yourself over on the ridge. Don’t bother Mommy here, or we’ll have to take the donkey cart home.”

“A donkey cart?”

Knowing that a child wouldn’t have a concept of this, Renee Jennings explained, “A donkey cart moves very slowly. It might take us a very, very long time to see Daddy.”

Understanding the seriousness of the situation, Nathan Lynch did indeed stop bothering her.

Before marrying the award-winning actor, Renee Jennings, while not from a fabulously wealthy family, had come from a respectable, scholarly background. She had never done such tiring, dirty work in her life, and in less than half an hour, she was already feeling dizzy with blurred vision.

“Rachel, why don’t you rest for a bit?”

A staff member, seeing she wasn’t doing well, voiced their concern.

“I’m fine.” Renee Jennings wiped the sweat from her forehead.

’I can’t let Naomi Kenway get ahead of me,’ she thought. ’Not just Naomi—none of the other guests can!’

Only when her body truly couldn’t take it anymore did Renee Jennings finally sit down to catch her breath. It was then that she noticed a serious problem: Nathan Lynch was gone!

“Mona!” Renee Jennings shot to her feet.

“Don’t worry, Ms. Jennings, Mona is just playing under the big tree over there,” the cameraman said.

Renee Jennings finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After a moment, she chided herself for overreacting. ’With cameras everywhere, how could Nathan Lynch possibly get lost?’

A bead of sweat trickled slowly down her cheek, and Renee Jennings felt her eyes begin to sting. She touched her face and realized her makeup was starting to run. No foundation, no matter how long-lasting, could withstand such intense sun exposure.

Renee Jennings frantically covered her face with her jacket and rushed toward the shelter of the cornfield. She couldn’t let anyone see her looking so disheveled, especially when she was supposedly “bare-faced.”

Noticing the camera following her, Renee Jennings’ voice held a note of panic. “It’s too hot. I’m going to change. Please don’t follow me.”

The cameraman did as she asked and stopped in his tracks.

[No way? I thought Rachel cared so much about Mona? The kid’s been gone for over an hour and she only just noticed he was missing? That’s so irresponsible!]

[I always feel like Renee Jennings is a bit impatient with Mona.]

[Do we really need to read so much into this? Everyone slips up sometimes. If she doesn’t finish the task, she can’t go home. Wouldn’t you be anxious if you were in her shoes?]

[My eyes aren’t deceiving me, are they? Did Rachel’s foundation look a little cakey?]

[What nonsense is the commenter above talking about? Our Rachel is wearing no makeup!]

…

*

The guests’ potato patches were all adjacent to one another. After being sent away by Renee Jennings, Nathan Lynch began to wander around the area. Ruby Preston and Margaret Jennings were busy. Chelsea Raines was happy to see him, but it only took a few minutes before she started complaining again about how hard it was to dig potatoes. Unable to stand her negativity, Nathan Lynch left.

Finally, as if drawn by some unseen force, he found himself in Naomi Kenway’s potato patch.

’His mother had told him in private that Naomi Kenway was not a good person, but the image of Naomi gently praising Ian Shaw kept flashing through his mind.’

’Just what kind of person was Naomi Kenway, really?’

Naomi Kenway was focused on digging potatoes. Practice makes perfect, they say, and her movements grew increasingly proficient. The pile of dug-up potatoes behind her had grown into a small mountain. Wringing her sore wrist, Naomi called Ian Shaw over. Seeing his face flushed red from the heat, her heart ached. “Annie, didn’t I tell you to go cool off under the big tree?”

Ian Shaw shook his head and said stubbornly, “I want to help Mommy! Annie is a big boy; I can definitely help Mommy with her work!”

Naomi Kenway’s eyes softened. She ruffled his round little head. “But staying out in the sun like this will just make Mommy worry more. Be good, go rest under the big tree for a bit, okay?”

Ian Shaw hesitated. “Annie wants to help…”

“Annie.” Naomi Kenway took the watch off her wrist. “How about Mommy gives you a very important mission?”

Ian Shaw nodded.

“Take this watch, and I want you to look after it under that big tree, okay? It’s not good for the watch to be in the sun. Can you do that for Mommy?”

“Why can’t the watch be in the sun?”

“Because it’s made of a special material. If it’s in the sun for too long, it will melt.”

Only then did Ian Shaw head toward the big tree.

Naomi Kenway finally breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, a small figure slowly moved closer. Sensing Naomi Kenway’s gaze, the figure paused. It was Nathan Lynch.

“Hi there. Want to come play?” Naomi Kenway smiled. While she couldn’t stand Renee Jennings’s whole fake-innocent routine, she had no prejudice against Nathan Lynch. He was just a child, after all.

Nathan Lynch seemed startled, only approaching after he sensed that Naomi Kenway had no ill intent.

“What brings you here? Does your mom know you’re here?”

Nathan Lynch nodded, his expression a little downcast. “Mommy told me to play by myself.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Mommy,” Ian Shaw walked over, holding up his hand. “I put the watch in my pocket for now, so it won’t get any sun. I’m a little thirsty.”

Naomi Kenway immediately twisted the cap off a bottle of water and gently held it to his lips.

Nathan Lynch watched this scene unfold in silence. ’He remembered that just a moment ago, he had been thirsty and asked his mom for water, too. But she was too busy, without even a moment to spare for a glance in his direction.’

After drinking his water, Ian Shaw took the watch and went back to the shady spot.

Seeing Nathan Lynch’s longing gaze, Naomi Kenway misunderstood and thought he also wanted a drink. She picked up an unopened bottle of mineral water, twisted off the cap, and asked, “Mona, are you thirsty?”

Thinking he might not have the strength, Naomi Kenway held the bottle up to Nathan Lynch’s mouth.

His mouth was parched, and Nathan Lynch tilted his head back and took a big gulp of water.

Only after he drank did he remember what his mother had said about Naomi Kenway not being a good person. His handsome little face wrinkled in regret.

His expression made Naomi Kenway laugh. “Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned.”

Nathan Lynch clenched his fists, thinking that this suspicious side of him probably wasn’t very endearing. He was surprised when Naomi Kenway praised him, “Hey, being cautious is a good thing. You’ve got potential, kid.”

Her witty and good-humored attitude broke down the wall Nathan Lynch had built around his heart.

’Annie’s mom is so gentle. It’s completely different from his own mom’s gentleness…’

Naomi Kenway couldn’t guess what was going through the little boy’s mind, but seeing Nathan Lynch’s shoulders soaked with sweat, the mother in her couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

“Are you hot? Why don’t you go play with Annie for a while? He’s right over there.”

Nathan Lynch was tempted, but in the end, he shook his head. ’Mommy said Annie is a stupid kid, and playing with stupid kids will affect your intelligence. But Mommy also said Naomi Kenway is a bad person. Is everything Mommy says true?’

For the first time, he began to doubt it.

“Ma’am, can you teach me how to dig for potatoes?”

He had already prepared an excuse for wanting to learn, but to his surprise, Naomi Kenway didn’t even ask for his reason.

“See that shovel over there? Bring it here, and I’ll teach you.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep