Chapter 1387: Chapter 1387: Picking Her Up
"Of course, Mommy is the best; she’s excellent at everything she does."
Grace Thompson swung her little legs to and fro beside them, then proudly tilted her chin upward, as though Annie Anne’s praise had been directed at her rather than Charlotte Thompson.
"When I grow up, I want to be just as amazing as Mommy."
Yet, seeing Grace bask in Annie Anne’s admiration, Jack Thompson’s face darkened as he muttered, "But this doesn’t seem quite right."
"The director suddenly asking Mommy to play a role—isn’t it just because she looks like the woman in the show? Doesn’t this feel like a publicity stunt?"
Jack grumbled, visibly upset ever since he learned the reasons behind Charlotte filming the drama.
"Exactly! Mommy is one of a kind—nobody else compares," Chad Thompson chimed in.
The children were well aware of the online buzz and controversies surrounding her.
Seeing their earnest defense of her, Charlotte responded with a soft laugh, explaining, "It was Mommy who agreed to help the director out. It’s really no big deal."
Still, she couldn’t entirely ignore the provocation from Riley Thompson’s camp, though to Charlotte, it was little more than a trivial matter.
However, when Annie Anne mentioned that the scene Charlotte acted in would likely be included in the final cut, Charlotte started contemplating whether she should proactively reach out to the director.
She understood the director’s motive—to generate more exposure for the drama—and was also well aware of the likely impact of the footage.
Charlotte feared that if the scene were released, it might spark even greater controversy.
She decided she would try contacting the director again, suggesting that her appearance be limited to the behind-the-scenes extras.
Noticing the subtle shift in Charlotte’s expression, Annie Anne seemed to immediately grasp her thoughts.
"Don’t worry, I’ll talk to the director for you," she said.
Annie Anne added, "Even if the director is willing to release the scene, I doubt Riley herself would want that particular segment—the one where you two share screen time—to be broadcast."
After all, Riley had been completely outclassed by Charlotte.
When a professional actor’s skills can’t measure up to those of a designer, doesn’t it make them a laughingstock?
Just then, as Annie Anne was playing games with the children, Justin Battleson returned—and trailing closely behind him was Oliver Hudson.
Oliver had followed Justin here for one obvious reason: Annie Anne.
When Annie Anne caught sight of Oliver, her expression froze for a moment. Then, she straightened up from the couch and turned to Charlotte, saying, "It’s getting late; I’ll visit you and the kids another time."
"Mommy."
Olivia Thompson hugged her bunny plushie tightly as she stood up. Reluctantly, she looked at Annie Anne ahead of her, and then her gaze shifted to Oliver Hudson nearby.
Although Oliver’s face remained impassive, the warmth and softness in his eyes were unmistakable.
Olivia blinked her eyes, then buried the lower half of her face against the plush bunny’s fuzzy head.
Annie Anne bent over to plant a gentle kiss on Olivia’s cheek.
"Whenever Annie misses Mommy, Mommy will come back to see you," she promised.
It wasn’t that Annie Anne hadn’t considered bringing Olivia back to live under her care.
But Olivia had grown up beside Charlotte since she was little and spent her days with the other children, forging deep bonds with them.
If Annie were to take Olivia away alone, she feared the child would end up feeling terribly lonely.