The Trending Topic Herself: The Villainess is the Superstar!-Chapter 189: Rogue Behavior

Maya Monroe and Erin Hayes arrived at the restaurant, and halfway there, Woody Moss insisted on being held, so Maya had no choice but to pick him up.

Woody tightly wrapped his arms around her neck, "Sister-in-law is the best to Tiana!"

Watching Maya’s helpless and clueless expression, Erin couldn’t help but smile.

Maya usually appeared cold and aloof, and it was Erin’s first time seeing her react this way, with a touch of helpless cuteness.

"Maya seems to like kids, doesn’t she?"

Maya adjusted Woody’s chubby little body upward, "Not really, I don’t usually have a particular fondness for kids."

You could even say she was indifferent.

Erin smiled knowingly, "Probably because you don’t interact with kids much. You’re usually so busy with work, so you likely don’t have the time to spend with children. Once you and Ian have kids, you might end up liking them."

Maya nodded.

Have children with Ian? She hadn’t thought about that.

Maya reached the dining table, where Yolanda Sawyer and Ian Rowe were already seated.

Ian’s gaze instinctively scanned Maya, only relaxing once he saw she was as usual.

But when his eyes landed on Woody, who was clinging tightly to Maya and refusing to let go, his eyes flickered before nonchalantly withdrawing his glance.

Woody was truly heavy, and Maya, having slacked off in exercise lately, found it quite strenuous to carry him for such a distance, so when they reached the restaurant, she prepared to put Woody down.

Who knew Woody would swing his short legs and refuse to get down. When he turned and saw Joe’s sullen gaze, his face turned even more petulant, "I don’t want to! I want a hug~"

Joe sat beside Yolanda Sawyer, her expression could at best be called calmly elegant, but there was no stopping the reproach in her words, "Erin, what do you mean by this? Didn’t you say you were visiting the old lady? Why is Tiana with you now?"

Erin maintained a tone of calm humility, still speaking gently, "After visiting the old lady, I took Tiana out to play."

Yolanda Sawyer frowned by her side, "It’s just a small matter, is there really a need to fuss so much? Joe, I’ve told you so many times to show Erin some respect. Have you forgotten who took care of you and played with you when you were little?"

Joe’s expression turned unpleasant, "Erin is here to work, even if she took care of me as a child, isn’t that expected? Do you expect me to bow down to her in gratitude?"

In Joe’s view, Erin working here all these years was just a job paid for.

Yolanda Sawyer harshly placed her cup on the table, her voice tinged with anger, "Getting older yet more unruly."

Joe prided herself that she never made mistakes in music and etiquette, and was always addressed with respect as "maestro" wherever she went after leaving the house.

However, Yolanda Sawyer’s words undeniably left her unable to save face, though she couldn’t lose her temper at Yolanda Sawyer.

"I was out of line, Grandma, please don’t be upset." Joe lowered her eyes, "I promise not to be so reckless and impolite next time."

Yolanda Sawyer had always doted on her only daughter Joe, and seeing her admit her mistake, she decided not to press the matter further.

Yolanda Sawyer then looked at Maya Monroe, smiling warmly, "Maya, you’re back? Did you have a good time? Come, take a seat!"

"It was nice," Maya replied.

Seeing Woody still in Maya’s arms, Joe was annoyed, "Maya has no experience raising children, Tiana is still young, and if she accidentally gets hurt, what then?"

Yolanda Sawyer thought her daughter was becoming more and more unreasonable, "What kind of talk is that? Maya is kindly holding the child for you, and you’re being ungrateful? You don’t pamper Tiana like this normally!"

Joe’s lips curled downward, "Young children are delicate, that’s why I’m worried. Tiana usually shies away from strangers, how can Erin let Maya fool around with him? Maya is young and playful, I can understand that, but children aren’t toys to mess with."

By now, Maya had comfortably taken her seat. Although she had a small person clinging to her, it didn’t hinder her much.

Hearing Joe’s words, Maya lazily lifted her gaze to give her an icy glance, let out a cold laugh, then pulled a candy out of her pocket and popped it into her mouth, chewing nonchalantly. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

After the physical exertion just now, she was exhausted and too lazy to speak, treating Joe’s words as little more than background noise.

Tiana looked at her with eager eyes, "I want candy too!"

Maya dismissed him firmly, "Candy isn’t good for kids."

"Auntie," Joe was momentarily taken aback upon hearing Ian’s voice and turned her head with a smile already on her face.

"Ian, what’s up?"

"Why don’t you take Woody back?"

"What?"

Ian looked faintly over at her, though his eyes held a hint of harshness, "Aren’t you worried Maya can’t take care of him? She’s delicate and can’t be compared to others."

Under Ian’s scrutinizing gaze, Joe suddenly lost her confidence.

In the Rowe Family, Ian had the final say. She couldn’t help but rely on him somewhat. Since he’d spoken, Joe had no choice but to stand up.

She slowly walked over and, under Woody’s frightened gaze, spoke softly, "Tiana, come over here to mommy."

Woody shook his head and mumbled, "I don’t want to..."

Joe’s face turned cold at his words.

A sudden light laugh came from behind; it was Ian, approaching slowly, sighing as if he was hinting at something, "So, it turns out that Woody isn’t letting go himself."

Joe stood awkwardly to the side, feeling as if a huge slap had landed on her face, taking a long while to recover.

Seeing Ian approach, it wasn’t just Joe who felt nervous; Woody too trembled in Maya’s arms, gripping her coat tightly.

Ian slowly lowered his head, looking at Woody and said, "Get down."

Though young, Woody was quick-witted. He roughly understood that his mom and his sister-in-law didn’t get along, and since he didn’t want her displeasure, he needed to stay in her good graces.

Woody leaned closer to Maya’s face and planted a sudden kiss on her cheek.

"Sister-in-law, remember to miss Tiana~"

Maya was slightly stunned and turned her head, reaching out to ruffle his soft, short hair.

In Ian’s eyes, Woody’s behavior was nothing short of "scoundrelly," making everything in front of him feel incredibly offensive.

Seeing Maya’s smile at the corner of her lips, Woody broke into a foolish grin, a snot bubble forming on his nose, but before he could say anything more, he felt himself suddenly lifted up.

The sudden feeling of weightlessness was unpleasant, and Woody let out a wail, only to find himself thrown into Joe’s arms in the next second.

"He’s your child; better keep a close watch on him, Auntie."

Though it seemed a rather plain remark, Joe discerned other implications within it, refusing to believe her nephew would distance himself this way for a woman.