novelraw Chapter 49: Surging Undercurrents
Chapter 49: Surging Undercurrents
The gossipy gazes shifted from Summer Sutton and Declan Nash to land on Celia Sterling.
For years, Celia Sterling had seemingly thrived in their social circle, yet she had never truly fit in. Unlike other prominent families, who were prone to internal power struggles and even vicious fights for favor between sisters, the Sterlings only had one young lady—Celia. Moreover, Kian Sterling’s indulgence of her was so extreme it was almost appalling, making countless other heiresses secretly burn with envy, if not outright jealousy.
But everyone in their circle understood one thing: to get close to the man who was like a permanent mark on the hearts of countless women, Celia Sterling was the only shortcut. So, despite their jealousy, they had all maintained a friendly facade with her over the years.
The Capital Circle was full of wealthy scions, but handsome, devoted ones were rare. After repeated failures to capture the two titans, Kian Sterling and Silas Norwood, the dashingly wild and philandering Declan Nash, with his outstanding family background, became the next best thing. He had once inspired a new wave of frantic pursuit among the debutantes. But as fate would have it, that same devil-may-care young man had also fallen for Celia Sterling, becoming the second man, after Kian Sterling, who was utterly obsessed with spoiling her.
Many of the socialites were sick with jealousy. So when the scandal between Declan Nash and Summer Sutton broke, they felt a secret, malicious glee. They were all quietly waiting to watch Celia Sterling make a fool of herself. Unaware of the context behind the marriage swap, they were all subtly hoping Celia would jump into the fray and start a public feud with Declan and Summer.
Celia Sterling, of course, knew plenty of people were waiting to see her humiliated.
She glanced coolly at the lady who had made the suggestion, then her eyes landed on Declan Nash.
The moment Celia Sterling’s name was mentioned, Declan Nash had fallen silent. Like a feral dog suddenly yanked back by its leash, all his arrogance and aggression vanished. He was uncharacteristically docile.
But the more he looked completely under Celia’s thumb, the more intense the jealousy from the gossiping women became. Quinn Sinclair grabbed Celia Sterling’s hand. "Celia, let’s not get involved in this mess. Want to go somewhere else?"
A quiet voice piped up from somewhere in the crowd. "Isn’t Miss Sterling supposed to be so proud? Can’t she even control her own fiancé now?"
Dozens of young ladies, all dressed to the nines, were clustered together. The speaker, clearly wary of the consequences, had thrown out the comment before shrinking back into the crowd, making it impossible to identify them.
But at this point, remaining silent was no longer an option.
Celia Sterling’s almond-shaped eyes swept a cold gaze over the crowd. "Declan Nash and I have already broken our engagement. His affairs are no longer my business."
The room fell silent in an instant.
"You broke off your engagement?" Nina Sterling’s eyes widened. "We haven’t heard a single word about this. Besides, can an alliance between prominent families be dissolved just like that?"
"Our families will release a statement on their official websites next month," Celia Sterling replied slowly, her gaze shifting to the lady who had fanned the flames earlier. "And you are... the wife of which family?"
The lady’s expression stiffened. "I am the wife of Second Master Hale."
The Hale Family was at the bottom rung of the elite, and its second branch was even less significant. She normally wouldn’t have been qualified to attend an event like this; it was a mystery how she’d even gotten in.
"I heard Second Master Hale just took a new wife last month. I’m surprised Mrs. Hale is so young and beautiful."
Celia was only well-behaved around Kian Sterling. To outsiders, she had always been proud and arrogant, and she didn’t mince her words. "It can’t have been easy for you to get into an event like this, Mrs. Hale, so you’d be wise to watch what you say. If Second Master Hale found out you went to all this trouble just to meddle in the Sterlings’ private business, I fear your position as his wife might not be secure for much longer."
Mrs. Hale’s face fell, and she didn’t dare utter another word.
With that, Celia Sterling turned and left with Quinn Sinclair, not once looking back.
The spectacle over, the crowd began to disperse.
Summer Sutton remained standing where she was.
Declan Nash’s eyes followed Celia Sterling until she disappeared from view. Only then did he slowly retract his gaze, his icy stare landing once more on Summer Sutton.
This time, he didn’t resort to mockery. He simply said coolly, "Oakhaven isn’t Port Sovereign. Be careful you don’t find it... inhospitable, Miss Sutton."
With that, he swaggered off, following the same direction Celia Sterling had gone.
The business conference lasted from morning until night.
As night fell, the door to the conference room finally opened.
Deals had been struck for several projects. Though the group of tycoons looked slightly weary, there was a palpable sense of excitement. Kian Sterling and Silas Norwood emerged at the center of the throng, their presence as captivating as ever.
They then entered the dazzling, luxurious banquet hall, where they dispersed to mingle.
Celia Sterling found Kian Sterling and offered him a plate of foie gras with caviar. "You’ve been in meetings all day. It must be exhausting. Here, get your energy back."
Kian Sterling leaned down and took a small bite from the fork she was holding. He was about to make some small talk with her when he saw Wyatt Sutton approaching them, wine glass in hand.
"Go over to where Silas Norwood is." Kian Sterling gestured toward the terrace. "I have some business to attend to."
The terrace was partially obscured by a decorative screen, with only the faint silhouettes of two bodyguards visible. Silas Norwood rarely attended such banquets, and whenever he did, he was always in a secluded area, cordoned off and difficult for others to approach.
Celia Sterling fed Kian Sterling another bite.
"Don’t get so busy networking that you forget to eat, okay?"
"Okay. Go on."
Celia Sterling turned, brushing past Wyatt Sutton as she headed for the terrace.
Wyatt Sutton watched Celia Sterling intently for a moment before raising his glass to Kian Sterling with a warm smile. "The Sterling family has excellent genes. It’s one thing for Chairman Sterling to have such godlike looks, but I never expected the Eldest Miss Sterling to be this beautiful too. You two don’t look much alike, though."
Kian Sterling couldn’t be bothered with him, his voice coolly indifferent. "You’re right. We’re not as alike as you and your two brothers. You all share the same smug, nasty face."
Wyatt Sutton didn’t show any anger, continuing the pleasantries. "Chairman Sterling, why do you have such a strong opinion of me? I can understand you avoiding me, but you were also targeting me with your words during the meeting today..."
"Eldest Young Master Sutton, why play dumb?" Kian Sterling’s eyes were pure ice. "You and I are not cut from the same cloth. This is your final warning. If you keep pestering me like a cockroach, the Sutton Family will become the Sterling Conglomerate’s next target."
The color finally drained from Wyatt Sutton’s face, but he quickly recovered with a mild smile. "You must be joking, Chairman Sterling. It’s a trivial matter of some shares. If you’re unwilling to part with them, then by all means, keep them for yourself. I hear this wine is from the Sterling Conglomerate’s own vintage—the taste is supposed to be superb. Chairman Sterling, cheers!"
From a distant corner of the room, Summer Sutton sat quietly in the shadows, watching the devilishly handsome man at the heart of the banquet. He was surrounded by the rich and powerful, yet he effortlessly maintained an air of distance. The Eldest Young Master Sutton from Port Sovereign stood about a meter away, feigning familiarity and occasionally exchanging a few words with him. She was too far away to hear, but by reading Eldest Young Master Sutton’s lips, she could just make out the word "shares."
A chill ran through her. She waited a long time, until Eldest Young Master Sutton had left and Kian Sterling had moved into the garden, before she carefully approached him.
"Ninth Master." Her voice was impossibly soft, laced with a deep sense of longing.
Kian Sterling didn’t ask how she got there. He didn’t even look at her. He simply gazed lazily at the brilliant lights of the estate, scattered near and far, and gave a noncommittal hum.