My Fiancé's Scandals Never End, So I Married His Brother Instead

Chapter 50: Feeding Boyfriend

"I ran into the Eldest Young Master Norwood today." Summer Sutton tried to start a conversation, reaching out to gently place a hand on his arm. "He might try to extend his reach into Oakhaven. The Norwood Family controls a huge part of the entertainment industry. Ninth Master, I can’t handle him."

Kian Sterling was noncommittal. "You didn’t seem so scared the night you provoked him, did you?"

"Ninth Master..." Summer Sutton’s eyes suddenly reddened as she gazed at him. "I know I was wrong."

Kian Sterling slowly removed the hand she had wrapped around his arm. "Just behave and stay in Oakhaven. Avoid seeing people you shouldn’t. As for Declan Nash, I’ll handle him."

Summer Sutton nodded lightly. "Last time, Second Young Master Sutton barged in unannounced. I didn’t know he was coming beforehand. He was deliberately trying to drive a wedge between you and me, Ninth Master. I threw him out afterward."

Kian Sterling said nothing.

"Ninth Master, when did you get so close to Wyatt Sutton?" Summer Sutton switched the topic from the Second Young Master Sutton to Wyatt. "He doesn’t seem like a saint, either."

Kian Sterling shot her a sideways glance, his eyes cold. "What are you trying to get at?"

"Nothing. I trust you completely, Ninth Master. Why would I try to test you?" Summer Sutton said, trying to curry favor. She picked up a plate of cut strawberries and offered it to Kian Sterling. He didn’t take it. The intimate scene from the banquet hall—Celia Sterling feeding Kian—flashed through her mind. Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, she took a tasteless bite herself.

"The studio is up and running smoothly." She stood beside him, watching the city lights and making what sounded like small talk. "I’ve signed several promising artists and taken on a lot of scripts, so we’ll be busy for a while. Ninth Master, when will you visit Oakhaven? I’ve designed a room just for you, filled with all the flowers and plants you like. You’ll love it."

Kian Sterling remained silent, but a hint of impatience was beginning to show on his face.

Summer Sutton pretended not to notice his impatience and forced a relaxed smile. "It’s fine if you don’t come. I have a lot of work in Metropia, so whenever I’m here, I’ll come see you, Ninth Master. But Metropia is full of powerful people, and my studio is still too small to really compete. I want to expand, but I’m a little short on capital..."

"How much do you need?"

Summer Sutton’s eyes grew even redder. "Ninth Master, is there nothing else for us to talk about besides money?"

Kian Sterling looked down and lit a cigarette. "Two hundred million. Is that enough?"

"I don’t want your money, Ninth Master." Summer Sutton’s voice trembled, tears welling in her eyes. "The eight percent of the Sutton Family shares that my mother entrusted to your care..."

Kian Sterling looked at her. His dangerously handsome face was obscured by the swirling smoke, his eyes turning chillingly dangerous, but his tone was mocking. "You want the shares back?"

He didn’t explicitly say no, but his refusal was firm and obvious, with no attempt to disguise it.

Having known him for so many years, Summer Sutton understood his stance in an instant. ’He won’t give them to me.’

’So, does he really plan to carve up the shares my mother entrusted to him with Wyatt Sutton?’

Her palms grew sweaty with anxiety. Summer Sutton tried to mask the chill in her heart with a piteous display of tears. "I didn’t say I wanted the shares back. I just meant... that two hundred million, you can deduct it from my share dividends. That way, you won’t have to pay out of pocket, Ninth Master."

Kian Sterling watched her. He had dealt with more than his fair share of schemes and schemers, and he saw through her petty trick in an instant.

He remained silent, but an invisible pressure, like a rising tide, constricted around Summer Sutton until she could barely breathe.

After a long moment, he spoke. "Don’t bring up the shares again." He left her standing there and turned to go back to the banquet hall, his voice devoid of warmth. "The waters in Metropia run deep. Have the bodyguards take you back to Oakhaven early."

「On the terrace.」

Compared to the glitz, glamour, and throngs of elites outside, this place felt like its own separate little world.

The decor was luxurious yet tasteful. Exquisite snacks rested on a white jade coffee table, and on a comfortable loveseat, Silas Norwood sat in a relaxed yet elegant posture, at some point having unbuttoned his collar. He was flipping through a French-language book on finance.

Vibrant flowers adorned the terrace railing. The bright moonlight mingled with the terrace’s dim lighting, and in the distance, the faint lights of the city shimmered. Everything looked beautiful.

But not as captivating as the man on the sofa.

Celia Sterling approached quietly. "Silas."

Silas Norwood had noticed her the moment she appeared by the terrace screen. With a subtle gesture, he dismissed the bodyguards on duty, who respectfully withdrew to stand guard outside, keeping any unwanted company away.

"Cece, come here." Silas Norwood’s gaze fell upon her and stayed there. "Would you like something to eat?"

"I already ate until I was stuffed while you all were in your meeting." Celia Sterling sat down beside him, her eyes scanning the table. She selected one of the more elegant-looking treats, picked it up, and offered it to him. "You should have some, Silas."

Silas Norwood gestured with the book in his hand. "My hands have been turning the pages. They’re not clean."

Celia Sterling silently brought the food to his lips.

"I’ve been so busy here today, I haven’t gotten to spend any real time with you, Cece." Silas Norwood gently took the treat from her fingers. "It’s the weekend tomorrow. Want to go out on the ocean with me?"

"Out on the ocean?" Celia Sterling asked, curious. "What would we do?"

"It’s a very private cruise party." Silas Norwood paused. "We’ll depart from Seraphina Port and spend three days at sea."

Celia Sterling had heard Theo Chambers mention some of Silas Norwood’s various hobbies, and cruises were one of them. She thought for a moment. "You like deep-sea fishing?"

"Fishing, watching the tides, anything works. The main thing is that the environment is relaxing," Silas Norwood said softly. "It’s all people I don’t know. We don’t know each other, we’re all from the same online cruise club. This particular trip was organized by some second-generation heir from a wealthy family in Seraphina."

’Going out to sea with a bunch of online strangers...’

"I never would have guessed you were such a free spirit, Silas." There was a look of anticipation in Celia Sterling’s eyes. "A group of strangers from all over, gathered together without knowing each other’s identities... That sounds pretty interesting."

"So, is that a yes, Cece?"

Celia Sterling nodded. "I’ll go. The social circle in Metropia is only so big. I’ve been tired of it for a while now."

Seeing that she’d agreed, Silas Norwood dropped the subject, his gaze falling to the pastry still in her hand. On reflex, Celia continued to feed him. Silas kept his eyes on his book, but several times, as if not minding his pressure, his teeth grazed her fingertip as he took a bite. The gentle nibbling sensation made Celia’s face grow warm.

The terrace directly faced the estate’s Moonview Terrace.

It was late, and the atmosphere on the terrace was perfectly intimate, so neither of them suggested going to the Moonview Terrace to watch the moon. But someone was already sitting there anyway.

Partially hidden by the trees, Declan Nash was lounging nonchalantly at the highest point of the Moonview Terrace. From his vantage point, he had a perfect view of the interaction between the man and the young woman on the other terrace.

The two of them sat intimately on the terrace sofa. The man, usually so aloof and noble, had his head lowered to a book, occasionally reaching out a gentle hand to stroke Celia Sterling’s waterfall of dark hair. Celia wasn’t idle either, feeding him bites while chatting. The lamplight cast their faces in sharp relief, illuminating the girl’s radiant smile and the man’s refined elegance and tenderness.

’That was a world he could never be a part of again.’

Behind him, the Crown Prince of the Sterling Family saw his good friend looking like a sad, kicked puppy and couldn’t resist giving him a nudge with his foot.

"Why don’t you go have some fun in the main hall? That Feng Shui master from Port Sovereign is supposed to be the real deal. All those crazy girls are swarming him for fortune readings right now. Bro, you should go get one, too. See if you can’t pray for a new love life."