novelraw Chapter 54: Silas Norwood Really Knows How to Play
Chapter 54: Silas Norwood Really Knows How to Play
Celia Sterling and Kian Sterling left Sterling Manor soon after.
Kian Sterling sat in the passenger seat. Seeing Celia’s distracted expression, he teased her lightly:
"What’s wrong? Still lost in those hundreds of thousands of words about your ’Moonlight’?"
Though his tone betrayed no emotion, Celia knew that while the matter had been easily dismissed, Kian, just like Silas Norwood, was reluctant to let it go. Over the years, she had gotten into plenty of trouble. Each time, Kian would bring it up with stern gravity, only to let it go softly at the sight of her teary eyes, spoiling her without any principles.
"I’m not thinking about the document anymore." Celia stopped the car at a red light. "I promised Silas I’d go to Seraphina with him tomorrow, and then we’re taking a cruise out to sea."
Kian Sterling was extremely strict with her in this regard. During her three years with Declan Nash, for instance, Declan had never once succeeded in luring Celia outside of Kian’s sphere of influence. More than a brother, Celia sometimes felt Kian was like a protective old father, guarding her vigilantly against all the different men out there, terrified his daughter might be taken advantage of in the slightest. Even Declan had faced numerous restrictions from Kian before they were married.
She wasn’t sure if Kian would let her go to Seraphina with Silas Norwood.
Kian Sterling didn’t answer her right away.
He watched Celia quietly in the rearview mirror, his gaze deep and unreadable.
After a long moment, he finally hummed in acknowledgment. "You can go. But you’re not married yet. Don’t do anything you shouldn’t."
Celia knew what he was referring to and coughed lightly. "Silas isn’t that kind of person."
Kian Sterling let out a noncommittal chuckle. "Cece, you’re still young. You don’t understand men."
Celia didn’t want to discuss such a complicated topic with him, but Kian’s words—’you’re not married yet’—weighed on her mind. "Kade, do you think Silas and I will really make it to the end?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I went to see that Elder Coleman from Port Sovereign today to have our fortunes told." Celia’s tone was grim. "You’re more familiar with Port Sovereign. Are the masters there reliable? He said Silas’s marriage is a match made in heaven, but then he said our birth charts don’t align. It’s a complete contradiction, and it’s left my mind in a total mess."
Kian Sterling’s devilishly handsome face was obscured by the shadows, making his expression hard to see. "Don’t listen to him. My Cece is a match made in heaven for anyone."
"But his predictions for other people were so accurate..." Celia’s eyes filled with confusion. "Kade, what if my marriage with Silas goes wrong too?"
After a silence that stretched for nearly a minute.
"Then come back to my side." Kian Sterling’s eyes darkened, his voice low and slow, laced with his characteristic dominance and depth. "I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life."
Celia didn’t think too deeply about it and just hummed in acknowledgment. The light turned green, and her attention quickly shifted back to the traffic.
It was late by the time she got home. After washing up, she lay in bed and sent a goodnight text to Silas Norwood. She idly scrolled through her various group chats, and a message soon caught her eye.
In the "Perfumer Exchange" group chat, the group owner, [T-Rex Perfume], was frantically tagging [Rivermoon], trying to buy iris root perfume ingredients from him:
T-Rex Perfume: [You there, boss? I’m in desperate need of this material. You control the three largest iris raw material suppliers in the world. Could you spare the resources of one supplier for me? Price is no object.]
’The resources of an entire supplier? This was no longer a small-time trade. It would have to be handled with a formal, offline sales contract.’
After a long while, a reply finally came:
Rivermoon: [Going on a cruise with my girlfriend. We can talk when I get back.]
T-Rex Perfume: [A cruise? Which one? I’ll come find you so we can talk in person! This is really urgent. My rival is launching a new perfume on the ninth of next month, and we have nothing to compete with it.]
Again, a long time passed.
Rivermoon: [The Starlight.]
T-Rex Perfume: [HOLY SHIT! That’s my buddy’s cruise ship! It’s right here in Seraphina! Boss, you just wait, I’m bringing the contract to find you on the ship.]
Rivermoon didn’t reply again.
In her bedroom, Celia Sterling couldn’t shake the feeling that the words "Seraphina" and "cruise ship" were strangely familiar. The next morning, when Silas Norwood came to pick her up, she couldn’t help but ask:
"What’s the name of the cruise ship we’re taking?"
Silas Norwood replied gently, "The Starlight."
Celia Sterling’s expression froze. She had already started walking out of the villa, but she immediately turned back. "Silas, wait for me a second."
Twenty minutes later, she came out holding a thick file folder and followed Silas Norwood to the car with a look of eager anticipation. "Okay, we can go now."
On the way to the private airport, Silas Norwood glanced at the folder in her arms and asked casually, "What’s that? Something precious?"
"A few contracts for perfume raw materials."
Thinking he wouldn’t know much about the perfume world, Celia Sterling elaborated, "A major player who controls the world’s largest resources for perfume raw materials will be on the cruise. I want to see if I can land a couple of big deals with him. You might not know this, Silas, but for our industry, raw materials are basically our lifeblood. The Sterlings have our own suppliers, but we still can’t meet demand. If I can connect with this tycoon, it would be a godsend for my brand, Delia Caine."
Silas Norwood hummed. "As long as it makes you happy."
Two hours later, the luxurious private jet landed in the exclusive VIP area of Seraphina International Airport.
Silas Norwood and Celia Sterling disembarked from the plane. Dozens of tall, powerfully built men in custom-made casual wear approached in an orderly fashion. Every one of them looked like they were from old money.
"Are these your friends from Seraphina?" Celia asked.
The next moment, the dozens of men stood respectfully before Silas Norwood, their casual, leisurely air replaced by a cold solemnity as they called out in unison, "Boss."
Celia Sterling was taken aback.
Silas Norwood then gently explained to her, "They’re all my bodyguards. They will be boarding the ship with us as members of the cruise club to protect us discreetly."
"Bodyguards?" Celia looked at the group before her. With their exquisite clothes and aristocratic air, any one of them could pass for a second or third-generation heir. "Silas, are they playing dress-up?"
"Cece, just think of them as ordinary tourists. Most of the time, they’ll be scattered around the cruise ship, doing their own thing. They’ll only intervene if I run into trouble." Silas Norwood pointed to one man’s cufflink. "This is the exclusive emblem of the Norwood Conglomerate. Every bodyguard wears one. If you need anything, Cece, don’t hesitate to give them orders directly."
’Turning bodyguards into tourists... This really is immersive role-playing.’
"What about you, Silas? What kind of identity are you using this time?" Celia asked curiously.
Silas Norwood remained silent.
Behind them, Theo Chambers, who had gotten out of the car after them, cleared his throat.
"Miss Sterling, for his last few cruise club gatherings, the Boss’s persona has been that of a simple, inexperienced young man with no background, here to see the world on a luxury cruise."