novelraw Chapter 254: Give Me This Fountain Pen
Chapter 254: Give Me This Fountain Pen
Chapter 254: Give Me This Pen
For the next two days, Rachel Royce didn’t go home.
For one, it was the end of the year and things were hectic. The Norvane project had been abandoned, and there was a new one to negotiate. To secure their year-end bonuses, her team was working overtime, so she certainly couldn’t afford to slack off.
For another, she still had to conduct a private investigation into the TC project.
It was a project worth tens of billions. Faced with such enormous profits, anyone would find the temptation of such a massive windfall impossible to resist.
Tristan Sterling was truly willing to part with it. Giving up this project was definitely a significant loss for him.
The project involved AI technology, making it a perfect fit for a partnership with Prodigy. If she signed this project, Peter Preston’s valuation agreement would be more than fulfilled, and Prodigy’s market value would skyrocket.
But Tristan Sterling’s intentions were incredibly difficult to grasp.
She couldn’t take the risk so easily.
On the third day, Tristan Sterling called.
"Have you thought it over? The project won’t wait around."
"Are you at the office right now?"
"I’m at home taking care of Melissa. She suddenly came down with a fever last night. It’s gone now, but she’s still a bit lethargic."
Hearing this, Rachel’s heart tightened.
Just then, Marcus Sheldon came in to have her sign a document. She gave him a few instructions, then packed up and left the office.
When she arrived at Silvermist Bay, Tristan Sterling was in the living room, watching TV with Melissa.
Melissa had a cooling patch on her forehead and was leaning listlessly in her father’s arms. As soon as she saw her mother, she immediately reached out to be held.
"Mommy." Her soft, sweet voice was weak.
Rachel took Melissa into her arms. Seeing her daughter’s lethargic state, her heart ached with pity.
The two of them watched cartoons with Melissa, and soon she fell asleep leaning against Rachel.
Tristan Sterling carried Melissa back to the bedroom. After settling her in, he came back downstairs.
Rachel was waiting for him on the sofa.
Tristan Sterling sat down across from her.
Rachel took a contract out of her bag and handed it to him. "Take a look."
Tristan Sterling took it and began to read.
The contract was designed to prevent any possibility of Tristan Sterling interfering with the project. Of course, there might be loopholes, but it included additional clauses to address them.
Once he signed it, he would face a massive penalty for any breach of contract.
After finishing the contract, Tristan Sterling couldn’t help but chuckle. "You really are cautious."
"Of course. When I’m dealing with you, I have to be. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’d devour me, bones and all."
Tristan Sterling’s lips curved into a slight smile. "Give me a pen."
Rachel just looked at him.
Seeing that she didn’t move, the man said, "What are you still worried about? You can say it directly. Or I can have my lawyer come over right now to add new clauses until you’re satisfied."
Rachel took a deep breath, pulled a fountain pen from her bag, and gave it to him. Without any hesitation, she watched the man sign his name on the contract.
As she watched him sign his name, Rachel couldn’t quite describe the feeling in her heart.
Tristan Sterling passed the signed contract back to Rachel. She took it and looked at the signature—it was strong and forceful.
She looked up at him. His long fingers were rhythmically twirling her fountain pen. "Let me keep this pen?"
That fountain pen was custom-made for her, worth over ten thousand yuan. Its style was clearly not suited for a man like him.
Of course, giving it to him was nothing. Compared to the project he was offering, it was trivial.
But her impression of the man was that his every action was steeped in risk and hidden schemes.
Seeing her wary expression, Tristan Sterling couldn’t help but laugh. "It’s just a pen. You can’t bear to part with it?"
Rachel just shot him an annoyed glance without responding. She put the contract away in her bag and slung the strap over her shoulder.
"Stay for lunch," Tristan Sterling said.
"I have things to do. I’ll come back to see Melissa after work."
Tristan Sterling didn’t say anything else.
He walked her to the door.
"Drive safe."
Rachel didn’t respond. She simply bent down, got into her car, and drove away.
Tristan Sterling turned and went back into the villa.
He received a phone call. "President Sterling, Miss Ainsworth has been in a car accident."
「Half an hour earlier.」
Alexander Sullivan had arranged for people to take Claire Ainsworth to the airport. But once there, the bodyguards lost sight of her for a moment, and she ran out of the airport and was hit by a car.
She had been rushed to the hospital.
The reason Alexander Sullivan was sending Claire Ainsworth abroad was that he had come to an agreement with Jane Sullivan. He would send Claire out of the country, away from Kingsland, to give her time to calm down on her own. He would then handle things with Julian Jennings.
Rachel returned to her office.
While replying to work messages on WeChat, she accidentally scrolled to a post from Tristan Sterling on her Moments. It was just a single picture with no caption: a photo of her fountain pen.
Rachel couldn’t help but frown.
She sent him a message: Why did you post that on your Moments?
Tristan Sterling replied quickly: Just felt like it. Are you going to control that, too?
Rachel frowned again, not bothering to reply.
Just as she put down her phone, it vibrated with a call from Johnson Royce. She answered, "Dad."
"Rachel, have you had lunch yet?"
"Not yet, I’m about to eat. What’s up, Dad?"
"You haven’t been home these past few days. Is work that busy?"
"It’s the end of the year, so things are hectic. I’ll take care of myself, Dad. You don’t need to worry."
"Alright. But you should at least come home for a meal on the weekend!"
"Okay."
"Alright, you get back to work. I won’t disturb you."
Rachel asked Marcus Sheldon to bring her up some lunch.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
"Come in!"
Julian Jennings knocked and entered. He looked at her and said, "You haven’t gone to lunch yet."
"Marcus Sheldon went to get lunch for me."
"I see. You went out this morning?"
Rachel said, "Yes, I went out for a bit. After I’m done for the day, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, President Jennings."
Julian Jennings replied, "I have to attend a cocktail party tonight. I’ll call you after."
"Okay."
Julian Jennings didn’t disturb her work any further.
*
Tristan Sterling arrived at the hospital.
Outside the examination room, Jane Sullivan’s eyes were already red and swollen from crying.
Alexander Sullivan stood by the door with a grave expression. Seeing him, he said, "You’re here."
Jane Sullivan glanced at him.
"What’s her condition?" Tristan Sterling asked.
Alexander Sullivan said, "It shouldn’t be anything too serious."
Just as he finished speaking, the door to the examination room opened.
Claire Ainsworth was wheeled out in a wheelchair, looking noticeably haggard. The moment she saw Tristan Sterling, her eyes welled up and tears of grievance streamed down her face.
Jane Sullivan quickly stood up and went to her, asking, "What did the examination show?"
Claire Ainsworth had a fractured rib, but it wasn’t too severe. For now, she would be receiving conservative treatment at the hospital.
Because the accident happened inside the airport, the vehicle wasn’t moving fast. She had also been wearing a thick down jacket at the time. The most serious injuries were the abrasions on her delicate, well-cared-for hands, which were now wrapped in bandages.
Claire Ainsworth was taken to a hospital room.
A doctor was securing the bandages for Claire Ainsworth.
Tristan Sterling and Alexander Sullivan waited outside the room.