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Chapter 52: Chapter 52: The Boss Said: Cripple Melanie Goldsmith

”You’re hurting me. You almost pulled me over just now.”

Ian Sterling finally loosened his grip. He looked down at Lynn Winslow and saw the moisture in her eyes, saying guiltily, ”I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Lynn bit her lip and said aggrievedly, ”You just bullied me in front of so many people. They’re definitely going to say you’re getting revenge on me for dumping you three years ago.”

”They wouldn’t dare. If anyone dares to spread rumors, I won’t let them off.” Ian Sterling coaxed her in a low voice, ”Let’s go home, okay? Come with me to Calyx Hall.”

Lynn Winslow shook her head, refusing. ”I want to go back to Amberly Bay. Kiki is still there.”

”Then we’ll go get Kiki together.”

”No, I don’t want to live with you.” Lynn still refused, looking up at Ian Sterling with her watery eyes. ”Can we just keep things the way they were before, okay?”

Ian Sterling silently met her gaze. Lynn tensed up instinctively, but he suddenly let out a soft chuckle. ”Fine. I’ll take you home then.”

”My driver is almost here. I’ll just have him take me,” Lynn said tentatively. Ian Sterling agreed without hesitation.

He held Lynn Winslow in his arms in a fiercely possessive embrace. Only when the driver’s car pulled up in front of them did Ian Sterling let go. He ruffled Lynn’s hair and said softly, ”Go home and get some rest.”

Lynn Winslow nodded, her voice delicate. ”You get some rest too. Goodbye.”

After getting in the car, she rolled down the window and waved at Ian Sterling. His gaze was like a torch, fixed on her until the car drove away.

Only then did Evan Carson step forward and inquire in a low voice, ”We have news from the Goldsmith family. Melanie Goldsmith’s injury has been treated, and there’s no serious issue. It won’t affect her future.”

”Then make sure it *does* affect her. I don’t need to teach you how, do I?” Ian Sterling said irritably. ”Do I have to spell out something so simple?”

Evan Carson fell silent. He cautiously glanced at his obviously foul-tempered boss, then took out his phone and sent a message to his contact at the hospital.

[The boss said to cripple Melanie Goldsmith.]

The reply was swift: [Understood.]

Once Ian Sterling was out of sight, Lynn Winslow finally breathed a sigh of relief and tossed her handbag onto the adjacent seat in frustration.

The driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror and asked, ”Miss, is something wrong?”

Lynn Winslow shook her head, reclined her seat, and lay back listlessly, her mind filled with regret.

’He wasn’t like this when I first came back and found him. Did he get possessed or something?’

’Or is it because I was reborn that the original plot has collapsed, causing everyone in the story to have a complete personality change?’

Lynn Winslow couldn’t figure it out, so she just closed her eyes to rest.

After they left, Liam Clayton said coolly, ”Let’s continue the party.”

The others quickly dispersed. Chloe Clayton was really worried about Lynn. She hurried to catch up with her brother, who was about to leave, and asked anxiously, ”Brother, that Finn from the Sterling Family... wasn’t he acting strange? Is he going to do something to Lynn?”

Although Liam Clayton had noticed it too, he couldn’t tell his sister directly. He just said casually, ”Don’t worry, he won’t hurt Lynn Winslow.”

He couldn’t guarantee anything else, but he was sure of that.

Chloe Clayton murmured an ”oh.” She wanted to ask more, but a girl called out to her from a short distance away. She couldn’t very well ignore the guests who had come for her birthday party, so she had to go back.

The person took Chloe Clayton’s hand and whispered curiously, ”How did you get so close with Lynn Winslow? Isn’t she supposed to be a bad person?”

”Don’t talk nonsense. Those rumors are all fake.” Chloe Clayton shot her a look. ”Flora Fairfax, I won’t allow any of you to bully Lynn Winslow anymore.”

”Oh, don’t worry. Even if we wanted to bully her, did you see the way she fought just now? Could we even touch her?” Flora Fairfax covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes filled with admiration for Lynn. ”She’s so amazing! And I saw how anxious Finn was about her. Are they back together?”

”I’m not sure. Lynn and I just became good friends recently.” Chloe Clayton shook her head and sighed, but Flora Fairfax said excitedly, ”Then can you introduce me to Lynn?”

Chloe Clayton glanced sideways at her and huffed. ”Fine, but you can’t try to steal Lynn from me.”

”I won’t, I won’t!” Flora Fairfax waved her hands dismissively.

Joanna Jacobs and Veronica Leighton had seen everything that happened tonight. They lowered their heads and secretly sent a message to Mia Rhodes.

[Mia, are you sure you’re not coming? Finn just showed up and took Lynn Winslow away.]

[Yeah, I saw Finn acting really close with her. They haven’t gotten back together, have they?]

Mia Rhodes was still outside the Clayton Estate. Sitting in her car, she had seen Lynn Winslow and Ian Sterling’s argument and entanglement with perfect clarity.

Flames of jealousy were scorching her heart when she received the messages from the two of them in their three-person group chat.

She could only grit her teeth and reply: [No way. Lynn must have done something shady again to seduce Finn and get him interested in her. But they definitely won’t get back together. After she dumped him and put him in the hospital for so long, forget Finn—the Sterling Family would never let her off so easily. They’re just not bothering to deal with her right now.]

She sent a long-winded explanation. Joanna Jacobs and Veronica Leighton were skeptical and didn’t reply to Mia. Joanna whispered, ”I don’t know, it doesn’t feel like what Mia’s saying. Finn was clearly the subservient one just now.”

”I have my doubts too. It looked more like Finn was forcing Lynn.”

”Forget it,” Joanna Jacobs sighed. ”Mia must be upset.”

Veronica Leighton sighed as well.

Mia Rhodes clutched her phone tightly, forcing out two words: ”Let’s go.”

The driver nodded.

As they drove, Mia Rhodes stared down at her phone, remaining silent for a long time before she picked it up and dialed a number.

After a long wait, the other person finally answered. Mia said in a gentle voice, ”Selene.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line before the person recognized who she was. The tone was cold. ”Miss Rhodes, what is it?”

Mia Rhodes bit her lip hard. She and Selene Sterling had once been on a show together for a month-long recording. Mia had constantly tried to curry favor with Selene, but Selene had always been cold to her. She probably didn’t even remember who Mia was or what she looked like now.

But her purpose in calling wasn’t to try and win Selene over again; it was to tattle.

”It’s like this, Selene. Lynn Winslow is back.”

Only then did Selene Sterling’s cold tone shift slightly. Her voice turned stern. ”Who did you say?”

”Ian’s ex-girlfriend, Lynn Winslow.”

Selene Sterling was silent, so Mia Rhodes continued, ”I don’t know what her motives are, but she sought out Ian as soon as she got back. He even caused a scene for her at the Clayton’s daughter’s birthday party. I just couldn’t stand by and watch, so I had to call you.”

Selene Sterling was currently in a car on the way to the airport. Hearing this, she sneered. ”Miss Rhodes, let’s not even mention that what my brother does is none of your business. This act of yours... it’s just plain despicable.”

Mia Rhodes was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly explained, ”It’s not what you think, Selene! I just thought that since I knew about this, I had to tell you. What if Lynn Winslow continues to hurt Ian?”