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Chapter 62: Chapter 62: At Least You Still Have a Chance

With the photo right in front of him, he had no idea how to explain it in a way Lynn Winslow would believe.

Lynn Winslow took back her phone. With a few taps of her fingers, she sent the photo to him and said softly, ”Think it over. I don’t want to hear you accuse me of slander.”

She lowered her head and continued to eat. Ian Sterling had no choice but to get up and return to his seat. The more he thought about it, the more unsettled he felt, so he posted the photo in their group chat.

[When was this photo taken? Why is Mia Rhodes next to me?]

The others in the group chat started chiming in. Seeing his question, they found it rather amusing.

[Are you asking us?]

[Finn, are you drunk already?]

They were all being sarcastic. Ian Sterling frowned and sent a private message to Ethan Powell.

Ethan Powell rarely spoke in the group chat or even read the messages, so a private chat was the only way to reach him.

Ethan Powell replied quickly, but only with a single question mark.

Clearly, that question mark carried the same sentiment as the others in the group chat.

Ian Sterling had no choice but to send another message: [Think fast. When were all the times you brought Mia Rhodes to our gatherings over the past three years?]

Ethan Powell was speechless, but he still replied: [Dude, are you insane?]

Ian Sterling glanced up at Lynn Winslow, who was eating quietly with a placid expression, before looking back down at his phone. [You’re the one who brought her. You made this mess, so you’re going to fix it. Start thinking. Now.]

Ethan Powell had no choice but to reply: [I’ll go check my records.]

He didn’t go home often, so Mia Rhodes usually asked to come with him to gatherings via text message.

It took him quite some effort to compile the dates for Ian Sterling. By the time he sent the list, they had already finished dinner.

Lynn Winslow didn’t dwell on it. The initial shock of seeing the photo had passed. Though she still felt a knot in her stomach, it wasn’t the same sharp pain she’d felt at first glance.

She informed Ian Sterling she was leaving and took the elevator up to the third-floor study, leaving him all alone in the first-floor living room. Lynn Winslow had even taken Kiki with her.

He stared at the long list of dates on his phone, only now realizing just how many times Mia Rhodes had been at their gatherings.

He frowned, a flicker of irritation in his eyes, and sent a message to Ethan Powell: [Don’t bring her anymore.]

After Ethan Powell agreed, he asked: [Did you and Lynn Winslow make up?]

’Why does everyone insist on twisting the knife?’ Ian Sterling was getting annoyed, but he still replied: [No. I can’t win her over.]

Ethan Powell just replied with an ”Oh.” Ian Sterling didn’t continue the conversation, instead focusing on trying to remember exactly when that picture could have been taken.

Lynn Winslow locked the study door from the inside and dialed Zane Lancaster.

Zane Lancaster’s tone was hostile. ”What do you want?”

Lynn Winslow demanded, ”What’s wrong with you? When Ian Sterling answered my phone, did you say something to provoke him?”

Zane Lancaster let out a humorless laugh. ”Does that question even make sense?” he said coldly. ”Why would I bother provoking him?”

”...” Lynn felt that something was very wrong. They both had different stories, and for a moment, she didn’t know who to believe.

”If that’s all, I’m hanging up.” Zane Lancaster was clearly agitated. Right before hanging up, he added, ”Lynn Winslow, you’re really heartless.”

Lynn Winslow froze. She was about to reply when the call disconnected. Frowning, she tried calling back, but the call wouldn’t go through.

’Did he block me?’ Lynn Winslow found it utterly unbelievable. She had no choice but to send Zane Lancaster a message.

[Do you have to be so petty? You two both have different stories, so I’m not even allowed to ask you about it?]

He replied almost instantly: [Thank you for reminding me not to block your WeChat. Let’s break up for a week. Goodbye]

[???]

But the message wouldn’t go through. A notification showed it had been rejected.

Lynn Winslow truly hadn’t expected such a huge reaction from Zane Lancaster. They argued often, but their fights were usually fierce and short-lived, forgotten almost immediately after. Nothing like this had ever happened before.

She glanced at the time in Morelia and called Joel Winslow.

Joel Winslow answered quickly, his voice gentle. A warmth spread through Lynn Winslow’s heart as she listened. ’No one is more reliable than my little brother.’

”Good evening, sis.”

Lynn Winslow’s voice softened instinctively. She chuckled lightly, ”Joel, are you busy with work?”

”Not busy. Grandpa’s already asleep, so I’m out.” Joel Winslow asked with a smile, ”How about you, sis?”

”I’m at home,” Lynn Winslow replied, then added, ”I need you to do me a favor.”

Joel Winslow raised an eyebrow, glancing at the man sitting beside him. ”What kind of favor?”

”When you see Zane Lancaster, I need you to beat him up for me.” Lynn Winslow said, enunciating every word. ”And you’d better chew him out, too. Scold him so bad he won’t know what hit him, then make him come crawling back to me to apologize!”

Joel Winslow chuckled softly and agreed. With that, Lynn Winslow hung up.

”Heh.”

Joel Winslow turned to the sneering man beside him and asked earnestly, ”So, should I beat you up first, or chew you out?”

”Beat me up. I could use a good workout anyway.” Zane Lancaster stood up, climbed through the ropes of the boxing ring, put on his gloves and headgear, and gestured for Joel Winslow to get on with it.

Joel Winslow had no choice but to follow. They didn’t pull any punches, the sound of their fists landing echoing with heavy thuds until both were completely spent.

Leaning back against the ropes, Zane Lancaster ripped off his headgear and threw it to the mat, cursing under his breath, ”Ian Sterling is such a snake.”

Joel Winslow slowly got to his feet. ”What did your dad say?”

”The old man stripped me of my position and told me to ’reflect on my actions.’” Zane Lancaster sneered. ”Ian Sterling is really something else. He dug up all the dirt on me and handed it over to my father’s other sons. None of them can stand me, so of course they jumped at the chance to take me down a peg.”

”You’re the one who screwed up; you can’t blame anyone else for that. However, it seems my sister doesn’t know anything about this.” Thinking of Lynn Winslow’s tone on the phone, the corners of Joel Winslow’s mouth lifted in a slight, cool smile. ”Ian Sterling has deliberately kept her in the dark. Even though this whole affair is blowing up in Morelia, the news probably won’t reach my sister’s ears.”

He asked, ”So, what do you think? If she found out the whole story, who would she blame first—you, or Ian Sterling?”

Zane Lancaster glanced up at Joel Winslow, seeing the undisguised glee on his face. He suddenly let out a cold laugh, his expression souring. ”You know what your sister’s temper is like, don’t you?”

He pushed himself up using the ropes, his tone laced with cold mockery. ”When it comes to being heartless, she takes first place.”

Joel Winslow’s expression soured at his words. ”How is my sister heartless?” he retorted with a frown.

”If she had a heart, she wouldn’t have abandoned everything in Morelia to go chasing after Ian Sterling!” The topic was a landmine. The moment it was mentioned, Zane Lancaster’s anger flared.

”All for Ian Sterling, she ran off to Veridia to get pushed around. In the beginning, she’d call me crying. Now that things are looking up for her, she’s already playing favorites. Tell me where the heart in that is.” When Zane Lancaster got angry, English would start to spill out. It was far better for arguing than the Chinese he was less comfortable with.

Hearing this, Joel Winslow couldn’t help but laugh. But it was a laugh tinged with a bitterness that perhaps only Zane Lancaster could understand. He tossed out one last sentence before hopping down from the boxing ring and leaving.

”You should be grateful. At least you still have a chance. In my sister’s eyes, I can only ever be her little brother.”

Watching him walk away, Zane Lancaster let out a long breath.