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Chapter 76: Chapter 76: As Expected of Miss Winslow

「The night before Mr. Powell’s birthday banquet.」

Aiden Powell stood in the corner, facing Ethan Powell. He was wailing, his mouth wide open. ”I know I was wrong,” he sobbed. ”Grandpa already disciplined me. Why are you still making me stand here?”

Ethan Powell sat on the sofa, arms crossed, a grim expression on his face as he watched him. Nearby, Philip Powell and Ryan Lowell both kept their eyes down, sipping tea and eating fruit, coldly observing their younger son’s tantrum.

”Just because Grandpa punished you doesn’t mean you’re off the hook with me,” Ethan Powell said coldly. ”You’re not a kid anymore. How could you be so stupid?”

Aiden Powell couldn’t stop crying. He snuck a glance at his parents, but when he saw them ignoring his miserable plight and silent pleas for help, he had no choice but to quietly swallow his tears. He sniffled, ”I know I was wrong. I’ll go apologize to Cousin Lynn.”

”Let’s hope you really mean it,” Ethan Powell snorted, then got up and went upstairs to find Mr. Powell.

Mr. Powell was standing at his desk, a calligraphy brush in hand, practicing his characters. When he heard the door open, he didn’t need to guess who would barge in without knocking—it had to be his eldest grandson.

”Finished with the lecture?”

Ethan Powell walked to his side and glanced down at the calligraphy Mr. Powell had written. At the thought of his brother, he sneered, ”He’s fine for now. I’m just worried he’ll forget the beating the moment he gets a treat. He’ll be back to his old ways by tomorrow.”

”That’s certainly possible,” Mr. Powell said with a laugh. ”Getting hit with the ruler didn’t stop him from eating a hamburger and watching cartoons. I doubt making him stand here will do much good either.”

”We have to punish him even if it’s not very effective. At least Lynn will know that we didn’t teach Aiden Powell to do or say those things. She’ll know who to blame, and it won’t be us.”

”Mm.” Mr. Powell glanced at him, recalling how he’d had the butler call and invite Lynn that afternoon. On the surface, Lynn had sounded hesitant, but in reality, every word was a refusal.

He heaved a deep sigh. ”She’s deliberately distancing herself from me, her own grandfather.”

”Grandpa, you probably have a good idea who started all those nasty rumors in Quartos.” Ethan Powell picked up the piece Mr. Powell had just finished, placed it on a nearby drying rack, and said lightly, ”Lynn and Ian Sterling seem to have made up. If Lynn wants to get revenge on Mia Rhodes, I doubt we can stop her.”

Mr. Powell paused for a moment, then placed his brush on the rest. After a long silence, he said, ”If we can’t stop her, then we won’t. Your aunt is a fool, and so was the man she found. I never expected two idiots to produce someone so clever. But it’s not just that she’s clever—she’s got a heart full of malice.”

Ethan Powell couldn’t help but laugh. ”Should I call Lynn later and invite her?”

”No need. If she doesn’t want to come, so be it. After the banquet, I’ll have Aiden Powell come with me to see her, and he can apologize then. It’s strange, really. I don’t know what came over me back then. I can’t believe I fell for those clumsy lies and even scolded her right before she left.”

Mr. Powell was filled with regret now, and he couldn’t make sense of it.

「Ten a.m. on the day of the banquet.」

Ian Sterling didn’t let Lynn rest until she was completely breathless, only then getting up. He kissed her eyes, swollen from crying just moments before, and whispered, ”Lynn, I’m going to head home and change. Where’s the gift? I’ll grab it on my way out and bring it with me.”

”Shut up!”

Lynn, having been worn out by him all morning, was already out of patience. The fact that he was leaning in to ask questions now just infuriated her. She kicked the blanket furiously a few times, which pulled on her already sore inner thighs, and the pain made her eyes turn red.

”Alright, alright, I’ll shut up. I’ll shut up. You get some sleep.” Ian Sterling scrambled to his feet. He tiptoed out of the room, afraid any other noise he made would just annoy Lynn further.

He had to ask Mrs. Sterling, who was busy in the first-floor living room. Fortunately, Mrs. Sterling knew where the gift was.

After going home to change, Ian Sterling arrived at the Powell family’s residence to find that Jasper Jennings and the others were already there. They were all sitting with Mr. Powell, keeping him company and pretending to be prim and proper.

Ian Sterling’s arrival took the guests by surprise, but he paid them no mind. He walked up to Mr. Powell and said with a smile, ”Mr. Powell, it’s been a while.”

”Oh, Finn, you’re here?” Mr. Powell was a bit puzzled to see him. ’When has this kid ever shown up to an event like this?’

Ian Sterling handed the gift he was carrying to Mr. Powell. Mr. Powell accepted it, still confused. Guests usually gave their gifts directly to the butler, so why was this one being brought over to him?

Ian Sterling explained, ”I brought this on Lynn’s behalf. I felt I should deliver it to you personally.”

’Lynn? Lynn Winslow?’

Mr. Powell stared at the leather gift box in his hands, a hint of astonishment on his face.

Ethan Powell, watching from the side, lazily chimed in with a taunt, ”Made up with Lynn? So, are you planning on graduating from a love-struck fool to her personal errand boy?”

”Yeah, I have. What about you? Is Miss Sutton still willing to have you?” Everyone present knew his personality, and he had practically grown up with Ethan Powell, so he didn’t hold back and retorted instantly.

Mr. Powell didn’t pay attention to the two youngsters’ banter. He gently opened the leather gift box. Inside was a tea set?

The silver pot was engraved with exquisite patterns, and its handle was made of smooth, translucent jade that had been carved and inlaid. An avid collector of tea sets, Mr. Powell couldn’t help but gasp after examining the intricate patterns on the pot.

Ian Sterling didn’t know what Lynn had prepared. Hearing Mr. Powell’s gasp, he glanced down, but he wasn’t interested and coolly looked away.

However, Kenneth Keller, who was sitting closest to Mr. Powell, saw it and remarked with admiration, ”As expected of Miss Winslow. To think she could get her hands on something like this.”

It was clearly not from Veridia; it looked more like something from Morelia, like what royalty would have used in centuries past. It was so precious you couldn’t buy it even if you wanted to. Only a vast, influential Chinese family like the Winslows, with deep roots in Morelia, could possibly obtain such a thing.

”She still remembers what I like,” Mr. Powell sighed. He closed the leather box and instructed the butler to put it away carefully for him, specifically on the highest shelf of the bookcase in his study.

The butler acknowledged the order and left, cradling the box carefully in his hands.

Ian Sterling had no desire to interact with the people who kept coming over to greet Mr. Powell, so he made an excuse to step away. But he was immediately dragged aside by his older brother.

Ian Sterling frowned. ”What are you dragging me for?”

Elias Sterling shot him a look, angered by his younger brother’s attitude. ”If you treated us with even a tenth of the consideration you show Lynn,” he said through gritted teeth, ”we wouldn’t be half-dead from frustration with you.”

At the mention of Lynn, a flicker of softness subconsciously crossed Ian Sterling’s eyes. Elias Sterling, who knew his brother well enough, caught it. He rolled his eyes and said, ”What do you think I’m dragging you for? Come with me and meet some people. Don’t just focus on your own little world.”

”Not going.”

”Why not?”

Ian Sterling was baffled. ”I said I’m not going. Why are you even asking?”

”There has to be a reason, doesn’t there?”

”I can’t be bothered to meet people. Is that reason enough for you?”