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Chapter 114: Chapter 114: A Little Sorcerer Meets a Great Sorcerer

”You’re going to invite me to dinner at the Powell family’s.”

Ethan Powell: ”...”

”Go on, invite me,” Ian Sterling repeated with a frown.

Stony-faced, Ethan Powell said, ”Come to my house for dinner tonight.”

”Okay.” Ian Sterling nodded, lifting his chin slightly at Ethan Powell. ”Let’s go. Right now.”

With a look of resignation, Ethan Powell got into his car and followed Ian Sterling, who, oddly enough, seemed to know the way to the Powell residence better than he did.

Lynn Winslow was still chatting with Sheila Lowell when she heard a car arriving. Lynn assumed her uncle was back, even though he’d been in Adria Province at noon and shouldn’t have been able to return so quickly. To her surprise, it was Ian Sterling.

Lynn Winslow asked in surprise, ”What are you doing here?”

Ian Sterling nodded to Sheila Lowell, walked over, and sat down unceremoniously next to Lynn Winslow. He explained, ”I ran into Ethan Powell. He insisted that I come to the Powells’ for dinner.”

Ethan Powell, who was following behind him, paused in his tracks upon hearing this. His eyes met Sheila Lowell’s, who had already seen through Ian Sterling’s little scheme.

”You don’t want me here?” Ian Sterling frowned slightly, taking Lynn Winslow’s hand and sounding a little hurt.

Lynn Winslow shook her head and explained, ”No, it’s not that. I’m just worried my grandfather will...”

Ian Sterling let out a breath of relief and scoffed, ”Mr. Powell practically watched me grow up. I’m just coming for dinner. Is he really going to kick me out?”

When Mr. Powell saw him, he really did want to kick him out. He glanced at his granddaughter, then began a conversation with Ian Sterling that was both tactful and direct.

”Finn, have your parents been busy lately?”

Ian Sterling chuckled lightly. ”Not busy.”

”Is that so? I thought maybe they didn’t have time to have dinner with you.”

Lynn Winslow: ”...”

Ian Sterling squeezed Lynn Winslow’s palm and said shamelessly, ”They think I’m a third wheel. Mr. Powell, you don’t think so, do you?”

’I do mind,’ he thought, ’but can I say that out loud?’ Mr. Powell gritted his teeth and said, ”It’s not that we mind. It’s just that this is a family reunion, and we were afraid you’d feel awkward.”

”Is that so.” Ian Sterling raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to look at Lynn Winslow. ”Don’t worry, I won’t feel awkward. We’ll be one family in the future anyway. You can just consider this an early reunion.”

”...” Mr. Powell looked at him with a fake smile. Judging by the rise and fall of his chest, he was quite furious.

Lynn Winslow pulled her hand away from Ian Sterling’s, went to support Mr. Powell by the arm, and asked in a low voice, ”Grandfather, are you all right?”

”I’m fine, I’m fine.” Mr. Powell waved his hand and sighed. ”When you get old, your legs just don’t work like they used to. Lynn, why don’t you help me walk?”

”Okay.”

Ian Sterling stood rooted to the spot, the scornful look Mr. Powell threw him as he passed by replaying over and over in his mind.

Ethan Powell watched him with his arms crossed, let out a soft chuckle, and led Sheila Lowell by the hand toward the dining room.

Ian Sterling took a breath to compose himself and followed them into the dining room. Mr. Powell was on Lynn Winslow’s left, and Sheila Lowell was about to sit down on her right.

He cleared his throat lightly. Sheila Lowell rested her chin on her hand and looked at him, her expression clearly saying, ’I’m not moving. What are you going to do about it?’

Ian Sterling had no choice but to sit next to Ethan Powell, muttering through gritted teeth, ”Can’t you control your fiancée?”

”Sorry.” The corner of Ethan Powell’s eye crinkled. ”I’m just like you, completely henpecked. Only my wife gets to boss me around.”

”...” Ian Sterling laughed in exasperation. ”Fine. You’re really something.”

Ethan Powell and Sheila Lowell exchanged a look, a similar glint of amusement in both their eyes.

Aiden Powell came dawdling down the stairs, his eyes widening when he saw Ian Sterling.

If Aiden Powell was a little hellion, then in front of Ian Sterling, he was a novice meeting a master.

He had heard too many rumors about Ian Sterling and naturally knew about some of the things he’d done—things that everyone knew he was behind, but no one could ever pin on him.

Aiden Powell ran over to Ian Sterling’s side in a few steps, plopped down, and gazed at him with starry eyes.

”Boss Ian, hello.” He sure was quick to curry favor.

Ian Sterling frowned at him. Aiden Powell continued, ”Hello, hello, I’m Aiden Powell. Can I call you Big Brother? From now on, you’ll be my dearest Big Brother.”

The others: ”...”

”No.” Ian Sterling refused without a second thought. He still remembered that Aiden Powell had bullied Lynn Winslow.

Aiden Powell looked hurt, not expecting him to reject a loyal follower who was offering himself up for free.

”Aiden Powell, say that again. Who’s your big brother?” Ethan Powell narrowed his eyes, warning him.

”You’re my big brother by blood, and Boss Ian is my big brother on the streets.” Aiden Powell wasn’t scared at all, tilting his chin up with an expression that said, ’What can you do about it?’

Sheila Lowell, who had just taken a sip of water, almost spat it out with a PFFT.

’Big brother on the streets? Oh, Aiden Powell. You really are the Powell family’s resident oddball.’

Mr. Powell scolded, ”Aiden Powell, where did you learn such nonsense?”

Aiden Powell shuffled to hide behind Ian Sterling and muttered under his breath, ”You wouldn’t understand.”

Mr. Powell hissed and was about to scold him, but Lynn Winslow smiled and asked, ”Do you really want him to be your big brother?”

”Of course.” Aiden Powell’s little face was full of pride. He glanced at Ian Sterling, and his mood fell. ”But the Big Boss doesn’t want me as his follower.”

Lynn Winslow rested her chin on her hand and blinked her bright eyes. ”How about this? If you serve me well during dinner tonight, I’ll make him accept you as his follower.”

”...Really?” Aiden Powell was skeptical, his wide eyes full of suspicion, until he saw Ian Sterling nod at him.

”Okay then, what do you need me to do?” Aiden Powell stood up, walked over to Lynn Winslow’s side, and asked with a serious expression.

Lynn Winslow pretended to think for a moment, then pointed to the shrimp with her chin. ”Start by peeling shrimp for me.”

Aiden Powell didn’t know how; he’d been waited on his whole life. But then he imagined it: if he obeyed, he could go to the compound and tell all the other kids that Ian Sterling was his big brother. He could just imagine their envious gazes... With that thought, Aiden Powell reached out and pulled the entire plate of shrimp toward himself.

Ethan Powell opened his mouth to say something, but Sheila Lowell shot him a look that clearly told him to shut up.

Lynn Winslow watched with a matter-of-fact expression as Aiden Powell peeled the shrimp. At first, they were mangled, and it wasn’t until almost the whole plate was gone that he managed to peel a few whole ones.

He placed the bowl of shredded meat in front of his actual brother and put the perfectly peeled shrimp in front of Lynn Winslow.

”Done. Anything else?”

Lynn Winslow glanced down at the shrimp in her bowl, then scanned the other dishes on the table. Seeing nothing else to trouble him with, she gestured for him to pour her some juice.

”Okay.” Aiden Powell nodded crisply.

The others had been watching the show, not expecting him to actually be so obedient. Seeing this, they all lowered their heads and started to stifle their laughter. The butler, who knew the young master’s temper best, turned and left the dining room, only letting loose with unrestrained laughter once he was outside the villa’s entrance.

But he hadn’t been laughing for long when the main gate of the villa suddenly swung open automatically and a car drove in. The butler’s laughter died instantly. He turned, entered the villa, walked to the dining room, and announced in a low voice, ”Miss Mia Rhodes has arrived.”