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Chapter 120: Chapter 120: Ian Sterling Is Not That Petty

Spencer Sterling let out an exasperated hiss, then simply gave a cold snort and walked toward the dining room.

Sylvia Sterling was talking about company business with Elias Sterling. When she saw her eldest brother walk in with a strange look on his face, she asked, ”Spencer, what’s wrong? Did I just hear Finn’s voice? Where is he?”

”He’s over there, sucking up to his mother,” Spencer Sterling said flatly as he sat down.

Elias Sterling raised an eyebrow at that. ”I’m going to take a look,” he said, heading for the living room.

Nina Norton was excitedly fiddling with the bags and jewelry while Ian Sterling sat beside her, head bowed over his phone. Elias Sterling walked over, gave Ian’s leg a light kick, and asked, ”We have to send you a formal invitation to get you to come home now? You’ve gotten to be such a big shot.”

Nina Norton had plenty of bags and jewelry; in fact, she already owned most of what Ian Sterling brought back. But this was a gesture of thoughtfulness her son had never shown before. In her eyes, today—no, for at least a week—her youngest son was her absolute favorite.

Seeing her older son picking on her younger one, she frowned and chided, ”Why are you picking on your brother?”

”...” Elias Sterling laughed in exasperation and looked at Nina Norton. ”Mom, can you be any more obvious with your favoritism? I’ve bought you tons of gifts, and you’ve never doted on me like this.”

”That’s still no reason to pick on your brother.”

”Fine, I’m interrupting the mother-son bonding.” Elias Sterling’s lips twisted into a forced smile, and he turned to leave.

Ian Sterling had been silent the entire time. Only after Elias had returned to the dining room did Ian pipe up with feigned concern, ”Mom, my brother isn’t going to be mad, is he?”

”He won’t be,” Nina Norton said with certainty.

’Ever since they were children, the four siblings had never gotten angry at her for favoring Finn. There were even times when Finn did something wrong and she was about to lose her temper, but the others would stop her.’

Connor Sterling and Zoe Sterling arrived together, and both were a little surprised to see Ian Sterling being so generous.

”What’s with the sudden generosity?” Connor Sterling asked with a gentle smile, sitting down next to Ian. He watched Nina show off the new jewelry to Zoe.

Ian didn’t even look up from his phone. ”It’s nothing,” he said casually. ”I thought it would suit our mom, so I bought them.”

”Is that so?” Connor glanced at him sideways. His gaze drifted to Ian’s phone screen, and seeing that he was busy texting, Connor clicked his tongue. ”When are you planning to bring Lynn Winslow over to visit?”

Nina overheard and leaned in as well. ”That’s right! You two have practically met the parents now, so when are you bringing her over? Mom needs to prepare a gift for her.”

Ian wanted to bring Lynn over, too, but she didn’t seem very willing.

”Yeah, I’ll have to ask her,” Ian said noncommittally, looking down.

Nina Norton sighed. ”Alright, then,” she said, and went to the dining room with Zoe Sterling.

Once his mother and sister had left, Connor Sterling asked Ian with a grin, ”Is it that Lynn doesn’t want to settle down with you?”

How could Ian possibly admit that? ”Of course not,” he said coldly. ”We just haven’t thought about it, that’s all.”

”Is that so?” Connor’s expression was a perfect echo of Spencer’s from that morning. Ian shot to his feet, his embarrassment turning to anger. ”What else would it be?”

He turned and walked away, heading straight for the dining room and leaving Connor, who had seen through everything, behind.

「」

When Lynn Winslow arrived at the restaurant, Zane Lancaster had already been waiting in the private room for a short while.

When he saw Lynn arrive, he said coolly, ”You’re the same as always. Still can’t be on time.”

Lynn Winslow scoffed. ”Still better than you, disappearing without a word.”

Zane Lancaster scoffed, then signaled to the waiter standing nearby that they could begin serving the dishes.

Lynn Winslow sat down across from him and asked, ”So, what did you have to tell me?”

”What’s the hurry? We’ll talk after we eat.” Zane Lancaster nonchalantly lowered his gaze, poking at his plate with his chopsticks. Without looking up, he asked, ”Why? Is Ian Sterling waiting for you outside?”

”No, I’m just curious.” Lynn Winslow pursed her lips, shook her head, and started imitating him by poking her own plate with her chopsticks. ”Ever since I came to Quartos, life has been so laid-back, I’m not used to it anymore,” she said, bored.

Zane Lancaster finally spared her a glance, lazily lifting his eyelids, only to look away again, speechless.

”You have a man keeping you company every day and you’re still bored.”

”Those are two different things. Having a man is one thing, being bored is another.”

She slapped her chopsticks down with an air of self-righteousness. ”Aren’t you planning to open a company in Quartos?” she asked excitedly. ”Can I join you? I’ve got a ton of capital just sitting in the bank, doing nothing. Let me invest in you!”

”I don’t need it. I have money.”

”Are you sure? Didn’t your dad cut off your card?”

”So in your eyes, I’m still just some useless trust fund kid who lives off his parents?” Zane Lancaster glared at her, gritting his teeth. ”He froze the card connected to the family dividends. He can’t touch my own cards.”

”Fine,” Lynn Winslow pouted, looking quite disappointed. ”I was hoping to be your financial backer. Guess the opportunity is lost.”

The waiters started bringing the dishes out one by one just then, so Zane Lancaster swallowed the words he was about to say. He waited until the staff had all left before speaking again.

”There is an opportunity. In fact, that’s what I wanted to see you about.”

Lynn was both surprised and delighted. She sat up straight and asked excitedly, ”For real? You really want me to invest?”

”Yes.” Zane Lancaster didn’t beat around the bush. He handed her the business proposal he’d prepared, gave her a brief explanation, and then asked, ”Are you interested?”

”Of course I am! I trust you.” Lynn Winslow didn’t even need to look at it. She pushed the proposal aside, clasped her hands together, and rested them on her cheek, her eyes practically sparkling.

”Can I be the chairwoman?”

Zane Lancaster: ”...”

”You can.”

”Wow,” Lynn Winslow clapped her hands. ”Remember to call me Chairwoman Winslow from now on.”

Seeing her act like this, Zane Lancaster couldn’t help but laugh. ”Alright, Chairwoman Winslow.”

He stood up to put some food on Lynn’s plate, asking with feigned nonchalance, ”Don’t you need to run this by Ian Sterling? I’m worried he might get mad and not want you working with me.”

”What’s there to be angry about?” Lynn Winslow frowned. ”He’s not that petty. We’re just starting a company together, it’s not like it’s anything more than that.”

”Is that so?” Zane Lancaster murmured.

’It seemed Lynn Winslow really didn’t understand a man’s jealousy. If only it were that simple. The real worry was that Ian Sterling would be against it—not saying anything to her face, but secretly trying to sabotage things.’

”Of course. Don’t worry about it.”

Zane Lancaster nodded slowly. ”Alright, then.”

’He could already imagine how dark Ian Sterling’s expression would be when he found out.’

By the time the two of them finished dinner, Ian had also finished his meal at the Sterling residence.

He said his goodbyes to the family elders and was about to get up to go pick up Lynn Winslow when Mr. Sterling stopped him.

Sylvia Sterling said coolly, ”Finn, I heard from your father that you couldn’t even dodge a bullet when you were in Morelia a while back. So here’s the deal: go tell Miss Winslow that you’re coming back with me the day after tomorrow.”

”...” Ian Sterling’s expression stiffened. He refused point-blank. ”I’m not going.”