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Chapter 134: Chapter 134: I Have a Fiancée

Nina Norton was so taken aback by her son’s incredibly thick-skinned comment that she was speechless for a long moment.

”No. Once the butler and staff have a room ready, Lynn will move into that room.” Nina Norton said through gritted teeth. Before leaving, she added another warning, ”She’s staying with us on the third floor. If you dare try any funny business in the middle of the night, I’ll give you the ’complete childhood’ you missed out on.”

”...” Ian Sterling opened his mouth to speak, but Nina Norton had already reached the door. She suddenly stopped in her tracks, turned around, came back, and sat on the sofa to wait for Lynn Winslow.

”I have to wait for Lynn.”

Ian Sterling was so exasperated with his own mother he had to laugh. ”Seriously, Mom, why are you so old-fashioned?”

Nina Norton ignored him.

When Lynn Winslow came out after her shower, she was a bit surprised to see Nina Norton. Without explaining, Nina walked up, took Lynn’s arm, and led her out of Ian Sterling’s room.

”Lynn, don’t listen to him. We girls can’t let these men have their way all the time.”

Lynn Winslow nodded with a smile, glancing back at Ian Sterling over her shoulder.

Her eyes were full of unconcealed amusement. Seeing this, Ian Sterling pressed his lips together, clearly unhappy.

That afternoon, Elias Sterling came home early from work to Aerie Garden. He found his younger brother sitting in a rocking chair by the window with an impatient look on his face. Walking over, he said with amusement, ”Why the long face? You look like someone owes you money.”

Ian Sterling slowly lifted his gaze, gave him a listless glance, then looked away without a word.

Elias Sterling sat in the rocking chair opposite him and asked, ”Did you and Lynn have a fight?”

”How is that possible?” Ian Sterling shot him a glare. ”We don’t fight.”

”Then why are you acting like this?”

Ian Sterling said, ”How did I never realize how old-fashioned Mom is? She absolutely refused to let Lynn stay with me.”

Elias Sterling couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter at that. ”You’re not thinking it through. If she let you two live together, we would see it as a sign of how deep your relationship is. But if outsiders found out, they’d say our family doesn’t value Lynn, and that Lynn doesn’t respect herself.”

Ian Sterling’s brow furrowed. He knew that, but ’who are the outsiders in the Sterling family? And how would any outsiders find out about this?’

But as luck would have it, the Shaw family came to visit that very evening.

Sophia’s younger sister, Stella Shaw, saw Ian Sterling and her eyes lit up. She trotted over, reaching out to take his arm.

Ian Sterling frowned, taking a step back in disgust. ”What are you doing?” he asked coldly.

Stella Shaw blinked, clearly familiar with his attitude. She tried to get closer to Ian Sterling again, smiling sweetly as she said, ”Finn, long time no see.”

”Stay away from me.” Ian Sterling dodged her. Out of respect for Sophia, he didn’t lose his temper and turned to go upstairs to find Lynn Winslow.

Stella Shaw followed right on his heels. Her parents, who had been in Faeland with their younger daughter, didn’t know Ian Sterling already had a girlfriend. Mrs. Shaw chuckled and said to Spencer Sterling, ”Look at our little girl. She’s been fond of Finn since they were kids. It was supposed to be just the two of us coming back this time, but she insisted on returning to see Finn. Said she missed him.”

Spencer Sterling wore a faint, distant smile. ”Yes, Stella is a fine girl,” he said mildly. ”Finn has always seen her as a little sister. When Finn gets married, Stella must come and be a bridesmaid.”

Mr. Shaw was taken aback. Stella Shaw, who had been trailing Ian Sterling, turned to look at Spencer Sterling upon hearing his words. She said earnestly, ”Mr. Sterling, I’m not going to be a bridesmaid. I’m going to be Finn’s bride.”

Just then, Ian Sterling turned back around and sneered, ”I have a fiancée.”

Stella Shaw’s eyes instantly reddened, and she looked at Ian Sterling as if he had betrayed her.

The Shaw parents had only been willing to bring their younger daughter back because they had their eyes on the position as wife to the Sterlings’ fifth son. Hearing this, they were both stunned. Mrs. Shaw in particular said, ”Finn, you shouldn’t make up excuses just to scare your little sister Stella, like you did when you were kids.”

Spencer Sterling leaned forward, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. ”He’s not making it up. Our Finn already has a fiancée.”

”This... How come we haven’t heard anything about it?” Mr. Shaw asked awkwardly. ”Such wonderful news! Why didn’t you tell us before? We would have loved to come back for the engagement ceremony.”

Spencer Sterling glanced at his youngest son and saw him watching the tear-streaked Stella Shaw as if enjoying a show, his eyes filled with contempt and sarcasm. He then continued, speaking to Mr. Shaw, ”Actually, they’re not officially engaged yet. It’s mainly that the young lady wants to enjoy her freedom a bit longer and isn’t ready to settle down with Finn. But Finn insists he can’t live without her, so he’s been telling everyone she’s his fiancée.”

He proactively refilled the teacups for Mr. and Mrs. Shaw, adding with a faint smile, ”And just now, after much begging, Finn finally convinced the young lady to come meet the family. She’s upstairs at this very moment, chatting with my wife and Sophia.”

Mrs. Shaw was no fool. She stood up, walked over to Stella Shaw, and shot a glare at the indifferent Ian Sterling, who stood with his arms crossed. She then pulled Stella back to the living room sofa and whispered a few words of comfort, ”Don’t cry. They’re not engaged yet, so there’s still a chance.”

Stella Shaw wiped away her tears. She looked back at Ian Sterling, who was already heading upstairs, and gave a firm, stubborn nod.

Spencer Sterling lowered his eyes to hide his impatience. ’These Shaw parents have always favored their younger daughter. If their elder daughter’s marriage into the Sterling family hadn’t brought benefits to the Shaws, they would have never come back to visit her just because she’s pregnant.’

’And now they’re even scheming to get their hooks into my youngest son.’

Ian Sterling went upstairs and headed straight for Nina Norton’s walk-in closet. Nina was showing her jewelry collection to Lynn Winslow and Sophia Shaw, telling the two sisters-in-law to pick whatever they liked as a gift from her.

Seeing Ian Sterling arrive, Nina Norton frowned and asked, ”Why are you up here?”

Ian Sterling sat right down next to Lynn Winslow, leaned against her, and shamelessly nuzzled his face against her shoulder.

”The Shaws are here. They said they came back to visit my sister-in-law, and they brought Stella Shaw with them.”

Upon hearing this, Sophia Shaw gave a self-deprecating laugh. ”They didn’t come to see me. They’re probably hoping to marry Stella into the Sterling family too, to make it even easier for them to leech benefits off of you.”

Nina Norton patted Sophia Shaw’s shoulder, then said to Lynn Winslow, ”Lynn, don’t you worry. As far as I’m concerned, my only daughters-in-law are you and Sophia.”

Lynn Winslow just smiled. ’As long as Ian behaves himself and doesn’t think about anyone else, it’s not a big deal to me.’

Nina Norton told them to continue choosing their jewelry and went downstairs by herself.

When Stella Shaw saw her, she got up and ran to her side. After peeking behind Nina Norton and seeing no one was following, she took Nina’s arm sweetly and said with a smile, ”Mrs. Norton, I brought you a gift on my trip back!”

”Is that so?” Nina Norton said airily.

Mr. and Mrs. Shaw stood up. ”Dear in-law,” Mrs. Shaw said, ”why don’t we see Sophia and Finn’s fiancée?”

”I have them in my walk-in closet choosing some jewelry. I’m planning to give each of the sisters-in-law a set.” Nina Norton calmly disengaged her arm from Stella Shaw’s grasp, sat down next to Spencer Sterling, and chuckled. ”How long are you planning to stay this time?”