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Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Let’s Talk About How She Abandoned You

”We ran into him.” Ian Sterling propped his head on his hand and said with some disdain, ”He’s just like when we were kids. Looks smart enough, but always does stupid things.”

Mr. Powell shot him a helpless glance and said, amused, ”Is there anyone you consider smart?”

”Me.”

The three of them—grandfather and grandchildren—fell silent. ”...”

Ian Sterling snorted softly. Seeing that they weren’t taking the bait, he didn’t feel the least bit embarrassed.

After lunch, Lynn Winslow started to feel sleepy. She went back to her room, took a quick shower, and threw herself onto the bed. Bundled up in the covers, she was asleep in no time.

Ian Sterling stayed by her side until she was fast asleep before getting up. He was still worried about the proposal venue and decided to go check on it.

While changing, a sudden movement pulled at his wound, making him hiss in pain. He raised his arm to look at it, then frowned and looked away.

’At the hospital just now, it wasn’t that I truly couldn’t bear the pain. It’s just that with Lynn around, I always want to seem a bit weaker to get what I want.’

’For example, a moment ago, I openly and justifiably took advantage of the situation. It wasn’t much, but I still got something out of it.’

’Lynn probably knew; she was just humoring me.’ Ian was perfectly clear on that.

He adjusted his collar, walked to the bedside, and leaned down to press a soft kiss on Lynn Winslow’s forehead. ”I’m going to check on the venue,” he whispered. ”Sleep well. I’ll be back soon.”

Lynn Winslow was sleeping so soundly she didn’t hear him, but she subconsciously nuzzled the hand he had placed on her cheek.

Ian Sterling smiled softly, caressing her cheek a few more times before reluctantly pulling his hand away and striding out of the room.

He ran into Simon Sinclair again.

”Finn, I want to talk to you about Miss Winslow.”

The statement was so ridiculous that Ian Sterling could hardly believe it. He thought he must have misheard.

”What did you just say? Say it again.”

Simon Sinclair’s face darkened. He enunciated each word, ”I said, I want to talk to you about Lynn Winslow.”

Ian Sterling raised a hand to crack his neck, which made a sharp POP. He was smiling, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

He took a few steps forward until he was standing extremely close to Simon. Already half a head taller, Ian Sterling now looked down on him condescendingly.

”What gives you the right to talk to me about my fiancée?”

Simon Sinclair tilted his head back, narrowed his eyes, and sneered, ”How about we talk about how she abandoned you back then?”

Ian Sterling stared at him grimly, then suddenly let out a soft, sarcastic laugh. ”Oh, so it’s about that,” he said lightly.

”Yes.” Seeing Ian take two steps back, Simon thought he had hit a nerve and mocked, ”I don’t believe you don’t hold a grudge. You’re not like the rest of us.”

Not like the rest of them? All the heirs of the great families, regardless of whether they ultimately had inheritance rights, were trained as potential successors. Besides serving as a backup, they also had the responsibility of assisting the main heir.

But Ian Sterling was the sole exception. The entire Sterling Family treated him like a precious treasure, coddling him as he grew up. Not long after he was born, the family even adjusted the inheritance shares to be equal among the five children. Ian himself was also brilliant. While the others had to suffer through hard work, he didn’t need to. He could outperform them just by casually listening in.

Simon Sinclair refused to believe that a man so favored by fortune wouldn’t mind one bit that Lynn Winslow had once dumped him.

His baseless confidence made Ian Sterling laugh. He stood there lazily and asked with a soft chuckle, ”I don’t mind. Let’s not even talk about how she was forced to leave me for reasons you know of. Even if she had done it of her own free will, as long as she came back to me, I would still want to be with her.”

He couldn’t be bothered to drag this out with Simon Sinclair any longer. He turned and started walking toward the elevators. After a few steps, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to Simon. ”Stop trying to drive a wedge between us, Simon Sinclair. Get lost while my patience is still holding out.”

As he finished speaking, his gaze shifted. His ink-black pupils were now filled with a crushing pressure, like a great tiger awakening. Though he still seemed lazy, every minute movement was a threat and a warning.

”Like you said, I’m not like the rest of you. If you really piss me off, there’s no telling what I might do.”

Simon Sinclair’s expression grew uglier at his words. It wasn’t until Ian Sterling stepped into the elevator that the air around him seemed to start circulating again. He couldn’t help but take several deep gulps of air, trying to calm his heart, which felt like it had seized in his chest.

A figure came up beside him from behind and said lazily, ”I told you. Trying to stir up trouble with them is useless.”

Simon Sinclair’s face was dark. ”He already knew. Why didn’t you tell me?”

”Why should I tell you?” The figure chuckled and shook their head. ”You’re the one who came to me for help. I just pointed you in a direction. What you do is your business. Why should I meddle?”

”You—”

*

Inside the elevator, Ian Sterling unhurriedly straightened his hair. Simon Sinclair’s words hadn’t even caused a ripple of disturbance in his heart.

He was, however, curious about who was pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Head down, he walked toward the hotel entrance while replying to a message on his phone.

The person on the other end replied quickly: ”Finn, ten minutes of the surveillance footage after you left is blank. It’s been deleted.”

”Get someone to restore it.”

”We tried. It can’t be restored. Whoever did this came prepared.”

Ian Sterling’s brow furrowed. Standing at the hotel entrance, he called his bodyguards.

”Keep an eye on Simon Sinclair. See who he’s been in contact with. No matter who it is, detain them first and we’ll talk later.”

After hanging up, Ian Sterling no longer had any interest in going to the venue. He turned, went back to the elevator, and pressed the button for the top floor. His steps were quick, his heart anxious.

Only when he saw Lynn Winslow still sleeping soundly did Ian Sterling relax. He rubbed the bridge of his aching nose, took a few steps back to sit on the sofa, and quietly watched her.

Seeing Simon Sinclair in that state, he couldn’t help but be suspicious. He was afraid that Simon, driven to desperation, would team up with the person pulling the strings and harm Lynn Winslow.

Lynn Winslow murmured and turned over, her arm reaching out to feel the empty space beside her. Ian Sterling’s lips curved into a soft smile. He got up, walked to the bed, and leaned down close to her.

”What are you looking for?”

Lynn Winslow opened her eyes, looking confused. When she saw he was still in his outdoor clothes, she said unhappily, ”Where did you sneak off to again?”

Her sleepiness hadn’t faded, so even though she was unhappy, her voice was delicate and soft.

A wave of tenderness washed over Ian Sterling. He stroked Lynn Winslow’s warm, pink cheek and chuckled. ”I didn’t even get the chance before you woke up.”

Without waiting for her to reply, he coaxed, ”Let me go change, then I’ll come keep you company.”

Lynn Winslow forced herself to stay awake, watching him through half-closed eyes as he went to change. She watched him walk out of the dressing room, watched him lie down beside her, and then finally couldn’t hold on any longer. She flopped forward against him, her chin knocking into his chest.

The impact made Ian Sterling hiss in pain, and it also brought tears to Lynn Winslow’s eyes.

”So clumsy. Did that hurt?” Ian Sterling raised a hand to rub Lynn Winslow’s chin, amused by her pitiful expression.

Lynn Winslow said aggrievedly, ”I didn’t do it on purpose.”