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Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Is It Fun to Mess With Me?

”Babe, want to get lunch?”

Ian Sterling tensed at the pet name, an indescribable discomfort washing over him. He forced a cold tone. ”Don’t call me that.”

Lynn Winslow’s lips curved into a smile. She softened her voice. ”Alright. Well, would you like to have lunch with me then, senior?”

”Where?” Ian Sterling asked coolly, suppressing his wildly pounding heart.

Lynn Winslow deferred to him. ”I don’t know Quartos very well yet. Do you have any recommendations?”

Ian Sterling thought for a moment. His usual spots were actually quite monotonous. He mostly just tagged along wherever his childhood friends went. The only place he’d chosen to go himself was the pub yesterday.

”Doesn’t matter.”

Lynn Winslow’s voice was light and cheerful. ”Then I’ll pick a place and send you the location.”

As soon as she hung up, Lynn Winslow ran downstairs and said to Mrs. Sterling, ”Mrs. Sterling, come help me pick an outfit! I’m having lunch with Ian Sterling.”

Mrs. Sterling was still busy, but Lynn followed her every step. Amused, Mrs. Sterling watched her flit about like a little butterfly, every movement broadcasting her joy. ”My, aren’t we happy, Lynn?”

Lynn Winslow was very close to Mrs. Sterling, who had been with her since she was little. She acted like a child. ”I am! So stop what you’re doing, Mrs. Sterling, and help me pick my clothes.”

”What about Aaron? Why not have him help?” Mrs. Sterling asked, puzzled. Aaron was the stylist Lynn Winslow had hired for a great deal of money.

Lynn Winslow pouted and mumbled, ”I want to choose my own outfit today. I just need you to give me some advice, Mrs. Sterling.”

Mrs. Sterling had no choice but to put down her work, wash her hands, and follow Lynn Winslow upstairs.

In the end, Mrs. Sterling chose a relatively casual red mini-skirt for Lynn Winslow. It wouldn’t make her look like she was trying too hard, but it also wouldn’t seem like she wasn’t putting in any effort.

Lynn Winslow had originally wanted to pick a more extravagant dress, but Mrs. Sterling advised, ”A girl should be reserved with the one she likes. You can’t let him think you can’t live without him.”

Lynn Winslow saw the sense in that, so she changed into the skirt, applied her makeup meticulously, and braided two small strands of her hair.

Her looks were deceptive. One moment, she could give off the seductive illusion of a femme fatale; the next, she could be so disarmingly sweet it would make your head spin. With Ian Sterling, she could switch between these personas effortlessly.

Lynn Winslow looked up restaurant recommendations in Quartos. At the top of the list was an exclusive private Chinese restaurant called The Riverstone, not far from Nys. It only served six tables a day and was incredibly difficult to book.

Lynn Winslow called the restaurant and, upon learning it was fully booked, sent an apologetic message to Ian Sterling.

Lynn_Bling: [This restaurant is so hard to book.]

Ian Sterling quickly replied: [I’ll call the owner.]

A flicker of a smile crossed Lynn Winslow’s eyes, but just as she was about to leave, something unexpected happened.

”Lynn, when are you leaving for lunch? Kiki seems a little unwell. Should I take him to the pet hospital?” Mrs. Sterling asked anxiously, coming upstairs.

Hearing this, Lynn Winslow shot up and ran downstairs in a panic. She found Kiki lying listlessly on the floor, a far cry from his usual self. Heedless of getting cat fur on her clothes, she scooped him up, her heart aching. ”Kiki, what’s wrong?”

Kiki let out a weak meow. Lynn Winslow turned to Mrs. Sterling. ”Mrs. Sterling, call the driver, quickly. I’m taking Kiki to the pet hospital.”

Mrs. Sterling nodded, picking up the landline to call the villa next door.

The driver quickly pulled the car up to the entrance of Villa 7. Lynn Winslow got in, holding Kiki, while Mrs. Sterling followed with the cat carrier and Lynn’s forgotten phone.

At the hospital, a kind, middle-aged female veterinarian gently examined Kiki. ”He’s ingested a foreign object,” she said. ”The X-ray shows what looks like a ring. He will need abdominal surgery to be removed.”

Lynn Winslow stroked Kiki’s head guiltily and said to the doctor, ”Okay.”

Kiki was taken into surgery. Lynn Winslow sat on the sofa in the waiting area, completely devastated. Mrs. Sterling handed her the phone, comforting her softly, ”Kiki will be alright, don’t you worry. Your phone has been ringing. You should check if it’s a message from Mr. Sterling. If you’re not going to lunch, you should at least let him know.”

Lynn Winslow nodded, taking the phone with a grim set to her lips. She saw several messages, indeed from Ian Sterling, and only then realized it was nearly noon.

[When are you getting here?]

[Are you still coming?]

[Lynn Winslow, is this fun for you? Toying with me?]

Lynn Winslow saw the last message was sent two minutes ago and called Ian Sterling back.

It rang for a long time without an answer. Just as Lynn Winslow thought it would disconnect, Ian Sterling picked up.

His voice was icy. ”Hello.”

Lynn Winslow bit her lip, her voice filled with grievance. ”Ian Sterling, Kiki swallowed a ring. He’s in abdominal surgery right now.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. ”Send me your location,” he said.

Lynn Winslow gave a muffled ”mhm,” hung up, and sent him the location.

Ian Sterling replied with two words: [Hold on.]

Lynn Winslow leaned weakly against the arm of the sofa, the ache in her heart spreading through her entire body.

Kiki had been with her since he was fifty days old. She had raised him herself. Despite being something of a neat freak, she was willing to sleep while holding him and dutifully scooped his litter box every day. Kiki was almost three now, and the days he hadn’t been by her side were few and far between.

It wasn’t that Kiki depended on her, but that she couldn’t be without him.

Ian Sterling arrived quickly. When he got to the surgical waiting area and saw Lynn Winslow looking completely lost, he walked slowly to her side, knelt on one knee to look up at her, and subconsciously called her name softly, ”Lynn Winslow.”

Lynn Winslow finally reacted. She looked up at him, her lips trembling as tears fell. ”It’s all my fault,” she choked out. ”I wasn’t watching him closely enough. He’s suffering for no reason because of me.”

”It’s not your fault, Lynn Winslow.” Ian Sterling smoothed her messy hair and said softly, ”Don’t blame yourself.”

Lynn Winslow looked at Ian Sterling through a blur of tears. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, the veterinarian came out of the operating room.

”Miss Winslow, this is the foreign object we removed. I’ve cleaned it for you.”

Lynn Winslow took the small, clear bag and glanced inside.

It was a very familiar plain ring. Lynn Winslow recalled where the ring had come from and pressed her lips together.

Ian Sterling also looked at what was in her hand. He froze for a second when he saw the ring was actually one of the matching couple’s rings he had bought when they first got together.

Lynn Winslow folded the bag, clenching it in her fist, and asked the doctor, ”When will Kiki wake up?”

”Soon. I recommend he stay in the hospital for a few days so we can monitor his condition.”

Lynn Winslow thought for a moment, then said softly, ”I’m worried he won’t be happy at the hospital. If it’s not too much trouble, what if I have Kiki’s room prepared, and you could come to my home every day to look after him?”

Afraid the doctor would refuse, she added, ”I can pay you five times your salary at the pet hospital. If that’s not enough, then ten times.”