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Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Winning Her Over by Crying?

Ian Sterling, wearing a pair of sunglasses, leaned over the back of the sofa with both hands.

”What are you all talking about? You jumped the second I got back.”

Lady Sterling gave Ian Sterling an awkward smile and explained, ”Finn, you had all those lipsticks and things sent over yesterday. I just wanted to come to Aerie Garden to thank you, but I didn’t expect you to be out.”

Ian Sterling’s lips curved into a faint smile. ”Don’t mention it, Aunt.”

People really do have a guilty conscience when they’ve done something wrong. The butler lowered his head, avoiding his gaze, while his sister-in-law sipped her tea with a gentle smile.

Only his own mother seemed completely justified. Ian Sterling wasn’t going to make things difficult for the butler, so he asked his mom directly, ”Mom, what were you talking about?”

”Nothing much. Just idle chatter, saying how sensible you’ve become.” Nina Norton turned her face away from him, the compliments rolling effortlessly off her tongue.

”Is that so?” Ian Sterling straightened up and looked at the butler, who cleared his throat. ”I’ll go see how the chef is doing with lunch.”

Ian Sterling watched the butler’s hasty retreat, then let out a short laugh and didn’t press the matter. He sat on the sofa, picked up the fruit platter, and began spearing pieces of fruit with a fork. ”So,” he said while eating, ”why was I summoned back in such a hurry? What’s up?”

Nina Norton shot a look at her eldest daughter-in-law. Sophia Shaw then said to Ian Sterling, ”The gifts you picked out for Miss Winslow yesterday—were they the same as the ones you sent us?”

Ian Sterling grunted in affirmation. His eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses, and his face was unreadable. Sophia Shaw continued, ”They’re quite nice. Our family’s mall has a lot of brand-name stores. You could check them out more often.”

Sophia Shaw hadn’t expected a response; it was just a lead-in to her next question. ”Are you and Miss Winslow... together?”

Ian Sterling thought back to the night before, and the corners of his lips couldn’t help but curl into a smile. Seeing this, Nina Norton rolled her eyes.

’Pathetic!’

But Nina Norton knew she couldn’t control him. She handed Ian Sterling the Sandalwood Box that was sitting nearby and said coolly, ”Your grandfather prepared this for you when you were born. He said it’s for you to give to your future wife. Your brother and sister have them too.”

Ian Sterling opened it for a quick look before closing it again. He pressed his lips together. ”Thanks.”

Nina Norton couldn’t be bothered to look at him. It was Lady Sterling who asked curiously, ”Finn, why are you wearing sunglasses all this time?”

Ian Sterling froze. He bit the inside of his lip, looking a bit awkward, and said casually, ”It’s nothing. I have a stye. My eye is swollen, but it’ll be fine in a few days.”

Nina Norton watched him with suspicion. No matter how she looked at it, something seemed off about him.

”Take them off and let me see. How did you get a stye?” As she spoke, she reached for Ian Sterling’s sunglasses. He stood up to dodge her, but as fate would have it, a maid was walking over with a platter of freshly cut fruit. They collided, and the sunglasses fell right off, revealing Ian Sterling’s eyes, which were clearly—and severely—swollen from crying.

”You...” Nina Norton stared at her son’s eyes, stunned. After a long moment, she suddenly said, ”Don’t tell me you won her back by crying?”

Upon hearing this, Sophia Shaw and Lady Sterling burst out laughing in unison. Fearing Ian Sterling would get angry, they quickly lowered their heads to muffle their giggles, but the broken snippets of laughter still reached his ears.

Ian Sterling gritted his teeth, turned, and walked away. Nina Norton called after him, ”Aren’t you staying for lunch? Your big brother and second brother are both coming back soon!”

He quickened his pace without answering and soon reached the courtyard, only to run right into Connor Sterling in the parking area.

Seeing his second brother frowning as he looked him over, Ian Sterling regretted that he had been in such a hurry to leave that he’d forgotten his sunglasses.

”What happened to your eyes?” Connor Sterling asked, then immediately realized, his voice filled with shock. ”Are they swollen from crying?”

”No,” Ian Sterling said through gritted teeth. ”I have a stye!”

He tried to walk around Connor Sterling, but Connor grabbed him and took a closer look at his eyes. ”This is totally from crying, isn’t it?” he said seriously.

”You think I would cry?” Ian Sterling refused to admit it. Connor Sterling coolly exposed him. ”Why wouldn’t you cry? You cried all the time as a kid.”

When they were young, he’d cry whenever something didn’t go his way. He’d cry when his parents and older siblings caught him telling his friends to bully other kids. And back then, their grandfather doted on his youngest grandson the most, forcing them to apologize to Ian Sterling just to make him stop. He was as stubborn as he was a crybaby.

Ian Sterling flew into a rage out of shame. ”Why are you bringing up stuff from when we were kids? You never cried when you were little?”

Connor Sterling just said, ”Oh. You also cried a lot three years ago.”

SWOOSH. An arrow pierced Ian Sterling’s heart. He was so angry he laughed, shaking off Connor Sterling’s hand and striding toward his car. Connor called after him, ”Why did you send me all that stuff? It’s not like I can use it.”

”It’s for your future wife!” Ian Sterling shot back before getting into his car, starting the engine, and speeding away. Connor Sterling stood where he was, unable to stop laughing as he watched the car race out of Aerie Garden.

For certain reasons, Aerie Garden was heavily guarded with multiple checkpoints. Only after passing through the final gate did Ian Sterling pull over, take out his phone, and call Lynn Winslow. The line was busy. Frowning, he started the car again and sped toward Amberly Bay.

Lynn Winslow hadn’t been asleep for long when her phone rang, waking her up. She groggily glanced at the caller ID—it was an unfamiliar number from Quartos.

As soon as she answered, the caller greeted her. ”Miss Winslow, I am the butler of the Powell family.”

Lynn Winslow paused, her half-closed eyes opening completely. ”Hello,” she said gently. ”How can I help you?”

”Miss Winslow, tomorrow is the Old Master’s birthday banquet. I’d like to invite you on his behalf.” The butler glanced at the Old Master, whose ears had perked up, and spoke kindly into the phone. ”The Old Master may still be angry about what you did, but he dotes on you the most. You shouldn’t hold a grudge against him.”

Lynn Winslow chuckled softly. ”Does my grandfather know you’re inviting me?”

Hearing this, the Old Master frantically waved his hands at the butler, who had no choice but to say, ”No, he does not.”

”Then it probably wouldn’t be a good idea for me to go. What if my grandfather gets angry?” Lynn Winslow sat up, tucking her hair behind her. Her eyes held a deep, unreadable emotion as she continued softly, ”Besides, my cousin and his sister came to see me a few days ago to warn me not to set foot in the Powell residence. I’m afraid it would make for an ugly scene if I showed up.”

At these words, the Old Master’s brow tightened. The butler gave him a troubled look just as Lynn Winslow said, ”I will prepare a gift and have it sent to Grandfather. As for me, I won’t intrude.”

Lynn Winslow hung up. The Old Master’s face was dark, his eyes narrowed and his lips set in a firm line. He let out a cold snort and said to the butler, ”When Aiden Powell gets out of school, bring him here.”

The butler sighed and tried to placate him in a low voice. ”The young master is still young and easily influenced. Please don’t be angry with him, sir.”

”Everyone in our Powell family is open and honest. I don’t know whose genes are to blame for this, but to think they’d try to play games with me!” the Old Master snapped before storming off in a huff.

As for who that remark was aimed at, the Old Master didn’t say, but the butler, having been by his side for decades, naturally understood.