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Chapter 146: Chapter 146: How About Two Weeks?

Sensing that Lynn Winslow was awake, Ian Sterling looked down at her.

”Awake?”

Still groggy, Lynn Winslow nodded. She started to turn, wanting to drape her leg over Ian Sterling, but the movement sent a sharp ache through her, so intense it brought tears to her eyes.

”Ugh, it hurts so much.” She grabbed Ian Sterling’s hand, looking utterly miserable.

Ian Sterling let out a soft chuckle. He couldn’t bear to see her uncomfortable, so he put his phone on the nightstand and began to massage her lower back and legs.

As he massaged her, he asked, ”Still want to do this again?”

Feeling wronged, Lynn Winslow mumbled, ”Not doing that again.”

A smile touched Ian Sterling’s lips. He massaged her with careful attention for a long while, not stopping until Lynn Winslow felt the ache ease.

He thoughtfully helped Lynn Winslow to the bathroom, drew her a bath with a bath bomb, and then lifted her into the tub. Kneeling beside it, he rubbed her rosy cheeks before finally getting up to clean the floor, which he hadn’t gotten around to tidying up last night.

With Lynn Winslow here, he was afraid she would feel awkward, so he was personally taking care of many things he’d never done before—like changing the sheets and cleaning their bedroom.

By the time Ian Sterling had finished tidying up, Lynn Winslow still hadn’t emerged. He went into the bathroom to find her leaning back with her eyes closed, a look of pure bliss on her face. He instructed, ”Don’t fall asleep in here. I’m going downstairs to feed Kiki and Huffy. If you’re not feeling well, just call for me, and be careful not to fall.”

Lynn Winslow opened her eyes and hummed in agreement, allowing Ian Sterling to go downstairs, finally reassured.

The house was air-conditioned around the clock. Kiki and Huffy were sunbathing on the nearly three-meter-tall cat tree set up for them before the floor-to-ceiling windows. When they saw Ian Sterling come downstairs, they meowed and scrambled down, following at his heels to their feeding station.

Ian Sterling refilled their kibble and opened a can of food for each of them. Seeing them eating happily, he went back upstairs to Lynn Winslow.

He was still worried that Lynn Winslow, who could be a bit hopeless with practical matters, would fall asleep in the bathtub.

And just as he’d feared, when Ian Sterling walked into the bathroom, Lynn Winslow was already dozing off, her head lolled against the side of the tub.

”If you’re tired, you can go back to the room to sleep.” Ian Sterling bent down, unconcerned about the water on her body getting his clothes wet, and lifted Lynn Winslow up. He helped her rinse off in the shower before carrying her back to bed. Then he returned to the bathroom, took a quick shower himself, and changed into a dry set of pajamas.

When he came out, Lynn Winslow was wide awake, lying in bed and admiring the photos she’d taken the day before. Her fingers were itching to share them, but at the same time, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Ian Sterling deliberately crept up on her. He squinted at her phone screen and, just as she was repeatedly tapping the share button, he suddenly spoke, making Lynn Winslow jump violently.

”Why did you scare me!”

Ian Sterling asked nonchalantly, ”Who were you planning to share that with?”

Now too embarrassed to keep complaining, Lynn Winslow pressed her lips into an awkward smile. ”No one. I just tapped it by accident. Why would I share it with anyone? A beautiful photo like this is definitely one to keep for myself.”

”Is that so?” Ian Sterling was unconvinced. Lynn Winslow batted her sparkling eyes and promised, ”Don’t worry. If I post it, I’ll up the stakes for you. Two weeks! That should settle it, right?”

The saying ”once the wound heals, the pain is forgotten” was a perfect description of Lynn Winslow. Last night she had been crying pitifully, full of regret. But now that her back was no longer sore and her legs no longer ached, the first thing she did was offer to double down on the very thing that had caused her regret.

Ian Sterling actually found himself thinking it wouldn’t be so bad if she did share it. That way, he would get nearly half a month of blissful time.

Besides, everyone Lynn Winslow knew in Quartos had seen him when he was a child, so it wasn’t like it was a big deal.

Just as Ian Sterling was about to go downstairs to bring her lunch, Lynn Winslow suddenly remembered she had promised Esther Abbott she would meet her tonight. She asked Ian for her phone back and took a look.

Esther Abbott had sent her the address and time. Lynn Winslow replied with a simple ”Okay” and then said to Ian Sterling, ”I’m going to hang out with Esther Abbott tonight, so I’ll be eating out.”

It was a half-truth. She was indeed meeting Esther Abbott, but it wasn’t to ”hang out.”

Ian Sterling looked deep into her eyes but didn’t object.

Only after Ian Sterling had left the room did Lynn Winslow let out a sigh of relief and call Zane Lancaster.

Zane Lancaster had been swamped with company matters lately, so busy he barely had time to breathe, and he hadn’t been in touch with Lynn Winslow for a long time.

With the Abbott family’s help, his company’s progress had been relatively smooth.

He was a little surprised to get her call, and he answered with slow, deliberate sarcasm. ”Well now, look what the cat dragged in. What made a busy woman like you remember little old me?”

Even though Zane Lancaster couldn’t see her, Lynn Winslow rolled her eyes. ”Cut the crap. I need to tell you something.”

”Go ahead.” Seeing that Lynn was serious, Zane’s tone became more serious as well. ”What’s up?”

”Esther Abbott knows I was reborn. She asked to meet me tonight. I suspect she’s the one who’s been helping me behind the scenes, allowing things to go so smoothly for me, and I don’t think she’s using normal methods.” Lynn Winslow lowered her gaze, her expression turning grave as she continued, ”You’ve been in Quartos for a while now. You should know about the Yates Family.”

Zane Lancaster narrowed his eyes and grunted in acknowledgment.

”The Yates Family has some money, but that’s it. Nothing else. And don’t even get me started on their eldest son. Mia Rhodes is a refined egoist. What she wants is status and power—things the Yates Family can’t give her. And yet, she’s supposedly dating the Yates family’s eldest son.” The more Lynn Winslow thought about it, the less sense it made. At first, she’d assumed Mia Rhodes was in his car for some other reason, but she’d had someone look into it last night. They were actually together.

”So, it has to be Esther Abbott pulling the strings behind the scenes.”

It was clear why Zane Lancaster was Lynn Winslow’s childhood friend. After hearing her out, he quickly grasped her suspicions. ”So you’re saying you think everything that’s happened since you came to Quartos—the Powell family suddenly stop believing Mia Rhodes, her ’protagonist halo’ disappearing and causing netizens to turn on her—is all Esther Abbott’s doing?”

Lynn Winslow exhaled. ”Yes. Something is very wrong with her.”

”Let me go with you to meet her tonight. We don’t want her suddenly pulling some other trick on you.”

”No, it’s fine. I’ll go by myself,” Lynn Winslow refused. ”I just had a suspicion, but I wasn’t sure if it was logical. Hearing you spell it out like that has convinced me.”

”If you won’t let me go, then you have to be careful. Stay on the phone with me the whole time. If something happens, I can get there quickly.”

Zane Lancaster knew Lynn Winslow wouldn’t bring Ian Sterling with her.

”Okay.”

Lynn Winslow wasn’t one to be needlessly reckless. Knowing Zane Lancaster would be nearby, she could at least rest half-easy.

The second Lynn Winslow hung up, the bedroom door opened. Ian Sterling asked, ”Who were you just on the phone with?”

Lynn Winslow’s heart skipped a beat. ”You heard?”

”I did,” Ian Sterling said, raising an eyebrow. ”So, who were you on the phone with?”