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Chapter 154: Chapter 154: How to Make Men Obedient and Submissive

The atmosphere at the company was simultaneously relaxed and tense. Relaxed because the boss was away, and he might not be seen for the next month or two.

Tense because the workload was heavy, and without the boss to bear the brunt of things, they had to carry the weight themselves.

The receptionist was propping her chin on her hand, idly slacking off. When she looked up, she saw Ian Sterling emerging from the elevator that connected to the private employee parking garage.

She froze for a moment, then quickly stood up and greeted him.

Ian Sterling gave a cool nod and asked the receptionist if a package had arrived for him.

The receptionist nodded, turned around, and handed him a box from her desk. After taking it, Ian turned and walked toward the CEO’s private elevator.

The secretaries in the secretarial department were still busy. They were stunned for a second when they saw Ian Sterling strolling over. He walked into his office without a sideways glance, and Evan Carson was the first to react, hurrying in after him.

”Boss, what brings you in so suddenly today?”

Ian Sterling just grunted in response, not answering directly. ”You can go now.”

Evan Carson paused, murmured an ”oh,” and left hesitantly. Before closing the door, he stole a glance at Ian Sterling.

Once the office door was shut, Ian Sterling began to open the box in his hands.

A ring lay quietly inside the box. Ian Sterling picked it up and examined it for a moment. He pressed his lips together—it hadn’t disappointed him.

This was the ring that had been cut and designed from a raw stone he had personally selected. He’d had Jasper Jennings oversee the process. He had been with Lynn Winslow the whole time and was afraid of letting the cat out of the bag, which would ruin the surprise. So, aside from that one glance at the raw stone, he hadn’t seen it since.

He placed the ring back in its box, got up, walked to his private lounge, and put the box in his safe.

He wasn’t ready to give it to Lynn Winslow just yet. Of course, this wasn’t an engagement ring. He simply wanted to give her something beautiful she could wear every day.

Besides being beautiful, it would also let outsiders know that Lynn Winslow was taken, sending a clear message to any hopeful admirers.

The rain was still falling outside. Ian Sterling propped his forehead on his hand as he went through documents. People from the secretarial department came in and out repeatedly, as did directors from other departments.

After only an hour or two, Ian Sterling, who had been taking it easy for a long time, was already getting irritated.

He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up completely. Later, when Evan Carson came into the office to get a signature from Ian Sterling and saw him looking so disheveled without a care for his image, he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. By the time he left the office, his cheek was practically raw.

Around noon, Ian Sterling glanced at the time and called Lynn Winslow.

”It’s time for lunch. Where are you? I’ll come find you.”

Lynn Winslow was clearly chewing on something. She mumbled, ”No need, you can just eat at the office.”

”...” Ian Sterling narrowed his eyes. ”Are you guys eating already?”

”Ah...” Lynn Winslow blinked. Just as she was about to explain, Nina Norton took the phone from her. Lynn heard Nina say something into the phone before hanging up and handing it back.

”Eat by yourself. Don’t worry about us.”

Lynn Winslow took her phone back as Nina Norton said, ”Lynn, if a man isn’t sensible, you have to teach him. Don’t always spoil him, or you’ll be the one to suffer in the end.”

”Ah.” Lynn felt like she was at a loss for words. Sophia Shaw just smiled gently and didn’t join in. She also didn’t tell Lynn that when she had just married Elias Sterling, Nina Norton had specifically taken her out and very seriously taught her how to train her husband to be obedient and compliant.

Seeing Lynn’s clueless look, Nina began to impart her wisdom to her, and while she was at it, she gave Sophia Shaw an update with her latest experiences.

If Elias Sterling and Ian Sterling were there, they’d probably be exasperated with their own mother.

Their wives go out with their own mother for half a day and come back with a whole new arsenal of tricks to use against them. They were so screwed!

However, for the time being, the two Sterling brothers were still in the dark.

After she finished, Nina Norton picked up her fruit juice, took a sip to soothe her dry throat, and sighed. ”When Connor gets a girlfriend, I’ll have to do this all over again. Sigh, more children just means more worries.”

After listening to Nina’s whole spiel, Lynn Winslow was full of admiration. Gazing at Nina with star-struck eyes, she said, ”Auntie, you’re amazing.”

”That’s nothing,” Nina Norton said with a magnanimous wave of her hand.

Lynn Winslow had already forgotten that Ian Sterling hadn’t eaten yet. After they paid the bill, she proactively linked her arm with Nina’s, her affection even more pronounced than before.

But this happiness came to an abrupt halt when she saw Cecilia Powell.

”Lynn,” Cecilia Powell called out softly. A flicker of sadness crossed her eyes when she saw how close and affectionate Lynn was with Nina Norton.

’Her own daughter should have been this close to her. They should have been like sisters, with her daughter telling her all her secrets.’

’But she had ruined it all, back when she had selfishly only wanted her freedom.’

Nina Norton knew their mother-daughter relationship was strained, but what child doesn’t long for a mother’s love? So she took the initiative and invited Cecilia Powell to join them for afternoon tea.

Even though they had just finished lunch.

Lynn Winslow was silent the entire time, only offering a smile in response when Nina Norton asked her something.

The four of them sat down. Lynn and Nina sat together, with Sophia Shaw and Cecilia Powell across from them.

Lynn turned her face away, avoiding Cecilia Powell’s persistent gaze. Her hands, which she had withdrawn from Nina’s arm, were now twisted together anxiously. Noticing this out of the corner of her eye, Nina quietly reached out and patted the back of Lynn’s hand.

Cecilia Powell’s voice was so soft, as if she were afraid of startling Lynn. ”Your father had to go back to Morelia for something, but he’ll be back in a couple of days.”

Lynn lowered her eyes and gave a muffled ”mhm.” Seeing that she had responded, Cecilia continued to try and find something to talk about.

”We’re living next door to your maternal grandfather’s house now, which is also very close to your place. Just before I left, your grandfather mentioned that he hasn’t seen you in a long time and misses you.”

Hearing this about the grandfather who had doted on her since she was little, Lynn couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. Her grandfather probably knew she was in a difficult position, which was why he had never called on Cecilia’s behalf or asked her to visit the Powell family since Cecilia’s return.

For the first time, Lynn looked directly at her. Gazing at the face before her, so similar to her own yet gentler, she was taken aback for a moment before saying, ”I’ll go visit Grandpa when the weather gets better.”

Cecilia Powell’s eyes gradually reddened, and she nodded, choking back a sob.

Just then, a call from Ian Sterling rescued Lynn from the awkward and uncomfortable situation. Lynn grabbed her phone, stood up, and walked away quickly to answer it.

”Thank god you called.”

Lynn let out a soft breath of relief. Then she heard Ian Sterling say, ”My mom texted me and told me to call and rescue you.”

Lynn was stunned. She turned to look back, her voice tinged with emotion. ”That’s so nice. Babe, your family is so nice too.”

”Of course they are. So don’t be sad,” Ian Sterling said in a low voice. ”How about this, what if I come pick you up? I never got to show you around my company last time.”

Lynn hummed in agreement and hung up. She walked back to her seat, avoiding Cecilia Powell’s gaze, and spoke only to Nina Norton and Sophia Shaw.