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Ian Sterling thought it was absurd, but he didn’t lose sight of what was important.

“Lynn Winslow broke up with me because of your meddling, didn’t she?”

“That was a problem with your relationship. What does it have to do with me?” Jared Sterling averted his gaze and said flatly, “She stopped liking you. She found you annoying, the spark was gone, so she dumped you. You’re going to blame me for that, too?”

Ian Sterling couldn’t stop a curse from escaping his lips. He shot to his feet, grabbed Jared Sterling by the collar, and hauled him up.

He ground out through clenched teeth, “Then what about Zachary Quincy and Esther Abbott? Why do I remember Zachary being in love with Esther?”

Jared Sterling’s eyes were half-lidded as he avoided Ian’s gaze, letting himself be held by the collar.

“You altered my memories and manipulated Lynn Winslow into breaking up with me, didn’t you?” Ian Sterling stared hard at him, his voice venomous. “You were experimenting on us all along. First, you made Lynn break up with me for no clear reason—even she didn’t know why we had to.”

“Then you altered my memories again to pave the way for you to use Esther Abbott as your ‘assistant.’ You made it so that even though I knew she was in on your schemes, I couldn’t dig any deeper because I ‘remembered’ Zachary being in love with her.”

Jared Sterling neither confirmed nor denied it, only asking with a soft chuckle, “That’s all just speculation on your part.”

“Then tell me, targeting me is one thing, but why did you have to drag Lynn Winslow into it?” Ian Sterling tightened his grip on Jared’s collar, enunciating every word. “She doesn’t even know you. What right do you have to make her suffer like this?”

Even if it was based on a lie, the pain of a shattered heart was something Lynn Winslow genuinely endured. If it weren’t for Jared Sterling, they would have been married long ago! Why force Lynn to swallow her pride and chase after him all over again?

Jared Sterling violently shoved him away and snarled, “Then she shouldn’t have liked you! If she didn’t like you, none of this would have ever happened!”

“If you have to blame someone, blame yourself. You’re the one who had to be in a relationship with her. If you hadn’t dated her, she wouldn’t have been caught up in this mess.”

Ian Sterling thought Jared had gone completely insane. He looked like a man possessed, his eyes, glaring at Ian, were bloodshot.

Jared Sterling sneered. “Instead of wasting time questioning me, you should take a good long look at yourself.”

Ian Sterling refused to be led astray. A faint smile touched his lips as he said softly, “So, you are admitting it.”

“Yes, I admit it. I did all of it. Even Lynn Winslow being killed by her uncle, and you killing yourself after that dream—that was all me. I just can’t stand the sight of you. What are you going to do about it?”

Ian Sterling shook his head. “There’s nothing I can do? Jared Sterling, I promised my dad I wouldn’t touch you. But you just had to provoke me, so my hands are tied.”

As he finished speaking, the upward tilt of his eyes hardened, the smile vanishing from his face in an instant. With a sudden move, he lifted his leg and sent Jared Sterling flying with a powerful kick.

Jared Sterling hadn’t had a full meal in days. He fell to the ground like a withered leaf, unable to even cry out in pain.

Ian Sterling strode over and rained blows down on Jared. He said coldly, “This is for my uncle and aunt. They raised you, and you let yourself be consumed by hatred over such a small thing, over a few words. You’re an animal.”

“As for Grandpa, you only see what Grandpa left for me. Why don’t you look at what Grandpa left for you? Was it a small amount? You think your company got to where it is today through your own efforts? No! It was Grandpa who arranged it all for you long ago.”

“And my parents—they doted on you as if you were their own son. You were just like my older brothers to them. The only difference is that I’m the youngest, so they naturally spoiled me a bit more. And you held a grudge over that, putting them in an impossible situation.”

Ian Sterling stopped, stood up, and stared coldly at Jared. “Calling you an animal is an insult to the word.”

He turned and walked away, not giving Jared another glance. Just as he was about to step out of the ancestral hall, Jared’s weak voice came from behind him.

“Finn, I’m sorry. The truth is, I did have regrets. But the ending was already set in stone. I tried to change things later, but I could only make minor adjustments.” He coughed, his voice heavy. “Lynn Winslow came back to you not just because of my manipulation, but because she truly loves you. And you two reconciled so quickly because you love her, too. It broke through the original ‘plot’ I had designed for your story.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve wronged you. I’ve wronged my parents, and I’ve wronged my aunt…”

Ian Sterling froze. Hearing that voice, his eyes grew red, but he still forced himself to walk away.

He returned to the front courtyard. Nina Norton and Spencer Sterling were sitting at a table by the garden with his older brothers and sisters.

When Nina Norton saw Ian Sterling, she quickly stood up to greet him, asking softly, “How did it go? Is Jared…”

Ian Sterling said, “Get him a doctor and let him out. From now on, put him with my older brothers. Have them keep a close eye on him.”

Elias Sterling nodded first, saying, “Let him stay with me.”

He was their cousin, after all. No matter how much he’d done wrong, since Ian himself had forgiven him, they couldn’t object. For their uncle’s sake, they had to give him another chance.

Ian Sterling sat down next to Elias, rubbing his temples in frustration.

Selene Sterling looked at him, perplexed. “Now that you know the truth, what are you still upset about? Just explain it properly to Lynn Winslow.”

“It’s not that simple.” Ian Sterling sighed. “What if she finds out it was my cousin and gets a bad impression of me, too? Seriously, if we hadn’t grown up together, and if my uncle weren’t in the picture, I’d really want to beat him to death.”

Spencer Sterling took a sip of his tea and said flatly, “Even without your uncle, I wouldn’t allow you to have a family member’s blood on your hands.”

Spencer valued family. He might be partial to his youngest son, but punishment was one thing. He would not permit a fatal blow.

Nina Norton promptly reached over and pinched him. What was he saying? Their youngest son was already vexed enough.

“I’m leaving. Going to Morelia.” Ian Sterling stood up to leave, but was pulled back by Zoe Sterling, who said unhappily, “We all came back. Aren’t you going to have a meal with us?”

“Go eat with Nigel Abbott. I’m in a hurry.” Ian Sterling tried to shake her hand off, but Selene Sterling simply grabbed him too.

Zoe Sterling snorted. “No. Sit down and behave. After dinner tonight, you can go wherever you want.”

Ian Sterling looked at Nina Norton and whined, “Mooom, look at them.”

For the first time, Nina Norton didn’t side with her youngest son, echoing her daughters’ words, “Sit down. After you eat, you can go wherever you want. I went to Fashion Week a couple of days ago and picked out several outfits for Lynn Winslow. If you’re going, take them with you. If you don’t have a ticket, use your dad’s private jet.”

“Fine.” Ian Sterling had no choice but to sit down, saying helplessly, “Then have someone file the flight plan in advance.”

Nina Norton nodded, drawing out the word in the same way. “Fiiine.”

But Ian Sterling was still worried. He found a chance to call Lynn Winslow, but he had completely forgotten about the time difference between the two countries.