Chapter 175: It’s Me and Cece Who Should Be Wronged
The mother and son were alone in the living room.
June Coleman couldn’t quite hide her emotions. The color drained from her face as she gripped her teacup tightly. In a low voice only they could hear, she said, "Kian, Nia is practically your half-sister. You were able to care for someone you’re not even related to for over ten years; can’t you spare just a little of that affection for Nia? At the end of the day, she’s the one who shares a true blood tie with you..."
"Ms. Coleman." Kian Sterling didn’t even bother calling her Mother. His voice was calm, but his words cut to the bone. "So what if we’re not blood-related? If you hadn’t taken matters into your own hands back then, the person you claim I have no blood tie with would be far closer to me than just a sister. What right do you have to feel aggrieved? If anyone should feel wronged, shouldn’t it be Cece and I?"
’We should have had the closest relationship in the world—inseparable, destined to grow old together.’
’Instead of this, where I could lose even my title as her brother at any moment.’
Kian Sterling lowered his eyes, suppressing the flash of hostility that flared within him.
Realizing her slip of the tongue, June Coleman opened her mouth to protest, "That’s not what I meant. Of course I care about Cece, too. I just... I hope you can give a tiny bit of your attention to Nia. You know she adores you, her big brother..."
"That second stepson of yours? I had his legs broken." Kian Sterling’s expression was frosty, his tone mocking. "You’ve been with the Shepherd family for over a decade, Mother. Are you telling me you don’t know what a degenerate that stepson of yours is? You left Natalie Shepherd at home while you and your husband jetted off on a romantic trip abroad. I at least paved the way for her return to the Shepherd family. What have you ever done? Just stand on your moral high ground and try to guilt-trip me?"
He enunciated every word, scoffing softly. "Ms. Coleman, you don’t deserve to be a mother to the three of us."
With that, he rose to his feet, ignoring the ashen expression on June Coleman’s face.
A butler approached from a distance, carrying refreshments.
"There’s no need for refreshments. Arrange for someone to take Ms. Coleman back to the Shepherd residence," Kian Sterling said before heading upstairs without a backward glance.
He never once glanced at the souvenirs and delicate pastries June Coleman had brought, which sat on the table.
The autumn air had grown colder in a heartbeat. In the sprawling, multi-hundred-square-meter dressing room at Jade Orchid Manor, a vast new collection of autumn and winter clothes had arrived for Celia Sterling. On Silas Norwood’s orders, all her summer dresses had been put away.
Thanks to several days of nourishing, warm drinks for her period, Celia Sterling’s complexion had recovered splendidly.
Silas Norwood might have talked a big game about seeking thrills, but the memory of Celia Sterling’s miserable state during her period made him soften. He couldn’t bring himself to be rough with her, taking a gentle approach for days on end, which left Celia utterly delighted.
With the wedding date drawing near, Silas Norwood was forced to get busy. As the chairman of the Norwood Group, his wedding was bound to be a highly anticipated event with countless details to manage. The Sterling Group was just as busy; Kian Sterling’s treasured sister was getting married, and the company’s executives were sparing no effort in their preparations.
Amid the flurry of preparations, time flew by.
One afternoon, Kian Sterling, Silas Norwood, and Celia Sterling were discussing the VIP guest list when Evan Rhodes rushed in.
"Boss," he said, his voice heavy. "Kenneth Sutton, the chairman of the Port Sovereign Sutton Group, has passed away."
Both Kian Sterling and Silas Norwood paused.
Celia Sterling, holding an insulated mug, leisurely blew across its rim. She took a small sip and hummed in mild surprise. "Which Kenneth Sutton? Professor Lowell’s scumbag ex-husband?"
Evan Rhodes gave her an unreadable look. "That’s the one."
"Oh," Celia Sterling replied, clearly uninterested, and asked no further questions.
Kian Sterling discreetly withdrew his gaze from his sister and instructed Evan Rhodes, "Keep an eye on the situation. See who takes over the Sutton family."
Celia Sterling scoffed. "Whoever takes over, none of them are any good."
Silas Norwood quietly popped a small pastry into Celia Sterling’s mouth to silence her.
"Sutton the Second is the most likely to take over," he commented casually to Kian Sterling. "Sutton the Second isn’t very bright, but Mrs. Sutton has spent years cultivating her connections. Kenneth Sutton also favored him the most, so he probably left some arrangements in place for him."
It made no difference to Kian Sterling. He didn’t care who came out on top, as long as their mess didn’t spill over into Metropia.
The death of the Sutton family patriarch certainly made waves in Port Sovereign. Wyatt Sutton and Brian Sutton dropped their facade of brotherly affection and spent the better part of a month fighting for control. In the end, with the full support of several major board directors, Second Young Master Sutton secured the top position by agreeing to a shameless sell-out deal. The price, however, was his own authority. While on the surface, Kenneth Sutton’s lineage remained in charge, the real power had fallen into the hands of the family’s uncles.
Wyatt Sutton, thoroughly defeated, was given a token vice president position. He began to slowly pull his influence out of the group, silently and deliberately fading into the background.
Inside a private room at a revolving restaurant in Portellis, Wyatt Sutton poured his girlfriend, the lawyer Anly, a glass of red wine. His tone was casual. "My good bottles are still in the wine cellar at the Sutton Residence, and I can’t exactly go back for them now. This Lafite will have to do. Sorry to make you settle, Anly."
Anly looked at his haggard expression, and her own face fell. "H-how could you lose? You clearly had more support than the Second Young Master."
"It couldn’t be helped," Wyatt Sutton sighed. "I was missing an opportunity. One crucial opening to bring Sutton the Second down for good."
Anly’s voice was hesitant and weak. "Is... is it because I failed? Because I couldn’t get what you needed."
"Anly, I’ve never blamed you," Wyatt Sutton said apologetically, gently taking her hand. "Lawyer Hollis is extremely strict with his staff. It was already a huge risk for you to jeopardize your career to help me. I’m just sorry that I broke my promise to make you the wife of the Sutton Group’s chairman."
Anly lowered her head, taking gulp after gulp of wine. She looked like she wanted to say something several times, but held her tongue.
Seeing her hesitation, a glint appeared in Wyatt Sutton’s eyes. He remarked nonchalantly, "Sutton the Second’s position is unstable; he’s practically a puppet now. If I could find the right opening to strike back, it wouldn’t be impossible. It’s just that an opening like that..."
Anly took a deep breath. "I did find *something*."
Wyatt Sutton held his breath, listening intently.
"A few days ago, while I was copying documents for Lawyer Hollis, I happened to see a Sutton Family share-transfer document in his safe. The signature for Party A was Kian Sterling’s, and the signature for Party B was someone named Celia Sterling."
Whether it was truly "happened to" or intentional, they both knew the truth.
Anly swallowed hard. "I... I didn’t know if it would be useful to you, so... so I didn’t tell you right away..."
"Useful or not, I have to thank you, Anly," Wyatt Sutton said, grabbing her hand as if deeply moved. "When I make my comeback, the very first thing I’ll do is give you a magnificent wedding and make you my wife."
They finished the meal, each lost in their own thoughts.
Wyatt Sutton drove Anly back to her rented apartment himself.
"You’re not staying over tonight?" Anly asked, her invitation blatant.
"Not tonight. I have things to do," Wyatt Sutton said softly. "I’m busy paving the way for the future Mrs. Chairman."
Anly blushed. "I’ll head up, then."
A few minutes later, the light in her apartment flicked on, illuminating the icy expression on Wyatt Sutton’s face as he stood by the road.
"First Young Master." An assistant emerged from the shadows beside him.
Wyatt Sutton gave a quiet order. "Have someone keep an eye on Anly. Report anything unusual to me. And if necessary... silence her permanently."
The assistant, accustomed to such orders, simply replied, "Understood."
"And investigate someone else," Wyatt Sutton added, his expression twisting into a strange smile, his voice dangerously playful. "Kian Sterling’s sister, Celia Sterling. I want all the information you can dig up on her. And I want it fast."