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Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Like Family

Lynn Winslow had been standing a short distance away, enjoying the show. She’d been certain she wasn’t the main character today. ’Who would have thought Ian Sterling would so easily steal the spotlight and become the male lead, while I’m turned into the damsel in distress who needs him just to have a voice?’

’That’s not my persona at all.’ Lynn Winslow placed her hand in Ian Sterling’s palm and opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her.

He continued, "So what about the Powell family? I’ll beat you when you deserve it, and I don’t care if the Sterlings are watching."

He curled his lip into a smirk. "Don’t believe me? Give it a try."

"..." Mia Rhodes bit her lip hard. She first looked toward Mr. Powell, only to find he had long since turned his face away. Then she looked at Ethan Powell. He, on the other hand, had been watching the whole time. When he saw Mia’s gaze fall on him, he looked back, slightly puzzled.

"Cousin, are you just going to stand there and watch Mr. Sterling treat us like this in the Powell family’s home?"

Ethan Powell let out a little "ah" and shrugged apologetically. "There’s nothing I can do. Your cousin-in-law said I could enjoy the show, but I’m not allowed to interfere. If I do, she’ll call off our engagement."

He looked at Mia Rhodes seriously. "You know your cousin-in-law’s temper. You wouldn’t want your cousin to lose his wife over you, would you?"

"..." Mia Rhodes gritted her teeth. She glanced down at Sienna Powell, who was pale from the pain as she clutched her hand. Deciding to let it go for now, Mia helped her out of the Powell family home.

Mr. Powell sighed, swallowing the unventable anger in his heart as he went upstairs.

Ethan Powell propped his chin on his hand and glanced at Ian Sterling. He stretched lazily and said slowly, "You two are really something."

Lynn Winslow blinked. Ian Sterling let out a cold snort, took Lynn’s hand, and walked right out of the Powell residence.

"You’re so fierce," Lynn Winslow said, gazing at Ian Sterling with a smile.

Ian Sterling said coldly, "It’s one thing to enjoy the show, but you just let her insult you."

"What’s there to be angry about?"

Lynn Winslow raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun and prompted, "Let’s go home."

Once in the car, Lynn Winslow propped her cheek on her hand and sighed, "I feel so lazy."

"...???" Ian Sterling glanced at her, stunned. He opened his mouth and said in shock, "You don’t mean..."

Lynn Winslow rolled her eyes at him. "Don’t get any funny ideas. It’s impossible."

Ian Sterling pressed his lips together, clearly unhappy now. "Why is it impossible? Even if we always use protection, accidents can happen, you know."

"Get away from me." Lynn Winslow pushed him lightly with her fingers and said through gritted teeth, "Don’t jinx it."

Ian Sterling grunted as if he had a toothache. Lynn Winslow pouted and decided to ignore him.

「 」

After returning to Quartos, Zane Lancaster gave Lynn Winslow a call.

At that moment, Lynn Winslow was being held down and mercilessly tickled by Ian Sterling. When her phone rang, she pushed him away to answer it, her voice still laced with laughter.

"You’re back?"

Zane Lancaster paused for a moment after hearing her voice, then continued, "Yeah. Let’s get dinner tonight."

"Sure! What do you want to eat? We can book a place and send you the address."

Lynn Winslow gave Ian Sterling, who was leaning in close again, a little push. Her eyes crinkled with a smile.

But Zane Lancaster said, "I’ve already booked it. Just the two of us. You’re not allowed to bring Ian Sterling."

Lynn Winslow froze for a second. In front of her, Ian Sterling’s expression darkened the instant he heard Zane Lancaster’s words. He was about to snatch the phone when Zane continued, "I have something to tell you. It’s about something only I know."

"Okay, then send me the address."

After she hung up, Ian Sterling’s face was blacker than ink. Lynn Winslow wrapped her arms around him, coaxing him softly, "Don’t be angry. He must have something important to tell me, probably about my family. I promise I’ll come straight home after we eat, okay?"

Ian Sterling looked down at her, his thin lips pressed into a straight line. He didn’t say whether he agreed or not.

Lynn Winslow knew that his silence was a measure of his unhappiness. She could only say softly, "Baby, he and I grew up together. He’s like family to me. I can’t just push him away because you’re unhappy."

Ian Sterling understood, but he still felt a knot of unease in his chest.

Lynn Winslow kissed the corner of his mouth and continued to coax him. "Don’t worry. I’ll be back as soon as I finish eating, okay?"

Ian Sterling could only manage a grunt of assent. Just as Lynn Winslow was about to head out, he received a call from his older brother.

"Come home for dinner tonight."

"Not going," Ian Sterling refused flatly.

"You have to. Second Uncle is back. If you don’t come home, Dad is seriously going to send you to that devil’s training." Elias Sterling went straight for Ian Sterling’s weak spot. Lynn Winslow, listening from the side, saw that his expression had indeed changed.

Lynn Winslow tugged on the corner of his shirt and whispered, "You can drop me off, and then go home to have dinner with your family."

Ian Sterling glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Lynn Winslow continued, "You can’t keep avoiding going home all the time. If this goes on for too long, your family will start to have a problem with me."

Ian Sterling had no choice but to agree with Elias Sterling. After hanging up, he looked at Lynn Winslow and asked, "Why would you say that?"

"You’re with me every day, you only show up at the office once in a while, and you barely ever go home. After a while, they’re bound to have a problem with me." Lynn Winslow held up her phone, struck a pose for a photo, glanced at it casually, then deleted it and took another.

’She wasn’t someone who cared what other people thought, but she cared about Ian Sterling.’

Ian Sterling pressed his lips together and hummed in acknowledgment, then continued driving. Lynn Winslow turned her camera toward him and snapped a picture of him driving. She clicked her tongue twice and sighed admiringly, "Baby, how did you get to be so handsome?"

The corners of Ian Sterling’s lips curled up. All his earlier displeasure vanished with that one sentence from Lynn Winslow.

His reaction wasn’t obvious at that moment. It was only after Lynn Winslow got out of the car that he took out his phone and studied his reflection intently. He suddenly felt that he really ought to thank his mother.

’Otherwise, being as heartless as Lynn Winslow was, she never would have looked twice at him in the beginning if not for this face.’

Ian Sterling started the car, turned it around, and drove toward the mall. He went straight to the shop he had visited with Nina Norton last time and, following his own taste, picked out quite a few bags and pieces of jewelry for her.

By the time he got home, nearly everyone in the family had already arrived. Seeing him walk in with his hands full of shopping bags, Nina Norton asked quizzically, "What’s all this?"

"They’re for you." Ian Sterling placed them directly on the living room table. Nina Norton, frowning in confusion, opened one to take a look. "Did you have a sudden epiphany?" she asked in surprise. "You finally know how to show your mother some respect?"

"Mhm." Ian Sterling didn’t voice his real thoughts, simply going along with what Nina Norton said.

Spencer Sterling happened to be walking by. After a casual glance, he gave his youngest son a meaningful look.

"What is it?" Ian Sterling thought his father’s gaze was a little strange.

Spencer Sterling said, "Are you that scared of me sending you to your second uncle’s place that you bought all this to butter up your mother?"

Ian Sterling frowned, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He enunciated each word clearly, "It is not!"

"You sure?"

"I’m sure!"

Seeing Spencer Sterling teasing their son, Nina Norton reached out and smacked him on the back. "My son bought these for me," she said, displeased. "Mind your own business."

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