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Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Indulge Me Tonight, Okay?

"Why are you going back? It’s only been a few days."

Sylvia Sterling’s face was cold as he reprimanded him. "Finn, I’m not your parents. I won’t indulge you."

Ian Sterling’s brow was furrowed, his expression even colder than Sylvia Sterling’s. "I have to go back, Uncle. I’ll be back tomorrow morning."

Sylvia Sterling’s expression was grave as he stared intently at Ian Sterling.

Ian Sterling didn’t flinch, meeting his uncle’s gaze head-on.

"You have to give me a reason."

"It’s an urgent matter."

"What urgent matter?"

"..." Ian Sterling remained silent, his lips pressed into a thin line. Sylvia Sterling understood. He let out a deep sigh. "Be back early tomorrow."

Ian Sterling nodded, then turned and strode quickly away.

The other three men were standing by the door. They watched, puzzled, as he walked past without even glancing up. When they looked into the office, ready to ask what was going on, Sylvia Sterling’s voice barked from within, "What are you doing, standing guard out there?"

The three of them scrambled off, terrified Sylvia Sterling would assign them extra training.

—

Ian Sterling got in the car, pressing his lips together to slow his racing heart. He glanced down at his phone; still no message from Lynn Winslow.

He trusted Lynn, but he hadn’t seen her in so long. He was already in a fragile state, and he couldn’t stop thinking, ’Will Lynn abandon me again?’ The thought naturally made him panic even more.

The black supercar sped down the road. Just as he pulled up and parked at Nys, his phone pinged.

Ian Sterling picked up his phone and glanced at the screen. It was a message from Lynn.

"Baby, I’m with Jasper Jennings."

Ian Sterling leaned back against the seat, sitting in silence for a long while. Finally, he got out of the car in one decisive motion and strode into Nys.

The staff at the bar all recognized him and assumed he was looking for Jasper Jennings.

"Finn, Mr. Jennings and the others are in his private room."

Ian Sterling looked around and said coldly, "I’m not looking for them. Where is Chloe Clayton’s booth?"

The waiter paused, stunned for a moment, before leading him toward Chloe Clayton’s booth.

Ian Sterling stood quietly at a distance, watching Lynn as she leaned back on the sofa by herself, engrossed in her phone. He didn’t approach, instead pulling out his own phone to send her a message.

"Having fun?"

Lynn pouted and replied: "Not fun. You’re not here."

Ian Sterling’s gaze dropped to the message. Then he started walking toward the booth.

Lynn was so focused on her phone that she didn’t look up. It was Chloe Clayton who spotted him first. She reached out and tugged on Lynn’s wrist, prompting her to look up.

Lynn looked up in confusion. The sight of Ian Sterling, still in his training uniform, made her freeze completely.

She rose slowly to her feet, staring at him in disbelief. "Why are you back all of a sudden?" she murmured.

The bar was too noisy for Ian Sterling to hear her words clearly, but he could guess what she’d said from reading her lips and seeing her reaction.

He lunged forward, grabbed Lynn’s hand, and started pulling her toward the exit. Lynn didn’t have time to react; by the time she registered what was happening, she was already following him in a confused daze.

It was much quieter outside the bar, but plenty of people were still coming and going. Not wanting to argue with her in public, Ian Sterling pulled her into his car.

"What’s wrong?" Lynn finally had a chance to ask.

Ian shot her a sideways glance. "Those guys back there... who invited them?"

Lynn was taken aback. "How did you know about that?" she blurted out.

"Answer my question first."

Lynn leaned closer, studying his face carefully. "You’ve lost more weight," she said, her voice full of heartache. "And you’ve gotten so tan."

"Answer me. Who were those men?" Ian’s brow furrowed deeply as he snaked an arm around Lynn’s waist and pulled her flush against him. His voice was forceful, demanding an answer.

Lynn wrapped her arms around him and explained, "Chloe invited them. I sent them away immediately." She blinked, her confusion returning. "How did you know?"

Ian let out a sigh of relief, burying his face in the crook of Lynn’s shoulder. "Jasper Jennings sent me a picture," he mumbled.

Lynn was annoyed. "How could he do that? He knows you get jealous so easily, yet he still sends you a picture like that."

"He did it on purpose," Ian replied, having already figured it out. "He’s still mad about what I said in front of his mother last time."

"Then it’s your own fault," Lynn huffed softly. Unbothered by the sweat from his day of training, she leaned in and kissed the spot behind his ear.

Her small gesture set a fire inside him. He released her, started the car, and sped to Calyx Hall.

He pulled Lynn into the elevator, his steps rushed, and immediately lowered his head to kiss her with a desperate urgency.

Lynn finally managed to push him away. "Shower first," she mumbled, feigning disgust.

Ian paid her no mind, clinging to her relentlessly all the way up to the second floor. He only stopped when Lynn’s whispered, threatening warning finally reached his ears. Defeated, he strode quickly toward the bathroom.

Lynn leaned against the wall, catching her breath, before heading to a different bathroom.

Like Ian, she was flustered from their kiss. She deliberately turned the water to cool, hoping to quell the heat rising within her.

When she emerged from the bathroom, Ian was already waiting. The instant he saw her, he swept her up into his arms and carried her back to the bedroom.

He began kissing her eagerly, and Lynn yielded to him. "Did you tell your uncle you were leaving like this?" she asked softly.

"I did. He approved it," Ian said, nibbling at her skin. "I have to be back tomorrow morning."

His gaze was deep, locking onto hers. "So... will you just let me have my way tonight?" he asked, his voice low.

Lynn’s lips curved into a smile. She gazed at him tenderly and nodded.

’She missed him too, every bit as much as he missed her.’

By the time they finished, the sky was already beginning to brighten. Lynn glanced at the uncurtained floor-to-ceiling windows and stammered, "Don’t you... have to go back now?"

Ian stiffened for a moment before letting out a muffled grunt. He pressed himself closer into her embrace and exhaled deeply. "You get some rest. I’m going now."

Lynn threaded her fingers into his hair, ruffling it gently. "I’ll be waiting for you," she comforted him.

"Okay."

Just as Ian was about to get up, Lynn suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck. "You have to have a little more faith in me," she said softly. "You can’t always assume I’m going to leave, or worry that I’ll find someone else."

"I know," Ian looked at her, his voice low. "I just miss you so much."

"I know that too."

Lynn tilted her chin up, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Go on. I’ll be here when you get back."

Ian changed his clothes, then stood by the bed, his gaze lingering on her. After a long moment, he abruptly turned and strode out of the room. Only then did Lynn sit up, clutching the comforter to her chest. She watched his retreating back, biting her lip to hold back the ache that was welling up inside her.

She fell back onto the bed, limp, and stared blankly at the ceiling. She blinked, her eyes burning, the corners already tinged with red.

’It’s so strange,’ she thought. ’We’re not even that far apart. We can video chat every day, and he’ll be back for good soon enough. But I just can’t stand to see him go.’

’It was a sadness she couldn’t quite comprehend.’

Lynn pulled out her phone and sent Ian a message.

"Be safe. Train hard. And do your best to convince your uncle to let you come back early."

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