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Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Does It Have to Be Her?

Ian Sterling took the umbrella Mrs. Sterling handed him and walked leisurely into the curtain of rain.

The rain was letting up. Lynn Winslow, wrapped in a shawl, stood on the balcony and watched his car drive away before getting back into bed.

Mrs. Sterling had already brought people in to tidy up the bedroom. For Lynn Winslow, catching up on sleep on a gloomy, rainy day was a wonderful thing.

Selene Sterling had woken up just as Ian Sterling was leaving. Seeing her younger brother rush out in such a panic that he didn’t even notice her sitting in the living room, she gave a huge roll of her eyes.

The rain outside was too heavy, so she had her driver pick her up from the underground parking garage. By the time she arrived at Aerie Garden, Nina Norton, who had only gone to bed in the small hours of the morning, was still asleep.

Spencer Sterling, however, was sitting in the living room, leisurely drinking tea and watching the news. Seeing his youngest daughter return, he smiled and asked, "Heard you were furious last night. Didn’t you get your revenge?"

Selene Sterling sat down next to her dad, exasperated. "Revenge? Your youngest son is about to marry into the Winslow family!"

"Oh? That’s fine. We have four of you anyway. One more or one less of him makes no difference." Spencer Sterling held his teacup and shrugged nonchalantly.

Selene Sterling shot her dad a helpless look. "Dad, would you dare say that in front of Mom?"

Spencer Sterling let out a stifled laugh. He really wouldn’t dare.

With Nina Norton still asleep, the father and daughter had nothing better to do than watch the news and drink tea.

By the time Nina Norton woke up, the father-daughter duo had already finished their lunch.

Nina Norton hugged her youngest daughter, saying happily, "Oh, my darling, you’ve gotten even more beautiful."

Selene Sterling was happy to see her mother too. She hugged her back and said softly, "Mom, you’re even more beautiful than I am."

"Of course I am. Who told you to inherit your father’s looks instead of mine?" Nina Norton glanced at the unfazed Spencer Sterling and huffed lightly.

Selene Sterling was long accustomed to her mother’s vanity. Hearing this, she chuckled, let go of Nina, and sat down with her on the sofa.

Nina Norton rubbed the skin under her eyes, complaining, "It’s all that rascal Finn’s fault. I worry about him so much every day I’m getting fine lines."

Spencer Sterling interjected with a deadpan expression, "Then hit him."

Nina Norton pinched his lower back, only letting go after Spencer Sterling grimaced in pain.

Rubbing his sore back, Spencer Sterling grumbled, "You’re the one who said Finn made you angry. I told you to hit him, so why are you pinching me?" He looked at Selene, who was enjoying the show. "Look at your mother! She’s committing domestic violence against me every day!"

Selene Sterling pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. "Well, who told you to suggest Mom hit Finn? You know very well that Finn is the apple of her eye."

Spencer Sterling snorted coldly and simply got up and went to the study.

Watching her father’s resentful back as he left, Selene Sterling said to Nina Norton, "Mom, you shouldn’t always be bullying Dad."

Nina Norton was giving herself a facial lift. Hearing that, she huffed. "Your dad can never stand Finn."

"Well, do you know what the apple of your eye is up to?"

Nina Norton turned to look at the torrential downpour outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, puzzled. "What is he up to?"

"He went out in this downpour to find Lynn Winslow," Selene Sterling said flatly. "He said he only wants Lynn, and he’s even willing to marry into the Winslow family."

"What did you say?!" Nina Norton shot to her feet, staring at Selene Sterling in disbelief.

Selene Sterling nodded, confirming she wasn’t mistaken.

"Has he lost his mind?"

"Maybe. Mom, you and Dad really need to think about how you raised Finn."

Nina Norton gritted her teeth. "Ask your second brother! He was the one who raised Finn when he was little."

She picked up her phone and sent Ian Sterling a threatening message, demanding that he return to Aerie Garden before dinner tonight.

When Ian Sterling arrived at the Sterling residence, it was just before the deadline Nina Norton had set.

The butler met him at his car with an umbrella, handing it over and whispering, "Finn, the madam seems quite angry."

"I know." Ian Sterling nodded, opened the umbrella, and walked slowly toward the villa.

Nina Norton was sitting primly on the sofa. Seeing him saunter in, she narrowed her eyes. "So, I hear you’re planning to marry into the Winslow family."

Her tone was dripping with sarcasm. Ian Sterling frowned and glanced at Selene Sterling, who was sitting to the side with an indifferent expression.

Selene Sterling met his gaze and said coolly, "So you’re allowed to say it, but I’m not allowed to tattle?"

Ian Sterling dismissively averted his gaze, sat down on the sofa, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a sip. "Mom," he said calmly, "if you have more to say, please say it quickly. I have to leave soon."

Nina Norton hissed, strode over to Ian Sterling, and grabbed the tip of his ear. "Aren’t you going too far? I raised you all these years, and it’s bad enough you’re acting like a simp, but now you want to marry into her family?"

Seeing that Nina’s focus was drifting, Selene Sterling called out softly, "Mom, you’re getting off topic."

Nina Norton paused for a moment, then said, "Right. Tell your mother, why does it have to be Lynn Winslow?"

"Why can’t it have to be Lynn Winslow?" Ian Sterling removed Nina’s hand and retorted, "You tell me why."

"Why do you think?" Nina’s eyes reddened with heartache as she recalled the sight of her son in a hospital bed three years ago. "She dumped you three years ago, and you spent a week in the hospital. Have you forgotten what state you were in? What did you tell me back then? You said you were in agony, that you couldn’t move on, that you hated her. Now she’s back, and before she’s even done anything, you’re crawling back, insisting it has to be her. You tell me why it has to be her!" Her voice choked with a sob. "If you won’t take pity on yourself, can’t you at least take pity on me? If you go through that again, do you think I, your mother, can bear it?"

Ian Sterling lowered his gaze, his tone flat and unreadable. "Mom, it wasn’t her fault back then."

He looked up at Nina, who was lost in her grief, and took her hand. "I can’t tell you the reason," he said softly. "I can only tell you that it wasn’t her fault."

"Does it have to be her?" Nina asked, her voice trembling. "Must it be her?"

Ian Sterling hummed in affirmation. Nina pulled her hand away and said weakly, "Fine. If you’re not afraid of going through that kind of pain again, then Mom won’t stop you."

"Thank you, Mom. Don’t worry."

He didn’t stay for dinner. As soon as his conversation with Nina was over, he hurried away. Nina stood at the window, watching him stride to his car, unable to stop the tears from welling in her eyes.

Selene Sterling stood behind her and said helplessly, "You shouldn’t have agreed."

"What good would disagreeing do? Argue with him endlessly over Lynn Winslow?" Nina Norton shook her head. "Forget it. You know how down he’s been for the past three years. If he thinks this will make him happy, then let him be with her."

Selene Sterling thought back on the past three years. They were all so busy that they could only get together during major holidays. At those times, all the other siblings would be fooling around, but Ian Sterling was always listless.

"Okay." Selene Sterling nodded. "I just hope Lynn Winslow is worthy of him."

Ian Sterling didn’t know what his mother and sister talked about after he left. He drove back to Calyx Hall, packed a few changes of clothes, and took them with him to Amberly Bay.

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