Outside, Butler Tate had already instructed the driver to prepare the car.
Stella Sterling, who had been feeling unwelcome, finally found a sliver of comfort.
After she left, Sharon Yates returned from the entryway.
The moment she sat down, she started sighing.
Mr. Sterling dropped the pretense. He set down the Tea Bowl and asked in a low voice, "Has our second girl left?"
"She's left." Sharon Yates crossed her arms and huffed. "I've never seen a father like you. You missed your daughter terribly, but when she's finally back, you pretend not to see her. What's the point?!"
Mrs. Sterling's complaint wasn't without reason.
After all, Stella Sterling's return home was the result of Jewell and Mr. Sterling scheming together.
Just then, Steven Sterling picked up his half-smoked cigar, lit it, and took a deep drag. "My dear, do you really not understand my intentions?"
Sharon Yates's lips twitched. After a moment, she changed the subject. "I don't care what your intentions are. A year from now, if she doesn't earn fifty million, you can't force her to do anything she doesn't want to—in, including an arranged marriage."
Her parents were heartbroken, but they never let it show.
In the two years since Sylvia Sterling left, they had actually come to regret it.
But their pride as parents kept them from humbling themselves to make amends.
This ultimately led to the current stalemate.
And the key to breaking this deadlock might just lie in the bet between Mr. Sterling and Stella Sterling.
Upon hearing this, Steven Sterling gazed out the window with a profound look. "My dear, forget fifty million. Even if our second girl only makes fifty thousand, I'll be more than pleasantly surprised."
'Their second daughter has been coddled since she was a child. If we don't push her, we'll never know her true potential.'
At eleven o'clock that night, the driver dropped Stella Sterling off at her apartment in Starsea City.
Before leaving, he handed her a key. "Second Miss, Butler Tate instructed me to leave the car for you."
Stella Sterling's eyes lit up as she looked at the Volkswagen Phaeton, which appeared ordinary but was actually an example of understated luxury. "Did my parents tell you to?"
The driver scratched his head and gave an awkward smile. "Butler Tate said the family recently bought a batch of new cars, and there's not enough space in the garage, so..."
Stella Sterling snatched the key. "Thanks. Good night."
'I shouldn't have even asked.'
But something was better than nothing.
Even if she scorned this Phaeton for being so understated it seemed to have no substance at all.
...
The next day, Stella Sterling woke up early.
With time to spare, she gave Ian Jarvis a call.
The rich heir clearly hadn't had enough sleep. His voice was thick and groggy. "Cousin, what's up?"
Stella Sterling got straight to the point. "That tea set you want to get your hands on is in Highgate, Port Vesper, at the Rhodes Family's private museum."
A long silence came from the other end of the line.
A few seconds later, the rich heir's wail echoed in her ear.
Stella Sterling moved the phone a few inches away from her ear, waiting for him to calm down.
Then, Stella Sterling heard Ian Jarvis's utterly shameless suggestion: "Cousin, didn't you meet Roman Rhodes on the cruise? Can't you ask him for help?"
Stella Sterling: "I've seen him, but I don't know him."
Ian Jarvis: "That's how you get to know people!"
Stella Sterling: "?"
"Cousin, you're so gorgeous, Roman Rhodes must have been impressed by you. Just help me out and ask him, will you?"
"Cousin~~~"
Already wavering, Stella Sterling lost herself amidst his praise.
'It's not like I can't help him with this.'
'If I succeed, I might kill two birds with one stone.'
Before hanging up, Stella Sterling gave Ian Jarvis a heads-up. "I'll give it a try, but no guarantees."
"My cousin on the case is worth two of anyone else! I'll be waiting for you."
Staring at her dimming phone screen, Stella Sterling thought to herself, 'Considering how often Roman Rhodes and I have been bumping into each other lately, it should be easy enough to ask him about it the next time we meet.'
'Anyway, it's just like Ian Jarvis said. First time strangers, second time acquaintances, third time friends.'
Stella Sterling quickly devised a plan. After washing up, she drove to the office.
Little did Stella Sterling know at that moment, she was busy predicting her next encounter with Roman Rhodes...
...but two days passed in the blink of an eye, and like parallel lines, they never crossed paths again.
It was already Friday. As evening approached, Stella Sterling sat at her computer, staring grim-faced at the news.
The headline on the webpage read:
——Rhodes Harbor Group and Confluence Group Signing Ceremony Held Today in The Spire.
'Roman Rhodes is back in Port Vesper?!'
Stella Sterling thought for a long time before coming up with an indirect approach.
She opened her bag and rummaged around, finally finding a crumpled business card in the corner—Brandon Coleman's.
'Good thing I didn't throw it away.'
Stella Sterling tapped her chin, opened WeChat, and tried searching for Brandon Coleman's WeChat ID.
—User not found.
Undeterred, Stella Sterling then opened WhatsApp, only to find its use was restricted in the mainland.
"..."
Murphy's Law, as expected, never fails to make an appearance.
Stella Sterling sat at her desk, stunned for a long moment.
But this rebellious girl had always enjoyed a challenge.
When it was time to clock out, Stella Sterling was the first one out of the office.
Once in her car, she composed herself, carefully considered her words, then picked up her phone and dialed Brandon Coleman's number.
After half a minute, the call went unanswered and disconnected automatically.
Stella Sterling closed her eyes and tossed her phone onto the center console. "..."
「Half an hour later, at The Gilded Orchid.」
Stella Sterling was sitting in Claire Shawcross's office, where she had just downed two cocktails.
Claire Shawcross furrowed her brow. "Heartbroken again?"
Stella Sterling clicked her tongue. "Who would I even be in love with?"
"Then why are you drinking so fast? You look like you're drowning your sorrows after a breakup."
Stella Sterling froze. 'Right now,' she thought, 'I feel a hundred times more awkward than if I were actually heartbroken.'
They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.
But she and Roman Rhodes hadn't even known each other for a full seven days, yet their multiple chance encounters had subconsciously created a pattern in her mind.
Now that she needed to find him, he was suddenly nowhere to be seen. An antsy feeling grew inside her, as if something were missing.
Unable to figure out what was on Stella Sterling's mind, Claire Shawcross had a couple of drinks with her and asked about the potential match the website's Matchmaker had introduced.
Stella Sterling, preoccupied with her thoughts, didn't want to talk about it. Just as she was about to brush off the question, her phone—which had been as silent as a decoration—finally rang.
The caller was Brandon Coleman.
Stella Sterling cleared her throat and, upon answering, proactively introduced herself.
Brandon Coleman sounded as if he'd just realized something. "Miss Sterling, have you run into some trouble?"
"No, I just wanted to ask, has Ro—have you returned to Port Vesper?"
Brandon Coleman vaguely heard a familiar syllable. His mind worked quickly, and he replied, "Yes, I returned with Mr. Rhodes yesterday."
The slight gloom hanging over Stella Sterling lifted a little.
'Talking to smart people is just so efficient.'
'So Roman Rhodes came back to Port Vesper yesterday.'
Stella Sterling thought for a moment. There was no point in being coy; she might as well be direct.
So, she stated frankly, "I have something I'd like to ask Mr. Rhodes. Would it be convenient for you to give me his phone number?"
Brandon Coleman apologized and said that it wasn't convenient.
Before Stella Sterling could react, he added, "However, Mr. Rhodes has a forty-minute opening tomorrow from ten to ten-forty in the morning."
Stella Sterling mused for a moment, then said, "In that case, could I trouble you to reserve that time for me, Coleman? I'll visit Mr. Rhodes tomorrow morning."