Chapter 165: Still Have the Nerve to Cry

Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Still Have the Nerve to Cry

"Being casual with each other is more comfortable than forcing closeness."

Lynn Winslow lowered her gaze and nodded.

They didn’t stay in Morelia for long. As the weather grew colder, they returned to Veridia.

The plane flew steadily on its course to Veridia. Lynn Winslow asked Elder Winslow, who was sitting across from her, where he wanted to stay. Mr. Powell chimed in, "Why don’t you stay with the Powell family for a few days first?"

Although the two men didn’t always see eye to eye, they were still quite close.

Elder Winslow agreed to go, so Lynn didn’t object. Just as she was about to say she would also stay at the Powell residence, Ian Sterling cut her off.

"Then Lynn and I will visit you often."

Lynn Winslow frowned and looked at Ian Sterling. He just smiled at her as she dragged him into a private room further in.

"What do you mean, ’visit them often’? Of course I’m going to stay with my grandfather. I can’t just leave him with my maternal grandfather."

Ian Sterling pursed his lips. "The Powell family has plenty of rooms, but it’ll still be inconvenient. You’d be better off staying with me at Calyx Hall. It’s close to the Powell residence too."

Lynn Winslow shook her head, so Ian Sterling had no choice but to say, "Fine, if you insist on staying there, I’ll go with you."

"..." Lynn Winslow felt helpless. "Don’t be so clingy. It’s really not appropriate for you to stay there with me."

Ian Sterling didn’t think it was inappropriate. He never really cared about such things.

Lynn Winslow raised a hand to push away his face, which was getting closer and closer, and said sternly, "You might not care, and I might not care, but my grandfather will."

"You can’t just forbid me from seeing you, then," Ian Sterling said, his tone accusatory and deeply aggrieved.

Lynn’s heart softened for a moment, but she still mercilessly rejected his request to stay with her at the Powell residence.

The two of them returned to the two elders. Lynn Winslow announced with a bright smile, "I’ll also stay at the Powell residence for a few days once we land."

Mr. Powell glanced at Ian Sterling and saw that, just as expected, he was stony-faced and clearly unhappy.

He found it amusing but wouldn’t take the initiative to invite his granddaughter’s boyfriend to stay. After all, they weren’t engaged yet. No matter how good their relationship was, it wouldn’t be proper.

Upon arriving in Quartos, the driver took Mr. Powell and Elder Winslow to the Powell residence. Lynn wanted to greet the Sterling family first, so she would head over later.

Ian Sterling didn’t say a word the entire way, his face turned to the window. Anyone could see he was sulking. Lynn didn’t want to give in to his unreasonable demands just because he was throwing a petty tantrum, so she didn’t initiate conversation either.

When they arrived at the Sterling residence, Lynn opened the car door and got out the moment the car stopped, completely ignoring the sulking man behind her.

Ian Sterling remained in the car, pursing his lips as he watched her leave without a moment’s hesitation.

By the time he entered the villa, Lynn Winslow was already talking with Nina Norton, her laughter gentle and warm.

"Auntie, I’ll come back to stay with you in a little while."

Nina Norton smiled. "Alright, go on. Don’t you forget."

Lynn Winslow nodded, bent down to pick up Kiki, and hesitated for a moment when she thought about picking up Hmph Hmph. In the end, she didn’t, since Hmph Hmph had been a gift from Ian Sterling.

She didn’t spare Ian Sterling, who was standing near the doorway, a single glance and walked straight out with Kiki in her arms.

Ian Sterling stared blankly after her as she left. Then, as if suddenly waking up, he strode after her. ℯℯ𝘭.

"Baby."

His voice was hoarse, tinged with the sound of tears.

Lynn Winslow turned to face him as he grabbed her arm, feeling a little helpless.

Ian Sterling’s eyes were red. "Are you leaving me? Is that why you didn’t even want Hmph Hmph?"

"Ian Sterling, don’t you dare turn this around on me," Lynn sighed. "Weren’t you the one who wanted to give me the cold shoulder?"

"I didn’t!" Ian Sterling shook his head, refusing to admit it.

Lynn Winslow didn’t want to argue with him anymore. Glancing at the car parked a short distance away, she pulled her arm free from his grasp.

"I’m going to my grandfather’s house now. You should cool off."

She didn’t think she had done anything wrong; she just felt that Ian Sterling was being far too petty.

Ian Sterling stood frozen in place, watching her get into the car with Kiki and drive away. Only then did Nina Norton walk up behind him and smack him hard on the back.

"What did you do to make Lynn angry?"

Ian sullenly explained, "I wanted to stay with her at the Powell residence, but she wouldn’t let me."

Nina Norton understood immediately. "And here I was, praising you," she said, full of disappointment. "I was so pleased to see how sensible you’d become, but you pull this stunt the moment you get back. Did you really think your mother’s life was too comfortable these days?"

"..."

Ian Sterling remained silent. Nina Norton snorted coldly and stopped bothering with him, heading straight upstairs as soon as she was back inside. She didn’t come down again until dinner.

When the family sat down for dinner, Ian Sterling didn’t appear. Not only had he locked himself in his room, but he had also taken Hmph Hmph in with him. Spencer Sterling hadn’t been home that afternoon and didn’t know what had happened, so when he noticed his youngest son was missing, he casually asked about him.

Nina Norton said flatly, "Don’t worry about him. Skipping one meal won’t kill him."

She had always doted on her youngest son, so her saying this came as a surprise to both Elias Sterling and Samuel Shaw.

Connor Sterling frowned and instructed the butler to go upstairs and call Ian down for dinner. However, after Nina Norton strictly forbade it, he had to drop the matter.

Only then did Nina Norton explain the reason. "That little brat threw a rich-boy tantrum at Lynn because she wouldn’t let him stay with her at the Powell residence."

Spencer Sterling’s expression turned icy in an instant. He stood up, found a cane that had been placed in the corner, gave it a couple of swings to test its feel, and then strode toward the second floor.

"Wait, Dad..." Elias Sterling was startled by his father’s posture and stood up, intending to stop him.

"Don’t stop him. Let your father beat some sense into him so he stops being so stupid." Nina Norton slammed down her chopsticks, her tone harsh. Elias Sterling hesitated for a moment before sitting back down.

Connor Sterling ignored how angry Nina Norton was and got up to go upstairs. But he was too late. Ian Sterling was already kneeling by the sofa and had already been hit twice with the cane.

He directly grabbed the cane as it was about to strike again and said to Spencer Sterling, "Dad, that’s enough."

"Get out of the way. I’m going to teach him a proper lesson."

It was the first time Spencer Sterling had been this angry in years. Connor Sterling almost failed to hold him back, but in the end, he managed to drag him out of Ian’s room.

Ian Sterling remained kneeling, unmoving, until Connor Sterling came back in. He wiped away a tear with the back of his hand, lowered his head, and struggled to his feet.

Spencer Sterling hadn’t held back at all just now. Both strikes had been delivered with full force. Ian could only feel a searing pain in his back that seemed to reach his bones.

"Look at you," Connor Sterling said, both helpless and heartbroken.

Ian Sterling didn’t speak. He sat down on the sofa with his head bowed as two distinct teardrops fell onto his knees.

"...And you still have the nerve to cry? Didn’t you bring this on yourself?"

"I didn’t mean to. I just can’t control it. I want to be with her all the time," Ian Sterling choked out, his voice muffled.

Connor Sterling sighed. "She’s just going to her grandfather’s house for a few days. It’s not like she’s breaking up with you."

"I’m scared. I’m scared she’ll leave me, that after a while she’ll find me boring and not want me anymore."

Where was the wild and dashing Finn Sterling of Quartos now?

All Connor Sterling could see was a little crybaby.