Chapter 248: Lynn Winslow Sighs, It’s Tough for the Trio

With that, Zane Lancaster turned and left. Ian Sterling remained seated in the middle of the gazebo for a long time, until Lynn Winslow noticed his absence and came looking for him.

“Why are you sitting here in a daze?” Lynn Winslow walked to his side. Her eyes fell on a small red mark on his neck, and she frowned. “Did they not spray for bugs today? You’ve been bitten by a mosquito.”

Ian Sterling took her hand and shook his head gently. “It’s nothing. Just one bite, and it’s not that itchy.”

Lynn Winslow sat across from him. Gazing at his slightly red-rimmed eyes, she asked with a soft chuckle, “What’s wrong? Have you been crying?”

“No, but I was close,” Ian Sterling said, propping his chin on his hand with a sigh. “I finally get to marry you.”

“That happy, huh?” Lynn Winslow raised a hand to scratch his chin, as if she were petting Kiki and Hng Hng. Ian Sterling still narrowed his eyes in enjoyment.

*

The closer the wedding day drew, the more anxious Ian Sterling became. His anxiety manifested in how he constantly hovered over Lynn Winslow—to the point where he wanted to follow her even to the restroom. He also repeatedly asked Nina Norton and Spencer Sterling how many bodyguards and security personnel were assigned to the venue, and if they were keeping a tight watch on Jared Sterling.

Nina Norton flicked his forehead a few times, while Spencer Sterling just rolled his eyes, not bothering to answer him.

This was a grand wedding, one their youngest son had long been waiting for. There was no way they would let anything go wrong.

Lynn Winslow felt helpless, but she knew what a dark shadow the previous engagement had cast over Ian Sterling, so she was very accommodating.

Jasper Jennings, Kenneth Keller, and the others also arrived early, right on the heels of Nina and Spencer. The first thing they did was find their way to the most famous bar in Morelia and dive right in.

Lynn Winslow and Ian Sterling were there as well. Lynn had wanted to come; Ian had been dragged along by her against his will.

“I don’t want to hang out with them. What if they try to do something to you?”

Lynn Winslow shot him a glare, then looked away and continued striding toward the private room, dragging Ian Sterling behind her.

“Lynn, I’m serious,” Ian Sterling pleaded earnestly. “Don’t be fooled by how they look all prim and proper on the outside. If they decide to do something behind our backs, we’ll be completely helpless.”

Lynn Winslow stopped in her tracks and looked at Ian Sterling seriously. “Honey, they’re your best friends. And you know how much they helped you back then. Jared Sterling is Jared Sterling, and they are them. Besides, they don’t have any major conflicts of interest with you. I can’t think of a single reason why they would want to harm you.”

Ian Sterling pressed his lips together and mumbled unhappily, “Who says there are no conflicts of interest? They all have one with me. What if they’re jealous that I’m luckier than them and get to marry a wonderful wife like you?”

“Oh, stop with the flattery,” Lynn Winslow said, rolling her eyes. She tugged him along, adding, “I’ll smack you if you keep talking nonsense.”

“Would you have the heart?” Ian Sterling asked, giving Lynn’s palm a plaintive squeeze. He felt even more wronged when he heard her solemn reply. But just as he was about to say something else, they arrived at the door to the private room.

The sound from inside the private room was deafening, even through the door. Lynn Winslow could make out familiar voices, including those of Jasper Jennings, Zachary Quincy, Kenneth Keller, and Nigel Abbott.

Ian Sterling curled his lip in distaste. When Lynn saw it, she frowned and shot him a harsh glare. He immediately wiped the look off his face and replaced it with a fake smile.

As they entered the room—POP! The sound of a party popper exploded by their ears, followed by a shower of ribbons that rained down on their faces.

Ian Sterling jumped. The instant the sound erupted, he pulled Lynn Winslow into his arms to shield her. His overcautious reaction left the others stunned.

Silence fell around them. Feeling the body holding her tremble, Lynn Winslow soothingly patted Ian Sterling’s back and whispered, “It’s okay, it’s okay. It was just a party popper, nothing else. Don’t be afraid.”

After a moment, Ian Sterling calmed down, turned around, and snapped, “What is wrong with you guys?”

Jasper Jennings and the others knew he’d been a bit on edge lately, but they hadn’t expected it to be this severe.

“What’s gotten into you?”

Lynn Winslow explained on his behalf, “He’s just… a little afraid of something going wrong.” She hesitated before adding, “It’s probably best not to startle him for now. I’m worried it’ll really get to him.”

If anything, Ian Sterling’s reaction had scared them. One of them, Kenneth Keller, clutched his chest and sighed dramatically. “We wouldn’t dare do it again. If we scare him witless, we’ll have to compensate you with a new, normal husband.”

Lynn Winslow laughed at his over-the-top remark, and even Ian Sterling couldn’t maintain his stern expression. He lunged forward and grabbed Kenneth Keller. “Making fun of me, are you, you bastard?” he said through gritted teeth.

They wrestled around for a while before finally stopping. They sat facing each other on the sofas, drinking, the atmosphere completely unlike a typical bar.

“The three of us will be your groomsmen. Where’s your future brother-in-law sitting? The family table?”

Ian Sterling glanced at Nigel Abbott and gave a quiet grunt of affirmation.

Nina Norton and Spencer Sterling had made the seating arrangements. Even though Nigel was a future brother-in-law, he was already engaged to Zoe. Plus, the Abbott family’s status made it difficult for them to travel to Morelia; they could only attend the ceremony in Veridia. Nigel was there as their representative, so it made sense to seat him at the main table. After all, his wedding to Zoe Sterling wasn’t far off either.

Jasper Jennings crossed his legs. “You’re getting married, and Nigel’s engaged. Do you have any idea how much our families have been nagging us or how many blind dates we’ve been forced on?”

Zachary Quincy sighed, his gaze full of mournful resentment. Kenneth Keller didn’t look much better.

Lynn Winslow stifled a laugh, hiding her schadenfreude from the three of them. Ian Sterling, however, didn’t get it. He asked in all seriousness, “Don’t you guys think being with the wife you love every day is a wonderful thing?”

“…”

“Kiki.”

“Mhm, yeah, yeah, yeah.”

Nigel Abbott rested his forehead on his hand, not joining the conversation. His eyes inexplicably met Lynn’s, and he saw that she, too, was struggling to hold back a laugh.

Ian Sterling hadn’t had much to drink, but he acted as if he were drunk, cornering the three of them and endlessly rambling about the joys of dating and marriage. After listening for a while, Lynn got bored. She grabbed some nuts from the table and started eating them while scrolling through videos on her phone.

Seeing that she was trying to scroll through videos and shell nuts at the same time, Ian Sterling took the nuts from her hand and started shelling them for her, all without pausing his lecture. Off to the side, Nigel Abbott started a video call to livestream for the Sterling family just how unusually chatty their beloved youngest had become.

Lynn Winslow threw several glances at Ian Sterling. She noticed he wasn’t just talking and shelling nuts—he was also downing drink after drink.

As for the three men being lectured, they all looked as if they’d lost the will to live.

For some reason, they all felt that the current Ian Sterling would get along splendidly with their parents.

Lynn Winslow sighed. ‘Those poor guys,’ she thought.

When the night finally ended, the three of them looked like they’d been set free. They couldn’t stop the joyful smiles from spreading across their faces, though a deep regret also bloomed in their hearts. They never should have invited Ian Sterling.

Lynn Winslow couldn’t support the drunken Ian Sterling on her own. Nigel Abbott had just stepped forward to help hold Ian by the arm when he was violently shoved away.