Chapter 85 Just How Messy Is Her Personal Life?
"What are you trying to say?"
Ethan Sterling slammed the stairwell door shut and flung Adeline's hand away. "Save it, I'm not buying any of your lies!"
"Someone as loose as you for a friend, no wonder Violet isn’t exactly squeaky clean herself!"
Adeline rolled her eyes.
If only Violet hadn't been crying over this guy for so long, Adeline would've loved to lay him out flat!
She reined in her frustration, "Mr. Sterling, I wonder what backwater you crawled out from with such archaic views."
"I only grabbed your arm to save you from embarrassment in front of our colleagues, to force you to come and hear me out."
"I didn't kiss you, I didn't sleep with you, and you call me easy? Have you never had any contact with the opposite sex in your life?"
"Besides, if Violet wasn’t at home crying over you, do you really think I'd bother chasing you down?"
At the mention of Violet crying, a shadow of concern flickered across Ethan Sterling's face. "She... she’s still crying?"
It had been seven hours since their quarrel. Was she really still crying?
"Of course!"
Adeline gave him a withering look. "Why don't you go see for yourself? Her eyes are probably swollen like balloons by now."
"If she were the type you think she is, effortlessly hopping into bed and then playing innocent in front of you, would she be in tears like this over you?"
Ethan was silent.
After a while, he pursed his lips, "And the... item in her place..."
Adeline rolled her eyes, "Mine."
"When you guys were fighting, I crashed in her guest room."
"That sweet, foolish girl didn’t want to disturb my rest, thinking she could clear things up with you, so she didn't wake me."
Ethan Sterling: "..."
Had he misjudged Violet?
Seeing his concerned inquiries about Violet cooled the heat in her chest a bit – at least he wasn’t completely heartless.
But Ethan was still puzzled, "Why was your stuff under her sofa?"
"It must have fallen there while I was unboxing my deliveries."
Adeline chuckled, "I ordered a bunch, noticed one missing, and thought the store had shortchanged me – even had a spat over it."
"Turns out it was just under the sofa all along."
Ethan Sterling: "..."
She bought dozens...
Just how messy was this woman’s private life?
"By the way."
Adeline pulled out her phone, "If you still don't believe me, I can show you my shopping orders."
Ethan Sterling shook his head, "No need."
She had made her point clear enough. Even without looking at the orders, he realized that he had misunderstood Violet.
"How is she… doing alright?"
"Not great."
Adeline shrugged, "She’s still at home, crying."
"Had it not been for the misunderstanding over my stuff causing a fight, I wouldn't have bothered coming to you."
"Someone who jumps to conclusions about Violet like you do, you don’t deserve her!"
Ethan Sterling was silent for a moment, then lifted his leg to head downstairs, "I need to go see her."
After two steps, he stopped.
The drinks tonight… they were important to him.
His manager had made it clear when he brought them along for tonight's event; whoever closed the deal would get a promotion, no matter what it took.
But now… He wanted that opportunity just as much as he found the thought of leaving Violet in tears unbearable.
Adeline saw right through the man's thoughts.
Leaning against the railing, she looked at Ethan Sterling with a smile, "Go ahead."
"I’ve got the business talks covered."
"Anyway, to your colleagues, I'm already your girlfriend. Any deal I close, they’ll consider it yours."
He glanced at her skeptically, "You sure you can handle it?"
"Even if I can't, do you really feel up to negotiating right now?"
Ethan Sterling was at a loss for words.
"Room 402, it’s all yours!"
With that, he turned and hurried down the stairs.
Watching his retreating figure, Adeline let out a soft sigh.
Truth be told... she envied that kind of love.
Though Ethan Sterling wasn't exactly the hero in her eyes, he was ready to neglect work and abandon important business for Violet.
And what about her?
The person she cherished most in her youth never put her first, whether she was sick, lonely, or helpless. His career always took precedence.
To him, she was less important than work, than business, worse yet, less than Molly.
After standing on the stairwell for a while, trying to sort through her messy thoughts, Adeline took a deep breath and turned back to the hallway.
The previously bustling corridor was now nearly empty.
She glanced down towards the end of the hallway instinctively; it was deserted.
For some reason, she suddenly felt a hollowness in her chest.
"Where's Ethan Sterling?"
One of Ethan Sterling's colleagues walked past her, frowning with the question.
"He's tied up at the moment."
Adeline flashed a coy smile and walked alongside the coworker. "Actually, I'm not his girlfriend. I'm his sister."
"There's an emergency at home; he had to leave."
The coworker paused for a moment, "But what about the drinks later..."
With a twinkle in her eye, the woman replied, "I'll take his place."
He stopped in his tracks and gave her a once-over, "These guys cut loose when they mix business with booze, you know? You're not worried about keeping up with them?"
"Not only will I keep up, but I'll also secure the deals they couldn't handle."
"I like your confidence. Come on then, but if you overdo it, don't say I didn't warn you."
Adeline nodded and followed him into the private room.
Before stepping out of the stairwell, she'd already taken a hangover prevention pill.
She wasn’t invincible against alcohol, but she was more than a match for these men.
She settled into the private booth, after briefly explaining Ethan Sterling's whereabouts, reclining with an easy grace in her chair.
The room was filled with imposing men in dark clothing, while Adeline, dressed in a striking red ensemble, sat in the corner—her delicate features and frosty aura setting her apart.
Christopher, one of the business associates, walked in and was immediately drawn to her.
"Who do we have here...?"
The manager hastily grinned, "This is a relative of one of our employees, standing in for her brother."
Christopher gave Adeline a predatory once-over and chuckled thinly, "Not bad at all!"
Pointing to the seat by his side, he said, "Why sit over there all alone? Scared of me? Come sit here."
Adeline’s brows furrowed.
She had attended such gatherings abroad before; she knew all too well what Christopher's gaze implied.
She mustered a timid smile and slowly took a seat beside Christopher, "Thank you."
From the older man's eyes, she knew the account would be hers.
In the plush VIP section of the bar's fifth floor...
After the serious business of contracts had been settled, the atmosphere in the room shifted to a lighthearted card game.
Ryan burst through the door and swiftly approached Jasper, whispering into his ear.
The man's dark brows knitted slightly.
Drinking again?
And with a bunch of men?
Did she truly not know her limits, or was she purposefully flirting with ruin?
The image of her, inebriated the night before, clinging to him over and over in bed, flashed involuntarily through his mind.
After a long hesitation, he finally stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, “Gentlemen, please continue. I must step out.”
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