Once Miles Harrington left, one of the subordinates forced a mouthful of water into Seraphina Redgrave’s mouth, then said, "You better think carefully. In the Directorate, no one has ever taken five pills directly. Even we don’t know what the effects are, so I advise you to be honest. This way, you can suffer less and find the Road to Hades less painful."
The sweetness in Seraphina Redgrave’s throat dissipated slightly, only to be replaced by endless bitterness.
Sweat clung to her long eyelashes, pricking her eyes with discomfort.
The subordinate pinched her chin again and forced another mouthful of water into her.
In her daze, Seraphina Redgrave thought of Ethan Sterling, how when she was ill, he would coax her like a child, feeding her ginger tea.
He even built her a candy house, and whenever she ate candy, he would peel off the candy wrapper and place it at her lips.
Now, it was a rough, rciless hand that pinched her jaw.
The plain water that had no taste suddenly turned bitter at this mont.
Seraphina Redgrave smiled bitterly, cursing her own sentintality. Could she really not survive without Ethan Sterling?
But it really seed like she was going to die.
There was a fifteen-hour ti difference between Z Nation and Y Nation. Z Nation was already late at night, while Y Nation was just at morning.
Sunlight spilled into the room as Ethan Sterling paced the balcony, looking at the ticulously landscaped greenery and beautiful fountain in the hotel’s front yard while playing with a lighter, his emotions unreadable.
He stood there for quite a while, unsure of what exactly to do.
Ethan Sterling, who had been furious not long ago, had now cald down, so much that even his subordinates couldn’t tell if he was still angry.
He took out his phone, and displayed on the screen was the last ssage he sent to Nathan Ayers: "What’s her current situation?"
No anger, no anxiety, it seed as casual as everyday chatter.
Nathan Ayers had received the ssage so ti ago and had spent nearly half an hour in an internal struggle before finally deciding to give Ethan Sterling a call.
When Ethan Sterling saw the caller’s na flashing on his phone, he surely would’ve answered imdiately before, but now, surprisingly, he wasn’t in any rush. He set the phone aside and admired the fountain, not answering the call.
It was only after a while that he finally picked up, putting the phone to his ear and hearing Nathan Ayers’ trembling voice, "Young Master Sterling."
"What’s her current situation?"
Ethan Sterling asked the sa question, leaving one unable to discern his emotions.
Nathan Ayers stayed silent on the other end, not expecting Ethan Sterling to be so calm, which was unlike his usual self.
After a mont, he dryly spoke, "Miss is currently in the Directorate."
"The Directorate?"
Ethan Sterling slowly repeated those words, as if tasting their aning, then asked, "What kind of punishnt did she receive?"
Nathan Ayers didn’t dare disclose the truth about what Seraphina Redgrave had endured, so he tried to change the subject, "Young Master Sterling, the situation has developed to this point because Miss made her own choices. She expected this day would co and didn’t want to implicate you. If you think about it, from Veridian Isle to the Hibiscus Garden, you’ve always kept her under control, never giving her true freedom. Perhaps this ti, you should let her go."
Nathan Ayers wasn’t trying to shift the bla, but if he wanted to calm Ethan Sterling and persuade him to give up on Seraphina Redgrave, it was the only way.
"Did she tell you this? That she’s angry I’ve never given her true freedom."
Nathan Ayers thought he heard a hint of annoyance in Ethan Sterling’s voice, but he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination.
Seraphina Redgrave had never said such things, but Nathan Ayers didn’t want to deny it. Yet his conscience told him he couldn’t affirm it either, so he remained silent for a long ti.
Fortunately, Ethan Sterling didn’t dwell on the issue for long and returned to the previous topic, "What kind of punishnt did she receive?"
"Young Master Sterling, I..."
"Speak."
Ethan Sterling’s words left no room for refusal.
Nathan Ayers had no choice but to resign himself, troubled over how to phrase it so it wouldn’t hurt Ethan Sterling as much, "When I left, Miss Redgrave seed to be in decent condition. Although she was injured, she still had her vitality. But I think the President intends to use that drug to make her talk."
"Hmm."
The YJ520, a drug the Directorate specifically imported from R Nation to deal with tough individuals, it was notoriously effective. Once, Ethan Sterling even considered using this drug on Ryan Sterling to let him feel what was worse than death.
Ethan Sterling seed to have anticipated it, so he asked, "How long does Miles Harrington plan to interrogate her?"
"I’m not sure." Miles Harrington hadn’t ntioned anything to him.
But based on his assumptions, at most three days.
If Ethan Sterling couldn’t return within two days, then it might really be a farewell.
Holding up his phone, Ethan Sterling looked at the clouds on the horizon—they were so clear, like soone’s gaze. He calmly said, "Remind Miles Harrington to let return, or the first thing I’ll do when I get back is pull him down from his position."
This order was futile.
If Nathan Ayers had truly listened, Ethan Sterling would’ve returned long ago.
Upon hearing Ethan Sterling’s words, Nathan Ayers felt an overwhelming sourness, and after so ti, spoke through gritted teeth, "Young Master Sterling, once this is all over, I will personally welco you back to the country. Then, I will accept any punishnt without complaint."
The unspoken implication was to keep him from returning ho.
Ethan Sterling’s expression remained unchanged; he had expected this outco, his fingers tightened slightly.
After a while, he suddenly laughed and asked Nathan Ayers, "Nathan, you’re in a unique position at Sterling Corporation—second only to one yet commanding many. Each ti I go abroad to handle affairs, I entrust all my dostic power to you to avoid unexpected situations."
"Young Master Sterling."
Nathan Ayers’ voice trembled uncontrollably.
"But you must know, no financial group will trust their subordinates completely without backup plans." Ethan Sterling said, his tone cold.
Nathan Ayers went pale as if all blood had drained from his face.
Was Young Master Sterling implying he had also left contingencies against him, sothing that could destroy him?
He was fretting about it when Ethan Sterling added, "But with you, I have no such defenses."
That’s why Nathan Ayers could assist Miles Harrington and keep him stuck abroad, unable to return ho.
"..."
These words struck Nathan Ayers like a boulder, causing waves of turmoil within him.
Guilt almost overwheld him, unable to withstand Ethan Sterling’s complete trust, "Young Master Sterling, I’m sorry, but I really can’t just watch as the work you’ve accomplished over these years gets ruined because of this. I can’t do it."
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