Chapter 173: The Photo Reaches Tristan Sterling
Rachel Royce went upstairs.
She entered the bedroom.
Rachel Royce had already composed herself. lissa was still sitting on the bed, yawning. "Aunt Evelynn!"
"lissa’s awake."
lissa wanted a hug now that she was awake.
Rachel Royce reached out and picked her up.
As she patted her daughter’s back, her heart grew heavy.
"Are you hungry? Do you want sothing to eat?"
lissa nodded.
Rachel Royce asked the nanny to bring up so food. She then took lissa to take a bath and change into her pajamas. By the ti they ca out, the nanny had lissa’s al ready.
"Where’s Daddy?"
Rachel Royce said, "Daddy’s busy. Let’s eat first."
lissa just said, "Oh."
Rachel Royce stayed in the bedroom with lissa, eating and watching cartoons.
After getting lissa to fall asleep again, Rachel Royce walked to the French windows. From there, she had a clear view of the main gate.
Suzanne Sullivan opened the passenger side door, and Claire Ainsworth got in.
He turned back and said sothing to Tristan Sterling, then got into the car and left. A driver followed behind in the Ferrari.
After they left, Tristan Sterling turned and walked back toward the villa. He looked up toward the second floor, and Rachel Royce imdiately drew the curtains.
Soon, the bedroom door opened. Tristan Sterling walked in, first glancing at lissa asleep on the bed, then looking at Rachel Royce on the sofa. He lowered his voice and said, "Co out. We need to talk."
Rachel Royce kept her eyes fixed on the tablet screen, editing photos of lissa, as well as pictures of the two of them together. Her voice was cold as she said, "The only thing I have to talk to you about is the divorce. Other than that, we have nothing to discuss."
Tristan Sterling stared at her, and the room fell silent.
After a long mont, the man turned and left the room.
The mont the door closed, Rachel Royce’s fingers paused for a second.
「The next day.」
Rachel Royce was taking lissa to June Jennings’s house.
lissa said goodbye to her father. "Daddy, Aunt Evelynn and I are going to play at Miss June’s house today. You be good while you’re ho alone, okay?"
Tristan Sterling crouched down, hugged his daughter, and said, "lissa, you be good too."
lissa nodded with a hum of agreent.
"lissa, it’s ti to go."
lissa ran up and took Rachel Royce’s hand, waving goodbye to her father.
That morning, Rachel Royce and June Jennings took the two children to play at the community playground.
Just then, she received a call from Suzanne Sullivan.
She stepped aside and answered the call.
"President Sullivan."
Suzanne Sullivan’s voice ca through the phone. "Miss Evelynn, I’ve looked into what happened the night before last."
Rachel Royce listened for what he would say next.
"Please, Miss Evelynn, tell what I can do to make it up to you. I’ll have Claire stay in Portington and make her reflect on her actions."
Rachel Royce wasn’t surprised by this outco. "President Sullivan, you certainly dote on your sister."
Suzanne Sullivan didn’t respond.
After a mont of silence, Rachel Royce said, "I want Ascendant to cancel its partnership with Prodigy."
That way, Prodigy can avoid paying the triple penalty for breach of contract.
Suzanne Sullivan said, "Done. I’ll speak to the people at Ascendant later."
He agreed so readily that it left Rachel Royce with no grounds to pursue the matter further.
"In that case, President Sullivan, you still owe a favor."
Suzanne Sullivan replied, "Indeed. If you have any other conditions, Miss Evelynn, you can state them now."
Rachel Royce’s grip on her phone tightened. Then she said, "I don’t want to see Claire Ainsworth marry into the Sterling Family soday."
’Tristan Sterling can marry anyone, but it absolutely cannot be Claire Ainsworth.’
The other end of the line went silent.
Finally, the man spoke. "I understand."
She hung up the phone.
「That night.」
Rachel Royce and lissa stayed the night at June Jennings’s house.
The next day was Master Jennings’s eightieth birthday.
Rachel Royce had already given the gift she’d won at the auction to Master Jennings during her visit to the Jennings Family ho a few days prior.
Julian Jennings still managed to rush back that afternoon.
When they saw him, his eyes were weary, and he looked clearly exhausted.
Ian Quinn clapped a hand on his shoulder. "So you made it back after all!"
Julian Jennings nodded. "It must have been tough for you all, too."
Ian Quinn laughed. "Tough for us? You’re the one who had it the hardest."
Rachel Royce walked over and said, "Professor."
Julian Jennings looked at her and gave a slight nod.
"I’m going to see my grandfather first. We can talk later."
Ian Quinn said, "Go on!"
Julian Jennings went to chat with the elders for about half an hour.
He hadn’t eaten anything all day.
Mrs. Jennings had a waiter prepare a al in advance. As he ate, she sat beside him and finally asked, "I heard from June that you have a girl you’re fond of."
She had originally planned to arrange a blind date for Julian Jennings since he’d managed to co back today. But June had told her, "Mom, don’t worry about it. My brother already has soone he likes, and he’s waiting for her right now. No matter how many blind dates you set up for him, he won’t even look at them."
Julian Jennings glanced at his mother. "Mom, don’t worry about my affairs. I know what I’m doing."
Mrs. Jennings sighed. "How can I not worry? The person June was talking about... it’s not that Miss Royce, is it?"
Although June hadn’t said who it was, the way she had fawned over Rachel Royce when she brought her to their ho, showering her with praise in front of everyone, was telling. ’If I couldn’t see it even after all that, I’d have to be blind.’ Seeing her son’s silence, Mrs. Jennings knew she had guessed correctly.
"Sigh. No wonder you’re not interested in any other girls. That Miss Royce is indeed very beautiful, and I hear she works at your company."
Julian Jennings humd in affirmation.
"She seems like a good girl, from what I can see. So why haven’t you made a move?"
Julian Jennings said, "She’s in the middle of a lawsuit for her divorce."
Mrs. Jennings was taken aback.
"Then... that child?"
’I’ve always suspected lissa was Rachel Royce’s child, but the girl always calls her "Aunt."’
"She’s Rachel’s. Her situation now is similar to what June went through back then."
"This..."
After finishing his al, Julian Jennings went to find Ian Quinn and Rachel Royce.
They discussed work matters.
Eastgate had suffered heavy losses, losing its controlling stake in two fund companies, but thankfully, it had stabilized its foundation.
The opposing party was unlikely to make any more major moves for now.
As it stood, this was the best possible outco.
As for the partnership with the Ainsworth Family,
Ian Quinn would have to stay here for a while longer.
"By the way, what’s the situation with Prodigy now?" Julian Jennings asked.
Rachel Royce replied, "The gambling agreent can’t be changed, but Suzanne Sullivan agreed to cancel the partnership with Prodigy."
Julian Jennings nodded. "As long as we don’t let Ascendant get its hands into Prodigy, it’s fine. As for the gambling agreent, it will be completed within two years."
Rachel Royce humd in agreent.
After the banquet that evening, there was a grand fireworks show.
Rachel Royce stayed by lissa’s side, who was incredibly excited watching the beautiful fireworks.
Julian Jennings stood beside them.
Their eyes t unexpectedly, and as the fireworks blossod in their pupils, they reflected a dazzling light.
It was only for a fleeting mont. Rachel Royce gave a stiff smile, then lowered her gaze and looked away.
Soone took a photo, capturing that exact mont.
The photo passed through several hands before finally reaching Tristan Sterling.
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