Vincent Wentworth’s expression turned grim. "Jett, you’re dead set on making things difficult for the Wentworth Family, aren’t you?"
"You brought this on yourselves. You ca here today with your own agenda, didn’t you? To test my limits?"
Vincent Wentworth’s brow furrowed. "Jett, what do you an by that?"
Jett Sterling’s fingertips tapped lightly on the armrest of his wheelchair. "That father and son at the banquet—didn’t you arrange for them to be there?"
"What makes you say that?"
The smile never left Jett Sterling’s face, but his eyes were icy. "Would a banquet organized by the Wentworth Family ever allow people like that to enter? Shirley Wentworth may have planned the event, but you were the one pulling the strings. As long as it carries the Wentworth na, you pay close attention."
"Jett, would I have any reason to do that?" Vincent Wentworth countered instead of answering.
"By ruining Vivian, Shirley Wentworth could marry . It would be nothing but beneficial to the Wentworth Family—and to you. Of course, you would do it."
Vincent Wentworth took a sip of hot tea and chuckled softly. "Jett, since we were children, we’ve always been evenly matched. You know , and I know you."
"And that’s why you dared to test ." Jett Sterling looked him straight in the eye. "Because you knew that even though I wasn’t physically there, I was watching every move at that banquet."
Vincent Wentworth considered this for a mont before speaking in a calm, asured tone. "I admit, I was behind it. It’s only natural that I’d investigate your wife. After learning about her past, I deliberately hired those people to stage the whole affair."
"And that’s not all." A chill filled Jett Sterling’s eyes. "Even the cat in the garden was part of your deliberate arrangent."
The hand Vincent Wentworth was using to hold his teacup froze.
"Vincent, you can test , but you shouldn’t have hurt my wife."
"Jett, after all these years, it’s not like your own thods are any cleaner than mine," Vincent Wentworth said, looking at him. "I was, in fact, testing you. I didn’t think you would intervene. But I truly underestimated Miss Quinn. She ans more to you than I ever imagined."
"Jett, have you ever considered that you can’t afford to have a weakness? The mont you do, you lose..."
"You’ve never experienced it, so you wouldn’t understand," Jett Sterling said, looking at him. "Tell the truth. Was Shirley Wentworth getting pregnant back then your handiwork?"
"Impossible!" Vincent Wentworth denied. "Our relationship might be a delicate balance of friend and foe, but I would never use my own sister to plot against you. Besides, I was working out of town back then. I wasn’t even in Aethelgard. I couldn’t possibly have set up such an elaborate trap for you."
"It’s for the best that you didn’t."
Vincent Wentworth said, "If even you haven’t been able to uncover the truth about what happened back then, it proves there’s an invisible hand pulling the strings. Jett, you need to be careful. Especially now that you have a weakness."p>"I don’t need you to remind ," Jett Sterling said coolly. "Just rember, if you dare to co after my wife again, the Wentworth Family will lose more than just a few projects."
After Vincent Wentworth left, Easton Rivers ca in, bowed his head, and reported, "Master Sterling, Master Wentworth wasn’t lying, was he?"
"No."
"Although Master Wentworth sches against you, he is still relatively honest in your presence."
"What do you know," Jett Sterling sneered. "If he doesn’t want people to find sothing out, it’s a simple matter for him to prevent it."
"You an to say..."
"His main objective in bringing that father and son wasn’t to hurt Vivian. It was to test my limits."
"So, Master Sterling, you’re saying that Master Wentworth’s main objective was still to test you."
Jett Sterling closed his eyes, wearily pinching the bridge of his nose. "If I hadn’t intervened that day, Vivian would have been buried under their accusations. But by appearing, I proved exactly how important she is to ."
"I understand. From now on, even more people will target Madam."
"And that hidden hand..." Jett Sterling slowly opened his eyes. "Shirley Wentworth isn’t capable enough to drug and then secretly give birth to my child, pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes. Soone must have been helping her, and it’s soone even I can’t track down."
"Rest assured, Master Sterling. The investigation into the events of that year has never stopped."
Jett Sterling opened his mouth as if to say sothing, but then hesitated.
Easton Rivers asked curiously, "Master Sterling, do you have an order for ?"
Jett Sterling finally spoke. "Go investigate that man from her past. And the child. Confirm whether they are truly dead or not."
"Are you sure you want to look into it?"
"Investigate it thoroughly. It’s better to pull out that thorn in Vivian’s heart than to let it stay buried, pricking her from ti to ti."
’I never dared to touch it,’ he thought, ’afraid I’d lose my mind if I actually found that man.’
’But after what happened at the banquet, I have to get to the bottom of it, lest soone else uses it to hurt Vivian Quinn.’
"I understand," Easton Rivers said, then asked, "Will you tell Madam what Master Wentworth did?"
Jett Sterling thought for a mont. "Not for now. I don’t want her discovering that her life is filled with sches at every turn."
"Yes, sir."
...
When Vincent Wentworth returned to the Wentworth residence, Shirley Wentworth imdiately rushed up to him. "Brother, where’s Elle?"
"He’s staying at Sycamore Bay."
"How could you let Elle stay at Sycamore Bay?" Shirley Wentworth said, displeased. "He’s already saying ’Vivian Quinn’ this and ’Vivian Quinn’ that. If he keeps living with her, will he even acknowledge as his mother in the future?"
"Then you should take a look at yourself and see if you’re even acting like a mother," Vincent Wentworth said, staring at her. "Tell , why did you hit Elle?"
Shirley Wentworth couldn’t reveal the truth, so she could only say resentfully, "Because he wasn’t behaving."
"Elle’s personality is like Jett’s—he’s a bit cold and aloof, but he doesn’t misbehave. And even if he did, you can’t hit him. Have you ever stopped to think why he was crying and asking for Vivian Quinn?"
"Brother, whose side are you on?" Shirley Wentworth said, feeling wronged. "Are you siding with an outsider against ? Siding with Vivian Quinn?"
"I’m trying to make you face your own problems."
"I don’t have any problems! They’re the ones with the problem!" Shirley Wentworth shouted angrily.
Vincent Wentworth held up a hand. "Fine. We won’t talk about this. Let ask you sothing else: how did you get pregnant with Elle all those years ago?"
"It was an accident."
"Do you take Jett for a fool? Or ?" Vincent Wentworth laughed, incredulous and angry. "You think Jett would allow an ’accident’ like that to happen? Or do you think you’re capable of orchestrating one?"
Shirley Wentworth froze. "What did Jett tell you?"
"If he had really found sothing, do you think he’d tell ? He’d probably just destroy the Wentworth Family," Vincent Wentworth warned. "Shirley Wentworth, rember that your na is Wentworth. For anything you do, the entire family is the one that takes the bla. The banquet is a perfect example. So, be smarter from now on. If you dare cause trouble and drag our family down again, no one will be able to save you."
Shirley Wentworth clenched her jaw and nodded. "I know, Brother. I was reckless that day. I’m sorry."
Vincent Wentworth said nothing more and turned to leave.
...
Seeing Elle lifted Vivian Quinn’s spirits considerably. Her appetite even returned. She had a late-night snack with him before taking him to his room for bed.
Elle snuggled into her arms, his small hands clutching her clothes. "Vivian, I never want to leave you again. Please don’t send to Mommy’s house, okay?"
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