Chapter 174 - 172: Objective Achieved
Cecilia Sterling’s words held a hidden meaning, causing Whitt to suck in a sharp breath.
’Could the news about Silas Walsh’s domestic abuse have leaked?’
’Otherwise, why would Miss Sterling be so determined to replace an actor she’s never even met?’
Whitt didn’t dare take the gamble. Faced with the bigger picture, he naturally had to sacrifice his own interests.
"Alright, since Miss Sterling has put it that way, our company will contact Mr. Zachary Sanders. But we can’t guarantee he’ll agree to come," Whitt relented.
If Silas Walsh was out, then Hewitt Entertainment had to secure the project contract with Zachary Sanders.
James Lockwood had no objections to this.
Cecilia Sterling smiled calmly and said with composure, "A project of this magnitude... I doubt anyone would refuse."
And with that, the project’s investment was successfully settled over a single dinner. Of course, this was all thanks to Cecilia Sterling’s generous contribution. Usually, it would take at least a second investment meeting to close a deal like this.
"Miss Sterling, thank you so, so much. I really don’t know what to say." James Lockwood was both extremely excited and deeply moved.
Whatever calculations were going on in Cecilia Sterling’s mind, James Lockwood felt incredibly honored. To have an investor support his project so unreservedly felt like a dream.
Cecilia Sterling gave a gentle smile, her tone light yet magnanimous. "This isn’t the first time I’ve backed you, President Lockwood. You don’t have to be so formal."
"Don’t worry, Miss Sterling. I have complete confidence in this project. I guarantee you’ll make a profit."
Cecilia Sterling raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Of course. I wouldn’t have invested if I didn’t see its potential. I’ve weighed my options."
As she finished speaking, Cecilia Sterling picked up her glass of juice. Under the collective gaze of everyone present, she walked leisurely over to Mr. Young’s side.
The move took even Mr. Young by surprise. He instinctively turned and stood up. "Well now, little beauty, what’s this?"
Cecilia Sterling covered her mouth with her hand as she smiled. "You’ll make me blush if you keep calling me ’little beauty.’ You’re my senior, Mr. Young. I should call you Mr. Young, and you can just call me Cecilia."
"Isn’t that a bit too formal?" Mr. Young seemed to be enjoying Cecilia’s sudden initiative, and his tone became playful. "What’s your nickname?"
"Cecilia. You can call me Cecilia, Mr. Young."
"A lovely name. Just from the name, I can tell you’re a beauty."
Cecilia Sterling raised her juice, tilting her head back with a smile. "I’m the junior here, so whether you drink with me or not, Mr. Young, it’s my duty to toast you. When I have the chance in the future, I’ll be sure to drink three penalty glasses."
With that, Cecilia Sterling gracefully drained the juice from her glass.
One moment, Cecilia was as sharp as a sword; the next, she was suddenly offering Mr. Young an olive branch.
But she had phrased it beautifully and given Mr. Young plenty of face, so he was naturally delighted.
"Oh, come now, I was just teasing you! From now on, Cecilia, you drink if you want to, and don’t if you don’t," Mr. Young said with a hearty laugh.
Then, as if worried Cecilia might neglect the other big shot by only talking to him, he took the rare initiative to say, "You should have a drink with Jeb, too. If you want to get by comfortably in Lorcain, you’ll need him looking out for you."
After speaking, he even proactively refilled Cecilia’s glass with juice, then clapped Wesley Yates on the shoulder. "Come on, little brother, wipe that scowl off your face. Cecilia is toasting you."
Cecilia carried her glass to the other side and said respectfully, "May I call you Jeb?"
Wesley Yates’s expression was grim, but he poured himself a glass of liquor before slowly rising. "Whatever you want. Some people also call me the King of Hell. Take your pick."
Far from being intimidated, Cecilia was actually amused by Wesley Yates. "In that case, I think I’ll stick with Jeb. I’m new here, so I hope you’ll look out for me in the future, Jeb."
Wesley Yates just gave a slight nod. Before Cecilia could make a move, he downed his drink.
Seeing that both Jeb and Mr. Young had not only drunk with this Miss Sterling but were also chatting and laughing with her, the others no longer held back. One by one, they raised their glasses and came forward to introduce themselves and toast Cecilia.
More friends meant more opportunities, after all. In their eyes, Cecilia Sterling’s background was clearly anything but simple.
And with that, Cecilia had more or less achieved her goal for the evening. She had added Mr. Young and Jeb on WhatsApp, along with a host of other capital bigwigs from Lorcain’s investment banking circle. Her network had expanded even further.
She had known from the very beginning that others were unlikely to make the first move to befriend her. Even with her astonishing wealth, there were many things beyond money that she lacked. She never intended to offend anyone, nor could she afford to. Only by taking the initiative herself could she get what she wanted from gatherings like this.
When the dinner ended, it was clear the group was heading out for a second round of fun.
Cecilia could only politely decline. "I’ll have to sit this one out. You all have fun. Next time, dinner’s on me."
"Come with us, Miss Sterling! Even if you can’t drink, we can sing karaoke and chat. It’ll be fun!"
"Exactly! We were so happy to meet you today, Miss Sterling. Please come with us!"
As some of them insisted, Morgana Dyer stepped forward again. "I’ll go with everyone. Miss Sterling already said she has to get back to campus, so please don’t make things difficult for her."
Mr. Young, for once, also relented and let a newcomer—and a pretty young one at that—leave before the second round. "Alright, let Cecilia go home. Do you think I don’t know what you all get up to in the second round? Cecilia is still young. How awkward would that be for her? Don’t go scaring her off!"
As for the "entertainment" of the capital players, Cecilia couldn’t even begin to imagine what it entailed.
She gave a couple of awkward laughs and waved her hand. "You all go on ahead. I’m leaving now, or my dorm really will be locked for the night."
"Miss Sterling, shall I have my driver take you?" James Lockwood stepped forward to ask.
Cecilia didn’t refuse. She said her goodbyes to Mr. Young and Jeb individually once more, and then she left.
Mr. Young’s eyes followed Cecilia’s retreating figure. Dressed in a long black skirt, her silhouette swayed alluringly amidst the neon lights of the night, a truly pleasing sight to behold.
Wesley Yates shot him a look and said coldly, "She calls you Mr. Young, for god’s sake. Can’t you put those thoughts away?"
"You..." Mr. Young looked at Wesley Yates with annoyance. "You’re the one with a dirty mind, seeing filth in everything. What did I even do?"
Wesley Yates snorted, his derision unspoken but clear.
On the way back, Cecilia opened the car window, letting the late-night breeze of Lorcain wash over her. The tightly wound string in her mind and body finally began to loosen and relax.
Yes, she had appeared to handle the entire evening with ease and composure, but in reality, she had been wound tight the whole time.
In that kind of setting, even the slightest misstep in her words or actions could have resulted in a completely different outcome. But thankfully, Cecilia was very satisfied with the final result.
Just as she was spacing out, the phone in her hand suddenly rang. She picked it up and saw it was Rowe.
She answered unhurriedly. "Hello, Rowe?"
The next second, Timothy Rowe’s excited voice came through the phone. "Cecilia, it worked! We did it!"
Cecilia was startled. "The test was a success?"
"That’s right! It was a success! The project is a success!"
A wide smile instantly broke across Cecilia’s face. She quickly called out to the driver, "Driver, don’t go back to Lorcain Tech!"