Chapter 187 - 185: Which Hand Touched My Sister?
Cecilia Sterling’s terrifying gaze and cold aura sent a jolt of fear through Henry Marshall. He instinctively turned his head to look at his father.
Winston Marshall was also stunned by their barbaric "entrance," but as a man who’d weathered many storms, he remained unflinching. His face darkened as he snapped, "Who are you people!"
Others might not have recognized Cecilia Sterling, but James Lockwood and Connie did. Her sudden appearance was a genuine surprise to James Lockwood, catching him completely off guard.
"Miss Ster—"
James Lockwood was just about to speak, but Cecilia Sterling had already locked her sights on Henry Marshall. She strode quickly over to him and, raising her hand, delivered a sharp slap.
SLAP!
The sound was crisp and loud, leaving a fresh red handprint on Henry Marshall’s fair face.
Henry Marshall’s head was turned slightly to the side, his eyes filled with disbelief.
’He’d never been slapped in his entire life, yet today, it had happened three times?’
Winston Marshall was right beside them. Snapping out of his stupor, he moved to intervene. "How dare you—"
But before he could even raise his arm, the men Cecilia Sterling had brought with her grabbed him on either side and forced him down onto the sofa. Cecilia Sterling shot him a sideways glance and said coldly, "How dare I? I’d rather ask how *you* dared!"
With that, she gave Duane a meaningful look.
Without a word, Duane stepped forward, grabbed a handful of Henry Marshall’s hair, and with a vicious tug, flung him aside.
Henry Marshall staggered, lost his balance, and crashed humiliatingly to the floor. His chin slammed into the ground, instantly drawing blood. The hard impact left his head ringing.
Seeing his son assaulted, Winston Marshall’s eyes went bloodshot. He struggled and roared, "Don’t you touch him! Do you have any idea who I am?!"
James Lockwood finally snapped out of it and hurried forward to mediate. "Miss... Miss Sterling, let’s talk this out calmly. There’s no need for violence."
But Cecilia Sterling paid James Lockwood no mind, instead walking step by step toward Henry Marshall, who was sprawled on the floor.
CLACK!
CLACK!
CLACK!
The sound of high heels on the concrete floor, each clack radiating immense pressure. Pinned to the ground with Duane’s knee in his back, unable to move, Henry Marshall finally felt a sliver of true fear welling up inside him.
’Who were these people?’
’Weren’t they gangsters?’
The tips of a pair of red high heels came to a stop right in front of him. Lying on the floor, he had to strain his neck just to look up at Cecilia Sterling’s face.
Cecilia Sterling tilted her head slightly, her expression faint but tinged with a chilling cold.
"Which hand did you use to touch my sister?"
It was such a classic line. In the movies, whenever someone asked that, it meant someone was about to lose a hand.
And judging by their ruthless demeanor, these people were clearly not joking.
Henry Marshall was terrified. His eyes darted around in panic and his lips trembled as he cried for help, "Dad! Dad! Save me, Dad!"
"What do you want?" Winston Marshall was growing nervous, too, but he maintained a calm facade. He looked at Cecilia Sterling, swallowing his humiliation and rage. "If you hurt him, I won’t let this go. I don’t care who you are, I will fight you to the death!"
Cecilia Sterling didn’t doubt for a second that he meant it, saying such words for his son.
’But wasn’t she here for her own sister?’
She slowly crouched down, looked into Henry Marshall’s terrified eyes, and asked again, "Which hand did you use to touch my sister?"
"Who... who’s your sister?" Henry Marshall asked, his voice hoarse.
"Lily Sterling."
"N-no." Henry Marshall shook his head frantically. "I didn’t touch her. I was with another..."
"Lying to me?" Cecilia Sterling cut off his excuses, her expression eerily calm. "In that case, I’ll just take both of your hands."
"No, I’m not lying!" Henry Marshall was so frightened he started to wail. "I really didn’t touch her! I—I just lost my temper and cursed at her a little!"
Henry Marshall’s body was trembling. He was utterly terrified because this stunningly beautiful woman before him kept speaking in the most nonchalant tone.
But every word she said was horrifying!
’It felt like she was going to rip both his arms off in the next second!’
And he wasn’t intentionally hiding anything from Cecilia Sterling; he genuinely couldn’t remember. Touching Lily Sterling’s cheek had been a subconscious act, not a deliberate one.
People often have only vague memories of their subconscious actions. Moreover, the terrifying atmosphere had robbed him of his ability to think and recall clearly.
"I was wrong, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have provoked her. I can apologize to her," Henry Marshall sobbed, looking at Cecilia Sterling. "But I really don’t remember touching her. We don’t even have any scenes together."
This was also the first time James Lockwood had seen this side of Cecilia Sterling, and for a moment, he too was stunned into a daze.
But this was a film set, after all. *Heavenly Destiny as Phoenix* had cost him his entire fortune; he absolutely could not let the situation escalate.
’If Miss Sterling really crippled Henry Marshall’s arms and legs, wouldn’t that be a complete disaster?’
So, despite his apprehension, he still walked over and crouched down beside Cecilia Sterling. "Miss Sterling, can’t we sit down and discuss this? You see, Henry Marshall has apologized. Besides, you’ve invested in this project, and Chairman Marshall has invested as well. Why must we let it get to this point?"
Hearing this, Cecilia Sterling’s gaze drifted lightly onto James Lockwood, and he immediately shut his mouth.
A cold glint shone in her eyes, filled with displeasure for James Lockwood.
"President Lockwood, I have bailed out your company’s projects unconditionally more than once. Is this how you repay me?"
Her one sentence made James Lockwood’s entire body go tense.
Cecilia looked at him and said, "Why did his father get here before I did? This piece of scum has his father to back him up, but what about my sister? If I hadn’t come today, how were you planning to ’talk things out’? And who would you be talking things out with?"
As she spoke, she glanced at the restrained Winston Marshall. "Would *he* have talked things out calmly with my sister?"
"Miss Sterling, you misunderstand. You see, I came here personally to help your sister resolve this matter," James Lockwood hurriedly explained.
Cecilia Sterling sneered. "And did you resolve it?"
"I..."
James Lockwood was at a loss for words.
Indeed, he had not handled the matter well.
Cecilia Sterling let out a soft breath and slowly stood up. Then, she nodded at Duane.
At the signal, Duane hauled Henry Marshall to his feet. Terrified, Henry’s body went limp, and he swayed like a boneless heap for a moment before finding his footing.
Then, she gestured for the other two men to release Winston Marshall before walking over to the sofa and taking a seat herself.
Winston Marshall didn’t make any sudden moves; he didn’t dare to. He just looked at Cecilia Sterling in confusion, wondering what she was planning next.
"Have a seat," Cecilia Sterling said softly, her tone so calm it was as if everything that had just transpired had nothing to do with her.
James Lockwood and the others exchanged glances but still obediently sat down to one side.
Cecilia Sterling raised her eyes to Winston Marshall and spoke softly, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Cecilia Sterling. I’m Lily Sterling’s older sister."
Winston Marshall had been a major player in Lorcain’s business circles for many years. His corporation was substantial, and his network was extensive, yet he had never heard the name Cecilia Sterling.
He said solemnly, "I am the chairman of Lorcain’s Zenith Group. My name is Winston Marshall."
’From Lorcain?’
The moment they heard Winston Marshall was from Lorcain, Duane and his men couldn’t help but let out snickers.
What a coincidence.