Chapter 196 - 194: Hitting Someone
The property management guy pulled his water truck to the side of the road, sticking his head out the window to look at the two little ginger cats. "Those two little guys, they showed up around here at the start of spring. One of the young women from our office feeds them regularly."
"We don’t really have any stray animals in the complex, just these two cats who pop up out of nowhere. I haven’t seen them for a few days, actually."
"Be careful, Miss Sterling. Don’t let them scratch or bite you. They’re strays, after all, and it’d be a real pain if you got hurt."
Cecilia Sterling smiled and thanked him, then watched as the man slowly drove the water truck away. The fine mist it sprayed refracted the light, creating a rainbow-colored halo.
"Meow..."
The little ginger cat rubbed its fluffy head against Cecilia Sterling’s hand, looking utterly adorable.
"Do you want to come home with me?" Cecilia Sterling asked the kitten, her expression gentle.
"Meow..."
"Sigh." Cecilia Sterling let out a soft sigh and slowly stood up. ’There’s often no one home these days, so I can’t have a pet. Otherwise, I would’ve gotten one ages ago.’
The two ginger kittens circled Cecilia Sterling’s feet twice before darting into the roadside bushes and vanishing from sight.
Cecilia Sterling didn’t dwell on it. She drove home and started a video call with her mother.
When the call connected, Jasmine Sterling was at her sister’s shop. Cecilia Sterling saw this and asked in surprise, "Mom, isn’t my uncle out of the hospital yet?"
"He’s out, but his burn can’t get wet yet. The shop is all steamy and humid, and since I don’t have much else to do, it’s no trouble to help your aunt out for a bit."
Cecilia Sterling nodded in understanding.
Jasmine Sterling looked to be in excellent spirits. Her skin was firm and smooth, her complexion was rosy, and she had even lost some weight.
’Looks like those beauty treatments and Dance classes were worth it.’ The results were particularly noticeable on her mother, making her look much younger than before.
"Mom, I saw Mr. Jennings yesterday," Cecilia Sterling said bluntly.
Jasmine Sterling’s eyes widened in surprise. "You saw him? It’s been so long with no news, I thought you hadn’t even contacted him."
Her daughter had mentioned wanting to approach the Jennings Group about a new project, but Jasmine Sterling figured a corporation that massive wouldn’t be easy to partner with. Since her daughter hadn’t brought it up again, she had assumed the matter was likely dead in the water.
She never expected Cecilia to suddenly announce she had met him.
Cecilia then told her mother what had happened the day before. She didn’t need to go into too much detail, just enough for her mother to know that she was truly investing and earning money. This would give her mother a sense of where her wealth was coming from, so she wouldn’t worry whenever Cecilia spent money.
A partnership with the Jennings Group had unquestionable credibility. In the future, when her mother came to Lorcain, she wouldn’t have any more doubts.
"In that case, this Mr. Jennings has helped you out immensely!" Jasmine Sterling exclaimed.
Cecilia Sterling nodded. "He did. Mr. Jennings didn’t even think twice about it. He put us in direct contact with their department head."
"Then you must thank him properly."
"He’s the chairman of the Jennings Group; he doesn’t want for anything. As long as our project is good enough, it will be a major asset for the Jennings Group, too. The best outcome is for this partnership to be a win-win for everyone."
Jasmine Sterling didn’t understand the intricacies of business, but she knew that when someone helps you, you must thank them. It was a matter of common courtesy.
Just as she hung up, Yvonne Sterling arrived. Jasmine pulled her over and asked, "Yvonne, do you think we could ship some of our roasted meats to Lorcain?"
"Lorcain? You’re sending them to Cecilia?"
Yvonne Sterling shook her head. "That won’t work. Our food is meant to be eaten fresh. No matter how fast the shipping is, it’ll still be overnight. Even if it doesn’t spoil, the taste will be much, much worse."
"Besides, you can get anything in Lorcain. If Cecilia wants roasted meats, don’t you think she can find a place there?"
Jasmine Sterling quickly explained, "It’s not for Cecilia. Do you remember that time I saved someone at the restaurant...?"
After briefly explaining the situation to Yvonne, Jasmine added, "I think Cecilia has a point. A big boss like him doesn’t want for anything, so a store-bought gift wouldn’t feel very sincere."
"But you still can’t send him roasted meats!" Yvonne laughed. "This stuff... even if you took an early flight to deliver it yourself, the trip is what, five or six hours? Being sealed up for that long would ruin the texture."
Jasmine Sterling nodded, thinking that Yvonne had a point.
"Look, if you ask me, it’s better not to send anything if you don’t know what to give. You don’t want to just grab something in a panic and send something he doesn’t even like. That would just cause more trouble. A big-shot CEO like him definitely isn’t lacking for anything."
Jasmine Sterling understood the logic, but she felt it was the thought that counted. As long as the gift was heartfelt, she was sure he would appreciate the gesture.
Otherwise, with Cecilia having received such a huge favor, they couldn’t just accept it with a clear conscience.
She wanted to do something for her daughter.
But her mind was a complete blank. She didn’t know how to help, and she was also afraid that, just as Yvonne had warned, she’d end up making things worse and creating problems for her daughter.
*
Lily Sterling’s filming schedule had accelerated recently. Whenever a set was ready for one of her scenes, the director would prioritize shooting with her.
This was especially true of the assistant director. After the last incident, he’d gotten a glimpse of just how formidable the people backing Lily Sterling were. He had always treated her well, but now he was even more accommodating.
Inevitably, rumors were now swirling around the set. While the incident hadn’t been leaked online, many people on the crew had seen the miserable state Henry Marshall was in.
He was an investor’s son, after all. The fact that Lily Sterling and Suzanne Sawyer had emerged from the incident completely unscathed—and had even managed to teach Henry Marshall a lesson and get him kicked off the set—led everyone to speculate about the convoluted story behind the scenes.
Some thought Suzanne Sawyer was the one with powerful connections.
But most believed it was Lily Sterling who had a powerful figure supporting her.
Lily Sterling had asked the assistant director about it, but he refused to say anything, claiming only that the production company had handled it.
"Lily, are you holding up okay? You have to take care of yourself, even if we’re rushing to finish."
Seeing Lily work nonstop for several days, Yuna couldn’t help but worry.
Lily Sterling offered a small smile and shook her head, indicating she was fine. "Connie has it all scheduled. It’s exhausting, but I can handle it."
Finn had made her some brown sugar ginger tea, which Yuna took and handed to her. "Here, drink this. Your period started today, so don’t push yourself. You have to tell me if you feel unwell at all, okay?"
"Okay, I will. Don’t worry."
Just then, the half-open door to the break room was pushed open. Jessica Reynolds stood there with a smirk, knocking on the doorframe. She looked at Lily and said, "Lily, dear, there’s quite a commotion outside. Aren’t you going to go see?"
At her words, Lily instinctively exchanged a glance with Yuna before turning to Jessica and asking softly, "Jessica, what’s going on?"
Yuna cut in, "Lily, let’s not get involved. You need to get changed for the next scene soon."
Jessica Reynolds continued as if she hadn’t heard Yuna, "Andrew Sutton hit someone. And from what I hear, it has something to do with you."