Chapter 290
"I'm sorry."
Willow stepped forward on her own, burying her head as she hugged Sterling. "I really know I was wrong. Sterling, please forgive me."
Surrounded by his familiar scent, Willow's long-unsettled emotions gradually calmed.
But she was still somewhat nervous.
Sterling hadn't hugged her back like he used to.
Was he still unsatisfied with her apology?
Willow held his waist and looked up at him from within his embrace, gazing at him earnestly. "I promise I'll discuss everything with you from now on. I won't do this again."
Sterling looked down at her without saying a word.
Willow slowly lowered her gaze. "Actually, I was really scared that night. I was already prepared to go complain to Mayor Thompson, but fortunately, Ms. Thompson appeared in time and stopped me."
At the time, she'd been forcing herself to hold on, wanting to tell Sterling when she saw him.
But she hadn't expected that for the next several days, she couldn't reach him at all.
Willow had no choice but to bury those feelings deep inside.
Now that Sterling was standing right in front of her, she finally dared to say it.
She just didn't know if Sterling would forgive her.
"I was wrong. As long as you can forgive me, I'll do anything," she said quietly.
"Know you were wrong now?" Sterling looked at Willow in his arms.
Willow nodded.
Sterling's gaze softened. He raised his hand to hold her waist and pulled her closer into his embrace, hugging her tighter.
After several days apart, Willow wasn't the only one who'd been thinking of him—he'd missed her just as much.
Willow heard him exhale heavily by her ear and say in a low voice, "I haven't slept well these past few days."
The weight on Willow's heart hadn't fully lifted yet, and hearing him say he hadn't slept well made her worry again.
Sterling didn't let her worry long before adding another sentence. "I should be able to sleep well tonight."
After speaking, he raised his hand to touch her warm nape.
The two held each other quietly for a good while.
Not until Luke couldn't hold it anymore and urgently tugged at Sterling's pant leg did Sterling release Willow and take Luke to the flower bed to relieve himself.
"Did you come to pick up Luke?" Willow thought Harold had released him.
Sterling sighed. "Not yet. Let him stay with you for a while longer."
Willow heard the implication and frowned worriedly.
Sterling kissed her reassuringly. "I'm fine. Just some disagreements with my father. He won't do anything to me."
After speaking, he handed Luke back to Willow. "Wait for me to contact you. If you need anything, find Elaine or Blake. Take care of yourself."
He'd come out today, according to Harold's arrangement to meet with Adeline.
He'd just been worried about Willow and came to check on her.
Now it was getting late—it was time for him to return.
After confirming he was alright, Willow relaxed. She watched him leave and returned with Luke.
When Sterling returned to the Lancaster Manor, it was already late at night.
Harold hadn't gone to sleep yet. He sat on the sofa with Wallace beside him.
During this time, with Sterling confined to the Lancaster Manor, Wallace had also moved in to prevent him from saying anything to Harold.
The two saw each other every day, and Sterling was gradually losing patience with him.
After Sterling returned and saw Wallace, he ignored him and only greeted Harold.
"Why are you back so late?" Harold was slightly displeased. "Adeline already went home and called me."
Sterling frowned slightly. "I went back to my apartment. What did she tell you?"
He'd told Adeline he would handle Harold himself, and she only needed to deal with her own family.
Harold studied him for a moment, his expression softening. "Adeline said you took good care of her, that dinner was very pleasant, and she plans to visit me with her grandfather another day."
Hearing this, Sterling's expression darkened slightly.
Harold didn't notice anything wrong at all. He said with relief, "I knew you'd like someone like Adeline. When you two met as children, you were indifferent to other girls but especially attentive to Adeline."
Sterling said coolly, "Did I? I don't remember much from childhood."
Even though Adeline and Harold kept bringing it up, he didn't remember ever meeting Adeline.
Harold gave him a reproachful look. "Anyway, since you both have good impressions of each other, spend more time together when you can and develop the relationship properly."
After speaking, he added, "Starting tomorrow, you can go back to work as usual. Your older brother has been away from the company too long—suddenly taking over these past few days, he's been overwhelmed."
Wallace wasn't very satisfied with Harold's explanation. "Dad..."
"Sterling understands the Lancaster Group better. You should still assist him." Harold recognized Sterling's capabilities more.
Seeing Harold's attitude, Wallace was displeased but didn't dare show it. He reluctantly agreed.
Sterling naturally had no objections. After agreeing, he went straight upstairs.
Downstairs.
After Sterling left, Harold also prepared to return to his room to rest.
"Dad." Wallace stopped Harold.
Harold thought he wanted to talk about company matters. "The Lancaster Group designated Ster as the person in charge so many years ago. Ster has proven his abilities. As long as he doesn't do anything to damage the Lancaster Group's reputation, he will remain in charge."
Wallace stood behind him. Hearing these words, his eyes filled with gloom.
Before Sterling, the Lancaster Group had been under his management for a period.
Under his leadership, the Lancaster Group hadn't had any problems and had been managed in perfect order.
Yet Harold was especially partial to Sterling.
That the Lancaster Group had developed—Wallace didn't believe Harold hadn't secretly shown favoritism.
"I wanted to say—are you really planning to let Ster be with that Wilson family girl?" He spoke with false sincerity. "The Wilson family is just a medical dynasty. They can't really help the Lancaster Group. Wouldn't it be better to choose more carefully?"
Sterling's position was already difficult to shake.
If he got married on top of that, the Lancaster family would truly fall into his hands.
Wallace naturally didn't want to see that happen.
Harold's thoughts were completely different from his.
"As long as they're well-matched and don't drag down the Lancaster family, that's fine," Harold said.
Anyone would be better than letting Sterling be with that Willow.
Although Sterling hadn't expressed any such intention, Harold just couldn't rest easy.
One Charles was already enough. If another scandal broke out with an uncle and his nephew's ex-wife together, the Lancaster family's reputation would truly be ruined.
Sterling also thought of Charles.
"Then... Charles—what do you plan to do with him? Are you really going to completely expel him from the Lancaster family?" he asked. "If Michael knew about this in heaven, he'd probably blame me for not taking good care of his son."
Although Charles had done wrong, he was still part of the Lancaster family and had a father who died young.
Harold still felt some compassion for him. "Have him go abroad for a while. When the storm passes, he can come back."
Wallace agreed.