Chapter 331
Watching the scene unfold before her, Willow's heart sank. Her grip tightened unconsciously around her phone.
From a distance, she looked toward Sterling.
He, too, was watching Harold on stage, his back to her. He, too, was watching Harold on stage, his back to her. Willow couldn't see his expression, but she could see Adeline's smiling profile.
Suddenly, the air felt oppressively heavy. She could barely breathe.
She'd contact Sterling after she left.
Unable to wait another second, she turned to go.
Behind her, Harold's smiling voice rang clearly through the microphone, echoing throughout the banquet hall.
"Thank you all for coming to celebrate Ster's birthday today. Everyone here is an old friend of the Lancaster family, so I'd like to take this opportunity to share some good news."
Harold paused. Guests who hadn't been paying attention all turned to look.
Having whetted everyone's appetite, Harold continued unhurriedly. "Ster's not getting any younger. I've been worried about his marriage for quite some time. Just moments ago, we finally settled things - in a few days, Ster will be getting engaged to Adeline Wilson."
As his words fell, the entire hall erupted.
When Adeline appeared earlier, people had already suspected as much. A union between the Lancaster and Wilson families was inevitable.
They just hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
Some quick-thinking guests immediately applauded in congratulation.
"Mr. Lancaster has always kept his distance from women - turns out he was waiting for Ms. Wilson! They're perfectly matched - a striking couple!"
"Ms. Wilson is truly exceptional. No one could be more suitable!"
"Haha, when's the wedding? For such a momentous occasion between the Lancaster and Wilson families, we'd better start preparing our gifts now!"
The banquet hall filled with cheerful laughter and chatter.
Willow's steps faltered, then she quickened her pace and left without looking back.
Meanwhile, Sterling, the supposed groom, stood in utter shock.
Elaine's expression changed, too. "What's going on? An engagement? Did I hear that wrong?"
She'd just been with Willow. Sterling had asked her to look after Willow.
Elaine refused to believe Sterling would pull the same stunt as Charles.
Seeing Sterling's expression, Elaine understood. She turned to look at Adeline.
"Ms. Wilson, care to explain?" Her voice was ice-cold.
Sterling's gaze dropped toward Adeline as well, his eyes terrifyingly dark.
Adeline looked equally panicked. "I... I had no idea either. I just received an invitation to your birthday party. How could this happen?"
She turned to Richard for help. "Grandfather..."
Richard's tone remained calm. "You're both of age - time to settle down. You'll need to make strategic marriages eventually. Since neither of you has found anyone suitable, Harold and I discussed it and felt you'd be ideal matches for each other."
He placed all the responsibility squarely on the two old men's shoulders.
Adeline's eyes widened in disbelief, speechless.
Elaine couldn't hold back. "What kind of joke is this? Marriage is a major life decision - who gave you the right to decide for them without their consent?"
She continued angrily, "Maybe Ms. Wilson doesn't have anyone suitable, but how do you know Ster doesn't either? Father, at your age, is this really how you're going to bully young people?"
She looked worriedly at her brother.
Sterling had turned into a massive block of ice, radiating waves of cold fury.
After a moment of silence, he stepped toward the stage.
Elaine guessed what he intended to do. After a brief hesitation, she didn't stop him.
Wallace was helping Harold down from the stage when they ran into Sterling.
Harold knew his son well. He immediately barked, "Stop right there!"
Sterling didn't pause.
Harold's voice turned cold. "If you dare say one word of refusal, I guarantee you'll see that Willow woman's corpse eventually! And her grandmother's too!"
Sterling's steps came to an abrupt halt.
Harold continued, "My patience has limits. I've warned you countless times to stay away from that Willow. You and Charles turned this house upside down over her, and I let it slide - I didn't touch her. But if you dare defy me again today, go ahead and test whether I'm a man of my word!"
"Dad!" Elaine was furious. "You know perfectly well that from start to finish, it was Charles who did wrong! That's why the family ended up this way!"
Harold roared back, "You shut your mouth too! Ster learned this from you - constantly opposing me at every turn!"
Wallace had already arranged for the media to leave. No longer hiding his emotions, Harold pounded his cane against the floor in rage. "I'm not dead yet, and you're all already rebelling! When I'm gone, are you planning to change the Lancaster name to Spencer?"
"I put the Lancaster Group in your hands myself, and I can take it back just as easily!" Harold said. "You're my son - I won't move against you. But that Willow? I absolutely won't let her off!"
In the vast banquet hall, guests still basked in the joy of the earlier announcement, offering congratulations. But between the Lancaster family members, tension crackled like gunfire.
For a long while, no one spoke.
Harold had always said Sterling resembled him in his youth, just without his ruthlessness.
Over the years, everyone could see it from how he treated his children.
When he said he'd go after Willow, he meant it. When he said he wanted her dead, he'd really make a move.
Elaine knew him best.
"Ster." She forced herself to calm down and grabbed Sterling's arm, preventing him from acting rashly.
Now wasn't the time to break with Harold.
Sterling's eyes filled with dark clouds.
Adeline seemed shaken by the Lancaster family drama. Finally recovering, she looked at Sterling and said softly, "Ster, I know you can't accept this. I only just found out too. If I'd known earlier, I definitely would have stopped it..."
She stepped in front of Sterling, carefully studying his expression. "Just calm down first. In a while, I'll find some excuse to publicly announce the engagement is off."
Sterling shot her a cold glance. "Get lost."
Adeline flinched at the look in his eyes, unconsciously stepping back.
After recovering, she spoke softly again. "If you're worried about that person, I can help explain to her too..."
Before she could finish, Elaine suddenly remembered something and looked toward where Willow had been standing.
Willow was gone.
Elaine's expression changed dramatically. "Ster."
Sterling realized it at the same moment.
He glanced at the microphone on stage, then at Harold blocking his path, his face cruel and unforgiving.
"Ster, Dad's doing this for your own good," Wallace hypocritically tried to smooth things over.
Sterling ignored him, his gaze heavy as he stared at Harold. His voice was cold. "You should know - I've never been one to let you control me."
Harold's expression shifted.
Before he could speak, Sterling turned and strode toward the banquet hall exit.
As the birthday party's guest of honor, and with Harold having just announced his engagement, everyone's attention was on Sterling.
Seeing him suddenly leave, his face visibly dark, guests sensed something was wrong.
The venue fell silent once again.