Chapter 70
Willow felt Sterling was about to see right through her.
She kept her head down, her eyes darting nervously, dreading that Sterling might directly ask if she was the woman that night.
"Maybe..." she began, wracking her brain for an appropriate response.
Sterling's fingers tapped the table, drawing Willow's attention. Then he spoke in a contemplative tone, "There was another woman at the guest house that night."
Willow's heart leapt to her throat. She nearly bent her silverware with tension, struggling to maintain her composure.
"The woman from the Smith family was there too," Sterling continued.
Willow's shoulders gradually relaxed as she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She'd forgotten about Rachel.
That night, Rachel had been in Charles's bed, which is why Willow had automatically excluded her as a possibility.
"It wasn't her," she answered without thinking.
The tapping stopped. "Why not?" Sterling asked, his tone unreadable.
Willow opened her mouth to explain, then realized that mentioning Charles and Rachel were together that night would only make herself look more suspicious.
She bit her lip and changed course. "Rachel is in love with Charles. She has no reason—and certainly not the courage—to scheme against you."
Sterling's gaze lingered on her face. "So your divorce from Charles... is it because of her?"
Willow was surprised by the sudden shift back to her own situation, but relieved he'd stopped probing about that night. "Mr. Lancaster—"
"There's no one else here," Sterling interrupted. "We're discussing personal matters. Just call me Uncle Sterling."
"Uncle Sterling," Willow adjusted smoothly, "if you want the truth, the main reason is that after marriage, I discovered Charles wasn't who I thought he was. More precisely, after our wedding, he revealed aspects of himself I couldn't accept."
She met Sterling's gaze directly. "You've witnessed some of what happened yourself."
Charles sleeping with Rachel on their wedding night was merely the first wound in their marriage. Everything that followed had shown Willow the true nature of their relationship.
Even without Rachel, divorce was inevitable.
Sterling made no comment. Charles's behavior after marriage had surprised him too.
Initially, when Charles had asked for his help convincing Penelope to accept Willow, Sterling had believed Charles truly loved her—after all, they'd been together for eight years.
But after the wedding, what Sterling had observed suggested otherwise.
"Since you've decided to divorce, handle your relationship properly. Don't let personal matters affect your work," Sterling advised.
He appeared to be dropping the subject of that night.
Willow's heart settled back into place. "I will—" She suddenly realized something and looked up at Sterling, her eyes brightening. "Uncle Sterling... does that mean I passed the interview?"
Why else would he mention not letting it affect her work?
Sterling realized he'd given himself away and frowned slightly. But seeing Willow's radiant, excited smile, he didn't have the heart to disappoint her and tacitly confirmed her conclusion.
Learning she'd passed the Lancaster Group's interview, Willow immediately pushed all other concerns aside.
This job meant she was officially beginning her new life.
"Thank you, Mr. Lancaster—I mean,Uncle Sterling!" she exclaimed with renewed energy. "I promise to work hard and not disappoint you!"
Sterling's lips curved slightly. "Don't thank me yet. You passed the interview on your own merit."
"But you gave me the opportunity," Willow insisted.
The news lightened the atmosphere considerably for the remainder of their meal.
Willow occasionally asked questions about the Lancaster Group, which Sterling answered selectively.
Their lunch lasted nearly two hours.
Perhaps from sitting too long, Willow experienced a moment of dizziness as they left the private room, stumbling slightly. Sterling steadied her with a timely hand.
"Are you feeling unwell?" he asked, noting her pallor.
"I'm fine," Willow said after regaining her composure. "Probably just from sitting too long."
Sterling didn't press further and led her out.
The restaurant owner was waiting at the entrance.
Willow immediately thought of the expensive bill, but then reminded herself she'd soon be working at the Lancaster Group—a little financial pain was worth it.
"How much do we owe?" she politely asked the owner.
The owner glanced at her, then at Sterling behind her. "Ha! Mr. Lancaster is our lifetime member—the kind that doesn't pay. Didn't he tell you?"
Willow blushed deeply, turning back to look at Sterling with embarrassment.
He had clearly done this deliberately.
A fleeting smile crossed Sterling's eyes as he walked past her, exchanged a few casual words with the owner, and bid farewell.
"Why didn't you tell me we didn't have to pay, Uncle Sterling?" Willow couldn't help but ask once outside, her voice a mix of embarrassment and indignation.
Sterling unlocked the car. "I don't make a habit of letting women treat me," he said simply.
Willow felt foolish. She'd wanted to thank Sterling for his help, but instead had enjoyed an expensive meal at no cost.
This lunch didn't count, then. She'd need to find another way to express her gratitude...
"Get in. I'll drive you home," Sterling said, tapping the car window when he noticed her lost in thought.
"That's not necessary. I can take a taxi," Willow replied.
"It's on my way," Sterling stated.
Willow recalled that they had indeed passed near the police station on their way here, so she obediently got into the car.
The vehicle pulled away from the restaurant.
At that same moment, Rachel and Penelope emerged from inside.
"Was that Ster just now? Why didn't you tell me?" Penelope asked the owner, having glimpsed Sterling's retreating form.
"Mr. Lancaster brought a guest. They appeared to have business to discuss," the owner replied.
Penelope thought the woman with Sterling had looked familiar.
"I think it was Willow," Rachel remarked.
Penelope's face immediately darkened. She thought so too. It had to be Willow—it couldn't be a coincidence that both she and Rachel had recognized her.
She knew it! That Willow was trouble! Barely through the Lancaster family's door and already cozying up to Sterling!
It was because of Willow that Sterling had expelled her from the Lancaster family!
Fuming, Penelope grabbed Rachel, intending to find Charles immediately and report what they'd seen.
Just as they were about to leave, the restaurant owner presented them with a bill. "Your total comes to $2,324. I'll round it down—$2,000 will be fine."
"Do you know who I am?" Penelope demanded coldly.
She had always used the Lancaster family name and had never paid before.
"It's precisely because I know who you are that I'm asking you to pay," the owner replied.
Penelope's expression turned ugly. She grudgingly paid before storming out with Rachel.