Chapter 139: Chapter 139: So Hesitant, Afraid She’ll Dump You?

Hugo Sterling had just been at Noelle Sutton’s small apartment, where he got a quick rundown of the situation.

Tristan Lawson had wanted to discuss the divorce with Noelle Sutton, so he brought her home, but he ended up getting angry and trying to force himself on her.

For a man to tie a woman’s wrists with a tie in bed and rip her clothes... well, that sort of thing could be judged as either a big deal or nothing at all. It all depended on how the court ruled.

In Tristan Lawson’s mind, he probably didn’t think it was a big deal. If he found out Noelle Sutton was including this incident as evidence in the divorce suit, he would likely have his lawyers find a way around it.

It would be difficult to define legally at that point.

So, it was best to keep it from him.

"It’s almost dinnertime. Want to go out for a drink? You helped me pull that data, so I’ve already set up dinner. I invited Adrian."

"I’m busy."

Tristan Lawson refused outright.

Noelle Sutton was planning to go abroad with Smith the day after tomorrow. He was short on time.

"You already know she lives here. Just grab dinner and come back. It’s not like she can run away, can she?" Hugo Sterling twisted the knife. "So hesitant. Don’t have any confidence in yourself? Afraid she’ll dump you?"

Tristan Lawson’s expression darkened, but he turned around. "Let’s go."

Hugo Sterling smiled and left with him.

His main goal was to buy Noelle Sutton more time.

When Tristan Lawson and Hugo Sterling arrived at the restaurant, Adrian Grant was already there.

Adrian Grant asked curiously, "You didn’t invite Kyle Sawyer?"

"I did, but he’s at the hospital with Sophie Hughes. He said he didn’t want to see Tristan, so he’s not coming."

"I haven’t even settled scores with him, and *he’s* the one who can’t stand me?"

Tristan Lawson was extremely frustrated.

Hugo Sterling said with a straight face, "Maybe he just thinks you’re too much of a scumbag."

Tristan Lawson’s expression turned utterly foul.

Adrian Grant watched the drama unfold with amusement. After a moment, he pulled a cigarette from its case and offered it to Tristan Lawson.

After lighting it, Tristan Lawson took a deep drag and, exhaling a smoke ring, said, "That guy is either chasing women or on his way to chase women. How does he have the nerve to call *me* a scumbag?"

Hugo Sterling explained, "He’s not married, so it’s all just for fun. The women he’s been with get what they’re owed—cars, houses, you name it. They all sing his praises. No one thinks he’s a scumbag."

"Now, don’t say that," Adrian Grant cut in. "You make it sound like Tristan can’t even compare to Kyle. Can Kyle really be compared to Tristan? They’re on completely different levels."

Adrian Grant’s words sounded fine on the surface, almost like a compliment, yet they carried the sting of a subtle jab.

Tristan Lawson’s gaze grew even darker. He shot a cold glare at Hugo Sterling. "Did you invite me to dinner to thank me, or to have me sit here and listen to you two gang up on me?"

"I swear, that wasn’t my intention," Hugo Sterling said, looking innocent. He then pointed at Adrian Grant. "He’s the one who brought up Kyle. I was just answering honestly."

"Hey, don’t drag me into this. You’re the host, you invited Tristan to dinner. I’m just here for moral support." Adrian Grant quickly changed the subject. "By the way, Tristan helped you with that big data search. Does this mean you’re close to finding your little sister?"

"We’ve been searching for twenty years and found nothing. I don’t dare get my hopes up too high. I’ve sent people to investigate first, and then we’ll narrow down the list and do DNA tests."

The subject made Hugo Sterling quite melancholic.

His little sister had been so sweet and adorable, the treasured jewel of the Sterling Family. Ever since she went missing, his mother had fallen ill from grief, her health declining year after year.

Adrian Grant offered some comfort. "Don’t be so down. Things are completely different now than they were twenty years ago. Technology has advanced so rapidly. Maybe you’ll find her this time."

Tristan Lawson couldn’t help but think of the birthmark on Noelle Sutton’s chest. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Her information hadn’t appeared in his big data search.

If someone took a photo, posted it online, or even just mentioned it in a chat, it could be captured by the big data system.

Without these digital footprints, his platform, no matter how powerful its big data capabilities, wouldn’t find a thing.

Since Noelle Sutton had never done anything of the sort, it was natural that she didn’t appear in the data.

She was conservative and reserved, and with her family gone, it was highly unlikely that this detail about her would have ever been revealed.

He was probably the only person besides Noelle herself who knew about her birthmark.

However, their ages didn’t match, so Tristan Lawson had already ruled her out.

So, Tristan Lawson reminded Hugo Sterling, "Big data can’t necessarily capture everyone. Don’t pin all your hopes on that data. If there are other viable avenues, you should try them, too."

Everyone knew it was undoubtedly like finding a needle in a haystack.

If the youngest Miss Sterling could still remember her childhood, or if, after growing up, she learned that her current family wasn’t her biological one and actively searched for her relatives, then finding her might have been easier.

But with no news for so many years, that scenario was all but ruled out.

And that was the optimistic view. The pessimistic one was that she was no longer alive, in which case finding her would be truly impossible.

The waiter arrived with their food, and they were about to begin eating.

Meanwhile, Noelle Sutton had just about finished her discussion with Attorney Miller. She had typed up all the incidents and information she could provide. As for evidence, she could supply some of it, but other pieces would require the lawyer to collect.

"Miss Sutton, I’ll handle the evidence gathering from here. If you need to go abroad, you can do so without worry. I’ll notify you in advance to return once the court date is set."

There were quite a few leads for him to follow.

For example, the school security guards and the hospital nurses all treated Sophie Hughes as Tristan Lawson’s wife and Joshua Lawson’s mother.

All of it was solid evidence.

Then there was the matter of them staying in hotels together. With the right approach, he could retrieve the check-in records.

And it had happened more than once.

Crestfall, Cygnus—they had traveled to both places together.

Noelle Sutton handed the chat logs from the school’s parent group directly to Attorney Miller.

The news about Tristan Lawson bidding on the crown for Sophie Hughes could be found with a simple web search.

And, of course, there was the swan brooch.

And then there were the bank transfer records Noelle Sutton received every time she had to make herself scarce.

One hardly dared to list them all one by one.

If they were all laid out, the list would feel endless.

Attorney Miller believed that as long as the evidence was sufficient, the lawsuit would be successful.

However, Attorney Miller’s advice was to sue on the grounds of irreconcilable differences, claiming the marriage had broken down.

After all, they had no evidence to prove whether Tristan Lawson and Sophie Hughes had a sexual relationship.

If the opposing counsel refuted the claim on that basis, the lawsuit could fail.

Noelle Sutton agreed to follow Attorney Miller’s advice. He was the professional, after all, and winning the case was what mattered most.

Noelle Sutton offered to treat Attorney Miller to dinner, but he would never dare accept. He worked for the Sterling Group; his boss had sent him here to do a job. He made an excuse about having other business to attend to and quickly left.

After getting into his car, Attorney Miller sat for a moment and sent a text to Hugo Sterling.

_CEO Sterling, I’ve finished speaking with Mrs. Lawson. The amount of information is staggering. Once all this evidence is collected, it will absolutely be enough for a court to rule that their marriage has broken down. Are we really going to help her fight this case?_

In truth, Attorney Miller was trembling.

The Sterling Family and the Lawson Family were quite close, and Hugo Sterling and Tristan Lawson were good friends. Helping to break up Tristan Lawson’s marriage was bound to cause a massive fallout.