He Wouldn't Claim Me — Another Man Did-Chapter 38 - 34: Fate

Shane Sterling was at the school today to help Chloe Kerr with her enrollment procedures.

Ever since the incident with the Meritopia Song and Dance Troupe, Chloe Kerr’s mental state hadn’t been great, and Ezra Sterling was by her side almost every day.

Although he couldn’t speak, he did everything he could to console her. He took her traveling to see the world, wrote her bad jokes to make her laugh, and even wrote poetry and painted pictures to cheer her up...

With Ezra Sterling’s companionship and guidance, Chloe Kerr’s condition gradually improved. Last week, Chloe suddenly said she wanted to go back to school.

Chloe Kerr had once been a student at Meritopia Dance Academy but had dropped out due to tuition issues. She wasn’t sure if she could get her student status reinstated. As it turned out, Shane Sterling was on good terms with the academy’s principal, so Ezra Sterling asked his older brother for help.

It was something that could have been handled with a single phone call, but Shane Sterling knew how protective his younger brother was of Chloe Kerr. For the sake of his brother’s love life, he decided to make the trip in person.

Who would have thought this trip would have an "unexpected bonus"?

After leaving the school, Shane Sterling was in a terrible mood. It was especially bad when a glance in the rearview mirror showed Ezra Sterling and Chloe Kerr holding hands sweetly in the back seat. The sight made him repeatedly recall the scene of Silas Lockwood and Isla Prescott holding hands in the school cafeteria.

After dropping Ezra Sterling and the others off, Shane Sterling headed to his company. He had two meetings that afternoon, but even being busy couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling in his heart.

Once he was done with work, he canceled his dinner plans and went to Nocturne.

Ivan Fulton was on leave today and was summoned by him for a drink.

After a few drinks, Shane Sterling tossed his phone to Ivan Fulton.

"Call Isla Prescott. Tell her I’m drunk and to come pick me up."

Ivan Fulton was utterly bewildered. "What did I ever do to you?"

"Nothing."

"Then why are you torturing me like this? You know what happened last time I called Isabelle to come pick up Silas. It nearly ended in disaster. How can I possibly have the nerve to call her again?"

Shane Sterling shot him a look. "How come you do it when Silas Lockwood asks you to, but not when I do? Are you playing favorites?"

"That’s not it. We’re all bros. Are you really getting jealous over something like this?"

"Damn right I am."

Ivan Fulton thought Shane Sterling was acting a bit strange. He mulled it over for a few seconds, then it suddenly clicked. "When Silas gets drunk, he has Isabelle pick him up because she’s his sister. Why do you want Isabelle to pick you up when you’re drunk?"

Shane Sterling didn’t answer, just drank sullenly.

Ivan Fulton slung an arm around Shane Sterling’s shoulders and asked conspiratorially, "You don’t have feelings for Isabelle, do you?"

"I do like her. Is that a problem?"

Shane Sterling admitted it directly, without a second of hesitation. This time, it was Ivan Fulton who was left speechless.

For years, Shane Sterling had maintained a reputation for being a "wild and unrestrained" playboy, but his close friends knew that the only "wild" thing about him was his mouth. His love life was as blank as a sheet of paper. The one and only time there were rumors of an engagement, with the eldest daughter of the Quincy Family, he quickly sabotaged it himself.

People would sometimes joke with him, asking if he was gay, otherwise why wouldn’t he have a girlfriend after all these years? Shane Sterling would always find a vague way to dodge the question. No one ever expected that the real reason was that he already had someone in his heart!

"Dude, you really like Isabelle?" Ivan Fulton still found it incredible.

"Is there something wrong with your ears?"

"But how could you go after your bro’s sister? That’s way too close to home."

Shane Sterling thought, ’What’s so strange about me having designs on Isla Prescott? Silas Lockwood has designs on her himself.’

Ivan Fulton was still surprised, but on second thought, the two of them—one handsome, the other beautiful, both total knockouts—actually looked quite good together.

"Alright, just for your honesty, I’ll make this call for you, bro!"

Ivan Fulton used Shane Sterling’s phone to dial Isla Prescott’s number. He had even come up with an excuse for Shane, but the phone rang for a long time with no answer.

The hollow ringing echoed in the quiet private room, each one more agonizing than the last.

After an unknown number of rings, Shane Sterling suddenly snatched the phone back, ended the call, and immediately turned it off.

"Forget it," he said.

He had clearly seen her and Silas Lockwood back together, yet he was still scheming to call her out. It was a little shameless. Shane Sterling felt that her not answering might be fate’s way of telling him that even heaven disapproved of his sordid intentions.

"What do you mean, forget it?"

"I just don’t feel like calling anymore."

Ivan Fulton looked at Shane Sterling. He had always been a decisive man, so it was rare to see him so timid and hesitant. But this very cowardice was a litmus test for true love. These cautious moments, this hesitation that made his heart skip a beat, were proof that he had truly fallen for Isla Prescott.

KNOCK KNOCK.

A knock came from the door of the private room.

Ivan Fulton frowned. ’Who could be knocking at a time like this?’

"Who is it?" he called out.

The person outside recognized his voice. "Ethan, are you in there?"

It was Isla Prescott.

Shane Sterling and Ivan Fulton looked at each other at the same time. With a single glance, they were on the same page.

"Isabelle, I’m here!"

Ivan Fulton ran to the door. The moment he pulled it open, Shane Sterling had already slumped onto the sofa.

"Isabelle, what are you doing here?" Ivan Fulton asked, pleasantly surprised.

Just when Shane Sterling was disappointed that he couldn’t reach her, Isla Prescott had appeared at Nocturne as if by fate. This was a scene straight out of a soap opera.

"Annie asked me to come over to discuss something."

"What a coincidence!"

"Yeah. Is Sean in there? I just saw his car downstairs."

"Yeah, he’s here."

"He just called me, but my phone was on silent so I missed it. When I called back, his phone was already off. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, he’s drunk. He probably butt-dialed you." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Isla Prescott nodded. "As long as nothing’s wrong. I’ll get going then."

"Wait, are you and Annie done with your drinks?"

"We were just looking for a quiet place to talk; we didn’t drink." The third floor of Nocturne was quiet and offered good privacy. Plus, Annabelle Leighton had the year-round VIP premium service that Shane Sterling had gifted her, and as she said, it would be a waste not to use it.

"Perfect. Do me a favor." Ivan Fulton pulled Isla Prescott into the private room and pointed at Shane Sterling, who was sprawled on the sofa. "He’s drunk. Can you give him a ride?"

Isla Prescott looked at Ivan Fulton. She didn’t say a word, but her expression clearly spelled out six words: "You’re pulling this same crap again?"

Ivan Fulton felt a pang of guilt, but for Shane Sterling’s sake, he had to pretend he couldn’t see the disdain in Isla Prescott’s eyes.

"I’ve been drinking, so I can’t drive. I have to trouble you."

"Doesn’t Sean have a driver?"

"It’s so late, the drivers have all gone home."

"He has several drivers. There’s no way they all went home, right?"

"Yes, there’s definitely a driver on standby, but I don’t have the driver’s number." Ivan Fulton admired his own quick-wittedness.

Isla Prescott was silent for a few seconds. "But I don’t have a car."

Ivan Fulton shoved Shane Sterling’s car keys into her hand. "You can drive his car. I remember you have a driver’s license, right?"

Isla Prescott glanced at Shane Sterling.

She had to admit, compared to giving Silas Lockwood a ride, she didn’t mind the idea of taking Shane Sterling home at all.