My Fiancé's Scandals Never End, So I Married His Uncle Instead-Chapter 34: What Goes Around, Comes Around

Hearing the familiar name, Celia Sterling lowered her head slightly, subconsciously taking one sip of her drink after another.

On the other end, Declan Norwood was silent for a long time. His tone was no longer as fluent as before, and his voice was slightly hoarse. "Uncle, why don’t you and... you guys go ahead."

Silas Norwood had no intention of ending the video call. "The mining proposal you just mentioned has several points that aren’t supported by data."

Now that the topic was open, he clearly had no intention of ending the call.

Declan Norwood’s voice was listless. "Oh. I analyzed some of the local policies from recent years, starting from the year before last..."

His voice was intermittent, a clear sign he was severely distracted and performing poorly. After finally managing to stumble through his points, his voice grew even hoarser.

"Uncle, can we just stop here for today?"

"Tell me your thoughts on the strategic plan for the oil fields." Silas Norwood looked at his nephew. "The executives over there worked for more than half a year on that proposal, and you rejected it outright. You need to give an explanation."

Declan Norwood fell silent for a moment. "There are two parts that I feel are unreasonable..."

In the rest area, Theo Chambers was chatting quietly with Celia Sterling. "Miss Sterling, if there’s anything you particularly like to eat, you can tell me. I’ll have it prepared for you the next time you visit."

Celia said, "Oh. No, that’s alright. I’m watching my weight lately. I’m planning to learn from your boss, the one who seems to live on air."

"Learn from my boss?" Theo Chambers thought of the large takeout orders he was constantly bringing the man. "He eats quite a lot, and he often has a late-night meal."

Celia Sterling had only eaten with Silas Norwood twice. Once was the light, simple meal at The Dynasty Restaurant, and the other was the family banquet at Jade Orchid Manor. Recalling the untouched food in front of him on both occasions, she gave Theo Chambers a peculiar look.

"Chief Assistant Chambers, your definition of ’eating a lot’ seems to be a little different from the average person’s..."

Over on the call, Silas Norwood shot Theo Chambers a glance. Theo Chambers didn’t know what it was for, but he wisely stopped talking.

Things weren’t going so well on Declan Norwood’s end.

He had just managed to regain his composure and was continuing his report intermittently, but from the other side of the video call came the voice that drove him to distraction. That voice, so sweet and soft, should have had nothing to do with him anymore, yet it still shattered his heart to pieces.

"Uncle." Declan Norwood couldn’t hold it in any longer, and his eyes reddened. "Can we talk about this tomorrow? Please?"

Silas Norwood watched his distraught state for a long time before giving a faint nod. "Send me a copy of your analysis after the meeting."

Hearing this, Declan Norwood made a hasty retreat.

Back in the office, Theo Chambers was a little distracted.

For some reason, he recalled the time when the Eldest Young Master Norwood was head over heels in love.

During several video conferences that his boss had sat in on back then, the freewheeling Eldest Young Master Norwood was always dismissive. He would get distracted multiple times, regardless of the inappropriate setting, and secretly chat with his girlfriend. The incessant "baby, baby" was enough to make Theo Chambers’s ears burn. But his boss would say nothing, pretending not to hear, even as the aura around him felt like an impending avalanche—a chill that seeped into your bones.

Who would have thought back then that the tables would turn, and the Eldest Young Master Norwood would become the one left on the outside?

’But a man as noble and aloof as the boss probably wouldn’t deign to get jealous over a junior or settle old scores... would he?’

The secretarial department soon delivered the files from Solisia.

Seeing Silas Norwood’s gaze fall upon Celia Sterling, Theo Chambers discreetly stepped out.

Celia Sterling sipped her juice as she gazed at the scenery outside. Her hair was already pinned up, and beneath her loose shawl, the delicate, smooth lines of her shoulder blades were faintly visible. Lower down, her waist was so slender it looked as if one could wrap a single hand around it.

Silas Norwood forced his gaze away. He turned, took a bottle of ice water that was frozen into a slushy state from the refrigerator, and leaned against it with his back to Celia Sterling, drinking with a semblance of elegance. The heat stirring inside him was difficult to suppress.

"Silas?" From behind him came Celia Sterling’s puzzled voice.

It took Silas Norwood a moment to recover. He casually set down the ice water and walked toward Celia Sterling. "Yes? I was just thinking about something. My apologies."

He sat down opposite her, deliberately not looking at her.

"I brought you something to eat, Silas." Celia Sterling, unaware that Silas Norwood had been repeatedly spacing out, pointed to the exquisite pastries on the white coffee table. "This dessert shop is excellent. I often bring some for my brother. I’m not sure if you’ll like them, Silas."

Silas Norwood didn’t have a sweet tooth. But he could hear the hope in Celia Sterling’s voice, so he replied gently, "I like them."

"We were originally supposed to have lunch together." Celia Sterling checked the time on her phone. "But at eleven, there’s a new product launch for a jewelry brand under The Sterlings, and I need to be there."

"It’s no problem. We can schedule it for another time." Silas Norwood’s tone was very gentle. "It’s going to be very windy in Metropia this afternoon. I’ve already asked Theo Chambers to get a coat. Cece, you should wear it when you go out."

"But I have..." Celia Sterling gestured to her shawl.

"It’s practically all openwork," Silas Norwood said, his mind on the faint fragrance wafting from beneath the see-through fabric. "What is that going to cover?"

When Celia Sterling left, she was wearing a coat that, despite its light and soft texture, completely covered her back.

Celia Sterling looked at herself in the mirror for a long time. "It doesn’t go with my formal dress."

Silas Norwood acted as if he hadn’t heard and got up. "I’ll take you there."

"Aren’t you busy, Silas?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Silas Norwood glanced at the thick pile of documents on his desk waiting for approval and said calmly, "Not busy."

At the product launch, Celia Sterling only made an appearance for a few minutes, spending most of her time sitting in the VIP section below the stage. Silas Norwood had accompanied her directly to the venue and, instead of leaving, stood in a hidden corner. Watching the media’s incessant camera flashes as Celia Sterling appeared, he gave a quiet order to his bodyguards:

"Notify the media. From now on, her face in any photos must be blurred."

He paused, then added, "Pick out the clear ones and send them to me."

After the product launch, reporters from several major media companies were pulled aside for a "private chat" by two different groups of bodyguards, one after the other. They all looked rather uneasy as they left.

A reporter from an up-and-coming media outlet stared blankly at the few photos left on his high-definition camera.

"I took over five hundred photos, and they were deleted until only about thirty are left. How am I going to explain this back at the office?"

"Are you new?" a reporter from another outlet said dismissively. "The woman you were just desperately taking pictures of is a conglomerate heiress. Years ago, all of us in the major media outlets received a warning not to put her photos online. Didn’t you see that even the Sterling Conglomerate’s official website only has one picture of her, and it’s blurred?"

"But they copied our photos just now..."

A reporter from a third outlet was unfazed. "The Sterling Family’s bodyguards always make a copy of any good, high-definition photos before they order you to delete them. It’s standard procedure."

The reporter from the new outlet was bewildered. "But there were two groups just now. Besides The Sterlings’ bodyguards, who was the other one?"

"Who else could it be?" a reporter in the know lowered his voice. "Didn’t you see the crest on those bodyguards’ lapels? The ultimate big boss of our world."

Whether they understood or not, everyone went silent.