Chapter 285: Chapter 285: Not Even Qualified to Ask
Chapter 285: Not Even Qualified to Ask
As luck would have it, the hotel’s chandelier had an accident today.
Ian Quinn said, "The day before the annual meeting, the hotel staff was still conducting relevant maintenance checks. However, they failed to address the aging expansion bolts on the chandelier in time. The police are now involved in the investigation."
Joanna Sutton couldn’t help but frown. "You mean someone did this on purpose."
Ian Quinn couldn’t deny it.
Over the years, Rowan had made quite a few enemies. It couldn’t be ruled out that someone would resort to such despicable methods. It was unclear whether the target was specifically Rachel Royce or just any of Rowan’s senior executives. There was no controlling exactly when a falling chandelier would come crashing down.
Ian Quinn looked at Rachel Royce and asked, "Rachel, are you okay?"
Rachel Royce shook her head. "I’m fine. Just a few scrapes."
"You’ve had a bad scare. Peter, why don’t you take Rachel home to rest? I’ll stay here and keep watch. I’ll call you when Julian wakes up."
Peter Preston agreed with a nod and looked at Rachel.
Joanna Sutton also told her to go home first.
"I’ll come back tomorrow morning, then."
"Okay."
Peter Preston left the hospital with Rachel Royce.
She had left her phone at the annual meeting venue.
Rachel Royce used Peter Preston’s phone to call Marcus Sheldon, asking him to deliver her bag to Hillcrest Villa.
Back home.
Marcus Sheldon had just arrived at the villa’s entrance.
Rachel Royce got out of the car.
Marcus Sheldon hurried forward and handed the bag to Rachel Royce, asking with concern, "Miss Evelynn, are you all right?"
Rachel Royce said, "I’m fine."
"And President Jennings?"
"His life isn’t in danger. Don’t worry."
Rachel Royce exchanged a few more words with Marcus Sheldon, then went into the villa.
Today, Florence Preston and Johnson Royce had taken Bobby to a neighboring city for a wedding banquet on the Preston family’s side. They hadn’t returned yet.
"What would you like to eat?" Peter Preston asked.
Rachel Royce said, "Anything is fine. A bowl of noodles will do."
She didn’t have much of an appetite right now.
Peter Preston asked the housekeeper to just make two bowls of egg noodles.
Rachel Royce went back to her bedroom. She sat on the sofa and looked at the missed calls on her phone. Six of them were from Tristan Sterling, and there was also a call from Thomas Sterling.
On their way here, Peter Preston had received a call from Thomas Sterling. He was on his way to Hillcrest Villa now.
「Ten minutes later.」
Three luxury cars pulled up, one after another, in front of the Royce family’s main gate.
Thomas Sterling pushed open his car door and got out. He was surprised to see Tristan Sterling and Alexander Sullivan getting out of their cars as well.
As the two men approached,
Thomas Sterling greeted, "Cousin."
Tristan Sterling grunted in acknowledgment. "Let’s go inside first."
The three of them entered the villa.
Peter Preston went to open the door. When he saw Tristan Sterling and Alexander Sullivan standing at the entrance, his expression darkened slightly.
He stepped aside.
Thomas Sterling walked in first. Seeing Rachel Royce coming down the stairs, safe and sound, he strode forward. "Rachel, are you all right?"
Rachel Royce pulled her gaze away from Tristan Sterling and Alexander Sullivan and said to Thomas, "I’m fine."
Thomas Sterling frowned. "What exactly happened at the venue? Didn’t the hotel do its maintenance checks beforehand?"
Rachel Royce replied, "It’s still unclear. The police are investigating."
"Well, as long as nothing major happened. Has Julian woken up yet?"
"I haven’t gotten a call from Ian yet, so he’s probably still in a coma. The doctor said his life isn’t in danger, and he should wake up by tomorrow."
Tristan Sterling stepped forward, looked at her, and asked, "You hurt your foot?"
Rachel Royce had indeed sprained her ankle. After being treated at the hospital, it didn’t hurt as much, but she still didn’t dare put too much weight on it when walking. However, it wasn’t noticeable unless you looked closely.
Rachel Royce said, "It’s nothing serious."
Tristan Sterling asked, "Do you want to come back with me tonight?"
"I’m staying home."
Tristan Sterling didn’t press the issue, simply humming in agreement with an exceptionally gentle tone. "Then I’ll bring Melissa to see you tomorrow."
Rachel Royce replied, "There’s no need for that yet. Just let her stay at the Sterling residence for now."
"Alright, then."
Alexander Sullivan stood behind Tristan and Thomas Sterling, listening silently. Seeing that Rachel was all right, he felt relieved.
’He really doesn’t even have the right to ask about her now.’
Peter Preston said, "President Sterling, President Jennings is going to be fine. You should go now."
Rachel Royce looked at Alexander Sullivan. She noticed the forlorn, almost helpless expression on his face as he just stood there.
She couldn’t understand what Alexander Sullivan was thinking at all these days.
Meeting Rachel Royce’s gaze, the moment their eyes locked, Alexander Sullivan concealed the emotion in his. "As long as you’re all right, Miss Evelynn."
Rachel Royce watched him, not responding.
Tristan Sterling glanced back at Alexander Sullivan, then turned to Rachel Royce and said, "Get a good rest tonight. I’ll come see you again tomorrow."
"I’m fine. I’ll be staying at home for a while, so there’s no need to make a special trip to see me."
Tristan Sterling simply offered a faint smile, then said his goodbyes to Peter Preston and left with Alexander Sullivan.
The housekeeper had already finished cooking the noodles.
Thomas Sterling hadn’t eaten dinner either, so he joined them for noodles.
"I have a feeling this incident isn’t as simple as it looks," Thomas Sterling said.
Rachel Royce hummed in agreement. "All we can do now is wait for the investigation results."
Thomas Sterling then added, confused, "Claire Ainsworth’s brother came all this way to see you, Rachel. Could this have something to do with Claire Ainsworth again?"
Rachel Royce said, "Claire Ainsworth is in Portington right now. Her reach isn’t that long."
It would take someone with extraordinary nerve to dare and sabotage Rowan’s annual meeting.
"Let’s not waste our time guessing. We’ll just have to wait and see," said Peter Preston.
Neither of them brought up Alexander Sullivan again.
"..."
After leaving the villa, Tristan Sterling and Alexander Sullivan drove to the hospital. However, Julian Jennings was still in a coma.
When Ian Quinn saw the two of them, he gave them a polite, perfunctory greeting.
Since he hadn’t woken up yet, Tristan Sterling and Alexander Sullivan left the hospital room.
"Julian Jennings is badly hurt. If it weren’t for him, Rachel’s life would probably be in grave danger right now." The thought alone made Alexander Sullivan’s heart clench with lingering fear.
Tristan Sterling’s handsome face was calm and revealed no emotion. He didn’t respond.
Alexander Sullivan turned his head to look at him. "Even if Rachel doesn’t love Julian Jennings, he has long since become an irreplaceable and important person to her."
Whether it was how Julian had risked his life to protect her this time, or his years of care for her, it was a debt of gratitude she could never repay.
Back then, Tristan Sterling had ignored and been cold to Rachel. If she hadn’t had Julian Jennings and her other friends by her side, she probably would have struggled to pull herself out of that mire.
’Thinking of the past...’
’What Rachel had been through replayed over and over in his mind.’
’He felt a sharp, piercing pain in his heart, as if it were being pricked by needles.’
’Even though his interests now conflicted with Julian Jennings’s, if time could be turned back, he truly would have hoped for Rachel to be with Julian.’
’But unfortunately, there were no ’what ifs’ in this world.’
’Why did fate have Rachel meet Tristan Sterling and endure so much pain? And why did it have to play such a cruel joke on him, leaving him unable to even face her now?’
