Chapter 312: Chapter 312: Flight Cancelled
Chapter 312: Flight Canceled
Tristan Sterling walked over. When Mr. Lawrence saw him, he sat up and shook his hand with a smile.
"Please, sit down, Mr. Lawrence." Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence apologized profusely to Tristan Sterling.
They now knew exactly what had caused this.
She was Tristan Sterling’s woman, yet Alexander Sullivan was the one fiercely protecting her.
Today, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence had come with the utmost sincerity.
"We hope to meet with Miss Evelynn and apologize to her in person." Listening from the side, Sylvia Shannon’s expression was exceptionally grim.
In the end, Tristan Sterling gave no clear response.
Madam Sterling spoke up. "Why don’t you two head back for today." Left with no choice, the couple could only pin their hopes on Madam Sterling.
After Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence left,
only Madam Sterling, Sylvia Shannon, and Tristan Sterling remained in the living room.
Madam Sterling looked at Tristan Sterling, her tone growing heavy. "Tristan, this is a trivial matter. The Lawrence family is willing to make concessions and offer compensation. Rachel Royce wasn’t even seriously hurt. For just one woman, was it necessary to blow things up like this? You were too impulsive. That’s not like you at all." Alexander Sullivan was Claire Ainsworth’s brother; he had no reason to protect Rachel Royce. It could only be that Tristan Sterling had instructed him to do so.
’Just because Rachel Royce had a little squabble with Anna Lawrence and got a minor scratch, Tristan blew the whole thing out of proportion.’
’Based on this alone, how could Rachel Royce ever be fit to marry into the Sterling family?’
What dissatisfied Madam Sterling the most was that Tristan would do something like this for her. ’Does this mean in the future, he’ll have to give Rachel Royce whatever she wants? She’ll be completely fearless, with him backing her.’
Sylvia Shannon was even more furious. ’Her son actually went after the Lawrence family for that woman’s sake! What right does Rachel Royce have? She’s nothing but a femme fatale!’
"Rachel Royce didn’t come back for so many years. If she really wanted to cut ties with you for good, she could have vanished completely like she did for those five years. Now she suddenly returns, appearing before you and Melissa. What good could she be up to?"
"This whole incident makes it obvious. I think she just wants you to make an enemy of the Lawrence family. She wants to get back at you."
Although the incident with Anna Lawrence had happened five years ago, the Lawrence family had spent all these years carefully maintaining their relationship with the Sterling family.
Now, Tristan Sterling had publicly embarrassed them over a trivial matter and a single woman. This alone was enough to start gossip and could even tarnish the Sterling family’s reputation.
For once, Madam Sterling agreed with Sylvia Shannon’s words. "A person’s heart is impossible to fathom. The hardest person to guard against is the one sleeping next to you."
"..." Throughout it all, Tristan Sterling’s handsome face remained a placid, emotionless mask. He listened quietly to their conversation before stating calmly, "It was only a matter of time before the Lawrence family imploded. If they don’t learn a hard lesson, they’ll never change."
The crisis at the Lawrence family’s manufacturing company was, at its core, due to their own technological deficiencies. The issue had been exposed online several times before, but the Lawrence family had quickly suppressed the public outcry each time, preventing any major impact on public opinion.
Despite this, the Lawrence family remained arrogant, paying it no mind. Instead of thinking about how to improve their technology or change their business strategy, they remained stubbornly complacent, content to just keep silencing their critics.
And yet, a manufacturing company like this, which only cared about its own profits while ignoring the interests of its users, still controlled a huge share of the market.
Alexander Sullivan wanted to swallow up the Lawrence family’s market share.
This time, Alexander Sullivan wasn’t relying on Tristan Sterling. He had long ago established connections with higher-ups, and certain leaders in the government had already taken issue with the Lawrence family’s conduct.
So, triggering this disaster for the Lawrence family wasn’t merely an impulsive act for someone’s sake; it was a premeditated move. It just happened a bit earlier than planned, ensuring the Lawrences wouldn’t be having a happy New Year.
It was at this moment that Harrison Sterling returned.
He was, of course, already aware of the Lawrence family’s troubles and explained it very clearly to Madam Sterling and Sylvia Shannon. The government wanted to clean up the Lawrence family’s act. The economy needed an influx of new blood; it couldn’t let these people monopolize the market without contributing anything substantial.
"If they cooperate with the investigation with a good attitude this time and provide full compensation, they might still be able to stabilize their foundation. Cutting their losses to survive is their best option. So, Mother, it’s not our place to interfere. Let the Lawrence family make their own choice. You can, however, give them a reminder," Harrison Sterling said.
Only then did Madam Sterling and Sylvia Shannon realize that it truly had little to do with Tristan Sterling.
"So it really was Alexander Sullivan who stood up for Rachel Royce?" Sylvia Shannon frowned. After all, the whole affair had started with Rachel Royce.
Tristan Sterling said, "Mother, you should stop prying into his affairs."
Sylvia Shannon’s eyes darkened. In any case, her dislike for Rachel Royce was only growing. She couldn’t stand the sight of her. The thought of her and Tristan being together like this was enough to make her lose sleep from anger.
"Mark my words, that woman is definitely up to no good."
Tristan Sterling stayed for lunch at the old Sterling family residence.
Before he left,
Madam Sterling stopped him and said earnestly, "Tristan, regarding you and Rachel Royce, your grandmother hopes you will think things through clearly now. Don’t let yourself get in too deep. Matters of the heart are the hardest to control."
Her grandson had been rational to the point of being cold, even ruthless, ever since he was a child. He treated everyone around him with a detached indifference, and one could never sense any strong, intense emotions from him.
But extremes beget their opposites.
The more emotionless a person is, the more uncontrollably intense their feelings will become once they develop an attachment to someone or something.
His relationship with Melissa was proof of this, showing that he was not a cold-blooded person after all.
Tristan didn’t seem any different now than before, but deep down, she was still a little worried.
"Grandmother, I know. I have it under control."
Madam Sterling said no more.
Tristan Sterling drove away from the old residence.
On the way, he received a phone call. "President Sterling, everything is ready. When will you be arriving?"
Yesterday, he had arranged for a private jet to take him to Corhaven today.
Tristan Sterling changed his mind at the last minute. "Cancel the flight."
The person on the other end of the line didn’t ask any questions and replied respectfully, "Yes, sir."
That day, Rachel Royce and June Jennings spent the whole time playing with the two children at the villa. That evening, after the kids were asleep, they planned to go to a bar.
However, after Melissa spoke with Tristan Sterling on the phone, she started getting upset.
Soon after, Rachel Royce received a call from Tristan Sterling.
This time, Rachel Royce answered.
She didn’t say anything, listening as the man’s voice, as calm and even as ever, came through the phone. "I have to go abroad for a last-minute work issue. Please explain it to Melissa for me."
’Melissa had been secretly calling Tristan Sterling, not letting her listen in. Rachel could guess what Melissa had been plotting.’
Now, because Tristan Sterling hadn’t done what she wanted, Melissa was angry.
She responded coolly, "I know."
"How long will you be in Corhaven?"
"I’ll bring Melissa back to Kingsland before the New Year."
Tristan Sterling hummed in acknowledgment.
The call ended.
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