Chapter 21
Mr. Sterling Actually Has a Girlfriend
"Ding." Ruby Sterling's phone chimed with a message alert. She snapped back to herself and opened it to look.
"That little bitch is showing off again!" Ruby handed her phone to Claire Bennett. On the screen was a photo Naomi Pierce had just posted. Ruby had notifications turned on for Naomi, so she could see her updates right away.
Claire lowered her eyes and glanced at it.
Naomi had posted a photo of herself at the hospital getting her wound treated, with Ethan Sterling lowering his head to apply medicine for her. Her caption was all sweetness and happiness, showing off just how pampered she was.
Seeing that ridiculous photo, Claire's lips curled slightly.
The more someone lacks something, the more they need to flaunt it. Naomi really was hopelessly devoted to Ethan. Even when another woman had come looking for him, she didn't care, and even pretended nothing had happened while staking her claim.
"Let them laugh. When the time comes, you can bring my brother, that ultimate trump card, and destroy them in one second!" Ruby snorted lightly.
Claire didn't notice how Ruby referred to Julian Sterling. She just assumed Ruby meant that fake Julian Sterling—the one in quotation marks.
She smiled and nodded. "Don't worry. Do I look like someone who's easy to bully?"
"But I am kind of curious. Ethan's mom is such a stuck-up woman. Before, she looked down on you so much. Naomi's family background isn't really any better than yours, is it? And yet she agreed so quickly to let Ethan be with her."
Ruby had seen Tanya Sterling's attitude toward Claire with her own eyes before.
But now, her attitude toward Naomi was clearly one of complete satisfaction with this future daughter-in-law. It really was hard to understand.
"Who knows. Maybe Naomi has some extraordinary tricks up her sleeve." That was the only conclusion Claire could come to.
Ruby nodded in full agreement.
The two of them had a perfect lunch, and when they left, Ruby didn't forget to comfort Claire. "I will definitely solve this major life issue of yours!"
Claire smiled. Hadn't her major life issue already been solved?
She went back to the apartment and continued drawing her exterior wall draft.
Top floor of Sterling International.
At lunchtime, several assistants huddled together. "Did you notice? Mr. Sterling seems like he's in a pretty bad mood today."
At that moment, Marcus Reed walked in from outside carrying a small bag.
"Assistant Marcus, what's that?"
"Something Miss Ruby dropped off for Mr. Sterling just now." Ruby had been smiling mysteriously, and Marcus had a feeling maybe Claire had asked Ruby to deliver it to Julian Sterling.
Just then Julian Sterling came out, and Marcus immediately handed him the bag. "Mr. Sterling, Miss Ruby brought this over for you."
Ruby brought it over for him... from Claire?
Julian took it with a puzzled expression. He opened it and looked inside, and his face instantly darkened.
Claire Bennett!
The assistants all looked at one another. What on earth could it be that would make Mr. Sterling this angry?
Julian's icy gaze swept across their faces, and everyone immediately lowered their heads and started shoveling food into their mouths, not daring to pry into the boss's gossip anymore.
But they were still so curious!
Julian took the bag, his face grim, and went back into his office and shut the door.
Suddenly, someone stammered, "I-I think I just saw some supplements in there... for that side of a man's health. Mr. Sterling can't possibly be..."
This... ahem, ahem, ahem...
Several of the assistants eating nearly choked to death.
It was like they'd uncovered the truth!
So this was why Julian Sterling had had such a dark expression first thing in the morning? Because he wasn't physically up to the task and was sexually frustrated?
But what made them even more curious was that Mr. Sterling actually had a girlfriend?
Everyone turned questioning looks toward Marcus, but it was obvious Marcus wasn't going to reveal a single bit of information. He put on a stern face. "Don't ask me. I won't say anything."
That evening, Julian Sterling got off work and returned to the apartment.
He opened the door with a dark expression, intending to settle accounts with Claire.
Unexpectedly, the moment he stepped inside, he smelled an enticing aroma coming from the kitchen. He shut the door and walked in that direction.
Claire was busy in the kitchen wearing an apron, her graceful waist outlined to perfection. Her long hair was casually tied up, giving her an easy, lazy charm.
When she heard him, she turned around and smiled. "You're back. Dinner will be ready any minute now."
Julian pressed his lips together. "You met Ruby today?"
"Yeah. How did you know?" Claire looked at him in confusion.
She had no idea how he knew she had met Ruby when she hadn't told him about it at all.
Seeing Claire's innocent expression, Julian gave a soft snort inwardly.
He set the bag in his hand on the counter. "This is what you had Ruby deliver to me?"
Claire picked it up in confusion and opened it to take a look.
A moment later, her expression froze, and she said awkwardly, "Uh... I didn't ask Ruby to bring you these. Maybe she misunderstood something."
So it really wasn't from Claire?
Julian frowned, and the certainty in his heart wavered somewhat.
After a moment of silence, he said, "It's nothing."
After saying that, Julian turned and walked into the room. Claire still felt a little dumbfounded, but remembering what she had just seen, she couldn't help pulling out her phone to call Ruby.
But on the other end, it showed that the line was busy.
Who was Ruby talking to?
At that moment, inside the room, Julian was on the phone scolding Ruby.
"Bro, I'm only thinking about your and Claire's future happiness. This can't go on. If you really do have a problem, you should go to the hospital and get checked out sooner rather than later."
"Shut up! And stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong!" Julian said through gritted teeth.
His face was dark. As for his own capabilities, he was absolutely certain they worked just fine.
It was precisely because they worked too well that with Claire sleeping beside him, even though they had done nothing at all, he still couldn't stop feeling stirred up.
Maybe Ruby was right. He really did need to get some medicine to take, so he wouldn't end up doing something stupid.
When Julian came out of the room, he had returned to his usual self.
He still ate as he normally did, but when it came time to sleep that night, he put on two extra layers of clothes and wrapped himself in a thick blanket. Only then did he make it safely through the night.