Going Behind Old Mr. Sterling's Back to See Claire Bennett

What did she mean, if they didn't have to replace her, then they should try not to?

What his wife meant was that she wanted to take Claire Bennett's side and support her becoming Julian Sterling's wife!

Old Mr. Sterling said agitatedly, "You! You... do you even still have me in your eyes or not?"

"Oh, come on, I'm just meeting that girl once. It's not like it's anything serious. How did you turn this into whether I have you in my eyes or not?"

"Don't think I don't know!" Old Mr. Sterling refused to buy that excuse at all. He snorted unhappily and said, "You'll meet her once, then you'll invite her to the birthday banquet, and after that that woman will march right into this family and start shitting on my head."

Old Mrs. Sterling felt rather helpless hearing that. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

As for whether to invite Claire Bennett to the birthday banquet, she still had to wait until after meeting Claire Bennett before deciding.

"Have you really made up your mind to see her?" Old Mr. Sterling asked with a stern face.

Old Mrs. Sterling looked helpless. In the end, she tossed the question back to Old Mr. Sterling and asked, "I've already had her come to New York. Aren't you curious at all about what kind of girl she is? Don't you want to see her?"

Actually, Old Mr. Sterling was a little curious, but he would absolutely never admit it.

"Hmph! What's there to see about that kind of woman?" Old Mr. Sterling said furiously. "You're not allowed to go see her either. We've already agreed that the day after tomorrow at the birthday banquet we'll announce the marriage alliance with the Lewis family. Don't you go stirring anything up for me. If something happens, it'll be the Sterling family losing face."

At this point, Old Mr. Sterling had run out of options, so he simply wanted to force the issue.

Old Mrs. Sterling had a bit of a rebellious streak. The more Old Mr. Sterling opposed it like this, the more unwilling she was to listen. She snorted and said, "Even if I invite her, nothing will get stirred up. No woman with a brain would make a scene!"

Seeing Old Mrs. Sterling contradict him at every turn, Old Mr. Sterling was furious. The veins in his forehead throbbed, and the anger in his chest wouldn't ease.

He stopped paying attention to Old Mrs. Sterling, turned his back to her, and sulked by himself.

No matter how he objected, Old Mrs. Sterling was determined to see that woman, Claire Bennett, and there was a strong chance she would even invite her to the birthday banquet!

Then, in front of everyone, he would announce that Hazel Lewis was Julian's wife, and he wanted to see how that woman could keep bewitching them then.

Of course Old Mrs. Sterling knew how stubborn Old Mr. Sterling was. There was no way he would compromise easily.

She had never expected him to listen to her anyway. She had already made up her mind that she was definitely going to see Claire Bennett. In any case, she could go see Claire Bennett by herself. There was no need for Old Mr. Sterling to show up.

Before bed, the two parted on bad terms, so that night they slept with their backs to each other and as far apart as possible, neither of them speaking to the other.

Even after getting up the next morning, they still hadn't spoken.

In the living room, the Sterling family was eating breakfast.

The Sterling estate covered a rather large area, and each of the Sterling family's four children had their own standalone house. Aside from Julian Sterling's family, who lived year-round in Chicago and only occasionally came back here to stay with Old Mr. Sterling, the others did not live together with Old Mr. Sterling.

So only the few of them were eating breakfast.

Ruby Sterling, with her sharp eyes, noticed that Old Mr. Sterling seemed to have had a fight with Old Mrs. Sterling.

Her eyes shifted, and she suddenly remembered what she had overheard last night. It was probably about her brother's future marriage.

After breakfast, everyone went off to do their own things, while Old Mrs. Sterling carefully dressed herself up and then went out to meet Claire Bennett.

Old Mr. Sterling watched Old Mrs. Sterling's car drive away, his eyes darkening slightly, his mood a little irritable.

No, he still felt a little uneasy. He had to follow along and take a look!

With that thought in mind, Old Mr. Sterling immediately called Uncle Ming and told him to come over at once.

"Sir, what are your instructions?" Uncle Ming asked respectfully.

"Evelyn just went out to see that woman. Go get the car ready right now. We're going to quietly follow them and take a look," Old Mr. Sterling said. Then he added, "Remember, don't let her find out."

"Yes, I'll go right away."

Uncle Ming moved very quickly and immediately drove the car over. They quietly followed Old Mrs. Sterling.

Old Mr. Sterling sat in the back seat, looking at Old Mrs. Sterling's car not far ahead, and snorted inwardly. He wanted to see just what kind of magic that woman had, that not only had she made Julian Sterling willing to fall out with him just to be with her, but now even the old lady was taking her side and giving him the cold shoulder all night.

...

Inside a booth at a traditional Chinese restaurant, Claire Bennett sat waiting for Julian Sterling's grandmother, feeling somewhat stiff and uneasy.

When she was heading out, she had suddenly received a text message from Julian Sterling's grandmother. She had changed the meeting place from the suburbs to this Chinese restaurant. Claire Bennett had no objections and came straight over.

Even though she had already prepared herself thoroughly, she still couldn't help feeling nervous. She didn't know what Julian Sterling's grandmother was like—whether she would be as difficult as his aunt, or as kind and easy to get along with as his parents.