CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 39: COMPETING IN ACTING SKILLS

In the car, Ruby Sullivan was in a good mood, so she deliberately brought up a thorny topic, "What did Rhonda say to you about yesterday?"

If she hadn’t mentioned it, he would have forgotten.

Ethan Sterling frowned. He had never seen a woman bully someone with such arrogance, but what was stranger was that he didn’t find her arrogance annoying at this moment.

He pondered for a moment, feigning seriousness, and asked, "Is bullying Rhonda fun?"

Ruby Sullivan snorted, "Bully her?" Her mouth twitched, and she thought to herself that men are indeed simple creatures when it comes to women, without a shred of common sense.

"How long have you known her? Could a CEO like her be bullied so easily by anyone? My family doesn’t have a mine, I’m just an ordinary perfumer. I wouldn’t dare to bully her." She spoke with a laid-back tone filled with sarcasm and disdain.

Ethan Sterling glanced at her and corrected earnestly, "You’re not an ordinary perfumer; you’re exceptionally valuable, so of course, Rhonda would be wary of you."

"Wary? Indeed, wary." Ruby Sullivan deliberately tilted her head to stare at his side profile, "I’m so good-looking, of course she’s wary. That’s why she staged a pitiful act to paint me as a wicked woman, and then sought comfort from you, killing two birds with one stone, how clever."

"You’re good-looking?" Ethan Sterling smirked oddly and deliberately turned his head to look at her.

Though Ruby Sullivan knew she was now considered beautiful, she had never boasted in front of a man before. What she said earlier was off the cuff, and being asked back made her blush with embarrassment.

She flicked her hair to cover her embarrassment, "If you’re blind, there’s nothing I can do about it."

Ethan Sterling nodded, "There are so many good-looking women; I doubt she’d be wary of just your face."

"Perhaps also because of my long legs." Ruby Sullivan pretended to be proud.

Ethan Sterling burst out laughing, "Or is it because she’s wary of your interest in me?"

Ruby Sullivan’s gaze wandered, unwilling to answer that.

His smile was too charming, making her nervous.

She steadied her thoughts and recalled Rhonda’s threats that day, her mockery vanishing instantly, "However, you better tell her, if she ever dares to touch my daughter, I will kill her."

Ethan Sterling seemed surprised, "She threatened you?"

"Why else would I have kicked her?" Ruby Sullivan thought for a moment and added, "But it might just be to provoke me, since getting you to see me bully her wasn’t easy. But I’m serious, my daughter is my life; anyone who dares harm her is seeking death."

After saying that, she leaned her head and gave Ethan Sterling a big smile, hoping he’d remember her words too.

Ethan Sterling didn’t look at her; he felt her gaze from the corner of his eye and found her words unsettling, as if... she wasn’t just saying this casually.

He changed the topic, "Why do you dislike her so much? Just because she accidentally hurt Honey? Or because you are Ruby Sullivan?"

Ruby Sullivan squinted her eyes and chuckled, "A woman like Rhonda, to other women, is a cheap and malicious green tea. Wouldn’t it be strange if I didn’t dislike her?"

Ethan Sterling sighed, "She’s not as bad as you think. Abandoned in childhood and grew up under the roof of The Sullivan Family. Five years ago, when my father-in-law, President Sullivan Sr., suddenly had a stroke, she had to take over The Sullivan Group at a young age. It wasn’t easy for her."

"What do you mean abandoned, had to take over?" Ruby Sullivan watched him speak nonsense so leisurely, her big eyes staring as if to eat people, "She..." She took a deep breath, nearly slipping up, and turned to look forward, forcibly calming herself down.

Ethan Sterling listened, confused, "What’s up with her?"

"Don’t think I don’t know and start speaking up for her. Sasha Shaw told me that President Sullivan Sr. treated her like his own daughter; whatever the younger daughter had, she had too. To groom her, she was brought into the company early to gain experience, with the clear intention for her to take over. Not being content with that is one thing, but hooking up with you is another." She deliberately kept her voice low to contain her anger from reaching her head, "Have you ever seen someone live such a parasitic life?"

Ethan Sterling teased, "You and I are just onlookers; only the involved parties know the truth beneath the surface. Whether she and I hooked up or not, only she and I have the right to speak."

Ha, but when it comes to Rhonda, he knows to find the truth beneath the surface?

"Ethan Sterling, what kind of potion did she give you to make you trust her so much?"

The car stopped at a red light, and Ethan Sterling smiled, tilting his head at her, "Don’t you think you know a bit too much about The Sullivan Family’s affairs?"

Ruby Sullivan stared into his eyes, suddenly taken aback.

She seemed to have fallen into a trap, initially trying to probe his relationship with Rhonda, only to unwittingly step into the trap he had set.

The car moved forward again, and Ruby Sullivan laughed, "If not for the drama in The Sullivan Family, Sasha Shaw wouldn’t have told me everything. It’s a good thing Miss Sullivan keeps trying to make her presence felt in front of me; otherwise, I wouldn’t have believed Sasha’s words and would have just treated it as a joke."

Indeed, the former Ruby Sullivan was nothing but someone else’s joke.

Ethan Sterling smiled, "If you want Rhonda to have a hard time, you’d better take a real interest in me."

He knew that if he pushed her more, she’d just find more excuses to cover it up. Instead, it was better to wait quietly for her to reveal her true intentions.

Wenny, whether you are Ruby Sullivan or not, I don’t care what’s in your gourd; this game is getting interesting, and I’m willing to play along. He collected any excess expressions, having come to a decision in his mind.

At the hospital, thanks to Ethan Sterling’s special access, they quickly had a comprehensive re-examination. Though she hadn’t walked for ten days, and the pain subsided after the cast was removed, it still took some getting used to.

Ethan Sterling generously offered her his arm to use as a crutch.

Ruby Sullivan noticed his bystander expression and felt annoyed, "Didn’t Mr. Sterling previously find this method a waste of time?"

"Coming to the hospital is already a waste of time; another minute doesn’t matter." Ethan Sterling looked ahead, answering calmly, though his mind was racing.

Earlier, the doctor had specifically told her to walk more to get accustomed; although it was just a ligament injury, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Is this woman out of her mind?

Ruby Sullivan huffed in annoyance, deliberately quickening her pace, though it wasn’t much faster.

She regretted not bringing a crutch. Even with his strong arm, it was unstable, and she was sweating heavily by the time they reached the medical building’s entrance.

The accessible ramp outside was steep. Ethan Sterling hesitated for a moment and playfully suggested, "Want me to carry you over?"

Ruby Sullivan glared at him, "No need." That’s what she said, but before lifting her leg, she still took a moment to prepare and exhaled deeply.

Ruby Sullivan, you can do it! She cheered herself on internally, stepping out determinedly, but lost her balance in one step and cried out as she fell to the side.

Ethan Sterling reacted quickly, using his free hand to catch her by the waist, steadying her before smoothly lifting her up.

"Why do you always have to act tough?" He knitted his brows at her, suddenly recalling the little girl who forced a smile at a funeral.

Though they had known each other for many years, he hadn’t remembered much about her, but that initial impression was deeply ingrained. Now, he speculated it might have been his envy of her carefree optimism, something he couldn’t attain.

He looked down at her, "It’s okay for a woman to show a little weakness sometimes."

Ruby Sullivan looked up at him, her eyes slightly hazy as she raised a hand to wrap around his neck. She suddenly leaned up and gave a gentle bite on his chin.

Ethan Sterling paused, gazing down at her with amusement.

This time, Ruby Sullivan didn’t avoid his gaze or shrink back. She let out a breath, trying to keep her voice steady, "I... just want Rhonda to have a hard time."