CHAPTER 79: CHAPTER 79: PICKING A DAD

"Let her in," Ethan Sterling replied.

Ruby Sullivan quickly stood up, frowned, and said, "Cancel it immediately!" With that, she turned and walked away.

Ethan Sterling watched her leave in a huff, feeling playful, and couldn’t help teasing her, "Are you throwing a tantrum?"

Ruby Sullivan felt a jolt as if a bolt of lightning struck her head, and before she could think of a comeback, Rhonda Sullivan pushed the door open and walked in.

She was momentarily taken aback at seeing her, but quickly shifted her gaze to Ethan Sterling as if she didn’t see the other person.

Of course, Ruby Sullivan didn’t want to pass up such a great opportunity for provocation, so she turned to Ethan Sterling with a charming smile, "Mr. Sterling, I’ll take it as a yes from you; after all, can’t let someone’s tantrum be in vain." She finished and didn’t forget to glance at Rhonda Sullivan’s immediately murderous face, "Well then, Mr. Sullivan, I’ll leave you to your conversation."

Ethan Sterling’s expression froze.

Knowing that this woman was using him as a tool again stirred all sorts of feelings in his heart. To some extent, he didn’t mind being used as a tool, but it shouldn’t be for free.

Rhonda Sullivan noticed Ethan Sterling’s expression. He wasn’t angry; in fact, his eyes seemed to show he was enjoying it.

Pain surged in her heart, and she weakly sat down in the chair, lowering her head to look at her hands intertwined in front of her, feeling out of place, "Has it developed to the point where you flirt in the office?"

For Ethan Sterling, the office has always been a sacred place. Every time she came before, he only allowed her to talk about work. Even mentioning anything else was considered a waste of time; he wasn’t even willing to chat about Seth Sterling.

But now, he’s here listening to another woman’s tantrum.

Rhonda Sullivan smiled bitterly; men really are visual animals, incapable of resisting the temptations of the outside world’s vibrant allure. She could pretend not to care about anything, but she should at least have a position to feign generosity!

Ethan Sterling looked at her, the tenderness on his face disappeared, replaced by rigid seriousness, "That’s not your concern."

Rhonda Sullivan sneered, lifting her head, her eyes already brimming with tears but trying to keep her voice calm, "Why did you call me here?"

Ethan Sterling threw a contract in front of her, "Sign it."

Rhonda Sullivan glanced over it, frowning, "I already told my secretary to inform you, I will not agree to these terms!" She took a deep breath, avoiding looking directly into his eyes, afraid she’d be compelled to sign if she did, "The Sullivan Group is not an appendage of The Sterling Group, nor do I have the noble benevolence to make others’ dreams come true."

She never dared to say no in front of Ethan Sterling. Even knowing his cold-hearted nature, she couldn’t sever her yearning for him.

She clenched her fists tightly, hoping not to disappoint herself this time.

"Rhonda Sullivan, you don’t have many options," Ethan Sterling’s voice was indifferent, not even bothering with unnecessary words.

If he had seen her true self earlier, perhaps she wouldn’t have left back then.

Rhonda Sullivan took a deep breath, forcing a smile to bolster herself, "Fine, I can sign it, but you must throw me a birthday party." She glanced at him, all her pretense collapsing once more, got up, and hugged him from behind, nearly begging, "Ethan, I’ve loved you for so long; even if we are to part, I want to leave with a beautiful memory."

Ethan Sterling hesitated for a moment but finally nodded, "Alright."

He was someone who disliked owing anyone anything. Considering her years of care for Seth Sterling and her unwavering loyalty in business, he was willing to make this concession.

"Afterward, we will be even," he reminded her.

Rhonda Sullivan had long anticipated this outcome, but hearing him spell it out so clearly still felt like a dagger to her heart, rendering her speechless from the pain. It took her a long while to softly peek forward and look at his profile playfully, "I want to have it on a cruise ship and make a wish under the fireworks at night."

Ethan Sterling broke her grasp, "Leave, I have work to do."

His words were cold and shattered the illusion Rhonda Sullivan had tried hard to sustain, tears still fell despite her efforts, as she looked at his back, gently wiped her tears, "I’ll arrange the birthday myself; you just need to attend." She straightened up and quickly left his office without further hesitation.

After work, Ruby Sullivan surprisingly didn’t have to work overtime. She was about to call Honey to pick her up for dinner when she saw her daughter walking alongside Leon Sterling as she exited the lab.

"Mom!" Honey saw her and immediately ran over for a hug.

Ruby Sullivan was greatly surprised, picked up the little one, and looked questioningly at Leon Sterling, "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to pick you up from work," Leon Sterling replied as if it were only natural.

The girls from the lab were also preparing to leave. Upon seeing Leon Sterling in the hallway, all of them were instantly smitten.

Leon Sterling was always generous with the young women, smiling and greeting them, "Hello, I’m Wenny’s friend."

The girls didn’t dare act too casually in front of their boss, exchanged smiles, and quickly ran off.

Inside the elevator, Tina remarked enviously, "Wenny’s boyfriend is so handsome!"

Claire also looked envious, "Being good-looking sure is something. Even if they’re married, they still charm men left and right, don’t they?"

"Married?" Tina was startled.

Claire, seeing Tina knew nothing, lowered her voice, "Everyone says Wenny is Mr. Sterling’s girlfriend, and I just heard that little girl call her mom."

"Oh my god." Tina was shocked, covering her mouth as if she were genuinely startled.

Meanwhile, Ruby Sullivan was waiting for the elevator with Honey and Leon Sterling. Ethan Sterling and Howard walked over.

"Big brother!" Leon Sterling greeted first.

"Mr. Sterling." Honey, seeing it was him, also greeted immediately.

Ethan Sterling stood with a blank expression, took a moment to react, then smiled at Honey, albeit slightly annoyed, asking Leon Sterling, "What are you doing here?"

"I brought Honey to pick up Wenny from work. I heard from Cindy there’s a restaurant that’s particularly good and wanted Wenny to accompany me," he said just as the elevator arrived.

After Ruby Sullivan and Honey entered, Leon Sterling intentionally held the elevator door to block Ethan Sterling’s path, "Mom said you should come home for dinner tonight; don’t forget." He winked and mouthed, "Wait for the next one."

Ethan Sterling watched him slip into the elevator cheerfully, his gaze falling on Ruby Sullivan’s face, but he didn’t move.

Howard observed his boss’s expression, hesitant to speak, waited for the elevator to go down, then pressed the elevator button.

For a long while, Ethan Sterling, expressionless, finally spoke softly, "Women like Wenny sure are charming, aren’t they?"

Howard swallowed and thought for a while before saying, "Yes."

"Do you like her too?" Ethan Sterling raised an eyebrow.

Howard was taken aback, "Mr. Sterling, my girlfriend and I have a very good relationship."

Ethan Sterling frowned and walked into the empty elevator, feeling deeply annoyed. Charming women sure are troublesome.

Ruby Sullivan and Leon Sterling had endless topics to talk about. Although she had a limited understanding of art, she didn’t expect him to be knowledgeable about fragrances and food, and their tastes in movies were quite similar, making it a particularly pleasant meal.

Since Leon Sterling requested it, Ruby Sullivan left her car at the company. After dinner, it was only natural for Leon Sterling to drive her home.

"Since we’re here, let me tell Honey a story today, yes?" Leon Sterling asked cheerfully while holding Honey.

Honey was, of course, very pleased.

Ruby Sullivan, however, was a bit hesitant, "Honey isn’t going to sleep just yet. If you drive home too late, I’ll be worried."

Leon Sterling looked at her with a warm smile, but his words were straightforward, "Are you worried about me going home late or not wanting me to come over to your house?"