CHAPTER 83: CHAPTER 83: AN UNEXPECTED BIRTHDAY BALL

Ruby Sullivan and Leon Sterling arrived at the dock according to the address on the invitation, unsure of which cruise ship, when they spotted Ethan Sterling and Rhonda Sullivan standing on the deck.

Rhonda Sullivan was holding Ethan Sterling’s tie with one hand and wrapping her arm around his waist with the other, leaning against the railing, seemingly enjoying the lingering kiss.

As the sun set, the sound of waves crashing against the shore could be heard, making such a romantic setting the perfect moment for a kiss.

Ruby Sullivan looked away, wanting to pretend she hadn’t seen it, but inside she felt a whirlwind of emotions.

Leon Sterling grabbed her hand, waved toward Ethan Sterling on the deck, and shouted, "Hey, big brother!"

Ethan Sterling let go and saw Leon Sterling and Ruby Sullivan on the dock, along with their hands joined together.

Rhonda Sullivan teasingly twirled his tie with her fingers and said, "Afraid Wenny will see?"

"Are you provoking me?" Ethan Sterling raised an eyebrow, and without waiting for her response, kissed her again.

Leon Sterling exaggeratedly covered his eyes and marveled, "I never knew big brother was so reckless."

"Animal." Ruby Sullivan scolded unceremoniously.

Leon Sterling laughed somewhat awkwardly, wanting to say something in defense of his brother but uncertain what to say.

When they boarded the ship, Ethan Sterling and Rhonda Sullivan had already separated, but Rhonda Sullivan held Ethan Sterling’s arm in a clear gesture of claiming ownership.

Rhonda Sullivan looked at them and smiled, "Wenny, I’m so glad you came. The reason for this birthday party is to apologize to you."

Ruby Sullivan watched her feigned demeanor and put on a matching fake smile, "What is Mr. Sullivan saying that I don’t understand?"

"I only learned about Janie’s incident after returning home. She was my classmate in college. I think you also have close friends; she was only trying to look out for me, which led to what happened. Sorry, can you forgive her?"

Rhonda Sullivan spoke with deep emotion, her face full of pitifulness, as if she were willing to kneel for her friend’s sake.

Ruby Sullivan raised an eyebrow, unsure if she was performing for someone again—maybe Ethan Sterling, who couldn’t see beyond the surface?

Rhonda Sullivan, seeing her silent, could only continue pleading, "To express my apologies, The Sullivan Group is willing to cooperate with The Sterling Group at zero profit for the new product launch. I know you are Dr. L’s protégé and to make Janie disappear from this world is just a matter of a whim. She acted foolishly but didn’t cause irreparable harm; I beg you to forgive her."

She stepped forward and held Ruby Sullivan’s hand, her gaze more sincere.

Ruby Sullivan gently brushed her hand away, "Mr. Sullivan, I really don’t understand your words. As for market cooperation, it’s not within my management scope. Our Mr. Sterling dislikes people stepping beyond their roles. If you have business matters to discuss, speak with Mr. Sterling." She looked around, "I wasn’t the only one invited to the party, was I?"

Rhonda Sullivan nodded, "After the last incident, inviting too many people wouldn’t be good. Really, thank you for coming." She finished gesturing to the secretary inside the cabin, and then the cruise ship slowly set sail, heading into the sea.

Ruby Sullivan was a bit stunned; there were only five people, with the secretary needing to operate the ship. Were they supposed to play mahjong in the meantime? And she had even put on a delicate makeup and wore a beautiful dress.

"Can you turn the ship back? I want to go home." She raised her eyebrows, not bothering with pleasantries.

Rhonda Sullivan looked awkward, Ethan Sterling remained stern, but his eyes betrayed a hint of amusement.

Ruby Sullivan didn’t care if she looked awkward; she raised an eyebrow and stared at her, waiting for her response.

She had planned a thousand ways to make Rhonda Sullivan embarrassed, but what’s the point without an audience?

Leon Sterling felt that if he didn’t dance with Ruby Sullivan wearing his borrowed clothes from his brother, it would be such a waste, so he led her inside the cabin.

"I see there’s a lot you like inside, let’s eat first."

Ruby Sullivan tilted her head at his tempting smile, suddenly thinking he made sense. Since they were here, leaving without eating would indeed be a bigger loss.

Rhonda Sullivan watched their backs, pretending to envy, "Wenny is indeed impressive. In just a few days, she and Don have become such good friends." The words were meant for Ethan Sterling.

Ethan Sterling scoffed, his hands in his pockets, heading to the cabin.

The cruise ship wasn’t large; Ethan Sterling usually used it for fishing trips. Rhonda Sullivan’s choice of this ship was unexpected.

After eating to their fill, Ruby Sullivan and Leon Sterling had the secretary play a waltz and began an ancient English square dance. The two backed away from each other with hands behind their backs, stepping to and fro, exchanging glances, a joy only they seemed to understand.

Ethan Sterling couldn’t stand it anymore and went to the deck for a breeze, Rhonda Sullivan didn’t expect such a surprise and quickly followed.

She hugged Ethan Sterling from behind, snuggled up to his back, coquettishly saying, "Only my love for you is unwavering."

At this moment, preparing at the dock, the gunshots drowned the sound of waves, and splendid fireworks illuminated the night sky.

Leon Sterling dragged Ruby Sullivan to the dock to watch the fireworks, excited like a child.

Looking at his smiling face, Ruby Sullivan’s mood seemed to improve.

Suddenly, Rhonda Sullivan stood at a high place and shouted, "Ethan, thank you for the surprise. I’m truly moved." Then she unexpectedly burst into tears, "Can’t we not break up?"

Ethan Sterling looked at her, confused by her request. He hated dragging things out; this woman had long exhausted his patience.

Rhonda Sullivan didn’t wait for his reply but read everything from his disdainful gaze, "I really love you." With that, she suddenly lifted her skirt and jumped off the deck.

Amidst the colorful fireworks, no one even heard the sound of her hitting the water; it was as if nothing had happened.

Ruby Sullivan hadn’t reacted before Ethan Sterling had already taken off his coat and jumped in.

Leon Sterling promptly threw the life buoy over.

The secretary then lowered the lifeboat and got on it to provide assistance.

Ruby Sullivan ran to the railing and looked down, but apart from the glowing life buoy, she couldn’t see anything on the pitch-black sea.

Leon Sterling also looked anxious, but at the moment, apart from waiting, there was nothing better to do, "Don’t worry, big brother is good at swimming; he’ll be fine."

Ruby Sullivan felt a bit stunned; did loving someone make one stupid enough to die for them? But what’s the point of dying? Once dead... there’s nothing left!

She gripped the railing tightly, as if she were gripping her heart, time passing second by second, her heart tightening more and more.

Finally, Ethan Sterling emerged from the water with Rhonda Sullivan, grabbing the life buoy.