CHAPTER 84: CHAPTER 84: AN UNEXPECTED CONFESSION

Rhonda Sullivan, who had been rescued, sat dazed on the bed, her eyes wandering aimlessly, speechless. Leon Sterling sat nearby, watching her, preventing her from impulsively doing anything drastic again.

Ethan Sterling had changed into a white bathrobe prepared on the boat, his face gloomy as he sat on the sofa, his gaze icy.

He despised those who didn’t cherish life. There were so many people in this world who wished to live well but were powerless, yet those who had the chance to live well did not understand their fortune.

The conditions on the boat were limited. Ruby Sullivan had brewed some mulled wine ginger tea and brought a bowl to Ethan Sterling. "Drink some to ward off the cold." She said and then took another bowl to Rhonda Sullivan’s room.

Ruby Sullivan placed the ginger tea on the bedside table. "Drink it, it’s not poisoned."

Rhonda Sullivan sneered, "Are you particularly disappointed that I didn’t die?"

Her face was as white as a sheet, her voice weak, and even her provocative gaze lacked any strength. For the first time, Ruby Sullivan felt sorry for her. As the saying goes, pitiable people must have a hateful side, and she was that kind of pitiable that attracted hatred.

"Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me, but you should understand that you almost got Ethan Sterling killed today. Do you know how heavy your dress gets after it gets soaked? If it weren’t for your secretary Henry Linden not feeling assured and going down on a lifeboat, you might not have made it up."

Ruby Sullivan calmly looked at her, suppressing the surging emotions. "You’ve already ruined the Sullivan family’s lives. How many more do you want to harm before you stop?"

Rhonda Sullivan clenched her fists tightly, sneering and retorted, "I hurt them?" She took a breath and nodded, "Fine, didn’t you say Ruby Sullivan is still alive? Let her come find me for revenge. You know she ran away from home, and Dad was sent to the hospital from anger. Do you know how I got through that? You want to take revenge for her and take Ethan away from me. I can’t live without him. If I die, won’t you all be satisfied?"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke, and her frail body trembled slightly, appearing lonely and helpless.

Watching her sobbing appearance, Ruby Sullivan felt increasingly irritated and couldn’t help but stand up, questioning, "Because you think I took Ethan, you hurt Honey? She’s only four years old!"

"I didn’t!" Rhonda Sullivan shouted with all her strength.

At this moment, Henry Linden rushed in, blocking in front of Ruby Sullivan, his face stern as he warned coldly, "Miss Wenny, if you have evidence, you can sue Mr. Sullivan. Her emotions are very unstable now. Please leave!"

Leon Sterling immediately got up, pulled Ruby Sullivan behind him, glaring at Henry Linden, a layer of ice forming on his face—a rare expression, yet its destructiveness was no less than Ethan Sterling’s.

Although Henry Linden’s expression didn’t change, he subconsciously stepped back half a step.

Hearing the commotion, Ethan Sterling also came in, glanced at Ruby Sullivan, who was sobbing uncontrollably, and frowned slightly before looking at Ruby Sullivan. "The boat has docked. You should head back first."

Leon Sterling held her hand, "Let’s go."

Suddenly, Ruby Sullivan remembered the time he had the same look when he took Rhonda to the hospital years ago. Overcome by overwhelming loneliness, she felt as though someone was choking her, the pain unbearable.

She stopped abruptly, turned to look at Ethan Sterling, her eyes filled with hatred and confusion, but more than anything, with wounds that couldn’t be concealed.

"Is it because she can fake being pitiful, so she deserves more sympathy?"

Ethan Sterling furrowed his eyebrows, looking into her eyes, a kind of indescribable pain starting to spread from deep within his heart. He pursed his lips, but said nothing.

What could he say at this time? Whether yes or no will take too much explanation. He... really didn’t have the mood. There were things she didn’t understand, and he couldn’t explain, so it could only be left as it was.

Seeing his silence, Ruby Sullivan nodded, took a deep breath, turned around, and linked her arm with Leon Sterling, "Let’s go." The four words were almost devoid of strength.

She was very grateful to Leon Sterling for not leaving her isolated at this moment. In her heart, she thanked him, only to see a bright smiling face, as if it was telling her that no matter what, everything would eventually pass.

Leon Sterling tightly squeezed her hand, gently responded, "Let’s go."

After they left, Henry Linden tactfully departed, leaving Rhonda Sullivan to raise her head, biting her lower lip as if there were many words stuck in her stomach, not knowing where to begin.

Ethan Sterling sat on the sofa, brooding for a moment, and asked, "Back then, was it you who arranged for the maid to give Ruby the abortion drugs?"

Rhonda Sullivan’s heart painfully jolted. Her expression, once pitiful, turned cold and hard. She shifted her gaze from Ethan Sterling to stare blankly into the void. After a long pause, she took a deep breath and said, "No."

Ethan Sterling nodded, "So Honey wasn’t harmed by someone you hired either."

Rhonda Sullivan looked up at him, biting her lower lip tightly, her face filled with restraint, yet tears still fell, "I just love you, loved you so hopelessly, loved to the point where I can only choose to die myself! If I could truly be ruthless, I would pour sulfuric acid on Wenny’s face instead of struggling here..."

Looking at her, Ethan Sterling ultimately couldn’t say anything harsher. He stood up, walked to the door, and paused with his back facing her. "You... rest well."

Rhonda Sullivan looked at him disappear from her sight, froze for a moment, then suddenly cried out in anguish, all her emotions erupting at once, "Ethan Sterling, what do I have to do for you to soften?" She cried until she could hardly breathe, her voice hoarse, murmuring, "I really can’t be without you..."

Henry Linden couldn’t bear to watch, "Mr. Sullivan, matters of the heart can’t be forced."

Rhonda Sullivan looked up, glaring at him viciously, "Why can Ruby Sullivan and not me?"

Henry Linden sighed, "Back then, Mr. Sterling married Ruby Sullivan for the sake of The Sterling Group. But now, The Sterling Group is thriving, Mr. Sullivan, you should focus all your energy back on your career. Only then will Mr. Sterling find you indispensable."

Rhonda Sullivan sneered, "Indispensable to me? Do you not know the situation of The Sterling Group or the situation of The Sullivan Group now?"

"Then... do you really want to pour sulfuric acid on Wenny’s face?"

Rhonda Sullivan lowered her red eyes, the smile on her face unsettling, "What do you think?"

*

Ruby Sullivan sat silently in the car, her mind blank until the vehicle stopped. Only then did she suddenly come to, yet she didn’t get out for a long time.

Leon Sterling tilted his head to look at her, not understanding but also not interrupting. He couldn’t fully empathize with the hurt she suffered, but he could give her the greatest tolerance.

Ruby Sullivan took a deep breath, bowed her head, and apologized, "Actually, I used you today."

"I know." He smiled, not expecting her to say this, somewhat surprised, but the content, he indeed understood.

Not every artist is detached from earthly affairs. He was someone who walked out of hell, able to feel sunlight and rain, as well as the emotions of someone he liked.

"You know?" Ruby Sullivan was greatly surprised, turned her head to look at him, saw his smiling nod, and couldn’t help feeling more guilty, "I’m sorry."

Leon Sterling raised his eyebrows, indifferent to what she mentioned, "I hope you can see my goodness, rather than saying sorry to me."

Ruby Sullivan was stunned.

Seeing his crescent-shaped eyes, her brain paused for three seconds. She hurriedly tried to get out of the car, but just when she took a step, she found she couldn’t move. In her panic, she realized she hadn’t unfastened the seatbelt. It took a good while before she scrambled out of the car, fleeing as if escaping.

Leon Sterling watched her back, his lips curling with a bit of disappointment, "Seems like I scared her."

After his car drove away, Ethan Sterling emerged from the shadows and made a call to Ruby Sullivan.