CHAPTER 365: CHAPTER 365: THE BEGINNING OF A NIGHTMARE

At first, when Miles Sterling used violence against her, she would resist.

But all it resulted in was even more severe punishment from him, the bloodshed probably began when she was five years old.

She vaguely remembers, it was on her fifth birthday.

In the Sterling family, no one ever cared about her existence, so naturally, no one remembered her birthday.

Quentin Sterling was the first person to ever give her a birthday gift, a delicate doll, the kind every little girl loves.

And it was precisely because she accepted this gift that marked the beginning of her nightmare.

At that time, Miles Sterling was about twelve or thirteen, always had a bad temper, and the household servants were all afraid of him.

That day, he flew into a rage, beating and scolding her, and whatever was within his reach, he used it to hit her.

The servants witnessed it, but didn’t dare get involved and were too indifferent to care.

The doll was practically "dissected" by him, and her blood flowed on the ground, staining the doll’s torso, a terrifying scene that often replays in her dreams to this day.

Initially, she felt wronged, thinking he was unreasonable.

She couldn’t understand why he treated her this way, but later she realized that he never needed a reason to hit her.

On a bad mood day, he could take his anger out on her, on a good mood day, he could tease her.

So Vanessa Sterling thought, the word toy was the most fitting definition for how Miles Sterling treated her.

Meanwhile, the gentle Quentin Sterling became the only light in her dark life.

Quentin Sterling was only a few years older than Miles Sterling, but he was always the "good child" in elders’ eyes, excelling in studies, and from a young age, he followed his grandfather to learn and research jade identification, and Quentin was often compared to Miles by others.

This was probably the main reason for Miles Sterling’s lasting dislike of Quentin Sterling.

In an environment severely lacking love, Quentin Sterling was a special presence for Vanessa Sterling.

She wasn’t quite sure if this feeling could be called love, but she knew she might never meet another gentle person like him in her life.

The car stopped outside a villa halfway up the hill, and Quentin Sterling was already there at the car to welcome them.

To be precise, to welcome Clarissa Morgan.

As soon as the car stopped, Quentin Sterling came over to open the car door, reaching out to support Clarissa Morgan as she stepped out, only noticing Vanessa Sterling stepping out from the other side afterward.

With the way Vanessa Sterling was dressed, he didn’t recognize her immediately, but once he took a closer look, he smiled and said, "Why did you bring Vanessa along?"

Clarissa Morgan hooked her arm around Quentin Sterling’s, smiling at Vanessa Sterling: "Just bringing Vanessa out for a walk, to meet some friends."

Vanessa Sterling walked up to them, greeting him somewhat awkwardly: "Uncle."

Quentin Sterling chuckled and nodded: "Let’s go inside."

Quentin Sterling escorted Clarissa Morgan ahead, while Vanessa Sterling followed silently behind.

She looked around the environment meticulously, not noticing any signs of a wedding.

Confused, Clarissa Morgan paused and looked at Vanessa Sterling.

Quentin Sterling walked straight into the villa, and after Vanessa Sterling walked to Clarissa Morgan’s side, she affectionately took Vanessa’s hand and said: "Actually, your aunt lied to you, we’re not here for a wedding; I thought it was about time for you to meet someone suitable I know."

Vanessa Sterling picked up on the matchmaking, waving her hand to decline, "Aunt... I don’t want to..."

Before Vanessa Sterling could finish, Clarissa Morgan interjected: "You don’t have to accept right away, just meet first and see if you’re a match. If not, just make some friends."

Clarissa Morgan didn’t give Vanessa Sterling a chance to refuse, pulling her along into the hall on the ground floor.

The banquet was set for seven o’clock, and as people gradually arrived, the hall became bustling with activity.

Vanessa Sterling wasn’t quite comfortable in such a scene, especially in attire she hadn’t tried before, feeling extremely awkward.

She glanced around, recalling Clarissa Morgan mentioning Audrey Sutton would be here.

"Vanessa, this is Mr. Hawke."

Upon hearing Clarissa Morgan’s introduction, Vanessa Sterling snapped back to reality, focusing on the man standing before them, Nolan Hawke.

Nolan Hawke scrutinized Vanessa Sterling briefly, seemingly satisfied, extending his hand towards her with a smile: "Hello."

Looking at Nolan’s hand right in front of her, she hesitated before lightly shaking it: "...Hello."

Clarissa Morgan laughed as she spoke to Nolan Hawke: "Just call her Vanessa, she’s quite shy and reserved."

Nolan Hawke smiled at Vanessa Sterling’s lowered gaze: "Quite fine."

The commotion started near the door as people’s attention turned in that direction.

Audrey Sutton, wrapped in an elegant blue long dress, gracefully entered with Shane Warner by her side, radiating a sweet smile and drawing everyone’s gaze.

Initially, Shane Warner’s arrival alone could create waves, but with a stunning beauty beside him, they naturally became the center of attention.

When the news of Audrey Sutton’s marriage to Shane Warner first surfaced, many questioned the sincerity of their marriage and didn’t give it much hope.

But now, those voices have gradually disappeared, and mentioning their names seems to have become synonymous with high-society love.

Audrey Sutton spotted several familiar faces in the crowd, including Vincent Warner, making a rare appearance, and Lan Irving, attending the banquet hand in hand with Ivan Yardley.

Lan Irving had changed significantly, looking much thinner with slightly sunken eye sockets, appearing quite haggard.

When Audrey Sutton looked at Lan Irving, Lan’s gaze also landed on them, almost confirming she was staring right at Shane Warner.

Silently, Audrey Sutton straightened her back, holding Shane Warner’s arm a bit tighter, as if silently challenging Lan Irving, signaling her to not consider Shane.

Shane Warner didn’t notice Audrey’s line of sight, only feeling her grip tightening on his arm. He leaned down slightly, asking softly: "Nervous?"

Audrey Sutton looked up at him, shaking her head: "Not at all."

"Your third brother will also be here soon."

"Oh."

"Are you hungry? Want to get something to eat first?"

Audrey nodded, then said: "Would it be fine to eat right away?"

Shane Warner chuckled: "No problem, everyone knows you love to eat anyway."

Unhappy, Audrey Sutton rolled her eyes at him: "Then I won’t eat!"

"Eat if you’re hungry."

"I’m not hungry!"

While chatting, Audrey Sutton spotted Nolan Hawke in the crowd and also saw Clarissa Morgan standing beside him.

Audrey wasn’t surprised by Clarissa Morgan’s presence, but she was surprised to see Nolan Hawke.

Standing next to them was a woman in a red dress. From her profile, Audrey Sutton thought she looked familiar. However, with her attire, she initially hesitated to recognize her. Upon squinting and looking carefully, she saw her full face and confirmed she was indeed Vanessa Sterling.