CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 42: WHAT DO YOU WANT

Julian Hawthorne sensitively sensed something was wrong, but he didn’t say anything.

Until Paige Sterling said she wanted to return to the Sterling Family.

Julian Hawthorne asked, "Why are you going back?"

"I’m going back to see my dad."

Julian Hawthorne said nothing more, as if continuing the conversation would just be unreasonable.

He drove Paige Sterling back to the Sterling Family. When she got out of the car, she didn’t even look back.

In the following days, Julian Hawthorne didn’t even catch a glimpse of Paige Sterling.

He tried to control himself, to appear mostly composed, rather than living like a resentful man each day.

But not being able to see Paige Sterling still made him restless, so he finally called her.

"When are you coming back?"

On the other end, Paige Sterling seemed busy with something, her voice sounded a bit distant, "I don’t know yet."

Julian Hawthorne said, "The fish at home miss you, they haven’t been eating their feed these days."

Paige Sterling said, "...To be honest, Mr. Hawthorne, would it kill you to say you miss me?"

Julian Hawthorne pursed his lips, "...I miss you."

Paige Sterling had been quite calm, but hearing those four words, delivered in Julian Hawthorne’s hushed tone, sent a jolt through her entire body.

"Let’s have lunch together later."

"Okay," Julian Hawthorne smiled.

When Paige Sterling arrived at the restaurant, Julian Hawthorne realized Paige Sterling was dressed very... lavishly.

A dazzling diamond necklace graced her neck, and several expensive crystal hairpins adorned her head.

On each wrist was an expensive-looking bracelet, she was entirely wrapped in opulence.

Paige Sterling had always been so casual around him, it was the first time she was dressed so formally, a slight thrill secretly spread through Julian Hawthorne’s heart.

Just as he stood up to walk towards Paige Sterling, a man approached her.

It was someone he had seen before, Dylan Dunn.

"Paige Sterling! Do you remember me?"

Paige Sterling casually glanced at him, "You’re so ugly, do you think I should remember you?"

Dylan Dunn’s face turned green with anger, "Skylar said you’re hard to get along with, that’s an understatement. You’re downright rude."

Paige Sterling was too lazy to listen to such blathering, "Please move aside."

Dylan Dunn didn’t step aside, "Paige Sterling, I’m here to warn you today. You better treat Skylar with respect in the future. She’s such an innocent and kind girl; I won’t allow anyone to bully her!"

Paige Sterling brushed past him as if she didn’t hear him.

Dylan Dunn reached out to grab her.

Julian Hawthorne had already reached Paige Sterling’s side, ready to stop Dylan Dunn, but Paige Sterling grabbed Julian’s arm with her other hand.

Her wrists were slender, and when Dylan Dunn tried to grab her wrist, she cleverly evaded him, causing him to finally grab her bracelet and pull it off.

Dylan Dunn didn’t even hold the bracelet firmly, so it fell to the ground and shattered.

In that instant, both Dylan Dunn and Julian Hawthorne clearly saw the glint of gold in Paige Sterling’s eyes.

It was as if she had been expecting this scene to happen all along.

Julian Hawthorne suddenly realized he had been overthinking.

"Dylan Dunn, right? You broke my belongings."

Paige Sterling calmly stated the fact, then swiftly pulled out a pile of receipts from her bag, carefully looking through them, and picked one out.

"Thirty million. Here’s the receipt. Please compensate. Thank you."

Who normally carries so many luxury receipts with them?

Julian Hawthorne’s mouth twitched. So, this was Paige Sterling’s intention for wearing so many luxury items today? Was she inspired by that previous incident where Skylar Hughes had to pay compensation?

Dylan Dunn was so frightened he jumped back half a step, "You claim thirty million, just like that? I think you’re trying to scam me, right?"

How could a broken bracelet be thirty million? This woman must be crazy for money?

"If you think I’m scamming you, you can take this receipt to the store and verify it. Of course, you can also take these broken pieces to the store and have them checked to see if they’re genuine."

Paige Sterling spoke with such assurance that Dylan Dunn was genuinely intimidated.

Some words might cost nothing to speak, but actually damaging others’ belongings can’t be resolved just by talking.

"You’re a washed-up actress. Where did you get a bracelet worth tens of millions? Isn’t it those rich men buying them for you? What are you smug about? If I spread the word about this, you..."

"Go ahead, feel free to spread it. I’m only asking you, will you pay or not?"

Dylan Dunn was at a loss for words. Women these days are shameless, being a mistress to a rich man and acting so justified about it.

In contrast, he thought Skylar Hughes was more innocent.

"If you don’t want to pay, that’s fine. I know who your dad is. I can have my dad talk to your dad."

With that, Paige Sterling ignored Dylan Dunn and turned to find the restaurant staff to retrieve the surveillance footage as evidence.

Afterward, she took the footage to dine with Julian Hawthorne, leaving Dylan Dunn looking baffled.

After lunch, Paige Sterling returned to the Sterling Family.

Skylar Hughes thought Paige Sterling had come back to trouble her, and her heart skipped a beat.

Seeing Paige Sterling sitting and talking with Jared Sullivan, she didn’t dare leave, fearing Paige Sterling might spout nonsense.

Who knew Paige Sterling wouldn’t say anything, appeared to be in an excellent mood, chatted with Jared Sullivan for quite a bit, and even asked him to help find a jade bracelet repair expert.

Jared Sullivan said, "Which jade bracelet of yours got damaged?"

"The one my aunt overseas sent me for my birthday last year, it got knocked and shattered today, thinking about her sentiment, I feel guilty and want to find someone to repair it."

Seeing his daughter genuinely cherished the bracelet from her aunt, Jared Sullivan said, "Let me see, how bad is it?"

Paige Sterling took out the broken jade bracelet, it had shattered into bits, even missing several pieces, Jared Sullivan was speechless.

"It’s broken into such pieces, it can’t be repaired."

Paige Sterling looked at Jared Sullivan, "I knew it would be like this."

She said, "Dad, now the bracelet’s broken and the sentiment is gone. Shouldn’t I at least get the money back? I can’t just swallow this loss, can I?"

Jared Sullivan nodded, "Of course."

This is a fine tradition within their family.

Paige Sterling just looked at Jared Sullivan without speaking.

Jared Sullivan belatedly realized, "You’re not asking me to collect the debt for you, are you?"

Paige Sterling nodded, "Dad, it’s someone you know; I’ve sent the incident footage to your phone. Please find some time to get the money back for me. Right, thirty million, not a penny less."

Jared Sullivan, "...?"

Has he been turned by his daughter into a debt collector?

When Paige Sterling left, she gave Skylar Hughes a smirk.

Usually cold and giving off an aloof vibe, her sudden smile looked quite eerie, startling Skylar Hughes.

"Paige Sterling, what are you planning?"