Chubby Mommy: Scheming Daddy, Surrender Now!-Chapter 419: Many Uncertainties

The plane landed in Ariston a little after nine in the evening. Despite many streetlights in the parking lot, they weren’t enough for one person to quickly find another.

Ruby Sullivan frowned and searched for quite a while, but found nothing. She wanted to have a good talk with Ethan Sterling, an idea that felt almost urgent, but he hung up on her.

She couldn’t think of a reason, but felt a restless unease. A few minutes later, she saw a familiar black car drive past her. As it slowed down at the corner, its taillights illuminated the license plate, confirming her suspicions.

It was Ethan Sterling’s car, and she was standing under the streetlight; he had no reason not to see her.

Ruby Sullivan dialed Ethan Sterling’s number once more, only to be hung up again.

"Damn it!" she muttered, frowning at her phone.

She couldn’t figure out what Ethan Sterling’s sudden 180-degree turn meant, only knowing that this guy had been acting strange, starting from the morning.

At that moment, Howard called, "Boss, where are you? I just parked." He was a bit late due to traffic congestion.

"I’m under the streetlight near the parking lot exit." She said, turning around, and spotted Howard looking for her with his phone not far away, so she waved.

Howard saw her and jogged over with a smile, "Tough day, boss."

"At least it wasn’t a wasted trip." Ruby Sullivan smiled as they walked towards the car, casually asking about the company. After getting in, she was silent for a moment, then firmly told Howard, "Take me to The Sterling Estate."

"Alright." Though Howard immediately agreed, a flash of seriousness crossed his face. Once the car was on the main road, he tentatively asked, "Are you going to pick up the kids?"

"Yeah." Ruby Sullivan’s mind was preoccupied with organizing what she wanted to say to Ethan Sterling later, making her seem distracted, not noticing the odd tone in Howard’s voice.

"I heard Mr. Sterling has a new girlfriend and it seems they’re doing well." The latter half he made up, just to say it to Ruby Sullivan—in fact, he was trying to give her a heads-up.

Ruby Sullivan wasn’t thinking about his subtext and casually explained, "It’s all rumors, they’ve already broken up."

Howard frowned, his tone suddenly urgent, "So you’re starting over again?"

Ruby Sullivan was taken aback, only then realizing Howard was acting strange. He wasn’t the type to gossip, nor would he meddle in her personal life without reason, especially considering his close relationship with Ethan Sterling; he wouldn’t randomly have issues with Ethan.

"Do you know something?"

"What I know, you’ve probably already guessed; it’s related to Ethan Sterling—the supplier breach, the platform sabotage, it’s all linked to him." Howard’s expression was grim, unwilling to inject personal bias for Ethan’s mentorship and cultivation.

He had somewhat guessed the true reason for their breakup. He could understand Ethan Sterling’s hard-to-accept feelings but couldn’t comprehend the attack on Nirvana; any reason seemed intolerable.

Ethan Sterling obviously wouldn’t let Ruby Sullivan truly suffer, so doing this was only to make her return home. This way, those unsightly blemishes wouldn’t be recalled due to her frequent public appearances, thus reminding people of his shame.

This was the most credible reasoning Howard could deduce. Yet, thinking about how Ruby Sullivan suffered for him but received such treatment in return, made him despise Ethan’s approach, wanting to protect his current boss.

If Howard hadn’t brought it up, Ruby Sullivan would’ve forgotten.

This matter was indeed a hurdle in her heart.

She frowned, paused in silence, then resolutely said, "I’ll directly ask him for the reasons."

Upon hearing her words, Howard understood how likely they were to start over.

He tightened his brows, face full of worry, yet knowing at this point, nothing he said would matter. Ruby Sullivan’s decision wouldn’t change due to his words; after all, he had already given all the reminders he could. Perhaps, he should choose to trust these two individuals.

Meanwhile, in the other car, Ethan Sterling’s mood was even more complicated.

His heart was agitated and chaotic, a feeling that often emerged when he first began managing The Sterling Group—a young kid inheriting "so-called" power from his grandmother, forced to shoulder the company’s rescue burden.

Back then, he didn’t know if he could stabilize the shaky situation, didn’t know if he could create the same brilliance his dad achieved for The Sterling Group; immense pressure had given him insomnia and left him unprecedentedly bewildered.

Years passed in a blink, and The Sterling Group not only secured a stable footing domestically but also began claiming a place in international markets. Collaborating with The Sinclair Group accelerated business expansion. Yet during this golden moment, he doubted himself seriously—if he was worthy of Ruby Sullivan.

That woman!

He slightly furrowed his brows; just thinking of the name Ruby Sullivan left him even more distressed.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He thought it was Ruby Sullivan again and was going to hang up but realized it was Aidan Sinclair.

As soon as the call connected, he heard the man’s hurried voice, "Come have a drink."

"I’m still in Gallia." Ethan Sterling casually dodged, needing no thought.

"Then I’ll come find you." Aidan Sinclair said straightforwardly.

Ethan Sterling frowned, knowing that guy was aware he’d already landed, "I’ll come to you." Hanging up, he instructed Old Black to head to Aidan Sinclair’s villa.

*

A burst of pungent alcohol smell hit when Aidan Sinclair opened the door. He flashed a charming smile at Ethan Sterling standing at the entrance, clearly a bit drunk, "Here you are!"

Ethan Sterling shivered, slightly frowning, "What’s with you?"

Aidan Sinclair hiccuped, "Missed you." He said, wobbling over to the sofa, "Come watch this with me."

Ethan Sterling went over and stared at the screen for quite a while, unable to figure what kind of program it was.

A group of women of indiscernible age, gabbing noisily, all dressed in identical uniforms—neither drama nor quite variety show.

A documentary? Ethan thought documentaries like these might gain traction in certain regions if there were more risqué elements.

Seeing Aidan Sinclair watching with infectious enthusiasm, Ethan squinted slightly, "Got your head stuck in a door?"

Aidan Sinclair just kept chuckling foolishly, without firing back, "Watch closely, it’s great."

It was said Mr. Mansfield was very displeased due to Ethan Sterling’s absence; what should’ve been quickly settled over a simple tea ceremony required Aidan Sinclair to be a tour guide and sidekick for three days to soothe that delicate ego.

In his phone rant, Aidan Sinclair merely yelled at him without elaborating on the signing process. Ethan Sterling felt there wasn’t much to say about it initially, but seeing Aidan’s abnormal behavior now raised numerous suspicions.

He hadn’t been away long, so shouldn’t there be any greater issue that could have provoked him, "Did Mr. Mansfield trouble you?"