My Fiancé's Scandals Never End, So I Married His Uncle Instead-Chapter 162: Leaving

Whether the place was damp and shadowy or bright and warm, she could go there.

Stars gradually began to appear in the night sky.

Silas Norwood’s words sent Kian Sterling into deep thought.

After a long moment, his expression softened, and he looked at Silas Norwood with a quiet smile.

The smile was indolent, his pupils as dark and inscrutable as the night itself.

"Silas Norwood, on the condition that you can guarantee her safety and well-being," he finally conceded again, "I will no longer interfere in your affairs."

The topic was closed.

From then on, it was just idle chatter to pass the time.

Silas Norwood politely poured tea for Kian Sterling, his "brother-in-law," his gaze pausing on the autographed photo in Kian’s hand. "You’re a fan, too?"

Kian Sterling scoffed. "Back then, with the Sterling Family in such chaos, who had the mind to follow celebrities? I just watched with her to keep her from going out and having ’fun’ with some young punks."

Celia Sterling was a teenager back then, cute and pretty. A whole crowd of young punks were always trying to ask her out, and it was impossible to guard against them all. It wasn’t enough to just lecture her about dating too early; he would personally pick her up from school and watch over her at home. Whenever she received a vague invitation, he would quietly deal with each suitor one by one.

But keeping her under his thumb all day made her bored and impatient.

Watching TV became the best way to pass the time.

She looked delicate, but she had a fiery personality and loved stories of swift justice and thrilling vengeance in the martial world. For years, he watched every single one of Chloe Chambers’s movies with her. He even had to provide emotional support when needed, just to make her feel like she wasn’t geeking out all by herself. Over time, she came to truly believe he loved the films just as much as she did.

Silas Norwood listened in silence as Kian talked about the old days, his feelings slightly complicated.

He could only be a bystander to that long history Kian and Celia shared. He hadn’t thought much of it before, but knowing that they might not be biological siblings added a strange, indescribable flavor to it all.

"Kade, the amount of energy you’ve spent on Cece over the years is unimaginable." He poured Kian another cup of tea. "I respect you for that, Kade."

Celia Sterling returned two hours later.

The people at the venue respectfully bid Kian Sterling and Silas Norwood farewell. Celia glanced at the time on her phone and gently tugged on Kian’s sleeve.

"Brother, your flight isn’t until late. You should go to the villa at Imperial Harmony Garden and get a few hours of sleep first."

"The Jorvik-style gardens are completely different from the northern landscapes. You should take a look, Kade," Silas Norwood said in a warm voice. "Cece knew you were coming. She holed up in the villa this morning to personally prepare your room. She even made a bunch of local travel itineraries, hoping to spend the next few days showing you around."

"You two are on vacation. What am I, a third wheel?" Kian Sterling shot Celia a sidelong glance. "But getting some sleep sounds good. Let’s go. Lead the way."

Celia was in high spirits. She gently tugged Kian’s sleeve with one hand while interlocking her fingers with Silas’s other hand, walking between the two men.

The two men, both with long legs, deliberately matched her pace as they slowly left the venue. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The villa at Imperial Harmony Garden was about a kilometer away.

The magnificent man-made gardens, illuminated by brilliant lights at night, possessed a beauty entirely different from their daytime appearance.

Behind them, Assistant Evan Rhodes followed at a distance. He watched the backs of the unusually harmonious trio, catching faint snippets of their desultory chatter and the crisp sound of Eldest Miss Sterling’s laughter as they teased her. He found himself staring, lost in the moment.

The villa at Imperial Harmony Garden had a strong Jorvik flair. Celia personally linked her arm with Kian’s, leading him upstairs and pointing out interesting things in the villa along the way. Silas, knowing the siblings were close and hadn’t seen each other in days, deliberately fell a few steps behind to give them space, letting Celia cling to her brother and act cute.

"The toiletries, the style of the bathrobe, and the bedding—I picked everything according to your preferences," Celia chattered as they went upstairs. "Brother, are you on a private jet? Is the airport far from here?"

"Not far, about a twenty-minute drive." Kian Sterling gently ruffled her hair. "Wake me up an hour beforehand."

"Okay." Celia walked him to the door of the guest room.

Downstairs, Evan Rhodes was sitting properly in the hall, holding a thermos.

"Assistant Rhodes, you should get some sleep too." Celia came downstairs and gestured for the butler to show him to the room next to Kian’s. "You’ll be busy again once you’re back in Metropia. Get some rest."

Evan Rhodes was very polite. "Thank you, Miss Sterling."

By the time Kian Sterling and Evan Rhodes were ready to leave, Celia had already prepared a pile of things for them: fresh oranges, local Silverwood delicacies, as well as some of Silverwood’s famous silks, teas, jade carvings, and sandalwood fans...

Kian Sterling looked at all the bags and frowned slightly. "What’s all this? Are you really treating me like a guest?"

"What are you thinking? Only the oranges and snacks are for you," Celia said with a grin. "Your private jet makes it convenient, anyway. The rest are things Silas and I bought while shopping around Silverwood these past few days. Just help me take them back and put them in my bedroom. I’ll sort them out when I get back."

Kian Sterling’s expression softened a little. "Hn."

"I’ve had someone bring your car around. It’s in the courtyard." Celia gestured for the villa’s staff to load the things into the car and walked outside with Kian, still a bit reluctant to see him go. "Brother."

Kian Sterling gave a soft hum. "What is it?"

"Why don’t you stay for two days?" Celia pressed, not giving up. "We can go catch hairy crabs tomorrow. Silas rented a spot on Seraphine Lake, and I heard the crabs there are huge and delicious, absolutely top-notch. The last time you played by the water with me was years ago."

Kian Sterling was slightly tempted.

He looked at Celia with a deep gaze, then glanced at Silas Norwood, who stood elegantly in the distance. Bathed in the dim yellow light of the night, Silas stood quietly under a tree, his aura faintly chilling, his expression unreadable.

"I’m swamped with work," Kian Sterling scoffed. "Didn’t you show me the fish you caught at that cruise party in Seraphina last time? Leave trivial things like fishing and catching crabs to an idle man like Silas Norwood."

Standing beside Kian Sterling, Evan Rhodes looked like he wanted to say something but held his tongue.

’Swamped?’

’I know the boss’s schedule like the back of my hand. He’s busy, sure, but he could definitely spare five or even ten days, let alone two. If it hadn’t been for Eldest Miss Sterling’s call, the boss was even planning to spend another day in Port Sovereign before heading back.’

’Where did he find the excuse of being too busy?’

But as he watched Kian Sterling walk away without a backward glance, he ultimately didn’t dare say a word and simply followed in silence.

On the way to the private airfield, Evan Rhodes drove.

Kian Sterling sat in the passenger seat, his expression cold as he watched the fleeting night scenery outside the window. He toyed with the snack Celia had personally prepared for him. It was a cloyingly sweet pine nut zongzi candy, cut into delicate little hearts—clearly made with a lot of thought.

He took a small bite of one, his bewitchingly handsome face revealing no emotion.

Yet, his very presence made the atmosphere inside the car feel cramped and oppressive.

With no outsiders around, and during that quiet, late-night hour when thoughts turn sentimental, Evan Rhodes cleared his throat and finally couldn’t help but speak.

"Boss, in this day and age, it’s perfectly normal for people to get divorced and remarry. If you were to..."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Kian Sterling’s eyes turned icy in an instant. He shot Evan Rhodes a piercing glare. "She will always be the Eldest Miss of the Sterling Family. Don’t ever let me hear you say that again."

Evan Rhodes’s face paled slightly.

Kian Sterling paused for a long time. "If I had truly wanted to, the marriage alliance between the Sterling and Norwood families three years ago would never have happened."

Without that marriage alliance, there would have been no Declan Norwood in the picture.

And certainly no Silas Norwood now.