My Fiancé's Scandals Never End, So I Married His Uncle Instead-Chapter 82: Denying the Engagement

Kian Sterling’s arrival quickly caused a stir.

Few had seen him in person, but his photos were all over the internet. His eighty million Weibo followers were mostly genuine, active fans, and at least a fifth of the people at the event were among them. A large portion of the other guests also turned to look, drawn by his status and aura. In an instant, the attention of nearly half the Perfumers, who had been spread across three testing areas, was fixed on Kian Sterling.

Charles Hale’s Chief Perfumer even ducked into a corner to frantically make a call. "Crown Prince, where are you?"

A listless voice replied from the other end, "Staking out the entrance to the International Hotel. I’ve been here all day."

"Get over to the Lowell Family’s," the Perfumer said, lamenting his own Crown Prince’s rotten luck. "Chairman Sterling is at the Fragrance Gala."

Kian Sterling frowned slightly, watching the crowd that was gradually swarming toward him. Beside him, several bodyguards formed a human wall, ready to block the throng at a moment’s notice.

They were all guests; it wouldn’t do to offend them. Adeline Lowell made a quick decision. "Ninth Master, please, come to the inner room."

She paused, then looked toward Summer Sutton, who stood not far off, her expression having dimmed slightly. "Summer, you come too."

In the inner room, the fragrance of tea wafted through the air.

Kian Sterling sat with Celia Sterling, while Summer Sutton sat on his other side. Adeline Lowell personally poured tea for them, her gaze landing on Celia as she discreetly began to probe.

"And this is the Ninth Master’s...?"

"My sister, Celia Sterling," Kian Sterling said coolly, casually placing the first cup of tea in front of her.

Adeline Lowell was slightly surprised. She hadn’t expected the girl who had caught her eye in the main hall to be the young lady of the Sterling Family. She couldn’t help but laugh.

"Miss Sterling, you give me a sense of déjà vu. I was going to ask about your family background, but I never imagined you were family to the Ninth Master."

Celia Sterling replied politely, "I am also here today representing the Sterlings, specifically to learn from the excellent Perfumers here. As expected of a legendary family of perfumers, your heritage is deep and your experience is vast. It’s only been one day, and I’ve already gained so much."

"I can see you’re very interested in perfumery, Miss Sterling," Adeline Lowell continued to probe. "And what is your skill level, I wonder?"

Before Celia Sterling could speak, Kian Sterling slowly cut in, "President Lowell, did you invite me here just to inquire about my sister?"

Adeline Lowell fell silent for a moment. "I was being presumptuous."

Kian Sterling’s gaze was sharp, and he offered no polite concession. "You certainly were."

The atmosphere suddenly turned frigid.

From the side, Summer Sutton placed an exquisite floral pastry on the dish in front of Kian Sterling, trying to smooth things over in a gentle voice. "Ninth Master, this is a specialty of the Lowell Family. Won’t you try one?"

Kian Sterling didn’t touch the pastry. He only took an elegant sip of his tea and said nothing to Summer Sutton.

’They say the Ninth Master is hard to get close to, but I never imagined he’d be *this* difficult.’ Adeline Lowell felt powerless, as if all her efforts were for naught. Still, since a man of Kian Sterling’s stature had arrived, it wouldn’t be right not to host him properly. Since he didn’t like discussing his sister, she shifted the topic to Summer Sutton.

"Summer has had such smooth sailing these past few years, all thanks to the Ninth Master’s care."

"As it should be," he replied, his tone still cool.

Summer Sutton chimed in from the side, her voice gentle and sweet. "Aunt, the Ninth Master is so good to me. When I said I liked acting, he poured massive resources into making me a top star. When I said I liked stargazing, he bought me a villa in Wyvern Bay, which has the best view in all of Port Sovereign. All these years, he’s visited me every month, bringing me all sorts of exquisite gifts... No one in this life will ever treat me as well as he does."

Before Adeline Lowell could speak, Kian Sterling’s voice turned a shade cooler. "Those are merely things money can buy."

"It may be nothing to you, Ninth Master, but for me, I’ll never forget it as long as I live." Summer Sutton’s eyes glistened as they fixed on Kian Sterling. "If it were possible, I’d wish to spend my entire life with you just like this."

Celia Sterling’s inner gossip was thoroughly intrigued. She secretly watched her brother, curious to see his reaction to the beauty’s heartfelt confession.

However, Kian Sterling remained completely unmoved.

He didn’t even glance at Summer Sutton, coldly changing the subject. "I didn’t come here to indulge in romantic pleasantries. Cece, weren’t you anxious to go see the finishing touches?"

"Oh." Celia Sterling rose to her feet cooperatively. "Then you and President Lowell can take your time with tea, Brother. I’ll come find you when I’m finished."

Kian Sterling smoothed a few stray strands of her hair. "Go on."

Celia Sterling nodded to Adeline Lowell once more before departing at an unhurried pace.

As she watched her back, that indescribable sense of familiarity washed over Adeline Lowell again. "Miss Sterling is so beautiful. Are there any marriage prospects for her? The Lowell Family has several very outstanding young men..."

Kian Sterling tightened his grip on his teacup. "President Lowell, you are being presumptuous again."

Adeline Lowell: "..."

She had no choice but to drop the subject, turning her gaze to Summer Sutton. "Summer, you’re something of a co-host today. Why don’t you go see if Miss Sterling needs anything."

Summer Sutton knew this was an excuse to send her away so they could talk business. Already unsettled by Kian Sterling’s coldness, she was glad to stand and get some fresh air.

In an instant, only the two of them were left in the room.

"The world says you dote on my niece endlessly, but from what I’ve seen today, you don’t seem to be a particularly attentive man." Adeline Lowell refilled Kian Sterling’s cup, her tone turning aggressive. "I wasn’t present for the agreement between you and my elder sister, so I can’t comment on it. But you’ve protected Summer for many years, Ninth Master. You can’t let her follow you around indefinitely with no clear status. Besides, I heard that you and Summer once had a formal marriage contract..."

Kian Sterling cut her off. "You’re a businesswoman, President Lowell. Since when do you bother with hearsay?"

Adeline Lowell pressed, "It’s true, I have no proof of a marriage contract. In that case, what exactly are your intentions toward Summer, Ninth Master?"

"Summer Sutton is free to marry whomever she pleases." Kian Sterling’s voice was chillingly detached. "It has nothing to do with me."

’After all these years together, all she gets is "it has nothing to do with me." He really is as cold and unfeeling as they say.’

Adeline Lowell was momentarily speechless. Though she didn’t particularly like Summer Sutton, the girl was still her niece, and she felt a certain obligation to protect her. But given Kian Sterling’s attitude, it was clear that pressing the issue would only invite a snub. So, she fell silent and sipped her tea. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

She said nothing more, but it was Kian Sterling who spoke next. "I’d like to discuss a business deal with you, President Lowell."

Adeline Lowell looked up. "Please, Ninth Master, go on."

"Several of the Lowell Family’s subsidiaries have recently suffered broken supply chains and are on the verge of bankruptcy." Kian Sterling let out a slow, dry chuckle. "I can provide a few new supply chains, free of charge, to help you weather this crisis, President Lowell."

Adeline Lowell’s heart clenched.

The vast Lowell Family wasn’t just in perfumery; it also ran a formidable industrial conglomerate. However, the family was short on management talent. Even with professional managers running things, several subsidiaries had developed problems that were becoming impossible to reverse. She had been at her wits’ end over it lately and had even mentally prepared herself to shut them down.

She never expected Kian Sterling to offer such tempting bait. From what she knew, he was famously cold, ruthless, and vengeful—not a man prone to acts of charity.

"And what, Ninth Master, do you want in return?"