On the Day I Was Kicked Out of the Wealthy Family, I Had a Flash Marriage with a Tycoon-Chapter 184: A Different Gaze

After Director Xavier gave a brief speech on stage, he invited Jasper Lockwood to join him. A commotion immediately swept through the audience.

"President Lockwood is so handsome! How can anyone be that good-looking? Is he even human?"

"No! He’s absolutely beyond human."

"Imagine being Mrs. Lockwood. Waking up to that face and that perfect body every day... she must wake up laughing in her sleep." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"I don’t know about waking up laughing, but if I were her, I wouldn’t even want to sleep! HAHAHAHA."

A few girls nearby were whispering, and Chloe Sterling heard every word.

She gazed at his devastatingly handsome face, a small smile playing on her lips. ’He really is in a league of his own,’ she thought. ’I must have been completely bewitched when I agreed to marry him. This face was probably what did it.’

Just as she was admiring him, feeling a little starstruck, Jasper Lockwood’s gaze suddenly met hers. His eyes lingered on her face for several seconds, a faint smile even touching their corners.

The people sitting nearby were stunned.

Maya Jacobs immediately exclaimed, "Look! He’s looking over here again! Chloe, did you see that?"

"I saw," Chloe replied.

"Is that it? You’re being a little too calm about this," Maya said.

By then, Chloe Sterling’s smile had vanished. She gazed in Jasper Lockwood’s direction, her expression calm and composed.

A girl behind them asked, "Did President Lockwood just smile? He was looking this way. Who do you think he was looking at?"

"He was probably just scanning the crowd," another girl replied. "There’s no way President Lockwood would notice any of us."

"But he looked for several seconds! And his usual ice-cold expression softened a little."

"You’re overthinking it. Stop daydreaming."

’It really seemed like Jasper Lockwood was looking at Chloe,’ Maya thought as her gaze flickered between her friend and the stage. But then she dismissed the idea. ’That’s impossible. They don’t even know each other.’

Jasper Lockwood gave a short speech before stepping down from the stage. He exchanged a few words with Director Xavier, then left with Henry Chamberlain.

All eyes followed him to the exit, but Jasper Lockwood stared straight ahead, his expression cold and detached, not sparing the audience a single glance.

After seeing Jasper Lockwood off, Director Xavier returned to the stage, spoke a few more words, and then invited Charles Sterling up.

Charles Sterling was much gentler than Jasper Lockwood. He spoke of his fondness for The Medical College, encouraged the students to work hard, and praised the institution for producing so many talented individuals. As he said this, his gaze fell upon Chloe Sterling, and he offered her a slight smile.

He didn’t, however, mention that Chloe had helped him with a problem, as she had previously asked him to keep it a secret.

His gaze and smile were so conspicuous that it was obvious who he was looking at, especially since word had gotten around that Director Xavier had introduced him to Chloe Sterling.

This gesture annoyed Esther Sterling even more. She turned to the person beside her and asked, "Does that President Sterling know Chloe Sterling?"

The girl whispered, "I heard Director Xavier introduced them. He’s really good to Chloe."

"I see," Esther Sterling murmured to herself.

Charles Sterling averted his gaze and continued his speech.

Chloe pulled her phone from her pocket and glanced at the screen. Just as she expected, there was a message from Jasper Lockwood.

"I’m leaving now. I’ll come pick you up this afternoon."

Chloe replied: "Okay."

After Charles Sterling’s speech ended, he didn’t leave immediately but returned to the VIP seating area.

Watching his retreating figure, Esther Sterling’s eyes shifted, as if she had just made a decision.

After the speeches were completely over, the crowd dispersed.

Esther Sterling hurried over to Charles Sterling’s side. "Hello, President Sterling," she said with a smile.

Charles Sterling was walking out with his male assistant when he heard her voice and stopped. He had seen her before and instantly recognized her as Rose Lynch’s daughter.

He frowned slightly, his voice cold. "Is there something you need?"

Noticing his unfriendly attitude, a flicker of embarrassment crossed Esther’s face. She quickly added, "It’s nothing. I just wanted to say hello since we’ve met before. My mother said you’re a friend of hers."

Charles Sterling replied bluntly, "We are not friends. I barely know her."

At that moment, the assistant interjected, his voice cold and firm. "Miss, please step aside. President Sterling has to go."

Director Xavier also chimed in, "Don’t block the way. President Sterling is a very busy man."

Esther’s face flushed red. She said nothing more and quickly stepped back.

The group strode away.

’Just like her mother,’ Charles Sterling thought, his expression darkening. ’When she didn’t know who I was, she ignored me completely. Now that she knows my status, she comes running to curry favor.’

’I must have been completely blind back then to fall for a woman like that, fooled by Rose Lynch’s pathetic act.’

「Meanwhile.」

Rose Lynch, who was shopping with a friend in a mall, suddenly noticed a familiar figure and stopped in her tracks.

"What’s wrong?" her friend asked.

Rose Lynch’s expression shifted as she watched Ava Rhodes trying on clothes in a boutique. She then strode over.

Ava had known of Rose for a long time. In fact, she had fallen for Charles Sterling even before Rose did. Rose, however, didn’t recognize Ava or even know she existed.

Seeing her walk in with a cold expression, Ava Rhodes paid her no mind and instead said to the sales associate, "I’ll take both of these. Please wrap them up."

The sales associate smiled. "Of course. One moment, please."

"Wait," Rose Lynch suddenly said. Looking at the clothes in the sales associate’s hands, she demanded, "Let me see that coat."

The clothes in this store were all high-end limited editions, with only one of each style.

The sales associate said, "I’m sorry, ma’am, but this lady has already claimed both of these items."

With a condescending attitude, Rose Lynch said to the sales associate, "Did you tell her the price? Are you sure she can afford both pieces at once?"

Ava Rhodes hadn’t wanted to bother with her, but seeing her attitude and remembering all the ways she had hurt Charles Sterling, her expression grew colder. "Forget these two pieces of clothing. If I wanted to, I could buy out this entire store."

Rose Lynch let out a laugh, her tone dripping with scorn. "That’s a bold claim. Maybe you should look at the price tags before you make promises you can’t keep."

’If Charles Sterling really had that much money for her to squander, why is he living in that run-down old mansion?’

"I’m well aware of the price." As she spoke, Ava Rhodes took out a Black Gold Card and handed it to the sales associate. "Charge it. There’s no PIN."

Seeing the Black Gold Card, the sales associate’s eyes lit up. She immediately took it and said with a smile, "Of course. One moment, please."

Another sales associate said to Rose Lynch, "Ma’am, we have many other new arrivals. Would you like me to show you some other styles?"

The sight of the Black Gold Card made the color drain from Rose Lynch’s face.

At this moment, Ava Rhodes’s phone rang. She answered it immediately, her voice gentle. "Charles."

"I’m at the mall. You don’t need to come get me. I’ll be back soon, so you can head home first."

"Really, it’s fine. I’m already done shopping and don’t feel like looking around anymore."

"Okay, I understand. I’ll talk to you later, then."