On the Day I Was Kicked Out of the Wealthy Family, I Had a Flash Marriage with a Tycoon-Chapter 8: Getting Unexplainably Annoyed
"I heard my sister was always getting into brawls back in the countryside, but I never thought she could even take down bodyguards. I wonder how she learned to do that," Esther Sterling said.
Rose’s expression soured at her words. She pressed her temples. "We never should have let her come to Crestfall. She’s used to running wild in the countryside; she won’t listen to a word we say."
Warren declared, "I was the one who brought her here, and I will be the one that sent her back! If she doesn’t step up and clear the air for the Stone Family this time, she can pack her bags and get back to the countryside!"
Esther Sterling smiled to herself.
’This time, I’ll definitely get Chloe Sterling kicked out of Crestfall,’ she thought. ’Then I’ll never have to see her disgusting face again.’ Chloe, for her part, had lost all desire to sleep. She went online and discovered that the video of her fighting had gone viral.
The same-time trending were Cecilia Stone and Stone Enterprises. Seeing the flood of negative comments, Chloe finally understood why Warren Sterling was so furious.
In Warren’s eyes, it didn’t matter that she had been bullied by Cecilia Stone. The only thing that mattered was the partnership between the Sterling and Stone families.
Chloe let out a cold laugh. She tossed her phone aside and got up, and walked out of the bedroom.
Her bedroom was on the third floor. The massive living room was lavishly decorated. When she noticed a familiar figure on the sofa, Chloe paused.
Jasper was sitting on the sofa, his long legs crossed with a laptop resting on them. Hearing the sound, he looked up. "You’re awake."
"When did you come home?"
"Not long." Jasper closed his laptop, set it aside, and rose to walk over to her. "Did you sleep well?" he asked gently.
The soundproofing between the bedroom and living room was excellent, so he hadn’t heard Chloe on the phone.
"Mhm," Chloe nodded, then asked abruptly, "The trending topics about the Stone Family... was that you?"
"Not just me. There were a few hackers involved. Do you know them?" Jasper’s deep, almond-shaped eyes watched her, as if searching for something.
After a two-second pause, Chloe replied breezily, "I know a few friends who are into computers."
Jasper raised an eyebrow.
’Ordinary people who are just ’into computers’ don’t operate at the level of top-tier hackers.’
He didn’t press the issue, however. He could tell there was more to his wife than met the eye.
’And those fighting skills were far from ordinary.’
"Let’s go downstairs. Dinner’s almost ready."
Remembering her phone was still in the bedroom, Chloe said, "I’m going to grab my phone."
"Okay."
After getting her phone, the two of them went downstairs together.
In the elevator, Chloe noticed an unread message and casually tapped it open.
It read, "Babe, you’re beautiful when you fight."
It was Silas Coldwell again.
Chloe frowned. ’This guy is like a persistent ghost.’
Jasper had no interest in prying into other people’s privacy, so he didn’t intentionally look at her phone. But seeing her displeased expression, he asked, "What’s wrong?"
Chloe put her phone away and said flatly, "It’s nothing."
"Chloe." Jasper said her name suddenly, his tone serious. "You are Mrs. Lockwood now. No one gets to bully you. You don’t have to put up with anything from anyone, do you understand?"
Chloe watched him for a moment, then her lips curved into a smile. "Don’t worry. I’m not the type to take things lying down."
A faint smile touched Jasper’s lips. "Good."
For the next few days, no one bothered Chloe again.
That evening, as Chloe was coming out of the study, she heard two maids whispering at the bottom of the nearby staircase.
"You don’t think the Second Master actually likes that Miss Sterling, do you? She’s beautiful, sure, but would a man as high-and-mighty as him really not care about her background? I heard she grew up in the countryside and just got to Crestfall. Even her own family can’t stand her."
"How could he not care? The Second Master only married her for the shares the Old Master holds. Once he gets his hands on those shares, someone with her status will be easily cast aside."
"But he seems to treat her really well."
"That’s probably just an act to convince the Old Master. The Old Master is incredibly shrewd. If the Second Master didn’t act like he genuinely likes Miss Sterling and married her for love, there’s no way the Old Master would fall for it!"
"That makes sense. If the Old Master found out it was a fake marriage, he definitely wouldn’t give the shares to the Second Master yet."
A shadow passed through Chloe’s eyes. She turned and went back to her bedroom.
Jasper Lockwood once again didn’t return his bedroom tonight. Chloe lay in bed, and gazed at the starry sky outside the window whilst being lost in thought.
’Even though Jasper Lockwood married me, he’s deliberately keeping his distance. It seems it really is just for the shares.’
’That’s fine, too. This way, I can repay my debt to him, and there won’t be any messy entanglements when we separate.’
She closed her eyes and was ready to sleep. But she felt a strange sense of irritation.
In the meanwhile...
Jasper leaned against the sofa in the guest room, staring in full obsession at a photo of a girl on his phone.
It was Chloe Sterling at eighteen. Her coolly beautiful face was a little more youthful than it was now. It was how she had looked the first time he ever saw her.
With just one stunning glance, she had captured his heart. From that moment on, there was no room for anyone else in his heart or in his sight.
His finger slid across the girl’s face on the screen. Jasper knew that Chloe had no feelings for him and hadn’t yet adjusted to her role as Mrs. Lockwood. He didn’t want to push her. He could give her time to adapt.
He murmured, "Chloe, I’ll give you time to get used to being Mrs. Lockwood, but I might not be able to wait for too long."
He had already waited two years to find her. All he wanted was to pull her into a tight embrace and never let go.
The memory of the girl’s soft body in his arms that night made the blood rush through Jasper’s veins. He had to take a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down.
The next day...
Chloe left home early and didn’t eat breakfast.
When Jasper didn’t see her, he asked the butler where she was.
The butler replied, "Mrs. Lockwood left early this morning. She said she had some business to attend to and asked me to inform you."
"Who was her driver?"
"Mrs. Lockwood drove herself."
Jasper’s deep eyes glanced out the window, but he said nothing more.
....
Chloe spent the entire morning busy in the lab, and they finally had a major breakthrough on the project.
Director Xavier was both shocked and glad. "Chloe, excellent work!"
There weren’t many people in the classified lab, but the other two male researchers were equally stunned.
"Chloe, you’re incredible!"
"Chloe, are you sure you didn’t graduate from the Medical College?"
Chloe said modestly, "I just know a bit more about various medicines, that’s all."
"’A bit more’? You’re practically a walking encyclopedia of medicinal ingredients!"
Director Xavier chuckled. "Alright, alright, you two get back to it. Chloe, you should take a break."
Chloe Sterling grinned softly. "Okay."
The two men were happy as well and so glad to be back at the work.
Director Xavier turned to Chloe. "Chloe, this project will be wrapping up soon. Have you given any more thought to joining the lab permanently?"
After a moment’s thought, Chloe nodded. "I’d like to join you."
Hearing this, Director Xavier was overjoyed. "Wonderful, wonderful! Welcome aboard! By the way, if you have any conditions, don’t hesitate to name them. No matter what they are, I will agree to everything."
Chloe smiled. "I don’t have any. The terms you’ve offered are already very generous."
Director Xavier added, "By the way, are you free this Saturday? If so, come over to my place for dinner. That kid Julian got his hands on some kind of rare fish, he says. You should come try it."
Chloe Sterling smiled. "Okay."
"Saturday, lunchtime. But come a little before, okay?"
"Okay, I will."
After finishing up in the afternoon, Chloe had just reached the parking lot when Esther approached from the side.
"So you really are working at the Medical College. I heard Director Xavier is a stickler for rules and hates it when people pull strings to get in through the back door. You had Young Master Xavier get you this job, right? If the Director finds out, you’re dead meat."
