The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me-Chapter 64: I’ll Just Take That as a Compliment from President Sterling
Chapter 64: I’ll Take That as a Compliment, President Sterling
Although he had long suspected that the young miss was Rachel Royce’s child, he couldn’t help but feel shocked now that the proof was right in front of him.
Upon hearing this, Tristan Sterling’s handsome face showed little emotion as he said, "Got it."
He hung up, lowered his hand, and turned his head to look out the car window, his handsome face so inscrutable that no one could guess what he was thinking.
Rachel Royce was busy until 9:30 PM.
She would be staying at a nearby hotel for the next three days, so she wasn’t going back to the villa tonight. Julian Jennings was waiting for her in the parking garage, ready to grab a late-night snack.
When she arrived at the parking garage, she saw Julian Jennings leaning against his car door, waiting for her.
When Julian Jennings saw her, he waved.
Rachel Royce got into his car and fastened her seatbelt, and Julian Jennings drove off.
"Where’s Ian?"
Julian Jennings said, "He has to humor his new girlfriend."
Rachel Royce couldn’t help but chuckle. "He really has no intention of settling down."
Julian Jennings replied, "I guess he just hasn’t met the one who can make him settle down!"
"He’s dated so many women. It seems like he really just doesn’t want to get married!"
"..."
The two of them went to a Western restaurant.
As they were going in, they ran into someone coming out of the restaurant.
It was already late, so Rachel Royce didn’t dare eat too much.
She had suffered a great deal over the years to lose weight and sculpt her body. She wasn’t bone-thin now, but rather curvaceously well-proportioned. This meant she gained weight easily and could only maintain her figure by controlling her diet and exercising.
"If I eat one more bite, I’ll have to work out for an extra half hour."
Julian Jennings said, "You don’t have to be so hard on yourself, really."
Rachel Royce smiled faintly. "If I wasn’t a little hard on myself, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Besides, I’m used to it."
Julian Jennings didn’t say anything more.
As they ate, they discussed the summit. The topics of this year’s symposium would have a profound impact on capital firms like theirs.
After their late-night snack, Julian Jennings drove to the hotel.
Julian Jennings kept a permanent presidential suite at this hotel. He stayed here whenever he had to attend events in the area and had previously stayed for an extended period while handling business.
The two of them entered the hotel.
After Rachel Royce checked in at the front desk, they took the elevator upstairs together.
After getting out of the elevator, they had just stepped into the hallway when they came face to face with a couple locked in an embrace. To be more precise, a petite woman in a silk slip was clinging tightly to the man’s lean waist, her face buried in his chest. She was sobbing, seemingly pleading with him to stay.
The man’s large hand rested on the woman’s shoulder, and he seemed to be comforting her in a low voice.
Sensing their approach, Tristan Sterling looked up and saw Julian Jennings and Rachel Royce walking toward them.
Their eyes met.
After a brief, two-second glance, Rachel Royce nonchalantly averted her gaze and walked straight past them with Julian Jennings.
Rachel Royce went into Julian Jennings’s room.
Julian Jennings had a document to give her that was highly relevant to the summit. Rachel Royce chatted with him for about ten minutes, then left.
The room she had booked was on a lower floor.
She didn’t run into Tristan Sterling and Claire Ainsworth.
Back in her room, Rachel Royce changed into her workout clothes and went to the hotel’s public gym, planning to exercise for half an hour.
The gym was on the first floor.
After her workout, Rachel Royce was drenched in sweat, but she felt much more relaxed.
She left the gym and walked toward the elevators.
She pressed the up button.
The elevator arrived.
DING. The elevator doors opened.
As Rachel Royce stepped forward, she looked up and saw the man’s strikingly intense, handsome face.
She froze for a moment before quickly recovering, lowering her gaze to wait for the man to exit before she entered.
As Tristan Sterling stepped out of the elevator, the evaporation of her sweat seemed to intensify her unique natural scent. Before he was even close, the fragrance rushed to greet him.
Just as Rachel Royce was about to enter the elevator, Tristan Sterling suddenly said, "I haven’t heard any news about Julian Jennings being married."
Hearing this, Rachel Royce paused, her steps faltering. She looked up at the tall, handsome man, quickly realizing what he was implying.
’How utterly ironic.’
A faint, cold smile touched her lips. "What are you trying to say, President Sterling?"
Tristan Sterling looked down at her, his long, dark eyes unreadable. "I’ve long heard that President Jennings is a man of ascetic tastes. You must be quite charming, Miss Evelynn."
Rachel Royce smiled, but her eyes were cold. "I’ll take that as a compliment, President Sterling."
In the time it took for this brief exchange, the elevator had already gone up.
Rachel Royce reached out and pressed the up button again.
She stood her ground, ignoring the man beside her.
Tristan Sterling turned and strode away, answering a call as he walked. "Daddy’s coming home right now."
Hearing his voice, Rachel Royce tilted her head back and took a deep breath, struggling to control the surging emotions and longing in her heart.
The elevator arrived.
Rachel Royce stepped into the elevator.
The second day of the event was another busy one.
In the morning, relevant leaders gave speeches.
In the afternoon, the various parties held panel discussions.
Her interactions with Tristan Sterling were limited to the official content of the summit. However, his questions to her were extremely sharp and challenging. With reporters and industry titans in attendance, if she couldn’t answer, or if she misspoke, it would have a significant impact on her career.
But Rachel Royce’s responses were all perfect, skillfully sidestepping the traps Tristan deliberately set for her.
During the intermission, Rachel Royce’s tense nerves finally relaxed.
Julian Jennings found her and said, "Tristan Sterling is targeting you."
Rachel Royce sipped the water in her cup. "I know! I don’t know what wire he’s got crossed."
’Or maybe he’s recognized me?’
’But that’s impossible.’
’If he really recognized me, I doubt he’d stop at just targeting me like this.’
"Maybe it’s because I hurt Claire Ainsworth, so he’s trying to embarrass me."
「On the third day.」
The various parties held informal talks, with a banquet scheduled for the evening.
Rachel Royce’s performance over the first two days, combined with her stunning looks and outstanding abilities, had attracted a great deal of attention.
Her photos were posted online, causing a stir. Her professional attire became a trending topic, and online searches for similar styles skyrocketed.
Today, many people proactively approached her to chat, and Rachel Royce handled each interaction with politeness and poise.
Rachel Royce was chatting with a guest when she saw Tristan Sterling again. He was with Simon Shaw.
Upon seeing her, Simon Shaw stepped forward to greet her.
"Miss Evelynn."
Rachel Royce gave a faint smile. "Mr. Shaw."
Simon Shaw was quite enthusiastic. "I saw the news yesterday. Your insights are incredibly forward-thinking, Miss Evelynn. I never expected someone so young to have such vision. It’s truly outstanding and admirable."
Rachel Royce replied, "You’re too kind, Mr. Shaw."
The guest who had been talking with Rachel Royce also chimed in with a couple of compliments.
Tristan Sterling watched her.
Maybe it was her imagination, but Rachel Royce felt like she could see a hint of mockery in his eyes.
His gaze made her feel uneasy.
She didn’t want to stay here any longer.
Just then, she spotted Julian Jennings and said politely to the group, "Well, I’ll let you all get back to it."
Julian Jennings had just finished an interview.
Simon Shaw watched Rachel Royce walk away, his gaze following her. When he saw her start talking to Julian Jennings, an undisguisable look of disappointment crossed his face.
"She seems to be on good terms with Julian Jennings."
Tristan Sterling looked at Simon Shaw and asked, "You like her?"
Simon Shaw met Tristan Sterling’s gaze, looking startled for a moment. "Not exactly. I just admire her."
Tristan Sterling’s handsome face was grave. "There’s a limit to admiration."
With that said, he walked straight into the venue.
Simon Shaw glanced at Rachel Royce from afar before hurrying to catch up with Tristan Sterling.
