The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me-Chapter 75: How Are the Divorce Proceedings With Rachel Royce?
Chapter 75: How Is Your Divorce With Rachel Royce Coming Along?
Julian Jennings strode over to Rachel Royce, looked her up and down, and asked, "Are you all right?"
Rachel Royce looked at him and shook her head slightly. "I’m fine."
Tristan Sterling watched the two of them.
Julian Jennings looked at Tristan Sterling. His gaze then fell on Leo Cheney, who was being held up by bodyguards. He instantly understood what had happened, and his expression darkened. He met Tristan’s eyes again and asked, "President Sterling, what is going on here?"
As their eyes met, the air around them seemed to thin.
Leo Cheney recognized Julian Jennings, and his face paled.
In Kingsland, Julian Jennings was one of the few men who could match Tristan Sterling in terms of influence and ruthlessness. ’I can’t believe this woman is one of Julian’s people,’ he thought, a wave of regret washing over him.
Franklin Fitzwilliam stepped forward to ease the tension. "It’s all just a misunderstanding. The important thing is that the young lady is unharmed. Julian, is she your girlfriend? Have you finally decided to get into the game? How come you’ve never mentioned her?"
Franklin Fitzwilliam was Mr. Fitzwilliam’s eldest grandson and had known Julian Jennings for many years.
Julian Jennings smiled faintly but didn’t answer Franklin’s question directly, instead changing the subject. "Is Mr. Fitzwilliam doing well lately? I’d like to visit him one of these days."
Franklin Fitzwilliam smiled. "He’s hale and hearty. In fact, he was just talking about you a couple of days ago. It has been a while since you last visited him."
Julian Jennings grunted in acknowledgment. "Once I get through this busy period, I’ll be sure to pay him a visit and make up for it."
"..."
The two exchanged a few pleasantries, and the tense atmosphere in the bar eased.
"Well, we’ll be taking our leave then."
"Alright. Let’s get together when we have time."
Julian Jennings agreed, then placed a hand on Rachel Royce’s shoulder and guided her out of the bar.
After they were gone, Franklin Fitzwilliam turned back to the indifferent-looking man, took a step forward, and said, "What did Julian’s girlfriend do to offend you?"
Since Julian Jennings hadn’t denied it, Franklin assumed he had tacitly confirmed it.
After all, he had never seen Julian show so much concern for a woman before.
Tristan Sterling didn’t answer and turned to walk away.
Franklin Fitzwilliam didn’t press the matter. He looked at Leo Cheney and said, "Master Cheney, you should probably get to a hospital."
Today was just his unlucky day.
When Franklin Fitzwilliam caught up with Tristan Sterling, he saw Simon Shaw standing there, looking dejected. "Simon."
Simon Shaw snapped out of his daze and left with them.
Back in the private room, Tristan Sterling’s dark eyes narrowed. Seeing Simon Shaw’s distracted state, he said in a stern voice, "Is it that you don’t want the Torance partnership anymore?"
Simon Shaw’s face went white. He stood before the man, suddenly afraid to move.
The regional project Simon Shaw had just secured was a collaboration with Sourcewell, and it was Tristan Sterling who had arranged for his subordinates to pull some strings for him.
"I was too impulsive," Simon Shaw immediately admitted.
Franklin Fitzwilliam had, of course, noticed something was up. "Alright, Simon, as long as you know you were wrong. You’re twenty-eight this year, not a kid anymore. You need to be more level-headed. It’s time you found a suitable person and settled down."
Simon Shaw mumbled his agreement.
Rachel Royce got into Julian Jennings’s car and leaned back against the seat. She slowly closed her eyes as exhaustion washed over her, making her feel even more intoxicated.
Julian Jennings glanced at her but didn’t ask any questions for the moment, simply driving away.
「Around ten o’clock that night.」
A Rolls-Royce glided into a high-security, upscale residential complex.
The car stopped in front of an apartment building. The driver got out to open the door, and a man with a tall, straight posture emerged from the vehicle.
He entered the building and took the elevator to the sixth floor.
Sylvia Shannon had just come out of the bedroom when she heard the nanny say, "Sir is back."
Tristan Sterling walked into the living room, which was filled with children’s things. He looked at Sylvia Shannon and asked, "Is Melissa asleep?"
"She is. What did you do to make Melissa so unhappy today?"
「At noon.」
Not long after Rachel Royce left, Melissa didn’t even want to eat lunch. She called her grandmother and said she wanted to go to her house.
Sylvia Shannon immediately went to the company to pick her up.
She had noticed something was off with Melissa right away, but the girl wouldn’t say what when asked.
She was listless all afternoon. She wouldn’t even eat her favorite foods, which made Sylvia Shannon’s heart ache.
When Harrison Sterling returned, the two of them did their best to coax the child, taking her downstairs to play. Melissa’s mood gradually improved, and she ate a little more for dinner.
Tristan Sterling didn’t answer. "I’ll go check on her."
He went to the bedroom and slowly pushed the door open.
Under the dim yellow light, in the cozy pink princess room, the little girl was curled up obediently under the covers, sleeping on her side while hugging a fluffy rabbit doll.
Tristan Sterling walked over and noticed a pearl bracelet and a floral wreath on the bedside table.
He slowly sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at his daughter’s peaceful, sleeping face, and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead.
He sat there on the edge of the bed, watching his daughter for a long time before finally leaving the room.
Sylvia Shannon and Harrison Sterling were sitting in the living room.
Harrison Sterling watched his son come out. "Melissa rarely gets upset with you. What happened?"
Melissa was most attached to her father and always listened to him. She would throw a small tantrum now and then, but never to the point of giving him the silent treatment like she did today.
Tristan Sterling walked over and sat on the sofa. "She’s just having a little tantrum. She’ll be fine by tomorrow."
Harrison Sterling didn’t press him further.
Sylvia Shannon asked again, "By the way, what’s the situation with you and that girl from the Ainsworth Family? I can see Melissa likes her too. Melissa is growing up, and you can’t just raise a child by yourself forever. You should start thinking about your own life, so Melissa has one more person to look after her."
Tristan Sterling said, "Let’s wait until Melissa is a bit older."
Sylvia Shannon sighed softly. ’In any case, I have no say in my son’s marriage,’ she thought.
Because of Melissa, she had actually come to accept Rachel Royce, but she never imagined that Rachel could be so heartless as to abandon her own daughter.
The thought made Sylvia Shannon’s blood boil.
’What does she take the Sterling Family for? What does she take my son for?’
"By the way, have you finalized your divorce with Rachel Royce?" Sylvia Shannon asked again.
At the mention of this, a cold glint flashed in Tristan Sterling’s eyes. "Not yet."
Sylvia Shannon’s expression soured. "I didn’t realize this Rachel Royce could be so ruthless. She hasn’t even come back to see her own child in all these years. Who knows if she’s already with another man, starting a new family. I doubt she’ll ever come back for Melissa."
The more Sylvia Shannon spoke, the uglier her expression became.
Harrison Sterling’s tone also turned sour. "You’d best handle this matter as soon as possible. Melissa doesn’t need such an irresponsible mother."
"..."
Tristan Sterling listened to his parents, his handsome, somber face betraying little emotion. "I know how to handle this."
「That night.」
Tristan Sterling stayed at his parents’ house to be with Melissa.
When Melissa woke up the next morning and saw her father, she yawned, rubbed her eyes, and called out in a soft, sleepy voice, "Daddy."
Tristan Sterling walked over and lifted his daughter from the bed. "You’re awake," he said gently.
Melissa leaned listlessly in her father’s arms.
"Grandma made your favorite dumplings. Let’s go wash up and have breakfast."
Melissa nodded obediently.
Tristan Sterling helped his daughter brush her teeth and wash her face, then combed her hair into a bun, securing it with a hair tie Melissa picked out herself.
"There."
Melissa suddenly lowered her head, looking sullen.
"What’s wrong?"
Melissa clutched the rabbit’s ears and mumbled, "I didn’t mean to be mad at you yesterday, Daddy."
Tristan Sterling didn’t respond, listening quietly to his daughter.
Melissa continued, "I just wanted to have lunch with Aunt Evelynn, but you wouldn’t let me."
