The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled-Chapter 251: Coaxing
"Did you forget who the mastermind pulling the strings behind the scenes is? Even though we do not have solid evidence at the moment, I dare say that person is definitely Gabriel Cole. Nadine Locke alone might not be sharp enough to notice anything unusual, but it is a different story with the interference of that old fox Gabriel Cole. Do you think he will obediently fall completely into our trap? The higher these people climb, the greater their suspicion becomes."
"I am sorry, this time it was indeed my miscalculation." Ethan Caldwell spoke up to admit it, and he had absolutely no intention of shirking responsibility or making excuses for his own mistake.
Hearing that, Julian Sterling could only sigh speechlessly. Deep down, Julian Sterling also knew very well that this matter could not be entirely blamed on Ethan Caldwell alone.
After all, all the plans and schedules had been arranged a long time in advance. If they had not decisively pushed the person away at that time, then during that sensitive period, they would have felt constrained while also having to carefully put on an act in front of the enemy. It is highly likely that even more troubles would have arisen back then, and many things would have been even more difficult to arrange than they are right now.
And when it comes down to it, what would happen next? According to the predetermined schedule, Nadine Locke would still have to leave for her business trip. For someone who already harbored suspicion in their gut, no matter what methods were used, suspicions would inevitably arise anyway.
Most likely, at this moment, Gabriel Cole’s side had only just begun to feel a fleeting sense of suspicion and did not dare to confirm anything yet. It was precisely for this reason that for this upcoming trip, Ethan Caldwell was absolutely required to personally go there to reassure the partners and extinguish any doubts.
If this man, out of worry, stubbornly stayed by Julian Sterling’s side to protect him and pushed the heavy responsibility onto someone else to go on the business trip instead, it was quite possible that such an evasive action would directly validate the suspicion of Gabriel Cole.
Or it could also be a completely opposite scenario; this was inherently a trap designed to test their reaction.
This man named Gabriel Cole possessed a mind that was exceedingly gloomy and unpredictable, to the point that even Julian Sterling did not dare to be entirely certain about his next move.
"So exactly when are you leaving?"
"According to the initial plan, it was tomorrow afternoon, but I have already told Helen Lloyd to rearrange the entire schedule, so I will depart early in the morning the day after tomorrow. The flight lasts for several hours. As soon as the plane lands, I will take the opportunity to rest a little bit at the hotel, and after that, I will immediately head to the scheduled negotiation meeting."
Julian Sterling glanced at the man again: "They are targeting me this time, aren’t they?"
"Why do you say that?"
"Once you are gone, the entire strategy game development project, in theory, will certainly be handed over to my management. My personal scandal on the internet has only just blown up. In the eyes of outsiders, perhaps my state of mind right now would not be very good, making it very easy for me to make wrong decisions. And if, halfway through, when you are not here to control the situation, something unexpectedly goes wrong internally within the project or a technical incident occurs, then all the heaviest blame will be poured onto the head of the person holding the title of general director, which is me."
In Julian Sterling’s mind, two or three developmental paths for this malicious conspiracy were very quickly drawn out.
It had to be said that the old fox Gabriel Cole was indeed an extremely masterful and cunning operator. With just a tiny, seemingly accidental incident at the workplace of the development team belonging to the Caldwell Empire, it directly allowed him to easily achieve two major objectives at the same time.
He could simultaneously throw up a smokescreen to test whether Ethan Caldwell had faintly guessed any of his plans, while also using this excuse to directly target and attack Julian Sterling. No matter which path the situation evolved down, that sinister man would never suffer a loss.
"Mhm. That might be the case." The man replied thoughtfully, his tone also not completely certain.
Much like the logical deductions of Julian Sterling , Ethan Caldwell had also faintly guessed the second hidden path within the context of this current conspiracy from early on. It was just that the current situation was excessively passive. They were the ones standing in the light, with every single move being watched, whereas the others were scheming individuals hiding deeply in the darkness. What those people truly wanted to do next, neither he nor Julian Sterling could completely predict at this moment.
The atmosphere sank for a beat. Julian Sterling blinked softly and said sincerely: "I am sorry, it was because I was too hot-tempered just now. I had not thought things through thoroughly, so I hurriedly blamed you by mistake."
Julian Sterling was indeed a little genuinely angry just a moment ago. It was just that in the split second of thinking about how the chess move he had painstakingly set up eventually turned into making a wedding dress for someone else to benefit from, he truly felt somewhat frustrated. Now that he had calmed down, he understood that perhaps Ethan Caldwell had carefully and thoroughly calculated every aspect of the problem right from the very beginning, which was why he possessed such a gentle and calm attitude when facing such an incident earlier. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
"If you are angry, just feel free to speak it out directly. If you keep holding onto that frustration in your heart, the one who feels the most uncomfortable will be you. The fact that you are willing to reveal your true emotions and show that anger to me, I honestly feel very happy." After the man spoke tenderly, the corners of his lips curled up slightly.
Seeing Julian Sterling pouting and puffing his cheeks to show his unwillingness, the man slowly brought his face closer and gently took a bite of Julian Sterling’s soft cheek. The force was controlled very well so it did not hurt much at all, but Julian Sterling felt that his cheek was a little sticky with saliva. Without any hesitation, he pulled the man’s large hand to wipe it forcefully against his own face, deliberately putting on an extremely clear look of disgust.
"Disgustingly dirty, get away from me for a bit." He grumbled.
Ethan Caldwell smirked with a look full of hidden meaning, dropping a teasing remark carrying a bit of ambiguity: "You have even had much dirtier parts of my body in your mouth before, and now with just this tiny little bit, you are starting to complain about my saliva?"
Julian Sterling’s face instantly flushed bright red from embarrassment, and he hastily yelled: "Shut up Ethan Caldwell, what kind of nonsense are you spouting, it sounds absolutely disgusting."
Looking at his bristling appearance, Ethan Caldwell let out a sudden burst of laughter. He opened his arms to hug Julian Sterling tightly into his embrace, and then continued to nuzzle, rubbing his entire head against the shoulder and the crook of his neck. The man’s hair was cut short; its texture was inherently not coarse or stiff at all, but rather incredibly soft. Those tiny strands of hair continuously brushed across the delicate layer of flesh, creating an extremely itchy and ticklish sensation, directly causing Julian Sterling to be completely unable to hold back but burst into endless giggles.
Waiting until he was tired from laughing, the man slightly raised his head, his eyes overflowing with pampering affection as he whispered: "But the way you look when you are sulking is truly adorable indeed."
"Hmm? Adorable where?" Julian Sterling snorted and asked back.
"Where else is there anyone who gets so angry that they want to scold someone, yet simultaneously tries to grind their teeth while crossing their arms and clapping loudly twice in such a sarcastic manner?"
"Then if I did not clap my hands at that time, what was I supposed to do to vent my anger?" Hearing him bring up the past event, Julian Sterling proceeded to shoot the man a sharp glare: "Or do you want me to directly raise my hand and slap it straight onto your body?"
"It is entirely possible, if that action makes you feel happier and more comfortable. You can hit me wherever you want; I am perfectly willing and do not mind at all."
"You are getting more and more cheesy, Eth."
