My sister was dating a young heir from a wealthy family, but they were cruelly broken up by his older brother. His snobbish older brother looked down on people, calling my sister a gold-digging green tea bitch. I was so furious I created a burner account, intending to let him taste what it’s like to love someone he can’t have. We dated online for half a year. The old-fashioned prude, calling me "baby" left and right, proposed we meet in person. I gave a cold laugh, blocked him, and ran. I thought our paths would never cross again in this lifetime. But after all the twists and turns, my sister and the young heir actually got married. At the wedding banquet, upon hearing a familiar voice, I didn't even dare to raise my head. Yet I saw my sister and brother-in-law go over and call that man "Uncle." Uncle? I was so shocked I dropped my chopsticks. 1 As I bent down to pick up my chopsticks, the tablecloth hid my shocked expression. How could it be the uncle? This voice clearly belonged to Arthur Sterling, the older brother of my brother-in-law, Liam Sterling—the one I had been online dating for half a year. Half a year ago, my sister and Liam were dating and went to meet the parents, only to be cruelly broken up by Arthur. This obsessive older brother insisted my sister wasn't good enough for Liam. He even called her a gold-digging green tea bitch, saying she was only with Liam for his money. My sister came back crying her eyes out and broke up with Liam. When I found out, I was furious. I felt this couldn't just slide. Arthur Sterling, right? You obsessive bro-con, how dare you insult my sister and make her cry? Just watch how I deal with you. I registered a burner account pretending to sell tea, added Arthur's contact info, and checked in on him warmly every day, stringing him along until he was totally hooked. Arthur seemed like a pure, old-fashioned prude. He was extremely hard to flirt with at first, but eventually, he fell for me, calling me "baby" with every other breath. Until recently, when he proposed we meet up. Acting very insecure, I said my circumstances were poor and I wasn't good enough for him. Arthur said he didn't care about any of that; he just liked me for me. Wow, typical Arthur Sterling. When it comes to himself, "just liking her" is enough, but when it came to Liam, he insisted my sister had to be a perfect social match. If this isn't a double standard, what is? He was clearly targeting my sister. I was so angry I humiliated him thoroughly, blocked him, and disappeared. I thought that after toying with Arthur and making him suffer, the matter would be settled. Who knew that after all the twists and turns, Liam and my sister would still get married. I came to attend the wedding banquet, sitting at the main table for the bride's family. Right next to us was the Sterling family's table. From the moment I sat down, I didn't dare raise my head or even sneak a glance. I also used a sore throat from a cold as an excuse to play mute the whole time. I had sent Arthur photos, but they were heavily Photoshopped—smaller face, bigger eyes, higher nose bridge. As long as I didn't speak, comparing me to that heavily edited photo that even my sister wouldn't recognize, he absolutely wouldn't be able to tell it was me. Trembling with fear, the wedding proceeded to the second half, and the newlyweds came to toast each table. "Wishing you a hundred years of happiness." Hearing that familiar voice, I practically buried my head in my bowl. But my sister and Liam both called him Uncle! No, no, something must be wrong. Maybe I misheard? After sitting back down, I sneaked a glance next to me, only seeing the man's back. He was in a suit, his attire exceptionally luxurious, his back broad and straight. It was just that a dense aura of low pressure surrounded him. After the newlyweds toasted and left, an elder at the table teased him. "Your little nephew is married. When do you, as an uncle, plan to get married?" "Don't mention it, Second Brother." A young man next to him, who seemed to be his friend, said sympathetically: "Old White was finally blooming, but it turned out the other party was a female scammer selling tea. She blocked him and ran. He's still fuming about it even now..." "Harrison." The owner of the voice was somewhat displeased, seemingly reminding him to stop. What White? I quickly turned my head, breaking into a cold sweat. This person... really doesn't seem to be Arthur. In the evening was the family dinner with the Sterling family. My sister introduced the Sterling family members to me beforehand using photos. My inner despair finally reached its peak. I'm doomed. I really flirted with the wrong guy! 2 During our half year of online dating, "Arthur" sent me countless spicy photos and left countless voice messages with me. In the later stages, he became super clingy, wanting to be on a voice call even while sleeping. I would recognize that voice even if I were a ghost. Seeing the time was ripe, I told him I had a change of heart and had a new boyfriend who was much better than him. I called him old, saying he probably smelled like an old man. I called him ugly, which is why he didn't show his full face. I also said his body looked like it was pumped full of protein powder. And! I even said he was small... Only after a refreshing round of insults did I block him and run. The more I thought about it, the paler my face became. I am completely doomed. Not only did I fail to get revenge, but I also brought massive trouble upon myself and my sister. My sister had said the Sterling family is a powerful dynasty. The old patriarch has three children, and the most favored one is undoubtedly his youngest son, Julian Sterling. He is the current CEO of the Sterling family enterprise, Sterling Corp, and holds a pivotal position in the entire Sterling family. If he found out I toyed with him like this, my sister's life in the Sterling family would definitely become difficult! I paced around anxiously but couldn't tell my sister. I had done this behind her back. Besides, it wouldn't help even if she knew; she might even give the game away. After our parents died, my sister and I relied on each other in the orphanage. It wasn't that there weren't families wanting to adopt us separately, but my sister and I refused to be parted, so we both stayed behind. My sister had always been very good to me. Now that she had become a university lecturer and married into such a good family, there absolutely couldn't be any problems because of me. Julian Sterling absolutely must not discover that I am that person. At the family dinner, I finally saw Julian's full appearance. One word: handsome. Two words: incredibly handsome. I actually played with such a handsome man and even turned us into enemies. I just hoped he wouldn't recognize me. I played the role of a good, quiet, mute girl. Julian's cold gaze swept over me for a second and then withdrew. He didn't recognize me. I breathed a sigh of relief, sat down safely, and didn't dare look up again. Because I was the only relative from the bride's side, Liam's family was quite attentive to me. Learning I was still a senior in college, Liam's mother asked: "Have you found an internship company yet? How about coming to our Sterling Corp?" Sterling Corp? Isn't that the company where Julian is the CEO? No, no! But Liam's mother was looking at me with such burning intensity, it was hard to signal my sister with my eyes. I opened my mouth, almost forgetting my "lost voice" persona. "That sounds great." My sister agreed readily, smiling brightly: "Thank you, Mom." NO! How is this any different from delivering myself right to his doorstep! At the table, Sterling Corp CEO Julian just watched and tacitly agreed. As the family dinner dispersed, I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead, resolving to visit the Sterling family as little as possible, whether I had a reason to or not. Before leaving, my sister pulled me aside seriously. "You've been acting weird today. What exactly is going on?" I continued playing mute, waving my hands and typing that I was just sick and feeling unwell. My sister sighed in relief and told me to hurry back and rest. I finally managed to bluff my way through and return to my dorm. But the tricky part was that my sister had actually gotten me an internship spot at Sterling Corp. Sterling Corp is an industry leader; having an internship there would undoubtedly add a brilliant stroke to my resume. If it weren't for the Julian situation, I would have definitely gone without hesitation. But what if Julian recognized me... I agonized for several days before making up my mind. It's just a three-month internship. Sterling Corp is so huge. How could a lowly intern possibly run into the CEO? I just need to survive for three months and then quietly slip away. 3 Having connections in high places makes things easy; I quickly blended in. At first, I was on edge for a few days. But later, exactly as I had thought, a lowly intern only had to complete the tasks assigned by their mentor. The highest-ranking superior I usually saw was just a department manager. Let alone the CEO, I couldn't even see the General Manager. I felt relieved. However, surviving in an industry-leading company wasn't that easy. Within a few days of joining, the workload was outrageously heavy. Proposals submitted were constantly sent back, the department head got scolded, and consequently, the working atmosphere was extremely tense. While eating in the cafeteria, my lunch buddy gossiped with me in a low voice. "Do you know why things have been so tough these past few days?" He was an intern from the same batch as me. "Why?" I was very curious. "Because..." My lunch buddy glanced around and lowered his voice to the absolute minimum. "The CEO went through a breakup." My spoon dropped onto my plate. I gave an awkward chuckle: "Really?" "I heard it was an online romance too, and he ran into a scammer." I lowered my head to sip my soup, hiding my expression. "Where did you hear that from?" "The CEO asked his special assistant to investigate an account. Word spreads fast, from one to ten, ten to a hundred. Everyone knows now." My lunch buddy was thoroughly puzzled: "With his net worth, what kind of woman couldn't he get? To think he'd actually date online. Online dating is one thing, but getting scammed... If the other party knew who he was, they'd probably regret it until their intestines turned green." They'd definitely regret it until their intestines turned green! It's all because I wasn't careful when asking for contact info. Instead of finding Arthur, I actually hooked such a big fish. I asked carefully: "Did the special assistant say what the CEO plans to do if he finds the person?" "Call the police, for sure! That tea-selling woman must have fleeced a lot of money from the CEO. Add up the total amount, and it's probably enough for a severe sentence." Total nonsense! When I initially approached Julian, my motives were indeed impure. I put on the guise of selling tea, harassing him every day asking if he wanted to buy some. It just so happened a friend's family sold tea. Who knew he would actually buy it, and at ten times the price, insisting I accept the money. Other than that, any other money he gave me, I returned when we broke up. I told him I found a new boyfriend who was super possessive and wouldn't let me spend other men's money. Even though the Sterling family is rich, I was really afraid Arthur might get cheap and sue me to return the money, causing unnecessary trouble. Anyway, as long as the goal of breaking his heart was achieved, that was enough. Thankfully, that account is deleted now. Julian shouldn't be able to trace it. As long as I survive these three months... "Chloe, go deliver this document to the CEO's office." I took the document from the senior colleague in my department, wanting to cry but having no tears. Why is there another hurdle! Riding the elevator up to the top floor, I secretly hyped myself up. It's just delivering a document, how hard can it be? I'll just keep playing mute. I fearfully went up to the top floor, only to find the office empty. Julian wasn't there. A secretary from the CEO's office asked me which department I was from. Since he wasn't there, there was no need for me to play mute. I answered obediently, the other party noted it down, and it was fine. After a few times like this, I relaxed. Once again taking a document up to the top floor, I had just greeted the people in the secretary's office when a familiar voice came from the inner office. "Let her come in." Me: "..." My heart leaped to my throat again. Looking death in the eye, I walked into the office and handed the document onto the desk. Julian reached out a hand with prominent knuckles to take it, then lowered his eyes and began to flip through it, saying nothing for a long while. As time ticked by, I calmed down a bit and boldy looked up, only to meet Julian's raised, phoenix-like eyes. I quickly lowered my head again. After a suffocating silence, Julian spoke, asking me: "How have you been doing in the company lately?" I had just spoken to the people in the secretary's office outside, so I couldn't play mute anymore! Squeezing my voice, I replied softly: "Pretty good." I glanced up at him and added a title: "Mr. Sterling." "Good?" Julian seemed not to hear anything unusual and gave a cold laugh: "They send you to deliver documents, clearly knowing the relationship between you and me, and you call this good?" What relationship? Don't spout nonsense! I was so anxious I even forgot to squeeze my voice: "What relationship do we have..." Before I finished, looking at his inexplicable expression, I realized he was talking about his relationship with my sister. "Hehe." I caught on, "I didn't tell them anything..." It's rare for me to be someone with "connections," yet I feel so guilty about it. I wish no one knew. But it turns out they had me deliver documents because they knew I had connections and was here to act as a shield against getting scolded. Julian frowned slightly, sizing me up for a long while, and said: "Call your manager up." I felt like I had received a royal pardon and fled at top speed. I don't know what Julian said to the manager, but no one ever asked me to go up and deliver documents again. Another hurdle passed! 4 On my last shift before the holiday, I was mentally planning what to eat for dinner as I pressed the elevator button. With a ding, the elevator arrived. I looked up and ran straight into Julian, dressed in a suit. Wait, what?? Why isn't he taking the executive elevator? What is he doing taking the employee elevator? Julian, inside the elevator, stared at me intently and asked, "Are you coming in?" I braced myself and stepped inside. The elevator doors slowly closed and continued downwards. The person beside me was tall, making the already cramped space feel even smaller. A pleasant, fresh scent filled my nose; it seemed to be his natural scent. Those scandalous photos he had sent me in the past were awakened from the depths of my memory. At first, it was just hands and arms. Later, it was pecs and abs draped with various accessories. And then later... Recalling the scenery I saw then, and his words: "Satisfied with what you see?" My face grew redder the more I thought about it, and I felt like there wouldn't be enough oxygen in this narrow space. Why is this elevator so slow? I looked up at the flashing red numbers. "Chloe." "Hmm?" I instinctively responded, turning my head to meet Julian's inquiring gaze. He half-narrowed his eyes. "You seem... very afraid of me?" 5 "I..." I tried hard to stay calm: "You are the boss, and an elder. I... respect you." Beside me, Julian said flatly: "Then don't look like you've done something to feel guilty about." "We haven't met before this, right?" Hearing these words, my back heated up, and I felt like my hairs were standing on end. "No, no we haven't." "Oh." Julian responded casually, his expression normal, as if it were just an offhand question. With a ding, the elevator stopped at a certain floor, and a huge crowd of people flooded in. Good news: I finally didn't have to face Julian alone. Bad news: I was squeezed into the furthest corner, forced to stand right against Julian. Heavens above, why must you torture me like this? Once again, I cursed the person who gave me the wrong contact information countless times. After a long torment, the elevator finally reached the first floor. "Goodbye, Mr. Sterling." The people in front cleared out, and I was preparing to slip away. I had only taken two steps when a stinging pain in my scalp pulled me back. I came back to my senses and realized my hair had actually gotten tangled in Julian's suit button! Just destroy me! My face was stiff. I felt like nothing could possibly hit me harder now. Outwardly calm, I stepped forward to rescue my hair from his button. Fortunately, it was just an accidental snag, not severely tangled. A gaze that couldn't be ignored swept over me. Feeling it, I looked up. Julian's eyes were slightly lowered, his cold gaze resting quietly on my collarbone. During my movements just now, my collar had become slightly disheveled, revealing a bit of my collarbone. There, rested a tiny red mole. The one from the photos I had sent him.
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