Audrey Sutton was standing next to the counter, placing her order, when soone tapped her on the shoulder. At the sa ti, she heard a voice: "Sister-in-law?"
"...Mr. Sterling?" Audrey looked slightly surprised at Miles Sterling and the girl beside him in a red spaghetti strap dress.
Another new face, but sowhat familiar, probably an influencer from so live streaming platform.
Miles Sterling laughed heartily and said, "What’s with the formal ’Mr. Sterling’? It feels so distant. I’m the sa age as Shane, how about you call Miles, and I’ll call you Audrey."
Audrey forced a smile and nodded, clearly not as easygoing as Miles Sterling.
Especially since she had heard from Shane Warner that he seed to have violent tendencies, Audrey preferred to limit her interactions with Miles Sterling.
The woman clinging to Miles asked in a sowhat coquettish tone, "So, who’s this old fla of yours?"
Miles chuckled lightly, "She’s Third Young Master Warner’s wife. Haven’t you heard of her?"
The woman was taken aback, previously exuding a lazy disdain, she promptly put on a polite smile: "So, it’s Mrs. Warner. I’ve long heard that Mrs. Warner is as beautiful as a peach blossom, and seeing you today, you are indeed stunning beyond compare."
Audrey smiled slightly, not taking the flattery seriously.
Others might be praising her now, but who knows what they might say behind her back later.
"Oh, by the way," Miles asked with a smile, "did you recently ask Vanessa out to see a movie?"
Audrey was montarily stunned, not understanding why he asked this, but looking at his deanor, he clearly wasn’t just asking casually.
"...Yes, I did, but I couldn’t make it because sothing ca up."
Miles nodded thoughtfully.
Audrey used this topic to ask, "Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Vanessa for a while. She said her phone broke, and I haven’t been able to contact her. Could you help check if she’s free this weekend? I’d like to invite her out for so shopping."
Miles nodded with a smile, "Sure, I’ll talk to her when I get back. I’ve already given her a new phone. I’ll give you her new number."
Audrey hesitated for a second before nodding, then took out her phone from her bag and said, "Okay, let note it down."
She didn’t understand why a broken phone necessitated a new number. Even if the SIM card was lost, it could be replaced.
Plus, Miles Sterling seed very friendly and easy to talk to in public. If she didn’t know about his violent tendencies, Audrey might have thought he was a nice person to deal with.
People often compared him to Quentin Sterling. Initially, Audrey was just surprised, thinking Miles could be just a carefree playboy. But now, it seed he had another unknown side.
"We’ll be off then. Let’s have a al together so other ti."
Audrey nodded, "Alright."
She looked down at the number on her phone, dialed it, but no one answered. The call ended automatically.
At Riverview Apartnts.
Sunlight poured in through the wide bay window, the sheer curtains gently fluttering with the breeze blowing in.
On the carpet by the window, a girl in a white nightdress sat cross-legged on the floor, holding an irregular puzzle piece and comparing it with the nearly completed puzzle in front of her.
She fit the last piece in her hand into its corresponding space.
The puzzle before her depicted a landscape with clear blue rivers, lush trees, and golden sunlight...
Then she turned her head to look out the window. Even though the bay window was wide, to Vanessa Sterling, she was just a caged bird deprived of freedom.
Sitting on the carpet beside the bay window, she leaned her head on her hand, staring outside.
Footsteps sounded from the hallway, growing nearer.
They stopped at the doorway, followed by the sound of a key unlocking the door.
In the next mont, Miles Sterling entered the room.
He first glanced at the desk, where a computer was still placed, but the chair was empty.
Then he looked at the bed, its quilt neatly spread.
Only then did he notice the white figure leaning by the bay window.
She seed even thinner these days.
As Miles’ footsteps drew closer, Vanessa shifted slightly and looked up at him from her seat on the floor.
Her eyes held a calm look, showing no trace of delight at his appearance.
Miles took out a new phone from his pocket and handed it to her, speaking in a cool tone: "I hope by now you’ve thought carefully about what you should and shouldn’t do. I’ve told you before, as long as you behave, I won’t make things difficult for you. But if you think my words are to be ignored, next ti it won’t just be confinent."
Vanessa lowered her gaze slightly, reaching out to take the phone he handed her, remaining silent.
Miles stood behind her for a mont, then turned and left her room.
Vanessa noticed that this ti, he didn’t lock the door again.
This might have been the shortest confinent she had experienced; her bruises and scrapes hadn’t even fully healed when he ended it, unlike his previous behaviors.
Weekend.
Audrey Sutton arranged to et Vanessa at a plaza next to the comrcial street.
She arrived a bit early and noticed it was Miles Sterling who personally drove Vanessa over.
After Vanessa got out of the car, Miles did not leave imdiately. He waited until Vanessa reached Audrey before turning around to drive away.
It was as if he wanted to ensure Vanessa was indeed eting Audrey.
"What happened to your face?" Audrey asked, noticing the faint scar on Vanessa’s cheek, barely healed.
Vanessa pursed her lips and smiled, "I accidentally scratched myself while washing my hair."
As if worried Audrey would continue pursuing the matter, Vanessa quickly shifted the topic: "What made you suddenly want to go shopping? Is there sothing you want to buy?"
Audrey expressed a bashful smile, "My husband’s birthday is coming up. I wanted to browse and think about what gift might be suitable for him."
"Do you have any ideas?"
"None yet, really. It feels like he doesn’t lack anything. Also, I thought you, being a shoujo manga guru, might have so good suggestions, so I asked you to join for input."
Vanessa shyly smiled, "I don’t even have a boyfriend, so what would I know? But I think, whatever soone likes sends, they’ll cherish it."
Just like when Quentin Sterling ca back from studying abroad in his first year, he got her a hair clip.
She still keeps it well in her cabinet to this day.
Despite the fact that when he returned, he brought gifts for many, she wasn’t the special one.
Audrey thought Vanessa had a point. If Shane Warner gave her sothing, no matter what it was, it would be unique to her.
What mattered to her wasn’t what he gave, but that it ca from him.
But thinking about it the other way gave Audrey a headache.
Because Shane didn’t like her, and he didn’t lack anything, she couldn’t afford expensive things, and she feared he’d look down on cheap gifts.
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