The moment Summer Sutton stepped into the living room, her gaze fell upon the sofa.
In Port Sovereign's entertainment circle, crowded with beauties, she wasn't the most gorgeous. But she was sexy, charming, and a gentle, understanding companion. Her climb to the top spot among the new generation of stars owed much to her own charisma and emotional intelligence, in addition to the mountain of powerful resources Kian Sterling had provided her.
Now, as the powerfully imposing figure of the man came into view, Summer Sutton's eyes, previously weary from work, instantly lit up. She kicked off her high heels, gathered the hem of her low-cut evening gown, and flew toward Kian Sterling.
"Ninth Master!"
Her voice was soft and sweet, her eyes brimming with affection. She eagerly threw herself at his side, clinging to his arm like a bewitching dodder vine.
"Ninth Master." Her voice dropped another two notches in softness as she sniffed lightly at him. "Did Celia give you a new perfume? I've been learning about perfumery myself lately. When I go to Metropia someday, I'll have to ask Celia for some pointers."
Kian Sterling simply continued to sip the tea Evan Rhodes had prepared, his expression detached. He showed no interest in responding.
Summer Sutton leaned in, fawningly picking up a delicate pastry to feed him.
"I just learned how to make these. Have a taste?"
Kian Sterling avoided it.
"Did you stir up a scandal just to force me to come eat pastries?" He glanced at her neck, where a classic necklace from a certain brand rested. He sneered faintly, "Why not wear the one Declan Nash gave you? A thirty-million-dollar necklace is more than enough for you to do as you please in your circle."
He cut straight to the chase, no longer having the patience for even a moment of small talk.
Summer Sutton's eyes reddened. "I had no choice with that scandal. The Sutton Family had people secretly following me. If I wasn't forced, why would I have gone to Young Master Norwood's private room to hide? It's good that you're here. He forced that necklace on me. Please help me return it. I don't want anything to do with Young Master Norwood."
"No choice?" Kian Sterling's voice was mocking and cold. "After a few years in the entertainment industry, you've certainly learned how to spin a good lie."
He tossed a file from Evan Rhodes's investigation in front of her. "You scouted the club half a month in advance, specifically chose a time when Declan Nash would be there, and even leaked your schedule to the paparazzi beforehand. Photos, buying a spot on the trending list... Summer Sutton, you really are a victim of circumstance."
With that, he pulled his arm free from her grasp and lightly flicked away non-existent dust.
Summer Sutton's face paled slightly. Knowing the man before her was truly furious, she was smart enough not to argue. With tears welling in her eyes, a picture of pitiable beauty, she said, "I was just desperate. I missed you too much. Ninth Master, you haven't come to see me in three months."
Kian Sterling had kept Summer Sutton for many years.
He would visit her almost once a month, giving her countless resources, smoothing over all sorts of trouble for her in the industry, and had even stepped in several times to deal with powerful figures in Port Sovereign who tried to force themselves on her.
Everyone in the Port Sovereign Circle knew that this beautiful star, who was just dabbling in entertainment, was backed by Kian Sterling, the head of a super-conglomerate from the Capital Circle.
A woman labeled as Kian Sterling's, from then on, had smooth sailing. No one dared to covet her.
But the human heart is a bottomless pit of desire.
Summer Sutton gradually grew dissatisfied with this hidden relationship. When she discovered Evan Rhodes had begun compiling files on Metropia's socialites as candidates for the future matriarch of the Sterling Family, her sense of crisis peaked. She pulled a few strings and exposed the news that Kian Sterling was keeping her, his "canary," in Port Sovereign.
The story was a top trending topic for three whole days.
All of Metropia was buzzing with the news, but Kian Sterling watched coldly from the sidelines, making no move to suppress the scandal, letting it run rampant.
But he never set foot in Summer Sutton's villa again.
Summer Sutton panicked. For days, she bombarded him with calls and messages, but Kian Sterling didn't reply with a single word, giving her the cold shoulder.
Instead, Evan Rhodes sent a message:
"Miss Sutton, the boss asked me to inform you that since you refused to play by the rules, your relationship with him is over."
It wasn't just an empty threat.
For three straight months, Kian Sterling gave her no more resources. Various financial powers in the circle who had long coveted her began to make their moves. Summer Sutton, who had lived a pampered life for years, hit rock bottom almost overnight.
To force Kian Sterling to show himself, she had to create another scandal, this time deliberately picking Declan Nash—the foppish playboy who was about to marry Kian Sterling's sister.
His sister was Kian Sterling's only weak spot.
"Yes, I know you blame me for exposing our relationship a few months ago." Having finally gotten to see Kian Sterling, Summer Sutton's tone was cautious. "But I heard you're preparing to choose a wife. Evan Rhodes gave you a thick stack of files on the Capital Circle's socialites. I can't accept it. Ninth Master, why can't I be your wife?"
She gazed at Kian Sterling, her eyes glistening with tears, looking utterly moving.
Kian Sterling was unmoved. His eyes were cold and detached as he rose to his feet.
"I didn't come here today to witness your wishful thinking. Summer Sutton, for your mother's sake, I can continue to keep you for another three years. But after today, we don't need to see each other privately again."
He reached out and gripped her chin. The pressure wasn't harsh, but it sent a chill through Summer Sutton's very bones.
"And another thing. I don't care who you scheme against, but don't you dare get any ideas about Cece. Otherwise, I'll send you straight back to that den of wolves you call the Sutton Family and let you fend for yourself."
The messy affairs of the Sutton Family of Port Sovereign were once common knowledge.
The head of the Sutton Family, Kenneth Sutton, had an affair with a nanny. Blinded by lust, he kicked his wife, Sylvia Lowell, and their legitimate daughter out of the family home. Sylvia Lowell fell into a deep depression, soon grew ill and never recovered. On her deathbed, she entrusted her daughter to Kian Sterling, asking him to manage the eight percent of the Sutton Family's shares in her daughter's name.
And on the day after Sylvia Lowell's funeral, Kenneth Sutton married the nanny and openly brought home his four illegitimate children, the eldest of whom was six or seven years older than Summer Sutton.
Over the years, those illegitimate children had been causing a lot of trouble, and Kenneth Sutton was notoriously shameless. If the shares weren't temporarily in Kian Sterling's hands, that pack from the Sutton Family would have devoured Summer Sutton, leaving not even her bones behind.
But a few months ago, Kenneth Sutton fell gravely ill. His four illegitimate children began a vicious fight over the inheritance. The eight percent of shares held by Summer Sutton—who had been protected by Kian Sterling for years—became the final bargaining chip that would determine who inherited.
In other words, whoever got their hands on Summer Sutton's shares would be the next head of the Sutton Family.
And it went without saying that the methods for 'getting' those shares would be brutal and bloody.
Kian Sterling was Summer Sutton's solid fortress against this impending storm of blood.
As long as he was willing to protect her, Summer Sutton would be safe.
But if he were to actively send her back to the Sutton Family, it would be a signal that she had been discarded—tantamount to pushing her into hell.
Summer Sutton's face turned deathly pale in an instant.
Kian Sterling didn't spare her another glance. He casually placed the gilded gold teacup he had just used into Evan Rhodes's hand.
"Before dawn, erase every trace of me from this villa."
He strode out of the living room without a hint of reluctance, his tall, straight back melting into the night.
Behind him, his assistant, Evan Rhodes, followed in his footsteps. As they moved further away, Evan's voice could be faintly heard.
"The butler back in Metropia sent a message asking what you'd like for breakfast tomorrow."
"Prepare it according to Cece's tastes." Kian Sterling's voice, mingled with the night wind, wasn't perfectly clear, but it was exceptionally gentle. "She's lost weight recently."
"I hear she's trying to lose weight like those other socialites..."
"Nonsense."
Their figures receded into the distance, their voices fading until they were inaudible.
Summer Sutton, holding the hem of her gown, chased him out the main door. She stared at his elegant, cold back, listening to the helpless yet doting tone in his voice when he spoke of his sister—an ultimate tenderness she had never once experienced in the more than ten years she had been with him.
She was silent for a moment, then made a phone call.