Ethan Rhodes looked at his father in confusion.
A satisfied smile spread across Jonathan Rhodes’s face.
"Do you remember that painting of Kiana’s that broke the sales record at auction not long ago? Do you happen to know who the buyer was?"
Ethan Rhodes thought for a moment. He recalled that over a month ago, at Frey’s Summer Auction, Kiana Sterling’s painting, *Sea Mist*, had sold for eighty-six million US dollars, breaking the record she herself had previously set for the highest price for a modern painting auctioned at Frey’s.
Kiana Sterling had been busy for quite a while after the auction, which had even forced him to postpone his planned seaside proposal.
"Who was the buyer?"
Jonathan Rhodes’s somewhat cloudy eyes brightened. "The current head of the Shaw Family of Veridia: Sean Shaw."
The Shaws were an old, established family in Veridia. Though the family was large, they maintained a low profile, with members spread across various sectors and a business empire that spanned multiple fields.
To this day, Jonathan Rhodes still believed the Old Man had made a terrible mistake by handing Kyros over to Owen Rhodes.
So, for all these years, he had been biding his time and building his strength, waiting for an opportunity to take down Owen Rhodes in a single blow.
"The luxury resort project the Shaw Family invested in here in Jandor just passed its final inspection not long ago. Sean Shaw bought Kiana Sterling’s painting precisely because he knew she’s from Jandor, and he intends to hang it in the resort when it opens. It’s said that Sean Shaw plans to come to Jandor personally to hang the painting."
Ethan Rhodes understood his father’s meaning.
If he could use this opportunity to establish a connection with the Shaw Family, then with their backing, it was hard to say whether Owen Rhodes could hold on to his position as head of the Rhodes Family.
It had to be said, just listening to his father’s words, Ethan Rhodes felt tempted.
Jonathan Rhodes’s expression hardened, his voice laced with a warning. "So, I don’t care what you’re actually thinking right now. Until we’ve made contact with the Shaw Family, you will treat Kiana well. Do you hear me?!"
Faced with Kiana’s absolute devotion on one side and an undeniable, enormous benefit on the other, that flicker of possessiveness Ethan Rhodes felt for Stella Sterling was instantly washed away, leaving nothing behind.
Ethan Rhodes couldn’t help but imagine it: if his father, with the Shaw Family’s help, really did manage to dethrone Owen Rhodes, then he would be the one to inherit Kyros.
Then, he would be the true Mr. Rhodes, in every sense of the word.
He refused to believe that Stella Sterling would still willingly stay with an Owen Rhodes who was no better than a beaten dog.
The mere thought made the blood in Ethan Rhodes’s chest boil with excitement.
When he looked up at Jonathan Rhodes again, the indecisiveness he’d shown earlier was completely gone from his eyes.
He declared with conviction, "I know what I have to do."
...
It was already past eleven p.m. when Owen Rhodes returned to Lanthos Bay.
He walked into the master bedroom. The overhead light was on, but Stella Sterling was already asleep on the bed.
As he walked closer, he saw an open book by her hand. She was only two pages into it—it was *The Crowd*, the book he had been reading before bed recently.
’Apparently, someone was trying to copy him by reading before bed, but she couldn’t even make it past two pages before dozing off.’
Stella Sterling wasn’t covered by anything, her entire body exposed to the cool air. Owen Rhodes reached out, and even before he touched her, he could feel the chill coming off her arm.
He set the book aside and was about to cover her with the blanket when the sleeping woman’s eyes fluttered open.
Owen Rhodes was very close, and the first thing Stella Sterling saw upon opening her eyes were his, which were as deep and dark as a winter lake.
’No matter how many times she saw them,’ Stella Sterling thought, ’Owen Rhodes’s eyes were truly beautiful.’
One look and they were etched into her mind, yet she was still struck by their beauty every time she saw them anew.
Owen Rhodes watched the slowly waking woman blink her sleepy eyes and stare right into his.
Then, without warning, she wrinkled her nose and sniffed twice.
"Have you been drinking?"
Her voice, husky from sleep, held a languid tone that sounded completely unguarded.
Owen Rhodes quickly tucked her under the covers, then pulled back to put some distance between them.
"Is it that unpleasant? I’ll go take a shower."
It wasn’t actually that unpleasant, just the faint scent of alcohol.
But before Stella Sterling could say anything, he had already strode into the bathroom in a few quick steps.
Owen Rhodes’s mind wasn’t clear. Wyatt Keating’s words kept replaying in his head, like an auditory hallucination.
In truth, Wyatt Keating had gotten through to him.
If he didn’t fight, didn’t seize his chance, how could he possibly compete with Ethan Rhodes, Stella Sterling’s childhood friend? How could he ever convince her to stay?
But ever since he had gotten to know Stella Sterling, the one unshakable belief he held was to give her the greatest degree of freedom he possibly could.
He wanted to wait for Stella Sterling to fall in love with him on her own.
Just a little affection wasn’t nearly enough.
Owen Rhodes’s thoughts were in turmoil. He hadn’t even drunk that much tonight, but when he came out of the bathroom, his head felt groggy and heavy, as if weighed down by lead.
Having napped a little while ago, Stella Sterling was now wide awake.
She watched Owen Rhodes emerge from the bathroom, a new, blatant aggressiveness in his deep-set eyes.
When that pair of deep, dark eyes looked at her, it felt as though they wanted to drag her into an abyss, to shatter and devour her until they were fused into one.
Staring into his eyes, Stella Sterling froze for a moment.
By the time she reacted, Owen Rhodes had his hands planted on the bed on either side of her, leaning in even closer than before.
If she moved even slightly, her nose would brush against his.
Owen Rhodes was normally warm as a furnace. Because she was often anemic, she had chronic issues with cold hands and feet and was always sensitive to the cold. As a result, she would often subconsciously cling to him in her sleep for warmth.
But now, with them so close, Stella Sterling could feel that even the air he exhaled was scalding hot.
The air between them, tinged with alcohol, was just as predatory as his gaze, tangling with her own breath and stealing it away.
Stella Sterling instinctively shrank back. "Owen Rhodes, have you had too much to drink?"
Owen Rhodes stared into her eyes. Instead of answering, he asked a question of his own. "Why did you like Ethan Rhodes?"
’Yep,’ she thought. ’He’s definitely drunk.’
"I don’t like Ethan Rhodes anymore."
"Why did you like him before? What did you like about him?"
Stella Sterling was taken aback by the questions.
’Why did I like Ethan Rhodes?’
She had never really thought about that question before.
As Stella Sterling was lost in thought, she heard Owen Rhodes’s low voice again. "Whatever he could do, I can do, too. So... can you just like me a little more? Please?"