The girl rubbed her sleepy eyes and mumbled to herself,
"Am I seeing things? I think I just saw Damian Xavier."
The other girl took the chance when no one was looking to secretly touch up her makeup with a cushion compact. As she dabbed her face, she said,
"Are you dreaming? Why would Damian Xavier come here? Have you forgotten about his relationship with our Mr. Sterling? He has a fiancée now. He'd be trying to avoid suspicion, not actively seeking it out. Anyone else might show up here, but not him."
The first girl nodded.
"That does make some sense."
When Damian Xavier reached the door of Aria Sterling's office, he was just about to knock when he heard voices from the office next door.
The door to the adjacent office wasn't completely closed. It was ajar, and from the doorway, he could see several people talking inside.
Colin Sterling was half-lying on the sofa, with a few middle-aged men who looked like board members sitting beside him.
They seemed to be discussing something quite pleasant, and Colin Sterling looked smug.
Damian Xavier listened for a moment. It turned out to be several board members flattering Colin Sterling.
"Sterling, old man, don't you worry. Aria Sterling might seem capable, but she's just a little girl in her twenties. What can she possibly do?"
"Exactly. At best, she can act high and mighty in front of you elders because the old man dotes on her. But when it comes to actually running the group, she's useless. She's been putting on a good act these past few days, but I doubt it'll last. It won't be long before she shows her true colors."
"That's right, I think so too. When it comes to managing the company, we still have to rely on Mr. Sterling. Mr. Sterling has managed so many things for the company, and when has there ever been a single mistake? This little girl doesn't know her place yet. Give it a few more days. She'll definitely have to give up her position to Mr. Sterling and beg him to manage the company for her."
Their flattery was so skilled that Colin Sterling was practically basking in it.
He was on cloud nine, his eyes smiling so hard they narrowed into slits.
"You all flatter me. I'm not as brilliant as you say. There are many areas where I fall short, and I thank you all for your past tolerance. However, this niece of mine is no pushover. After dealing with her these past few days, I feel she's much more difficult to handle than I imagined."
A slightly younger-looking board member sitting next to him said,
"Mr. Sterling, you're just too soft on the younger generation. You can't bear to discipline her even when she's throwing her weight around, so she thinks she's hot stuff. Honestly, she should take a good look at herself. What is she? Just a woman Damian Xavier played with and threw away. Damian Xavier didn't want her anymore, and she has the gall to come running back to the Sterling Family. A woman who was so desperate to suck up to Damian Xavier is now acting all high and mighty in the Sterling Family!"
BANG—
The words had barely left his mouth when, before Colin Sterling could speak, the office door was kicked open.
Colin Sterling roared in anger,
"Who is it! Do you have a death wish!"
Damian Xavier sneered.
"It's me. I'm curious to see just how Mr. Sterling plans to have me killed."
The voice sounded familiar to Colin Sterling, but he couldn't quite place it. He scrambled up from the sofa and looked toward the door.
Only then did he see that the person standing outside was none other than Damian Xavier.
He was so frightened he almost lost his footing. The expression on his face was caught between a sob and a smile, making him look utterly awkward and pathetic.
"Mr. Xavier, what are you doing here?"
Damian Xavier's eyes were cool.
"What? Am I not welcome?"
Colin Sterling hastily denied it.
"O-Of course not. I'm just... surprised. Why have you suddenly appeared here?"
Damian Xavier glanced at the others in the room, his handsome, stern face growing even colder, but his words were directed at Colin Sterling.
"Do I need to report my movements to you?"
With that, he turned to Kevin Keane and said,
"Go get Aria Sterling. I'd like her to hear for herself how these board members of The Sterling Group badmouth people behind their backs."
"Yes."
Kevin Keane strode out.
Meanwhile, the younger, arrogant board member who had just been speaking was now deathly pale, not a trace of color left in his face.
His lips trembled as he said,
"Mr. Xavier, just now... my words were a bit inappropriate. Please, don't take it to heart. I meant you no disrespect whatsoever."
Damian Xavier raised his eyes to look at him, his beautiful, almond-shaped eyes now filled with scorn.
"Inappropriate? Is that all it was? This is the first time I've ever met such an ill-mannered board member. If I were Aria Sterling, I would have thrown you out of The Sterling Group long ago!"
Under the terrified gazes of the men, he continued,
"Let me correct you. Aria Sterling and I have never had any sort of 'improper' relationship. I was the one who proposed marriage back then. Of course, I was also the one who later proposed divorce, because we were incompatible in many ways. But all of this only happened after the Sterlings falsely accused her and her parents of being traitors, leaving her displaced and with nowhere to go. That's when I took her in. Is there a problem with that?"
The men all shook their heads frantically.
"N-No problem."
A corner of Damian Xavier's mouth lifted. He clapped Colin Sterling on the shoulder.
"I trust Mr. Sterling doesn't find anything I've said to be inappropriate, do you?"
Cold sweat beaded on Colin Sterling's forehead.
"Of course not."
"I was married to Aria Sterling for three years. I know her character better than any of you. The people I choose are never second-rate, so stop spreading baseless rumors behind her back! Aria Sterling and I had an amicable divorce. There's no bad blood between us. In fact, it's only out of respect for her that I'm giving The Sterling Group this chance to partner with The Xavier Group! This had better be the last time I hear such talk. Otherwise, don't blame me for cleaning house on Aria Sterling's behalf!"
Colin Sterling was in a complete panic, and the others were scared out of their wits.
Who could have imagined that Aria Sterling wouldn't hear their gossip, but Damian Xavier would?
Moreover, the relationship between Damian Xavier and Aria Sterling was nothing like the public rumors suggested.
Damian Xavier was clearly protective of Aria Sterling.
They all knew that a corporation like The Xavier Group was in a completely different league from the Sterling Family. They also figured The Xavier Group wouldn't deign to partner with the Sterlings. A while back, The Xavier Group announced a major new media project and was looking for a partner, but the Sterlings hadn't even dared to dream of it.
In fact, you could say that no one at The Sterling Group, from top to bottom, believed Damian Xavier would choose them as a partner.
But to think that Damian Xavier would actually give this project to The Sterling Group for Aria Sterling's sake... Wasn't that already showing her an immense amount of respect?
Just then, Kevin Keane walked back in, followed by a young man in his twenties.
"Mr. Xavier, this is Mr. Hayes's assistant. He isn't in today; only his assistant was left to handle some matters. I've brought him here. If you have any questions, you can ask him directly."