The vast banquet hall quickly emptied, leaving only members of the Sterling family.

Kade looked at Silas Norwood and Celia. "This is a family matter. I’ll handle it myself. You take Cece and get some rest."

But Celia stubbornly refused to budge.

"Cece," Silas Norwood said softly. "I’ll stay here with Kade and keep an eye on things. There won’t be any problems. You go back to the room and wait for me."

"It’s one thing for you to protect me in other matters, Brother, but when it comes to... him, it’s our business, yours and mine. There’s no reason for me to stay out of it." Celia looked at Kade. "Brother, let me come too. I want to see just how disgusting he can be after all these years, how he plans to torment us."

Kade remained unmoved. "Listen to me, Cece."

"I won’t." Celia looked at the Sterling clan members and corporate shareholders in the banquet hall. "Brother, if I go back to my room, I’ll just be a nervous wreck. Didn’t you see how arrogant he was today? He even brought some strange people with him. Who knows what kind of nasty trick he’s plotting? No, I have to watch this unfold to have any peace of mind."

"Celia Sterling!" Kade’s tone turned frigid. "If you stay, you’ll only be a distraction."

At his words, Celia immediately fell silent.

’She’d always known she was Kade’s weakness.’

’Always.’

’And that madman, Franklin Sterling, who had no paternal feelings whatsoever, had his eyes fixed on her from the moment he’d burst in. Who knew what horrible plans he was cooking up for her? If he really intended to use her against Kade, then she truly would be a liability.’

Seeing her waver, Silas Norwood exchanged a look with Kade before slipping an arm around her and half-coaxing, half-carrying her away.

The bridal suite on the cruise ship was massive and festively decorated. Silas Norwood set her down on the crimson velvet comforter and whispered in her ear,

"Why don’t you be a good girl and go take a bath? Change out of your gown and rest for a bit. The suite has everything you could need, and if you want anything else, just tell Assistant Thorne at the door. The bodyguards are posted outside too, so just let them handle anything that comes up. You aren’t familiar with the cruise ship yet. Wait for me to get back, and I’ll give my dear wife a proper tour."

"Okay, go find my brother," Celia urged him anxiously. "No matter what happens, your safety and my brother’s are the top priority."

"You’re overthinking things. Franklin Sterling is on my turf. He can’t make any waves..." Silas Norwood chuckled, giving her a reassuring kiss on the lips. He then changed into casual clothes and headed out the door.

Celia took a shower and changed, but she wasn’t the least bit sleepy.

She lay in bed for a while before getting up and opening the door.

Assistant Thorne was standing at the door, instructing his subordinates. "After Mrs. Norwood and the Boss leave, when you’re cleaning the suite, make sure you don’t touch any of the gowns Mrs. Norwood wore today, or the Boss’s clothes. These items are private and have a special significance; the Boss will pack them up himself."

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of the door opening drew his attention. He turned to see Celia. "Mrs. Norwood, what are you doing out here?"

"Is there a reason I can’t come out?" Celia asked softly. "What, did Silas Norwood order you to keep me under lock and key in there?"

"Not at all. Our Boss never forces anyone to do anything. He just said not to disturb you. You were up early this morning, and the wedding reception was exhausting, so he hoped you’d get some more rest."

Celia nodded. "I just remembered something very important I need to tell Silas Norwood."

"You could call the Boss, or text him."

"It’s an extremely private topic between a husband and wife," Celia said slowly. "What’s the fun in discussing it over the phone?"

Assistant Thorne got the hint and shut his mouth, stepping aside to clear the way. "I’ll have the bodyguards follow you from a distance, then."

"Fine." Celia nodded and headed down the hallway toward the banquet hall.

Assistant Thorne watched Celia’s receding figure and, out of reflex, tried to call Silas Norwood, but the call wouldn’t connect.

He tried Theo Chambers next, but his line was dead as well. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Assistant Thorne silently put his phone away.

’It’s probably not a big deal for Mrs. Norwood to go looking for the Boss, right?’

The signal in the banquet hall had been completely jammed.

Silas Norwood and Kade sat side-by-side in the seats of honor, quietly watching as bodyguards escorted Franklin Sterling into the room.

On either side sat the Sterling clan members and major shareholders, their faces a mixture of shock and uncertainty.

"You wanted to say something. You can say it now." Kade lit a cigarette, his face obscured by the shadows as he sat against the light. He watched Franklin Sterling with an indifferent expression. Franklin’s face was a ghastly, pale mask of fury. While he was being held in the side room, he had received a call from one of his illegitimate sons. Three of them had already been taken into custody by the local police, and two were on the run. Meanwhile, he himself had been served with lawsuits for several commercial crimes. The moment he returned, a prison sentence would be waiting for him.

’That unfilial son, Kade... He was a man of his word, swift and ruthless. In such a short time, he had dealt with all of his children overseas, and he hadn’t even spared him—his own father.’

"What do I want to say...?" Franklin Sterling sneered, deciding he had nothing left to lose. "In front of all our clan members, Kade, why don’t you tell them yourself about the ’great deed’ you’ve committed!"

"I’ve done plenty of good deeds." Kade gave a nonchalant smile. "To which one might Mr. Sterling be referring?"

"Which one?" Franklin Sterling’s voice was shrill and hysterical. "Celia Sterling isn’t my daughter at all! She’s a puppet you created! Kade, do you dare swear an oath in front of all these people? Swear that you and that bitch of a mother of yours didn’t let some bastard come in and usurp the family name!"

"What bastard?" Kade slowly blew a smoke ring, a faint sneer on his lips. "Aren’t the dozen or so bastards all overseas?"

"You know what I’m talking about!" Franklin Sterling threw a document onto the table. "This is a paternity test I had secretly done with Celia. She’s not my daughter at all! Back then, I lost control of the company by a single percentage point of the shares—one wrong move and I was forced out. I’ve been racking my brain these past two days. At that time, that bitch June Coleman was crying her eyes out all day and wouldn’t let me see Cece. You must have set me up and swapped the child back then."

At this, the members of the Sterling clan shot to their feet in shock.

Silas Norwood remained silent. Theo Chambers handed him a cup of tea, his heart pounding as he observed his boss’s calm expression. ’No wonder he had me investigate Summer Sutton and Miss Sterling back then,’ Theo thought. ’And no wonder he suddenly called off the investigation. The Boss must have already figured out the truth...’

’It wasn’t just the Boss, either. Theo, who had been involved in the entire investigation, had seen all the documents and photos himself but had never made the connection. It had been like trying to see through a dense fog, but now, all the clues instantly snapped together, forming a complete picture.’

’He glanced discreetly at his boss, his feelings a complicated mess.’

’The Boss had been in such a rush to get their marriage license, as if he was afraid she’d run away. So, when it came to this... did he mind, or not?’

Kade glanced over at Silas Norwood, his gaze deep and unreadable, before his calm eyes settled back on Franklin Sterling.

"That report... are you sure it’s authentic? I seem to recall that back in the day, you had a vast repertoire of dirty tricks for dealing with your rivals. Forging evidence was just one of them."