His attitude was just too weird.

So weird, in fact, that Celia Sterling immediately dropped the idea of discussing the base with him and contacted Miles Trenton instead.

Meanwhile, aboard a private jet flying from Tulia to Metropia, Silas Norwood had just started typing a message—"My wife isn’t with me, and it’s only been half an hour but I’m already starting to miss her like crazy"—when he glanced at his dazzling Brightmoon profile picture in the chat window and realized he was on the wrong account.

He immediately deleted the message.

He was about to salvage the situation by claiming he’d sent it to the wrong person.

But then, for some reason, a comment from Assistant Thorne popped into his head:

’Look at people these days. Doesn’t everyone have a second account for a side hustle or something? One for maintaining a respectable image, and another for secretly indulging their darker side.’

His main account, the one for Silas Norwood, definitely had an image to uphold.

But his Rivermoon account had always had a rather unconventional style. Pushing it a little further wouldn’t hurt. Any embarrassment would fall on Rivermoon, so what did that have to do with him, Silas Norwood?

Even if he couldn’t keep it a secret forever, he could just delete the account and deny everything to his grave.

All sorts of plans flashed through his mind. Staring at his chat with Celia Sterling, Silas Norwood abandoned the idea of explaining himself.

’Explain what?’

’Since this account wasn’t meant to follow the proper and prim route, what was wrong with flirting a little with his own wife?’

Once that thought took root, he found it hard to stop. Every now and then, he would use the base as an excuse to drop a few flirty lines on Celia Sterling. Celia would reply to his proper, business-related messages, but the moment she sensed things were heading in the wrong direction, she would go silent. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Silas Norwood, however, became engrossed in this new role-play, which he found far more interesting than playing the part of some naive, inexperienced boy. A secret thrill coursed through him, and he gradually grew dissatisfied with mere verbal exchanges.

During a discussion about agarwood essential oil extraction, he suddenly teased her:

Rivermoon: [This is a rather time-consuming topic. How about we discuss it in person?]

Of course, he knew she would refuse.

The more she refused, the more he wanted it.

It was the same principle as when the two of them were in bed.

Celia Sterling refused him flatly:

Cece: [That’s not very convenient.]

Rivermoon: [Why not?]

This time, Celia Sterling decided to lay her cards on the table. For over a month, Rivermoon had been sending ambiguous messages, and her perception of him as a cool and distant master had been utterly shattered. She was not an indecisive person, so after a moment’s thought, she wrote:

Cece: [Sir, there seems to be an issue with your attitude toward me lately. May I ask why?]

Rivermoon: [I don’t think there’s any issue.]

Rivermoon: [I’m simply following my heart.]

Cece: [Does your wife know you’re talking to me like this?]

Rivermoon: [She doesn’t.]

Rivermoon: [She’s thousands of kilometers away.]

Celia Sterling silently did the math. ’Thousands of kilometers... that’s basically a different country.’ It seemed this master and his wife were living apart. Now his baser male instincts were showing through—lonely, bored, and looking for some excitement on the side.

But he shouldn’t be coming to her for it.

Cece: [I understand you might be bored with your wife away, sir, but I am not a suitable person for you to pass the time with.]

Rivermoon: [Why not?]

Cece: [I’m married.]

Rivermoon: [Weren’t you getting a divorce?]

Celia Sterling’s first reaction was confusion. ’How did he know I’d mentioned divorce?’ Her second was a flare of anger. ’Whether I get a divorce or not is none of his business!’

Cece: [There’s no such thing. My husband and I have a very harmonious relationship. By the way, sir, if you really want to meet, why don’t you wait until my husband is here? We could all have a meal together. I’m sure Mr. Trenton has told you who my husband is.]

Rivermoon: [Silas Norwood, is he that great? So great you can’t let him go?]

Cece: [He’s the best man I’ve ever met.]

Rivermoon: [In what way?]

The question was more than a little suggestive.

「Crestmoore International Hotel.」

When Silas Norwood pushed the door open, he found Celia Sterling sprawled listlessly on the bed. Her phone was tossed casually aside as she hugged a pillow, moping.

"Baby, not happy to see me?" Silas Norwood pressed against her from behind, lifting her long hair to give the nape of her neck a gentle bite.

Celia Sterling rolled over, landing right in his arms. "No, it’s not that. It’s just that fragrance master... I used to think he was a great person, but now he’s just awful. How can someone change so completely in such a short time? He has absolutely no sense of boundaries. And to think I once considered him a special online friend."

With that, she handed him her phone. "Look at the things he’s saying."

Silas Norwood casually scrolled up.

Then, he calmly put the phone down and asked the very same question:

"In what way am I great?"

"..."

Later that night, looking at the woman he had made cry for the third time, Silas Norwood leaned down to kiss away her tears one by one. "Does this count as great?" he asked again in a low, hoarse voice.

Celia Sterling’s eyes were red as she looked at him, but she refused to answer.

During her few dates with Silas Norwood over the past two months, Celia Sterling had felt deeply conflicted. When they were apart, she missed and craved him. But when their two-day rendezvous actually arrived, she always found herself completely drained and exhausted.

Silas Norwood would only venture outside with her on the day of his departure. They would stroll around the area, return to the hotel to grab his things, and then fall into one last, desperate entanglement before he rushed off to catch his flight.

He seemed like a man completely ruled by his passions.

The two days passed in a flash.

The sun shone brilliantly outside the hotel. From their window, they could see the vast, endless sea of flowers that belonged to Rivermoon.

The two of them were on the soft carpet in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Silas Norwood sat with his knees bent, and she lay listlessly in his arms, asking:

"Is it really appropriate for you to keep dropping your work to come here?"

"I didn’t drop my work," Silas Norwood explained gently, his fingers toying with her hair. "I brought a dedicated team of assistants. They’re inspecting the branch office on my behalf."

"Don’t you have anything else to do? Coming to see me so secretively time and time again... anyone who didn’t know better would think you were keeping a mistress."

"But I am keeping a vixen," Silas Norwood chuckled softly.

"You’re being ridiculous."

"Just look at how you’ve bewitched me," Silas Norwood sighed, lacing his fingers through hers. He then guided her hand inside his robe. "It’s been less than an hour."

The flight back to Metropia was delayed by two hours due to unforeseen circumstances.

Celia Sterling didn’t see Silas Norwood off when he left.

She soaked listlessly in the bathtub, every bone in her body aching.

A dozen or so hours later, Silas Norwood’s private jet landed in the private terminal of Metropia International Airport.

Theo Chambers was there to pick him up personally.

He shot a subtle glance at the team of assistants behind Silas Norwood before attentively opening the car door for him. After placing his luggage in the trunk, Theo started the car and said:

"Boss, Chairman Sterling is looking for you."

Silas Norwood grunted. "When?"

"Right when you went to Crestmoore—" Catching the cool glare Silas Norwood shot his way, Theo Chambers quickly corrected himself, "—to Valenza, next to Crestmoore. His assistant, Evan Rhodes, called right after your plane took off."

"What did he say?"

"He knew you were abroad. Evan Rhodes said to ask you to pay Chairman Sterling a visit once you returned."

Silas Norwood nodded and ordered, "Drive straight to the Sterling Group Headquarters."