My Fiancé's Scandals Never End, So I Married His Uncle Instead-Chapter 167: Same Mother, Different Father

Silas first poured her a cup of herbal tea and gestured for her to sit on his lap. "Let me hold you for a bit."

Celia Sterling obediently sat on his lap. Cradling the cup of tea, she took a light sip and furrowed her brow slightly. "It tastes a little strange."

"I added some Chinese herbs to help restore your energy," Silas answered in a measured tone. "My dear has been looking a little worn-out lately. This will help you recover."

He tactfully omitted any mention of his own lack of restraint.

After Celia took a few more sips, he returned to their earlier topic. "My dear, you’re practically a child yourself. Whose kid are you planning on babysitting?"

"My half-sister, Natalie Shepherd," Celia said after a moment’s thought. "We’re related by blood, but we don’t really know each other well."

"If you’re not close, why bother?" Silas thought. ’She’s nothing more than a stranger.’

"She already moved into our house on her own. It doesn’t seem right to just kick her out." Celia said, sharing her vague impression of Natalie. "She’s a bit mischievous, doesn’t like to study, and has a bit of a princess complex. But at the end of the day, she’s just a ten-year-old girl. Whatever my feelings are toward Ms. Coleman, there’s no reason to take it out on a child."

"Then let’s go home and see," Silas said, giving her a kiss. "If you feel uncomfortable, I’ll go back with you."

He paused, then pointed to the cup in her hands. "Finish this nourishing tea first."

Celia had to admit she felt drained after the last couple of days with him. She finished the tea, then snuggled in his arms for a little while longer before they finally headed out. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Theo Chambers was walking over with a stack of files for approval when he saw the two of them heading for the elevators. He froze. "Boss, are you leaving?"

"I’m leaving early," Silas instructed calmly. "Nothing else on the schedule is important. You handle it."

’How is it not important? There’s the annual board meeting, and the business dinner tonight with the chairman of Zenith Electronics. Plus, there are three very important documents from the President’s Office that Julian Langdon is reviewing. They’ll need the boss’s signature later.’

Theo Chambers was silent for a few seconds before finally nodding slightly. "Understood, Boss."

The Guster pulled to a slow stop at the main gate of the villa.

Celia Sterling and Silas Norwood stepped out of the car and walked toward the inner courtyard, their fingers intertwined. In the living room, Natalie Shepherd, dressed in a princess gown, sat on the sofa with her knees primly together, absently flipping through a textbook. At her feet were several large suitcases and a bulky pink schoolbag.

"Nia," Celia greeted her coolly.

This was Natalie Shepherd’s first time at the villa. She rose to her feet, slightly timid, and greeted Celia with equal distance. "Sister."

Then, she turned to Silas Norwood. Stunned for a few seconds by his refined and imposing presence, she finally addressed him cautiously, "Hello, brother-in-law."

She and Celia saw each other only a handful of times a year. Though they called each other sisters, they were far from close. As for a man like Silas Norwood, he was the stuff of legends. This was their first time meeting, so "familiar" was completely out of the question.

Celia quietly asked a maid to bring a glass of warm milk, then pulled Silas to sit with her on a nearby sofa. She started a cool chat with Natalie. "What brings you here so suddenly?"

"Mommy and Daddy went abroad, and my big brothers are busy, so there’s no one to look after me." Natalie was, after all, only a ten-year-old girl. She was usually proud and arrogant, but she wasn’t mature. "Only my second brother is home, but he doesn’t like me. He bullies me behind their backs. Mommy said that if it got to be too much, I should come find you and Kade."

Celia hummed in acknowledgment. "When did Mom leave the country?"

"The day before yesterday." Natalie kept her head down. "My second brother deliberately told everyone at the villa not to talk to me. He also had someone ruin my piano and my paintings. This morning, when I was leaving, I saw him bringing a really mean-looking stray dog into the house."

’So, the Shepherd Family only looks like a picture of harmony on the surface, thanks to June Coleman’s management. I never thought it was like this behind the scenes. No wonder she wanted Kian to help the eldest Shepherd son secure his position at Natalie’s birthday party.’

’And she specifically told Natalie to find me and Kian before her trip, which means she must know what her second stepson is really like.’

Celia mused, ’It seems the child has been bullied by the second Shepherd son for the past two days. She must have run here to me and my brother for refuge because she couldn’t take it anymore. She’s not so foolish, then.’

’That makes it even harder to just heartlessly send her away.’

She wasn’t good at dealing with children, so she gave the hem of Silas’s shirt a gentle tug.

Silas asked languidly, "Natalie Shepherd, what grade are you in?"

"Fifth grade," Natalie answered properly.

"You’re home this early?"

"School gets out at 4:45." Natalie’s voice was much quieter in front of Silas. "Mommy arranged for the Shepherd family’s driver to take me to and from school, so you don’t have to worry about that."

Silas lowered his gaze, his voice indifferent. "Do your homework first."

Natalie looked down, fidgeting with her textbook. "I don’t know how to do a lot of it."

Celia spoke up stiffly, "Do the ones you know how to do first. I’ll help you with the rest later."

When Kian Sterling got home from work, he was greeted by a completely incongruous scene:

Silas was lounging on the sofa, lazily flipping through a business journal. The nearby coffee table had been temporarily turned into a study desk. Celia, hugging a plush pillow, was sitting on the rug beside the sofa, methodically explaining a problem to Natalie. The little girl looked sleepy, but since this wasn’t her home, she didn’t dare throw one of her princess tantrums. Instead, she was painstakingly writing down the answer, bit by bit.

Kian Sterling’s gaze swept over the suitcases on the floor, his expression frosty. "What are you doing here?"

"Brother!" Natalie, who felt a natural affinity and admiration for Kian, tossed her pen aside. She eagerly approached to greet him, her voice much brighter and stronger than it had been with Celia. "Mommy told me to come stay at your place for a few days."

Kian didn’t move. "I’ll have my assistant take you back to the Shepherd’s."

Natalie’s face went pale and her eyes reddened, tears welling up.

"That’s enough. Go on upstairs to the study and do your homework," Celia said, patting Natalie’s shoulder gently and signaling for a maid to lead her away. Once the little girl was out of sight, Celia turned to Kian. "There’s a vicious dog at the Shepherd’s house, and she’s scared. It’s not a big deal if she stays for three or four days. I’ll arrange for a professional assistant to look after her tomorrow, so we won’t have to worry about a thing."

"Two days, at most. The day after tomorrow, I’ll have someone personally escort her back. As for the second Shepherd son, I’ll send someone to give him a warning." Kian glanced at her. "Cece, I want you to prioritize your own feelings. It doesn’t matter who it is; if someone makes you uncomfortable, you don’t need to compromise."

"She’s just a kid, don’t make such a big deal out of it. We’re half-sisters, after all. It’s normal for things to be a little awkward." Celia looked at him curiously. "You didn’t know she was coming?"

"Mother called me a few days ago and mentioned it. I didn’t agree," Kian said, his tone clearly displeased. "She’s always like this, making decisions without consulting anyone."

"Forget it. I’ll go check on her homework. You and Silas can talk. Call us when dinner’s ready." Celia, also at a loss for words when it came to June Coleman, picked up the pillow and headed upstairs.

Kian unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and sat down on the sofa. He casually picked up his phone and made a call.

"Arrange for a personal aide to come to the villa and look after the kid for two days. As for the second Shepherd son... give him a warning. Make sure there’s blood."

Nearby, Silas’s gaze flickered over Kian for a second before he elegantly turned a page in his business journal.