Chapter 32: Connecting the Dots
Adam hadn’t expected to see Irene here, much less looking this troubled. Her face was drawn with tension, and for a moment he just watched her, lips pressed into a thin line.
Irene was the first to recover from their chance encounter. “Mr. Haven,” she said politely, breaking the silence. “What brings you
here?*
She wanted to ask where Thomas was his assistant was usually glued to his side.
“Just finished a business meeting with a client,” Adam replied simply. He didn’t ask about her own situation; he wasn’t one to pry into other people’s pain.
Irene’s expression smoothed back to its usual calm. She didn’t elaborate on why she was there either, just nodded and asked, “Heading back? Mind if I catch a ride?”
“Not at all. Adam’s response was brief but agreeable.
“Thanks. Nice to have a neighbor who appreciates quiet,” Irene said with a hint of a smile.
Thomas pulled up right on cue, looking slightly surprised to see Irene. “Dr. Sterling,” he greeted with a polite nod.
“Hey!” Irene lifted her hand in a casual wave. “Mind if I tag along?”
The car doors opened, and they settled into a comfortable silence for the drive home. Thomas steered them smoothly toward Emerald Garden Estate, the luxury car purring beneath them.
When they reached the villa, Irene stepped out quickly. “Thanks for the ride,” she said simply, then headed straight for her door without looking back.
In his study, Adam couldn’t get the scene from the restaurant out of his head. He’d caught glimpses through the windows – Irene facing down some guy in an expensive suit while an elderly man practically vibrated with anger. The whole thing had seemed… personal. Way more than just a business lunch gone wrong.
“The man with Dr. Sterling at lunch,” he said carefully, watching Thomas fidget by his desk. “He looked familiar.”
Thomas perked up like a puppy offered a treat. “Oh! That took me forever to figure out, but get this – that was Nathan Sterling. You know, from Sterling Group? Runs their Cloud City division?”
Something clicked in Adam’s mind. The Sterling Group had once been a powerhouse in Silver City, especially during Joseph Sterling’s reign. But after his son John took over, the family’s influence had started to wane. Nathan was actually considered the capable one among the younger generation – he’d helped pull the company back from the brink more than once, which had earned him quite a reputation among Silver City’s business elite. But what was their connection to Irene?
“And that elderly gentleman with them? The pieces weren’t quite fitting together yet.
“That’s the crazy part, sir.” Thomas was practically bouncing now, clearly excited about sharing his detective work. Alexander Sterling himself – the Sterling family patriarch!”
was Joseph
Now that was interesting. Adam’s fingers drummed thoughtfully on his wheelchair’s armrest. “What was Dr. Sterling doing with the Sterling family leadership?”
“You know, speaking of Dr. Sterling…” Thomas’s forehead scrunched up like he was solving a particularly tricky puzzle. “She
mentioned growing up in a working–class family, right? That remind me of something. The Sterling family had this huge scandal. years ago their real daughter was switched at birth and grew up with some fast–food workers, while they raised someone else’s child thinking she was their heiress.”
“Well…” Thomas shifted uncomfortably. “Shortly after her true identity came out, there was this huge scandal. The Sterling heiress got pregnant right before her engagement to Richard Vein – you know, from Vein Corporation? The Sterlings basically disowned her. And get this – her adoptive parents, the fast–food workers who raised her? They tried to blackmail the Sterlings when the truth came
“Pretty much.” Thomas grimaced. “She disappeared right after that whole mess, then shows up five years later as this amazing surgeon…” His voice trailed off as he caught the dangerous glint in his boss’s eyes.
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