After she finished speaking, Jessie Sterling felt full. She put down her chopsticks and sat quietly in her seat, listening as her parents on either side of her glossed over the topic she had just started.
Outwardly, Jessie Sterling seemed completely unaware that she had just inadvertently dropped a bombshell. She looked no different than usual.
During dinner, Jessie Sterling had two bowls of soup and a bowl of sweet dessert soup afterward. Her stomach felt a little upset, so she stood up and went to the nearby restroom.
The restaurant was an exclusive private dining establishment, and its interior was elegantly decorated.
Even the restroom had the feel of a secluded, winding path.
As Jessie Sterling came out after washing her hands, she saw someone standing in front of the small bamboo grove nearby.
He was wearing a simple, loose-fitting, short-sleeved shirt with vertical stripes, paired with casual trousers, giving him a particularly friendly air.
"Jessie." Seeing Jessie Sterling emerge, Julian Grant stubbed out the cigarette in his hand. "Can we talk?"
'This never happened in my past life.'
Jessie Sterling sighed inwardly and followed Julian Grant to the lounge area.
"Jessie, are you upset with me for some reason?" Julian Grant asked, getting straight to the point as he sat down.
Jessie Sterling shook her head. "Not at all," she answered naturally.
"Then tonight..." Julian Grant frowned. He didn't really have strong feelings about the marriage alliance between their families. Jessie Sterling had been like his shadow since they were children. He'd never paid her much mind before, but he had to admit, she was the most suitable person for him to marry.
"Isn't tonight your welcome dinner?" Jessie Sterling interrupted, cutting him off before he could say anything about a "marriage alliance." She had no desire to hear about it right now. "Is there a problem?"
Julian Grant: "..."
He looked at Jessie Sterling's small, earnest face. The words on the tip of his tongue circled for a moment before he swallowed them back down.
"It's nothing. I just wanted to ask, where did you hear the rumor that I have a girlfriend?" Julian Grant finally said.
Jessie Sterling retorted, "Don't you? You even brought her back to Southaven when you were an undergrad."
When Julian Grant realized Jessie Sterling was talking about Arya Thorne, he quickly explained, "We broke up a long time ago."
He had been in touch with Arya Thorne recently, but there was no way they'd ever get romantically involved again.
Jessie Sterling gave a faint smile. "Well, that doesn't matter. Now that you're back, maybe you can rekindle that old flame."
Julian Grant: "..."
Not giving Julian Grant another chance to speak, Jessie Sterling stood up and offered a polite smile. "Well, I'm going to head back to our room. I have plans with Quincy to go to the night market."
The plans with Quincy were a lie, of course, but her desire to leave was very real.
Jessie Sterling's steps were jaunty as she left. Recalling Julian Grant's frustrated expression, her mood became even more buoyant than her walk.
As she rounded a corner, Jessie Sterling was looking down at her phone, texting Quincy Sterling to get their story straight and telling her to make an early escape as well.
With her head down, Jessie Sterling failed to notice the man walking around the corner.
"Oof—"
And just like that, Jessie Sterling walked straight into his chest.
In that instant, her senses were enveloped by a crisp, clean scent of pine, with a hint of bitter resin.
It wasn't a bad smell. In fact, it was pleasantly invigorating.
Just as that wanton thought flashed through Jessie Sterling's mind, a large hand gripped her shoulder. It pulled her from the man's arms and held her steady.
"Careful."
A deep voice sounded from above her.
Jessie Sterling snapped back to her senses, rubbing her slightly reddened forehead. "My apologies."
She looked up to see an exceptionally cold and somber face. The man didn't look very old, but he carried an air of calm composure that most people lacked.
Jessie Sterling didn't dwell on the brief incident.
Not long after returning to their private room, she and Quincy Sterling made their excuses and slipped away, coming face-to-face with Julian Grant, who was just returning.
Meanwhile, in a private room not far away, the man Jessie Sterling had accidentally bumped into was leaning back on a sofa. His hands were bare. Unlike the sons of other wealthy families, he wore no Buddhist prayer beads, bracelets, or a handful of rings. On his wrist was only a watch.
It had a classic, authentic-looking metal band and a pitch-black dial, with no flashy diamonds or other gaudy embellishments.
"President Morgan, this is the itinerary for tomorrow's exhibition in Crestfall."
There were only two people in the private room. Besides the man in the dark gray suit on the sofa, there was a young, bespectacled man with slicked-back hair. The latter pulled up a file on a tablet and handed it to Victor Morgan.
Keegan Sanders didn't really understand why his boss had insisted on taking the time to fly to Southaven.
The Morgan family was extremely tight-lipped about their desire for a marriage alliance with the Sterling family of Southaven, but as Victor Morgan's executive secretary, he had still heard whispers.
Keegan Sanders even knew that a while ago, word from the Sterling family indicated they were leaning toward the Grant family in Southaven. And yet, his boss had still taken the initiative to come to Southaven today, despite his packed schedule during the current summit.
Victor Morgan glanced over the tablet before setting it down.
He had finished a meeting at corporate headquarters that morning, flown to Crestfall for a press conference in the afternoon, and then flown from Crestfall to Southaven in the evening—all for a single meeting with Seth Sterling.
Victor Morgan pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "That picture book I had you look for last time, did you find it?" he asked.
Keegan Sanders paused. The last time, his boss had asked him to acquire the first-edition work of a domestic artist. He'd looked it up online later and discovered it was by the creator of an action-packed manga series.
"A reseller had one. It's already been shipped and should be delivered to the office tomorrow," Keegan Sanders replied.
"Good." Victor Morgan nodded.
Keegan Sanders was truly curious. He'd been by Victor Morgan's side ever since the man joined the company; he was considered the boss's right-hand man.
"President Morgan, is this a gift for one of your young relatives?" Keegan Sanders asked, perplexed. His boss had never shown any particular favor to any of the children in his family.
So, for his boss to suddenly ask him, in all seriousness, to track down something that only a child would seem to like was, of course, surprising.
Victor Morgan shook his head, his tone calm. "Director Sterling's eldest daughter likes it."
Keegan Sanders: "...!"
'Since when did the boss know Miss Sterling's preferences in such detail?'
Victor Morgan, however, didn't think he'd done anything particularly remarkable. If this was to be a marriage alliance, he had to show some sincerity.
If this alliance succeeded, their family's treasured daughter would be marrying someone far from home, all the way in Aethelburg. Wasn't it only natural to learn about the eldest Miss Sterling's preferences in advance?