CHAPTER 490: CHAPTER 490: THE TWINS’ IQ

The identities of Seth and Dulcie Sterling were exposed by a foreign media outlet through a family photo of four. Ethan Sterling has already found out that the one who released both the photo and the video was Rhonda Sullivan; the intention couldn’t be clearer.

They still don’t want to deny or explain anything; any clarification would seem like a cover-up. Besides, people are too lazy to listen to the truth, so they still feel the best way to handle this is to remain silent. Nothing is more convincing than living their lives as usual.

Because it was something they had already discussed and struggled with, imagined the outcome, once it was exposed, both of them actually felt relieved. The so-called leverage falling into others’ hands wasn’t so threatening after all. It was like getting an injection; you tense up all over when you see the needle’s tip start to ooze, but when it’s actually in, it doesn’t feel that bad.

Yet, when Ruby Sullivan received the call from Don, she hesitated inexplicably before answering.

That man would never call just to chat.

Ethan Sterling had been staying over at Ruby Sullivan’s place recently, and both were about to sleep.

He noticed her expression change, glanced at her phone, paused, and considerately said, "I can step out."

"No need." Ruby grabbed his hand, not only answered the call but also put it on speaker.

"I’m sorry." As soon as the call connected, Don apologized, "T and I almost fell out because of this..."

Ruby Sullivan pressed her lips together, unsure what to say. Of course, it wasn’t okay, but she didn’t know how to blame him either.

"I will terminate the collaboration with The Sullivan Group. The Lawson Group will forever relinquish the Celestian Market. If you need me to, I can also have a word with Alex about Nirvana’s entry into Gallia."

"There’s no need for you to get involved with Nirvana." Ruby said decisively, "As for the rest, that’s your business; you don’t need to tell me about it, and I don’t want to know."

"Alright." Don hung up.

Ruby instinctively exhaled deeply before realizing how tense she had become, spine straightened.

Ethan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and patted softly, "Let’s go to sleep."

"Mm." Ruby lay down with him, trying to snuggle closer.

This incident would always be a scar between them, but it didn’t matter; who hasn’t been hurt a bit?

Not long after, Seth was transferred to Ariston University Elementary School’s experimental class, designed primarily for exceptionally bright children with strict entry requirements, aiming to foster young prodigies. After a competitive test and interview, Seth not only passed the school’s evaluation but also received a scholarship.

Seth was quite pleased with the new school he would be attending and really liked his homeroom teacher, likely because the teacher was a physics instructor, with whom he shared more common interests than with a linguistics teacher.

However, the school was quite far from where they currently lived, making daily commuting nearly impossible. If the whole family moved closer, it would make Honey’s commute to school very inconvenient, and even finding a middle ground proved challenging.

For the first time, Ruby Sullivan realized how vast Ariston really was, with its endless ring roads and overpasses built for a reason.

After dinner that evening, a family meeting was held in the living room with all six, including Owen Fulton and Mama Bennett, present.

Ethan Sterling had a loft apartment near Ariston University Elementary School, which was available as it had been leased out but could be reclaimed and renovated anytime.

But the problem was, Seth could only choose either Mama Bennett or Owen Fulton to accompany him, because even if Ruby and Ethan made time to visit him, it wouldn’t be the same as living together. Still, this was the best solution they could think of.

Actually, Seth had already thought about these issues beforehand, so he wasn’t surprised when his parents brought it up.

"I’m fine with it." Seth had been prepared.

Honey, however, wasn’t happy and clung to her brother, "I disagree; this way, brother can’t help me with homework or play with me."

"I can come home on weekends to help with homework and play with you," Seth reassured her.

Honey frowned, clearly dissatisfied. Suddenly, she sat up straight and asked her parents angrily, "Why can’t I attend the same school as my brother?"

The Sterling couple and Seth exchanged looks and offered an awkward yet polite smile.

Although Ariston University Elementary School also had regular classes, the enrollment requirements were equally strict. It was practically impossible to transfer there without initially securing a place. Of course, for Ethan Sterling, this wasn’t a big deal, but he and Ruby were primarily worried that transferring Honey there at such a young age could lead to an early academic setback.

The elementary school she currently attended was particularly relaxed in terms of education, with hardly any homework, and ranked average in Ariston. If she had started in such a competitive school as Seth’s, the adaptation might have been better, but suddenly changing her learning environment now didn’t seem manageable for her.

"Well... brother’s school might not suit you, Honey." Ruby explained, somewhat troubled.

"I don’t want to live apart from brother; I insist on going to his school."

Ethan replied calmly, "Brother’s school demands perfect scores in every subject. If you can achieve that requirement in next month’s tests, I’ll arrange for you to take the entrance exam. How does that sound?"

"Perfect scores..." Honey murmured, showing difficulty on her face.

Ruby and Seth both cast admiring looks at Ethan; indeed, resolving Honey’s issues, Mr. Sterling was the best.

Then, with some determination, Honey said, "Alright, it’s a deal!" She then hugged her brother’s arm again, "Anyway, I don’t want to live apart from my brother."

Besides Honey, the other five were all quite shocked.

First-grade studies weren’t inherently difficult to score perfectly, but it was quite a challenge for Honey, who barely managed passing marks each time.

Ruby and Ethan exchanged a look, thinking this might be an opportunity to make their daughter love learning.

After all, she was Seth’s twin sister; their intelligence shouldn’t differ too much... right?

Half a month later, Honey realized that living apart from her brother wasn’t so bad, and meeting on weekends was even more delightful due to how much she missed him, giving them plenty to talk about. Moreover, she could video chat with him daily, proving there was no need to put herself through such trials for perfect scores.

At this point, Ethan and Ruby decided that watching their daughter grow beautifully was good enough; academic ambitions could be left to their son.

Soon, Vivian’s birthday approached, the first since her marriage to their third uncle. He planned to celebrate it lavishly and made sure that Cindy and Don, who were traveling on business, remembered to return.