CHAPTER 108: AN EMPTY CONDO

The atmosphere instantly fell silent.

Rome’s jaw tightened, and his knuckles turned white from how hard he was clenching his fists.

Ingrid likely sensed he didn’t want Sylvia’s name dragged out like this, yet her grin only widened, as if she was savoring the sight of his composure slipping.

"Oh, what a despicable woman.." Stephenson said with a sarcastic grin that didn’t escape his notice.

Stephenson looked at Ingrid as though challenging her to say more.

"Tell me more. You know, I really don’t like poor, cheating women. How could someone still cheat when Mr. Rome probably gave her everything? Good thing Mr. Rome decided to break up with her and chose you instead."

Ingrid’s grin stretched even wider, as though pleased that someone was finally taking her side.

"Actually—"

"Mr. Stephenson, I appreciate your presence here." He immediately cut off Ingrid before she could say more. "However, I don’t like—"

But before he could finish, Ingrid still pressed on carelessly.

"Oh, now that I think about it, she has the same surname as you, doesn’t she? She’s also a Lincolm—but only a poor, orphaned version with no family backing. Maybe she just picked up the surname somewhere, daring to use Lincolm without even knowing its weight. Someone like her doesn’t deserve to climb higher into the Hariston family. After all, the only thing she knows how to do is seduce men—"

"Ingrid."

His voice was cold and sharp enough to make Ingrid stiffen for a moment, but the mocking grin on her lips didn’t fade.

"Oh, sorry. My mouth slipped," she said with a fake laugh. "But I’m not sorry for saying the truth. She really is a despicable—"

"Ingrid, stop!" His voice thundered this time.

The atmosphere around them froze. Even his mom and dad turned toward him, startled by the raw anger he no longer bothered to mask.

When he looked at Stephenson, he caught the fleeting annoyance flash across his face at Ingrid.

It vanished quickly and was replaced by a smooth laugh as Stephenson raised his glass and offered an apologetic grin.

"Oh dear," Stephenson said lightly, as though to ease the tension. "It seems I might have struck a nerve. Forgive me, Mr. Rome, Miss Monteverde. I didn’t mean to stir unnecessary tension. I was simply... curious."

"You’ve had your curiosity answered." he said flatly, his tone ice-cold. His eyes flicked toward Ingrid, then back at Stephenson.

"My past is not a topic for entertainment. I don’t want anything about it being brought up again."

The silence that followed was heavy and thick enough to choke on. Even Ingrid, for once, faltered under the weight of his glare.

"Oh, my apologies. Sometimes my curiosity really gets me into trouble, doesn’t it?" Stephenson gave a self-deprecating chuckle.

Rinnggg.....

The sudden sound of Stephenson’s phone made everyone pause.

Stephenson hesitated for a moment before smirking when he saw who was calling.

"I’m sorry, I’ll just take this call." He said before turning slightly away from them.

"Did you already find her? ... Oh, that’s good. Make sure she doesn’t escape this time. And see to it that by the time she wakes up, she’s already in the States.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I’ll follow you there. Bye."

He ended the call and turned back to them, scratching the back of his head with a faint, awkward smile. He looked at them as if he were aware that their attention was now on him.

"Oh dear, forgive me. You probably heard me say some strange things. That was just my secretary. We were discussing my sister. She doesn’t want to come home, so unfortunately, we’ve had to... force her. Family matters, you know." He chuckled awkwardly.

His mom and dad then exchanged a look before both let out polite laughs.

"Ah, it’s alright, Mr. Stephenson," his mother said kindly. "You don’t have to explain. It’s only natural for a family to want what’s best for one of their own. Sometimes, you have to take difficult steps."

"Yes, it’s better that your sister returns home," his father added with a nod. "Especially after being deceived by the man she loved. The sooner she recovers, the better."

Stephenson’s gaze lingered on him for a moment, and a faint grin tugged at his lips but gone in an instant, but not before Rome caught it.

"Thank you for your understanding," Stephenson said warmly. "And of course, I truly appreciate being invited to this engagement party. I enjoyed my time here."

"The pleasure is ours, Mr. Stephenson," his mother said with a broad smile. "Your father is a remarkable man—we’re all looking forward to meeting him again. Hopefully, next time, your older brother and sister can join us as well."

"Haha, it will happen soon. But for now, I’ll still need to bring my sister back to Dad before some stray dog comes chasing after her again."

Stephenson then cast another discreet glance in his direction.

What’s wrong with him? Does he have some sort of problem with me? he thought uneasily.

He couldn’t ignore the weight of those meaningful looks. He didn’t even know his sister, yet he kept glancing at him.

He forced himself to shrug it off. Dealing with a powerful family like the Lincolms was already troublesome enough. Right now, all he wanted was to head back to his condo and make sure Sylvia had gotten home safely.

"Oh, you mean the man who abandoned her for another woman?" his mom suddenly spoke up. "I haven’t met your sister yet, but I can’t help but pity her. There will surely be other men who would truly love her. She doesn’t need to rush—she deserves someone better."

"Haha, that’s easy to say," Stephenson replied with a faint chuckle. "However, my sister is really a stubborn one. I just hope she’ll come to realize how awful and unworthy the family of the man she loves is, so that everything will be easier for her."

"Oh... even the man’s family doesn’t like her?" his mom asked curiously.

"Yes. Especially his mother." Stephenson said pointedly, his gaze pressing into his mom in a way that made her uneasy.

"Oh... t-then she’s unfortunate with the man she fell for. Hm. Good thing my son doesn’t have to deal with bad in-laws when the time comes, since the Monteverdes are kind people."

Stephenson’s lips curled into another sly grin.

"Yeah... that’s why I’m happy for the both of them, because both the Monteverdes and the Haristons seem to be doing well. What a harmonious family."

"Haha, thank you for your kind words, Mr. Stephenson." his dad said politely.

"I hope the two of them last. It would be unfortunate if they ever broke apart."

"Haha, of course, Mr. Stephenson," Ingrid said quickly, clutching his arm possessively. "He and I will never break up. Nothing can separate us."

"Good," Stephenson said with a low laugh. "I’ll remember those words."

Moments later, a man dressed in all black approached Stephenson and whispered something into his ear. Stephenson nodded once before turning back to them.

"Well then, I’ll take my leave. I only came to witness this occasion and to personally offer my congratulations to the soon to be a groom and to his soon-to-be Mrs. Hariston."

"Oh, you are always welcome here, Mr. Stephenson." his mom replied warmly.

"Haha, thank you," Stephenson said with a polite smile. "I hope we can meet again soon. Especially you. Next time, I’d like you to meet my sister."

With that, he turned and walked away without another glance.

The atmosphere at the table slowly lightened once Stephenson left. His parents returned to entertaining the other guests again, and Ingrid leaned closer to him like a leech.

Still, his mind refused to settle.

Stephenson’s words, his meaningful stares, the way he deliberately needled the conversation, it all sat heavy in his chest.

Later, when the event finally drew to a close, he excused himself from the hall.

The moment he stepped outside, the night air rushed against his skin, cooler and quieter than the suffocating banquet.

He loosened his tie. For hours, he had played his part in this fake engagement. Now, at last, he only wanted to know one thing, whether Sylvia had returned to his condo or not.

The drive back to the city was quiet. Streetlights stretched across the road, glowing faintly against the windshield.

Bzzzz..bzzzzz....

His phone buzzed with an unfamiliar number, but he ignored it.

The only thing filling his thoughts was Sylvia.

Was she waiting for him at his condo... or had she gone back to Daniel’s?

His grip on the wheel tightened. He couldn’t bear the thought of her choosing Daniel again.

By the time he finally stood before his unit, he hesitated. For a brief moment, he simply stared at the door, his heart thudding heavily in his chest.

He pushed the thought aside and unlocked the door.

But the moment he stepped in and walked through his condo, it felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. The place was empty. Sylvia wasn’t there.

That could only mean one thing, either she was with Daniel, or she had decided to leave him altogether.