Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 144: Unwilling to Owe Him Too Much

Chapter 144: Unwilling to Owe Him Too Much

David Brown approached with a fawning smile, nodding and bowing in front of Damien Sterling, saying, "Mr. Sterling, you really do treat Miss Emma wonderfully!"

Emma Hart looked up at David Brown, surprised he remembered her name from their brief exchange, making it seem as though they were close acquaintances.

Damien Sterling glanced at Emma Hart with a look that seemed to ask where she had found such a dubious character.

Emma gave a bewildered look toward the girl standing next to David Brown.

Only then did Damien notice the girl beside him, dressed in last season’s discounted designer brands, her face showing a mix of envy and resentment. What was that about?

Damien completely ignored David Brown, who stood there awkwardly holding his business card, saying, "Mr. Sterling. My girlfriend and your girlfriend, Miss Emma, are classmates."

He attempted to use his connection to Emma Hart to forge a relationship with Damien Sterling.

Damien glanced at David Brown and said indifferently, "Oh, I thought you brought your daughter."

The girl’s face turned ashen, while David Brown, beside her, forced a smile, not daring to say more.

Damien took David Brown’s business card, and just as David was feeling secretly pleased, Damien suddenly called security over.

The guard, recognizing Mr. Sterling, hurried over.

David Brown looked puzzled at Damien Sterling.

"What seems to be the problem, Mr. Sterling?" the guard asked.

Damien tore the business card in half, throwing it into the air.

His sharp gaze swept over David Brown as he said to the guard, "Since when has the security for the banquet been so lax? Who allowed irrelevant people in?" His tone carried a hint of reprimand.

The guard looked at David Brown, and without verifying the man’s identity, he knew he had to deal with him, especially since no one in City A would dare contradict Damien Sterling, nor hold a higher status.

The guard escorted David Brown away, then at the entrance asked for his invitation, which David, having sneaked in through a friend, didn’t have.

"Daring to sneak in without an invitation, clearly overestimating your status!" the guards escorted David Brown out.

Emma Hart watched the guards escort the two away and said to Damien Sterling, "Wasn’t that a bit too much?"

The man looked at her, as if everything he did was wrong.

"What did they say to you?" Damien asked. Clearly, the woman’s gaze was not kind, probably Emma had been bullied again.

Emma shook her head, "Nothing."

"Really?" Damien asked.

Emma nodded.

Damien decisively turned away, casually saying, "Alright then. I’ll ask them myself."

Emma Hart quickly intercepted Damien Sterling, fully aware that this man might just act on his words.

She really didn’t want to cause any more trouble for those two, considering their actions, in Emma’s view, weren’t overly egregious.

Emma had tried her best to see the good in their behavior, yet the mention of David Brown offering to introduce her to other men seemed to infuriate Damien Sterling.

With a cold tone and sharp eyes that gleamed like a sword emitting a chilling light, Damien Sterling stated, "That company won’t be doing any business anymore."

Emma sighed, suspecting Damien was about to take drastic action again.

This man was truly peculiar. Compared to others, weren’t his daily cold remarks and harsh words towards her even worse?

In his view, anything could be said, but if others spoke out of turn, he made them pay a severe price.

A few girls nearby were bashfully surrounding Damien Sterling, whispering amongst themselves, "That’s Damien Sterling, right? He’s really handsome!"

Another girl tugged at her friend’s arm, saying, "I heard he’s already engaged."

Yet another girl, eyes fixed on Damien, disdainfully remarked, "A man like him settling down? That’s just a family alliance or maybe just to carry on the family lineage."

"What are you implying? Are you considering a chance with him?" The women couldn’t take their eyes off Damien Sterling.

His features and physique were so captivating that even a single night would be more than satisfying, a thought that made their hearts race.

One of the girls, adjusting her dress, picked up a glass of red wine and approached Damien Sterling with a flirtatious demeanor that could bewitch any man.

She sidled up to him and raised her glass, "Mr. Sterling, I’ve long admired you. May I have the honor of a drink with you?"

Damien Sterling seemed indifferent to the girl’s advances, considering that those allowed to stay here were likely granddaughters of his grandfather’s business associates.

Not wanting to say too much, Damien glanced at Emma Hart.

Seizing a juice from the table, Emma couldn’t help but smirk mischievously, "Then I’ll leave you two to it."

With those words, Emma quickly turned and weaved through the crowd.

She found herself behind a floor-to-ceiling curtain in a surprisingly empty area, a rare moment of tranquility.

Just as she was about to head towards the window, a chilling and unnerving voice came from behind, "Where do you think you’re going?"

Turning around, Emma Hart found herself unable to escape the persistent presence of Damien Sterling.

Why was he not engaged in lively conversations over red wine with other guests?

Instead, he seemed intent on seeking her out.

"You really can’t seem to hide from me, can you?" she said, resigned.

Damien swirled the deep red wine in his glass, the liquid shimmering under the moonlight that filtered through the window, casting a luminous sheen around the rim of the glass.

Raising the glass to his nose, he savored the aroma before indulging in a sip, seemingly lost in the intoxicating beauty of the night.

A slightly tipsy state seemed the perfect way to appreciate the enchantment of a full moon.

Approaching Emma with a low voice, Damien confirmed, "You’re right."

Given the man’s consumption of red wine and his tipsy demeanor, Emma anticipated unpredictable behavior.

Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, she thought it best to leave.

Damien advanced toward her, each step highlighted by the moonlight streaming through the window behind him, casting his figure in a soft glow.

The gentle breeze swirled around, creating an ethereal atmosphere.

As Damien picked up a second glass of red wine and approached, Emma found herself with no escape, standing close to him.

Damien wrapped an arm around her, leading her towards a window that opened onto a balcony.

Facing the balcony and then looking at Damien, whose cold gaze and expressionless face made her wonder if he might transform into a werewolf under the full moon, Emma’s imagination ran wild.

Could he, in a fit of madness, push her from the balcony?

Her paranoia seemed to have reached new heights.

Damien, standing by the window, pointed to the moon and remarked, "The moon is really full tonight."

The strength of Damien’s grip on her shoulder increased slightly, but it didn’t discomfort Emma.

Together, they stood closely on the balcony, looking up at the golden moon in the deep blue sky, partially obscured by passing clouds, creating a serene and anticipatory atmosphere.

The next morning, Emma was awakened by her phone’s ringing.

Initially mistaking the light for the moon, she realized she had forgotten to draw the curtains; the sun had already risen.

It was her mother on the phone, informing her, "Emma, grandma has been discharged from the hospital, and we’ve moved into the new villa. Mr. Sterling even arranged for people to take care of grandma."

"What?! You’ve already moved in?" This was typical of her family, always managing to complicate her life further.

After breakfast, Emma visited the hospital to inquire about a patient’s total hospitalization costs from a few days ago.

Leaving the hospital, she struggled to make sense of the numerous zeros on the bill.

This series of figures was sure to give her a headache.

Emma took out a notebook from her bag and recorded the expense, adding it to a list of expenses Damien Sterling had already covered for her.

She didn’t want to owe that man too much.