Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Parting

The next moment, Jessie Sterling was kicked from the group chat.

Jessie Sterling: “???”

Then, Jessie Sterling was quickly added back.

[Quincy Sterling: Oops, sorry. I saw you showing off and my hand slipped.]

[Jessie Sterling: Quincy! You did that on purpose!]

[Quincy Sterling: Noooope.]

On the other end, Quincy Sterling couldn’t help but grin as she typed out her reply.

[Lynn Jennings: Hmm, something’s up. The first person you think of when something happens isn’t us anymore, it’s Victor Morgan. Spill. How far have you two gone?]

Jessie Sterling had been happily sharing her news, but Lynn Jennings’ message caught her off guard. She immediately clammed up, pretending not to see it and going silent.

[Lynn Jennings: Don’t tell me he’s still not into you? You were away together for half a month, seeing each other every day. Can’t he perform?]

[Quincy Sterling: He can’t perform? My brother-in-law can’t perform? Then are you still getting married?]

Seeing that the two of them were just gleefully stirring the pot, Jessie Sterling blushed and sent a voice message to the group, “Don’t be ridiculous!”

’How could Victor Morgan possibly not be able to perform?’

’Even though they hadn’t actually tested it, still…’

Jessie’s mind flashed back to that moment in her room not long ago when Victor Morgan had picked her up. She was keenly aware of the changes in his body, and just the memory made her chest feel hot all over again.

It wasn’t even summer, but she felt a stifling heat in the room.

[Lynn Jennings: So you’ve tried?]

[Jessie Sterling: …]

[Quincy Sterling: I’m not married, but I think you should try before you buy. If he’s not as advertised, you can still negotiate a return.]

Jessie Sterling: “…”

’What are they even talking about?!’

Covering her face, Jessie Sterling put down her phone. She decided she wasn’t going to talk to either of them for the rest of the night.

’All I wanted was to share the good news about my new job! How did the conversation turn so dirty?!’

「The next day」

Jessie Sterling finally arrived in Southaven after a flight that took nearly twelve hours.

Victor Morgan was taking her home first before heading back to Aethelburg.

When they arrived in Southaven, it was just around five or six in the evening.

Victor Morgan had already made dinner reservations.

Jessie Sterling had slept for most of the flight, so she was still in high spirits. She had even showered and changed her clothes before they landed.

Even though it was mid-October, Southaven still felt like summer. The city was lush and green, with no hint of autumn’s chill.

The restaurant Victor Morgan had chosen for the evening was a sky-high restaurant in Southaven’s financial district.

When Jessie Sterling walked in, she saw that the entire restaurant was practically enveloped in Freud roses, creating an ocean of vibrant, passionate magenta.

The sea of magenta flowers made Jessie Sterling’s eyes flash with amazement.

“Do you like it?” At that moment, Victor Morgan came up behind her, holding a large bouquet of flowers.

Jessie Sterling accepted the bouquet from him. After all, what girl doesn’t love flowers?

“It’s alright, I guess.” she said, acting like a proud little peacock, her reply haughty despite her obvious satisfaction.

Her act amused Victor Morgan. He walked over to the sole table by the floor-to-ceiling windows, pulled out a chair for Jessie, and gestured for her to sit.

’It was hard to reconcile this gentlemanly side of Victor with how domineering he could be when they were alone.’

When Jessie realized her mind had once again drifted to her recent moments with Victor, she pursed her lips, a little annoyed with herself.

Victor didn’t notice Jessie’s train of thought. He had chosen this restaurant based on her preferences. More importantly, this sky-high restaurant was the best vantage point for overlooking Southaven’s nightly light show.

“I’ll take you home later. Get some rest. You’ve had a long couple of weeks,” Victor said.

“Oh.” Jessie lowered her head and picked at the sashimi on her plate. It was a Southaven specialty she’d been missing, but if one looked closely, there was no excitement in her eyes.

Jessie couldn’t quite put her finger on why she felt so reluctant for the evening to end, but hearing Victor talk about taking her home made her feel a little resentful.

Victor noticed her spirits had dampened. When they first walked in, he’d clearly seen her preening like a little peacock ruffling its beautiful tail feathers. He wasn’t sure what had suddenly made her unhappy.

After a moment of thought, Victor added, “About your contract with the website for your art… do you need any help?”

Jessie looked up in surprise. “Help? What kind of help?”

Victor gave a soft cough. He’d been completely clueless about this sort of thing before, but since it involved Jessie, he had made a point to do some research last night.

“It seems like your website also relies on data, much like those short-video and live-streaming platforms…”

’Live streams all have a top supporter, and if Jessie needed that kind of data support, he certainly wouldn’t let anyone else take that spot.’

It took Jessie a couple of seconds to realize what Victor was suggesting.

She froze for a moment, then protested with a pout, “Who asked you to cheat for me!”

Victor Morgan: “…”

“Don’t you dare do anything funny,” Jessie warned, “or I won’t let you off the hook!” As she spoke, she even shook a small fist at him.

Victor Morgan: “…”

’The threat, aside from being adorable, had absolutely no menace to it.’

Suppressing the smile that threatened to break out, Victor pursed his lips and nodded. “Got it.”

Jessie shot him a suspicious glance, unsure whether she should feel relieved or not.

But Victor’s attention to her “career” seemed to improve Jessie’s mood a little.

“I didn’t think you’d care about such a small thing,” Jessie said.

“Hm? How is it a small thing?” Victor asked in return. “Isn’t it your career?”

Perhaps it was the word “career” that made Jessie suddenly blush, looking a little shy.

’Compared to Victor’s career, how could her little side project even be called a career?’

Even Jessie herself felt a little embarrassed to call it her career.

“Does it really count as a career?” Jessie asked, scratching her head.

“If it’s something you love and are willing to work for, then it’s your career.” He paused, then, as if seeing right through her, he continued, “Most people in this world spend their lives shackled by money, constantly struggling just to break free. Only a lucky few can escape those shackles and do what they truly want to do. Turning a passion into a career is, in itself, a stroke of immense luck. No matter how small that career may seem, to you, it’s something worth fighting for. And it’s something you should be proud of.”

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