Chapter 90: Chapter 81: Family Heirloom

Shane Sterling got out of the car, watching Victor Sterling’s Rolls-Royce drive away.

He knew his father hadn’t just been talking when he’d brought up those two potential marriages. The days to come were sure to be anything but peaceful.

Just then, his phone vibrated.

He glanced down. It was a message from Isla Prescott, letting him know she was home.

Shane Sterling’s frustration eased slightly. He turned, opened the door, and got back in his car.

The first thing Isla Prescott did when she got home was start cleaning. The house had been empty for a week, and a layer of dust had settled on all the furniture.

She had just filled a basin with water and wiped down the two cabinets in the entryway when she heard the beeps of the keypad lock on the door across the hall.

Isla Prescott peeked through the peephole and saw that Shane Sterling had returned.

She immediately pulled her door open. “You’re back.”

Shane Sterling walked over and patted her head. “What are you up to?”

“Cleaning.”

“I reek of smoke. Let me change first, then I’ll come help.”

Isla Prescott agreed, though she didn’t really expect much help from a pampered young master like Shane Sterling, who’d likely never done a day of manual labor in his life. To her surprise, however, he was actually quite methodical when it came to cleaning.

“You actually know how to clean!” Isla Prescott exclaimed in pleasant surprise.

“I’m not blind. You think I can’t see what’s dirty?”

That might be true, but in reality, most men seemed blind to chores and were very passive about housework.

“You’re a real treasure, Young Mr. Shaw. Full of hidden talents.”

Shane Sterling’s eyebrow shot up, his smug look returning. “Not to brag, but when I mop a floor, it’s so clean a fly would slip and do the splits just by landing on it. A man who’s both handsome and hardworking like me is a rare find. You should treasure me.”

“Right, right, of course. I’m tempted to give you an award.”

“What award?”

“The ’Fastest-Swelling Ego’ Award.”

Shane Sterling tossed the mop aside and strode over to her with a laugh, pulling her into a hug.

“You’ve got quite a sharp tongue on you.”

“But of course. Bad habits rub off. I’m Young Mr. Shaw’s star pupil, after all.”

Her quip made Shane Sterling break out in laughter.

“The cleaning’s about done. Shouldn’t we move on to other… activities?” he murmured, his nose brushing against Isla Prescott’s cheek, his lips hovering just shy of a kiss. “Hm?”

“Not today.”

“Why not?”

“I’m on my period, and my stomach feels a little upset.”

“And you’re still cleaning when you don’t feel well.” Shane Sterling lifted her onto the sofa, gently rubbing her stomach as he chided himself. ’I should have thought of it. I’ll have the cleaning service come a day early next time.’

“If the cleaning service had come early, how would I ever have discovered Young Mr. Shaw’s hidden talent for housework?”

Shane Sterling kissed her witty lips. “Should I make you a cup of warm brown sugar water?”

Isla Prescott shook her head. “No, it’s okay. This helps enough.”

The warmth from Shane Sterling’s palm seeped into her skin. As he applied gentle, steady pressure, the heat spread evenly across her abdomen, significantly easing her discomfort.

They sat together in comfortable silence, enjoying the peaceful quiet that follows a good spell of work.

“Did you go back to Arcadia Heights today?” Isla Prescott asked.

“Mhm. It was Ezra’s birthday. The family was celebrating.”

The whole family celebrated Ezra Sterling’s birthday, but on Shane Sterling’s birthday, he’d almost not even gotten a slice of cake. The stark contrast in their treatment puzzled Isla Prescott.

“You know, you’ve never really talked about your parents.”

Shane Sterling’s arms around her tensed for a moment, though his tone remained light. “Starting to ask about my parents now? What, planning on marrying me already?”

Isla Prescott sensed his reluctance to discuss his parents, so she didn’t press the issue. But her curiosity only deepened. During her years with the Lockwood Family, she had rarely seen Shane Sterling’s parents, but she often heard Mrs. Lockwood speak admiringly of the couple from the Sterling Family. Mrs. Lockwood would say they had defied family prejudice to be together, supporting each other through thick and thin, and were a truly devoted couple.

’If he really came from a home with such loving parents, why would Shane Sterling be so unwilling to even mention them?’

—

After the island trip, the team at the dance studio was more motivated than ever.

It just went to show that positive feedback and appropriate rewards were the “accelerators” of life, giving people a powerful boost of motivation.

As the leaders, Isla Prescott and Annabelle Leighton felt the weight of their responsibility more keenly than ever. They knew they had to keep improving so that the benefits for their employees could continue to grow.

Fate favors those who work hard and strive for constant self-improvement.

After countless adjustments to their video style, Isla Prescott and Annabelle Leighton’s efforts paid off. At the end of the month, a shadow dance video they made together suddenly went viral online.

In the video, only their silhouettes were visible; it was their shadows that did the dancing. But the image was so beautiful it captivated the entire internet.

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