Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Absolute Authority

The happy date between Julian Sterling and Ethan Caldwell ended late in the evening. After strolling the entire length of the night market street, Ethan Caldwell had all sorts of snacks stuffed into his mouth by Julian Sterling. The man did not refuse, nor did he show any signs of disdaining the street food. Whether it was because this area was properly zoned, ensuring food safety and hygiene, or because Julian Sterling had eaten at street stalls so often that he learned to identify the safe ones, he did not suffer from a stomachache today.

Fortunately, his stomach remained stable without any signs of cramping pain, otherwise, Ethan Caldwell would surely ban him completely from eating street snacks next time.

Julian Sterling still remembered very clearly. An identical situation had occurred the last time. After Julian Sterling sneaked out to eat grilled food on the sidewalk and returned, his stomach began to ache so intensely that his face turned pale, and his whole body broke out in a cold sweat. That night was truly a chaotic one.

The family doctor had to rush over immediately in the middle of the night; after carefully examining and prescribing medication, the doctor strictly advised that if the condition did not improve by morning, he must be taken to the hospital at once.

Throughout that entire night, Ethan Caldwell barely closed his eyes.

The man stayed by the bedside the entire time, continuously using a warm towel to wipe away his sweat, with eyes filled with unconcealable anxiety. Fortunately, in the middle of that night, Julian Sterling did not develop a high fever, and the pain gradually subsided and vanished. Otherwise, the two of them would have had a laughable anecdote about eating out to the point of severe food poisoning and requiring emergency hospitalization.

But precisely after that incident, Ethan Caldwell was extremely angry. He directly issued an ultimatum, absolutely forbidding Julian from casually eating at any random, unverified street stalls ever again.

Up to the present moment, that ban had lasted for about two or three months. Today could be considered a rare exception that the man made for him.

After getting cleaned up, that peaceful evening ended with an incredibly gentle, deep goodnight kiss, while the two of them were comfortably lying and embracing each other on the large, soft bed.

Because Ethan Caldwell had an early flight scheduled for a business trip the next morning, the two decided not to do anything out of bounds tonight. They simply lay closely in each other’s arms, sharing their warmth, and drifted into a deep sleep together through the long night.

The following morning, Julian Sterling had absolutely no idea when Ethan Caldwell had woken up and left.

When he slowly opened his eyes and reached out to the space beside him, that spot was already ice-cold, proving that the other person had left the bed a long time ago. Julian Sterling did not feel disappointed or sad, because the man had carefully told him in advance the previous night that he would be leaving very early, instructing Julian to properly take care of his own breakfast after waking up before heading to the company.

Well, that was right.

Today, Julian Sterling had no classes scheduled at the university at all, so his new daily routine was entirely arranged around going to the company to work.

The CEO of Caldwell Empire had already boarded a plane for a distant business trip, and the person primarily responsible for supervising the crucial game project was also gone; therefore, as the general manager of the project, Julian Sterling was obligated to show up at the office to manage and monitor the progress of the work, ensuring that everything continued to run smoothly.

Except, upon waking up, Julian Sterling was in no rush to get out of bed; instead, he lazily lingered there, picking up his phone with the intention of checking today’s news.

However, the first thing displayed on the phone screen was a message from the man.

Ethan Caldwell: [I am leaving now. I cooked some chicken soup in the kitchen, it is still in the thermal pot. When you wake up, scoop it into a bowl and eat it. There are also some steamed buns on the side.]

The message was sent around two in the morning; he had not expected the man to leave so early. There was another message below it.

Ethan Caldwell: [Colin Grant is coming with me this time, Helen Lloyd is staying behind. If anything happens, just call her. I figure she will be able to help you. Otherwise, just call me directly, my ringer is always on for you.]

After reading the first line, Julian Sterling’s heart involuntarily felt incredibly warm. He slowly scrolled down the phone screen to continue reading.

Ethan Caldwell: [For lunch and dinner, tell Helen Lloyd to order food for you. I gave the cook a few days off. Do not go eating street food anymore; your stomach is not well.]

Julian Sterling stared intently at the screen, the corners of his lips curling up slightly in an involuntary smile.

Three consecutive messages had been sent at the crack of dawn, entirely consisting of instructions about trivial daily matters, showing concern for everything from his meals to his sleep, without mentioning a single word about the messy workload at the company. To this man, it seemed that Julian’s safety and health were always placed above all else.

He had to wait until the fourth message before the incredibly busy CEO of Caldwell Empire seemingly remembered the official business matters he needed to hand over.

Ethan Caldwell: [Regarding the game project, you have absolute authority. No one has the right to stand in your way.]

The message was extremely brief and decisive, yet it carried the weight of a thousand pounds, clearly displaying the absolute trust as well as the unwavering protection that he wanted to bestow upon Julian.

It sounded truly domineering.

Reading up to this point, Julian Sterling could not help but let out a soft chuckle. He was in no rush to reply to the messages right away, because further down, there was still another message from the man. That message was sent approximately an hour and a half after the initial ones.

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