Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Hidden Agendas

Julian Sterling led Ethan Caldwell up to Richard Sterling’s study, then turned back to the kitchen. Richard’s expression upon seeing him wasn’t exactly joyful; it was obvious he had been holding back a lot. Julian didn’t bother staying there long either; he just exchanged a few words with Ethan, then put on an obedient facade and went downstairs.

To be honest, hardly anyone met in the study during a family dinner. Looking at this setup, even a fool would know the Sterling family wanted to ask the Caldwell family for a favor. Or to put it bluntly, they wanted Ethan to yield that piece of land. Julian just didn’t know if Richard would bring up the land issue directly with Ethan or beat around the bush.

But he didn’t think Richard would mention it right there in the study; doing so would reveal his true nature too clearly. Compared to a plot of land, Richard obviously wanted to latch onto this son-in-law more tightly.

And if he could get both, that would be even better.

Julian curled his lips in a smirk and turned into the kitchen, stepping into a scene of heartwarming family affection. Although he didn’t enjoy it much. Seeing him, Catherine Sterling smiled falsely, grabbing his hand to ask a few concerned questions. Frankly, the reason he disliked returning to the Sterling house was that the whole family seemed to be wearing masks; talking to them was exhausting. And to deal with them, Julian was forced to play along with their act. Acting too much drained his energy; he felt the dinner Ethan had taken him to eat earlier was already being digested.

Meanwhile, in the study, just as Julian had predicted, Richard made small talk with Ethan but didn’t touch upon the land issue at all.

“Has Julian been behaving lately? He hasn’t caused you any trouble, has he?”

“What kind of trouble could he possibly cause?” Ethan looked at Richard, took a sip of tea, and said: “I intend to help Julian change his major so he can study painting.”

“Is that… alright?”

“Compared to business, he prefers art. After all, he doesn’t need to join the Sterling Group, and you already have two good sons to help you manage it. Why not let Julian pursue his passion?”

Whether it was an illusion or not, Richard felt Ethan intentionally emphasized the word “good.” In reality, he wasn’t unfamiliar with Julian’s desire to learn painting; that wish had been evident since high school.

But how could Richard accept that? For better or worse, Julian was a biological son of the Sterling family. Why draw random things instead of studying business and expanding the family estate? To put it bluntly, painting was just a fancy name for a bunch of useless people in his eyes. If possible, how could Richard accept having a good-for-nothing son in the next generation?

But the older Julian got, the more Richard felt something was wrong. He had zero talent for business, unlike Aaron. He only got worse with age, causing nothing but worry. Clearly, he carried the Sterling blood, yet possessed none of the Sterling capability. It was true that only children raised by one’s side inherited good qualities. The one raised in that terrible environment turned out to be good for nothing.

Richard thought for a moment; now that Julian was married to Ethan, his value didn’t measure up to this son-in-law anyway. So he said: “As long as he likes it. The boy has been spoiled; sometimes he doesn’t know right from wrong, and even if I wanted to discipline him, I don’t have the energy.”

The implication was that Julian’s affairs had nothing to do with him anymore. If Julian did something wrong, it was his own responsibility. It also signified that Ethan could deal with him however he pleased, without needing to care about his Sterling surname.

Actually, this kind of behavior was quite common among the wealthy elite. They only focused on reputation, wealth, and the “noble” aura they believed made them superior. Abandoning children in exchange for benefits was completely normal.

Hearing this, Ethan only silently pitied his little one for being born into the wrong family.

After all, not every prestigious family was that filthy. Especially the Caldwell family, who prioritized cultivating the character of their descendants; Ethan never entertained the thought of abandoning a relative for profit.

On the contrary, having been raised by Grandpa Arthur since childhood, he was quite like him – as long as a family member hadn’t committed a heinous crime, he would save them even if it meant bankruptcy.

Partly because the Caldwell family didn’t need to pay attention to such petty benefits.

The two didn’t talk much; the first half of the conversation revolved around Julian, and the second half concerned current business affairs. However, despite talking for a long time, Richard still hadn’t mentioned the land by the time the servant came up to invite them down for dinner.

Ethan wasn’t surprised; he shared Julian’s train of thought. He feared Richard wasn’t in a rush but wanted to “cultivate affection” first before using that “sentiment” to negotiate. Fortunately, he and his little one had eaten beforehand, otherwise, this meal would have been hard to swallow.

In the dining room, everyone was present, including Edward Sterling, who had just returned from the company.

Upon entering, Edward cast a cold glance at Julian but said nothing. Honestly, this person sometimes baffled Julian. His IQ seemed to fluctuate unstably; at times he looked very well-bred with the air of old money, and at other times he looked no different from the nouveau riche offspring – wearing a necklace like a dog chain, a cigar in his mouth, acting like a gang boss.

Then looking at Aaron Sterling, the scent of “green tea” was becoming increasingly intense. He solicitously asked after his brother, then grabbed Julian’s hand, feigning intimacy. He even told Edward that Julian missed him dearly. Didn’t they find it bitter drinking that much tea in this house?

Oh, look at that adorable youngest son appearance, caring for his parents, harmonious with his brothers. If Lucas Hill were here, he would surely scream that it looked like an overdose of green tea – bitter, disgusting, and tell him to stop acting.

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