Chapter 221 - 219: Going Home for the New Year

Amidst their lingering intimacy, Saul Thorne burrowed his head deeper, reaching out to fumble around on the nightstand for what felt like an eternity. He finally paused when he picked up a light little box and gave it a shake.

Refusing to give up, he lifted his head and brought the box closer to look inside. It was completely empty.

"We’re out?"

’Didn’t I just buy these a couple of days ago?’

Cecilia Sterling’s cheeks were crimson as she watched him with a smile in her eyes. "The sun’s already up, and we have to catch a flight soon. I bet Lily is already awake."

Saul Thorne grabbed Cecilia’s hand and pressed it against his own searing heat. "Can you be so heartless?"

Cecilia said softly, "We have a long day ahead of us. Wait for me to come back."

Thinking about how they had been tangled together all night and how Cecilia was truly exhausted, Saul Thorne had no choice but to slowly slide off her, his hands still caressing her waist, unwilling to let go.

Cecilia gently removed his hands. "Stop that. You need to cool down a bit. It’s time to get up."

Hearing the words "cool down," Saul Thorne didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Still, he obediently threw back the covers and got out of bed. "Alright, I’ll go take a shower. You rest a bit longer."

Cecilia nodded, her eyes following the view of his back—broad shoulders, narrow waist, a firm butt, and long legs—as he walked into the bathroom.

By the time they had both washed up and come downstairs, Lily had already made breakfast.

"Sis, Saul, you’re up just in time. I just whipped something up. Come and eat."

After sitting down, Cecilia looked at her sister and asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Extremely well," Lily said with a nod. "I haven’t had a single full night’s sleep in months while on set. Last night, there were no interruptions at all, and I had nothing on my mind, so I slept very soundly."

Hearing this, Cecilia and Saul Thorne subconsciously exchanged a glance. Thankfully, the villa was large and their rooms were far apart, so she likely wouldn’t have heard any noise.

"Sis, you don’t look like you rested well. Did you have a bad night’s sleep?" Lily asked suddenly.

"AHEM, AHEM..."

Cecilia immediately choked on her toast and started coughing. With a mischievous grin, Saul Thorne handed her a glass of milk and said to Lily, "She didn’t sleep soundly. She woke up several times during the night."

Cecilia took the milk and shot him an annoyed glare.

Lily said innocently, "That’s okay. You can take a nap on the plane later."

After breakfast, Saul Thorne loaded their luggage and the items they were taking with them into the car. Meanwhile, Cecilia did a final, thorough check of the house, only locking the door once she was sure everything was in order.

After they got to the airport and checked their luggage, Saul Thorne pulled Cecilia into another hug to say goodbye. "Happy New Year, darling. I’ll be waiting for you to come back."

Lily watched from the side, a fond, knowing smile spreading across her face. ’So sweet!’

After a long, sweet farewell, Cecilia finally managed to send Saul Thorne on his way. Watching him look back every few steps to wave at her reluctantly, she felt a warmth spreading through her heart.

"Sis, Saul is a really great guy," Lily suddenly said.

Cecilia glanced at her sister. "Oh? And what’s so great about him?"

"He’s just a good person. You can tell he loves you a lot."

Cecilia didn’t reply, only offering a knowing smile.

「At twelve noon, the plane landed on time at Veridia International Airport.」

Cecilia had indeed fallen into a deep sleep on the plane, managing to recharge a little.

Her mother, Ethan, and her aunt’s family had all come to pick them up. Pushing a luggage cart piled high with bags, Cecilia saw them from a distance as soon as she walked out of the arrivals gate.

"Sis!"

Ethan leaped up in excitement, the first to rush over. The rest of the family quickly gathered around.

Jasmine Sterling looked at the overloaded luggage cart and said, "Why did you bring so much back with you? We have everything prepared at home; we don’t need anything."

"Mom, Saul bought all of it. He insisted I bring it back for you and Auntie," Cecilia explained.

At the mention of Saul Thorne, Jasmine Sterling was overjoyed. "That boy... He bought me so many things the last time I visited, and now he’s bought more? He’s spending way too much."

Yvonne Sterling had long known about Cecilia’s new relationship. After her older sister returned from Lorcain, she had mentioned the young man even more often than her own daughter, praising him to the high heavens as if he were one of a kind.

"It just goes to show how much he cares for our Cecilia. It’s a classic case of ’love me, love my dog.’ I’m even benefiting from their relationship," Yvonne Sterling said with a laugh, then quickly called to her husband. "Honey, you, Ethan, and Ronald, hurry and help get these things into the car."

"Good thing Brendan Harris brought the van; it can fit all of us and everything we brought."

The family exited the airport, chatting and laughing, making for a wonderfully lively scene.

It wasn’t until she was in the car that Cecilia had a chance to turn on her phone. As soon as it powered on, she received good news from Rowe: the contract with the Jennings Group was signed.

Cecilia made sure to show her mother. "Mom, we’ve partnered with the Jennings Group."

Jasmine Sterling was ecstatic. "Really? Is it that project worth six hundred a year?"

Cecilia nodded with a smile. "With this partnership with the Jennings Group, things will definitely go much more smoothly from here on out. Other companies will start seeking us out."

Ethan leaned over from the front seat and grinned at his sister. "Sis, Mom said you bought a villa with a garden in Lorcain, and that it’s huge. Is there a room for me?"

"Of course there is. Once you get into a university in Lorcain and move there, you can have your pick of the extra rooms. It’s going to be our new family home."

Ethan was ecstatic. "Then does your promise to buy me a car still stand?"

"Of course. Everything your big sis promises you will come true," Cecilia said.

Hearing this, Ronald sighed from the side. "If I’d known, I would have studied harder. Maybe I could have gotten a reward from my cousin for getting into college, too."

Hearing her son, Yvonne Sterling let out a cold snort. "A little late for that now, isn’t it? There are no ’if-I’d-knowns’ in life."

Ronald pouted, unable to suppress a pang of envy for his cousin Ethan.

Seeing his reaction, Cecilia patted Ronald on the shoulder. "It’s okay, Ronald. Just tell me what you want, and I’ll buy it for you."

"Really, Sis?" Ronald’s eyes lit up with delight.

But Yvonne Sterling shot him a glare. "Even if your cousin is willing to give it to you, do you have the nerve to accept? What score do you think you’ll even get on your college entrance exams?"

At that, Ronald immediately wilted.

Cecilia turned to her aunt. "Auntie, please don’t always talk to Ronald like that. He’s just not academically gifted, but grades aren’t everything. He’s always been a very well-behaved kid."

Yvonne Sterling sighed softly. ’What good is being well-behaved? He doesn’t have any standout talents, and his future is a total blur.’

’In this day and age, even a university degree isn’t worth much, let alone a diploma from a vocational college.’

’She just couldn’t bear to have her son learn the family’s roasted meat trade, only to spend his entire life cooped up in a small shop like her.’

"Ronald is good-looking. Have you ever thought about becoming an actor?" Lily suddenly piped up.

Her comment made even Ronald laugh. "Sis, me? No way. The only role I’m qualified for is playing a corpse."

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey! Don’t say such unlucky things, especially during the New Year," Yvonne Sterling said, displeased. Then, her expression softened into a smile as she looked at Lily. "Lily, don’t tease your cousin. When he was little, he had a performance at his kindergarten’s arts festival. All the other kids were performing with confidence, but he was the only one up there crying while he danced. It was mortifying."