Chapter 334: Do You Really Not Mind?

Even now, Kevin found the entire situation almost unbelievable, as he wouldn’t believe it if he didn’t witness it himself. Zachary had somehow kept his involvement completely hidden from his family while making Riley willingly walk straight into what he thought was his great chance to be the greatest of the Sterlings, when it was actually an invisible trap.

The fact that Riley was too arrogant to question where the idea came from only made the whole plan more amusing.

Hunter leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "I was just following orders. Riley also happened to be less careful than he should have been, so the plan worked."

"Less careful?" Kevin repeated with a quiet laugh. "That’s a polite way of putting it."

Hunter smiled. "I’m trying to be respectful."

"You?"

"I can be respectful when necessary."

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"

"Since my bonus became part of the discussion."

Kevin laughed again and shook his head. "At least you’re honest."

"Man... I always am."

"No, you’re usually only honest when money is involved."

"That’s not true." Hunter paused and considered it for a moment. "Sometimes I’m honest when food is involved too."

Kevin laughed under his breath. "Your joke has improved a lot, Man."

Hunter picked up his wine again, his expression becoming more serious as he glanced toward Kevin. "Still, you have to admit the plan was risky. If Riley had been more careful, things could have gone differently."

"I know. That’s why I was surprised when Zach told me what he had done. He was willing to take a big risk just to teach Riley a lesson."

"He wasn’t trying to ruin Riley for no reason," Hunter said. "Riley gave him enough reason."

Kevin’s eyes hardened slightly. He knew the history between Zachary and Riley, and he understood why Zachary had no intention of forgiving him. "...But watching someone destroy his own career because he was too confident to question the bait is still something."

Hunter smiled faintly. "Especially when the bait was sitting right in front of him."

"Exactly."

For a moment, the two men were quiet again.

Then Kevin glanced toward the door. "Why hasn’t Zach shown up yet?"

Hunter checked his watch and frowned slightly. "He’s on the way. He said he wouldn’t be—"

Before Hunter could finish his sentence, the VIP room door opened. Zachary appeared in the doorway, with Trevor Murphy right behind him.

Kevin immediately turned toward them, his serious expression disappearing as a cheerful smile spread across his face.

"You finally came, Zach."

Zachary smiled weakly as he joined them in the seating area. "Sorry, I have a lot of things to deal with at the office," he said as he settled into the single sofa.

After getting comfortable, Zachary turned his gaze toward Hunter. His expression became more serious as he said, "Don’t let your guard down. You still need to keep an eye on Riley. That foolish kid still thinks he has the upper hand."

His words immediately made both Hunter and Kevin more alert. Curiosity flashed across their faces as they exchanged a quick glance, wondering what Zachary had learned that they did not know.

"Sure, I will," Hunter replied, nodding.

Kevin, however, was not satisfied with the answer. He leaned slightly forward and looked at Zachary with a curious expression. "What do you mean, Zach?"

Rather than answering him immediately, Zachary picked up the wine bottle and poured himself another glass. He took a slow drink, emptying the glass before placing it back on the table.

Only then did he answer calmly, "As I said on the phone earlier, my family pressured me to talk to you and ask you to drop your plan to sue them."

"Yes, I know that," Kevin replied with a nod, although the confusion in his eyes remained. "But I don’t think that explains why you suddenly seem concerned about Riley."

"Riley was too confident to admit that he was innocent," Zachary said, leaning back against the sofa. "He denied stealing anything from Cresswell, even though I had already given him a chance to admit it. That kind of confidence makes me think he still has something planned. I just don’t know what that foolish kid is thinking."

Kevin and Hunter both chuckled at Zachary’s choice of words. They knew how seriously he took Riley, but hearing him repeatedly call his nephew foolish still amused them.

"So, that’s why you wanted us to continue the legal battle?" Kevin asked.

Zachary nodded. "Exactly. I want you to continue with the lawsuit, even though it will give the Sterling Group some negative publicity. If Riley really has another plan, I don’t want him to think we are backing down just because my family tried to pressure me."

"No worries, man," Kevin said reassuringly. "I’ll carry out your order. We already prepared everything, and honestly, this is also good for the company. There’s no reason for us to stop now."

"Thanks." Zachary smiled faintly as he reached for the wine bottle and poured himself another glass. He looked relaxed, but Kevin could tell that Zachary was still thinking carefully about Riley and whatever his nephew might be planning.

Kevin remained quiet for a moment before speaking again. "But, Zach..."

His tone was enough to draw Zachary’s attention back to him.

"This negative publicity will damage your family’s reputation," Kevin said. "The Sterling Group has been doing business for years, and this kind of legal battle could affect their relationships with clients and partners. Your family is already under pressure. Do you really not mind?"

Zachary chuckled as if Kevin had asked something obvious. He took another sip of wine before answering, "Kev, don’t underestimate the Sterling Group, especially my dad."

Kevin frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"My dad didn’t build the Sterling Group by relying on a clean image alone," Zachary explained. "He knows how to handle pressure, and he knows how to protect the company when things become difficult. A lawsuit and some negative publicity won’t be enough to bring him down."

Hunter listened quietly, a small smile appearing on his face. "So, basically, you’re saying your family can survive the mess Riley created?"

Zachary glanced at him. "I’m saying my dad can handle it."