Chapter 672

Evelyn Sinclair couldn't suppress her smirk. Seeing her sister's expression darken, Natalie Beaumont quickly intervened. "Lucas, Evelyn has been waiting forever for your latte art. How could you skip the best part?"

Lucas Sterling's brow furrowed as he glared at his troublesome sister. Since Natalie asked, he couldn't half-ass it now. "Fine, I'll make you one," he muttered through gritted teeth.

"I want a phoenix," Evelyn demanded with a challenging smirk.

Lucas's hands froze mid-pour. "I don't know how to draw a damn phoenix!" He'd practiced for weeks to perfect Natalie's hummingbird design. His face darkened as he fought the urge to flip the coffee table. "This little brat's determined to make me look bad. If my love life depends on her, I'll die alone."

The upstairs study became uncomfortably quiet, the cheerful laughter from downstairs creating stark contrast. Natalie sipped her espresso, sensing the tension crackling between the siblings. "Perhaps that's... ambitious for Lucas?"

Lucas shot his sister a meaningful look. "I could do a phoenix. But wouldn't a diamond ring design be more appropriate, Evelyn?" His tone carried a clear warning - she'd already gotten her precious jewelry from him, yet still dared to test his patience.

Evelyn's lips pursed. That diamond had been spectacularly expensive. For the sake of future gifts, she backed down. "Of course Lucas can do anything. A phoenix is child's play." Her sudden 180-degree attitude shift made Natalie choke on her coffee.

Their silent truce was interrupted by William Sterling's booming voice from downstairs. "Lucas! Evelyn! Get down here and greet our guests!"

"Lucas?" Evelyn barely contained her laughter at her brother's horrified expression. The nickname 'Lil L' clearly didn't sit well with the famous actor, but he couldn't refuse their father. Natalie dissolved into giggles.

The siblings exchanged a resigned look, suddenly united in their dread. The annual parade of distant relatives had arrived. Natalie waved them off. "Go ahead. I'll stay here enjoying this excellent coffee."

Lucas stood with forced calm, though irritation radiated from every pore. "I've told Father a hundred times not to call me that. Why doesn't he call Donovan 'Lil D'?"

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Why doesn't Father make Alexander entertain them?" Because their eldest brother would freeze the guests with his glacial stare and sarcastic remarks, that's why. William had long stopped expecting social graces from Alexander.

With synchronized sighs, the siblings descended the staircase, plastering on identical polite smiles. William entered with a dozen relatives in tow, beaming with pride. "Evelyn, Lucas, say hello to everyone."

The siblings froze when they saw Charles Sterling at the front of the group. "Hello, Uncle Charles," they chorused automatically as the older man nodded and swept past to the living room.

Then came the awkward part. Evelyn and Lucas shared a panicked glance - they didn't recognize a single other person in the crowd.

William shot them a disappointed look before stepping forward with his host smile. "This is your great-aunt's second husband's cousin. This is your third cousin twice removed. This is the daughter of your maternal grandfather's business partner's niece..."