Chapter 673

Lucas Sterling and Evelyn Sinclair felt like human mannequins. Their cheeks ached from forced smiles, yet they kept greeting relatives with practiced politeness.

Evelyn never smiled this much during business negotiations.

Her facial muscles were on the verge of rebellion.

Lucas, the famously aloof A-list actor worshipped by millions, endured the same torment. After introducing countless distant relatives, William Sterling finally felt his throat dry up.

Fortunately, the butler appeared with tea. "Chairman Sterling, refreshments are served."

William practically shoved everyone inside. "Hurry, hurry! Make yourselves comfortable!" He downed his tea in one gulp before smoothly guiding Evelyn and Lucas into the grand hall.

Then came the proud father routine.

"This is my Evelyn. She runs Sterling Enterprises. Alexander just assists her." William puffed his chest. "My daughter made the Forbes global list last year. Quite the achievement, isn't it?"

Envious murmurs filled the room. William beamed.

"My second son Donovan dislikes social gatherings. He's a scientist—won several international awards, contributed to classified government projects." William waved dismissively. "Though he's hopeless at everything else."

Knowing Donovan would drop verbal bombs if forced to attend, William focused on his two more sociable children.

Their great-aunt pinched Evelyn's cheek.

"Evelyn dear, you're constantly trending online. Who are you really dating? That young actor Julian Moreau seems immature. Is Xavier Delmont just Nathan Blackwood's replacement?"

All eyes locked onto Evelyn—some teasing, some malicious, all hungry for drama.

The room fell silent.

William nearly choked on his tea. Just as he prepared to intervene, Evelyn casually removed the old woman's hand.

Her smile remained, but her voice turned arctic. "You seem more invested than the tabloids."

Lucas covertly gave her a thumbs-up. Damn, Evelyn just roasted an elder without hesitation. Legendary.

Had he tried that, William would've tanned his hide publicly.

The relatives visibly recoiled. Earlier, William had emphasized Evelyn's position as Sterling Enterprises' true CEO. No one dared challenge her now.

William attempted damage control. "Don't believe internet gossip! Evelyn's just having fun with those men. Nothing serious!"

Lucas' eyebrows shot up. That's your idea of smoothing things over? You just poured gasoline on the fire!

Evelyn's eye twitched. Further explanations were pointless.

The great-aunt sighed dramatically. "Divorce isn't ideal, but with our wealth, finding another divorced man shouldn't be hard." She patted Evelyn's shoulder. "Lower your standards if needed—single fathers are acceptable too."

Evelyn thought bitterly, Why not just suggest stoning me to death and be done with it?