Chapter 244 - 242: This Kid Wasn’t That Smart to Begin With

Cecilia Sterling watched him, not rushing to reply, and saw Wesley Yates add, "But if too many people are involved, it loses its appeal."

No matter how big the pie, it’s tasteless if too many people want a slice.

"I’ll talk to Young later and see where he stands."

"Mr. Young?" Cecilia Sterling sounded a little surprised.

"What? Didn’t expect me to approach him?" Wesley Yates looked at Cecilia Sterling, a smile in his voice.

Cecilia Sterling smiled and nodded. "I thought you two didn’t get along."

"We don’t, but that doesn’t affect business. I may not look highly on Young as a person, but we’re similar in one respect: we’re never careless when it comes to making money. For that reason alone, I actually enjoy making a profit with him."

"Besides, acquiring Aetherium is no small feat. We have to think about future operations, too. My business operates in the shadows, so I need a partner who can manage things in the light of day. This person needs the financial clout to acquire Aetherium and the power to keep it stable. The only person I can think of is Young."

He wasn’t being subtle, and Cecilia Sterling understood immediately.

’Jeb’s meaning was clear: they needed to cover both fronts. He would handle the dark, and Mr. Young would have to handle the light.’

"If Young is interested, then the three of us split it evenly?" Jeb suddenly turned to Cecilia Sterling and asked, "It’ll probably be ten million each. Can you swing it?"

"Yeah, no problem." Cecilia Sterling agreed without hesitation, but she didn’t forget to add a reminder. "But, Jeb, I don’t have any experience with high-end clubs. I can put up the money, but you and Mr. Young will have to handle everything that comes after."

"And one more thing. Since I’m getting involved with you, the club’s business has to be clean. I don’t touch anything illegal."

Some things had to be said upfront, even if they weren’t pleasant to hear. This was her bottom line.

Fortunately, Wesley Yates appreciated Cecilia Sterling’s forthright nature. He didn’t mind her bluntness in the slightest. Hearing her, he just smiled. "Don’t worry. I might not be a saint myself, but my businesses are all completely legitimate. Since you call me ’Jeb,’ I’d never drag you into the mud."

"Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. I’ll wait for news from you and Mr. Young, then."

「The next day.」

Cecilia Sterling had arranged to have dinner with Conrad Goodman at the Goodman family home that evening. Unexpectedly, they ended up meeting at the hospital that afternoon instead.

"What happened?"

Cecilia Sterling asked Charles Jennings at the door to the hospital room.

"It’s nothing serious. During her driving lesson, she mistook the accelerator for the brake. The car shot forward, and she panicked, crashing right into a tree," Charles Jennings explained with extraordinary calm.

"Is she okay?"

Charles Jennings shook his head. "Nothing serious. Her forehead hit the steering wheel, so it’s a bit red and swollen. Just a small scrape."

Cecilia Sterling pressed her lips together, speechless. ’I told her learning to drive was a bad idea. And now look at this, she’s gone and knocked her head.’

’That girl isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed to begin with.’

Inside the room, both Conrad Goodman and his wife were present. Estelle Goodman was lying in the hospital bed, dressed in a patient’s gown. Gauze was taped to her forehead, and her face was ghastly pale.

The moment she saw Cecilia Sterling, she looked aggrieved. "Honey, you’re here! I thought I was never going to see you again!"

"Hey, knock it off. Don’t say such things." Cecilia Sterling gave her a mock glare before turning to greet Conrad Goodman and his wife. "Mr. Goodman, Mrs. Goodman."

Conrad Goodman looked at Cecilia Sterling, his tone apologetic. "I’m terribly sorry. We were planning to host you at our home today. I never expected something like this to happen to Estelle."

"Mr. Goodman, please don’t be so formal with me. It’s really not important, I haven’t given it a second thought."

Estelle Goodman shot her father a glare. "Dad, did you apologize to Cecilia?"

Before Conrad Goodman could open his mouth, Cecilia Sterling cut in, "Mr. Goodman already apologized, and I’ve accepted. Let’s just consider the matter settled."

"It’s just because Cecilia is so good-natured. You were wronged so badly, but you never said a word."

Cecilia Sterling shot Estelle Goodman a look, telling her to drop it. Only then did Estelle fall silent.

Mrs. Goodman stood up. "I’ll go home and have Miss Miller make some food to send over. Estelle is fine, so you should head back to the office. Charles can stay and watch over her."

"I don’t want him watching me! I want Cecilia to stay with me!" Estelle Goodman cried out, reaching for Cecilia Sterling. "Honey, don’t go! You stay with me. I don’t want a block of wood watching over me!"

Cecilia Sterling smiled helplessly and nodded. "Alright, I’ll stay with you."

"Mr. and Mrs. Goodman, you can go tend to your business. Don’t worry. I’ll stay with Estelle. It’ll be more convenient for her if she needs to use the restroom or anything."

They were naturally relieved to have Cecilia Sterling stay. Conrad Goodman stepped forward. "Then we’ll have to trouble you, Cecilia. As for the project... perhaps we can discuss it another time?"

The question was clearly a feeler. The Goodman Group obviously wanted the software as well, but they were afraid Cecilia Sterling wouldn’t be willing to sell.

But for the sake of Estelle’s father, Cecilia Sterling had no intention of holding a grudge. She said at once, "If you’re interested, Mr. Goodman, you can contact Rowe directly. The price for the software has already been set. As long as the Goodman Group is willing to pay, we’re willing to sell it to you."

Conrad Goodman’s face immediately broke into a smile. "That’s wonderful! I’ll make the arrangements as soon as possible."

As soon as they were gone, Estelle Goodman couldn’t help but complain. "After the way the Goodman Group treated you, you should have just let him stew and get anxious."

"I know that wasn’t Mr. Goodman’s real intention. Besides, he’s your father. How could I make things difficult for him?" Cecilia Sterling walked over to the bed, sat down, and leaned in to look at the bump on Estelle’s forehead. "That’s quite a swelling. The gauze is puffed up so high. You were so careless."

"I’m not going to have a scar, am I?" Estelle Goodman suddenly grew tense.

Seeing her reaction, Cecilia Sterling laughed. "Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous."

The words had barely left her mouth when Charles Jennings pushed the door open and walked in, holding two ice cream cones.

"That was fast," Estelle Goodman said, looking at him in surprise.

Charles Jennings stated impassively, "There’s a McDonald’s downstairs."

The next second, Charles Jennings suddenly flipped one of the ice cream cones upside down onto the other, then handed the combined treat to Estelle Goodman.

Cecilia Sterling blinked at the double-decker cone. Then she heard Charles Jennings explain, "She’s always liked to eat them this way, ever since she was little."

"You seem to remember all her preferences quite clearly."

Charles Jennings remained silent, but Estelle Goodman arched an eyebrow smugly. "Of course he does. He’s been following me around like a puppy since we were kids."

"Then do you remember his birthday and his preferences?" Cecilia Sterling asked suddenly.

"Of course!" Estelle Goodman blurted out after a lick of her ice cream. "His birthday is September seventh, he’s a Virgo, he’s five-eleven-and-a-half. He doesn’t eat pork intestines, durian, or century eggs. He likes white and blue. His prescription is -6.00 for his left eye and -5.75 for his right, with a slight astigmatism."

"What else do you want to ask? I know everything!"

Cecilia Sterling blinked. Charles Jennings was utterly dumbfounded.

’She actually remembered all of it!’

After a moment, Cecilia Sterling smiled and nodded. "Not bad. You’re not a completely ungrateful person, after all."

’She’s just slow on the uptake,’ Cecilia thought. ’Charles’s feelings for her are so obvious. She’s probably the only one who can’t see it!’