Chapter 390 - 386: Come Home With Me

"We’ve found her. Sorry for the trouble. Thank you."

Cecilia Sterling maintained a calm and polite demeanor as she thanked the staff. Then, she turned and made her way to the underground parking garage, frantically video-calling Sarah Harris as she walked.

After she left, the two staff members who had helped her glanced at each other. They both raised their eyebrows, shook their heads, and smiled, as if they already knew how this sort of thing would turn out.

Sarah Harris still wouldn’t answer the video call. Cecilia Sterling got back in her car and held down the voice message button. "Sarah Harris, you tell me where you are right this instant. If you don’t answer my phone, I’m calling the police!"

Her cousin knew she had a boyfriend who was a police officer, but Cecilia wasn’t actually going to call the police. She was just trying to scare her.

After waiting a few seconds, she tried calling her cousin again. This time, it rang a few times before someone finally answered.

"Sis..."

Sarah Harris’s voice came through, cautious and tinged with obvious guilt.

Cecilia Sterling’s anger flared. She snapped into the phone, "Are you looking for trouble? Didn’t I tell you I was coming to pick you up? You landed, didn’t send a single message, and just ran off with someone? You have other friends in Lorcain?"

"No, Sis, don’t worry. I’m perfectly safe." Sarah Harris dodged the question, clearly not daring to confront Cecilia directly.

Cecilia couldn’t be bothered to argue about it right now. She needed to see her cousin immediately and take her home.

If anything happened to her in Lorcain, Cecilia would have no way to explain it to her aunt.

"Where are you? Give me the address. I’ll come get you!"

"I..." Sarah Harris hesitated, clearly not wanting to say. It was obvious she didn’t want Cecilia to come find her.

Cecilia’s patience was shot. She demanded sharply, "Hurry up. If I don’t see you in half an hour, don’t you ever call me ’Sis’ again!"

"Okay, Sis, don’t be mad. I’ll send it to you."

Seemingly sensing the sheer level of her cousin’s anger, Sarah Harris didn’t dare pull a vanishing act. After hanging up, she obediently sent the address to Cecilia.

By now, more than two hours had passed since the plane landed. When Cecilia saw the address her cousin sent, she was so angry she nearly swore out loud.

The girl was somehow already at the SKP mall in Lorcain’s International Trade Center.

This was one of the most high-end shopping malls in the country. What was her cousin, a mere flight attendant intern, doing here?

After calming down, a sense of foreboding crept over Cecilia, and she sped toward the mall.

On the way, her mother sent a message. "Cecilia, have you picked up Sarah? What’s taking so long?"

Cecilia could only make up a quick lie to placate her. Jasmine Sterling simply urged her to hurry home, saying that dinner was all ready.

Flooring the accelerator, Cecilia raced to the mall as fast as she could.

「Chanel」

The moment Cecilia walked into the Chanel store, she saw Sarah Harris sitting on a sofa, being waited on. She was even still in her flight attendant uniform.

"Miss, how does that size feel? If it’s a little tight, we have it in a half-size larger."

The saleswoman’s kneeling service gave Sarah Harris’s vanity an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. She feigned composure and nodded. "They fit quite well."

Just then, a man standing behind the sofa spoke nonchalantly, "If you like them, let’s get this pair."

Sarah Harris looked at the man, overjoyed, but then she caught a glimpse of Cecilia storming into the store out of the corner of her eye.

Startled, she shot to her feet. "Sis."

Cecilia had spotted her instantly. Her gaze darkened when she saw the expensive high heels on her cousin’s feet.

She knew her aunt’s financial situation all too well. The very first thing Sarah did after landing was run here to go shopping? ’This is unbelievable.’

The man followed Sarah’s gaze, and the moment he saw Cecilia, his eyes widened in appreciation.

Even though Cecilia was dressed casually, her beauty was so striking that it made everything else in the Chanel-filled room seem to pale in comparison.

He gave a lopsided smile and asked, "Your sister?"

Sarah Harris nodded faintly. Feeling guilty, her expression had become completely timid now that Cecilia had arrived.

Cecilia walked closer and saw bags and clothes piled on the sofa, plus the shoes on Sarah’s feet. It was clear she’d been trying things on.

Though she was fuming inside, she knew she couldn’t lose her temper with her cousin here. She just said calmly, "Come home with me."

"Sis..."

Sarah Harris was reluctant. She had been so close to getting these shoes.

"No need to rush, beautiful. I’m a friend of Sarah’s. It’s her first time in Lorcain, so I’m getting her a little gift."

The man was completely captivated by Cecilia. He knew the power of money was most effective on naive young women with little life experience, so he said smugly, "Since you’re Sarah’s sister, you should join in. See if there’s anything you like. I’ll pay for it all."

Cecilia looked at the man, her face devoid of expression. ’He looks presentable on the outside, but the second he opens his mouth, he’s just a smooth-talking sleazeball. How could this guy be any good?’

But it was precisely this type of man who so easily preyed on inexperienced young women, especially the vain ones who were the easiest to hook.

Cecilia didn’t want to waste a single word on this kind of person. She just looked at Sarah Harris and warned, "Don’t make me lose my temper with you in here. Just come home with me now."

Sarah Harris was still a little afraid of Cecilia. Although the "sisters" were close in age, Cecilia had always been the authoritative one among the younger siblings and cousins. Everyone listened to her.

Besides, the Cecilia of today had a powerful presence that was far more intimidating than when they were kids.

"Okay."

Sarah Harris slowly sat back down on the sofa. The saleswoman looked utterly baffled, but she still moved to help Sarah take off the shoes.

Sarah Harris shook her head. "I’ll do it."

"Hey! Don’t—don’t take them off! You like them, don’t you? Let’s just buy them," the man said quickly, still attempting to prove his worth by footing the bill.

Just then, Cecilia’s personal sales associate at the store came out from the back and spotted her immediately.

"Miss Sterling? What brings you here?"

The associate, both surprised and delighted, rushed over to greet her. Miss Sterling was one of his top clients; the amount she spent on each visit sent his commission soaring.

"Why didn’t you let me know you were coming? Are you just passing by, or is there a particular style you’re looking for? The VIP room is empty right now. I can take you there to rest. Would you like me to arrange for some afternoon tea?"

The associate’s enthusiastic, fawning attitude completely stunned Sarah Harris, who had never seen anything like it. This kind of obsequious behavior was something she’d only ever seen in TV dramas.

’Is it really this over-the-top in real life?’

The man was also stunned. ’The VIP room? Isn’t that a privilege reserved for customers who spend over a million dollars a year?’

Looking again at Cecilia’s jeans and simple white top, there was no way to tell she had that kind of spending power.

Cecilia had just seen the lingering reluctance on Sarah’s face as she took off the shoes. Seeing as her personal associate was right there, she casually gestured to the various items on the sofa. "All of this, and that pair of shoes. Wrap them up."