Chapter 397 - 393: Reinstatement

The whole story wasn’t complicated. Cecilia Sterling was articulate and didn’t gloss over any details that might lead to a misunderstanding.

After laying everything out in a straightforward manner, she looked at Saul Thorne and said, "All I wanted was for my cousin to have a good time tonight, but things got out of hand."

Seeing her so serious, a smile spread across Saul Thorne’s face. "Okay, I get it."

’The fact that Cecilia Sterling was willing to patiently explain all this meant she valued him.’ Saul Thorne was thrilled.

"You’re not mad?" Cecilia Sterling asked.

Saul Thorne raised an eyebrow. "Should I be mad? A little jealous, maybe?"

Cecilia Sterling shot him an exasperated look. In response, Saul Thorne pulled her into his arms, pressing a firm kiss into her hair. He murmured, "Even if you wanted to see me get jealous, you could at least give me a worthy rival!"

The implication was clear: he hadn’t given a second thought to any of the guys from today. He felt no sense of threat at all.

Cecilia Sterling wrapped her arms around his waist. Hearing his words, she couldn’t help but bury her face in his firm chest, a smile playing on her lips.

Estelle Goodman had been watching from a distance, worried they might start arguing over what had just happened. But after exchanging just a few words, they were in each other’s arms.

She gave a huge eye-roll!

Sarah Harris clapped her hands in excitement. "Yay, my brother-in-law isn’t mad! That scared me to death. I thought this was all going to be my fault!"

A moment later, Saul Thorne walked over, holding Cecilia Sterling’s hand tucked inside his coat pocket. "Let me give you a ride home."

"You guys go on ahead," Estelle Goodman said, declining Saul Thorne’s offer. She looked at Cecilia Sterling and explained, "I’m going to the hospital to check on my brother."

Cecilia Sterling was a little worried. ’What if those two groups run into each other at the hospital again? Estelle could get caught in the middle.’

"Is that safe?"

Estelle gave a serene smile and reassured her, "Don’t worry, Blair’s on her way. I’ll have her go with me. You should take Sarah home. It’s getting late, and your aunt will be worried."

Knowing Blair would be there put Cecilia Sterling’s mind at ease. She nodded, and then she and Sarah Harris got into Saul Thorne’s car.

Sarah Harris chose the back seat. The moment she got in, she eagerly greeted Saul Thorne. "Hi, brother-in-law! I’m Sarah!"

Saul Thorne turned and nodded at Sarah Harris with a small smile. "Hi."

Up close, the dim lighting in the car made the contours of Saul Thorne’s face look even more defined and handsome. Sarah Harris’s eyes went wide as she screamed internally, ’My sister’s boyfriend is so hot!’

"I’m sorry about today, brother-in-law. I caused you so much trouble. It was all my fault for pestering my sister to take me to a club," Sarah Harris took the initiative to explain, genuinely not wanting to cause a rift between her sister and her handsome boyfriend.

’After all, he’s a police officer. Running into your girlfriend at the station because of a police call... yeah, that would definitely be awkward.’

Cecilia Sterling, fastening her seatbelt in the passenger seat, heard her and looked back to reassure Sarah. "It’s fine. I already explained everything to him."

Sarah Harris nodded, biting her lip guiltily, then settled back into her seat and fell silent.

The car started, heading toward Hearthstone Villas.

On the way, Saul Thorne suddenly spoke up. "Oh, by the way, babe, I’ve been transferred back to the Criminal Investigation Division. I haven’t had a chance to tell you."

"I heard what that captain said back at the station. I was just about to ask you about it," Cecilia Sterling replied, turning to look at Saul Thorne. She asked softly, "So you won’t be stuck in the Internal Review Division organizing case files day and night anymore? You’ll be able to get involved in investigations and arrests?"

The corners of Saul Thorne’s mouth turned up in an unconscious smile, his eyes filled with genuine delight. "That’s right. I’ve been officially reinstated!"

Hearing this, Sarah Harris couldn’t help but lean forward and chime in. "Brother-in-law, isn’t criminal investigation work really dangerous? Do only huge cases count as criminal cases?"

Saul Thorne explained patiently, "The definition of a criminal case is pretty broad, but they’re definitely more serious than civil cases. There are a lot of major cases, so yes, the risk is higher."

"Oh?" Sarah Harris’s brow furrowed, and she blurted out, "Then you have to be careful!"

Saul Thorne smiled. "I know. I’ll be careful for your sister’s sake."

Hearing this, Cecilia Sterling looked at him with a warm smile. "Did your grandfather agree?"

"Yeah," Saul Thorne explained. "Remember on our last date, when you told me to go home and spend time with my grandfather that night? Well, it just so happened my uncle was there too. I took the opportunity to have a good talk with Grandpa, and my uncle backed me up. We finally managed to convince the old man."

Cecilia Sterling nodded, genuinely happy for Saul Thorne. Being a detective was his professional dream, and she was thrilled he could do something he loved.

He drove them all the way to the main gate. The lights were still on in the villa inside.

"I won’t come in. You guys head on back."

Outside the gate, Saul Thorne finished speaking and turned to get in his car. But in the next second, Cecilia Sterling suddenly reached out, grabbed his collar, and yanked him forward.

Before he could react, Cecilia Sterling’s soft, cool lips were on his.

Feeling that familiar, intoxicating scent and touch, Saul Thorne froze for a moment before wrapping his hands around Cecilia Sterling’s waist and the back of her head, returning the kiss with deep, selfless passion.

Sarah Harris, standing to the side: ?

Hello?

’Does anyone care that I’m here?’

After a long moment, the two reluctantly parted. A smile of wanting more lingered on Saul Thorne’s face. Every time Cecilia Sterling made a move on him, it sent an uncontrollable fire through him.

He tugged at his overcoat to hide his erection, hastily said, "I’m leaving," and quickly got in the car.

Sarah Harris didn’t snap out of her shock until his car had driven away.

"Sis? I’m still here!" Sarah Harris exclaimed, a mixture of shock, envy, and a touch of woeful self-pity.

Cecilia Sterling gave her cousin a nonchalant glance and calmly replied, "Do I need to check if you’re here before I kiss my own boyfriend?"

Sarah Harris: "..."

The next day, Calabash Brothers Technology Studio officially launched, and Cecilia Sterling got ready early in the morning to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"Timothy, for a studio with only eight people, this ribbon-cutting ceremony is pretty lively."

Cecilia Sterling looked around the venue. She noticed that many large corporations that had worked with the team had sent congratulatory flower baskets, and some had even sent representatives in person.

Among the flower arrangements, she even spotted one from the Lane Group, a company the studio had explicitly turned down several times. It seemed they still hadn’t given up on acquiring their program.

Timothy Rowe smiled and nodded. For the studio’s grand opening, he had only sent out invitations to partner companies as a formality. He hadn’t expected such an enthusiastic response from all of them; some had even sent red envelopes with cash gifts.

Cecilia Sterling stared at the studio’s sign for a moment, puzzled. "Timothy, it’s an eight-person studio, so why is it called the Calabash Brothers?"

’Aren’t there seven Calabash Brothers?’