Chapter 417 - 413: Ultimate Black Gold Card

Cecilia Sterling looked down at the documents and asked, "What’s the story?"

Fabian Griffin explained, "Because this hotel is in high demand. During my investigation, I found that several parties have already been in contact with the hotel’s owner. I think it’s because it’s a relatively easy acquisition. This place used to be a four-star hotel, and Lorcain’s four-star standard is equivalent to a five-star in other cities. But it lost that rating many years ago. The hotel is old and has never been renovated, so everything about it is outdated."

Cecilia Sterling’s brow furrowed. "Did they not have the money to renovate?"

Fabian Griffin nodded. "Definitely. The hotel was originally doing quite well, but the owner fell ill and passed away some years ago. The hotel then fell to his wife, and a few years ago, she passed it on to their son—the current owner. I hear he’s only in his twenties."

"Anyway, ever since the previous owner passed away, the hotel has been declining year after year. If you don’t act fast, someone else might snatch it up."

Cecilia Sterling nodded in understanding. "Alright, I understand."

"In any case, I’ve put all the information on the owner in there. You can look it over later and make your decision. I’m just offering a suggestion."

"Thank you for your hard work."

"I get paid to do a job. It’s what I’m supposed to do. I’ll get going now. If you need anything, find me on WhatsApp."

With that, Fabian Griffin stood up, grabbed his bag, and left. Cecilia Sterling remained in the cafe, looking through the documents for a long while.

After a moment, she picked up her phone, scrolled through her contacts for a bit, and made a call.

The person on the other end seemed surprised to receive a call from Cecilia Sterling. His voice was a mixture of delight and shock. "Miss Sterling? To what do I owe the pleasure of this sudden call?"

Cecilia Sterling laughed, her voice soft and gentle. "President Sanders, I won’t keep you in suspense. I have something I’d like to ask your help with."

"Oh, of course, of course! It would be my honor to help Miss Sterling. Please, just tell me what you need."

Everyone who knew Cecilia Sterling was aware of her capabilities. Though the true depths of her background remained a mystery, they knew she had close ties with Wesley Yates and Mr. Young.

On that point alone, everyone in Lorcain had to show her some respect.

Even though Wesley Yates was now behind bars, Cecilia Sterling’s own power was not to be underestimated. No one who knew her dared to look down on her.

Yet, Cecilia Sterling was never arrogant. When dealing with these people, she always maintained a friendly and approachable demeanor.

Cecilia Sterling thought for a moment, then said with a smile, "Let’s not discuss this over the phone. If you’re willing, President Sanders, shall we have a casual meal at Aetherium later? Otherwise, it would seem quite rude of me, the junior."

"Hahaha, of course," President Sanders, a straightforward man, replied. "I happen to be running errands near Aetherium right now. Shall we meet in a bit?"

"Great. See you in a bit."

「Aetherium—before its grand and luxurious entrance.」

Renee Reid and Jameson Stone both stopped in their tracks, their heads tilting back in unison to gaze up at the towering, magnificent building above them.

Ethan Sterling, who was walking ahead, noticed they were gone and turned back. "Come on, what are you doing?"

The two of them slowly lowered their gazes, looking at Ethan Sterling with troubled expressions.

"Ethan, we really don’t have to. A place like this is very expensive," Renee Reid said, a rare hint of timidity in her voice.

Jameson Stone nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We know your family is rich, but this really isn’t necessary. We’d be just as happy with Pizza Hut."

"Right, Pizza Hut is great! I saw on my feed that they have a new item. The pizza has that perfect cheese pull when you take a bite!" Renee Reid quickly added.

Ethan Sterling laughed at the sight.

’He clearly remembered Jameson telling him he didn’t like pizza. He must have panicked and just blurted it out.’

"Stop dawdling. Renee got a guaranteed admission, I was specially recruited, and Jameson got in by the skin of his teeth with his own hard work. All three of us got into Lorcain U! Of course we have to celebrate big. This is worth splurging on."

As he spoke, Ethan Sterling went back, grabbed both of their hands, and practically dragged them through the entrance of Aetherium.

"Welcome to Aetherium."

The enthusiastic greeting from the beautiful staff member at the door made Jameson Stone jump.

The interior of the lobby was decorated in black and gold, exuding an understated luxury. A very pleasant fragrance drifted through the air, but to Renee Reid and Jameson Stone, it just smelled like money.

Arriving at the front desk, Renee Reid and Jameson Stone were still a bit uncomfortable, furtively looking around. Ethan Sterling, on the other hand, calmly took out the Black Gold Card his sister had given him.

This was his first time using the Black Gold Card at Aetherium.

The front desk staff froze for a second upon seeing the card, then instinctively glanced at Ethan Sterling.

After she placed the card on the scanner to read it, the card’s information appeared on the computer screen.

Ultimate Black Gold Card: Ethan Sterling.

Credit Limit: None.

Only a handful of these Black Gold Cards existed, all held by the owners and their families.

Seeing this, the staff member quickly said, "Mr. Ethan Sterling, please wait a moment. I will arrange for your exclusive service manager immediately."

The staff member’s attitude made both Renee Reid and Jameson Stone’s eyes go wide.

’Mr.... Sterling?’

’An exclusive service manager?’

"Ethan, what’s going on? Are you a high-level member here?" Jameson Stone asked.

Renee Reid also blinked her large, questioning eyes.

Ethan Sterling gave a mysterious smile and finally stopped keeping them in suspense. "This place belongs to my sister. She just gave me a card with no credit limit. So don’t feel any pressure. Let’s just have fun today, however you want. It’s my first time here, too."

"Your sister’s?" Renee Reid exclaimed. A while ago, when Ethan’s second-oldest sister’s new show aired, he had invited her and Jameson Stone over to his house to watch it with his family. That was the only time she had ever met Ethan’s two sisters.

Before that, she had only heard Jameson Stone talk about Ethan’s sister, describing her as a goddess more beautiful than any celebrity. He said she wasn’t just stunning but also had an incredible aura, and that even the local big shots had to show her respect.

In short, he made Ethan’s sister sound like a deity.

’I never thought Ethan’s sister was this powerful!’

Ethan Sterling nodded. "Actually, I’ve wanted to bring you guys here for a while. But things were too intense preparing for the college entrance exams, so it got postponed until now."

Renee Reid and Jameson Stone exchanged a look, the shock in their hearts beyond what words could describe.

Aetherium was located in the most prosperous central district of the City of Lorcain, and it occupied such a huge area...

They knew Ethan’s family was rich, but they never imagined they were *this* rich. They couldn’t even begin to guess just how much money they had.

"Ethan, your sister is seriously amazing!" Jameson Stone exclaimed in genuine admiration.

Soon, a man in a suit walked over quickly.

"Mr. Ethan Sterling, hello. I’m Manager Langley, your exclusive service manager for today."

"Hello, Manager Langley. Just call me Ethan. No need to be so formal."

Manager Langley smiled at his words, then glanced at the trio. "Just the three of you today?"

"That’s right. All three of us got into Lorcain U, so we’re here to celebrate!"