Chapter 671 - 667: Exchanging Gifts

"As for you... you’re not getting one this year!" Cecilia Sterling said, looking at her brother.

But Ethan Sterling didn’t believe her for a second. "Don’t try to fool me, Sis. I know you got me something."

In his mind, his sister would never play favorites. Even though he didn’t lack for anything, he was sure she would still have a New Year’s gift for him.

Cecilia couldn’t help but laugh. She had planned on teasing her brother, but it was clear he knew her too well.

She took an envelope from her bag and said with a mysterious air, "You have a car, you have a computer, and it’s too early to buy a house. You don’t really need anything, but I figured you’d definitely like this."

She handed the envelope to her brother, who eagerly tore it open.

He took out the contents, and his eyes immediately went wide. "Is... is this a ticket to the League of Gods Global Finals?"

When he made out the gold-foiled lettering on it, he cried out, "VIP front row!"

"Mhm." Cecilia Sterling raised an eyebrow, looking pleased with herself.

These tickets were notoriously difficult to get—practically impossible, in fact. They were even harder to acquire than a sold-out Hermes bag. It had taken even her a great deal of effort to secure just two.

Ethan threw his arms around his sister in excitement. "Sis, you’re incredible! These tickets sold out the second they were released. I saw tons of people online offering insane prices and still coming up empty! I can’t believe you got me two VIP tickets!"

"I only managed to get two, so you can decide who you want to invite. And I promise, I’ll also cover your round-trip first-class flights and hotel expenses. You can take advantage of the winter break to invite a friend and go on a trip to Occidenta."

Cecilia’s reasoning for this gift had been simple. First, she wanted to give him something he’d genuinely love. Second, since her brother didn’t need anything, he might as well just have some fun!

"Thank you, Sis. I absolutely love this gift," Ethan said, clutching the tickets like they were a precious treasure.

Cecilia smiled at her younger siblings and clapped her hands. "Alright, that’s all the gifts. Let’s head downstairs!"

"Huh? What about Lily?" Ethan subconsciously glanced at Lily Sterling. His sister had given everyone a gift in person, but Lily was the only one who hadn’t received anything.

Sarah Harris and Ronald also glanced at Lily, but they remained silent, assuming Cecilia couldn’t have forgotten her.

Sure enough, Lily spoke up to explain, "Sis already gave me my gift yesterday. I’ve already put it away."

"What is it?" Sarah Harris asked curiously.

Lily Sterling pursed her lips and shook her head. "It’s a secret. I’m not telling."

"Oh, come on, Lily, just tell us! You saw what we got," Sarah Harris wheedled, then turned to Cecilia. "Sis, what did you give Lily?"

Cecilia simply said, "Just a set of jewelry."

That "just" was profoundly understated. The jewelry Cecilia had given her wasn’t an ordinary set; it was the very earrings, ring, and bracelet Lily had worn on the red carpet.

The full set also included a priceless necklace that Cecilia kept for herself. But even without it, the value of those pieces was several times greater than all the other gifts combined.

The gift also held special significance for Lily, and she absolutely adored it.

"Sis, we actually got you a gift, too!" Ethan suddenly announced.

Cecilia was taken aback for a moment, then smiled at her siblings. "I get one too?"

Sarah Harris nodded shyly. "We wanted to get you something individually, but... well, besides Lily, none of us could really afford a proper gift. So we decided to pool our money and get you one thing together."

"I’ll go get it!" Lily said, turning and running to her room.

They were being so mysterious about it that Cecilia started to feel a sense of anticipation.

A moment later, Lily returned, holding out an exquisite box. "Sis, we know you don’t really need anything, but this gift is from all of us. We hope you like it."

Cecilia took the box and slowly lifted the lid, revealing a pair of beautiful, red-soled high heels inside.

"Sis, I secretly took a peek at your shoe collection. You don’t have any red-soled heels."

Cecilia was pleasantly surprised. Her siblings had clearly put a lot of thought into this gift.

The shoes were Christian Louboutins. It’s one of the most expensive high-heel brands in the world, and its founder once offered a famous fashion maxim: "Every woman should have at least one pair of red-soled high heels in her lifetime."

Her siblings all watched her with anticipation. Cecilia ran her hand over the rich texture of the shoe, then nodded gently. "They’re beautiful. I love them."

Hearing her say that, they all broke into smiles. As long as she liked the gift, their research hadn’t been for nothing, and the money was well spent!

’Cecilia was truly happy. To be able to give and receive in turn—that was the greatest happiness in the world.’

New Year’s Eve dinner was booked at Aetherium. When the time came in the afternoon, the whole boisterous family headed out.

Unlike other establishments that closed for the holiday, Aetherium was packed to the gills. A steady stream of luxury cars pulled up to the entrance. All several floors of the restaurant had been converted for New Year’s Eve banquets, and every table had been booked solid for two months.

One thing Lorcain never had a shortage of was wealthy people.

It wasn’t their first visit, but stepping inside again, Yvonne Sterling’s family was still stunned by the opulence. The thought that all of this belonged to Cecilia made it feel even more like a dream.

From the moment they walked in, people kept spotting Cecilia and coming over to greet her.

"Miss Sterling, long time no see!"

"Miss Sterling, Happy New Year."

"Miss Sterling..."

Cecilia handled these situations with practiced ease. For anyone whose name she remembered, she would have the manager send over a bottle of wine on her behalf. Maintaining decorum was essential in high society, and she never knew when she might need to call on these connections. It was always best to keep relationships well-maintained.

Her family, however, had rarely witnessed Cecilia’s influence and connections so directly. They watched as these business owners, all of them much older than her, approached one after another to greet her with utmost respect. It was a clear demonstration of just how formidable Cecilia had become.

The private room reserved for them was the best in the restaurant, featuring 180-degree, floor-to-ceiling windows with a panoramic view of the city. The wintery landscape of Lorcain stretched out below, a breathtaking expanse of silvery white. An excited Sarah Harris pulled Cecilia and Lily over to the window for photos.

A waiter asked with a polite and deferential air, "Miss Sterling, shall we begin service?"

Cecilia nodded.

Soon, the door to the room opened, and a line of servers filed in with the first courses. Eight cold appetizers were served, followed by twelve hot dishes, a soup, and a dessert—twenty-two courses in total.

Each dish was exquisite and beautifully presented, its aroma tantalizing. Yvonne Sterling sighed in admiration. "You really have to know how to enjoy life. Who would’ve thought you could book a New Year’s Eve banquet at a restaurant like this?"