Chapter 175 Everyone Must Recognize My Mrs. Sterling

Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Everyone Must Recognize My Mrs. Sterling

Julian Sterling’s voice was unhurried, yet exceptionally clear. The room erupted like a basin of water splashed into a vat of boiling oil—instantaneous, explosive, and entirely out of control. In the blink of an eye, the situation became incredibly difficult to salvage.

Many people whipped their heads over to look, their expressions filled with sheer astonishment. Countless gazes shifted back and forth between Sophie Winslow and Stella Sutton.

Peter Preston frowned deeply as well. He had never expected Julian to suddenly drop such a bombshell.

Stella’s previously aggrieved expression—acting as if she had been "slandered"—suddenly stiffened. Her face uncontrollably drained of color. Even Sophie felt her chest tighten heavily. She looked up in bewilderment, completely forgetting to struggle or pull away from the arm he had clamped around her.

"You..." she murmured.

Julian slowly lowered his gaze. His beautiful, dark eyes betrayed no obvious emotion. Even when facing a situation explosive enough to feed countless media outlets, he remained steady and unfazed.

"Sophie and I have been married for years. Everyone, please properly recognize my Mrs. Sterling." He used an affirming tone once more, cementing the truth for anyone who had doubted his previous statement.

Sophie felt shocked stares hitting her from all directions as the whispered discussions suddenly grew chaotic.

Mrs. Sterling also cast a surprised glance at Julian. She had considered many solutions, but she had never expected him to be so decisive. This way, he quietly severed any connection between Stella and the Sterling Family, stabilizing Sterling Group’s public image at the fastest possible speed.

Lucas Langley was standing close by, clearly watching his entire understanding of the situation collapse in an instant. The hand holding his wine glass lost its strength, and the liquid instantly spilled out. His gaze landed on Sophie’s face in sheer disbelief. "Sophie, your husband is actually..."

In that moment, he suddenly recalled all the times in the past when he had taken the moral high ground to condemn Sophie, the repeated humiliations, and even... asking Julian for advice on how to win her over. Lucas’s expression shifted, growing uglier by the second.

Sophie was also thoroughly confused by the current situation. The two of them were already divorced; they were supposed to end their relationship quietly. But now, they were being exposed to the public in such a manner!

Her eyes flared as she lowered her voice. "Julian, what is the meaning of this? I don’t..."

Julian wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He leaned his tall frame down and whispered near her ear. "Sienna Winslow, you couldn’t have forgotten the terms of our agreement. Our true situation must be kept a secret from the Sterling Family, with the exception of Madam Sterling. You are also required to uphold the Sterling Group’s image whenever the company needs you to."

The words caught in Sophie’s throat. She remembered. And it was exactly because she remembered that she felt so infuriated. She didn’t want anything to do with Julian anymore, yet here they were. For the past seven years, she had longed for an official title and public acknowledgment, but her hopes had never been met with a response. Now that she no longer cared for it, it was being forcefully shoved into her arms. This wasn’t a reward; it was a burden!

"Oh my God, Mr. Sterling is actually married? We must be blind. It turns out Miss Sutton is just Mr. Sterling’s subordinate." Someone finally snapped back to reality and hurriedly spoke, as if trying to smooth things over.

There were quite a few fierce businesswomen present in the crowd. They immediately shot mocking glances at the pale-faced Stella, saying half-jokingly, "Well, that’s only because some people don’t respect boundaries and fail to keep their distance from married men. If you didn’t know better, you’d wonder what they were plotting."

Those words practically laid the accusation of "homewrecker" right out in the open. Some even burst into laughter upon understanding the underlying meaning. A tacit understanding spread among the crowd.

"Mrs. Sterling is right here. Miss Sutton, you’ll need to be more mindful of your boundaries from now on."

Stella’s lips trembled again at the repeated mentions of "Mrs. Sterling" and "married men." Her fists clenched tightly. Her entire body ran cold, and she had almost no idea how to react, especially while watching Julian and Sophie stand side by side.

How could she not know? Sophie was deliberately messing with her today! Did Sophie feel proud hearing everyone flatter her as Mrs. Sterling? She was nothing but a decorative vase who wasn’t even allowed to have a child!

"Isn’t that the truth? Look at Mr. and Mrs. Sterling—they’re clearly wearing matching brooches. The answer was right in front of us. We really missed the mark."

Sophie’s lips drew into a tight line, but from the corner of her eye, she glanced at Julian’s chest. It really was that brooch...

As the realization fully settled in, someone tactfully chimed in, "Since Miss Winslow is Mr. Sterling’s wife, there must be a misunderstanding about what happened today, right? Perhaps it’s a family matter?"

Everyone present was shrewd and socially adept. Although they were utterly shocked by this hidden relationship, they could also guess the motive behind revealing it now. It was to sweep the plagiarism scandal under the rug as a private family matter.

Madam Sterling stepped forward at just the right moment. "Everyone, there has indeed been a misunderstanding today. Please don’t take it to heart. We are deeply honored by your presence, and I hope this minor incident hasn’t ruined your mood." With that said, she cast a cold glance at Stella. "Miss Sutton, please step down. The other departments in the company still need to present their results."

This once again cemented her status as a mere "employee," suggesting there was absolutely no other relationship with Julian. Not even her lip gloss could hide Stella’s pallor. She nodded, trying her best to remain calm, not daring to defy Madam Sterling.

The Sterling Family handled matters with incredible speed and efficiency. The guests were quickly placated. Madam Sterling glanced at Julian and Sophie before stating, "We’ll talk in private."

Fortunately, the venue was large enough that there was always a quiet, secluded spot. Sophie knew this matter wasn’t over yet. Stella’s plagiarism and malicious trademark squatting were irrefutable facts.

Julian was even more composed. With his arm around Sophie, he turned around. Seeing Lucas, who still hadn’t recovered from the shock, he said flatly, "Mr. Langley, excuse us."

It was as if nothing had ever happened. Yet, the words acted like a hidden thorn, making Lucas’s expression turn even uglier. He stared at Sophie with tightly pursed lips, unable to utter a single syllable. Watching Julian keep his arm around Sophie, his temple twitched uncontrollably, but he had no choice but to step aside.

Julian’s lips curled into a careless smirk. "Thank you."

Sophie’s face didn’t show any obvious disgust, but after walking a few steps, she took the opportunity to push Julian away. She walked over to Peter’s side on her own. Julian didn’t mind her reaction. He gave her a mild glance, showing no signs of anger.

Stella tried her hardest to stabilize her expression so she wouldn’t look so pathetic. Instinctively, she walked toward Julian again.

But Finn Lockwood had already stepped forward. "It’s fine. Today’s incident won’t blow up too much. Just trust Julian." He was also stunned by what had happened today. It felt as if everything had been premeditated, steadily pushing toward this exact outcome without giving anyone a chance to counter it.

Stella could not accept this situation. She was supposed to be the center of attention. She was supposed to stand next to Julian and soak in all the praise. None of this was supposed to happen today. If today had concluded smoothly, marrying into the Sterling Family might have been just around the corner, but now... She glared darkly at Sophie’s retreating back, her eyes swirling with intense resentment. What a scheming bitch Sophie was! Unable to compete with her in love, career, or ability, she had resorted to such underhanded tactics to ruin her!

The trouble she was facing now wasn’t just being branded as a homewrecker. There was also the issue with the database. With Philip Preston stepping in, Hector Caldwell might get involved as well. If she were truly nailed to the pillar of shame, her entire career would be finished.

Peter turned his head and happened to catch the resentful glare Stella was aiming at Sophie. He almost laughed out of pure anger. She actually showed no remorse whatsoever?!

With reddened eyes, Stella deliberately moved closer to Julian, attempting to tug at his sleeve. Before she could even touch him, someone grabbed her wrist and roughly flung her hand away. "You cheap tramp, what kind of stunt are you trying to pull now? With so many eyes on you, you’d better behave!"

Barbara Coleman had been waiting for a chance and immediately took the opportunity to curse her out. Having held back her fury for so long, she could finally let it all out! She would love nothing more than to watch Stella crash and burn!

Stella burned with inward rage, but she tried her best to maintain a dignified posture. "Mrs. Coleman, there are a lot of people watching. Please mind your attitude."

Barbara laughed out of anger. At a critical moment like this, she still had the nerve to put on airs?! She wanted to teach her a lesson.

Peter suddenly spoke up. "Miss Sutton, your mentality is truly beyond that of ordinary people. I actually admire you quite a bit. How about I let you in on a little secret? Faye is actually on very good terms with our Sophie. Sophie saved Faye’s life once, so Faye owes her a massive favor. If you’re willing to publicly beg Sophie—and while you’re at it, publicly apologize for your wrongdoings today, including the malicious trademark squatting and... stealing someone’s husband—perhaps Sophie could put in a good word for you with Faye and save your career."

Stella’s expression changed drastically, all the color draining from her face.