After His Sweetheart Moved In, He Came Home Every Night-Chapter 79: He Said, She Is Not a Caged Bird

Nathan Sterling instantly fell silent, standing rooted to the spot for a long while.

Alice York had hit him right where it hurt!

She walked over to Nathan Sterling. "You know Third Uncle’s temper best. Go on, grab a megaphone and shout it. See if he doesn’t deal with you."

Nathan Sterling glared at Alice York. "You’re threatening me."

Alice York feigned innocence. "I’m not threatening you. I’m just telling you the truth. If you think you can take a beating, then go ahead. I don’t care. My life is worthless, anyway."

The anger on Nathan Sterling’s face vanished, replaced by confusion. "Why would you say your life is worthless?"

"I don’t have a father, and my mother doesn’t love me. I get sent away on a whim, with no rights of my own. My life is arranged like a factory assembly line. Isn’t that the definition of a worthless life?"

When she spoke of herself, Alice York sounded so detached, as if she were discussing something trivial that had nothing to do with her.

But this was her life.

Nathan Sterling stared at Alice York in silence for a moment before saying, "Well, you brought that on yourself. Who asked you to come to the Sterlings with your mother in the first place?"

Alice York was perfectly calm. "Do you think I wanted to come here?"

’She wished she had never set foot in the Sterlings’ home. How wonderful it would have been to live with her grandparents and enjoy a life of freedom, instead of living under so many restrictions with the Sterlings, like a puppet.’

’Speaking of her grandparents... she hadn’t been back to see them in a long time. She wondered if they were doing okay...’

Before she knew it, tears had welled up in her eyes. Fearing Nathan Sterling would see and mock her, she quickly raised a hand to wipe them away.

"I saw that." Nathan Sterling’s eyes were sharp; he had seen her wipe away the tear perfectly clearly. "You just said no one cares about you, so what are you crying for? No one’s going to feel sorry for you." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

’Another jab, and another.’ The words pierced her heart, but thankfully, she was so numb by now that she barely felt it.

She turned to leave.

After she had taken a few steps, Nathan Sterling’s voice came from behind. "I admit I’m a coward, but this isn’t over. Sooner or later, I’ll find the chance to tell everyone, to tell my mother. If you don’t want to be ruined, you’d better stay far away from Third Uncle. I know how terrifying he is, but you know that too, don’t you...?"

Alice York didn’t turn back or respond, simply walking farther and farther away. She thought she faintly heard Nathan Sterling add something else in a very low voice.

"A worthless life is still a life."

「The next morning.」

Alice York received a reply from Director Linden telling her to return to work at the hospital as usual.

She quickly changed and went to tell Mindy Vaughn.

Mindy Vaughn was badly bloated that morning. A maid had made her an iced Americano, and she took a sip before saying, "You just got back. Can’t you rest for another couple of days? You work yourself to death all month for that tiny salary. It’s not even enough to buy me a single handbag."

Alice York applied a light-colored lip gloss and screwed the cap back on. "How about I buy you a Chanel bag next month, then?"

Mindy Vaughn leaned against the counter. "I appreciate the sentiment, but you should keep that small salary of yours. Come back here tonight."

’Alice didn’t want to upset Mindy Vaughn so early in the morning, so she agreed for now. She’d find an excuse later to say she couldn’t make it back.’

As she walked out the main gate, she happened to run into Mason Cheney.

He was just about to get into a car, but he smiled and greeted her the moment he saw her. "Miss Alice."

Alice York nodded.

Mason Cheney said, "I’m here to pick up the Third Master. He has an inspection in South Bay at nine o’clock."

’I didn’t ask,’ Alice thought, but since Mason Cheney had said it, she felt obligated to offer a polite reply. "Nine o’clock is still a while away. I have to rush to the hospital for eight, so I’m on a tight schedule. I’ll get going."

"In a hurry, Miss Alice?" Mason Cheney asked with a look of concern. "Wait a moment, let me ask the Third Master."

With that, Mason Cheney leaned down to speak to the man in the car. A few seconds later, he straightened up and said to Alice, "The Third Master says he can give you a ride."

"..."

The color drained from Alice York’s face.

’This is the gate of the Sterling estate,’ she thought. ’So many people are watching.’

She was about to say she had already called for a car, but Mason Cheney had already opened the car door with lightning speed, gesturing for her to get in. "Please, Miss York. Aren’t you in a hurry? You don’t want to be late."

"..."

’She really regretted coming out so early. If she had just been a few moments later, she wouldn’t have run into Wyatt Sterling.’

’But the more she hesitated, the more suspicious it would look.’

’Acting natural was the only way to avoid suspicion.’

Gritting her teeth, she ducked into the car. She saw the man sitting on the far side and quickly looked away, completely ignoring him.

The car pulled away slowly, and Alice York turned her head to look out the window on her side.

The weather, which had been gloomy for days, was beginning to clear. It was quiet inside the car; the atmosphere wasn’t exactly oppressive, but it wasn’t relaxed either. Ever since she got in, she had been like an invisible person, and Wyatt Sterling also acted as though she didn’t exist. He didn’t say a single word to her for the entire ride. It was a surprisingly harmonious silence.

When they arrived outside the hospital, Alice York was about to get out when the man, who had been silent for the whole trip, suddenly spoke. "Go to Shorecrest after work."

Alice York turned to look at him.

’It was only now that she noticed how formally Wyatt Sterling was dressed: a white satin shirt and a pinstripe suit. As usual, he wasn’t wearing a tie.’

’She remembered Mindy Vaughn telling her to come back to the main house tonight. As much as she didn’t want to do that, she’d much rather go there than to Shorecrest.’

Just as she was about to refuse, Wyatt Sterling took out a tie and tossed it to her. "The occasion calls for it. Tie this for me."

’There were plenty of other people who could tie it for him. Why was he asking her?’

Alice looked like she was about to throw it right back at him, but she lost her nerve after meeting Wyatt Sterling’s gaze.

Clutching the tie, she scooted closer. She took a moment to recall the steps, then draped the long end around the back of his neck.

As she leaned in, her face was tense, her eyes deliberately avoiding his. She focused on getting the task done as quickly as possible, but the man’s gaze was so intense that her hands began to tremble as she worked.

Wyatt Sterling raised a hand and placed it over her trembling ones. "You’re this nervous just from tying a tie."

"I’m not nervous," she said bluntly. "I just don’t want to do this for you."

Wyatt Sterling’s eyes darkened. "Are you sulking?"

"I wouldn’t dare be angry with Third Uncle," she said, her tone deceptively light.

Wyatt Sterling: "Then do you not want to get out of the car?"

"..."

She finished quickly. It was a perfect Windsor knot, and the deep blue color of the tie complemented his suit.

Just as she was about to pull away, Wyatt Sterling wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him, enveloping her in his scent.

"I’ve tied it," she said softly, not daring to move.

Wyatt Sterling stared at her for a moment. "Go to Shorecrest tonight."

Alice York didn’t answer.

Wyatt Sterling: "Did you not understand, or did you not hear me?"

Alice didn’t want to anger him, but she also knew the consequences of lying to him. After a long hesitation, she finally relented. "Understood."

The hand on her waist released her. Free, she immediately got out of the car without a backward glance.

Wyatt Sterling closed his eyes. "Ungrateful girl."

Just then, Mason Cheney turned around. "Third Master, the three top surgeons the hospital spent a fortune hiring from abroad have officially started work. Director Linden has scheduled a welcome dinner for them tonight. Since Miss Alice returned to work today, she would normally be expected to attend."

Wyatt Sterling opened his eyes, his expression unreadable.

Mason Cheney quickly added, "I’ll speak with Director Linden at once and tell him not to..."

Wyatt Sterling cut him off. "She’s not a bird in a cage. It’s a normal work function. Let her go."