After His Sweetheart Moved In, He Came Home Every Night-Chapter 98: A Huge Jar of Vinegar Overturned

To be honest, Alice York’s first reaction was that Nathan Sterling was just playing another one of his tricks on her.

She was annoyed, but kept her tone even. "Nathan Sterling, I don’t have time for your games."

The line went quiet for a few seconds before a more frantic and agitated voice burst through. "I’m not playing games! And I’m not lying! Something really happened to Mom!"

"Nathan, that’s enough."

You couldn’t blame Alice for not believing him.

After so many years with the Sterlings, Mindy Vaughn had learned to be tactful. She knew exactly how to please Old Master Sterling and conduct herself cautiously. In over a decade, she had never once incurred his wrath.

So for Nathan to now claim that Old Master Sterling had struck Mindy was something Alice truly couldn’t believe.

"Why don’t you believe me? Don’t you care about Mom anymore? They’re going to lock her in the ancestral hall..."

Nathan’s agitated voice on the other end was thick with unshed tears, as if he was on the verge of crying.

Alice lowered her voice. "Nathan, is this one of your pranks, or is this real?"

"Sister, they really took Mom away! I’m not lying to you, WAAAH..."

"..."

Alice froze.

’This might be the first time Nathan has ever called me ’sister’ so sincerely.’

He always just shouted her name, treating her like an outsider and wishing she would never return to the Sterlings. Getting him to call her ’sister’ was like pulling teeth.

But this time, he had actually called her sister.

Alice collected herself. "Okay, tell me slowly. What exactly happened? How did Mom make Grandfather so angry?"

"I don’t know! No one would tell me. I just saw Grandfather slap Mom, and then they dragged her to the ancestral hall. The whole place was filled with yelling, and Mom just kept crying and crying... She was crying so hard..."

The more he spoke, the more Nathan’s composure crumbled. It was as if he’d been holding it all in, and only after letting it out could he finally break down and sob.

He must have felt so helpless, terrified by the scene with no one there to comfort him.

A pang of sympathy went through Alice. "I’m coming home right now. But don’t you go wandering off before I get there, okay?"

Alice did her best to soothe Nathan’s emotions. He’d had an episode before and couldn’t handle this kind of stress.

Nathan’s choked sobs came through the phone. "Okay... I know... WAAAH... Please come back quickly, okay? I’m really not lying, WAAAH..."

"Okay. As fast as I can."

After hanging up, Alice’s expression darkened, and her knuckles turned white as she gripped her phone.

Zoe, who was next to her, asked, "I thought I heard that little brat crying on the phone and saying something about ’Mom.’ Did something happen to your mother?"

"Yes. Old Master Sterling hit her and had her dragged to the ancestral hall. I’m afraid this is going to be a huge ordeal."

"What?" Zoe’s eyes went wide with surprise. "That serious? What did she do, break some kind of divine law?"

Alice turned to look at Zoe. "It might be just as serious as breaking a divine law."

"What?!"

Zoe was stunned for a second time.

Alice wasn’t exaggerating. The Sterlings’ family rules were notoriously strict. If this was about what she suspected, then the severity was indeed on par with breaking a divine law.

"What on earth did she do?" Zoe was both shocked and curious.

Alice lowered her gaze. "I don’t know how to tell you. It’s... embarrassing to talk about. She is... my mother, after all."

If Alice hadn’t recently stumbled upon Mindy Vaughn’s affair with Dr. Vance—a way to curb her loneliness—she would have always believed her mother to be a very proper woman.

Old Master Sterling’s sudden, drastic reaction was clearly related to this scandal.

Zoe seemed to guess what it was about and didn’t press further. Instead, she offered, "Let me give you a ride."

「Half an hour later.」

Alice arrived back at the old Sterling family residence in Zoe’s car.

As she was getting out, Zoe quickly stopped her, her face etched with worry. "With the trouble your mom’s caused, do you think Old Master Sterling will take his anger out on you?"

Alice pursed her lips. "I’m not sure."

’Knowing Old Master Sterling’s temper, the chances are actually pretty high. However, Nathan was the one who called. No one from Old Master Sterling’s side had contacted me to come back. He was probably so enraged that he’d forgotten all about an outsider like me. By coming back on my own, I’m walking right into the line of fire. I’ll likely get caught in the crossfire and be reprimanded.’

Zoe was indignant on Alice’s behalf. "You’ve been with the Sterlings for over a decade. You never get any of the good, but you’re always dragged into the bad."

"Don’t worry too much. I can handle it. The worst that can happen is a good scolding." Alice’s mindset wasn’t entirely negative. "Nathan is terrified and unstable right now. I’m going in."

"Okay. Be careful."

...

Once inside the old residence, Alice headed straight for Mindy Vaughn’s living quarters.

She ran the whole way, and servants scattered to get out of her path. Just as she passed through the corridor and the East Pavilion came into view, Mason Cheney seemed to appear out of nowhere, blocking her way.

"Miss Alice."

Fortunately, Alice stopped just in time to avoid crashing into him. "Assistant Cheney, is something wrong?"

Mason Cheney gave her a slight nod. "Miss Alice, the Third Master wishes to see you."

Alice was too worried about Nathan to deal with Wyatt Sterling right now. "Assistant Cheney, could you please tell Third Uncle that my little brother is all alone and terrified? I need to go be with him. Can I see him later? A little later?"

Mason Cheney replied, "The Young Master is with the Third Master."

"..."

’Nathan is terrified of Wyatt, and now he’s being forced to stay with him? I can’t even imagine how scared he must be.’

Alice frowned and followed Mason Cheney to the West Pavilion.

Nathan wasn’t inside. He was sitting alone on the steps outside, hugging his knees and staring silently into space. He didn’t react until he heard Alice call his name, and then he looked up.

When their eyes met, Alice could clearly see the surprise in Nathan’s—the kind of relief and delight that comes from seeing someone you’ve been desperately waiting for.

He jumped up from the steps and ran over, but his tone was petulant. "What took you so long?"

Alice’s eyes scanned over Nathan. "Did anyone bully you?"

Nathan froze for a second. His first instinct was to complain about how long she took, but her first words to him were asking if he’d been bullied.

"How could I get bullied? I’m the one who bullies other people," Nathan said stubbornly, trying to save face even now.

Alice replied, "Then who was that crying on the phone earlier?"

"..."

Just as Nathan was about to retort, he saw Wyatt Sterling walk out of the house and immediately ducked behind Alice.

Now certain that Nathan had calmed down, Alice felt a sense of relief. Knowing he was afraid of Wyatt, she let him continue to hide behind her.

"Third Uncle," she said politely.

Wyatt stood on the steps, his gaze sweeping over Alice for a moment before landing on Nathan, who was cowering behind her. A flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes. "Nathan Sterling, how old are you?"

The question seemed to come out of nowhere, but Nathan still answered obediently, "Eight."

Wyatt said coldly, "You’re eight years old. Have you no sense of propriety? Get your hands off your sister!"