He Wouldn't Claim Me — Another Man Did-Chapter 70 - 63: Celebration

The last time they spent the night together, Shane Sterling had discovered that Isla Prescott was a light sleeper. If he so much as turned over in bed, she would wake up.

And when he slept next to her, a desire stirring within him kept his own sleep shallow, forcing him to toss and turn constantly.

With the two of them in the same bed, they had somehow reached a stalemate: neither was going to get a good night’s sleep.

That was why, on this trip, he hadn’t planned on staying in the same room as her from the start.

They were in the middle of picking a hotel when Isla Prescott’s phone rang.

It was a call from Annabelle Leighton.

Annabelle had just gotten back to her hotel when she received a call from her family. The hospital had issued another critical condition notice for her grandmother, and her family was worried she wouldn’t make it through the night. They urged Annabelle to come home immediately, hoping she could be there for her grandmother’s final moments.

"Isla, I’m so sorry, but I have to drop out of the finals!"

Annabelle had been raised by her grandmother, who meant more to her than anything in the world.

If she actually missed seeing her grandmother one last time for the sake of the competition, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

"You silly girl, what are you apologizing for? Family is always the most important thing. But will you be able to book a flight back on such short notice?"

"Yes, my family has already arranged everything for me. The driver is waiting downstairs, so I’m heading straight to the airport. I’ll see you back in Meritopia."

"Okay, travel safe. See you in Meritopia."

Annabelle checked out of her room, and Shane Sterling conveniently snatched it up.

After checking in, they each went back to their own rooms to freshen up.

Isla Prescott hadn’t felt much pressure about the Taoli Cup finals, but now that Annabelle Leighton had suddenly withdrawn, she inexplicably began to feel nervous.

After all, she was now the studio’s sole representative.

Isla was tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep, when her phone vibrated on the nightstand.

She fumbled for it and saw a message from Shane Sterling: "Asleep yet?"

"Not yet."

"Open the door."

Isla got out of bed and opened the door. Shane Sterling was standing outside.

He had just showered. His hair was still damp, and his eyes were misty, exuding a lazy yet gentle sex appeal.

"What is it?" Isla asked.

"I realized I haven’t wished you good luck in person yet."

Isla wrinkled her nose. "Don’t be so formal about it. You’re making me nervous."

"Oh, you prefer it when I’m not so proper? You should have said so sooner."

Shane Sterling gripped her by the waist and pulled her to him. Tilting his head, he gently suckled her earlobe. Isla was ticklish and tried to pull away, but he hooked her chin with his fingers. A dense flurry of tiny kisses trailed from her ear, across her cheek, and finally landed on her lips.

The door was still open, and Isla, worried someone might pass by and see them, gave Shane Sterling a light push.

"Don’t..."

The instant her lips parted, he swept inside, tangling his tongue with hers.

As their breaths intertwined, the air around them grew heavy and charged with intimacy.

By the time Isla’s legs felt weak, Shane Sterling finally released her.

"Good luck," he murmured in her ear.

Isla clutched the front of his shirt to keep from collapsing. "Young Mr. Shaw certainly has a unique way of wishing someone good luck."

"You asked for it," he said, his lips brushing against her neck. "Was that improper enough for you? If you’re not satisfied, I can always try a few other things."

Isla covered his lips with her palm. "I have the competition tomorrow."

"Mm." He stopped teasing her and stroked the crown of her head. "Then get some rest. Good night."

"Good night."

Isla’s piece for the finals was a solo dance titled *Intoxicated Grace*. The anxiety from the night before had acclimated her nervous system to the pressure. When the moment to perform finally arrived, that tension and stress transformed into the very force that propelled her into her optimal performance state.

She didn’t know how the judges would rule, but Isla was very satisfied with her performance.

With a light spring in her step, she walked out of the finals venue. Down the hotel corridor, Shane Sterling was waiting for her with a bouquet of flowers.

People were bustling to and fro. Many of the finalists with later performance times were waiting in the corridor with their families. He was already strikingly handsome, and the bouquet in his arms made him stand out even more.

When he saw her emerge, he walked straight over and handed her the flowers.

Isla felt a little embarrassed. The final results wouldn’t be announced for another three business days, yet Shane Sterling’s grand gesture made it seem as if she’d already won.

"How do you feel?" Shane Sterling asked.

"Pretty good."

"You were so nervous last night, but you’re full of confidence today. It seems like it really did go well."

"Well, it’s all thanks to Young Mr. Shaw’s special brand of encouragement."

"If you put it that way, this trip was more than worth it," he said, glancing at his watch.

Isla realized that even though he was here waiting for her, he wasn’t exactly at leisure.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes, I have to fly to Esperia right away."

Shane Sterling’s work abroad was far from over. He had really only come back just to cheer her on.

"You’ll be alright going back to Meritopia on your own?" Shane Sterling asked.

"Of course."

"Okay, then I have to get to the airport now."

"Okay."

And just like that, Shane Sterling was gone. His arrival and departure had both been completely unexpected.

Isla felt a slight pang of disappointment, but the thought that he had traveled all this way just to wish her luck moved her deeply.

That same evening, Isla checked out and returned to Meritopia.

After arriving in Meritopia, she called Annabelle Leighton to ask about her grandmother’s condition.

"She’s pulled through this time," Annabelle said, her voice weary. "But Isla, I’m scared. I feel like all these critical condition notices are her way of trying to prepare me for the worst."

"Don’t overthink it. Just cherish the time you have now. I’ve got things covered at the studio, so you just focus on spending time with your grandmother."

"Okay. Thanks for holding down the fort. By the way, how did the finals go?"

"I have a good feeling about it."

"That’s great! I’ll be waiting for the results."

Isla rarely had such a strong, positive feeling about something, and this time, reality lived up to her expectations. Three days later, the Taoli Cup officials announced the results: Isla Prescott’s *Intoxicated Grace* had won the gold medal.

The moment she received the news, she felt a profound sense of fulfillment, as if a long-held wish had finally come true.

The first thing Isla did was share the good news with Shane Sterling and Annabelle Leighton.

Annabelle replied almost instantly: "Isla, I’m so incredibly proud of you! The studio is so blessed to have you."

Isla: "The studio is blessed to have you, too."

Annabelle: "I love you so much."

Isla replied with a "Love you" sticker.

...

The two of them went back and forth with sentimental messages for a while, even planning out their next steps for studio promotions and student recruitment. Still, there was no word from Shane Sterling.

During the long wait, Isla’s excitement gradually subsided.

She suddenly realized, ’If I can’t share my success with Shane Sterling, the joy feels empty.’

’Shane Sterling... he’s becoming more and more important to me.’

That evening, after half a day of silence, Shane Sterling finally sent a message.

He had sent her a red packet with a huge sum of money.

"Congratulations. My message might be late, but my red packet is never absent."

"Thank you, but there’s no need for the red packet."

"Accept it. I’ll feel guilty otherwise."

"Guilty about what?"

"For not instantly replying to my girlfriend’s good news."

Isla smiled at the message, and another one from Shane Sterling came in immediately.

"I’m coming back tomorrow. I’ll take you out to celebrate."