The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled-Chapter 44: The Spectator

To Ethan Caldwell, Aaron Sterling was somewhat repulsive. He could not quite pinpoint why, but merely looking at Aaron provoked a sense of unease. Perhaps years spent navigating the cutthroat business world had sharpened his ability to detect the artifice within Aaron’s gaze. Yet, Ethan found himself harboring a lingering doubt: Richard Sterling had been a businessman for decades. How could he possibly fail to see through the boy’s affectations?

"Enough!" Richard Sterling slammed his hand against the table and rose to his feet.

Seated beside him, Edward chimed in: "I told you, Dad. How could someone raised in such a wretched environment possibly understand etiquette or intellect? Do you think just because you married into the Caldwell family, you can do whatever you please?"

Julian Sterling found the situation laughable.

"Regardless of how I turned out, the blood flowing through my veins is the same as yours. In insulting me, aren’t you merely insulting yourself?" Julian stood up. He glanced at his parents, then at Edward, and finally cast his gaze upon Aaron: "A wild duck occupying a swan’s nest, surrounded by a crowd of hypocrites feigning virtue."

Having said his piece, Julian looked back at Richard, who was gasping with suppressed rage. Julian curled his lips into a smile, his voice softening significantly: "Didn’t you used to say I was a coward? Now that I have developed such a backbone, are you pleased?"

Without waiting for a response, Julian added: "As long as I don’t provoke you, you all should behave yourselves and stay out of my way. Otherwise... tell me, Father, if news broke that the head of the Sterling Group favors an adopted son, forced his biological son into marriage, and oppressed a minor, do you think you would still secure that government partnership?"

He finished speaking and dragged Ethan toward the door. Just as they were about to leave, Julian glanced back only to see the group flocking together to console a sobbing Aaron. He let out a scoff of laughter and walked out.

On the drive back home, the atmosphere inside the car was heavy with silence.

Julian leaned wearily against the window, gazing blankly at the passing scenery for a long time. Seeing this, Ethan reached over, took Julian’s hand, and rubbed it gently. "Don’t waste your energy being angry with them."

Julian glanced at him and offered a faint smile: "I’m not angry. I just feel like a spectator watching a play, feeling indignant on behalf of the weak character in the script."

To be honest, he wasn’t angry. After all, everyone had their own thoughts and ideologies. To him, the Sterling family’s affairs were mundane. What did it matter if he was their biological son? In wealthy families, true kinship did not exist; that was a bloody lesson he had learned throughout his entire previous life.

Earlier at the Sterling house, he hadn’t been truly furious either. He simply knew he couldn’t remain silent and let them walk all over him. Thus, Julian had let go, allowing the suppressed emotions of the original Julian to surface, venting the anger on his behalf.

Julian leaned back in his seat, looking at Ethan beside him: "You were quite well-behaved back there, weren’t you? Letting me do all the talking."

"If you can handle them, that’s good; I only need to support you. If you can’t handle it, I will be your rock."

Julian smiled at that.

After the chaos and watching the drama unfold, it was nearly ten o’clock at night by the time they arrived home. Having showered in the afternoon and feeling rather exhausted, Julian immediately turned on the air conditioner upon entering, crawled under the duvet, and curled up into a ball.

Ethan walked in and patted his buttocks: "Go take a shower."

Julian pouted, squirming for a moment before reaching his hands out toward him: "Carry me." Then, as if remembering something, he hurriedly added: "I’m tired. No sex."

Ethan smiled dotingly, pulled back the duvet, cupped Julian’s buttocks, and lifted his entire body up: "Lazy brat."

Despite his words, he carried him into the bathroom. The boy looked exhausted; he wrapped his arms around Ethan, burying his face in the crook of Ethan’s neck, eyes half-closed. His long, curled lashes cast shadows on Julian’s fair skin, making Ethan itch with desire just looking at him.

Ethan placed Julian on the vanity counter and lowered his head to kiss him.

Lips brushed against lips, sending a tingling sensation straight to the brain. Ethan saw the little one before him reluctantly open his eyes and cast a resentful glare his way. Ethan laughed, gently biting Julian’s lip and caressing it tenderly.

Their tongues entwined, the wet sound of kissing echoing in the bathroom as the atmosphere heated up.

"Mmh..." Julian was kissed until he was dizzy. He pushed lightly against Ethan’s shoulders, but his strength was as soft as cotton, seemingly more of an invitation than a rejection.

Unable to restrain himself, Ethan reachedinside Julian’s clothes, gently stroking his slender waist, while his lips refused to release Julian’s lovely mouth.

They messed around in the bathroom for a long while. When they finally separated, Julian could only lean back against the cold mirror behind him, gasping for breath. Their clothes were in disarray. Julian, in particular, had his shirt completely unbuttoned, hanging precariously off his arms, and his trousers pulled down to reveal the small briefs underneath. His chest was heaving, flushed red, and trembling in the air.

In comparison, Ethan looked more decent, though his white shirt was untucked, the top two buttons undone, and his neat hair messed up. The most impossible thing to ignore was the tent in his trousers, bulging with a size that could not be underestimated.

Seeing this, Julian huffed twice. He lifted his bare foot and stepped onto that spot, rubbing it gently. Ethan’s breathing grew heavier. Julian giggled, looking at him again: "I’m tired, I don’t want to do it."

"You don’t want to do it, yet you still tease me, hmm?" Ethan picked him up, swatted his butt once, and proceeded to undress Julian.

"What are you doing?" Julian hurriedly grabbed his trousers.

"Didn’t you say you were too lazy to shower? I’ll bathe you."

Julian glanced over, saw the bathtub already filled with water, and curled his lips in a smile. He allowed Ethan to strip him bare and carry him into the tub. He really was very tired!