The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled-Chapter 60: Hidden Depths

Julian Sterling watched Helen Lloyd’s movements, knowing full well that she had deduced the relationship between the two of them, and had even noticed the "unsteadiness" in his gait. Although he knew this was normal - after all, she was a close confidant who practically managed Ethan Caldwell’s personal schedule, so she was bound to find out eventually - Julian’s face still flushed red. He shot Ethan a glare and let out a huff.

Ethan Caldwell looked at him, offering an innocent smile. Then, he stooped slightly and scooped up his entire world into his arms, gently supporting Julian’s bottom to ensure he wasn’t uncomfortable: "She counts as half a personal assistant for my daily life anyway. It’s normal for her to know."

Having said that, he pressed a kiss to the hair at Julian’s temple, the doting affection palpable. Julian knew this too; in fact, he didn’t even think there was anything to be ashamed of. They were legally married husbands, after all!

It must be because the skin on this face was just too thin.

Julian reached out to wrap his arms around Ethan’s neck, adjusting to a comfortable position before asking: "Do you think today’s plan is feasible?"

Ethan carried him back to the room, packed both his and Julian’s laptops into a single bag, and had Julian hold it against his chest. He then draped his coat over Julian before carrying him toward the elevator. As he walked, he replied: "Not very feasible. Do you know where the problem lies?"

Since Ethan was carrying him princess-style, Julian only had to lift his thighs slightly to balance the two computers against his stomach. His arms were draped around Ethan’s neck, his head resting wearily in the crook of the man’s shoulder: "I know. Mainly, the technology can’t keep up, and the market isn’t that perfect yet."

They reached the elevator doors, and Julian reached out to press the button for the parking garage.

"The market isn’t the biggest issue, the key is the technology." Ethan said.

"I know. I’m contacting a foreign company. If they agree, the success rate will be very high." Julian bit his lip: "But the chances are slim, so I’ll need to trouble you to contact Atlas Systems."

Ethan raised an eyebrow at that.

Atlas Systems was one of the world’s leading technology engineering companies, covering both hardware and software. If one wanted to build a virtual reality game, Atlas Systems was not a bad choice, but in this specific sector, Atlas lagged slightly behind The Olympus Group.

But...

"Are you establishing a connection with The Olympus Group?" Although it was a question, Ethan’s tone was filled with certainty.

Sure enough, Julian nodded.

"Little Jules, sometimes I really suspect you. Are you truly that child raised outside for over a decade, the one who supposedly achieved nothing for the Sterling family?" Ethan looked down at him: "Do they have any idea what kind of capable person they pushed out of their house?"

Julian laughed, his tone sarcastic: "What capability? That’s called having tricks up my sleeve. If I hadn’t found them to be such eyesores, I would have obediently remained a painter for you to support."

"You don’t need to be obedient; you can be as naughty as you like. Good children don’t get candy; you have to be mischievous to get the adults’ attention."

The elevator doors opened, and Ethan carried him to his car. He placed Julian on his lap, one arm supporting Julian’s back while the other opened the car door. He pulled a small cushion to the center before settling Julian inside.

As he leaned over to fasten Julian’s seatbelt, Ethan planted a kiss on that small nose.

It was incredibly doting.

Julian beamed, his smile very sweet.

The two suddenly dropped the previous topic, displaying a perfect tacit understanding. Ethan drove out of the basement. As they left the Caldwell Empire high-rise, Julian glanced back; the massive building had only a few lights flickering in the dark.

Suddenly, Ethan asked him: "What are your plans for that plot of land? You can’t possibly just build a laboratory there."

Even combining technology with art didn’t require building an entire laboratory on such a large piece of land.

"Have you thought about turning it into a psychological therapy center?"

Ethan glanced at him. Julian continued: "As life develops, more and more people encounter psychological issues. Looking around, problems are everywhere. If we build a psychological therapy center, it will absolutely attract clients. The space on that land is quite good - quiet and unaffected by noise, yet with convenient traffic access."

"But we don’t specialize in medicine, and the Caldwell Corporation doesn’t have many personnel related to the medical field."

Julian didn’t answer his question directly but continued: "Recently, many parties have been researching and developing a type of psychotherapy combined with art, using VR technology to construct a therapeutic space, allowing patients to slowly confront their issues."

Ethan took advantage of a red light to look at him for a long moment.

"At first, I thought Aaron Sterling only wanted to encroach on the gaming market. It wasn’t until later that I realized his ambition wasn’t small. If that time... I really hadn’t been saved, perhaps his plan would have already succeeded."

"That time" referred to when he committed suicide. According to the original plot, "Julian Sterling" had indeed died then, and Aaron had ascended in one step. Unfortunately for Aaron, Julian was here now, making it difficult for him to develop.

Initially, Julian couldn’t understand why Aaron still wanted to push "him" to his death when "Julian" was already so useless. If "Julian" were alive and married to Ethan, it would still benefit Aaron.

It wasn’t until the last few days that he gradually remembered a few things...

"Is it related to Seraphina Cole?" Ethan suddenly spoke up.

Julian looked at him, curving his lips into a smile, silently praising Ethan for being so smart: "I still don’t remember clearly how Seraphina and I met, but this morning I suddenly recalled something: I once saved her years ago. Perhaps our relationship wasn’t bad. And the person standing behind Seraphina is the backer of Iris Visuals, who has a standing not only in the business world but also in the medical field."

"That year, when I saved her life, I fell into danger myself. It seems she was avoiding that person at the time, but eventually, to save me, she came forward and begged him."

That meant the person definitely had influence over certain hospitals in Saint Lawrence City. The memories of him and the "Julian" of the past hadn’t fully merged, so there were still some issues he couldn’t recall. However, this small detail, combined with the fact that Aaron was secretly contacting Gabriel Cole, buying land in the suburbs, and courting Iris Visuals... made him think of this.

Perhaps the original host died because of the relationship between "him" and Seraphina Cole. Initially, Aaron wanted to use the original host to approach Ethan, but later, when he learned of the relationship between "Julian" and Seraphina, and about the project Seraphina had prepared in her youth, he changed tactics.

He wanted Julian dead so that he, Aaron, could use the identity and sentimental value of "Julian" to take everything back from Seraphina’s hands.

The reason Julian knew about the art psychotherapy project was that Seraphina had mentioned it years ago. This was a project she had spent her entire youth researching, and she was even expelled from the Cole family because of it.

That’s right, the story Ethan had told was secondary. The main reason Seraphina was driven out was that Gabriel Cole had his eye on this project. He wanted to seize it, so he devised that plan to harm Seraphina.

It also made her clearly see her father’s favoritism, leading her to leave in disappointment. Although Gabriel didn’t end up taking over the project, Seraphina was disheartened. And today, a plan had been constructed to trap her. The person who leaked everything and built this trap was none other than Gabriel Cole.

Julian even suspected that Gabriel Cole was the main male protagonist in the original work!