Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 142: Attending the Banquet

Chapter 142: Attending the Banquet

Emerging from the restaurant, Emma Hart couldn’t hide her smile.

This time, she had thoroughly teased the man. Damien Sterling couldn’t even bear to glance at the shrimp again.

In the Sterling Group’s President’s office, a charming assistant entered Damien Sterling’s office and placed a stack of documents in front of him.

She sniffed slightly and casually mentioned, "Mr. Sterling, why does your office smell like shrimp? Would you like me to call cleaning services?"

Upon hearing this, Damien’s face darkened immediately, and he coldly said, "You may go and submit your resignation."

The female secretary’s face turned pale, not understanding what she had done wrong. She hurriedly tried to make amends, "Mr. Sterling..."

But Damien Sterling wasn’t interested in listening. Lifting his cold gaze to the secretary, he asked, "Do you not understand what I just said?"

The secretary, frightened by his menacing look, left his office in tears.

Damien Sterling walked out of the restroom just as Logan Harrington pushed the door open and was about to speak.

Damien, holding a box of tissues, threw it at him, warning, "If you dare mention the word ’shrimp’ to me, don’t ever come back to this office!"

Logan Harrington, drawing closer to Damien, took a careful whiff.

The rich seafood smell emanating from Damien since entering the office, along with the secretary’s earlier comments about Mr. Sterling and Emma Hart, led him to piece together what had happened.

His face broke into an irrepressible smile as he approached Damien.

"So I heard the family had lunch... did you perhaps have..." He glanced at Damien’s hand, recalling his grandfather’s urgent desire to continue the family line.

Before Logan could finish, Damien cursed, "Get out!"

After Damien headed back to the restroom, Logan, witnessing Damien’s second trip there, speculated he had visited many times before.

From inside, Damien could hear Logan’s booming laughter, which continued even as Damien stepped out, Logan seemingly unable to move past the humorous moment.

Damien, with a stern face, approached Logan, who struggled even more to contain his laughter upon seeing Damien’s serious demeanor.

Finally, covering his mouth to suppress his unrestrained laughter, Logan said, "I’ve stopped laughing, really, I have. I came to see you because there’s something important."

"What could possibly be important coming from your mouth?"

Logan Harrington strolled over, leaning on the table, and said to Damien, "Guess what I saw at Westmore Group this afternoon?"

Damien Sterling looked up, prompting Logan to continue, "The whole Westmore Group is in an uproar. They never anticipated you’d pay such a high price for the lot across from theirs, turning it into a cemetery. No one wants to buy a home opposite a graveyard. Those who had bought houses are now clamoring for refunds. Naturally, the Westmore family’s villas won’t sell now. Even if they do sell, they’ll surely be at a loss."

Logan kept expressing his admiration for Damien Sterling’s tactics, "I never thought you had this move up your sleeve."

Damien Sterling scoffed coldly. To say it was his maneuver was an understatement; it was more a gift from that woman.

If it weren’t for her accepting Oliver Westmore’s house, he wouldn’t have taken such a risky step. Being someone known for his aversion to risk, this move was out of character for Damien Sterling.

At the Westmore Group office, behind the vast floor-to-ceiling windows, Oliver Westmore looked down at the bustling streets below, while his assistant said, "Mr. Westmore, we’ve suffered a great loss this time."

The assistant paused, then added, "But I don’t understand. Why would Damien Sterling do such a thing? It was supposed to be a win-win situation for both families. How much money can building a cemetery really make? It seems like he’s just trying to suppress us Westmores, declaring an open war. But the cost is substantial."

Oliver Westmore tapped his fingers on the back of his chair, silently turning around after hearing his assistant’s words, aware of the loss, but also of something gained.

The assistant, hearing Oliver’s remark, didn’t grasp the underlying meaning. From his perspective, the Westmore family only faced losses in this gamble, unaware of the gain Oliver referred to.

Oliver picked up a glass of water from the table, drinking it calmly as he gazed at the sky, a meaningful smile appearing in his eyes.

Emma Hart had just finished work when she received a call from Damien Sterling.

His voice was cold as he asked, "Where are you?"

Emma deliberately mentioned a location far from the office.

Right after she provided the address, Damien commanded on the other end, "Wait for me."

It wasn’t long before Emma reached the mentioned spot, and a black Phantom swiftly pulled up in front of her.

Getting into the car, she asked, "What’s the matter?"

"Have you forgotten about the banquet we’re attending?" Damien reminded her, scanning Emma from head to toe, then instructed the driver, "Head straight to Black Wing Design."

When Emma Hart arrived at the image design salon, Mrs. Harris had already brought three evening gowns, likely arranged by Damien Sterling in advance.

Among the selections, Damien’s attention was caught by a maroon gown that was elegant yet understated.

Emma, however, wasn’t fond of it, deeming it slightly old-fashioned. She pointed instead to a lake blue gown, commenting, "I think this one looks better."

Damien gave Emma a stern look before turning his gaze to the lake blue dress with its revealing off-shoulder cut.

He then turned to Emma and asked, "Do you intend to wear that dress for all those old timers to see?"

Emma then remembered that the banquet Damien referred to was the one his grandfather had mentioned days ago, likely to be attended by many of his grandfather’s contemporaries.

Slipping into the maroon evening gown, Emma Hart’s appearance was transformed, the floor-length skirt paired with silver and black high heels projecting a visage of poise and elegance.

Her hair, intricately styled, along with the deliberate choice of coral red lipstick, endowed Emma with an air of distinguished grace.

Contrary to her initial reservations, the maroon dress accentuated Emma’s fair skin and harmonized beautifully with her black hair, not aging her but instead elevating her elegance.

A silver clutch served as the perfect accessory.

Sitting uncomfortably in the car with her legs to one side was the only way Emma could ensure the maroon gown enveloped her figure properly.

This was partly because of a thigh-high slit on the right side of the dress, a modern take on traditional cheongsam designs, highlighting that any gown Damien casually chose was a creation of world-renowned designers.

Emma was not keen on attending such gatherings in the first place.

As the car approached the estate, she was greeted by a variety of luxury vehicles, all belonging to the evening’s guests.