Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 225: Bringing Only Sophia Greenwood

Chapter 225: Bringing Only Sophia Greenwood

Damien Sterling suddenly tightened his grip on Emma Hart’s arm, and she had no choice but to keep her arm linked with his as they walked toward the elevator. Emma trailed behind Damien, feeling almost dragged along by him.

"What are you doing? Where are we going?" she asked.

"Home. Where else did you think?" Damien replied coldly.

He looked at her skeptically, while Emma’s face was a picture of utter astonishment. Had she said anything to warrant another accusation from him?

Nestled halfway up the hill was a villa surrounded by deep green foliage, its slightly rustic appearance exuding a majestic aura from afar. An elderly man was meticulously pruning the plants in front of the villa under the sunlight. As a black Bugatti drove into the driveway, the old man glanced up nonchalantly, adjusted his glasses, set down his watering can, and picked up a walking stick, turning to wait for the man stepping out of the car.

Damien emerged, holding a box of delicately packaged pastries. "Grandfather, I brought you your favorites," he said.

Glancing at the lush greenery, Damien commented, "You could have the staff take care of these plants."

The old man, looking fondly at his garden, seemed at peace with his retirement, tending to the plants without feeling any dramatic shift from his dynamic business life. "Don’t think I’ve gone soft just because I’m tending to these plants. My ears still work just fine," he responded, gripping Damien’s hand and walking towards the villa.

"Sterling, remember that our family and the Greenwood family have a bond that is both deep and vital. We must never forget our roots," the old man said meaningfully as they walked towards the sofa inside.

Damien raised an eyebrow, already anticipating the direction of the conversation. He settled his grandfather on the sofa before sitting down himself.

The room’s decor was antiquated, filled with antiques that his grandfather cherished. These were moved from one villa to another based on his whims, such as this villa which Damien had bought not long ago because his grandfather wanted a quieter place.

This was supposed to alleviate the old man’s worries, but it seemed not to simplify matters as his grandfather still placed great importance on the Sterling Group, particularly on issues that caused Damien headaches.

Among these issues, Sophia Greenwood was a significant concern.

The servant had brought coffee and placed it on the table. Just as the grandfather reached for it, Damien Sterling interrupted, "Grandfather, you really shouldn’t drink that."

Damien’s grandfather pushed his hand away, "How long do you think I have left to live? Shouldn’t I do what I want while I can? Why worry so much?"

Each time his grandfather spoke like this, it painfully tugged at Damien’s heart. "Please don’t say things like that, Grandfather."

Seeing that Damien was not pleased, the grandfather set down his coffee. "How’s my great-grandson doing?"

Damien’s fingers twitched at the rim of his coffee cup. "Your great-grandson?"

"Of course, my great-grandson," his grandfather affirmed with certainty.

The mention of Emma Hart’s child always excited him. Damien’s grandfather paused, his expression darkening before he continued, "Lately, there have been deliberate attempts to strain the relationship between the Sterling and the Greenwood families. Such rumors are harmful to us. The Sterling family is a big target, so gossip is normal. There’s a banquet in a few days; take Sophia Greenwood with you."

It was clearly a strategy to silence the critics and show that the Sterling family has always taken good care of the descendants of the Greenwood family.

Damien raised the coffee cup to his lips, about to drink, but the task assigned by his grandfather made him sigh with frustration. He set the coffee back down on the table.

The brown liquid in the cup swayed, mirroring the unrest in Damien’s thoughts, "I was thinking of taking someone else to the banquet."

"Who? Are you thinking of taking Emma Hart?" His grandfather’s brows furrowed, hands tightening on his walking stick, his face showing a trace of anger, "That woman is only in the picture because she’s carrying your child. I allowed this to steady your spirit until the day she gives birth to the Sterling Group’s descendants. Then, I planned to give her some money. But the person meant to spend a lifetime with you is still Sophia Greenwood."

Listening to his grandfather’s words, Damien Sterling felt a wave of distaste wash over him, puzzled whether it was due to the planned treatment of Emma Hart or the persistent connection to Sophia Greenwood. Why must he always be tied to that woman?

Damien lifted his head impatiently, reaching for a plate of pastries beside him, "Grandfather, are we still in an era of arranged marriages?" Handing a pastry to his grandfather, who took a piece and ate it, Damien continued, "You can’t use this to silence me. As long as you’re here, you say you’ll keep an eye on me."

His grandfather half-jokingly, half-seriously replied, but noticed Damien’s expression growing increasingly grim. Since his argument with Oliver Westmore, Damien had been wanting to make Emma’s status public, but his grandfather had been an obstacle.

Testing the waters, his grandfather asked, "Have you really fallen for that woman?"

Seeing Damien remain silent, his grandfather scoffed, "That woman came for the money, what else? How else did she end up in your bed initially?"

The words echoed through the spacious villa’s hall. Apart from his grandfather, only a few servants were present. The classical furniture couldn’t fill the emptiness of the vast living room, and the echo of those cutting words lingered uncomfortably around Damien.

He still couldn’t understand—if that woman had initially schemed her way into his bed, why her attitude was so different now.

Damien suddenly looked up, his tone serious, "What if I want to make her status public?"

His grandfather looked up, catching the seriousness on Damien’s face he had never seen before, realizing his concerns were not unwarranted. Yet, descendants of the Sterling family didn’t need a romance; their priorities must be business and profits!

Damien needed someone who could support and uplift him, not someone who would be a burden.

Aware of Damien’s stubbornness and defiance, his grandfather knew it well, but he wouldn’t allow this course of action.

"I won’t allow it!"

"What if I insist?"