Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 286: No One Dares to Bully You

Chapter 286: No One Dares to Bully You

Host Daya: "Mr. Sterling, what are your thoughts on Mrs. Sterling’s participation in the company-sponsored competition?"

Damien Sterling: "There are no rules against employees or their family members participating in the competition, and my wife’s designs have always had my endorsement. If she wants to participate, I will certainly support her."

Host Daya: "How can the competition ensure its fairness?"

Damien Sterling: "In the preliminary round, due to the large number of entries, the selection is made by a panel of judges through anonymous voting, meticulously evaluated by top experts. This ensures that the top ten candidates who move on to the semi-finals are chosen fairly. Starting from the semi-finals, the competition will be conducted via online voting, with stringent measures in place to prevent any fraudulent votes."

Host Daya: "What position do you think Mrs. Sterling could achieve in the next competition?"

Damien Sterling: "I don’t speculate. As long as she does her best, that’s what matters."

Host Daya: "Thank you again, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, for joining us today. Thank you!"

Host Daya: "This concludes our broadcast. Let’s look forward to the stunning submissions from the next ten contestants!"

On the drive back to the villa.

Emma Hart rests her chin on her hand, gazing out the car window at the hurried pedestrians.

"What are you thinking about?" Damien Sterling initiates.

"Why would you also participate without telling me in advance?" Emma Hart said, "Now, the whole country knows we’re related, and we might get a lot of backlash!"

"You should have considered this before entering the contest." Damien Sterling genuinely admires Emma’s naïveté, feeling worried for their child.

"This trouble you’ve brought on yourself." Such minor matters hardly concern Damien Sterling.

"Hmm..." Emma Hart feels particularly uneasy.

"Don’t worry, anyone who tries to tarnish your reputation online, I’ll make sure they can’t even touch a computer the next day," Damien Sterling said nonchalantly.

"How can you be so scheming?" Emma Hart is stunned by his words.

"You’ve known me long enough," Damien retorts.

Indeed, Damien is capable of such, having shown his darker traits before—what’s his zodiac? Scorpio?

"Hey, what is your zodiac sign?" Emma’s curiosity peaks again.

"Boring!" Damien Sterling coldly snaps back at her.

"By the way, why did you suddenly leave the house last night?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"...No."

"Then keep quiet."

"..."

Inside the Sterling family mansion.

"Mrs. Harris! I’m back!" As Emma Hart entered, she immediately felt a great sense of relief.

"Mr. Sterling! Miss Emma! I’ve just made some snacks," responded Mrs. Harris warmly.

"Give them to her; I have to leave now and won’t be back for dinner," said Damien Sterling as he headed towards the door.

"Huh? Where are you going?" Emma Hart asked, puzzled. He had rushed out last night too—could it be he has a secret lover? Oh, that would mean my chance is coming, wouldn’t it?

Unnoticed by her, Emma Hart’s expression had turned embarrassingly sly in front of Damien.

Seeing right through her thoughts, Damien laughed, "Sorry to disappoint you, Mrs. Sterling, but I’m just visiting a sick friend."

"Oh! No worries! A delicate woman needs more attention," Emma retorted quickly, instantly regretting her words.

"Emma Hart!" Damien shouted. This woman really knows how to make a fuss! Damien felt a fleeting urge to strangle her.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Safe travels, Mr. Sterling!" Emma clasped her hands together and bowed in apology.

Damien rolled his eyes at her, chuckled, and drove away.

Returning to the living room, Emma turned on the TV, just in time to catch a replay of her live show on the entertainment channel. Her pupils shrank suddenly—the comments scrolling at the bottom of the screen were painfully harsh.

"Clinging to Mr. Sterling isn’t enough, she has to show off too! Such ambition!"

"What a terrible piece, and it got first place? Total corruption!"

"Only a relative could get away with this!"

"She’s not even that pretty..."

The critical comments came one after another, hitting their mark. Tears that Emma Hart had been holding back now streamed down her face.

"Miss Emma, what’s wrong?" Seeing Emma’s distress, Mrs. Harris hurried over to ask, only to find her bursting into tears.

"Mrs. Harris!" Emma didn’t speak; she just held Mrs. Harris and cried. Why can’t she receive even a little blessing when she’s trying so hard? It’s all Damien Sterling’s fault! If not for him, her world wouldn’t have turned so sordid!

At Green Mountain Retreat.

"Aunt Brianna, is Ryan here?" Damien Sterling arrived, bringing two sets of imported nutritional supplements for Brianna Baker.

"He hasn’t returned yet. Have you eaten?" Brianna Baker asked.

"No," replied Damien Sterling.

"Then join me for a bite," Brianna said as she instructed the kitchen to warm up some dishes.

On the TV, Damien saw a segment on an entertainment channel featuring harsh criticisms about Emma Hart. His hands clenched as if he were about to crush his phone.

"What’s wrong, Damien?" Brianna Baker was visibly startled by his reaction.

"It’s nothing," Damien smiled reassuringly at Brianna, then turned to call Director from the tech department.

"Mr. Sterling."

"You’re aware of the latest incident involving Emma Hart, right?"

"Yes..."

"I want it handled cleanly within fifteen minutes!"

"Yes! Yes!"

Damien had a premonition that this was just the beginning of their troubles.

"Damien? Is something serious going on?" Brianna Baker looked at him quizzically, knowing such an expression only appeared when he was deeply troubled.

"It’s nothing important, Aunt. Let’s eat," Damien said as he took a seat at the dining table.

The meal was split in two, just as Brianna had specifically instructed the kitchen. Special tea sets, specific bowls, and the medications she carried with her...

Seeing his once-healthy aunt in this condition was heart-wrenching for Damien, yet he couldn’t show his distress, knowing it would only upset her more.

Back at the Sterling Group villa.

Mrs. Harris, barely literate, couldn’t understand what the TV broadcast that had so upset Emma Hart was about. She just held Emma, who was about her daughter’s age, occasionally patting her back. Eventually, Emma cried herself to sleep in Mrs. Harris’s arms.

In a haze, Emma felt herself being lifted. Uncaring about where she was being taken, she resigned herself to indifference. Only when she felt the warmth and softness of the place did she slowly open her eyes—it was Damien Sterling.

"Are you alright? Mrs. Harris told me you cried," Damien’s unexpected comfort hit Emma Hart deep in her heart.

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