Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 290: Mr. Sterling Senior’s Banquet

Chapter 290: Mr. Sterling Senior’s Banquet

"No, you’re mistaken!" If Damien Sterling ever found out that someone was badmouthing him behind his back, that would be the end of them.

Seeing Emma Hart bubbling with excitement, Damien Sterling simply smiled without a word.

After Emma Hart had signed an agreement with Harper Clark, Damien Sterling asked her to stay and keep him company. He was buried in his work while Emma, utterly bored, languished on the office sofa, lamenting, "Ah! Let me go home. I can’t concentrate on my writing here."

Damien Sterling stopped his work, looked up, and gazed at Emma with deep affection. "How could you bear to leave when faced with a husband as handsome and charming as me?"

"...One must be modest, do you understand?" Emma Hart narrowed her eyes into slits, her tone devoid of any amusement. Damien Sterling was adored like a mythical monk beloved by fairies—a fact she couldn’t deny. However, his candid admission was indeed too much to bear.

Damien watched as Emma’s expression shifted to one of amusement mixed with exasperation, feeling immensely pleased. She truly was the spice of his life.

A knock at the door snapped Damien back to reality: "Come in."

"Mr. Sterling, young Mr. Garcia is here," announced the leggy secretary, followed by Ryan Garcia with his dyed blonde hair.

"Hi!" Ryan Garcia waved as he entered, shooting a flirty glance at the secretary. "Thank you, beautiful," he murmured, causing the secretary to shyly lower her head and quickly turn to leave.

"You dare flirt with my secretary?" Damien raised an eyebrow.

"It’s precisely because she’s your secretary that I flirt," Ryan Garcia grinned cheekily. "The models you picked last time can’t compare to the allure of an office lady—I only make my move when it’s absolutely irresistible."

"You’re only doing this because you heard that Mr. Sterling senior is setting you up on a blind date tomorrow," Damien cut straight to the heart of the matter.

"Yo! The sister-in-law is here too!" Ryan shifted the topic.

"Hello, Ryan," Emma Hart stood to greet him.

"Oh, sister-in-law, you’re too polite!" Ryan quickly scanned Emma Hart, who he had failed to properly notice last time due to his own disheveled state. This sister-in-law was a stunning beauty—innocent and pure. It seemed Damien had a type for such genuine charms, tsk tsk, it seems that women really shouldn’t be too seductive.

"Ryan, Grandfather wants you to bring your mother and come home for dinner tomorrow night," Damien Sterling said.

"See! It’s indeed a setup!" Ryan Garcia exclaimed indignantly, pounding his fist on the solid wooden desk.

"It’s just dinner. If you’re not interested, I’m just helping you get out of it," Damien said with a light chuckle, arms folded.

"Am I... also going tomorrow?" Emma Hart asked, her voice tinged with nervousness. She didn’t dislike Old Man Sterling, but the thought of meeting the elder always made her anxious.

"Yes, wear something more ladylike tomorrow; he likes that," Damien instructed.

"As you wish, Mr. Sterling!" Emma Hart accepted resignedly.

As the new year approached, social media was buzzing nonstop. Was it the festive music? The lively New Year’s concerts? Either way, it didn’t concern Emma Hart. Damien had given her the latest smartphone model, but she hadn’t downloaded any social media apps. The reason was simple: it seemed pointless. She had very few friends she could contact, only Amelia Davidson, and Damien didn’t allow her to go out with friends alone, so her social life was reduced to watching others share their pictures—a real torment.

As the evening darkened and the temperature dropped, Mrs. Harris draped a white mink coat over Emma, prepared by Damien.

"Thank you, Mrs. Harris," Emma said, putting on the coat. She didn’t actually feel cold; she carried the warmth of two now.

"Mrs. Sterling, Mr. Sterling has sent me to pick you up," said the private driver Damien had sent, waiting at the doorstep.

After giving herself one last look over in the mirror and feeling satisfied with her makeup and outfit, Emma left the Sterling family villa.

"Where is Mr. Sterling?" Emma asked the driver as they set off.

"We are on our way to pick up Mr. Sterling now," the driver replied.

The car pulled up in front of Sterling Group just as Damien emerged. His assistant opened the door for him, and the moment Damien stepped into the car, Emma caught the subtle scent of his cologne. She couldn’t identify the ingredients, but it quickened her pulse, stirring her pheromones irresistibly.

"You look nice today, well done," Damien Sterling remarked as he glanced at Emma Hart’s attire for the day. Her makeup was exquisite, complemented by a pair of delicate diamond earrings, and her outfit predominantly white. The woman he chose indeed stood out.

"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Sterling!" Damien Sterling, always so sparing with his praises, but Emma was in a good mood today and chose not to quibble.

As dusk fell, the children on the streets could hardly wait to bring their fireworks and lanterns toward the park, ready for a night of fun. The car moved steadily along the road, the dim light inside making Emma feel drowsy. She rested her hand on the armrest of the door, supporting her head as it leaned to the side, and slowly closed her eyes.

Damien noticed Emma’s position and frowned, a crease forming on his handsome face. Her lack of safety awareness worried him—sleeping against the car door was dangerous in case it wasn’t locked!

He gently moved to sit beside Emma, who was already asleep and even rolling her eyes in her sleep, amusing him to the point of almost laughing out loud.

Damien carefully wrapped his arm around her upper back, pulling her gently towards him, then adjusted her head onto his shoulder. He pressed his hand lightly against her head to stabilize it against the car’s movements, ensuring she wouldn’t be discomforted by the ride.

The seasoned driver, watching everything through the rearview mirror, had seen Damien grow up and this was the first time he had seen him care so deeply for a woman. The old man couldn’t express his joy in words.

It was now exactly seven in the evening, and Emma had been asleep on Damien’s shoulder for half an hour. Today, their destination wasn’t the Mr. Sterling Senior’s home but rather a remote villa in the hills owned by Mr. Sterling Senior.

Every New Year’s Eve, Mr. Sterling Senior. would invite close friends and family to stay overnight at this villa, but this time, he had only invited Damien, Emma, Ryan Garcia, Brianna Baker , and the person Ryan was set to meet for a blind date!

The continuous sounds of fireworks along the way woke Emma from her sleep. She opened her eyes just in time to see the fireworks bursting in the sky, reminding her that despite the upheavals in her life, the world was still full of beautiful scenes worth pausing to admire.

Life had to go on, and people must strive for the future.

"Did you sleep well?" she suddenly realized she was leaning against a warm object.