Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 401: Barbecue Dinner

Chapter 401: Barbecue Dinner

A black sedan was already parked downstairs, with several bodyguard-like men standing beside it.

Damien Sterling greeted them, got into the back seat, and the car sped off.

Emma Hart stood on the balcony, watching everything. Knowing Damien Sterling wasn’t going alone reassured her a bit.

Suddenly, she smelled something burning. Oh no! The fish was burning. She quickly took the fish off the grill.

Meanwhile, Damien Sterling was speeding towards the bar where Donald was.

Inside the bar, Donald had been hiding in the bathroom for a long time, drawing his friends’ attention. Five men, including his two close friends, were in the private room. They knocked on the bathroom door. At first, Donald said he had a stomachache and needed some time, but after half an hour, he still hadn’t come out, so they started kicking the door.

Frightened, Donald pressed against the door, calling Damien Sterling and praying he would arrive soon.

Before he could make the call, the bathroom door was kicked open from the outside. Donald quickly moved to the other side of the bathroom. The men outside sarcastically asked what was going on with him.

Donald was trembling, his face pale.

Seeing Donald silent, the man who seemed to be the leader ordered the others to beat him up.

Apart from Donald’s two friends, the other three men started cracking their knuckles, slowly approaching him.

Suddenly, the private room door was forcefully opened.

A dozen bodyguards immediately surrounded everyone in the room except for Donald. Damien Sterling walked in from the crowd, pulled Donald up from the floor, and led him out.

The police arrived soon after, and everyone headed to the police station.

During the questioning, Donald recounted the events. He had been in a bad mood that evening, so his friends suggested going out for some fun. When they got to the private room, three other guys were already there. They said they were planning to rob a store that night and needed more people, asking Donald to join them. Scared, Donald used the bathroom as an excuse to call Damien Sterling for help.

After three hours of interrogation, Donald, Damien Sterling, and his two close friends left the police station safely.

Outside the station, Donald told his friends to go ahead.

"They tried to harm you, and you still want to help them?" Damien Sterling’s tone was sarcastic.

"You wouldn’t understand. My bond with them is deeper than with anyone else," Donald replied, now very calm.

Damien Sterling scoffed.

"Bro, thank you for earlier," Donald expressed his gratitude. He continued, "I owe you one."

"Donald, I didn’t save you for free. Promise me you’ll go back to school tomorrow, or I’ll tell your dad everything," Damien Sterling threatened.

"You! Fine, do whatever you want!" Donald was about to walk away but was stopped by Damien Sterling.

"Go back to school. Whatever issues you have, I can help you with. You’re about to take your college entrance exams. Don’t mess up at such a crucial time. Don’t gamble with your future!" Damien Sterling said, staring intensely at Donald.

Donald tried to shake off Damien Sterling’s hand but couldn’t. The man’s grip was too strong.

"You don’t know anything. Stop meddling!" Donald snapped.

"Meddling? If I hadn’t meddled today, you’d be in jail right now!" Damien Sterling growled, even more fiercely.

Donald, realizing he was at fault, stood there silently.

"You don’t get it. I’m not trying to be a delinquent," Donald scoffed.

He sat on the stone steps outside the police station and explained to Damien Sterling why he had become like this. He had been the subject of gossip since he was a child, called the child of a homewrecker. His mother lost custody, and he was sent abroad for schooling. His father forbade any contact with his mother, so they met and communicated in secret. One day, his mother stopped responding to his calls. He later learned she had died that day. When he asked his father to return home, he was refused, and his father manipulated his identity so he couldn’t leave Japan.

"So, you plan to become a delinquent?" Damien Sterling asked.

"I just want to escape my father’s control. If I have to, I’ll smuggle myself back home," Donald replied.

"You want to go home, right? I can help you, but not now," Damien Sterling proposed a plan to Donald.

He suggested that Donald finish high school and then apply to college in their home country.

"Can that really work?" Donald doubted Damien Sterling’s words. Could it be that simple?

"Don’t worry about the school. Just study hard and stay until graduation. Of course, if your grades are too poor, it’ll be difficult," Damien Sterling added, seeing Donald’s hesitation. "It’s better than risking your life trying to smuggle yourself back, isn’t it?"

"Alright, I agree," Donald accepted. The memory of the ropes, hammers, seals, and guns in the private room still haunted him, leaving a shadow over his mind.

They shook hands in front of the police station, sealing their agreement.

Back at the table, the grilled fish had cooled and burnt, and the vegetables were still raw.

Emma Hart paced the room, debating whether to call Damien Sterling to ask for an update.

"Enough! I’m calling him!" Emma Hart grabbed her phone and dialed Damien Sterling’s number.

As the phone rang, the door to the rented apartment opened.

Emma Hart’s heart tightened.

"We’re back," Damien Sterling said, his face a mix of exhaustion and a faint smile.

Emma Hart, like a kitten waiting for its owner, rushed to hug Damien Sterling.

Behind Damien Sterling, Donald awkwardly watched the scene, feeling like a third wheel.

"Donald, are you okay?" Emma Hart asked, realizing she had initially overlooked him.

"Yeah," Donald replied, following them into the apartment, looking a bit embarrassed.

"I’m glad you’re okay. Are you both hungry? How about some grilled fish? I’ll reheat it," Emma Hart offered.

Damien Sterling glanced at the slightly charred, cold fish on the table and the untouched vegetables by the grill. He kissed Emma Hart’s forehead, feeling a pang of sympathy for her.

She must have been starving, waiting all this time.

"We actually haven’t eaten either," Donald said, his appetite awakening at the sight of the fish.

"Let’s go out to eat!" Damien Sterling suggested.

Emma Hart dismissed the idea. "No need. There aren’t any restaurants nearby. It’ll take ages to find one. We might as well cook here."

Damien Sterling looked at Donald, who was standing there, holding his growling stomach and nodding.

"Alright," he agreed, though he was concerned about Emma Hart overexerting herself.

Emma Hart was thrilled. "I’ll go to the supermarket downstairs to buy some fresh meat and ready-made food. You guys wait here!"

With that, she went to the entrance to change her shoes and head out.

Damien Sterling instructed Donald to start the fire on the grill and then accompanied Emma Hart to the supermarket.

In the supermarket, they selected ingredients.

"Is Donald’s situation resolved?" Emma Hart asked, noting their calm demeanor when they returned.

"Yeah, it’s all taken care of," Damien Sterling replied, draping an arm over Emma Hart’s shoulders.

"Why didn’t you eat something first?" Damien Sterling asked.

"I couldn’t eat, worried sick without a call from you to let me know you were safe," Emma Hart complained, boldly pinching Damien Sterling’s cheek. "In the future, if there’s an emergency, you have to call me to ease my mind, okay?"

Damien Sterling’s face contorted comically.

"I got it, now let go," he grumbled through gritted teeth.

Emma Hart laughed and released him.

Damien Sterling rubbed his cheek, a faint smile on his lips and in his eyes.

Soon, their cart was filled to the brim, and they returned to the apartment, content.

Donald was already sitting by the grill, staring at the fire.

They called out to the contemplative boy, asking him to help prepare the food.

The romantic barbecue dinner for two turned into a cozy family meal for three.

Donald was a very polite child and incredibly considerate.

Throughout the meal, he took charge of grilling the food, adding sauces, and even serving the rice, making Emma Hart, who played both the wife and sister-in-law roles, feel somewhat inadequate. If Emma Hart had taken over, she probably would have ruined the barbecue feast in seconds.

"Smells amazing, Donald. You must be a great cook," Emma Hart couldn’t help but ask.

"Not really. It’s just a hobby. I’ve also worked in a restaurant before," Donald said, scratching his neck sheepishly.

"Looks like Emma should really learn from you," Damien Sterling said with a mischievous grin.

Emma Hart playfully swatted Damien Sterling’s shoulder, not pleased with the teasing.

The barbecue sauce that Donald concocted was incredibly appetizing, with its rich aroma wafting through the neighborhood. Many residents, enticed by the smell, opened their doors or windows, craning their necks to find the source.

Emma Hart ate the most among the three, eventually lying on the couch with a slightly rounded belly, content and full.

Damien Sterling shook his head and said to Donald, who was sitting across from him, "When it comes to eating, I really can’t control her."

Donald shyly lowered his head and said, "Damien, I really envy you. You have such a wonderful wife."

Damien Sterling flicked Donald’s forehead and said, "Now’s not the time for you to be thinking about these things. If you want to go back home, you need to study hard."

Donald pouted, holding back words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"Be a man and speak your mind," Damien Sterling said, noticing Donald’s expression as he grabbed some food.

Donald bit his lip lightly and said, "Bro, are you sure about your plan? Also, can we not tell my dad about my situation yet? I don’t really want to deal with him."

Donald’s expression darkened, his eyes reflecting a mix of sorrow and resentment.

Damien Sterling thought for a moment and said, "Alright, but I hope you’ll come to me to discuss any plans you have. You’re still young, and young people shouldn’t act on impulse, understand?"

He was worried that Donald might do something extreme again.

"Okay," Donald replied. After spending the day with Damien Sterling, he felt that Damien was quite reliable.

It was the sixteenth, and as the saying goes, the moon is fullest on the sixteenth day. The moon looked especially beautiful that night, with its light and outline more striking than usual.

Donald and Damien Sterling sat on the balcony, sipping hot milk and occasionally grilling vegetables, chatting through the night.

As the sun rose again, they took a brief nap on the couch, only to be inadvertently woken up by Emma Hart as she left the room.

It was Wednesday, a work and school day. Accompanied by Damien Sterling and Emma Hart, Donald returned to his school.

Damien Sterling and Emma Hart didn’t get out of the car to see him off. They parked across the street from the school, rolled down the window, and bid him farewell.

This was to avoid drawing the attention of Donald’s father during any investigation. The events at the police station the previous night were suppressed by Damien Sterling, and Donald’s troubles were thoroughly cleaned up.

As Donald crossed the street, he frequently looked back at the black sedan where Damien Sterling and Emma Hart were seated, feeling a strong sense of reluctance to part.