Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 454: Impulse

Chapter 454: Impulse

Emma Hart had no interest in knowing what Damien Sterling was thinking as she headed downstairs. As she descended, she saw Mr. Sterling Senior sitting on the sofa, his face contorted in anger.

From his unconscious habitual movements, Emma Hart could easily guess Mr. Sterling Senior’s mood—it was likely even more terrifying than Damien Sterling’s earlier disposition. However, Emma wasn’t afraid. She knew she hadn’t done anything wrong, and if Mr. Sterling Senior had a problem, she was ready to face it head-on. After all, his dislike for her wasn’t new.

With this in mind, Emma continued walking, unconcerned. "Grandfather, what brings you here?" she asked softly as she approached him. "Is there something you wanted to discuss?"

"Emma Hart, how dare you bring such disgrace to our family! You’re nothing but a disgraceful granddaughter-in-law!" Mr. Sterling Senior glared at her with fury, recalling how worried Riley Turner had appeared when he’d come to him earlier. His anger felt like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.

"Grandfather?" Emma Hart frowned slightly. Although she had an inkling of what this was about, she feigned ignorance. After all, with two people accusing her, something was bound to be off.

"Don’t call me grandfather! I don’t acknowledge a granddaughter-in-law like you. How shameful can you be?" Mr. Sterling Senior leaned forward slightly, his fists pounding on the glass coffee table, making a loud "bang."

Emma Hart remained silent, letting Mr. Sterling Senior vent his anger.

"Disgraceful! In broad daylight, as a married woman, you’re seen messing around with another man! If this gets out, how will you hold your head up? If anyone recognizes you, the Sterling family’s reputation will be in ruins!" Mr. Sterling Senior’s temper was even more explosive than Damien’s. Seeing Emma standing there with her head slightly bowed, not offering any explanation, only fanned his flames of rage. In a fit of anger, he grabbed the teapot on the coffee table and hurled it at Emma’s head.

The teapot whizzed through the air, and Emma Hart quickly dodged to the side. She wasn’t some pampered young lady; her reflexes were sharp. The teapot crashed to the floor with a loud "bang," shattering into pieces as tea and tea leaves splashed everywhere. Steam rose from the hot liquid as it spread across the floor. Emma’s heart raced, her back prickling with fear—had that teapot hit her head, she would’ve been seriously injured.

Being treated like this, Emma Hart realized that if she didn’t take a stand now, she would never find peace again.

"Grandfather, first of all, while I may be your granddaughter-in-law, I am an independent person," Emma Hart spoke slowly, her voice calm but firm.

"So you have no right to hit me, much less inflict such egregious harm. Second, you haven’t let me get a word in since I walked in. You’ve berated me without explaining why. What exactly is going on?"

Mr. Sterling Senior was startled by his own actions. He hadn’t realized the teapot was filled with hot tea. If he had injured her and it caused an uproar, even if he managed to cover it up, people would remember him as a heartless tyrant.

The shock extinguished much of his anger, but Emma Hart’s words rekindled it. Mr. Sterling Senior still seethed with anger, unable to speak calmly. "Is this how you speak to your elders?" he finally managed to say, his voice trembling with rage as he slapped the coffee table once more.

"Elders? You and your grandson, judging me based on a few photos, assuming I was meeting another man. You speak of seeing is believing, but a well-chosen angle can be manipulated by anyone with ill intent," Emma retorted coldly.

"I know you’ve never liked me since the day I married into this family. Let me be clear—the man in those photos is Matthew Taylor. You can check the hospital’s surveillance footage to see exactly what happened. I won’t waste my breath arguing with you—let the evidence speak for itself. Then, we’ll see who’s really in the wrong."

With that, Emma Hart turned and walked away. As she reached the stairs, she saw Damien Sterling standing there, looking puzzled. She let out a derisive laugh, then opened the door and walked out.

Damien Sterling felt a strange unease as he listened to Emma Hart’s words. Lost in thought, he didn’t expect her to pass by, and by the time he snapped out of it and considered stopping her, she was already gone.

Mr. Sterling Senior, meanwhile, was left stunned by Emma Hart’s sharp retort. Her words echoed in his mind, overlapping with Riley Turner’s earlier concerns. Riley had told him that Damien had seen Emma supposedly on a date with another man, which angered him so much that he discharged himself from the hospital. Worried about his grandson being misled by Emma, Mr. Sterling Senior had rushed over, hoping to use the opportunity to drive her away.

These thoughts and scenes replayed in his head, leaving Mr. Sterling Senior’s mind in disarray.

"Grandfather," Damien Sterling said as he approached the older man, noticing his confusion. "Why are you here?"

Damien had witnessed the confrontation between Mr. Sterling Senior and Emma Hart. He hadn’t intervened because he wanted to hear what Emma had to say. Now, he realized both he and his grandfather had acted rashly, their judgment clouded by anger.

Yes, what could those two or three photos really prove? Angles can be manipulated, after all. Damien began to regret how he’d treated Emma. The thought that he had nearly hit her, and that his grandfather had acted so harshly, filled him with remorse.

"I rushed over because Riley Turner said something that made me worry something might have happened to you," Mr. Sterling Senior sighed, but now he was beginning to question whether Riley’s intentions were genuine or not.

"Emma’s right—we should check the surveillance footage. Maybe we really did misjudge her," Damien said, frowning slightly. Remembering his grandfather’s earlier behavior, he added, "Grandfather, next time, please don’t be so impulsive. No matter how you feel about Emma, she’s still a person, and she doesn’t deserve to be treated like that."

"I got it. When did it become your place to lecture me, you little rascal?" Mr. Sterling Senior retorted, trying to maintain his dignity. "Now go after her, quickly!"

Damien frowned at his grandfather’s choice of words but knew this wasn’t the time to argue. He quickly ran upstairs, changed his clothes, and rushed out the door.

After slamming the door and storming out, Emma Hart let her guard down and walked aimlessly down the street, feeling a deep sense of loneliness. She pulled out her phone, intending to call Amelia Davidson, only to find that the battery was dead.