Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 463: Taking Back the Ring

Chapter 463: Taking Back the Ring

Although everything seemed fine on the surface, Damien Sterling couldn’t shake off a nagging feeling that something was off. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was until he glanced down at his finger again. That’s when it hit him—the ring.

The ring didn’t seem sharp or dangerous, so why would it need to be taken off to care for him? While the explanation made sense at first, the more he thought about it, the more it didn’t add up.

Riley Turner noticed the suspicion in Damien Sterling’s eyes and quickly intervened. "Alright, Grandpa, you don’t have to cover for me anymore. I accidentally lost the diamond from the ring and sent it in for repair. You were upset about it before, and we had a fight over it. Grandpa didn’t want to tell you, afraid it would make you angry again."

Damien Sterling nodded in understanding. "So that’s what happened. There’s no need to lie to me. I wouldn’t get mad at you over something so small. You are my wife, after all."

Riley Turner breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Damien believed her. "It’s fine. I’ll go pick it up this afternoon, and I’ll be more careful in the future to make sure the diamond doesn’t fall out again."

Damien smiled, thinking how petty he must have been before losing his memory—arguing with his wife over a missing diamond. Wasn’t the Sterling family wealthy? Why would he act that way?

Mr. Sterling Senior also felt relieved that Damien believed the story. His grandson was too sharp, easily picking up on the smallest inconsistencies. It was crucial to handle everything with extra care moving forward.

With a plan in mind, the old man decided it was time to leave the hospital. Now that they had come this far, they needed to continue with the charade. He arranged for Mrs. Li, the housekeeper, to take care of Damien at home, allowing Riley to handle more important matters.

After all, the ring was still on that other woman’s hand. Mr. Sterling Senior had considered having a new one made, but he remembered that Damien had engraved something on it when he first commissioned the ring.

Mr. Sterling Senior came up with an excuse and said to Riley, "Riley, make sure you bring the ring back this afternoon. I’ll have Mrs. Li take care of Damien, so you can go and get the ring from that woman. Take a few people with you."

Riley felt her nerves tingle with anxiety. She had already taken Emma Hart’s husband; now she had to take her ring as well. Emma would hate her even more.

But when she met the old man’s expectant gaze, she found herself nodding despite her fears. The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them: "Okay, Grandpa. Don’t worry. I’ll bring it back this afternoon."

With that, Riley left, and after Mrs. Li arrived, the old man also returned home. He had already briefed Mrs. Li in advance, ensuring she wouldn’t reveal any flaws. She was to say nothing about Damien’s supposed marriage—sometimes silence was safer than saying the wrong thing.

Luckily, Damien didn’t ask any questions and spent the entire afternoon playing with his new phone, which Mr. Sterling had arranged to be delivered. The phone number had been changed, and Damien spent his time downloading and playing a game.

Since losing his memory, Damien had softened, his demeanor becoming noticeably gentler. Mrs. Li couldn’t help but comment, "Young Master, you seem much more easygoing since you lost your memory."

Damien looked at Mrs. Li with confusion. Had he been a terrible-tempered playboy before losing his memory? No wonder he had gotten so upset over a lost diamond and lashed out at his wife.

Damien Sterling couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down his spine as he imagined his former self. He suddenly couldn’t understand why he had such a bad temper before.

Mrs. Li noticed the confused look on his face and wondered if she had said something wrong. But when she saw Damien smile again, she breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, she hadn’t said anything out of line; otherwise, the old master would have been furious with her.

Meanwhile, Riley Turner left the hospital and headed straight for the mansion. She didn’t need to guess—Emma Hart was sure to be there. Riley felt a pang of hesitation, questioning whether what she was about to do was truly the right thing. It was almost amusing to realize how ruthless she had become.

But there was no time for hesitation now. Things had progressed too far, and even if she wanted to back out, the old man wouldn’t allow it. She had no choice but to muster the courage to figure out how to get the ring back.

Given how Emma Hart currently treated her—worse than an enemy—there was no way Emma would hand over the ring easily. Even someone as clever as Riley Turner couldn’t help but feel stuck.

Riley let out a bitter laugh. Was she really going to act like a shrew and snatch the ring from Emma Hart’s hand? The thought made her want to retreat.

She shook her head and decided to deal with it when she got there. Hailing a taxi, she was soon at Damien Sterling’s house. Riley paused at the door but eventually stepped inside.

As soon as she entered, she saw Emma Hart curled up on the couch, fast asleep. Her forehead was bandaged, and her eyes were red from crying nearly the entire night.

Riley sat down on a nearby couch, unable to bring herself to wake Emma. The fleeting thought of quietly slipping the ring off Emma’s finger was quickly suppressed. It would be better to wait until she woke up.

Emma slept for several hours, and when she finally woke, the first thing she saw was Riley Turner sitting beside her. Her gaze immediately turned cold. "What are you doing here? Are you here to gloat over your success or to laugh at my misery? Well, you’ve seen it—I’m a failure. You can leave now."

Riley looked at Emma and said, "Emma, don’t be like this. I’m doing this for Grandpa’s health. You know his heart isn’t good, and the doctor said he can’t handle any more stress."

A flicker of softness appeared in Emma’s eyes but didn’t sway her resolve. Emma wasn’t foolish. If Riley Turner didn’t want to do this, no one could force her. And given how much the old man doted on Riley, he certainly wouldn’t have made her do it.

Seeing that the emotional appeal wasn’t working, Riley grew anxious and quickly came up with another plan. "Actually, I’m here because Grandpa sent me to collect the ring. This is the ring for the Sterling family’s daughter-in-law."

When Emma heard this, she raised her hand and looked at the ring on her finger. So she still had some value—otherwise, why would Riley Turner be here?

Emma let out a cold laugh and said, word by word, "It’s impossible for you to have this ring. Damien Sterling put this ring on my finger himself. I’ll give it back when he personally takes it off."

Riley grew even more anxious. How could Damien Sterling take the ring off when he was suspicious and amnesiac? It was practically impossible. Trying to coax Emma, Riley said, "Don’t you want to know how Damien Sterling is doing? If you lend me the ring so I can fulfill my duty, I’ll tell you everything. How about that?"