Chapter 114: Chapter 114

Conrad Sterling originally wasn’t standing close to Anna Thornton, but when he saw her get cut, he reacted more swiftly than Anna herself by grabbing her wrist.

"What’s wrong with you?"

Anna’s left index finger had been jabbed by the knife tip. Conrad pulled her finger closer to inspect it. The wound wasn’t big, but it was somewhat deep, already seeping a drop of dark red blood.

"It hurts, Conrad Sterling, I’m in pain! Get a doctor to give me an anesthetic!"

Initially, there was a hint of sympathy in the man’s eyes, but hearing her blow the issue out of proportion changed his reaction to a mix of amusement and frustration: "Such a small cut, it’ll heal before any anesthetic wears off."

Despite his words, the next second, President Sterling unceremoniously placed Anna’s injured finger in his mouth.

"What... are you doing?"

Conrad spat out the dirty blood he had sucked out before speaking: "Disinfecting it for you."

"That’s disgusting!" Anna shook her finger, now covered in saliva, in disdain. "Isn’t there disinfectant in the hospital? Was that necessary?"

"Aren’t you afraid of pain?" The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the NoveI★Fire.net

Conrad assumed an air of righteous justification, grabbing Anna’s hand back that had escaped his mouth’s hold, inspecting the wound to ensure no more bleeding, then instructed a passing medical staff to bring a band-aid.

The process of wrapping the finger with the band-aid was handled entirely by the esteemed President Sterling himself.

Anna didn’t resist but played the role of someone akin to Pop’s age, helpless in life, letting Conrad do whatever he pleased with her delicate fingers. With her other hand, she scooped up the kiwi that had just been cut in half, eating it while closely observing the expressions changing on Conrad’s face.

"Conrad, won’t you admit you’re concerned about me deep down? Should I get a mirror for you?"

Conrad, having finished his role as an impromptu doctor, glanced up at Anna. The smug look on her face made his expression instantly darken: "Using such petty tactics just to prove your pointless assumptions? Whether I care or don’t care about you makes no difference. My intentions will never change. Anna Thornton, who told you to do something stupid that harms yourself?"

Conrad seemed genuinely angry. He had said harsh words to Anna many times, but this time it sounded as the most severe.

If she were a girl with a thinner skin or a fragile mindset, she might be cry from President Sterling’s scolding under such circumstances.

Thankfully, Anna was always emotionally stable. She withdrew her finger from Conrad’s hold. Picking up the other half of the kiwi, she continued to spoon-feed herself slowly.

"Since you figured out I’m deliberately testing you, you could just ignore me! People who like doing stupid things generally lack self-awareness, especially since I’m quite stubborn. I won’t turn back until I hit a wall. Since I’ve annoyed President Sterling, you should just leave now."

As she said that, Conrad really stood up.

"Hey, President Sterling!" Anna called him, "I know you don’t love Marilyn Ford. Perhaps you don’t even have as much affection for her as you do for me."

"Why would you think that?" Conrad asked her.

"No particular reason, just guessing. But I haven’t figured out why you insist on having her if you don’t like her."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of contemplation appeared in Conrad’s eyes beyond her view.

The turmoil from these days was crushed within Conrad’s clenched fist, and when he spoke again, his tone was as cold and nearly cruel as when he first saw Anna at the banquet: "You shouldn’t compare Marilyn’s importance in my heart with yours; that’s never the point. So don’t resort to self-harm just to test me; it’s meaningless."

"But that’s not how I feel. I want to bet with you. This gamble’s arbiter is you, and its duration is decided by you. You can declare me defeated anytime, and I promise to never pester you again."

Conrad knew Anna was always confident, but hearing her so-called gamble that was entirely in his hands still made him smirk: "Anna Thornton, you’ll never make me care enough to... give up what I must do."

"Won’t I? We’ll see."

Anna stuffed the final spoonful of kiwi into her mouth: "Regardless, I’m good at gambling. At worst, I’ll take Pop and Mary abroad and start anew."

If you count it up, every meeting between the two of them ended with no peace.

Moreover, Conrad Sterling had remained unmoved so far, making it seem this bet would undoubtedly end in Anna losing.

Yet upon leaving the hospital, it was Conrad who regretted his actions first.

He mostly regretted losing control of his emotions once again.

That woman had merely pricked her finger, and Conrad lost his composure, forgetting what he was there to do.

What exactly did he want to say to her?

Oh, Marilyn’s birthday party was approaching, and after that, Conrad might get engaged to Marilyn Ford.

Originally, President Sterling intended to negotiate with Anna today, as long as she didn’t cause trouble during the birthday event, he would have a word with Dynasty Entertainment to look after her with Jane’s help later on.

Anyway, it’s the company’s policy to promote one female artist, and promoting two isn’t different; hasn’t Anna always wanted good film resources?

President Sterling won’t admit his offer of resources was to appease or comfort Anna.

But he couldn’t help worrying about Pop.

After all, if as a mother she’s unlucky in love and things aren’t going well professionally, how could she be in a good mood to care for her child?

Of course, he also planned to enquire who proposed to her exactly, and warn her about getting too close with men positioned at the top of Aethelgard’s wealth; Conrad Sterling hadn’t seen many good ones in three years.

Then the problem arose: after President Sterling left the hospital in style, how would this topic proceed?

Conrad forcefully kept away from contacting Anna for two days, and that woman likewise didn’t reach out to him.

Seeing the day was nearing for Marilyn’s birthday celebration, conditions needed to be properly discussed with this uncertain factor, ensuring she wouldn’t make trouble.

Thus, Conrad reluctantly decided to start a chat via WeChat, spending quite a while on the initial phrasing.

He typed several lines, deleting each as dissatisfaction arose.

Asking if Marilyn had sent her an invitation? — That seemed too distant, and knowing Anna’s character, she was bound to inject some ridicule.

Asking if her wound was healing? — Why ask that? Showing concern would certainly give that woman ammunition.

Finally, Conrad decided to cut straight to the chase, telling her not to attend Marilyn’s birthday party.

Yes, it was best to keep the tone firm to match his previous strong stance when leaving the hospital.

After silently reading the sentence twice, confirming he’d maintain his high-cold persona in reaching out to Anna, he pressed send.

But the message indicated it couldn’t be delivered, showing they were not friends.

By chance, Ethan was nearby and commented: "President Sterling, seems Miss Thornton has blocked you."