Silas Norwood was also on a plane. His private jet was equipped with a satellite communication system, so he had a signal even high up in the sky:

NSY: [Have you boarded yet, babe? I’m still about six hours out.]

Cece: [I just got on. We haven’t taken off yet, but it’s a closer trip for me. Only two and a half hours.]

NSY: [I’ve already booked the hotel, and everything inside is brand new. Wait for me in the room once you get there, babe.]

NSY: [Get some sleep, babe. I’m planning on pulling an all-nighter tonight.]

Cece: [Can’t you think about something a little more proper?]

NSY: [This is the best I can do.]

The plane was slowly ascending. Celia Sterling turned off her phone and noticed Summer Sutton glancing at her from time to time, so she started making small talk:

"Are you a fan of concerts, Miss Sutton?"

Summer Sutton was the brand ambassador for Delia Caine, so even without the connection to Kian Sterling, Celia Sterling was still technically her patron. Ever since learning she had no powerful backing and came from humble origins, Summer had taken every step with extreme caution. Now, she replied with a polite smile:

"It’s a concert held by a friend in the entertainment industry. They invited me to be a guest performer, and I just happened to finish filming, so I’m heading over to check it out."

Celia Sterling hummed in acknowledgment.

"You might know him, Miss Sterling." Summer Sutton’s mind went to the variety show that had caused a huge stir online a few months ago. Although Miss Sterling hadn’t appeared on camera, the head of the Norwood family, Silas Norwood, had made a massive splash overnight. The buzz was quickly suppressed by the authorities, and Silas’s few stunning appearances were completely edited out when the recorded show was released. However, The Moneybags’ official social media account had exploded with eighty to ninety million followers. People still brought up his few famous on-screen moments from the show, and the spectacular scene of him playing games with a dozen top-tier celebrities at the same time remained a hot topic.

"I know him?"

"The Orchid Pavilion. He’s the biggest star in the domestic entertainment scene and a multiple-time Best Actor award winner. You probably crossed paths with him back in Silverwood," Summer Sutton said with a smile. "Would you like to come and join the fun, Miss Sterling?"

"I can’t, I’ve been rather busy lately. But isn’t The Orchid Pavilion an actor? Since when does he sing?"

"He actually debuted as a singer. He was just so talented that he branched out into many areas, and now singing has become more of a side gig for him. Still, when the mood strikes, he’ll hold a concert for fun and invite a lot of his friends from the industry."

Summer Sutton hesitated for a moment. "I heard he sent an invitation to you as well, Miss Sterling. The call went to the Norwood Group’s secretarial office and was reported up the chain to Chairman Norwood, but then it just fizzled out."

"Oh. I really don’t have time to go," Celia Sterling explained slowly.

Twenty minutes later, the plane entered the stratosphere and stabilized.

Celia Sterling thought about the reckless, wild streak hidden beneath Silas Norwood’s cool and aloof exterior. She pulled a thin blanket over herself, closed her eyes, and tried to catch up on some sleep.

She only woke up again when she felt the plane beginning its descent.

Holding a glass of warm water given to her by a flight attendant, Celia Sterling gently tucked her long, black hair behind her ear and casually gazed at the scenery, which was growing closer and closer outside the cabin window.

Summer Sutton also ran her hands through her hair, slowly tying it up. Then she began to put on her sunglasses and a face mask, getting ready to disembark.

Celia Sterling’s gaze inadvertently lingered for a moment on Summer’s long, wavy hair, which looked so much like her own.

She suddenly recalled the trending scandal from a few months ago involving Summer Sutton and Declan Norwood.

At the time, Declan Norwood had repeatedly claimed it was a case of mistaken identity. Whether that was true or not was debatable. But in the photos, Summer Sutton’s fashion sense, hairstyle, and even her slightly proud expression were indeed very similar to Celia’s own.

"I’ve happened to see some photos of you over the years, Miss Sutton. It seems like your style is quite different in each period..." Celia Sterling mused.

Summer Sutton gave a soft laugh. "It was all based on The Ninth Master’s preferences."

"Hm?"

It wasn’t something that couldn’t be talked about. Summer Sutton said softly:

"Starting from when I was in my early teens, The Ninth Master’s preferences would change from time to time. He liked listening to the piano pieces ’Für Elise,’ ’Fireflies,’ and ’Mariage d’Amour.’ I would play them every time he came to Port Sovereign. I wasn’t very good at the piano, but he would listen with great relish. Later, when I improved, he lost interest in hearing them."

’I remember when I was learning piano,’ Celia Sterling thought, ’I stumbled through those same pieces, making a complete mess of them. Even later, after I’d mastered other songs, ’Für Elise’ and ’Mariage d’Amour’—though not ’Fireflies’—still sounded incredibly stiff. Kian Sterling would sit beside me every other day, elegantly reaching out to correct my posture while listening with a casual air.’

Summer Sutton continued, "When I first debuted, I got my hair curled, and he was very unhappy. He said, ’What’s a young girl doing perming her hair?’ So I maintained the ’good girl with long, straight, black hair’ image for several years. But then, one day, he suddenly said that wavy hair actually looked good, maybe in a chestnut color. Later, he had me change it to milk tea brown, then smoky brown. I even tried bright, exaggerated shades of red, yellow, and purple."

Celia Sterling lowered her eyes, remaining silent. ’My own youth had caused Kian Sterling several years of chaos. I used to secretly dye my hair for school and would get a stern lecture from him every time. But once I grew up, he stopped managing that aspect of my life so much. I started trying new hair colors all the time—chestnut, milk tea brown, and smoky brown lasted the longest, but I also occasionally tried bold colors like wine-red, soft yellow, and shimmering purple...’

"He managed my clothing style too," Summer Sutton said with a laugh. "And his tastes were never fixed. I’ve worn everything from laid-back and sexy styles to sophisticated and sweet-and-edgy looks..."

’Celia thought back to the photos of Summer Sutton she had secretly looked up online after learning her true identity. Upon closer inspection, Summer’s fashion style from each period seemed to be the very same style Celia herself had favored during that exact same phase of her life...’

Kian Sterling had indulged Celia in everything, spoiling her completely. He gave her enough freedom to live her life exactly as she pleased.

And yet, he had deliberately crafted a shadow in her likeness.

’It was clear he had long since paved a path for my return. He was probably even afraid the transition would be too abrupt for me, so he made sure the stand-in’s style followed the same trajectory as the original’s life.’

A wave of complex, indescribable emotions washed over her.

But she couldn’t shake the feeling that Kian Sterling’s level of devotion was a little too extreme.

The plane landed. Celia Sterling and Summer Sutton politely went their separate ways. With her thoughts still on Kian Sterling, Celia gave him a call:

"Kade."

Kian Sterling’s voice was as doting as ever. "Did you just land?"

"Just now. I ran into Summer Sutton on the plane."

He hummed on the other end. "Don’t let anyone or anything influence you. Like I’ve said, follow your heart."

"Okay." Celia wanted to ask him why he had molded Summer Sutton’s style after her own, but then she thought about all the things Kian Sterling had done for her over the years and held her tongue.

"Let me know you’re safe when you get to the hotel," Kian Sterling said. "And send me lots of pictures."

Celia Sterling’s almond-shaped eyes softened, and she replied obediently, "Okay."

After showering at the hotel, she started going over some basic information about the local base with Miles Trenton.

Miles Trenton sounded a little exasperated on his end. "Miss Sterling, you’ve been contacting me more and more frequently lately. Can’t you go to the boss? He’s got nothing but time on his hands."

Celia Sterling scoffed. "Oh, he *definitely* has too much free time!"

’So much free time that he uses it to send me dirty texts,’ she thought.