My Fiancé's Scandals Never End, So I Married His Uncle Instead-Chapter 75: A Late-Night Trip to the Port City

Chapter 75: Chapter 75: A Late-Night Trip to the Port City

When the big shot appeared, the group chat fell silent for several seconds before erupting in a flood of flattery. The one spamming the most frantically was the group admin, T-Rex Perfume: 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

[Daddy, Daddy, you finally showed up! You blocked me in DMs and ignored the hundreds of times I @’d you in the group. F*ck, what cardinal sin did I commit? Just give me a hint!]

[Daddy, please just say something! My contract is still waiting for your signature. The price can go higher, and if you have any other requests, just name them!]

[Don’t ignore me, Daddy! You just said your wife is going to the Lowell Family in Port Sovereign? My Chief Perfumer got an invitation too. How about we meet up in Port Sovereign?]

...

Rivermoon didn’t reply again.

Celia Sterling boldly opened a private chat window and tentatively started a conversation with him:

Cece: [I’m also going to Port Sovereign for the Fragrance Appreciation Banquet. I wonder if I’ll have the honor of meeting the big shot’s wife.]

Rivermoon: [You will.]

Celia Sterling’s expression brightened. ’So our ten-odd years of online friendship are good for something after all.’ The aloof and taciturn big shot of the group had chosen to reply to her. Her sleepiness vanished without a trace.

Cece: [How will I be able to recognize her?]

Rivermoon: [The most beautiful one.]

Cece: [Okay, is the big shot himself going too?]

Rivermoon: [No.]

The conversation suddenly went cold. Celia Sterling habitually went to check his social media feed, but found no new updates. Instead, the post from half a year ago about gifting a private jet to a love rival had been completely deleted.

Celia Sterling scrambled to find something to say: [Up so early, big shot?]

Rivermoon: [Haven’t slept all night.]

Cece: [Pulled an all-nighter for work?]

Rivermoon: [Because of my wife.]

The moment he said that, Celia Sterling was mortified, guessing that he had likely been enjoying some intimate time with his wife. She sheepishly ended the chat. Burying herself under the covers, she went back to sleep for a while, not heading to the office until nine in the morning.

Director Linden and her assistant had already organized the day’s documents that needed her signature, along with a pot of refreshing tea.

"President Sterling, there’s something," Director Linden said, opening her tablet and pulling up an image of one of Delia Caine’s raw material bases. "The Rhovan Base has been flooded by recent heavy rains, and the underground drainage system has failed. Three of our essential raw materials—rose, bergamot, and patchouli—have been severely damaged. This might prevent us from launching products No. 028 and No. 036 for the next three months."

"How are the negotiations for the new base in Caspia going?"

"Not well." Director Linden sighed. "We had pretty much reached an agreement and were about to sign the contract, but they backed out at the last minute and sold it to a big shot who offered a higher price. President Sterling, our only hope now is that we can salvage something from the Rhovan Base."

"After the Lowell Fragrance Gala is over, I’ll go to Rhovan and take a look myself." Celia Sterling asked casually, "Which of our competitors snatched the base from us?"

"I wouldn’t exactly call them a competitor. It was probably just a whim; they have more money than they know what to do with." Director Linden relayed the information she’d gathered. "The person in charge is named Trenton, and he’s backed by that mysterious tycoon who owns the most fragrance raw material bases in the world. They’re not short on money or bases. He’s just developed a bit of a habit over the years—whenever he sees a good base, he wants it for himself. While we were negotiating the contract for the Caspia site, this Mr. Trenton happened to be traveling nearby, took a liking to the base’s ’feng shui,’ and bought it on a whim."

’The mysterious tycoon who owns the most fragrance bases in the world?’

On reflex, Celia Sterling pulled out her phone, opened her messaging app, and stared at the dazzling full moon profile picture pinned at the top of her chat list.

She was tempted to ask him about it, but she had already been quite rude that morning, interrupting him and his wife. To bother him again now about a business matter... even if the big shot himself didn’t mind, his wife would probably have some objections. And Celia was still hoping to befriend that very wife in Port Sovereign and discuss a contract with her...

She put her phone down. "Alright, I understand. We’ll set this matter aside for now."

Director Linden then opened a work email. "The organizers of the Scent-Seeker Cup emailed again. They’re hoping ’Brightmoon’ can attend the awards ceremony this time. Two of our fragrances won gold medals, which is rare even in the Fragrance World. They’re hoping to meet you, the prodigy of the industry."

"Not going."

Director Linden had expected her to say that and closed the email. "Alright, then I’ll go as Delia Caine’s representative to fill a seat, as usual."

Celia Sterling took the Lowell Family’s invitation from her drawer, toying with it in her hand. "Go and compile a file on the Lowell Family for me. I want everything you can find, the more detailed the better."

"The Lowell Family has always been low-key and mysterious. There probably isn’t much information available..."

"It’s fine. Just get whatever you can," Celia Sterling said softly. "I’m not familiar with Port Sovereign, so it definitely won’t hurt to know more about the Lowell Family."

Nine Realms Studio.

Summer Sutton looked at the gilded invitation in her hand and instructed her agent, Anne Lowell, "Clear my schedule for the near future. I need to make a trip back to Port Sovereign."

Anne Lowell glanced at the invitation. "You don’t know anything about fragrances. Why bother going to an event like that? You’d be better off talking to Director Coleman about the next film and seeing if we can get a few of our artists cast."

Summer Sutton acted as if she hadn’t heard. "Buy a ticket for the day before."

Anne Lowell was a little displeased. Ever since Summer Sutton had returned from Sterling Manor, she’d been in a gloomy, preoccupied state, not focusing on her work and spacing out all day, lost in who-knows-what thoughts. But Summer was her boss now, the owner of the studio. And just a few days ago, she had managed to secure two hundred million from the Ninth Master. For all these reasons, it wasn’t Anne’s place as an agent to show her displeasure.

"Fine. Just hand off your work for the next few days," Anne Lowell compromised and left.

Inside her private lounge, Summer Sutton picked up the gilded invitation, her expression unreadable. This wasn’t the first time the Lowell Family had sent her an invitation. On the contrary, they had invited her over a dozen times over the years. But Kian Sterling didn’t like her having contact with the Lowell Family. Although she never understood why, she had always gone along with his wishes and had never once attended.

Now, however, the situation was different.

Kian Sterling had made it clear he wouldn’t return the equity, and his attitude toward her was frigid and indifferent. She could be cast aside by him at any moment, or even become a casualty in the Sutton Family’s power struggles. At a time like this, having the support of the House of Lowell, her maternal family, would be like gaining a protective talisman.

She also wanted to take the opportunity to go to Port Sovereign and verify whether the marriage certificate between her and Kian Sterling, which Second Young Master Sutton had mentioned, was real or fake.

’If it’s real...’

’...I’d like to see how Kian Sterling plans to explain himself to me.’

Port Sovereign.

A grand event for perfumers, watched by the entire world, was unfolding at the Lowell Family’s estate.

As the nation’s only legendary perfumery dynasty, and with this being their first time hosting a Fragrance Gala, renowned senior perfumers had already traveled from all corners of the globe, arriving the day before.

Celia Sterling also arrived in Port Sovereign on the evening before the Fragrance Gala.

Kian Sterling’s assistant, Evan Rhodes, was already waiting in the arrivals area. She followed the crowd out of the airport and quickly met up with him. Evan Rhodes proactively took her luggage, his tone respectful.

"The boss is still in a meeting. I’ll take you to the hotel where he’s staying now."

"Thank you, Assistant Rhodes."

Celia Sterling followed Evan Rhodes toward the parking lot. Ahead of them, a discreet black van slowly drove up and stopped in the airport pickup area several dozen meters away, apparently waiting for someone. On the side of the vehicle, a simple yet unique Reishi mushroom crest was particularly eye-catching.

That was the totem of the Lowell Family.

’Who could be so important that the Lowell Family would come to the airport to pick them up personally?’

She stopped in her tracks.