Chapter 32: Connecting the Dots
Adam hadn’t expected to see Irene here, much less looking this troubled. Her face was drawn with tension, and for a moment he just watched her, lips pressed into a thin line.
Irene was the first to recover from their chance encounter. “Mr. Haven,” she said politely, breaking the silence. “What brings you
here?*
She wanted to ask where Thomas was his assistant was usually glued to his side.
“Just finished a business meeting with a client,” Adam replied simply. He didn’t ask about her own situation; he wasn’t one to pry into other people’s pain.
Irene’s expression smoothed back to its usual calm. She didn’t elaborate on why she was there either, just nodded and asked, “Heading back? Mind if I catch a ride?”
“Not at all. Adam’s response was brief but agreeable.
“Thanks. Nice to have a neighbor who appreciates quiet,” Irene said with a hint of a smile.
Thomas pulled up right on cue, looking slightly surprised to see Irene. “Dr. Sterling,” he greeted with a polite nod.
“Hey!” Irene lifted her hand in a casual wave. “Mind if I tag along?”
The car doors opened, and they settled into a comfortable silence for the drive home. Thomas steered them smoothly toward Emerald Garden Estate, the luxury car purring beneath them.
When they reached the villa, Irene stepped out quickly. “Thanks for the ride,” she said simply, then headed straight for her door without looking back.
In his study, Adam couldn’t get the scene from the restaurant out of his head. He’d caught glimpses through the windows – Irene facing down some guy in an expensive suit while an elderly man practically vibrated with anger. The whole thing had seemed… personal. Way more than just a business lunch gone wrong.
“The man with Dr. Sterling at lunch,” he said carefully, watching Thomas fidget by his desk. “He looked familiar.”
Thomas perked up like a puppy offered a treat. “Oh! That took me forever to figure out, but get this – that was Nathan Sterling. You know, from Sterling Group? Runs their Cloud City division?”
Something clicked in Adam’s mind. The Sterling Group had once been a powerhouse in Silver City, especially during Joseph Sterling’s reign. But after his son John took over, the family’s influence had started to wane. Nathan was actually considered the capable one among the younger generation – he’d helped pull the company back from the brink more than once, which had earned him quite a reputation among Silver City’s business elite. But what was their connection to Irene?
“And that elderly gentleman with them? The pieces weren’t quite fitting together yet.
“That’s the crazy part, sir.” Thomas was practically bouncing now, clearly excited about sharing his detective work. Alexander Sterling himself – the Sterling family patriarch!”
was Joseph
Now that was interesting. Adam’s fingers drummed thoughtfully on his wheelchair’s armrest. “What was Dr. Sterling doing with the Sterling family leadership?”
“You know, speaking of Dr. Sterling…” Thomas’s forehead scrunched up like he was solving a particularly tricky puzzle. “She
Chapter 32: Connecting the Dots
mentioned growing up in a working–class family, right? That remind me of something. The Sterling family had this huge scandal. years ago their real daughter was switched at birth and grew up with some fast–food workers, while they raised someone else’s child thinking she was their heiress.”
Thomas paused, his eyes going wide as pieces started falling into place. “Come to think of it, Dr. Sterling’s situation matches up perfectly with the Sterling heiress. Raised in a working–class family discovered her true identity around five years ago… His voice rose with excitement. “Wait a minute the Sterling heiress’s name was Irene too!
Adam’s fingers froze mid–tap. “You’ve seen the real heiress before?”
“Yes, back when the truth first came out.” Thomas nodded eagerly. But that Irene Sterling was so… different. Always looking down, kind of timid, nothing like our Dr. Sterling. The difference in presence was so stark, I never made the connection.” He straightened suddenly. “But people can change a lot in five years, especially after
“After what?” Adam’s voice had gone dangerously soft.
–
“Well…” Thomas shifted uncomfortably. “Shortly after her true identity came out, there was this huge scandal. The Sterling heiress got pregnant right before her engagement to Richard Vein – you know, from Vein Corporation? The Sterlings basically disowned her. And get this – her adoptive parents, the fast–food workers who raised her? They tried to blackmail the Sterlings when the truth came
out!”
Adam’s hands tightened on his armrests. Each new detail felt like another piece of a messed–up puzzle falling into place. “So both families rejected her.”
“Pretty much.” Thomas grimaced. “She disappeared right after that whole mess, then shows up five years later as this amazing surgeon…” His voice trailed off as he caught the dangerous glint in his boss’s eyes.
Adam sat perfectly still, but Thomas could practically feel the fury radiating off him. In all their years together, he’d never seen his boss react like this to someone else’s story.
“Sir?” he ventured carefully.
“This information stays between us.” Adam’s voice could’ve frozen fire. “Don’t mention any of this in front of her or her kids.”
Thomas nodded quickly and left. Alone in his study, Adam watched the city lights flicker in the distance. The image of Irene kept replaying in his mind – how she’d faced down her brother without flinching, that quiet strength in her bearing that spoke of battles fought and won alone.
His grip tightened on his wheelchair as unfamiliar emotions warred in his chest. Anger at the Sterling family’s cruelty, respect for the woman who’d rebuilt herself from nothing, and something else something that felt dangerously close to admiration. She hadn’t just survived their rejection; she’d thrived. Built a medical career, raised three brilliant children, carried herself with a dignity that made her so–called noble family look small in comparison.
Adam wasn’t a man given to getting involved in other people’s drama. But something about Irene’s story had gotten under his skin. Maybe it was her resilience, or those kids who somehow managed to charm everyone they met. Or maybe it was just t
Thomas nodded quickly and left. Alone in his study, Adam watched the city lights flicker in the distance. The image of Irene kept replaying in his mind – how she’d faced down her brother without flinching, that quiet strength in her bearing that spoke of battles fought and won alone.
His grip tightened on his wheelchair as unfamiliar emotions warred in his chest. Anger at the Sterling family’s cruelty, respect for the woman who’d rebuilt herself from nothing, and something else something that felt dangerously close to admiration. She hadn’t just survived their rejection; she’d thrived. Built a medical career, raised three brilliant children, carried herself with a dignity that made her so–called noble family look small in comparison.
Adam wasn’t a man given to getting involved in other people’s drama. But something about Irene’s story had gotten under his skin. Maybe it was her resilience, or those kids who somehow managed to charm everyone they met. Or maybe it was just the simple truth that sometimes the strongest people were the ones who’d been broken and put themselves back together.
Either way, as he sat there in the quiet of his study, Adam realized he was starting to see his doctor in a whole new light.
