I Slept with My Boss and Ran Away

The mysterious and sudden death of Bianca puzzled many, primarily because her illness struck peculiarly and worsened too quickly. William remarked, "Look at me, smoking and drinking daily. The doctor warned me to stop, or I'd meet the King of Hell, yet here I am, still alive and kicking." Markus added, "Mrs. Chaucer was indeed in good health before her passing. If it were an accident, that would be understandable, but falling into a severe coma so suddenly and nearly dying doesn't add up without some inside story."

Forrest Landwright commented with a hint of regret, "She's gone, and all we can do is talk about it privately." Terrence Sterling put down his glass, lit a cigarette, and said, "I get what you all mean. This happened out of the blue. The autopsy showed that my mother-in-law died from organ failure due to an overload caused by excessive medication. As for why she fell so severely ill, there's no conclusion yet. The doctors mentioned her diet and routine could have been contributing factors."

The group sighed deeply, "Such a pity. Mrs. Chaucer was a rare business genius." After a moment of regret, they resumed eating and drinking. Terrence Sterling excused himself to take a phone call. Knowing the hallway was under surveillance, he deliberately avoided the cameras and stepped out to a quiet, small balcony.

Ethan Channing, noticing Terrence Sterling's absence on the surveillance feed, panicked and sent his men to check the private room. He was not there. Just like that, he disappeared right under Ethan's watch. Ethan personally went to look for him, descending from the top floor and following the last known path of Terrence Sterling seen on the cameras, heading towards an area without surveillance.

Suddenly, Ethan spotted half a shoe sticking out on the small balcony ahead. Cautiously approaching, a tall figure emerged from behind the balcony wall, startling Ethan. "Looking for me?" Terrence Sterling, with a cigarette dangling from his lips and a devilish grin, his gaze sharp as a knife, asked.

"Uh, I..." Ethan stammered, quickly thinking on his feet, "I just came here for a smoke." Terrence Sterling didn't expose him but moved aside to make room. The small balcony was just spacious enough for two grown men to stand and smoke. Ethan, trying to act composed, reached for his pocket and realized he had forgotten his lighter.

"Need this?" Terrence offered his lighter. Ethan's expression stiffened as he muttered, "Thanks." Realizing how politely he was acting towards Terrence Sterling felt unusual, given their enmity. Lighting a cigarette, he inhaled deeply, his mind settling.

"This place isn't easy to find, brother, how did you get here?" Ethan attempted to make casual conversation. Terrence Sterling looked him over, "You seem familiar. Have we met before?" Ethan, slightly panicked but regaining his composure, replied, "Probably not. You look like someone from high society, and I wouldn't have had the chance to meet someone of your caliber."

"Must be my mistake then," Terrence smoked quietly, then said, "You don't seem ordinary yourself, brother. What do you do?" "Just in sales, trying to make a living," Ethan responded, not revealing his true identity as the club's owner behind the scenes. Terrence Sterling glanced at Ethan, his words carrying an undertone, "It's tough doing anything these days. Life is precious, take care of it."

Patting Ethan on the shoulder, Terrence walked away, having intentionally vanished from the cameras to see Ethan's intentions. Indeed, Ethan came looking for him. Terrence didn't recall any past conflicts with Ethan, and the nature of Ethan's relationship with Joy Chaucer would require further investigation.

After Terrence left, Ethan extinguished his cigarette, haunted by a memory of a car accident ten years ago that killed his parents on the spot. Ethan was abroad at the time and rushed back only to find out that the car belonged to Terrence Sterling. With no surveillance or dashcam footage available, the police claimed it was Terrence's driver at the wheel. Ethan, unable to accept this, investigated and found that the driver wasn't even in Auroraville at the time. He believed that Terrence had bribed the police to have his driver take the blame.

"Terrence Sterling," Ethan muttered through clenched teeth, his eyes flickering with hatred as he watched Terrence walk away.