Chapter 836

The day they left New York, the sky was crystal clear, without a single cloud.

Evelyn Ross and Mason Evans rode in one car.

Alexander Vance and Natalie Castillo got into another.

The two vehicles maintained some distance, facing each other from afar.

Evelyn looked toward Alexander's direction.

The sunlight behind him was too dazzling.

She instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes, finally seeing his face clearly.

He was gazing quietly at her, his expression carrying an indescribable sense of peace.

Evelyn curved the corners of her lips into a smile for him.

The man seemed to pause for a moment.

Then, the aloofness in his eyes and brows softened.

He waved at her.

Both cars started simultaneously.

They drove out of the main gate.

At the fork in the road, they diverged, heading toward completely different directions.

For some reason, Evelyn suddenly looked back.

Alexander's car was already fading into the distance.

At that very moment, the window on his side rolled down.

He was also looking back.

Evelyn smiled again and waved at him.

Yet, an imperceptible, faint ache inexplicably stirred in her heart.

This was their first real separation since coming to New York and resolving all their misunderstandings.

Before this, he had practically set aside all his work.

He had been by her side every day like a dedicated chauffeur, the two of them inseparable.

Now, this sudden parting actually made her feel somewhat unaccustomed to it.

This was the first time she had shown such a vivid expression in front of others.

Thinking this, the corners of Alexander's lips unconsciously lifted.

They each rolled up their windows.

The cars continued forward.

A smile still lingered on Evelyn's face.

Mason Evans glanced at her and couldn't help but speak.

"Look at you, so hopeless."

Evelyn looked back at him.

Before, she had mistakenly thought Mason had feelings for her.

Later, she learned the person he truly admired was actually Grace Sterling.

Since then, their interactions had become much more natural and relaxed.

Evelyn pouted.

"You wouldn't understand. Single person."

Mason laughed.

"I am single. But do you think becoming a son-in-law of the Sterling Family is that easy?"

Evelyn was taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

"If you marry him and still can't have a child after three years, the Sterling Family will demand you find another man."

Evelyn was speechless.

She frowned.

"Don't talk nonsense."

Mason's expression gradually turned serious.

"Do I look like I'm joking? The Sterling Family is truly capable of such things. Why do you think your sister was so desperate to have a child? Because the Sterling Family heirs are becoming fewer with each generation! In the next generation right now, only you have a Chloe by your side! That is your biggest advantage in competing for the heir position!"

Evelyn fell silent.

Why did this feel like competing for a throne?

Having a child had become a bargaining chip?

Mason lowered his gaze.

"Don't think I'm exaggerating. Why do you think the women of the Sterling Family all crave freedom? Why do you think your mother preferred to leave the Sterling Family for so many years rather than return? Because... returning means being reduced to a breeding tool! Guess why the successful heir can come and go from the Sterling Family freely, while the failed ones must stay? What do you think they stay there to do?"

Evelyn's pupils contracted slightly.

"You mean..."

"That's right. They are constantly having children. This is also why your mother fled back then. Your mother has a highly fertile constitution, a rarity in the Sterling Family for many years. To continue the Sterling Family bloodline, they would never let her go. They would force her to have child after child. Having you and your sister wasn't enough. They would have made her keep going... The Sterling Family must pass on their genetic lineage!"

Evelyn's face darkened.

"The Sterling Family is matriarchal, yet they treat women as breeding tools?"

Mason looked out the car window.

"Because the Sterling Family bloodline must not be broken. This is an inescapable fate for all Sterling Family members."

Evelyn clenched her fists.

"No bloodline is absolutely unbreakable. Think of those feudal dynasties. Which one didn't eventually come to an end? The Sterling Family has lasted over a thousand years. That's already remarkable."

Mason shook his head again and sighed softly.

"You still don't understand. Come back to the Sterling Family with me this time and see for yourself. Only then will you know what the Sterling Family is truly like."

Evelyn's brow remained tightly furrowed.

Finally, she nodded.

The car soon arrived at the dock.

Evelyn and Mason got out and boarded a luxury cruise ship.

The cruise ship carrying Alexander Vance and Natalie Castillo was in France.

They had just boarded a flight headed there...

Keeping outsiders from pinpointing the Sterling Family's exact location was their highest-level secret.

Evelyn and Mason boarded the cruise ship.

After entering their respective reserved suites, the ship slowly departed from the port.

This cruise ship carried thousands of passengers.

The "disappearance" of two Chinese passengers wouldn't cause much of a stir.

Moreover, Mason and Evelyn had instructed the stewards not to disturb them for the entire week.

After settling in briefly, Evelyn went out to the deck where she had arranged to meet Mason.

Mason looked her over.

"You didn't bring any electronic devices, right? Don't try your luck. You simply can't bring them onboard."

Evelyn nodded.

"I know."

An indeterminate amount of time passed.

Perhaps several hours, perhaps over ten hours.

When the cruise ship sailed into a pitch-black, deep stretch of sea, a faint glimmer of light suddenly appeared on the distant horizon.

Evelyn was just wondering what it was when she heard Mason speak.

"The Sterling Family has come to pick us up."