Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 401

Carlson Sterling solemnly lit the second memorial candle.

Summer immediately bowed her head toward the family memorial, silently pleading in her head: *To all the esteemed ancestors of the Sterling family, considering all the times I was punished by kneeling in this very hall, cleaning your plaques, organizing your tributes, and meticulously handling your affairs, please, I am begging you... do not let this candle snap...*

Seeing his mother praying with such intense dedication, Leo Vance immediately followed suit, bowing his head and repeating a desperate mantra in his mind: *Don't snap, don't snap, don't snap...*

Catching the mother and son praying out of the corner of her eye, Zelda Sterling let out a cold, internal sneer. *She talks such a big game, yet here she is, desperately begging the ancestors to let the candle snap so they can stay in the family.*

Truthfully, Zelda wasn't completely obsessed with kicking Leo out of the Sterling family, but Summer was simply too infuriating.

She used to play the perfectly obedient daughter-in-law, but now her true colors were fully on display—sharp-tongued, vicious, and even bold enough to physically strike Zelda.

She was raising Leo to be just as much of a disaster. The old Leo was always so composed and mature for his age, treating everyone with flawless manners and aristocratic grace.

Whenever they dressed him in his tailored little suits and fixed his bowtie, he radiated the aura of a true billionaire heir. Everyone who met him praised his upbringing.

Look at him now. Summer had completely ruined him.

However, considering the boy was permanently deaf and paralyzed, if the candle snapped again this time, she secretly decided she wouldn't push for his removal from the family ledger anymore.

She would consider it fulfilling her duty as his grandmother for the past few years.

Completely oblivious to Zelda's internal monologue, Summer and Leo continued praying with everything they had, desperately hoping the Sterling ancestors would grant them their freedom.

But there was one other person in the room praying just as fervently: Lilith.

Her internal mantra was exactly the same: *Don't snap, don't snap, don't snap...*

Seeing Summer and Leo praying with their heads bowed, Lilith smugly assumed they were praying for the exact opposite. Panicking that their combined willpower might somehow snap the candle again, she started chanting frantically in her head: *Don't snap, don't snap, don't snap...*

Perhaps the sheer volume of people praying for the candle to survive actually worked, because by some absolute miracle, the ancestors pulled through. The second candle burned flawlessly to the very end.

A look of pure, unadulterated joy exploded across Summer and Leo's faces. They instantly locked eyes and threw their hands up for a massive high-five.

Smack!

The sound of their hands colliding echoed sharply through the dead-silent memorial wing. The entire Sterling family instantly whipped their heads to stare at them.

Summer was practically glowing, her eyes curved into ecstatic crescents. Beaming, she eagerly urged, "The candle survived! Come on, let's move to the next step!"

Zelda stared in pure shock: *?* Why the hell is Summer so thrilled? Shouldn't she be breaking down in tears right now?

Lilith narrowed her eyes in confusion: *?* Is Summer trying to use reverse psychology to trigger Xavier's rebellious streak and make him stop the ceremony?

Xavier's brows crashed together: *?* He couldn't even figure out what he was feeling right now. Did he actually want Leo wiped from the family ledger, or did he want to keep him?

But one thing was undeniably clear: he was profoundly unhappy right now.

Especially after seeing the raw, brilliant joy radiating from Summer and Leo. The darker his mood became, the more suffocating the tension in the room grew.

Perhaps it was nothing more than a man's fragile, pathetic ego.

Sensing the dangerous shift in Xavier's mood, Lilith's heart flared with annoyance.

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