The Rose He Showed Off Is Putting Down Roots in a Garden of Her Own novel Chapter 207

The next morning, just as Elara headed downstairs to leave for the office, a messenger bearing a black-bordered envelope walked through the door.

Elias Sterling had passed away at dawn.

He wasn't just an ordinary elder.

He was the bedrock of the Sterling family.

The patriarch who had helped forge the nation's foundations in his youth.

The great sheltering tree of the Sterling dynasty had fallen.

Elara was still technically Mrs. Sterling, the eldest daughter-in-law. She immediately went back to her room, changed into mourning attire, and drove straight to The Sterling Ancestral Manor.

-

Zane had been too terrified of a lecture to return to the family manor the previous night, so he stayed at The Sovereign.

Naturally, his father called him first thing in the morning.

Zane hesitated for a long moment before picking up. "Dad."

"You can run from the monk, but you can't run from the temple."

"I didn't run," Zane muttered defensively. "I just had dinner with Nadia last night. It got a little late, so I didn't drive all the way back."

"I am not your mother, so spare me the theatrics," Warren said coldly.

Zane doubled down. "I really was having dinner with Nadia."

"And casually assaulting another man's wife on the side?"

Zane fell dead silent.

"You're a grown man, and I have no desire to scold you. But you need to be thorough when you do things. Don't go making enemies everywhere just to satisfy your own selfish urges."

"I understand, Dad."

The Sterlings, the Nevilles, and even the Suttons—with one reckless move, he had managed to offend practically everyone.

With that out of the way, Warren moved to the real issue. "The Sterling patriarch passed away this morning. You must find time to pay your respects today."

Zane stiffened. The patriarch was the absolute pillar of the Sterling family.

The old man had fought on the front lines. Whenever the younger generation got into trouble, the authorities would often turn a blind eye out of sheer respect for him. With him gone, all those untouchable favors and loyalties would vanish overnight.

Because he was a decorated hero, the people in power never wanted to appear ungrateful, but relationships always cooled when the linchpin died.

"I understand, Dad. I'll head over after handling a few things at the office."

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