Chapter 481

Chapter 481: It Definitely Wasn’t a Coincidence

Clarence put his focus on Lyndon all these times.

But details about what happened 20 years ago were slowly resurfacing and there were many doubtful points about that explosion.

Stella's mother managed to escape, and Lyndon was unconscious in the hospital for 3 months. She could've gone to Cameron or go to someone else she knew, but she didn't. She brought her daughter with her and married a rascal.

Maybe Jeffrey wasn't a rascal back then, but Stella's mother's decision was bizarre.

Unless she was afraid of getting discovered, or maybe, she couldn't help it...

No matter what happened, this wasn't planned by Lyndon who was lying unconscious in the hospital.

Not to mention that Lyndon thought they had died in the explosion.

Stella tried to ask, "The same year?"

Clarence hummed, "When Justin got into the car accident, the Conrad family's driver and the driver who caused the accident died immediately on the scene. Justin was the only survivor, but his lower limbs were paralyzed, and he couldn't stand again after that."

How... did the accident happen?

The other driver was driving under influence.

Stella frowned upon hearing it, "2 people died in that car accident, both of them were probably not driving slowly. The other driver was driving under influence, but what about the Conrad family's driver? Justin was in the car, so why was he driving so fast?"

Clarence smiled, "You're smart."

She said, "Tell me properly."

Clarence was always playing around.

Clarence continued saying, "Here's the problem. They checked the scene for traces after the accident and didn't find any brake marks on the road."

So, the cars just collided without stopping. She paused and continued saying, "If that's the case, then it's obvious that it's not an accident. Your... Did Master Conrad launch an investigation?"

He did, but couldn't find anything. The driver worked with us for many years. He didn't have a family and there was no motive. The other driver that caused the incident just got promoted as a department manager. He was going home after a celebration, so he didn't have a motive either. Hence, the accident was considered as a coincidence.

Stella continued frowning, "It seems like they didn't have a motive, but..."

Something was off.

Clarence then said, "I also investigated this incident a few years back and couldn't understand what happened. But now, at least I know a bit more about it."

What do you know?

The Conrad family and the Steward family got into trouble the same year, it definitely wasn't a coincidence. Clarence tapped his finger on the steering wheel, he said casually, "It only made sense that someone else was behind all of these. And the two drivers, there had to be something about them that we couldn't think of right now."

Stella thought that this would be all over after Lyndon showed his true colors.

But it was just the beginning.

Suddenly, Clarence's phone rang. He stopped his car on the roadside and picked it up, "Yes?"

Stella couldn't hear the conversation. Clarence frowned and he seemed tense.

Stella got worried, after he hung up the call she quietly asked, "What happened?"

Clarence said in a wintry tone of voice, "Jeffrey is dead."

Stella was taken aback, she couldn't believe her ears.

She stood in front of Jeffrey's body. His body was green and his limbs were tense.

Stella finally realized that he was gone for good.

The police said, "When we found him, he had already died for a while. The preliminary judgment was that he committed suicide. We had to wait for an autopsy report to really know what happened." Stella closed her eyes, she felt weak.

She wanted to see if she could find out more from him, but now he couldn't answer her questions anymore.

Clarence hugged her from behind, he said, "A person like him, he's better off dead."

They got out of the prison and Stella said, "I'm all done here. You can go back to your office now."

Clarence said, "You should always have a mirror with you."

Stella asked, "Why?"

Clarence answered, If you can see the expression on your face right now, you wouldn't be able to force yourself to say something like that."

Clarence always said one thing after another.

He held her hand and said, "Come, I'll bring you somewhere to relax."

It's raining, where are we going?

Stella would never have thought that Clarence would bring her to go rock climbing.

She stood there and remembered some unhappy things, she turned towards Clarence and looked at him expressionlessly, "How am I supposed to relax with this?"

He smiled, "You want to be more adventurous? If this is not enough, we can go bungee jumping next time."

Such an idiot.

Stella learnt her lesson from last time. The worker brought the equipment over and Stella said, "You put it on too. We'll go up together."

Clarence frowned, "Oh, don't miss me too much."

Stella pushed him, "Hurry up."

Otherwise, he would take advantage of her again like last time.

Soon, they were fully equipped.

Stella pulled onto the string and climbed up slowly after Clarence started to climb up.

Stella was as slow as a turtle. Clarence suddenly got in front of her and looked at her, he was climbing without breaking a sweat. He smiled as he asked, "Do you need help?" Stella gritted her teeth, "No need!"

She looked down and thought that she improved quite a bit compared to last time.

The rock wall here wasn't as high as last time. It shouldn't be a problem for her to climb all the way up.

Stella took a deep breath and was determined to reach the top.

But she overestimated herself. Her hands were jelly halfway to the top.

Suddenly, she missed a part and lost her balance. She was about to fall to the side when suddenly someone grabbed her waist and hugged her into their arms. Stella looked over in puzzle, "I thought you were up there, since when did you come down?"

Is that important?

Clarence grabbed her waist and looked down, "Do you want to head down?"

Stella looked at him silently and decided to ignore him.

She knew that he was waiting for her here on purpose.

But she was prepared this time. He would stay here and as long as she kept holding on to him, he would get exhausted and couldn't climb up anymore after that. Clarence smiled upon noticing that Stella was hugging him tightly, "Are you afraid?"

I'm not afraid, I'm just...

She gave up explaining and didn't bother to say anything.

Clarence said, "I don't mind you hugging me like that, but I'm not going to be responsible if this gets on the news tomorrow.”

Only then, Stella looked back and noticed people taking photos of them.☐☐

Chapter 482: But My Mood Has Become Worse

There were more youngsters in this climbing gym, and a lot of people were able to recognize Stella. They saw who was accompanying her, and although they couldn't discern Clarence's face, but judging from the way Stella was hugging him so tightly, they could make their guesses.

Those people were exclaiming discreetly and at the same time they were snapping away with their phones.

Stella had thought of all the possibilities but she didn't imagine it would turn out like this.

She buried her head into Clarence's embrace and whispered, "Go down now!"

Clarence had one arm wrapped around her as he said nonchalantly, "I can do just that, but did you forget about something?"

Stella gnashed her teeth, "You must be doing this on purpose."

How is that so? Isn't you the one who shove me here?

But still...

Stella wanted to argue, but she also realized that this was not a place to have this conversation. She stealthily pinched him in the waist and urged, "Faster!"

Clarence managed a soundless response and he immediately said by her ears, "Darling, did I tell you before that you can't simply touch a man's waist?"

From his intonation, it seemed that he was not planning to go down just yet.

Seeing that the atmosphere was slowly becoming ambiguous and people were starting to gather, Stella found it impossible to speak loudly, "Can we talk once we get home?" "Since when did you ever call me by that whenever we are home?"

I promise that this time I would do it.

Clarence just watched her with an undecipherable expression, and suddenly he said, "If you can promise me that you will call me 'darling' every day, then I will consider your suggestion." Stella didn't know what to say.

This bastard was really pushing his luck.

Before she could refute, Clarence urged her, "How is that? Have you made up your mind?"

Stella said with resignation, "Did you even give me a chance to think through that?"

It's not like I don't want to give you time to think. Those people don't allow that.

More and more people were gathering together, and at the same time they had wasted too much time here. If photos of this scene were leaked, the effect of the spread would be unthinkable. Stella bobbled her head furiously, "Alright, alright. I promise you."

After hearing that, the corner of Clarence's mouth lifted. He raised his hand to tug at the rope and said to her, "Hold me tight."

Stella was already hugging him tight, and upon his command, she immediately shut her eyes and wrapped her hands around his waist.

In the next two seconds, she suddenly felt her whole body dropping through air.

But in no time, her feet reached solid ground once again.

She quickly let go of Clarence and heaved a sigh of relief.

Clarence chuckled while helping her with the climbing gear, "You're treating me as a one-time only tool?"

Stella didn't feel like entertaining him.

At that moment, a worker came by, "Mr. Conrad, shall we deal with that?"

Clarence turned around and looked at that worker, "No need for that. Tell them that I'm paying for everything tonight. They can keep the photos to themselves for own amusement, but tell them not to spread them out to the public and waste public resources."

Was he crazy? Who in their right minds would keep those for amusement?

The worker managed a response before going to disperse the crowd.

Clarence shot a glance at the clock, "Want to see a movie?"

Stella replied, "Thanks for the invitation, but I'm not going now."

You said that you want to bring me here for relaxation, but my mood has become worse. Clarence raised his brows, "Is that so? Why do I feel like you are in a great mood?"

Stella couldn't resist to kick him before turning around to leave.

Clarence caught up to her and grabbed her arm, "Then we'll go home."

After the previous twists and turns, Stella's limbs were losing strength, putting aside the mental fatigue she was experiencing.

Now she only wanted to take a hot bath at home and lie in bed comfortably.

While on the way, Daniel called her to inform her about the end of the funeral.

About today's incident, if they weren't there to help shorten the tedious process, they wouldn't know how long they were going to deal with the situation.

Stella held her phone in his hands and mulled over something. In the end, she decided to say it, "Jeffrey is dead."

At the other end of the phone, Daniel obviously didn't expect this news. He was only able to reply after some moments of silence, "Have you seen his body?"

Stella mumbled a yes and continued, "I have seen it. They say he's killed himself. We are waiting for forensics to confirm it."

Daniel continued after some hesitation, "He really deserves to die, but he still has it too easy with the way he died."

Stella didn't say anything to that. After some banter, she hung up the phone.

Just after she hung up, Clarence's voice came, "Are you suspecting that this was their doing?"

Stella froze for a moment, "What?"

Clarence added, "I'm talking about Jeffrey's death."

Stella pursed her lips and nodded lightly.

She would never believe that someone like Jeffrey would kill himself.

Therefore, there were two possibilities concerning his death. He was either wiped out by someone lurking in the dark or he was simply killed by William.

She had told Daniel otherwise because in fact she wanted to sound him out.

But from the looks of him, he was in the dark.

Clarence then added, "It's not unusual that you will think as such. Based on what Jeffrey has done, he deserved to be killed hundred times over."

Stella said in a soft voice, "No matter who is the culprit, the fact that Jeffrey has dropped dead out there will for sure incite some suspicion from various parties. However, if he died in the prison, then there wouldn't be so much as a flutter of the leaves around him. If..."

If she were William, in order to prevent the escalation of things, she would also choose to send that man back to prison before getting into action.

Just when Stella was immersed in her musings, Clarence's voice came again, "Based on your understanding of him, do you think that he would do that?"

Stella shook her head, albeit a little unsure.

In fact, she didn't know much about William.

In the few instances they had met in the past, William gave her the impression of a gentleman, but obviously that was just what her eyes saw.

He was coming for revenge, so there was no way his real personality was how he made it out to be.

Furthermore, no matter how kind someone was deep down, after that miserable tragedy and with the passing of twenty years doing nothing, lying in wait, was it possible that that person would not change? After some time, Stella began again, "I think he's not the killer."

Clarence replied, "Oh?"

Even if he wanted to kill Jeffrey, he wouldn't do it at this timing. Like you said, there are a lot of unanswered questions about this man. No matter how much he hated Jeffrey, he wouldn't be acting so impulsively, and like Daniel said too, it is an easy way out for Jeffrey with the way he died.

Clarence lifted the corner of his lips, "You are right on mark."

Stella frowned, "If that's the case, then it must be that group who killed Jeffrey."

Clarence said, "Since they chose this timing to kill Jeffrey, this tells us that there was something about Jeffrey that the group is guarding against. That's why they have killed him off so hastily. This also proves that our guesses up until now are right on mark."

Stella nodded very lightly. He was speaking the truth.

Seeing that there was still a frown on her face, Clarence drew his finger and struck the middle part in between her brows, "That's enough, you should stop talking about those things. Think about what you have promised me, and remember that it is too late to go back on that promise."☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 483: Would I be Unwilling?

After going back home, Stella's weak point was finally caught by Clarence. She was forced to address her as "darling" for the whole night.

In the end, she even had the idea of killing him because of it.

After resting at home for a week, Stella decided to go visit the psychologist.

If this was a psychological problem, whether it was anxiety of other sort, she should seek the correct path of treatment. Otherwise, she couldn't predict the next time she would repeat that episode again where her emotion lost control and her mind went into a frenzy and was shrouded in insecurity.

The night before she made this decision, Stella broached this topic with Clarence.

Upon hearing that, Clarence's furrowed his brows slightly and only replied after a few seconds, "If you think that you still can't solve your emotional problems, I will rearrange my work schedule and we will go on a trip. There's no need for you to see the psychologist."

Stella retorted seriously, "I think I am sick. It's not just about whether my emotions could be soothed, and it is definitely not something a trip can resolve."

Clarence seemed dissatisfied with her explanation, "You are not sick. You just think too much."

Overthinking is a sickness. Stella retorted again, "If I didn't think so much, I won't have the illusion that my child is still alive, and he is right in front of me. It is precisely because I have such a thought that I would lose control and couldn't let go of such things."

Clarence didn't say anything in response.

His lips were pressed into a line, and he didn't make a sound.

Stella continued, "Besides, you have some responsibility on this sickness too."

Clarence felt his tongue poking his teeth and his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He looked at her and said slowly, "Oh?"

If you didn't tell me that you are going to bring my child away time and again, my mind won't wander to that area too.

Then, do you want to bring the child away?

Stella looked at him without any expression, "See, it's starting again."

Clarence let out a slight chuckle as he clasped her shoulders, "Stella, this is not a sickness. You just want a child too much."

I didn't think like that. I just...

You want it.

Stella couldn't say anything to that.

Clarence clasped his hand around the back of her head and pressed his lips on hers, "You don't need to see the psychologist to treat your sickness. I can cure you myself."

Stella placed her arm in between them, "I am talking about something serious, now."

And I am doing something serious with you. Clarence moved her arm away and kissed her fingers. He said lazily, "I told you before, no matter it's the matter of your craving for a children or you liking that little bastard, I can make it happen for you."

Stella felt a huge wave of fatigue sweeping over her, "I said, don't give me false hopes."

What false hopes?

You never like children, but why you keep bringing me to see that unrelated...

Clarence interrupted her, "Stella, it's not that I don't like children. I just like you a lot."

Stella didn't see this coming as she was slightly stunned.

Clarence's deep eyes were boring a hole in her as he said lazily, "So, I will like everything that you like. Whether it's a child, or any other thing." Stella stared deep into his depthless eyes but she couldn't sense any mischief or deception. All there was to them was a deep sense of tranquility. She felt herself getting persuaded by him.

Before she could provide a response, Clarence's lips came assaulting her again.

Finally, when Clarence was about to get up and fetch something from the head of the bed, Stella pulled him, "Don't take that.”

Clarence's voice was deep, "Hmm?”

Didn't you just say that... you can give a child to me?

That time in Aqock, they didn't use condom either, but it seemed that she failed to get pregnant.

Clarence didn't move an inch for a while, seemingly deep in some thoughts.

Stella turned around and said, "If you are unwilling, we can forget about this."

Clarence body was suspended above her as his voice turned hoarse, "When did I say that I am unwilling?"

Although things had become complicated lately, it was a fortunate thing that more and more people were able to protect her.

Is she successfully had his baby, it wouldn't affect anything.

At least, the baby would only be born in ten months. That amount of time was enough for him to deal with everything perfectly.

After a night of tireless endeavor, Stella was only able to wake up by noon the next day.

After thinking through things, she decided that it was unnecessary for her to visit a psychologist.

In the end, she had to overcome such obstacles. Everything was part of her effort to fortify her mentality.

However, since she had been resting for such a long time, she couldn't bear to stay indoors anymore. After she had her lunch, she headed to her workshop.

Just as she settled down on her seat, Sherry came barging in, "Stella, why don't you rest for another two days?"

Stella answered, "I think it's enough. If I continue to rest and do nothing, my limbs will degrade soon enough."

Sherry sat opposite her and sprawled herself over her desk, "Right, Horace came by yesterday. When he learnt that you were recuperating from sickness at home, he left without saying anything." Stella paused, "He... Did he disclose anything about his father?"

I asked, and he said that everything's fine. But from his face, I doubt that though. I am just in no position to ask anything more. That's all.

Stella nodded lightly, "If there isn't any new development, in most cases we can take it as good news."

Although there was nothing going on between Horace and her, due to that matter concerning Annie, the Jason family held some animosity towards her. No matter what kind of spin you put on it, what Rebecca had done would forever be a knot in her heart.

A lot of time had passed since that incident, and she didn't plan to bring that back anymore, but at the same time, it was hard for her to just forgive them.

There was no need for her to pay any visit to them, since it would only serve to aggravate the awkwardness between both parties.

Stella snapped out of her reverie, "Have you found a place?"

Sherry answered, "Yes, but I fear that Liam that mad dog would come pouncing onto me again. I specially found a place that is kind of far away."

Did Liam pester you during the time I was away?

He no longer does that. Finally I can have a break. Come Lunar new year, I need to go burn some incense in temples to thank the gods and deities for looking after me.

Stella laughed, "That's great then, if he stops looking for you. If you run into such trouble again, remember to ring me."

Sherry added, "What about you? Did you visit the doctor? What does the doctor says?"

Stella shook her head, "I didn't go. Maybe too many things happened a little while ago and caused me to have much stress. I will be better if I can be more at ease."

Sherry agreed, "I think so too. If I were you, I would be completely lost in the face of those things. You on the other hand had the bravery to go deep into the lion's deep and get the prized head. You are really the one and only heroine."

She then said, "It's all over anyway."

Sherry smiled, "That's what I mean. Now that everything has come to an end, your life will be easier soon. Speaking of which... did you find Phoebe?"

Maybe she's too good at hiding. Where on earth could she be hiding herself in?

Ever since Phoebe left Aurora's vicinity, all news were lost on her. This time, she had probably hidden herself in an unexpected place.☐☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 484: Make Up for It Little by Little

In the hospital, after Horace emerged from a ward, Rebecca and Tabitha immediately rushed towards him and asked worriedly, "Horace, how was it?"

Horace replied, "Dad is sleeping now. From the words of the doctor, he's recovering fine. You guys don't need to be too worried."

Tabitha let out a sigh as she sat down on a bench nearby, "You don't have to console me. I know too well about his condition. The hours he's remaining conscious has been decreasing, and he's out cold most of the time. How much better can he be?"

Horace squatted in front of his mother, "Mum, doctor said that he will make a slow recovery. You have been standing by in the hospital for too many days. You need to go home and rest."

What kind of rest do I need? Speaking of which, you have been back for a while but you haven't even gone home yet. Instead of just staying here, you are the one who is supposed to go back and rest. "Don't mind me. There are matters in the company for which I haven't dealt with..."

Horace. Rebecca's voice came, "Listen to your mum. Go back home now. With the way things are developing in our family, if you fall sick too, then we will really be at a loss."

Upon hearing that, Horace pursed his lips and got up slowly, "Alright. I'll back for now and come back later at night."

Just as he was about to leave, Tabitha grabbed his arm. Compared to before, her expression was a notch graver, "Horace, there is something I must tell you."

Tabitha made a horrified expression when she heard that, and she tugged at Tabitha's shirt, "Mum..."

Tabitha said, "Things have been moving on too fast. What else is there to do other than telling him? Furthermore, if he sees it by himself when he gets home, how do you want to explain it?"

Tabitha's face grew paler by the second, and she was stuttering, yet nothing coherent came out of her mouth.

Horace furrowed his brows lightly, "What happened?"

Tabitha said in a hushed tone, "Your sister has done something stupid previously. She has asked for someone to push Clarence's ex-wife into the water. It has caused some commotion at that time, but in the end she was saved and she was fine."

Horace's pursed lips slightly lifted as he said slowly, "I know about that."

However, it seemed that there was more to it than that.

Tabitha continued, "Your sister did pay her a visit to apologize, and we thought that was the end of it. However, nobody can foresee that such an incident has been used against the Jason family as a threat! Your sister couldn't sleep at all the past few days because of it, and she is much thinner now."

Rebecca was biting her lips, and she looked like it was hard to even say anything, "No matter what, I have done that, it is the absolute truth, and I will bear whatever consequences, come what may, but... You can see how father is doing now. The doctor said that he can't face any shock anymore. And besides, the Jason family is in such a predicament, and many factions are eyeing us to use our weakness against us. If this matter spread out of this place, that will spell the end of the Jason family!"

Horace asked, "Who is the one threatening you?"

It's... It's...

Seeing that she couldn't finish her reply, Tabitha helped her, "It's Phoebe."

Then, she let out a sigh, "I used to watch this kid grow up too. It's a fact that Rebecca was at fault, but now that she's using this to threaten us, we are afraid that your father will hear of this and it will shock him too much for his own good. Therefore, we never can tell him. We can only keep her with the Jason family for now."

Rebecca chipped in, "Horace, you might not know what has happened in the Steward family, she..."

Horace cut in, "I know."

He feared that Stella's safety would be compromised, so even though he was in Switzerland, he would update himself with news from his country.

Even though there might be instances where he would be late on the updates or he would not know the full details, but he wouldn't miss out on something so major that happened in the Steward family. Rebecca looked as if strength had dissipated from her body as she collapsed to the bench. She covered her face as she sobbed, "I am really at my wit's end now. Clarence's men are looking for her now, and if he found out that it was the Jason family who had hid away Phoebe, he would never let us go. Despite that, I am afraid to let father know of such news..."

Horace squatted down in front of her with a neutral expression, his lips pressed into a line. He only replied after some silence, "Sis, no matter what awaits us, you will always be part of the Jason family. We will brave through this with you."

But father...

I will send someone to watch over him and remind the doctors and nurses to prevent this piece of news from reaching his ears.

Tabitha frowned, "Are you prepared to give away Phoebe to Clarence? Have you thought about the consequences? If we do that, that might spell the end of the Jason family."

Horace answered indifferently, "The Jason family has long been an empty shell. If Stella didn't sacrifice herself to have bargaining chips with the Conrad family, the Jason family might be long gone." Tabitha was a little stunned, and she couldn't say anything to that.

After the end of the marriage contract with the Conrad family, they initially thought that the Jason family would meet its end, but they didn't imagine that the few projects that they were cooperating with the Conrad family didn't go against any terms of the contract.

Thanks to those projects, the Jason family could survive until today.

Horace continued, "We have a huge debt to pay to Stella anyway. Let's make up for it little by little, as much as we can."

Rebecca and Tabitha didn't say anything.

After some time, Horace asked, "Is Phoebe still with the Jason family?"

Rebecca nodded with her reddened eyes, "She is staying in the courtyard. Afraid that she might be found out by others, she has asked me to send things to her. But ever since dad was admitted to the hospital I have arranged for a maid to assist her, and I have taken special precaution to make sure the maid's mouth is zipped tight to prevent the information of Phoebe's staying from leaking."

Horace replied, "I got it now."

Seeing that he had stood up, Rebecca tug at his shirt, "Horace, what do you plan to do? Are we sending her to Clarence? If this kicks up some commotion, I am afraid that..."

Leave everything to me. I will be able to deal with this perfectly.

Upon hearing that, Rebecca slowly removed her hand.

After exiting the hospital, Horace sat into his car and called Clarence.

The call connected, and Clarence's emotionless voice came through, "Mr. Jason, you have some business with me immediately after returning to the country?"

Horace said bluntly, "Mr. Conrad, I have some matters to talk to you about."

I recall that there is nothing more that we should talk about.

Then I will go look for Stella.

Clarence remained silent.

He clicked his teeth and said, "Tell me."

Horace said, "I know where Phoebe is staying."

Clarence' stone seemed to deepen, "Where is she?"

At my place.

Clarence chuckled. Without needing to give it much thought, he knew why the Jason family was covering for Phoebe. His long fingers drummed the surface of his desk as he asked coldly, "Mr. Jason, are you going to place righteousness before family now?"

My father is sick now, and my mother and sister are worried about his condition. I can't let this incident escalate, so I have no choice but to be threatened by Phoebe. However, I can promise you that I will send her to your door step within today, Mr. Conrad.

Clarence slightly narrowed his dark eyes and he mumbled, "Good."

After hanging up the phone, Horace put down his phone and drove towards the Jason family home.

Chapter 486: Pay the Price for what You’ve Done

Since Mr. Jason was hospitalized, Rebecca and her mother basically did not return to their house. Although Rebecca had specially arranged a maid to deliver meals, Phoebe remained vigilant at all times. She had secretly inquired about the matter and found out that Stella did not met a car accident at all.

Despite of this, Clarence's people were still looking for her. She took the jewelries she got from Aurora and escaped from place to place. Finally, she arrived at the Jason family's house without alerting anyone. The good thing was that she did not have any contact with the Jason family for quite a long time already. Plus, the Jason family was facing difficulties and could not even secure themselves. Hence, Clarence did not suspect that she would stay with the Jason family.

However, staying here was not a long-term solution.

She had to find a way to get the Jason family to send her out of the country. Now that Horace was in Switzerland, the Jason family must have a way to send her away without being discovered by Clarence. Thinking of this, Phoebe called Rebecca, but no one answered the call.

Phoebe frowned, and a sense of irritation rose in her heart.

She could not go out now, and she did not know how Mr. Jason's condition in the hospital was right now.

If Rebecca wanted to avoid her on purpose, she might deliberately drag the time and would not come back at all.

When the sky darkened, footsteps came from outside the door.

But unlike before, these footsteps sounded steady and strong. It was obviously a man.

Phoebe grasped the fruit knife in her hand tightly and looked at the door warily.

Soon, the door was opened, and the slender figure of the man appeared in her sight.

When Phoebe saw his face, she frowned and said, "It's you."

After a pause, he said, "Why are you here? Uh, when did you come back?"

Horace stood at the door and looked at her quietly. His gaze gradually moved downwards and stopped on the fruit knife in her hand. "Ms. Steward, since you came and become the guest of the Jason's family, must serve you personally."

Hearing this, Phoebe remained alert. She looked at him coldly and said, "Since your sister told you that I'm staying here, then you should know the reason behind this. If those things about her are leaked to the public, it will bring great impact to the Jason family and Clarence will not her go too."

Horace smiled faintly, "Since you said so, I want to ask you a question. My sister and Stella have never talked to each other before, how did she know that Stella was pregnant?"

Annie told her.

Is that so? Horace continued, "How did Annie know?"

Phoebe remained silent and her expression got colder.

I'm sure that you know who caused this matter. Before you did these things, didn't you think that you will be in this kind of situation today?

Phoebe snickered, "I was framed by Stella for being in this situation today. It wasn't enough for her to only harm me, she even harmed the Steward family! Can't you see the picture? That woman used tricks to marry Clarence a few years ago, and now she is using tricks to slander me and my father. All of you are tricked by her but you never realized. Someday, the truth will be revealed!"

Horace spoke in an icy tone, "You claimed that you are slandered. But did Stella force you to do all these things?"

Phoebe was speechless for a moment. After a pause, she said coldly, "I just want her to reveal her true side."

Then you sent someone to do something in her, trying to create a car accident, so that she would die in an accident. You did this because you wanted to reveal her true side?

That's what she deserved! She took everything that belonged to me. She even made the Steward Group become what it is today. I just didn't expect that she didn't actually get in that car. Horace looked at her, he spoke in an emotionless tone, "Ms. Steward, you should be clear that no matter what, you have to pay the price for what you have done."

Phoebe laughed and said, "Fine, I will pay for what I did. What about your elder sister? Should she also pay for what she did?"

Hearing these words, the smile on Phoebe's face fainted a little.

Horace took a few steps backwards and the lights outside was turned on.

Only then did Phoebe realize that there were several people standing in the garden.

Among them, Clarence was there too.

Clarence stood in the dark, and his voice was tinged with cool chills, "Tell me, what did Stella take from you? Me?"

In an instant, Phoebe's expression become as ugly as it could be.

Clarence added, "If you have some self-awareness, you should know clearly that even without Stella, I still wouldn't be attracted by you."

He continued slowly, "So, I'm quite curious that what kind of emotion you're in when you say these words."

These words seemed to agitate Phoebe completely. She screamed, "You are just an illegitimate child! You have no right to look down on me! I'm the one who is not attracted by you!" Clarence smiled instead of anger, "I have to remind you one thing. You father, Charles, did not get married and had children. You're just an illegitimate daughter he took home when he had no choice. To say the least, it was you who snatched Stella's things. You took her identity and lived with it for twenty years."

You're talking nonsense!

When he saw her response, Clarence did not intend to continue dwelling with her. He tilt his head and said, "Mr. Jonathan, you should have heard the crime she confessed just now."

After saying that, Clarence turned around and left.

Before Phoebe could react, she saw several people in police uniforms walking towards her.

Her face turned pale instantly, and as she struggled, the fruit knife in her hand cut her cheeks. Blood smeared over half of her face.

In the backyard, only Phoebe's screams were heard.

After Clarence stepped out if the Jason family's house, he turned his head and looked at the man behind him. He said indifferently, "Why are you following me? Are you trying to tell me that I need to thank you for this?"

Without waiting for Horace to answer, Clarence continued, "You have hidden Phoebe for so long, I am already generous enough for not holding anyone accountable."

Horace said, "I will convey my apologies to Stella on behalf of my sister."

Clarence said, "I will pass your message to her, you don't have to go and find her."

After a few seconds, Horace laughed suddenly.

Clarence frowned unhappily, "What are you laughing at?"

I just didn't expect that you'll be so afraid of me seeing Stella. This shows that you have no confidence in the relationship between both of you.

Clarence, "Heh."

Horace continued, "Mr. Conrad, if you understand Stella's personality, you should know what kind of person she is. She will only give one chance to some specific things, so I hope that you'll cherish it." Clarence narrowed his eyes and said nothing.

I have to go to the hospital now. Goodbye, Mr. Conrad.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 487: Kids Are Really Cute

In the middle of the night, when Stella slept till semi-conscious, she felt the bed beside her sank slightly. Then, she fell into a warm embrace.

She closed her eyes, and her voice was filled with fatigue, "Did you just come back?"

Clarence said yes, patted her on the back lightly with his big palm, and said in a low voice, "Continue sleeping."

Stella habitually wrapped her arms around his waist and fell asleep again very soon.

In the darkness, Clarence kissed her on the forehead.

Now, Phoebe was caught, but Lyndon was still nowhere to be found.

He was like a time bomb, no one knew when it would explode.

Right now, the Steward Group's internal chaos had become a huge mess, and many accounts had been in deficit, A group of high-level managers quitted and left the company, leaving only employees who knew nothing.

If no one stood up to preside over the situation, the company that had stood firmly in City N for centuries, the family business that had been passed down several generations would collapse overnight. Its collapse would be seen as if it had never existed before. Many Steward Group's employees would also suffer a huge blow.

The person who caused these consequences was Lyndon.

Because of one person's selfish desire, thousands of people were harmed.

Regardless of how many times he died, it was not enough to compensate for what he had done.

The next day, when Stella's alarm clock rang, Clarence was no longer sleeping beside her.

She got up with a yawn, washed up and went out of the bedroom.

Alisa was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast, "Madam, you're awake. The meal will be ready soon."

Stella looked around, "Where is Clarence?"

Alisa said, "I just arrived, and Mr. Conrad left, saying that there is something in the company, and he asked me to tell you that he might be quite busy recently, and you don't have to miss him." Stella was speechless.

Who missed him!

Halfway through the meal, Stella suddenly remembered something and asked, "Alisa, did the family next door give birth to a baby?"

Alisa shook her head, "I'm not sure, I haven't seen anyone next door."

I haven't seen them either.

Alisa laughed, "If you like babies, you can have one too."

Hearing this, Stella paused and didn't say anything.

Seeing this, Alisa thought that Stella was thinking of the child she had before. She said cautiously, "Madam, did I say something wrong?"

Stella said, "No, I just think that kids are really cute."

For the last few times, Clarence didn't wear a condom when they did it, so she wasn't sure if she could get pregnant.

Just let God decide.

After the meal, Stella went to the studio.

After a rest, a lot of work had been backlogged.

Although fashion week was still a few months away, there were many things that needed to be determined in advance and must be prepared as soon as possible.

In the afternoon, Sherry came knocking on the door and asked in a low voice, "Stella, are you busy?"

Stella stretched out and said, "It's okay, what's wrong?"

There two people outside... They say they are employees of the Steward Group, and they want to see you.

Stella froze, "They are here to see me?"

Sherry nodded, "Yes, if you don't want to see them, I'll just reject their request."

It had been a while since the Steward Group's anniversary celebration.

Stella did not pay much attention to the Steward Group's affairs, but last night she saw the news saying that several major projects of the Steward Group were called to a halt. However, there was no one to lead the situation, which made the employees extremely panic.

Stella paused a while and said, "Let them in."

But what Stella didn't expect was that she knew both of them.

One was the leader who tried to get Madison drunk at the table before, Armand.

Another person was the single father that Madison once said she would introduce to her, Logan.

Compared to the time they met before, once Armand entered the office, he was very agitated, sobbing emotionally. He approached Stella and stretched out his hands to shake hers, "Ms. Radomil, I really thank you for taking the time to meet us although you have a busy schedule, I really..."

Stella avoided his hand and said lightly, "No need to be so polite, just go straight to the point."

Armand awkwardly wiped the sweat on his forehead and sat in the sofa, "During the last anniversary celebration, we only know that you are the real heir of the Steward Group. You must have heard about the current situation of the company, so we have no choice but to..."

Logan took over the conversation, "It's better for me to say it. Ms. Radomil, since the chairman disappeared, the Steward Group has become a mess. Whether it is the partners or the employees, they don't know what they will face in the future. They also don't know what the company will become. We can't make any decisions at all. Hence, we would like to ask you, what do you think about the Steward Group?" Stella said, "I don't have any relationship with the Steward Group.”

Armand said, "Yes, yes, yes. Those problems were created by the chairman... No, it's Lyndon. We can differentiate between good and bad. Naturally, we will not let you take over this mess. But thousands of employees in the company are innocent, as well as those large and small partners. All of them have a family to feed. Losing the company may be not a big deal to others, but for them, they have invested all their assets and energy into the company. This will lead to an unknown number of companies to go bankrupt and families to fall apart."

Hearing this, Stella frowned and did not speak.

Logan then added, "We also understand that you do not have any obligation to take responsibility for the employees, but that is not just thousands of people involved, but thousands of families." Armand continued, "Yes! The other senior members of the Steward Group have all run away. We have worked for so many years in this company, and the employees are like our family members. I really can't bear it."

After hearing this, Stella looked at him, "Your relationship with the employees is like a family?"

Armand thought that Stella was going to accept their request. He patted his thigh and said, "Isn't it right? We can't leave our family alone!"

Stella said "Oh", and continued, "Maybe I'm too ignorant or I've seen too little about the world, it was my first time seeing that someone will actually force their family members to drink and trying to harm her." In an instant, Armand's face was filled with indescribably embarrassment and awkward.

He forced himself to speak, "That... that was because I was drunk at the time and started to say nonsense. I hope that you won't take it to heart."

Logan also said, "Ms. Radomil, Mr. Bernard may have made some mistakes in certain aspects, but he has worked in the Steward Group for more than ten years, he must have feeling towards the company." "Logan is right. The Steward Group is considered as my home. Now, I'm going to lose my home. I can't possibly stand aside and do nothing," Armand sighed deeply, "If you are still mad about what had happened before, I can go..."

Stella interrupted him, "You guys came here to see me, so what do you want me to do?"

Chapter 488: He Already Had a Bargaining Chip in His Hand

After a moment of silence in the office, Logan spoke, "We hope that you can step in and take over the Steward Group, so that everyone can settle down and buy us more time."

What time?

Here's the thing, we and Mr. Bernard have been finding investors lately, trying to ease the Steward Group's temporary situation. However, nobody was in charge of the Steward Group at the moment, so no company is willing to invest, and the bank won't lend us money too.

Armand continued, "But if you take over the Steward Group, they will do the deal for your sake."

Stella didn't beat around the bush with him and said to the point, "Is it for my sake, or for Clarence's?"

Armand couldn't help but look at Logan, "Erm..."

Logan continued with ease, "We did think of asking for Mr. Conrad's help, but no matter what, Ms. Radomil, you are the Steward Group's rightful heir. As long as you can step in to succeed the Steward Group, not only will it put the employees and partners at ease, other companies and banks will also give the Steward Group another chance for the sake of the Steward Group's deceased chairman."

Armand said, "Yeah, yeah. Although I have never met the late chairman, I have heard a lot of rumours about him. He was the one who turned the tide and preserved the precarious Steward Group when it was almost being divided up. He had such deep feelings for the Steward Group. Now that he is no longer in this world, you're the only one who can save the Steward Group."

Armand and Logan sang the same tune.

They wanted to say in the end that they hoped that Stella would help the Steward Group for the sake of her father.

But what they didn't know was that her father was still alive.

It was impossible for him not to know what the Steward Group was like at the moment. He just let it go as he had probably given up all hope of the Steward Group. However, there was one thing that they were right about.

The thousands of the Steward Group's employees were so innocent.

Stella closed her eyes and suddenly felt the pulsing on her temples.

Ms. Radomil, we...

Armand still wanted to say something, but Logan stopped him just before he opened his mouth.

Logan said, "Ms. Radomil, we have said so much to you today, and I think you will need some time to consider it too. There's no hurry, and we will wait for your reply." Stella nodded gently, "Alright."

She indeed needed time to think about this matter properly.

After leaving the studio, Armand's words seemed to be filled with dissatisfaction, "We have gone through so much trouble to find her, and this is just like that?" Logan said, "Mr. Bernard, even if you forced her to agree to you today, do you think Clarence will let you off after he finds out about this?"

Armand hesitated for a while before snorting, "After it has become a done deal, and so many people are watching, can Clarence still go back on his word?" "You've underestimated Mr. Conrad at this point. The more anyone pushes him on something he doesn't want to do, the more counterproductive it will be." Armand snorted, "If it wasn't for the fear that this would end up on me, I wouldn't have made this trip and being at her mercy."

Although Lyndon had escaped, Armand still had his wife, children and all property here, and there was no way he could just flee without any preparation. Although he could hide for a while, someone else would still find him and ask him to explain.

What could he say?

What did he have to do with what Lyndon had done?

He had no choice but to join Logan and come to Stella.

As long as Stella agreed to take over the Steward Group, he would have less trouble.

Logan smiled, "Mr. Bernard, Ms. Radomil will always be the daughter of the Steward family no matter what. If the Steward Group can gather pace someday, we are also working for her."

Armand waved his hand, "It isn't that you aren't aware of the Steward Group's current situation that it is just a matter of delaying as long as possible. How can it be possible to survive? Stella can't even handle this. Letting her to take over is just a distraction for the outside world."

Logan narrowed his eyes and didn't say anything.

But compared to Armand, he was all at ease.

He already had a bargaining chip in his hand, so it wasn't hard to worry about getting out in one piece.

He was just wondering how he could use this bargaining chip to maximize his benefits.

Not long after, Armand spoke again, "It's not impossible for the Steward Group to resurrect itself too."

Logan was surprised hearing that, "How is that possible?"

Armand laughed loudly, patted Logan's shoulder and said while getting into the car, "Unless the dead Charles crawls out of the earth. Then there's still a slight chance with his capability."

Logan said, "Mr. Bernard, you must be joking. That Charles has been dead for years, hasn't he?"

That's why I said, the Steward Group can't even survive.

Saying that Armand pulled the car door shut, "Alright, I'll leave now. Just deal with it what happens next. I don't want to come here anymore."

Logan nodded slightly, "Take care, Mr. Bernard."

The car window in front of him rose, and the black vehicle slowly drove away.

Logan turned around and looked at the studio not far away. He curled his lips, calculating something.

Not long after, his mobile phone rang. Looking at the caller ID on it, Logan picked up the phone and said in a gentle voice, "Amanda, what's the matter?"

Hearing his voice, Amanda let out a breath, "I finally got out today. Are you working? If you're not busy, let's have dinner together tonight."

Sure. Logan pulled open the car door and added, "Speaking of which, you haven't told me where you guys have moved to."

Still in the neighbourhood, just moved next door to the boss.

Next door?

Amanda said, "Yes. When we moved here, I was quite afraid that the boss's girlfriend would find out. But the boss seemed to mean that the most dangerous place is the safest place." Amanda was no longer as guarded and wary as before after hanging with Logan for so long. And she would tell him everything.

Except for Clarence's identity, which she had always replaced with the boss.

Logan sat in the car and looked towards the studio, "Your boss is quite smart then."

Yeah, but last time I lost my swipe card, he got so mad. I was scared to death back then.

Why don't you quit your job? You can count on me. There's not much chance to see each other since you come out so less now.

Not yet. The boss is my benefactor. Just wait for a while longer, until the boss gets things sorted out.

Logan tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, "What exactly is your boss waiting for?"☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 489: They Are All Innocent

On the other end of the phone, Amanda said, "I don't know. This is the boss's business. I can't just simply ask him about it. But I heard before that this child was born prematurely because of the boss's family. His family's situation is quite complicated. I guess he wants to finish all those messy things at home."

So what's going on in his family won't get you involved, right?

No. Don't worry about it.

Logan withdrew his eyes, "Then I'll come and pick you up now."

Amanda said, "Alright."

After hanging up the phone, Logan tossed his phone aside and loosened his tie, looking a bit contemptuous.

After Armand and Logan left, Sherry walked in, "Stella, what are they seeking you for?" Stella pursed her lips, looking aimlessly ahead, "Something about the Steward Group." "The Steward Group? What happened to it?"

Since Lyndon ran away, no one manages the Steward Group and it's in a mess.

That has nothing to do with you either. What are they doing here looking for you?

Stella whispered, "They want me to step in and take over the Steward Group, just to get investments and bank loans for the Steward Group."

Sherry thought it was a scam, "Don't say yes. Whoever who takes over the Steward Group in such a state will get into big trouble. They can just do whatever they like, and it has nothing to do with you anyway." Stella hummed, "I also think so, but..."

Besides the thousands of the Steward Group's employees, many others were affected by this incident too. They are all innocent.

Sherry frowned hearing this, "That's true. That Lyndon is such a shit, not just harming everyone and also leaving such a big mess behind. But... Stella, this really doesn't have much to do with you. You don't need to take any responsibility, and you don't need to care at all."

Stella lowered her head, "I know."

Sherry sighed, looking at her.

Knowing was on the one hand and what to do on the other.

After a while, Stella suddenly said, "Sherry, are you still in contact with Daniel recently?"

Sherry's face turned slightly red, "No... Why should I have contact with him?"

They hadn't seen each other since the last funeral of Stella's mother.

That was good to avoid any troubles.

Stella said, "I want to talk to him."

Sherry tilted her head slightly, seemingly puzzled, "He has a solution to this matter?"

Stella didn't know what to say, and only after a pause did she say, "Just that... he would know more about the Steward Group's situation than I do."

Sherry nodded, "That's true. He had taken great pains to get close to Phoebe in the first place."

At that, Stella smiled, "Are you jealous?"

Nonsense... Why should I jealous of him. I just think he's quite capable, even Phoebe is fooled by him.

Stella said, "Fine. Then I'll go find him later. Do you want to join me?"

Sherry said, "No way I'm going. I have a blind date tonight."

Stella remembered this, and she was stunned, "It's today?"

Yeah, it's just a dinner anyway. After that I'll just find a reason to refuse, and we go our own way.

Stella nodded thoughtfully, "So when are you going?"

Sherry looked at the time, "The date is six o'clock, and I'll leave at about five thirty. It's close anyway, and it'll take me ten minutes to drive there."

Stella said, "That's good. Let me give you a lift."

No need, I'm driving myself.

Stella babbled seriously, "You didn't get it, right? If you think your date is okay, you can hint at him to take you home after dinner and promote your relationship too. If not okay, you can just take a taxi and leave So if you drive, you won't have any chance."

Sherry's eyes lit up, surprisingly felt that Stella had a point too, "You're right. If he's a big handsome guy, I'm willing with it."

Then it's a deal. I'll send you over later.

Okay. I'll go change and put on my makeup then. I'm in a hurry to get out this morning and I haven't prepared anything.

Stella let out a sigh of relief after Sherry left the office. She then called Daniel.

Stella said, "Do you have time to come out for a chat?"

Daniel agreed readily, "Sure, where is it?"

I'm still at the studio. I'll send you the address later.

Stella curled her lips after hanging up the phone. After thinking a while, she sent a message to Clarence, asking when he would be home tonight.

Clarence hadn't replied yet after ten minutes. It seemed that he would have to work until midnight again.

Stella put down her phone, opened the webpage and searched for the Steward Group.

Every single message that popped up was not good.

Many workers were sitting on the ground in some of the suspended projects, with their eyes blank and unsure what to do.

When reporters interviewed them, they said they hadn't received a single penny and didn't dare to go home. So they just waited there, not knowing exactly waiting for what.

In another project, the partner's boss even tried to commit suicide by jumping off a building because he couldn't bear the pressure. He was found and saved, but he also broke his leg.

The list went on and on.

These were just the tip of the iceberg.

Stella closed the browser and leaned back in her chair, letting out a long breath.

He should have seen the news too. What on earth was he thinking?

Stella looked at the baby's breath outside the window and was slightly lost in thought.

After some time, Sherry came knocking on the door, "Stella, it's five o'clock. Let's leave."

Stella retrieved her thoughts and got up, "Let's go."

As it was a weekend, there was no traffic at this time, and they just arrived in ten minutes.

After the car pulled up in front of the restaurant, Sherry unfastened her seatbelt, "Stella, I'll go in then. Take care on your way."

Stella smiled at her, "Alright."

After Sherry entered the restaurant, Stella drove forward to find a spot where she could park. After she stopped, she sent the address to Daniel.

Daniel was coming from home, which wasn't far from here, and would be there in twenty minutes.

Stella stood next to the restaurant and waited for him.

After parking the car, Daniel walked over to her, "Sorry to have kept you waiting, Ms. Radomil."

Stella said, "It's fine as I'm the one who finds you first."

Let's go in.

When she entered the restaurant, Stella saw Sherry sitting by the window and a man sitting opposite her. Stella couldn't see his face as his back was to her. Stella chose a seat that was just visible from their side, "Let's sit here."

Daniel didn't notice anything unusual and replied, "Okay."

When he sat down, he looked up and found that Sherry was just not far away.000

Chapter 490: Someone Has To Do It

When Daniel sat down, he raised his eyes but found Sherry not far away, and opposite Sherry, a man was sitting.

The two were talking about something and Sherry was smiling happily.

Stella watched the scene and pretended not to notice anything. She coughed, pulling Daniel's thoughts back, "Just order."

Daniel's eyes remained unmoving and he said casually, "You order. I'll eat whatever you want."

It was also Stella's first time in this restaurant, so she asked the waiter to recommend a few special dishes.

After ordering, she looked back at Daniel, only to find that he was still looking over there. He frowned slightly, and he tightly clenched the glass of water in front of him.

Seeing this, Stella unconsciously raised an eyebrow and slowly sipped her water.

When the waiter came over to serve the pre-dinner dessert, Daniel finally withdrew his gaze, "Who is she ... eating with?"

Stella put down her glass of water, and her voice was very soft, "It seems to be with the blind date guy introduced by her family. I heard that the man's condition is quite good. He works in a state-owned enterprise, and he's honest. As they talk so well, it is estimated that they will be able to get married this year."

So soon?

Stella said seriously, "You may not understand the situation of our town. Generally, as long as it is the man introduced by parents, as long as both sides feel appropriate, flash marriage is possible. It's a bit conservative when I say within this year, if it's fast, it's at most two or three months."

Daniel frowned deeper, "Don't they even get to know each other a little better? It's too hasty to get married just like that."

If it is introduced by parents, both sides mostly know each other very well. Two or three months is enough to get to know each other.

Daniel pursed his lips and did not speak.

After a while, he said, "She wants to get married very much?"

Stella said, "She is fine on her own, but her parents are in a hurry. Matchmaking also depends on fate. I think they are quite suitable for each other, and it is good to get married." Daniel spoke coldly, "I don't think they're suitable."

The man was not a good guy at first glance. He was obviously a great date, and he was full of sweet talk. Sherry had quite sharp eyes, and she could not have detected it. Stella chuckled, "Whether it's suitable or not is up to them."

Hearing this, Daniel was instantly speechless.

There was a moment of silence before he said, "Ms. Radomil, what is it that you wanted me to come out today?"?"

The smile on Stella's face disappeared at the mention of this. She spoke slowly, "You should have seen all the news about Steward Group recently."

Daniel probably knew what she was referring to and nodded, "Yes."

I'm looking for you to come out to ask what you think. Are you guys just going to let it go?

Daniel spoke quietly, "We are dealing with this."

How to deal with it?

Daniel did not know what to say for a while.

This matter was really not that easy to deal with, and no matter how they did, it was not enough. The most direct and effective method came at a great cost.

Stella pursed her lips, "I read a lot of news today. Lyndon is guilty, but others are innocent. They were all kept in the dark by Lyndon and ... and it was Lyndon, not Steward Group, who did the wrong thing. Although I have no feelings for Steward Group, if it is left alone, it will extinguish the hopes and dreams of countless people."

Daniel didn't know if it was his illusion, but he always felt that Stella had something in her words, as if she was not just saying this to him.

Although Stella had occasionally asked who they really were, it was the first time she had discussed the Steward Group with him in such a tone.

Thinking about this, he spoke tentatively, "Ms. Radomil, do you know something?"

Stella's expression remained unchanged, "I should know something?"

Daniel smiled, did not answer, but picked up his glass of water and sipped.

Stella continued, "I just think that all along the way, we have the same goal. Now Lyndon has fled and left such a big mess. You guys probably won't just sit back and do nothing."

Daniel was silent for a while before saying, "Ms. Radomil, it's not that we don't care about this, but it's not easy to deal with. You know how big this mess is, and it's not a problem that can be solved overnight. So we need a little more time."

Stella shook her head, "But they don't have any more time to wait."

Daniel let out a sigh, "So what do you mean?"

Two of Steward Group's top executives came to see me today. They want me to step in to stabilize the Steward Group.

Daniel was surprised, "You agreed?"

No, I'm still thinking about it.

Ms. Radomil, whatever their reasons for coming to you, don't take on this mess of the Steward Group. Once you do, it's not that easy to get out.

Stella said, "I know."

But if they wanted to salvage the current situation, no matter how troublesome it was, someone had to do it.

Daniel opened his mouth but swallowed his words in the end. He just said, "Ms. Radomil, it is a serious matter. If you already have an idea in mind, I suggest you discuss it with Mr. Conrad. I'm sure he wouldn't approve of you doing that either."

Stella nodded gently, "I will."

Just as Armand and Logan came to her with the same idea in mind, whatever she did now would inevitably involve Clarence.

There, Sherry and her blind date had also eaten and were talking and laughing as they headed out.

Daniel then got up and said, "I will discuss this matter with ... Emmett after I go back and see if there is any way. If you have nothing else to do today, I'll leave first."

As he spoke, his eyes followed Sherry's back moving, his legs also subconsciously stepped out, and then he instantly disappeared into the restaurant.

The waiter happened to serve the food. Seeing this, he asked, "Madam, do you still want the dish ...?"

Stella smiled, "Yes, please help me pack it."

When the dish was packed, Stella headed out. She took out her phone and looked at it. Clarence hadn't replied to her message.

He had been in this meeting for a long time.

She got in her car, put her phone down, and drove towards the Conrad Group.

Stella had just gotten off the elevator when Nathan passed in front of her with the documents. After seeing her, he turned his head and said, "Ms. Radomil." Stella said, "Is Clarence still in a meeting."

Nathan nodded slightly, "He's been in a meeting all afternoon. I guess it'll still take a while. Let me take you to the office."

Stella looked at the file in his hand, "No, you do what you want. I'll just go over there myself."

Nathan answered and then hurriedly walked towards the conference room.

Stella let out a breath and went to Clarence's office.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐