Ch. 521..530

Chapter 521: I Can’t Fall Asleep Even if I Go Home

At the door of the Conrads' Mansion...

No matter how the servants of the Conrads' Mansion explained, a group of people still refused to leave the area.

In the end, Dempsey appeared with his walking stick in front of the group of people and had an angry look on his face, "What do all of you intend to do here?"

A reporter said, "Master Conrad, we heard that Ms. Radomil has gone missing after attending the party in the Conrads' Mansion. I would like to ask you to comment about this."

Dempsey replied angrily, "You have already said that she has gone missing after attending the party. What comments would I have? Do you expect me to have someone protect her for twenty-four hours?"

A senior staff of the Steward Group said, "The reason why Ms. Radomil is missing is because she attended the party organized by the Conrad Group. Shouldn't the Conrad family be responsible for this?" "A lot of people attended the party in the Conrads' Mansion. Do I have the effort to be responsible for each guest?"

At that moment, another reporter said, "We have just received news that Ms. Radomil has never left the Conrads' Mansion. Someone said that the Conrad family has faked her disappearance by putting on an act. Master Conrad, what do you think about this?"

Dempsey said coldly, "What do I think about this? You bring the person who has said this here and I will confront him about this!"

Just after Dempsey had finished speaking, several reporters asked questions simultaneously.

A lot of people started to talk at the same time. There was a lot of noise.

Dempsey looked more and more awful.

He said sternly, "That's enough! If all of you want to enter the mansion and search for her, I can allow it. But if she is not found in the mansion, don't blame me for showing no mercy!" Nobody responded to his words, but the group of people had no intentions of backing away.

Just when the confrontation between both parties was at a standstill, everyone received the news of Stella's appearance almost at the same time. After they had apologized to Dempsey, the group of people lef the area.

There was silence in the area again.

Dempsey took a deep breath. While leaning on his walking stick, he looked in the direction where they had left.

This matter was more difficult to deal with than he had expected.

He didn't think that after just one year, Stella was no longer the little girl that had an inferior status and could be controlled by him.

Based on the current situation, it was almost impossible to use her to restrain Clarence's actions in the future.

After returning to the main house, Joanna sat on the sofa in the living room and had a cold look on her face.

Dempsey walked towards her and sat across from her, "I did this because I needed to keep the big picture in mind. If they really barged into the mansion without hindrance tonight, the Conrad family would only be humiliated."

Joanna laughed coldly, "Does the Conrad family still have prestige?"

Dempsey didn't say anything. Furrowing his brows, he thought about something and said, "Haven't you been looking for Dolores? Do you have any news of her?"

Joanna replied, "Why? Do you want to rebuild your relationship with her?"

Dempsey was unhappy, "What are you talking about? We are already so old. What is the point of talking about this?"

Joanna ignored his words.

Dempsey said in a deep voice, "You are also aware that Stella is now completely different from the way she was before. We can't touch her. However, this is only the beginning of dealing with Clarence. So, we must find Dolores. If we have a bargaining chip, we can later negotiate with him."

After pausing for a while, he then said, "It is easier to control Dolores compared to Stella. The important thing now is to find her location."

Joanna said calmly, "Do you think it will be easy to find her?"

I heard that you already have clues about her location before.

Joanna scoffed, "Those were fake information deliberately provided by Clarence."

Before this, her men had found out that Dolores had been living in Aqock. But when they went there to find her, she had moved out long before they arrived.

After that, they had successively searched several places. But it turned out that all of their searches were based on false information.

It was obvious that Clarence was toying with them.

She suspected that Dolores was living in City N now.

Dempsey said, "No matter what, we need to find her as soon as possible. Only when she is under our control, we can make sure that nothing will go wrong."

It seemed that Joanna did not want to continue the conversation. She directly got up and went upstairs.

At the staircase, Justin maneuvered his wheelchair and returned to his room.

At the other side, after she had ended the call with Vincent, Stella sat there and waited.

Vincent said that Clarence had returned to the country and was now on a plane.

She was completely relieved.

Not long after that, a car stopped in front of Stella. The door of the car opened but it was Daniel who got out of the car.

He walked up to Stella, "Ms. Radomil, are you troubled by something?"

Stella gently shook her head, "I am fine."

Daniel heaved a sigh of relief, "I am glad that you are fine. What exactly did they want to do?"

They wanted to use me to threaten Clarence, so they put on an act. As for Clarence's situation, I am not sure about it yet. Daniel said, "He is fine. You can rest assured."

Stella nodded. She suddenly remembered something and then said, "How do you know that I am here?"

Vincent told me about it.

Stella acknowledged his words. Clarence should have been in contact with them all along.

At that moment, Vincent also arrived.

He said, "Let's go. I will bring you home."

Stella got up, "Sure."

Daniel called her name, "Ms. Radomil."

Stella turned around, "Is there any other matter you wish to discuss with me?"

Daniel smiled faintly, "It is nothing. You should get some rest after you return home."

Stella walked up to Vincent's car. She seemed to have noticed something and looked at Daniel's car that was parked not far away from her.

The windows of the car were tinted so she couldn't see anything in the car.

After staring at it for a few seconds, Stella silently withdrew her gaze from the car, bent down and entered Vincent's car.

Vincent said to Daniel, "We are leaving."

While speaking, he also entered his car.

After the black Bentley had travelled some distance, Stella said, "You can bring me to the airport."

Are you going to meet Clarence at the airport when he arrives?

Stella acknowledged his words with a soft voice.

Vincent replied, "The duration of the flight from London to City N is more than ten hours. Even after you return home and take a nap, he will still not arrive at the airport." Stella said, "I can't fall asleep even if I go home."

After giving it some thought, Vincent didn't say anything else. He then drove to the airport.

After entering the car, Daniel said, "She has already left."

William raised his hands and pressed his temples. There were no emotions in his voice, "We should also leave."

Since you are worried about her, why don't you go and meet her?

Even if I met her, what could I say to her?

Daniel said, "Actually, I have a feeling that she already knows it."

William paused for a while, "When did she know it?"

I'm not sure. This is only my suspicion. I have not verified it.

William furrowed his brows and didn't talk for some time.

Daniel then said, "If you think that something has happened to Channing, I can go and have a chat with him."

After some time, William spoke, "I heard that Clarence has sent Jeffrey's DNA for testing before Jeffrey died."

...Yes.

Do you know why the result of the testing is still not available?

Daniel didn't reply to his question.

William said, "This matter is a topic that Stella, Channing and I want to avoid. Instead of reminding ourselves of the unpleasant memory, it is better to pretend that it doesn't exist."☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 522: Put You in Danger

Since Clarence returned to the country by helicopter, Vincent directly brought Stella to his private airport.

Stella said, "You can go back. I will wait for him here."

Vincent nodded. He did have a lot of follow-up work to deal with.

He replied, "If something happens, you call me."

After Vincent had left, Stella leaned on the car window and looked out the window quietly.

After dealing with a lot of matters for the whole night, the light from the sun already began to appear in the sky at that moment.

Soon, it would be daytime.

Stella was in a daze. She didn't know when she had fallen asleep.

She was awakened by the vibrations of her phone.

Stella opened her eyes and noticed that Channing was calling her.

She cleared her throat and accepted the call, "Chan, what's wrong?"

Channing said in a deep voice, "Where are you now?"

There were words on the tip of her tongue, but Stella was unable to say them. Since Chan called her so early in the morning and he spoke in such a tone, she figured out that it was most likely that he was already aware of the things that happened last night.

She said softly, "I am at the airport. I am waiting for Clarence to come back."

Channing replied, "Send me the address. I will go and find you."

Stella said, "There is no need for that. I am fine. You should study well in school."

Channing frowned, "The matter is so serious. Is it possible that you are fine?"

After she had left the Conrads' Mansion, Stella did nothing except that she gave Vincent a call. She didn't use her phone after that, so she didn't know how serious the matter had become. She gave a chuckle, "I am really fine. If something happened to me, can I still sit here and talk to you now on the phone? The Conrad family is just bluffing. They don't dare to touch me." Channing pursed his lips and didn't say anything.

Stella said, "All right, you should go to school now. Two days later, I will see you in school."

There is no need for that. Channing said, "I will go to the condominium unit at night."

"Ah.... That is fine too. I will also go back at night.'

After ending the call, Stella checked her phone and saw that she had two missed calls from Sherry. Sherry had also sent some messages to her.

Maybe she didn't hear it because she was in deep sleep.

Stella noticed that her phone battery was low, so she didn't return Sherry's call. Instead, Stella sent a message to Sherry to inform Sherry that she was safe.

Since her phone still had a little power, Stella went on the Internet and took a glance at some articles.

There were several relevant articles reporting her disappearance after the party in the Conrads' Mansion.

But there were also clarifications of the incident. Some articles reported that her disappearance was just a misunderstanding.

It was obvious that the Conrad family had interfered with this matter.

This incident actually didn't cause a huge stir. Everyone didn't take it seriously.

Only the people who were close to her knew that this incident was definitely not a misunderstanding.

This was the reason why Chan and Sherry called her.

Before Stella could continue to look at the articles, her phone shut off due to lack of power.

After putting down her phone, she let out a breath and closed her eyes again.

Soon, someone knocked on the window of the car.

Stella lowered the window of the car.

The person who was outside the car handed her a bag, Ms. Radomil, there are food and water inside the bag."""

Stella took the bag, "Thank you."

After pausing for a while, she then said, "What is the time now?"

It is half past nine.

How long does it take for Clarence to arrive?

Mr. Conrad should arrive at three o'clock in the afternoon.

Stella nodded, "Please bring me a charger."

Sure. Ms. Radomil, please wait for a while.

Stella placed the bag beside her, got out of the car and moved her limbs.

After the staff had given her the charger, she thanked him and sat on the driver's seat.

Instead of waiting for him here, it would be better for her to go to the office of the Steward Group.

After her phone had been fully charged, Stella informed the staff who was outside the car that she was leaving and drove her car away.

Stella arrived at the building of the Steward Group. Just after she entered the office, Logan followed her into the office, "Ms. Radomil, are you fine?"

Stella took her seat and smiled faintly, "I am fine. What's wrong?"

After the news of your disappearance appeared yesterday, Samuel, a few people and I went to the Conrads' Mansion, but Master Conrad said that you weren't there. After that, we received news that you had returned home so we left.

Stella remembered the commotion last night and asked, "Were there many people there last night?"

Logan nodded, "Other than us, there were some reporters from several news outlets. As for the others...I am not sure about their identities."

Stella replied, "I understand. Thank you. All of you have worked hard."

Those people should have relations with Daniel.

Logan said, "It is great that Ms. Radomil is fine. I will go and do my work now."

After Logan had left, Stella rubbed her temples. Just when she accessed her designs, Donald walked into the office, "Finally, I see that you are alive and sitting in front of me. I was almost going to be sent to the crematorium straight away."

Stella didn't reply to his words.

Donald sat across from her, "How was it? You ventured into dangerous territory last night. Did you find any clues?"

Stella pursed her lips, "All of you already knew about their plan of tricking me into entering the Conrads' Mansion by making use of Justin's injuries."

Donald forced a laugh, "We didn't think it through. Otherwise, we would not have put you in danger."

Stella shook her head, "Actually, I was not in danger when I was there. They only wanted to use me so that Clarence would agree to their terms. If I wasn't there, Clarence would be in real danger." "What do you mean?"

Justin told me that they had two plans. One plan was to use me to threaten Clarence last night. The other plan was that if the first plan had failed, they would let Clarence stay in London forever as a last resort.

Donald frowned, "Whose plan was this?"

Stella replied, "The people who Justin mentioned should be Dempsey and Joanna."

Then, when did Justin know this?

Justin should have known this for a short time. He said that they only informed him after they had prepared everything. Stella added, "He helped them to keep me there for Clarence's sake." Donald remained silent for a while, "That was also understandable. If Justin knew their plan in advance, he would have stopped them."

Stella said, "It was likely that they had prepared their plan this time for a long time. Therefore, I was previously very worried about Clarence."

Donald said, "Since Clarence went there this time because of an unexpected situation of the company in London, they were indeed unprepared. If they made all the preparations to deal with Clarence in advance, it would be quite troublesome indeed. But you should rest assured. Even if this happened, it would not be easy for them to let Clarence stay in London forever."

As long as Clarence is fine, I am fine with everything. Stella paused for a while and then said, "Then... Since Clarence has now agreed to their terms, is there any other way to salvage the situation?" Donald laughed, "There is no need to hurry. You will know it when Clarence returns to the country."00

Chapter 523: Isn’t He the Third Wheel if He Stays Here

In the afternoon, when Stella saw that it was almost time, she left Steward Group and was prepared to go to the airport.

But she didn't expect to see a man leaning against the Rolls Royce not far away when she just walked downstairs. His posture was casual and he looked calm, looking in her direction. Stella was stunned. She didn't realize what was going on for a moment. She subconsciously ran towards Clarence and jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly.

Although from last night until now, everyone was telling her that Clarence was safe, she still felt worried and uneasy.

At that moment, he was standing in front of her. She hugged him and could feel his body heat.

She wasn't dreaming.

Clarence reached out and wrapped his hands around her body. He said in a low voice while smiling, "Do you miss me so much?"

Stella hugged him a bit tighter. She choked uncontrollably as she said the words, "I thought that I can't see you again."

Clarence gently patted her back and comforted her, "I'll be there anytime as long as you want to see me."

Stella said in a sobbing tone, "I...wanted to go to pick you up..."

I have come here early. I know you can't wait to see me. That's why I am here to meet you.

Stella didn't retort. She really wanted to meet him very much. She wanted to see him as soon as he got off the plane. Clarence rubbed his head, "For the sake it took me so long to come back, can you get off early and let's go enjoy tonight?"

Donald had been guarding Stella at Steward Group and she was not in a good mood to do her work at the moment. She felt like she was only wasting her time to stay there. Clarence pulled open the side door and moved his head in the direction of the car, "Get in."

On the way back, Stella leaned on Clarence's shoulder. She felt relaxed after being nervous for a long time and fell asleep after a while.

Clarence wrapped his arm around her and let out a soft sigh of relief.

If something had happened to her while he was away, he might go crazy.

Stella had a sound sleep and when she woke up, she was already in her bedroom in the apartment. It was already dark outside.

Lying beside her on the bed, Clarence was sleeping and having a steady breath.

Stella looked at him quietly for a while from the side. She kissed him on his thin lips and gently lifted the quilt to get up.

Stella walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She noticed that there were no more ingredients inside.

During these days in which Clarence was not around, Stella always had simple diets and didn't go to the supermarket.

Stella looked at the time. In the morning, Chan told her that he would come over in the evening. She thought that he should be here in a moment. She didn't want to go out either. She sat on the sofa and ordered some food.

After about ten minutes, the doorbell rang.

It was Chan who arrived.

Stella opened the door and saw that Channing's clothes were a little wet. Therefore, she asked, "Is it raining outside?" Channing said, "It's just sprinkling."

Come in first.

After finishing her words, Stella turned around and went into the bathroom. She took a towel out and gave it to Channing.

Channing took it and looked around the house, "Hasn't Clarence come back yet?"

Stella said, "He's sleeping."

Channing was silent before saying, "What happened last night?"

No...nothing.

Stella knew that if she didn't tell Channing the truth, he would still be worried.

Therefore, she told him the whole story.

After listening to her words, Channing frowned.

Stella went to pour water for him, "Well, it's over now. I'm fine now. You don't need to worry."

Channing said, "What about Clarence?"

Stella paused, "I don't know. I haven't had time to ask him yet."

As she just finished her words, Clarence came out of the bedroom and looked at Channing with weary black eyes that displayed a sense of dissatisfaction.

Clarence sat on the sofa and spoke unhurriedly, "Why are you here?"

Channing said, "Nothing."

With that, he told Stella, "I'm glad that you are fine. Then I will leave first."

Stella said, "Hey, let's eat together before you leave. It's still raining outside, isn't it?"

Never mind. I will take a taxi to leave first.

Stella chased after him and took an umbrella from the foyer and gave it to him, "Take this umbrella with you, or else you might catch a cold,"

After Channing left, Stella closed the door. She walked towards Clarence and said in a soft voice, "Why were you like that? Channing rarely comes here."

Clarence leaned back on the sofa, pressing his finger against the temples. He smiled and raised his eyebrows slightly, reaching out and pulling her in his arms, "At this time, isn't he the third wheel if he stays here? He is quite smart to realize what is going on."

She sat on Clarence's lap and felt that his body was a bit hot. Therefore, she reached out and touched his forehead and then touched her own as well, "Are you catching a cold?"

Clarence made a low muffled sound, "A bit."

Have you taken your medicine?

Haven't.

At first, Stella wanted to get up and bring him medicine. But then, she remembered that he hadn't eaten anything yet, so it was better to wait until he had eaten later.

Clarence said, "Did they make you in trouble last night?"

Stella shook her head, "No, the people are your brother's subordinates. He also just wants to protect you..."

Donald told me on the phone. I know.

Stella added, "Then is there anything we can do now to turn things over?"

Clarence said indifferently, "In two days, it will be the BOD meeting of the Steward Group."

What are they trying to do during this BOD meeting?

Since they got the shares of Steward Group from me, they will definitely let everyone know about it. Therefore, this BOD meeting is the most suitable time for them to announce the news. I guess Master Conrad should intend to let Justin take the shares and become part of Steward Group. In this way, as long as I don't object, there is no point for others to do so.

The way that Master Conrad tried to make Justin become part of Steward Group was undoubtedly the smartest no matter which perspective one was looking it from.

No matter what means they used to get it, but if it was Justin who was forced to take on this matter, Clarence would definitely not be as ruthless as he was when he treated Master Conrad. He would respect Justin a lot.

That was why they had the opportunity to take advantage of it.

Stella tentatively spoke, "Then ... will you object it?"

Clarence smiled, "They are trying to make Justin take on this matter. It's right. I won't do anything to him."

But Justin is also forced to do it. He has no interest to work in Conrad Group. If he is the one who becomes part of Conrad Group, it is just Old Master Conrad trying to do what he wants in Justin's name. Clarence wrapped his arms around Stella's waist, putting his chin on her shoulder. He said slowly, "Things won't go until this stage."

Stella didn't understand his words, "What do you mean?"

That contract must be sent to Master Conrad so that he can do something optimally based on the contract. But London is so far away from here. They cannot guarantee that it can be sent over.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 524: I’m Very Busy

Fortunately, the food ordered by Stella was light. After eating, she went to get the medicine for Clarence and poured a cup of warm water in front of him, "Take the medicine first. If you are still having fever tonight, let's go to the hospital tomorrow."

Clarence threw the medicine into his mouth. He picked up the glass of water and tilted his head to drink the water. His Adam's apple bobbed for a moment.

He said, "It's okay. I just need to rest for a while."

Stella knew that he hadn't rested much in London these days, and he had returned by helicopter overnight.

Everyone would feel tired after experiencing such things.

She said, "You may go rest first. I'm going to take a shower."

Clarence held her wrist and raised his eyebrows, "Let's take a shower together, shall we?"

She slapped his hand away, "You have caught a cold. Can't you be more decent?"

With that, she took the clothes and went into the bathroom directly.

Clarence had changed into a new set of clothes and it looked like he had taken a shower when he came back.

He was a neat freak and how could he be lying in bed directly after such a long helicopter ride.

After taking a shower, Stella felt that she no longer felt tired.

When she went out, Clarence was standing on the balcony talking on the phone.

Stella didn't disturb him and went back to the bedroom.

Clarence had been on the phone for half an hour.

Seeing him coming in, Stella said, "Is anything wrong?"

Nothing. It's just some minor issues. They're not important. Clarence went to her side and laid down. He turned off the light and pulled her into his arms, whispering, "Sleep first." After sleeping all afternoon, Stella was not sleepy at the moment.

She closed her eyes. The more she slept, the more awake she became.

After she turned over several times from side to side, Clarence said, "Can't you fall asleep?"

Stella said in a soft voice, "Am I too noisy? I'll go out first..."

She was just about to get up when Clarence put his arm around her waist and said, "No, I can't fall asleep either."

Not waiting for him to say the next words, Stella said, "Then let's close our eyes and have a good rest. Don't think too much." Clarence was speechless.

He laughed in a low voice, saying something in her ear, "What am I thinking?'

Stella didn't say anything, ignoring him.

Clarence moved his palm on her waist smoothly. His voice was magnetic and dumb, "Tell me. What am I thinking? Yes?" Stella held down his hand, "Anyway... don't think too much. Just close your eyes for a while and then you will fall asleep."

After a few seconds, Clarence said in the darkness, "Stella."

You said you thought you can't see me again. Are you afraid that you can't see me again in the future?

Stella remembered the words he said in the downstairs of Steward Group. Her face blushed uncontrollably. She said in a stuttering voice, "Why are you suddenly... suddenly talking about this." Clarence said, "Nothing. I just want to confirm again."

Didn't I tell you this afternoon?

I want to hear you saying it again.

She couldn't help but say in a low voice, "Why are you so dramatic when you're sick?"

Clarence was puzzled, "Dramatic?"

Nothing, nothing. Just... Stella said seriously, "You shouldn't go somewhere dangerous in the future. I will be worried about your safety."

Clarence hugged her and let out an "um" sound. After laying the groundwork for the following topic, he said, "I've had a narrow escape. Shouldn't you give me some rewards?"

She wondered what kind of bullshit he was saying.

Clarence continued saying, "For example, if I upset you or make you angry, you should forgive me on the spot."

That depends on the circumstances.

What are all the circumstances?

If you quarrel with me unreasonably, I won't bother with you.

Clarence was dissatisfied, "When was I unreasonable?"

Stella said seriously, "Always."

Clarence gritted his teeth. He was silent for a while before saying, "What about other circumstances?"

Stella said, "What else will you do? Cheating? Are you still afraid of upsetting me or making me angry when you fall in love with someone else?"

Why are you thinking such a thing? There is no such thing.

Then what are you referring to?

Clarence closed his eyes, "Nothing. Let's sleep first. I feel sleepy suddenly."

He had learned very well how perfunctory she treated him.

Stella still couldn't fall asleep and tried to escape from Clarence's arms and go outside to draw the design.

But as soon as she moved, Clarence hugged her tightly using his arms on her waist, "Didn't you tell me that we can fall asleep after closing our eyes for a while." "It's just a lie."

After a while, Stella said again, "Clarence, are you asleep?"

Stella gently pursed her lips, "William went to look for me last night."

Did you see him?

No. He was in the car and didn't come down. Stella said, "And the other day when something happened to Steward Group, it was also him who helped me behind the curtain.” "That's what he should have done. You don't need to feel guilty at all."

Stella sighed, "Yes, but..."

Clarence knew what she was thinking. He said in a low voice, "This is not your choice, but his. In other words, this is also the best solution for now."

Stella also knew that this could only be the case.

If she wanted to protect Chan, she could only act like she didn't know anything.

Even if he was her real father...

Stella didn't know when she fell asleep. When she woke up, Clarence was no longer beside her.

She rubbed her eyes and walked to the living room. She saw that Clarence was working in front of the computer.

Stella who was still sleepy walked over and touched his forehead instinctively. Then, she breathed a sigh of relief, "It's okay. It's not hot anymore."

Clarence smiled and held her hand, "I told you that I will be okay."

Standing there, Stella sobered up a bit, "Aren't you going to the company today?"

No, I can accompany you today.

Stella was silent for a few seconds, "I'm very busy."

Nothing was going on at Steward Group these two days, so she could go back to the studio and meet with Sherry.

Clarence said, "I know you are busy. Can't you spare some time at night to accompany me?"

Stella smiled, "I will think about it."

Clarence said, "Are you going to the studio?"

Stella nodded her head and asked, "What about you? Are you staying at home?"

I'm going to the Conrads' mansion.

Hearing his words, Stella was a bit surprised, "Why are you going to Conrads' mansion?"

Clarence said faintly, "You disappeared from Conrads' mansion. It's such a big thing. I need to go to explain about that."

Don't worry. I'm just going there for a while. I'll pick you up at night.

Stella knew that the purpose he was going there was not simple. There must be other things as well.

She nodded her head, "Okay."

With that, she said, "Then, I wash up first. Be more careful... when you go to Conrads' mansion. Don't quarrel with them face to face."

Now that Master Conrad was very angry with him, it was not safe for him to go to Conrads' mansion as well.

Chapter 525: For A Woman’s Sake

When Stella reached the workshop, Sherry stood at the entrance while gagging painfully, her face was as pale as a sheet.

Stella approached her and patted her on her back, "Sherry, are you alright?"

Sherry turned towards the source of the voice, said in a weak tone, "Ah, you're here, Stella. I'm fine, I've gotten used to it for the past two days." "Let's go inside first."

As they entered the office, Stella poured Sherry a cup of water and asked, "Have you been throwing up a lot these two days?"

Sherry slumped over on the desk and said, "I can't even eat anything. It'll just go back out the same way it got in."

She let out a long sigh as she said that. A while later, she added, "Now I finally know how you felt back when you're pregnant, this absolutely sucks. I swear I don't want to have a baby ever again after this." Stella smiled, sat opposite from her and said, "It's true that the early days of pregnancy does kinda suck, but you'll feel different as the baby in your womb grows bigger."

Sherry drank some water and replied, "Whatever, I won't be experiencing that 'different' experience. I can't wait for half a month to pass, then this whole ordeal will be over." Stella was stunned for a while, before she asked, "Did... You tell Daniel about this?"

I did. He said he'll need some time to think it through. My guess is he's startled by this, said Sherry, "He's a man, after all. They only say surface-level stuff, since his words definitely have a meaning behind them. I don't really care that much, as this little incident will come to an end half a month later."

Stella pursed her lips as she heard what Sherry said, not judging her.

This was between the two of them, Stella should not have a hand in it, anyway. So, all she could do was wait and see what happens next.

Let's not talk about this anymore, said Sherry, "Am I right at assuming that you've settled everything with the Steward Group, since you're here at the workshop today?"

Stella nodded before replying, "The project is on-going now, and there's no incidents so far. It's just that I don't really understand the business side of things very well, so I have Donald helping me with that." As Sherry heard the name 'Donald', she thought for a while and asked, "Is it the same rich, spoiled kid named Donald who looked like he couldn't hold a bucket even if his dear life depended on it that we met in a bar that time?"

Stella smiled, "It's him."

Sherry sighed and said, "Just as I thought, these people appear to be immensely unreliable, but in reality, they are very much capable people that are experts in their respective fields. I'm a different case, though, I appear to be unreliable, but in reality, I'm even more unreliable than I appear to be."

Stella knew that people who were pregnant would most likely be moody and depressed, as she patted her head and asked, "Alright, what do you want for lunch? Lunch's on me, don't worry about it." "Aren't you going to eat with your beloved Mr. Conrad?"

He'll only come to fetch me at night.

Sherry rubbed her hands together and said, "Ah, don't mind if I do, then! I've haven't had any appetite these few days. You bet I'm gonna feast to comfort my poor old tummy!" "Fine by me."

At the same time, at the Conrad family...

When Dempsey heard that Clarence had come back to the house, his expression darkened as he waved his hand to signal the maid to go back downstairs.

He sat in his study for some time before using his walking cane to go downstairs.

In the living room, Clarence sat on a sofa, his cold face not showing any emotions.

Dempsey sat opposite to him and said in a flat tone, "Don't you hate this family to its guts? Why are you back here, then?"

Clarence remained emotionless as he spoke in a slow pace, "You spent so much time and effort to get Stella to come over to this house, didn't you? I figured it must be because you wanted to see my face again, so I came here without your invitation."

As he heard what Clarence said, Dempsey's eyebrows twitched as he started to lose his cool, "I guess you won't be coming back here in your lifetime if it wasn't for that girl, then."

I wouldn't be so sure about that. When one day you, very unfortunately, kicked the bucket, I'll be sure to come back here to send you off to the afterlife.

In an instant, Dempsey's temper blew up as he forcefully slammed his cane onto the floor, "Watch what you're bloody saying, bastard!"

Clarence replied, "I would've expected someone who's this old like you to have grasped the concept of 'All life are bound to end' long ago, apparently I'm wrong."

You just wanted me to die earlier, don't you!?

I'm pretty sure you feel the same way towards me, no?

Clarence effortlessly tore down the already thin film between him and the Conrad family.

Dempsey's face was darker than the night sky, as he was rendered speechless by Clarence's statement.

Clarence said in an even colder tone, "Whatever you lots want to do to me, I don't care. If you wanted me dead, come at me. But, if you do as much as touching Stella's hair, I wouldn't mind bringing you lots down with me."

The living room fell silent after Clarence finished his sentence.

After a while, Dempsey calmed down and said, "What were you saying just now? Why must everything revolve around death and all those bad stuff? It's not that serious now, is it? Can't you see that she's living just fine?"

Clarence replied, "She is fine, for now. But if anything like that ever happens again, even I can't tell what I'll end up doing."

Dempsey said in a deep tone, "Clare, didn't I tell you to put the family before everything else when I handed the Conrad Group over to you? And now you're saying such nonsense for a woman's sake. How could you steep this low?"

For a woman's sake? said Clarence in his unchanged light tone, "Don't you lots know how important she is to me before spending so much time to lie to her and get her over to this house?"

Dempsey frowned and said, "Lie to her? What do you mean we lied to her? So are we supposed to kick her out if she wishes to stay in the Conrad family, then?"

Clarence smirked and got up, "I've said what I wanted to say, I don't care if you listen to it or not."

After Clarence left, Dempsey sat on a sofa. He could not help but yell out, "Mad, he's gone mad!"

Joanna came down from upstairs and said, "Well, it's not exactly news, is it?"

Dempsey did not expect Clarence would come face to face with him just for Stella.

It did not cross his mind even once.

Though this meant that Stella was more useful to him than he expected...

However, if he ever messed with Stella again, he was certain that Clarence would snap and become an absolute mad dog.

If he really did snap, it could turn out to be losses for both sides.

Dempsey stayed silent for a while before saying to Joanna, "How's the search for Dolores going? Is there still no clue as to where she is?"

With her hands crossed in front of her chest, Joanna sighed and said, "Sadly, no."

Dempsey furrowed his eyebrows and said, "Please put more effort on this, it'd be great if we can find her before the Board does. She'll be a bargaining chip on our side to deal with emergency situations." "Don't you have plans to deal with such emergency situations?"

Well, I do, but...

Something went wrong in London. The people that were sent there had not returned, so even if there were faxes and copies of the document, as long as the document itself was not in his possession, Dempsey would be restless until then.

Dempsey squinted his eyes, he was not sure if the people were stalking him or not. Moreover, after failing at Clarence's hands so many times, he felt that it was better safe than sorry.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 526: Just Broke Up, Handsome?

Just as Clarence reached the garden, he heard someone calling out to him from his rear, "Clare." He turned around and saw Justin, who was wheelchair-bound, sitting not too far from him quietly.

Clarence walked towards him and asked softly, "You heard everything just now?"

Justin nodded in response before adding, "I did. You're not at fault here. I would've done the same if I were you."

Clarence replied, "You could've chosen to steer clear of this mess."

Justin gave out a helpless smile, "All I can say is that it can't be helped."

He belonged to the Conrad family, after all, his mother had done horrible things to Stella, he could not just look away and pretend that nothing happened.

Since he knew that it had gotten out of control, the least he could do was delay the inevitable.

Clarence sat on a bench, looked at the sun and said, "If you could be asked, I'll find you a place that's more suitable for living after everything is concluded."

What about my mother?

Clarence replied in a deeper tone, "She had done horrible things, she must pay for them."

Justin sighed and said, "Clare, I know that after what she's done, she's irredeemable. I am also terribly sorry for what happened to you and Stella. But what can I do? She's my mother after all, everything she's done is for my good. I can constantly feel her desperation and pain in the past twenty or so years, but look at me, I can't even be a good son for her."

Clarence shifted his gaze and said, "I won't do anything to her, all I want is just her to get the punishment that she deserves."

If possible, I hope that I can at least lighten her punishment myself.

Clarence did not say anything in response to that.

Justin thought to himself for some time, before saying, "Clare, just do whatever you want, don't worry about me, I'll be alright. If you really succeed in taking them down, I'll be free at the very least." He finished his last sentence in a relieved tone.

It was as if he had been waiting to say that for a very long time.

Clarence looked towards him as his eyebrows furrowed.

Twenty years ago, when he was just brought back to the Conrad family, Dempsey and Joanna had a fierce argument. Joanna acted as if she had nuclear bombs for breakfast that day, spitting out vulgar words including but not limited to "bastard", "disgusting", and "lowly" left right and centre.

Dempsey's words had a willy-nilly tone to them, since if it was not for that accident, and the fact that someone must be able to inherit the Conrad family's assets, or else he would not had batted an eye even if that illegitimate child died on the streets.

Clarence stood at the doorway, looking at his parents fighting each other.

It was Justin who went towards him in his wheelchair, held his hand, and said in a warm tone, "You name is Clarence, right? My name is Justin, and I am your elder brother." Clarence turned and looked at him, his young face still showing hostility towards him.

Back then, Justin had been discharged from the hospital recently, he was still not used to moving around in a wheelchair, and for that he constantly smashed his face onto the floor.

With his face full of bruises and wounds, he smiled at Clarence, "Come on now, don't just stand there. I'll bring you to your room."

Since then, every time Joanna picked at Clarence, Justin had always shielded him from her. When Joanna instructed the maids not to give Clarence food, Justin had sneakily gave him supper at night. When Clarence was old enough to leave for further studies, Justin was afraid that the pitiful amount of allowance was insufficient for Clarence to survive off of, so he hid a bank card in his bag.

When Clarence started managing the Conrad Group and revealed his outstanding talent, only then did Joanna stop picking on him.

In the whole family, only Justin treated him as a human, a family member, a younger brother.

Sadly, his mother was Joanna.

Justin could not find a balance between both sides of the coin as he struggled to find relief.

The same applied to Clarence.

After some time, Justin said out of the blue, "Is Stella alright? I figure that she must've been quite terrified at what happened that night." "She's alright, she isn't that big of a scaredy-cat."

Justin smiled, "I see that she's been looking better lately, you must've been treating her well, then. You should've done this earlier."

Clarence lifted his brows and said, "I've already told you, I love her."

In this kind of situations, usually the bystanders can see the whole thing more clearly than the ones in it.

Clarence looked at him and replied, "It's true, people in the thick of it often find it hard to get out of it. But there are millions of ways to solve problems, so we don't necessarily had to get on the path of no return."

Justin's smiled stiffened, "Clare..."

Death is not a relief, it's merely avoiding the truth.

He looked downwards, not saying a thing.

Clarence got up and said, "I'm leaving."

Justin nodded in response, "Take care."

Looking at Clarence leaving, Justin placed his hands on his senseless knees for a while before he looked away at something else.

Yeah, death is not a relief.

It's just an excuse that weak and useless people use for themselves.

Stella went for lunch with Sherry, she then worked on miscellaneous things around the workshop. When she had settled everything, it was around three to four in the afternoon.

It was quite early, there was still much time.

Stella gave Clarence a call, but to her surprise, he did not answer the call.

That was weird.

Logically speaking, he went to the Conrad family in the morning, and there was no way that he was going to stay there for lunch, so he should had left there already.

Stella made another call, but to no avail as well.

She had a bad feeling about this, which lead her to pack her stuff hurriedly and rushed out from the workshop. When she saw the Rolls-Royce that was parked on the side of the road, her anxiousness vanished in an instant.

She was so worried that something had happened to Clarence in the Conrad family.

Stella walked next to the Rolls-Royce, and stood there facing Clarence.

He was smoking a cigarette, and looked as if he was staring into nothingness and spacing out.

He did not even notice Stella, who had walked within earshot of him.

She had never seen Clarence this despondent before.

She waved her hand in front of him while saying, “Just broken up, handsome?”

Clarence did not say anything.

He turned and saw her, as he got rid of the cigarette and said with a raspy voice, "Everything's done?"

Stella replied, "Mhmm, it was done a while ago. Why aren't you picking up the phone?"

Clarence instinctively reached for his phone, checked it and said in a softer tone, "I'm sorry, my phone's on silent, I didn't hear it."

Stella leaned on the car window, looked at him with her attractive black eyes and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling down?" Clarence gave her a smile, "No."

You have 'something's wrong' written all over your face, sir. Don't even try to deny it, said Stella as she set eyes on the ashtray in the car, frowned and added, "Just how many did you smoke?"

Clarence replied, "Not that much."

Can you at least try to answer my questions sincerely? I'm not blind, you know.

As she said that, she opened the driver seat's door and said, "Get out of here and get in my car. Yours smell like nothing but cigarette smoke."

Clarence obediently got out of his car. After he shut the car door, he reached out and hugged Stella.

Before Stella got to say anything, Clarence added with his raspy voice, "Stay still, let me hug you for a while."

She placed her hands on his waist, as she could probably tell why he would behave as he did.

She whispered, "Did you see your brother?"

Chapter 527: I Probably Can’t Have a Baby

Clarence whispered, "Yeah, I've seen him."

Stella did not say anything. She could tell it was nothing pleasant just by thinking.

She gently raised her hand, patted his back and comforted him silently.

At length, she whispered, "Let's go home. I'll cook for you. What do you want to eat?"

Clarence's voice was slightly raised and there was some obvious directivity. "Anything?"

"

She should not have pitied him!

Stella loosened her grip and retracted her hand. Alright, let's go."""

Sitting in the car, Clarence looked at her. "Let's not go home."

Stella asked while driving, "Then where do you want to go?"

Clarence said, "Where do you want to go?"

Stella said seriously, "I want to go home and sleep."

That's okay though.

Stella regretted mentioning that and she simply shut her mouth up.

After a few seconds, Clarence entered an address into the navigation panel and said blandly, "Let's go here."

Stella took a glimpse. "Sure."

That address belonged to somewhere in an old city.

City N was really huge, so huge that Stella felt that she had never been there.

The car drove for an hour before reaching their destination.

After stopping the car, Stella opened the door. What she saw were all dilapidated houses, surrounded by broken walls and were uninhabited. It seemed that no one had lived there for a long time. The place was so old and desolate as if it had been forgotten, and it was incompatible with the prosperous city.

As Stella was wondering why Clarence would bring her there, he stopped next to her, leaned against the car, looked at the far end and said, "I've lived here before the Conrad's take me back."

Stella was startled and she looked back at him. "You mean here?"

Then how...

How did the place become like that?

Clarence said, "A few years ago, a developer bought here and everyone moved away."

Stella asked, "You bought it?"

Clarence looked at her and smiled. "No."

The developer bought here because he heard that the government wanted to focus on the development of this place, but he didn't expect that the mayor was replaced and the previous project was rectified again. No one cares about this place anymore and that's why the place has become like this.

After falling into silence for a while, Stella whispered, "I don't understand the world of the rich. He's spent so much money to buy it, but he left it here in the end."

Clarence put his hand on her shoulder casually and said slowly, "Invest blindly is not a good idea. If you can't get any profit, it's better to stop the loss in time."

Stella pondered and thought it to be true.

It was an old city in the first place, and the place is situated at the far end corner of the city. If the government had not planned to focus on developing that place, it really had not much future for investments. No matter what they did to the place, it was a losing business.

At a distance, the sun was setting slowly.

Stella leaned on Clarence's shoulder and gazed at the rows of houses in front.

It was indeed very similar to Anqiao Street. The houses were next to each other, and there were many interconnected alleys.

She had to say, it was quite quiet there.

No one would probably regard this as a corner of City N.

After a while, Stella suddenly felt a little strange and she raised her head from Clarence's shoulder. "Have you and Ms. Anderson always lived here?"

Without other relatives?

Stella had felt that Dolores was different when she first saw her.

Although the clothes she wore were simple and clean, the self-restraint and graceful temperament reflected from inside her were far stronger than Joanna. Stella thought for a while and asked, "Do you know other family members of Ms. Anderson?"

Clarence said blandly, "I didn't ask. I've been here since I was born."

Stella always felt that Dolores was not the kind of person who would become someone's mistress, and that must not be her real home too.

There must be some other unrevealed secrets about what happened back then.

Not knowing how long had passed, the sun was nowhere to be seen.

Clarence spoke, "Let's go."

Clarence was the one driving the car when they headed back.

The journey was a little long and there was some traffic congestion. Stella leaned back against the seat and had slowly fallen asleep.

When she opened her eyes again, she found that that was not the way back home.

She moved her stiff neck, looked around and asked bleary eyed, "Where are we going?"

Clarence's voice was rarely soft. "Home."

Home? Is this the way?

Clarence smiled and said slowly, "This is the way home."

As the car went to the right, Stella realized that was the way to the Starry Lake Mansion.

She suddenly remembered that Clarence had mentioned before going to London that they would move here when he came back.

She had completely forgotten about that.

A few minutes later, the car stopped in front of the Starry Lake Mansion.

Stella got off the car and stood at the entrance. She noticed the whole garden was full of star lights, there were swings, vines and the yard was brimmed with flowers.

In addition to the design according to her idea, other elements were also integrated inside.

It felt like home at first glance.

It was no longer the cold and desolate mansion before.

Stella turned around and met Clarence's eyes.

Clarence raised his eyebrow at her. "Go in and have a look."

Clarence took her hand and both of them walked inside.

Although Stella had basically imagined how it would look like in her mind, she was still stunned for a moment when the door was opened.

The place was just exactly like how she had imagined, even more comfortable, warmer and brighter than she thought.

Many green plants were placed around, and the house was full of the breath of life.

Clarence held her hand and they continued to walk upstairs.

He opened the bedroom door and turned on the light.

A smile slowly broke upon Stella's lips. That place was completely changed too.

It did look like a home now.

However, when she saw the children's room, she was instantly awake as if her mind was dealt a blow.

Seeing her strange look, Clarence asked softly, "What's the matter?"

Stella only looked at him at length. "Do you still remember that I have something to tell you?"

Yeah?

Stella pursed her lips, her eyelashes trembled violently, and her throat was a little dry. She opened her mouth, but did not make a sound.

Clarence stood in front of her, raised his hand and rubbed her head. "Babe, what's wrong?"

Stella lowered her head and said with a hoarse voice, "When I went to the hospital for a checkup last time, the doctor said it might be difficult for me to get pregnant in the future. I probably can't have a baby."

That's it?

Stella nodded. She had initially gotten over it, but when she saw the children's room, she suddenly realized that Sherry was right. Clarence actually wanted children.

Clarence took her into his arms. "I have something to tell you too."☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

Chapter 528: I’ve Paid for It

Stella raised her head from his arms. Her eyes were limpid and seemed teary. Tears were still hanging on her eyelashes.

She sniffed and whispered, "What is it?"

Seeing that, Clarence felt a corner of his heart collapsed and he became a little more clear-headed.

He licked his lips unnoticeably, reached out and wiped the tears from her eyelashes away. He changed what he was going to say. "If you like children, we could adopt one."

That was not the best timing.

Stella had finally forgiven him, and she was willing to move back to the Starry Mansion.

If he told her the child was still alive there, and he had been lying to her with all kinds of means, it was predictable she would leave with the child on the spot and go to somewhere he could not find. She would never forgive him until the end of her life.

Stella did not speak.

Clarence pinched her ear. "Alright, it's just a tiny matter. Plus, didn't the doctor say it's just a possibility? Why don't I work hard? "

Stella whispered, "It's pointless for you to work hard alone."

Then maybe you work hard with me?

Clarence chuckled softly and took her into his arms again. "Don't think so much. Let it be. It doesn't matter if you're pregnant or not." Stella stayed in his arms for a while, and spoke with a gruff, "Clarence."

Forget it, nothing.

Stella pushed him. "Well, it's getting late. Let's head back and move the things back when we're free."

She then went downstairs.

Clarence followed her and asked, "What are you trying to tell me just now?"

You don't want to tell me?

You won't want to hear it.

How do you know I don't want to hear it if you don't say it?

Stella stopped and looked at him levelly. "I think you're acting very strange these two days."

Clarence raised his eyebrow slightly. "What's strange?"

You said something strange last night, asking me to forgive you no matter what you did. Tonight, you said you have something to tell me in that tone again. I really don't want to think it that way again, or else I'll really think I've become ill. I've made it very clear to you at that time and have given you many opportunities.

If it's me thinking too much, I'll admit I do have problem. But on the contrary, you'll make me feel that I've always been fooled by your tricks.

Listening to what she said, Clarence's expression still unchanged, natural and calm. He took her hand and went downstairs. "Tricks are not used in such a place. Go back and I'll teach you."

She gritted her teeth. "Could you be more like a decent person?"

She could tell what crooked mind he had without the need to think.

Before leaving, Stella looked inside again, as if she was a little reluctant to leave.

Clarence sat in the driver's seat. "I'll have someone move the things back tomorrow. You can live here every day in the future."

Stella retrieved her look. She thought for a while, and said, "Why don't you move after some time? It will be more convenient to go to the Steward Group or anywhere from the apartment." Clarence fell into two seconds of silence and said, "Sure."

As long as she did not resist coming back here, it would be fine.

After returning, Stella went directly into the kitchen and made two bowls of ramen with existing ingredients.

Clarence leaned against the wall outside the kitchen. He looked at her with dark and calm eyes. No one could tell what he was thinking.

He indeed could not speak at the moment.

Stella brought the noodles to the table, but she noticed Clarence was not in the living room and she had no idea where he had been. After a while, she heard the sound of water splashing from the bathroom.

What's wrong with that man? He did not take a shower when he returned and only take it when it was dinner time. She secretly complained. Stella sat in front of the dining table, she took out her phone and looked at the latest design drawing.

She had shown Louis several of her works and had received his reply. There was no problem regarding the exhibits used for fashion week. But the biggest problem at the present was that there were too few works.

It was not enough to make a show.

She still needed more time to prepare.

Fortunately, there were still a few months left.

She just hoped that during this period, everything would go a little smoother and nothing big would happen again.

Although it was not very possible.

Speaking of the Steward Group alone, apart from the high officials she got, those following Armand Bernard had always been unhappy with her. Whenever they had a chance, they will hold her back almost by all means.

But the only thing to be thankful for was that she had made the right choice to get Samuel and the gang back to the Steward Group.

She had observed them and had found that they were excellent in both character and work ability. It was absolutely a right decision to entrust them with important tasks. However, there was another uncertain factor in the Steward Group, and that was Logan Johnson.

When Madison Taylor first brought Logan to her, Logan's eyes as he examined her from head to toes made her very uncomfortable, but in fact he did not seem to have done anything that cross the line. He seemed to be a loving father when she met him in the mall.

However, Stella still did not know which side he was on. At first, he went to the studio with Armand to look for her. He looked like he was with Armand, but when she joined the Steward Group, he had helped her solve many problems she faced in the company. It was also him who helped her when Armand deliberately set her up to embarrass her.

Moreover, he had succeeded in protecting himself when he was forced to handle the tough situation as one of the high officials back then, which showed that he had much to do with Armand in addition to his own intelligence.

At the moment, she could use Logan's help, but she could not trust him.

When Stella was absorbed in her thoughts, Clarence's voice was heard behind her. "What are you thinking?"

Stella put away her phone. "Nothing. Let's eat. The noodles are going nasty."

Clarence sat down next to her and asked, "Are you going to the Steward Group tomorrow?"

Stella nodded. "Yeah."

Tell me if Donald doesn't do anything.

Stella smiled. "You've wronged him for this. He's basically taken care of the company's affairs for me. I'm just signing, and I can't read a lot of documents. If it weren't for him, I really don't know what to do, and haven't had time to thank him."

Don't be polite to him. That's his responsibility.

Stella said, "Even if you're close, it's too..."

Clarence said slowly, "I've paid for it."

As far as she knew, Donald charged a high consulting fee even for only ten minutes. She wondered how much would it cost for him to stay in the company every day.

After careful consideration, Stella said, "How much money did you spend? I'll transfer it to you from the Steward Group's account. After all, he is the company's legal adviser., it should be the company who pays the money."

Clarence said a number. Stella then said with a serious look, "Are you full with this noodle? If not, I'll add an egg for you."☐☐

Chapter 529: You Shouldn’t Do That

Two days after that, in the Conrad Group's board meeting...

Nathan said in the Director office, "Mr. Conrad, the Chairman and Young Master Justin have arrived."

Alright, Clarence replied. He sat in front of the desk while his finger knocked lightly on it like he was deep in thoughts.

Nathan continued, "I've made arrangements with the airport. Everything is well-prepared."

Clarence stood up after a few minutes. He said softly, "Let's go."

In the spacious meeting room, Dempsey was sitting on the seat of the host. Justin was sitting beside Dempsey in his wheelchair. An empty seat was reserved on the right side of Justin's wheelchair. It was for Clarence.

Everyone had arrived in the meeting room.

Dempsey said when he saw Clarence walked in, "Now that everyone is here. I shall start with the main purpose of this board meeting."

As Clarence seated, Dempsey continued, "Everyone knows I have another son, other than Clarence. Justin was in retreat before this due to health issues. Now that he's almost recovered, I thought it's going to be a good idea for him to get out of the house more."

After all these years, I've realized that even Clarence was capable of managing the company well, but the Conrad Group is a big company, and Clarence could sometimes miss a spot or two. As Clarence's big brother, Justin too is the legal successor of the Conrad Group. He should contribute to the company as well.

Dempsey paused for a while and continued, "So, I was thinking that from today onwards, Justin will be coming into the Conrad Group as a General Manager."

The meeting room was filled with chatter and discussions as soon as Dempsey finished his announcement.

Everybody knew that Dempsey only held the position of the Chairman in the Conrad Group, but in fact, he didn't have any say when it came to big decisions about the company. The amount of shares Dempsey was holding was very little.

Nobody would have an opinion if Dempsey brought Justin into the Conrad Group and gave him an insignificant job.

But now, Dempsey wanted to give Justin the General Manager position. The position only held lesser power than Clarence in the company.

It indicated that the Conrad Group was going to have a dramatic change.

Dempsey would even regain his power in the company.

Would Mr. Conrad agree with it?

Clarence remained silent and sat in his place as people chattered and discussing around him.

Dempsey raised his hand, "Silent."

Soon, everybody stopped talking.

Dempsey continued, "I know it is a difficult decision to adjust to, but Justin was holding forty per cent of shares of the company. I believe he is the best fit for the position of General Manager." People in the room was surprised, and they all looked at Clarence at the same time.

They were shocked by the fact that Justin was holding forty per cent of the share of the Conrad Group.

Before this, Clarence held a total of eighty-five per cent of the share, and he had the ultimate say for the company.

What was that?

Dempsey knew it was hard for people to believe in what he said.

So, he raised his hand and signaled the assistant to turn on the projector.

It was the agreement Jon sent back two days ago.

However, the image was blurry when the projector turned on.

Dempsey raised his voice, "What's going on?"

The assistant replied, "I've checked before we came. It was functioning..."

Clarence said slowly, "I forgot to tell you. Some problems occurred to our devices yesterday, and we've no time to fix it yet."

Dempsey was speechless.

The assistant quickly said, "Where is he? Haven't he arrived?"

Without the document, Clarence could still say it is a forged photo even if they had a copy of the fax. A copy of the fax wouldn't be much of the help.

The assistant whispered, "He's already got off of the plane, but something happened..."

At the same time, in the City N International Airport.

Jon got arrested by customs officers once he got off the plane. The customs officers took him in for an investigation as Jon was listed as a suspect for smuggling.

Can I make a call then?

The custom officer-in-charge looked at Jon with an expressionless face.

Jon had no choice but to hand in his phone, then cooperate with the investigation with a stack of documents in his hands.

Damn it!

Jon had been experiencing several bad lucks these two days after he messed with Clarence.

Jon offended the mafia in London for no reason. He went through so much to get away from them, and he managed to get into the plane to City N at last. However, the bad luck continued. Obviously, it was a set-up by Clarence.

But what Jon didn't understand was how Clarence made arrangements in London to get him killed on such short notice.

As far as Jon knew, Clarence didn't have much connection in London as London wasn't his sphere of Influence.

That was the initial reason why Jon set their location in London.

Who knew Jon almost got killed there.

At the outside of the airport, Vincent sent Nathan a text informing him that everything proceeded smoothly.

Nathan whispered to Clarence in the meeting room after he got Vincent's text.

Clarence replied calmly, "Understood."

Dempsey glared at Clarence. He wasn't looking so good now. He knew Clarence was messing with him.

Dempsey's initial plan was to get Justin into the company. He was hoping that Clarence would take their relationship into account and wouldn't reject his suggestion.

However, Dempsey might not be able to go on with his plan, considering what happened in the meeting room.

If the document didn't arrive in time, all his efforts would be wasted.

But Dempsey did prepare a backup plan. The fax copy was his backup plan.

However, the biggest obstacle in the plan was Clarence.

Clarence voiced out before Dempsey, "I signed the agreement, and it was legal. So be it."

Then, Clarence stood up and walked out of the meeting room after finishing his words.

People in the meeting room was shocked. They were confused.

Even Dempsey didn't believe what he heard. He didn't expect Clarence to agree with his suggestion without a fight.

It was unpredictable.

Justin had been quiet during the meeting. He frowned and followed Clarence out of the meeting room in his wheelchair.

As Clarence stepped into his office, a voice rose behind him, "Clarence."

Nathan quietly stepped out of Clarence office and closed the door.

Justin paused and continued, "You shouldn't do that."

Clarence sat on the couch, "The Conrad was initially yours. I can give it to you if you want it."

But you knew. It wasn't me who wanted the Conrad Group.

It's the same for me. I would rather get it over with as soon as possible than to put you in the middle and see you suffer.

But Clarence...

Clarence said calmly, "I wouldn't regret my choice since I've made up my made. Even if I've given up half of the share of the Conrad Group today, I can surely take it back from him another day." Justin sighed. He didn't know what to say anymore.

Chapter 530: Whom the Gods Loved Died Young

When Stella heard of what happened in the Conrad Group from Logan when she was in the Steward Group, she remained silent for a while, then sent Logan out of the room. Stella wasn't surprised at the result at all.

Donald sat on the couch and clicked his tongue, "I'm going to defend Clarence next time if anybody tells me that Clarence was a cold-blooded person."

It seemed like Clarence's choice was within their expectation.

Stella paused a while and continued, "Would it be hard for Clarence to survive in the Conrad Group in the future?"

Donald replied, "Not necessary. When Clarence took over the Conrad Group a few years ago, Dempsey arranged many of his people in the Conrad Group to monitor and control Clarence. He did well back then, and Dempsey's people got chased out of the company at last."

Since he was able to get to where he is and fully in charge of the Conrad Group today from scratch, there's nothing he couldn't do. Furthermore, the situation now is way better than when he first took over the company.

Stella sighed. She didn't know what to say.

After a while, Donald said, "But..."

Stella looked at him, "What?"

Donald raised his brows, "It was nothing. Alright. So, we're done for today. I shall head back to the chamber. Call me if you need me."

Donald headed to the Conrad Group after he got out of the Steward Group.

Clarence was in his office, as well as Vincent when Donald arrived at Clarence's office.

Donald walked in, "So, what are you all talking about? Isn't it a little late to feel regret?"

Vincent said, "I've dug up Jon's background. He was an ordinary British Born Chinese. Even his resume was clean. Nothing is special about him. Before this, he hadn't gone back to Britain in over ten years." "Then how Dempsey contacted him in the first place? I couldn't figure that out.”

Clarence said calmly, "Joanna was probably the connection."

Donald said, "Speaking of which, who was the person behind Joanna? We haven't got any clue about it even after we've watched her for so long."

Vincent replied, "The person was well-hidden. I think even Joanna didn't know who the person is. He only offered help once a while for Joanna."

What should we do now then?

Vincent and Donald looked at Clarence after the question was raised. Clarence raised his brows and said slowly, "Why are you all looking at me? Just go with our plan."

Donald said, "Based on how you treated Justin, I'm thinking you're probably not going to do anything to Joanna."

Clarence sat on the couch and sounded cold, "Justin and Joanna are different individuals."

That's what you think, but is Justin seeing things that way as well?

After a long pause, Clarence replied, "It's different."

Donald asked, "How so?"

The Conrad Group was initially belonged to Justin. It doesn't matter to me if I had to give everything I had to Justin, Clarence sounded cold, "But it's a different case for Joanna. She almost killed Stella." Donald said, "It would be best if Justin could let go. If he clung onto the past, he's going to be a problem."

Vincent sighed, "Justin sees things much clearer and deeper than us. It'll be unsolvable trouble if this happened to us. After all, he had to choose between the reality and his mother who raised him.” Justin had been a kind person all along.

Heaven and hell were only within a flash of thought.

Stella had promised Sherry to go shopping with her the night before. So, Stella headed to the workshop after sending Clarence a text.

Clarence probably wouldn't leave the company so early as he just had a board meeting today. Clarence would probably still be in his office after Stella finished shopping with Sherry.

Stella received Winnie's call when she was driving.

Winnie came back as she finished her roadshow.

Stella said, "Great! I'm on the way to go shopping with Sherry. You want to tag along?"

Winnie replied, "Sure. Where to?"

Stella sent Winnie the destination after she hung up the phone.

After Stella, Sherry and Winnie met up, three of them looked like they had something on their mind. They were sighing along the way.

Stella, Sherry and Winnie were sitting in the coffee shop. Sherry bit her straw and asked, "What's wrong with your guys? Is there anything worse than what I'm going through? It's not easy for all three of us to gather here. Lighten up yourself!"

Winnie didn't know what happened to Sherry. She asked, "What happened to you?"

Sherry answered casually, "Nothing big. It's just that I got pregnant after a one-night-stand." "What?"

Winnie was surprised, "Who?"

Sherry tried to fake a smile. She didn't know how to tell Winnie.

Winnie sounded out Sherry on her reaction, "It was Daniel's?"

Sherry chocked over her drinks. She coughed, then gave Winnie a silent acquiescence.

Winnie asked, "What are you going to do now?"

The doctor said it is too early to have an abortion now. He asked me to wait for a suitable time. I think it's only a few days away.

Did Daniel know about it?

I've told him, and he said he needed some time with it. We're grown-ups. I understand what he meant.

Winnie's tongue was tied. She didn't know what to say to Sherry.

After a long pause, Winnie glanced at Stella, who zoned out. Winnie bumped Sherry with her elbow, "What about her? What's wrong with her?"

Sherry whispered, "You haven't gone back to the office after you came back, right?"

... Usually, I don't go to the office unless there are important agreements to sign or discuss.

Then you wouldn't know that the Conrad Group has been turned upside down.

After Sherry told Winnie what happened in the Conrad Group, what surprised Winnie the most was, "Mr. Conrad had a brother?"

Sherry nodded, "I've only seen him twice. I guess whom the gods love dies young, or in this case, full of misfortunes."

After a long while, Stella returned from the spaced-out status, "What were you guys talking about?"

Winnie and Sherry both felt speechless.

Stella didn't think it was a big problem for Justin to get into the Conrad Group and held forty per cent of shares.

After what happened, it was obvious that the conflicts between Clarence and the Conrad family surfaced instead of being kept hidden like how they used to be.

The battlefield was transferred to the Conrad Group.

Stella used to think that Justin could keep himself out of the battle, but based on what happened in the Conrad Group, Justin was probably trapped in the eye of the storm now. Joanna was a foe, but Justin helped Stella before.

Furthermore, Justin was special to Clarence.

Justin was forced to be involved in the battle, and no matter how hard Clarence tried, the harm was inevitable.

Most importantly, nobody could change the fact that Joanna was Justin's birth mother.

But Stella couldn't let go. She couldn't't forgive Joanna.

Stella guessed nobody would feel easy when the time to make decisions came.0000