Chapter 22

It took Ethan 3 days of medication to fully recover from his allergy. Yet, he preferred to wear turtleneck sweaters to work every day rather than take a day off. Stella was moved by his diligence. Ethan had indeed changed compared to a few years ago. In high school, he always pushed the limits of her patience. But now, Stella could feel that he was trying to get along better with her. The remaining crabs were cooked by Stella into sautéed crab and scallion crab with noodles, but this time they all ended up in her own stomach. Ethan didn't complain about eating plain noodles every day. ... At the company, the North City project was proceeding smoothly. According to the final contract, Horizon Group would contribute 65% of the funding, but all the development work would be handled by Carlson Group, with profits split evenly in the future. The terms of the contract were so favorable that it made Stella feel uneasy, and she even speculated about Ethan's intentions. After all, besides cooperating with him to shape his identity and image, she hadn't done much else. So far, she had benefited more from this marriage. Since Aaron's injury and hospitalization, there had been no news from Dean, and the previously progressing medical cooperation project had been put on hold. Although Stella didn't want to admit it, it was indeed Aaron's recent actions to distance himself that had forced Dean to restrain himself. Even though Dean didn't want to see the North City project progress so smoothly, he also cautiously refrained from taking action in this situation. But this only increased Stella's disgust towards Aaron. She didn't need to passively accept his so-called "help." In the conference room, Stella was finalizing the contract issues with the person in charge from Horizon Group. "Mrs. Powers, are there any other clauses you'd like to discuss or add?" The person Horizon Group sent to coordinate with Carlson Group's side was named Simon Brandy, the director of the development department. Initially, Stella thought that as the investor, this director might try to assert dominance in the work progress, but she was proven wrong. Simon was exceptionally easy to communicate with, and she even gained a bit more respect for him. Considering that she had taken over the North City project from his team initially, she felt a bit embarrassed. After briefly reviewing the contract, Stella looked up at him and said, "The details that need to be added have already been discussed by Marcel. After confirming them later, I'll personally go over to sign the contract tomorrow." "Alright," Simon smiled in response. After hesitating for a moment, he tentatively asked, "What about the groundbreaking ceremony? Do you want to discuss it with Mr. Powers personally?" Stella was momentarily stunned by his words. Although Ethan had shown some "affection" in front of Aaron and others a few times, she also understood that they wouldn't truly believe that she and Ethan had a normal marital relationship. But Simon's question made her realize clearly: in the eyes of many people, she and Ethan were indeed a married couple, with the closest of connections. That feeling was indeed somewhat subtle. While studying at the college, she had also had roommates in shared accommodation, but Ethan was different. Even though they lived under the same roof and naturally grew closer, they were not ordinary roommates. Stella glanced at Simon's expression, smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'll bring it up with him." The government's planning permit had already been obtained, and the detailed planning design from the planning department had been completed. Next up was to start construction. Even though the previous work had been handled by subordinates, the groundbreaking ceremony indeed required Ethan's presence. ... "Boss, the entanglement between Jack and Mrs. Powers is pretty much the extent of it." In the CEO's office, Isaac had just finished reporting on what Ethan had instructed him to investigate earlier. Then, he silently thought Jack would be in "danger". Seeing Ethan's furrowed brows and increasingly serious expression, Isaac hesitated slightly before continuing, "Although the Fletcher family's intentions are impure, it seems like Mrs. Powers has taught Jack a lesson, and afterwards, Jack has been avoiding her." The Fletcher family really had some nerve. When Stella returned home, they even started scheming to get Jack to approach her and marry her. Wasn't this just walking into the boss's firing line? Ethan lightly tapped his fair and slender fingertips on the desk, his tone chilling. "Go ahead and expose Jack's trivial matters, and don't forget to emphasize his status." His words carried a chilling undertone. Isaac instantly understood that while Ethan didn't want to impact his wife, he wanted to ruin Jack's reputation. It was also Jack's fault for having so many scandals; not only did he fake his academic credentials, but he also organized cheating during important exams, all of which Dean had to work hard to cover up for him. Jack was Avery's cousin. As long as someone was willing to vouch for him, those marketing accounts would probably be happy to take on this traffic. By operating in secret, they could easily send him to prison for a few years. In addition to Jack, Avery's already tarnished reputation would probably be implicated again. After all, Jack's matters were smoothed over by Dean, and Avery was likely to be in the know. The boss was taking out both of them in one fell swoop! Isaac nodded in agreement, about to get up and leave, when Ethan seemed to remember something and stopped him, asking, "Do you know what the employees have been discussing lately?" He furrowed his brows and looked at Isaac, referring to the strange look Jason gave him at noon with his cryptic warning, "Since it's working time, some things should be handled more discreetly. Don't make a spectacle for the employees to laugh at." Ethan didn't understand at the time, but now couldn't help but ask Isaac for clarification. Meeting his gaze, Isaac's expression filled with conflict, he hesitated for a while before tactfully speaking up, "Boss... maybe you shouldn't wear high-necked clothes tomorrow." Ethan furrowed his brows for a moment, as if he finally realized something. His eyebrows raised slightly, lips pressed into a thin line, and after a brief pause, he nodded lightly, "Okay." He hadn't anticipated that simply changing into a high-necked shirt due to allergies would lead to such... suggestive misunderstandings in the company. Seeing that the boss's mood seemed relatively okay, Isaac felt relieved and finally walked out of the office. After he left, Ethan rubbed his temples, chuckled lightly, and took a while to clear away the slight discomfort and confusion in his mind. Just as he was about to look at the contract documents sent by Simon, his phone rang on the desk. He reached out and answered the call. Officer Barton's voice carried unmistakable joy, "Mr. Powers, your father's former assistant has surrendered himself in Seattle." ... Ethan received a call from Thomas after Officer Barton. When he arrived at the Carlson family's villa alone, he bumped into Wyatt, who had just finished visiting Thomas and was about to leave. As their eyes met, Wyatt greeted him with a smile, "Long time no see." "Long time no see." Ethan nodded slightly. "Thomas has been waiting for you. I'll leave first." With that, Wyatt headed towards the door. As he reached the door, he turned his head in silence and caught sight of Ethan's figure disappearing halfway up the stairs. He remembered the first time he saw Ethan eight years ago when he was still a young teenager. Ethan handed over the information directly to him and then left without hesitation. Going round and round, it was considered a wish fulfilled. ... When Stella returned to the villa, the spacious living room was dark with no light. As she turned on the lights, she frowned and detected the faint bitter smell of smoke in the air. Her gaze fell on the man sitting in the living room, and she paused before speaking, "Ethan, why aren't you turning on the lights?" Ethan sat expressionless on the sofa, eyes distant, with a few cigarette butts in the ashtray on the coffee table. He didn't speak, but she sensitively sensed his low mood. Stella stood up and walked over to him, asking, "Are you okay?" Ethan came back to himself, slowly meeting her gaze, then chuckled lightly and lazily shook his head, "Oh, nothing, just smoked a few cigarettes." When Stella left, she mentioned that she and Natalie were going shopping after work, so he hadn't expected her to come back so early. "Smoking is bad for your health, you should smoke less," Stella sighed at his indifferent appearance and said. It was the first time she had seen Ethan smoking. Ethan raised an eyebrow, his eyes playful, and chuckled sarcastically, "Why are you so concerned about me lately? Even telling me not to smoke?'" Stella choked up a bit, picked up the cigarette box from the coffee table, and furrowed her brows as she retorted, "I'm afraid of inhaling your secondhand smoke and harming my health." Then, she pointed to the words on the cigarette box and said, "Smoking is harmful to your health. If you don't have a strong addiction, you should smoke less." Over this period, she hadn't seen Ethan smoking, so even if he had a habit, it couldn't be that significant. They had been getting along well during this time, and she didn't want to see him fall into the habit of smoking. Ethan casually responded, "Okay." After his words, he caught her gaze and promised, "Got it, I won't smoke anymore." His addiction wasn't severe; he rarely smoked, at most a couple of cigarettes during social gatherings. He had smoked a few extra earlier because he wasn't feeling particularly good. Now, with the reminder, most of those emotions dissipated. However, just as he finished that thought, Stella lowered her gaze and asked him, "So, why were you smoking here just now?" Ethan looked up at her, his eyes hiding a faint scrutiny. After a moment, he chuckled lightly, his gaze shifting to the window as he spoke somewhat abstractly, "I guess it's because I resolved some issues, only to find that it wasn't as liberating as I imagined." The key witness in the case back then was Scott, Dylan's assistant. Scott had handled the funds in question, but he disappeared after Dylan was imprisoned. When Officer Barton called, Scott, who had returned to Seattle after Dylan's death, had already confessed everything he knew. Although Ethan still needed some other evidence, he had almost pieced together the whole story. Thinking about this, he leaned back on the sofa casually, a slight smirk playing at the corner of his lips as he turned to look at Stella. "You were right when you said I was arrogant and ostentatious back then." Just like his father, who had been too aggressive in business, grabbing too much of the pie and ultimately leading to his downfall. Ethan knew very well that in the business world, interests reign supreme. If it were him, wouldn't he discreetly blend in as well? Thinking about this question, he suddenly felt a bit hollow in his determination. Stella didn't expect Ethan to have a moment of self-reflection. She felt even more convinced that he had been through something challenging and reassured him in a soft tone, "Don't think like that. You actually have many positive qualities." "Really?" Ethan raised an eyebrow at her, seeming to wait patiently for her to continue. Stella explained, "I mean it, and you've improved a lot compared to before." Ethan replied casually, "For example?" Stella, knowing he was in a bad mood, scrambled to come up with compliments to appease him. "For example, you voluntarily take care of the household chores like washing the dishes, which many men wouldn't do," she said. "You pick me up from work every day and never complain. You've helped me a lot recently without asking for anything in return." At least not yet. After she finished, she smiled at him and added, "Even though you were a bit arrogant in high school, you still kept to yourself and didn't bully classmates, or switch girlfriends like other playboys." That proved he wasn't inherently bad. Otherwise, she wouldn't have called Ethan during her wedding. But as soon as she finished speaking, Ethan chuckled lightly, "You got that wrong." Stella looked at him bewildered. Wrong? What did she get wrong? She was clearly praising him, so why was he denying it? Ethan met Stella's clear gaze and knew she had no clue, so he shifted his focus and hesitantly spoke, drawing out his words with a tone of jest, "Didn't I bully you?" Stella choked at his words, then suddenly realized, shaking her head with a faint smile, "I wasn't talking about that kind of bullying, and I've let it go, not keeping score with you." At most, he only tormented her with questions or homework, or casually interrupted her when she sought help from others with her studies. She might have been annoyed by him at the time, but silently getting him punished and watching him casually read a confession in front of the whole school eventually quenched her anger. Ethan observed her expression and quickly changed the subject, "Are you free this weekend?" Stella glanced at him, pondered for a moment, then nodded, "You have plans?" "Yeah, accompany me to a banquet." Although Ethan didn't say it explicitly, Stella already understood from his demeanor that he expected her to accompany him to 'show affection' in public. But this was already agreed upon in their marriage agreement, so she didn't refuse and casually replied, "Sure, I'll make time." The man's gaze shifted slightly, then he stood up and retrieved a bunch of keys from the coffee table drawer, handing them over. Stella hesitated as she took them and asked, "What's this?" "There are quite a few pieces of jewelry in the second cabinet on the left side of the study. You can go and pick something out." Ethan looked at her leisurely. Seeing her seeming to want to refuse, he continued, "It's Mrs. Jenna Reeves's birthday banquet, so it would be great if you could help me pick out something suitable as a gift." Stella didn't feel right refusing, since he had requested it. She nodded and took the keys, heading to the second-floor study. The study was decorated in the same minimalist style, with shelves neatly filled with books, and a large, tidy desk in the middle. Although she didn't come here often, she knew exactly which cabinet Ethan was referring to on the left side, second shelf. Using the keys to open the heavy safe door, she was surprised to see the array of items piled up inside, even she couldn't help but be amazed. Fortunately, the security in the villa area was good enough; otherwise, thieves could really make a fortune with all the jewels in this safe. After considering for a moment, Stella chose a stylish and dazzling ruby necklace from among the jewels. She had dealt with Jenna Reeves a few times before. She was in her seventies and had a particular fondness for rubies. Although the rubies on this necklace weren't particularly heavy, their transparency made them quite rare. As Stella was about to close the safe, she suddenly caught sight of a bracelet in the corner. It was a best-selling design from Tiffany in the early years. She had bought one herself when she was a sophomore. Unfortunately, she had been unlucky; before she had a chance to wear it, she encountered a pickpocket on her way back to school, effectively meaning she never really owned it. During that time, she was always lost in thought, constantly contemplating and discussing with her grandfather about breaking off the engagement, completely unaware of her surroundings. This bracelet was the best-selling model from Tiffany back then, and it wasn't expensive. Stella noticed it mainly because it seemed to pale in comparison to the other jewels among the many in the safe. While the others looked like they were from auctions, this one clearly wasn't. So, why would Ethan keep such a bracelet in the safe? Before the thought fully formed, a voice came from behind her. "Have you made your choice?" Ethan leaned casually against the door with one hand in his pocket, his gaze falling on the chain in Stella's hand. "You're not thinking of choosing this one, are you?" he raised an eyebrow, his tone light and casual. "Well, you can't choose it." "Why?" The words came out before Stella had time to fully process her thoughts. As she came back to herself, about to explain that she hadn't intended to choose this particular bracelet, Ethan had already linked his arms and strolled over leisurely. Towering over her, he looked down at her, his eyes deep. "You tell me." Stella's eyebrows twitched slightly as she replied to his question. "Does it have some special significance?" Otherwise, he wouldn't have placed such an ordinary bracelet among these jewels and specifically left a space for it. Ethan's lips curled in a casual smile as he looked deeply into her eyes, nonchalantly speaking, "You said earlier that I didn't have any early romances in high school, but that's not entirely true—" His gaze hesitated for a moment, then he remembered his conversation with Thomas earlier today. "This bracelet was left to me by my first love. I can't just give it to you like that," he said, his voice low and calm.