Chapter 32

The funeral for Thomas was ultimately scheduled for three days later. Before his passing, he had repeatedly instructed Troy not to make a fuss about his affairs after his death. Therefore, the funeral at the Carlson family's villa was kept very low-key, with only a few close friends and relatives in attendance. Following Thomas's final wishes, he was to be buried alongside his late wife at the Hilltop Cemetery in the northern part of the city. On the day of the funeral, Stella dressed in somber black suit and trousers, standing there with a subdued expression, politely greeting the guests who came to offer their condolences. On the other side, Natalie and Layla had just finished offering their condolences to Thomas and silently approached her. "Life, sickness, and death are all part of life. Try to look at it from a different perspective," Natalie comforted. She had no immediate family but remembered the long period of grief when the director passed away. She had received support from Thomas and held him in high regard. She knew that for the elderly, departing from the sufferings of illness was a form of liberation. Stella nodded slowly at the words, managing to force a slight smile. "Yeah, I know." These days had been filled with dealing with Thomas's affairs, politely handling the various people who came. After the initial surge of emotions had passed, she seemed to have become numb. Now, looking at the familiar photo on the tombstone, amidst her sense of loss, Stella understood that Thomas should be remembered with joyous laughter. Perhaps Ethan was right; she should get used to facing her grandfather in a different way, rather than dwelling in grief. Seeing her still troubled friend, Stella took a deep breath and reassured, "I'm okay, just still adjusting." Layla, unsure of how to comfort her, simply took Stella's hand and changed the subject. "I saw Mr. Jonathan just called Avery over." Jonathan, Thomas's lifelong friend, was expected to attend, despite the cancellation of the engagement between Stella and Aaron. Just moments ago, he came over to speak with Stella and then called over the silent Avery. "Claire doesn't like Avery, but Jonathan seems fine with it. After all, he watched her grow up," Natalie remarked, furrowing her brow after speaking. Layla glanced at Avery, who stood nearby in all black. "With Thomas gone, the most awkward situation falls on her. Not only does she suddenly have a brother to deal with, but she also doesn't know how the will is going to be divided. But she seems to be behaving herself now," Layla commented. Thomas's will had been drafted long ago but would only be revealed after the funeral. Both Dean and Avery were potential heirs, but Avery's relationship with her father had become quite awkward. During the preparations for the funeral, everyone except Dean had been staying at the Carlson family's villa, sorting through Thomas's belongings. Avery had remained silent throughout, her eyes swollen from crying every day. The happiest person in the past few days was probably Dean. After all, there was no chance for the will to be changed now. "She should learn her lesson from this," Natalie sighed, furrowing her brow. "But to be fair, Dean isn't any better in this matter." As Stella's friend, she naturally disliked Avery and had even confronted her before. But they all understood that whether it was Avery stirring up rumors about Aaron or using Aiden to make Aaron call off the engagement, it was likely at Dean's behest. Avery deserved the consequences she was facing now, but Dean was the kind of person that disgusted Natalie even more. Layla glanced at a few men in the crowd on the other side and suddenly remarked, "Ethan is handling this quite well. None of the Fletcher family members were able to come." Whether it was the funeral or the burial, Dean and the Fletcher family were all kept outside the cemetery by Ethan's people. After all, Ethan was just Thomas's grandson-in-law. His decisive action surely tarnished his reputation, but Stella was still deeply moved. She didn't want to see the Fletcher family at her grandfather's funeral, and Ethan's actions helped deflect all the gossip. Thinking of this, Stella smiled and nodded, "I should express my gratitude to him later." But he always refused her gratitude. Hearing Stella's words, Natalie glanced at her with a meaningful look and asked, "What are your thoughts now?" Seeing Stella's slight bewilderment, Natalie knew she was too busy preparing for the funeral to think about anything else. So she shook her head and turned to Layla. "Alright, let's go." Stella offered, "I'll walk you out." "No need, you're still busy." Natalie stopped her, then looked at Ethan not far away, and Layla turned and left. She knew Stella was always decisive. She would figure things out on her own soon enough. Watching Natalie and Layla leave, Stella's thoughts lingered on Natalie's sudden words for a while before she snapped out of it. Little did she know, as she looked up, her gaze was blocked by the figure of a man. "Hey." In front of her stood Aaron, whom she hadn't seen in a long time. Meeting Stella's calm eyes, Aaron swallowed hard, his gaze intense, his voice tinged with a deep tone. "I know you don't want to see me, but if there's anything you need help with, you can contact Zhai Xu. Don't... always shoulder everything on your own." It had been a long time since he had seen Stella. He didn't want to provoke too much resentment from her by confronting her at the company, but in doing so, he also lost the opportunity to meet her. Upon learning of Thomas's passing, Aaron worried about Stella and urgently wanted to come see her, but he was afraid of causing trouble for her. After all, he didn't have a suitable identity to accompany her and deal with all this. He could only use the funeral as an opportunity to see her. Just now, when Aaron saw her from a distance, he felt that Stella looked a bit weary. He wanted to comfort her, help her with her troubles, but he was afraid she would be eager to distance herself from him. With this in mind, he quickly added, "Don't rush to reject me. You've helped me a lot in the past, haven't you?" He knew she always kept her relationships clear, and without saying this, she wouldn't be willing to accept his help. Upon hearing Aaron's words, Stella relaxed and looked at him. "Anyway, thank you for coming to pay your respects to Thomas." Aaron paused, his eyes gentle as he smiled at her. "Thomas had been kind to me." This had been the kindest Stella had been to him in this period of time. Seeing that Aaron showed no intention of leaving, Stella frowned, her gaze crossing over him, subconsciously glancing at the man not far away surrounded by guests. Coincidentally, she met Ethan's gaze, and her heart inexplicably sank, as if through that look, she heard his voice ringing in her ears — "Stella, restrain yourself." Stella's eyes drifted downward, distractedly, as for what Aaron said afterward, she didn't hear clearly anymore, just nodding in a flustered manner. Seeing this, Aaron thought she had taken his words to heart, feeling a bit relieved. However, he didn't dare to say too much to avoid making her unhappy, so he hesitated for a moment, then turned to leave with a reluctant look in his eyes. On the other side, Jason spoke angrily, "Damn it, that shameless Aaron dares to go talk to your wife!" If Ethan hadn't stopped him, he would have wanted to rush up and drag that annoying guy away from Stella! Ethan's eyebrows furrowed lightly, his gaze cold and clear, as he said in a deep voice, "In this situation, he's still a guest, watch your tone." Pausing for a moment, he added, "Wait for him to leave before you approach." After all, today was Thomas's funeral, and Stella definitely didn't want to give people something to gossip about, so he also had to consider her dignity. That being said, Ethan's gaze remained fixed on the two figures not far away. Jason cautiously assessed the man's aura of coldness, not daring to speak further, and turned to look at Luke, who was calmly playing with his phone. It wasn't until Aaron turned and left that Ethan's expression eased, and Jason felt a sense of relief as well. After Aaron left, Stella breathed a sigh of relief. When she looked over at Ethan, he was already walking toward her with Jason and the others. As high school alumni, Stella knew Jason and Luke, but they weren't very close. "Hey, Jason," Stella greeted Jason with a smile, then nodded at Luke beside him. "Hey, Luke." Jason was pleasantly surprised and said, "Hey." As for Luke, he was quite direct, calmly taking out a business card and handing it to Stella. "Good to see you. And, if you need legal services related to inheritance disputes in the future, you can contact me." His tone was a bit too direct, making the atmosphere awkward for a moment. Ethan glanced at her and nodded. "He's quite competent. You should consider it." Jason chimed in, "Yes, yes, you don't need to be polite to him." Stella hesitated for a moment, then reached out to take the business card, smiling. "Thank you. If there's a real need, I'll call you." She had heard of Luke's reputation in litigation, and she knew it was hard to hire him, so she didn't refuse his offer. After exchanging greetings with Jason and Luke, they exchanged a few words. Jason then excused himself, "We'll take off now. If you have time in the future, come to the club with Ethan." Jason mentioned the club, naturally referring to the Golden Brilliance, which he and Tom, among others, invested in together. Therefore, he could also be considered half of the boss of the Golden Brilliance. After saying these words, they turned and left. As Stella watched Jason and Luke walk away, she finally sensed that something was amiss. Jason's attitude towards her just now was a bit too enthusiastic. Could it be that Ethan hadn't told Jason that they were in a fake marriage? Catching Stella's puzzled expression, Ethan cleared his throat lightly and said, "Jason can't keep secrets. It's not appropriate to tell him." "Okay." Upon hearing the man's explanation, Stella nodded as if she understood something. Then she faintly heard the conversation between Jason and Fu Chen as they walked away. "Luke, the designated driver said the route is hard to find. Can you accompany me all the way?" Jason asked. "No time, figure it out yourself," Luke coldly replied. "Damn, are you going to meet your so-called 'girlfriend' again? She's been ambiguous with you for so long, maybe she's just using you as a backup, you better not be fooled," Jason suggested. Stella was speechless. It seemed that Jason really couldn't keep his mouth shut. ... Evening came, and the funeral ended. Stella and Ethan didn't return home; instead, they drove together back to Carlson family's villa. In the quiet living room, apart from Dean and Avery sitting apart, there was also Wyatt and another neatly dressed middle-aged man. Stella understood immediately that the man must be Thomas's estate lawyer, Jeffrey Mendes. After Thomas's passing, Jeffrey had called Stella to inform her that he would announce Thomas's will after the funeral. Since Dean couldn't attend the funeral, he had arrived here early, but Jeffrey insisted on waiting for everyone to gather before reading the will, so he had no choice but to wait until now. Seeing Stella enter, Dean's tone already carried a hint of impatience. "Mr. Mendes, can we announce the will now?" Jeffrey, however, maintained his professionalism and didn't argue with Dean. He simply nodded silently and stood up after Stella and Ethan took their seats. "Good day, everyone. I am Thomas's lawyer, Jeffrey. I am here to announce Mr. Thomas's will, as per his instructions," Jeffrey said. Stella nodded calmly. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Mendes." Jeffrey got straight to the point and said, "Mr. Thomas made his final amendment to the will half a month ago. In this last will, he designated three heirs. The 14 properties and part of the fund deposits under Mr. Thomas's name will be equally divided among the three designated heirs, based on their current market value." Stella and the others listened quietly, their expressions unchanged. Dean's expression became even more serious when he heard Jeffrey mention the three heirs. Thomas had indeed shown a slight preference for Stella in recent years, but he had always been kind to his granddaughter Avery as well. Wyatt was Thomas's adopted son with formal adoption procedures, also considered his son in name. With only three heirs to the inheritance, Stella knew exactly what Dean was worried about. However, even though she was prepared, she still clenched her fingertips in surprise at Jeffrey's next words. Jeffrey's words rang clearly in everyone's ears. "Mr. Thomas's 40% share of the Carlson Group, 30% of it belongs to Mrs. Stella Powers, while Miss Avery Fletcher and Mr. Ethan Powers will each inherit the remaining 5%." Except for Wyatt, everyone else was shocked. Stella hadn't expected that the other inheritor would not be Wyatt or Dean, but her husband, Ethan, whom she had only been married to for just over two months. She didn't know if her grandfather's decision was because of her or simply because he liked Ethan as his grandson-in-law. She turned her head to meet the man's casually attentive gaze, chuckled softly, and whispered in his ear, "You seem to have won Grandpa's favor." "Yeah, it proves Grandpa has good taste." Ethan raised his eyebrows with a smile, his tone light and breezy, but it directly provoked Dean sitting on the other side. "How is this possible!" Dean's emotions were somewhat out of control. He clearly didn't want to believe that his years of effort had come to naught, with most of the inheritance being taken away by Stella and Ethan, who had appeared out of nowhere. "Dean, why are you so worked up?" Wyatt glanced at Dean indifferently and said. "It's partly my fault. Thomas mentioned the inheritance to me earlier, and I thought, since we're all elders now, it wouldn't be right to compete with the younger generation for things. So I suggested to Thomas that he doesn't need to consider the two of us. We're getting older, and it's time to be self-reliant, isn't it?" Stella had never seen Wyatt speak such blunt words that hit the nail on the head. Talking about being old, Wyatt wasn't even forty yet, clearly different from Dean, who was already over fifty. As for the decision of the other party to give up the inheritance, Stella wasn't surprised either. After all, Wyatt moved out of the Carlson family when he reached adulthood and didn't interfere in the affairs of the Carlson Group after Griffin passed away, seeming to have little interest in the Carlson Group. Dean clenched his fists, his face flushed, and he frowned as he retorted, "But Avery is also his granddaughter. How could he give all that 30% share to Stella?" Wyatt chuckled lightly, "Dean, did you forget something? The 40% share owned by Thomas, of which 25% was left by Griffin. This 25% should have originally gone to Stella." This logic was like how Melinda left her own 10% share to her daughter, Avery. The Carlson Group was expanded by Griffin during his lifetime. When Thomas wanted to pass the company to his son, he also transferred shares to his son and daughter. But when Griffin and his wife passed away, Stella hadn't been brought back to the Carlson family yet, and the legal heirs were only Thomas. Aside from Griffin's 25% share, Thomas only evenly distributed the remaining 15% among Stella and her two younger cousins, showing no favoritism. Dean still seemed unwilling to accept Thomas's will, frowning as he pointed at Ethan. "But he's just an outsider, how could Thomas possibly—" "Dean, Ethan is my husband, not an outsider to the Carlson family," Stella interrupted, her tone cold as she spoke, "If he's considered an outsider, what does that make you, who had an extramarital child while being married? Instead of wasting time here, why not find a way out for the Fletcher family? Do you think you can still remain as the general manager?" Dean snorted lightly at her words. "I still hold 10% of the proxy shares. Even if you want to bring me down, you need the consent of the other shareholders." Even if he couldn't get the shares, he wasn't without leverage. Dean had been deeply involved with the other shareholders of Carlson Group over the years, and these people wouldn't easily be swayed by Stella. If he offered enough benefits and negotiated agreements privately with the other shareholders, he still had room to turn things around. "Bring you down?" Stella faked a smile and said, "Dean, if you can't continue as the general manager yourself, do I really need to bother bringing you down?" "What do you mean?" "What I mean is, you're suspected of embezzling company funds and harming company interests, and I have the right to sue you." Dean seemed to finally calm down, giving a light laugh and looking at her calmly. "You'll need evidence," he said. "I haven't done anything to harm the company's interests." Any business transactions related to him were handled cleanly in Carlson Group's internal financial statements. Stella couldn't find anything. On this point, Dean was confident. "I have evidence." Stella lowered her gaze, pulling out a document from her bag and handing it to Dean. "Then take a look at these, is this enough?" "You violated the restrictions in the overseas medical cooperation agreement with New Era, transferring funds from the cooperative project to an overseas account in breach of contract. And I, as the largest shareholder of New Era, will formally sue you," Stella continued. Once the charges were confirmed, Dean would face no less than 5 years in prison. Even if he still harbored plans to seek cooperation with other shareholders, he couldn't continue in his position as the general manager. Realizing this, he looked up in shock. "Were you intentionally setting me up with that medical cooperation case?" Although Stella had been involved in the company's business before New Era was founded, she had since stepped back. Dean had never imagined that Aaron would give 30% of the shares to Stella! "Dean, stop blaming others all the time, it's your own greed," Stella retorted. "Oh, Aaron actually gave you 30% of the shares. That stupid man is really obsessed with you!" Dean gritted his teeth, then suddenly looked at Ethan, implying something. "Mr. Powers, aren't you afraid of being betrayed one day?" Ethan glanced at the documents in Dean's hand, raising an eyebrow. "Really?" he chuckled, then asked rhetorically, "Afraid of what? These shares—" he paused midway, casually glancing at Stella, his tone calm. "Aren't they considered our marital property, Stella?" Dean was left speechless.