Chapter 39

"Pacify him?" Stella was even more confused. Why was he so concerned about the two cats next door having a little tantrum? After a brief pause, she asked, "So, how to pacify him?" "Mmm—" Ethan turned to look at her, his calm eyes filled with ambiguous meaning, and he smirked, "Why don't you think about it?" Meeting his gaze, Stella pondered silently for a moment, finally catching on to something. Could it be that he was talking about himself? But... why was he upset? Ethan averted his gaze and remained silent, still showing signs of a bad mood. Staring at the unpredictable man for a while, Stella sighed and spoke up, "Ethan." His gaze glanced over lightly. After exchanging glances for a few seconds, she tried to reach out and gently hug him while he was distracted. She couldn't see his expression while her head buried in his chest, but she could sense his stiffness. Ethan didn't particularly like wearing cologne, and he only had the fresh scent of shower gel on him, which was pleasant. She smiled and softened her voice. "Is this considered pacifying? Are you still angry?" When he realized what she was doing, the man remained calm, lowering his gaze to the person in his arms, his brows and eyes losing their coldness and taking on a softer look. And as she lightly patted his back, it almost seemed like she was consoling a child. It managed to improve his previously sour mood. "Stella, you just want to take advantage of me like this?" Ethan chuckled nonchalantly, adding with a drawl before she could respond, "But you know what? I grant you that privilege." Stella lifted her gaze to him, meeting the man's eyes filled with casual amusement. He had returned to his usual self. Though still sporting that proud tone, there was an inexplicable sweetness in her heart. If he was always this easy to pacify, then maybe... pacifying him wouldn't be so hard to accept either. She straightened up, smiling at him, and spoke softly, "Why were you upset just now?" "Nothing," the man shrugged nonchalantly. Seeing this, she furrowed her brow slightly, retorting, "You always tell me to let out my emotions, yet when it comes to yourself, you're so stubborn?" "I don't hold back, do I? You noticed my mood, didn't you?" Ethan lightly pursed his lips, then chuckled as he ruffled her hair. "Stella, learn from this." Stella sighed helplessly, arching her eyebrows. "But I don't know if you'll get mad again next time." The man smirked with his arms crossed as he glanced at her, asserting, "As long as you remember you're married, my temper would be just fine." His confident demeanor when praising his own temper caught Stella off guard, leaving her slightly choked up. She could only silently acknowledge that it was fortunate they were at home; he knew how to rein it in when he was out. Seeing his strange mood dissipate, Stella changed the subject. "Are you busy next week?" Meeting the man's gaze with a probing look, she continued, "Shane is getting married and sent me an invitation." As for the bride, it was naturally Wendy, who had escaped from Aiden's engagement banquet last time. "Married?" Ethan raised his eyebrows slightly, seeming a bit surprised. "Yeah," Stella nodded, then added, "If you're busy, I'll go with Natalie." The reason she told him about this was just to indicate that there was nothing special between her and Shane. After all, she had received a warning from him last time. Following Layla's advice, if she hadn't already won this man over, there was no need to harbor any unnecessary misunderstandings. Upon hearing this, Ethan pursed his lips and said lightly, "I'm not busy, I'll go with you." Even though Shane was getting married, whether they were rivals in love or not, it was still reassuring to keep an eye on him. ... The next day, they went to work as usual. Upon arriving at the company, Stella went to Wyatt's office with some documents to discuss the new financing proposal. After all, the North City project was a lucrative opportunity. Since Carlson Group had already agreed to cooperate with Horizon Group, Reeves Group still expressed interest in investing. Although Reeves Group had some contact with Dean before, it was Dean who had actively sought their cooperation. But this time, it was the other way around. Stella wasn't overly greedy for a win-win cooperation, and she had already asked Ethan before, and there were no issues with Horizon Group. After discussing business matters, Wyatt casually asked, "How are you and Ethan doing recently?" Stella smiled and nodded, "We're doing fine." From her perspective, their current situation was progressing in a positive direction. In fact, ever since they started living together, Stella felt that her relationship with Ethan had become easier compared to eight years ago. With this in mind, she glanced at Wyatt and asked, "I've been wanting to ask, did you know Ethan for a long time?" "In terms of business dealings, I invested in a company he had a stake in before. As for other matters, you might as well ask him," Wyatt said with a smile, then added after seeing her expression, "It's not that I don't want to tell you, I just think it's more appropriate for him to say." Since Wyatt said so, Stella didn't feel right pressing further, so she changed the subject. "Are you really not interested in the shares of Carlson Group?" Her grandfather gave her a large portion of shares, yet she still asked Wyatt to come back and help. Stella wasn't particularly concerned about the shares; she was just afraid of the Fletcher family causing trouble. After all, Carlson Group was Griffin's hard work. But Wyatt was different; he truly respected Griffin as an elder brother. Hearing her words, Wyatt shook his head. "Stella, don't worry about me. Before I was adopted by Thomas, I wasn't from a wealthy family either. My current life is the most satisfying for me." Though he had some investments, he wasn't obsessed with chasing after more wealth. After hearing this, Stella sincerely thanked him. "Thank you for your hard work during this time." Wyatt waved his hand with a smile. "Since I've returned here, do you have any ideas about the company's future direction?" Stella wasn't necessarily interested in taking over Carlson Group, but given the circumstances, she had to be responsible for the company's employees. Dean took on a lot of projects, leaving behind a mess for others to clean up. Carlson Group now needed a more detailed direction. "There are still many workers in the subsidiaries' factories, many of whom have been working there for over a decade. I want to settle them properly. Although some industries are profitable, the Carlson Group's liquidity is limited, so it will be difficult to expand into new areas. I want these subsidiaries to transition into industrial sectors, but for more specific directions, further research is needed." Stella explained. Wyatt nodded after thinking it over. "No rush. After the North City project is operational, there will be a few years to catch up." ... After finishing their business, Stella said goodbye to Wyatt. Leaving the office, she picked up the keys to the official car and headed to another location. She waited for a few minutes in front of the glass partition, and then Jessica, dressed in prison uniform, was brought over by the prison guard. A few months ago, Jessica was still a sophisticated and elegant lady, but now she looked worn-out and disheveled. She had stolen the safe code from Dylan and the documents of the Novastar project, but even after being imprisoned, she hadn't revealed whether someone had instigated her actions. "I heard you wanted to see me?" Stella had come because Jessica had actively expressed a desire to see her and had someone reach out to her. Liv did understand Jessica; she hadn't miscalculated at all. Knowing that there was a time limit for visits, Jessica paused, then spoke directly, "The White family wants to send Alex to live with his grandmother. If you adopt Alex, I'll tell the police what they want to know." Despite being in prison, she still desired to negotiate terms. Stella smiled and firmly declined, "That's out of the question. Ethan won't accept him, but I can arrange for him to stay with his aunt." "You're sending him abroad?" Jessica frowned. Stella made a soft sound of affirmation. Sending Alex abroad meant that he couldn't visit Jessica anymore. Of course, Jessica wouldn't want it happen. Thinking about it, she tried to persuade Stella, "Ethan hasn't had a woman by his side for years. You know that?" This was Jessica's second hint. "What are you trying to say?" Stella frowned and asked. "Back then, it seems like he liked a girl. But it's been so many years now, it might as well be his own problem," Jessica said, chuckling softly. "Dylan doesn't want any more children for the sake of his precious son. I've been married to him for so many years, but ever since he married me, he only wanted me to be a nanny for his son." Stella's expression flickered at her words. She didn't know if the girl Jessica mentioned was the so-called first love of Ethan. Lowering her gaze for a moment, she finally furrowed her brows and asked, "So, whose child is Alex?" Jessica seemed to realize only then, sighing, "Alex is Dylan's biological son. If you don't believe me, you can do a paternity test." Stella understood now, realizing that Jessica must have used some other method to give birth to Alex. She didn't judge the actions of the previous generation, but regardless of the circumstances, it was something Jessica had sought out herself. "I'll take Alex for now, but if you want him to visit you regularly, that's not possible," Stella said coldly. "You'll have to figure out the rest on your own." After Liv called, Stella checked on Ethan's younger brother. Alex was only 6 years old this year, and he seemed very introverted, perhaps due to the awkward situation at the Fang family. But since Liv wanted to adopt Alex, Stella had no objections. It was just that Ethan had some reservations about Jessica, and he had never met his own younger brother. Jessica's idea of having Stella adopt Alex and having him visit regularly seemed a bit far-fetched. After taking the afternoon off, Stella visited Jessica, then picked up Alex from the nanny and brought him home. Alex was wearing light-colored overalls, his round blue eyes shining like stars. He didn't speak much, quietly sitting on the sofa for two hours before nervously fiddling with his fingers and saying the first sentence to Stella, "Are you going to send me back?" Although Alex was young, he knew that the people at the Fang family didn't like him very much. After observing Stella for a while, he felt she didn't harbor any ill intentions. Plus, this young woman was very beautiful, and she spoke gently to the nanny. Alex felt a bit fond of her. Meeting Alex's cautious gaze, Stella couldn't deceive him, nodding slightly, "Yes. But you'll live with your Aunt in the future, and she'll treat you well, so don't worry." Having spent a long time in the orphanage, Stella indeed had little resistance to children. Perhaps it was because she appeared gentle, the younger children always liked to stick to her. When she saw Alex for the first time, she knew he was a simple child. Jessica had raised him to be this way, whether it was good or bad was uncertain. Upon hearing Stella's words, Alex seemed somewhat disappointed, lowering his long eyelashes and responding softly, "Okay." The sound of the door opening came from the entrance. Ethan reached to loosen his tie, then turned his head, meeting Alex's timid gaze head-on. Eyes met eyes, and the air seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Ethan glanced at Stella beside him and asked, "Hey, Stella, you didn't go and find a son for me somewhere, did you?"