Chapter 52

Time flew by and November arrived swiftly. Despite the hot climate in Seattle, there was a hint of autumn chill in the air. On Saturday, Stella accompanied Ethan to a charity banquet and deliberately chose a slightly thicker long-sleeved dress from her wardrobe. However, her smooth, bare legs were still exposed. As Ethan led her out of the car, a cool breeze hit them, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. Observing the glamorous female celebrities nearby, revealing their shoulders and backs, she suddenly felt that being an entertainer was not an easy job. Today's charity banquet was the annual event of the fashion group Mily, which was recently acquired by the multinational company Coter. So, besides celebrities from the entertainment industry, Mily also invited several partners from its parent company to attend. In the past two years, Horizon Group had been focusing on expanding its overseas territory and had business contacts and collaborations with Coter, so it naturally received an invitation. Although Stella was accompanying Ethan, she learned from Natalie that this gala also included her long-targeted potential partner, Bella Luxe, the owner of the domestically popular skincare brand Nevers, which had recently gained a lot of attention. Stella knew that currently, in the medical beauty raw material market, companies from Japan and Germany occupied the majority of the market share, and New Era had once had a place in it but gradually gave up on this part of the business. That was also the first time Stella had a difference in opinion with Aaron about the development direction of New Era, and later she withdrew from the operational decision-making of New Era. The purchasers of medical beauty biological materials were medical institutions and beauty and skincare brands. International first-line skincare brands all purchased from Japan and Germany, and Nevers was no exception. Stella had a clear vision for Lush Aura's development direction, and Nevers was the first client she saw potential in and had the opportunity to win over. Although direct cooperation was not possible, she could use this opportunity to try to contact Bella. In the dazzling banquet hall, exquisite dessert tables were arranged around, accompanied by stacks of champagne bottles. The dinner had not yet officially begun, and apart from the Mily staff responsible for managing the event, people in the banquet hall were engaged in lively conversations, creating a scene of mingling and laughter. Seeing Ethan being surrounded by people chatting, Stella approached him and whispered something. He glanced down at her, gave her a brief instruction, and then released her hand. She then took a glass of champagne from a nearby waiter and walked to the other side of the banquet hall. This scene fell under the discreet scrutiny of onlookers, sparking a wave of whispered conversations. "Is that Mrs. Powers? She's quite gorgeous." "No wonder she could marry the CEO of Horizon Group. With such looks, even in the entertainment industry, she's definitely considered outstanding." A nearby internet celebrity glanced at the female celebrity speaking, "Be careful not to offend the wrong person. Gina lost sponsorship for a variety show worth over a hundred million, and Avery is now preparing to switch to behind-the-scenes. Mrs. Powers is not someone to mess with." These were all rumored gossip in the industry, but she felt that there might be some truth to it, and it's always better to be cautious. "They look affectionate, but they're ultimately a wealthy couple. Who knows what's really going on behind closed doors? The previous one didn't even bring his new wife out. And... when it comes to offending people, I'm probably not even on their radar." With that said, the female celebrity looked towards Gina and Crystal Glow sitting in the front row and thought to herself, "These two are also quite fortunate." In the entertainment industry, only a few rely on luck and effort to become famous, while the rest rely entirely on the support of wealthy backers behind the scenes. Among those backers, there were quite a few who were generous with their support. For example, Cameron, who changed girlfriends like changing clothes, but was extremely generous to each girlfriend, providing not only houses and cars but also at least some resources for their careers in TV dramas. In the entertainment industry, there were indeed many people trying to build their careers slowly through hard work, but there were also many trying to take shortcuts. With so many aspiring, there were plenty who wanted to catch the attention of CEO Ethan, but there were no reports of anyone actually succeeding. Crystal was considered one of the beauties in the industry. She had used Cameron's connections to get into Ethan's room before, but there was no follow-up. Some even said that Crystal was thrown out directly that night, but the truth of that rumor was unknown. Unaware of becoming the subject of gossip, Stella was led by Tina to stand in front of Bella. Tina was a well-known photographer in the industry, having collaborated with various major brands. He had a keen eye and a wide network. Last night, Stella had mentioned something to Tina on SnapChat, and Tina immediately understood her intention, volunteering to help bridge the gap. Tina and Bella knew each other, exchanging a few words and smiling as they introduced the two. Stella took the initiative to shake hands. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Xu. I'm Stella Powers." Bella was a typical career-oriented woman. She had a keen eye, understood market trends, and was adept at marketing. In her thirties, she had built her own skincare brand and successfully launched it within just four to five years. Bella shook Stella's hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Powers. I have long heard that you are a stunning beauty. If Tina hadn't said anything, I would have thought you were a new artist signed by some company." Having made it on her own, Bella was naturally a very sociable and tactful woman. "Actually, In fact, we are alumni," Stella smiled. "Professor Cruz was my mentor during my graduate studies, and he mentioned you before." Although she just wanted to establish a connection, she wouldn't approach Bella without a plan. Bella was Professor Cruz's former standout student. Sure enough, after hearing this, Bella was surprised. "Really?" "Yes," Stella smiled and nodded. "What a coincidence!" Bella dropped the formalities and spoke sincerely. "To be honest, I've been so busy with work that I haven't had time to visit the professor for a long time." With that said, she took out her phone and suggested, "Let's exchange SnapChat." Having achieved her goal, Stella exchanged contact information with Bella. After a few casual chats, she noticed an assistant approaching Bella to talk, so she smiled and said, "You must be busy. I'll go to the restroom. Let's talk later." As soon as she said goodbye to Bella, she was stopped by a familiar face. "Mrs. Powers, please wait a moment." Looking up, it was Gina. "What do you want?" Stella's tone was cold. Gina paused for a moment and said earnestly, "The previous rumors were a misunderstanding caused by my agent seeing me secure the endorsement deal with YT. My ex-husband had me in his grasp and refused to divorce me. My agent had no other choice but to resort to that plan. I've lost my program on the channel, and the previous acting contract has also fallen through. Can you... please let it go?" Seeing her secure the endorsement deal with YT, the agent asked her if she knew anyone related to Horizon Group, sparking speculation. She remembered when Stella went alone to pick up the wedding photos for reshoots at Tina's studio, realizing that Sister Li might have misunderstood. But she didn't explain much, strangely bewitched by the situation. At that time, she just wanted to quickly get away from her gambling-addicted husband. Seeing Stella's gentle demeanor, she hadn't expected to anger her, ending up losing both resources and pride. "Never mind that it's not me making things difficult for you. Even if it were, what exactly do you want by coming to me now? To regain your program and acting contract?" Stella said, glancing at her calmly, a slight smile curling on her lips. Since Gina could attend tonight's banquet, it indicated that although she lost some resources, she wasn't desperate. Everyone thought Stella had a good temperament, but she was only polite and distant to strangers. Her true warmth was reserved for those close to her. Gina was stunned for a moment at Stella's response. Without waiting for her to reply, Stella turned and left. She was never the kind to lend a helping hand to those with hidden agendas, no matter how pitiful they might seem. ... Stella noticed that Ethan was surrounded by people, so she went to the restroom to touch up her makeup. When she returned to the banquet hall, she didn't spot Ethan's figure. Instead, she unexpectedly ran into an old acquaintance. It was strange how everyone seemed to be drawn to her today. Just as she was about to avoid the encounter, Aaron had already parted from the crowd and approached Stella, whispering softly, "Hey, Stella, it's been a while." Since their breakup, it seemed that every time they met, their opening line could only be this one. After Aaron spoke, there was a hint of bitterness in his tone. Stella furrowed her brow as she looked at the impeccably dressed man before her, but she didn't say anything. Aaron didn't seem to mind her attitude, and with lowered eyelashes, he spoke gently, "I know that Dorian and his team members have gone to your newly opened company." Hearing this, Stella frowned slightly and sighed, "You know very well what Dorian wants to do, and we just happen to be on the same page." "Zhiyin, I don't mean to blame you," Aaron said, fearing she might misunderstand. He softened his tone and handed her a business card, "This is Mr. Roberts's business card. Since you've poached Dorian, you should also prepare to compete for CF's next year's partnership." CF was an internationally renowned skincare brand, and unlike others, they reassessed their suppliers globally every year. Seeing Stella hesitating, Aaron felt somewhat helpless. He explained, "It's just an opportunity for a meeting, and the outcome depends on you. I've said it before, you don't need to refuse me on these matters." "What exactly do you want?" Stella asked coldly. "I just want to help you," Aaron's gaze was filled with seriousness as he said after a pause, "Look, we've known each other for almost 10 years. Even though we've broken up, you don't need to be so cold." Once again noticing Aaron's drastically different attitude since their breakup, Stella suddenly remembered something Natalie casually mentioned on the phone last time. She asked, "Aren't you afraid of being taken advantage of by refusing Jonathan's engagement requests repeatedly?" Jonathan had been wanting Aaron to marry Avery recently because it was his dying wish. But Aaron's refusal was firm, and he even got scolded by Jonathan not long ago. Stella wasn't particularly concerned about whether Aaron would marry Avery, but she knew that the Malone family's relationships were complex, and if she angered Jonathan, she might just fall victim to his cousins. In her view, if Aaron chose to compromise, he wouldn't be thinking about coming to her again. Aaron felt a sudden pang in his heart when she mentioned his marriage without any concern. He tightened his face as he looked at her, his voice slightly hoarse, "You should know, I won't marry anyone else." He knew she wouldn't easily forgive him, but he couldn't just let go of everything from the past, and he had enough patience to wait for Stella to change her mind. "I've said it's all over," Stella shook her head and said, no longer wanting to see his affectionate look. "Aaron, breakups should be completely unrelated. I can't possibly get along peacefully with you." Aaron wanted to say something else, but as he lifted his gaze, his eyes gradually cooled, becoming as frosty as ice. Then, Stella was embraced from behind. Smelling the familiar scent of pine, she already knew who it was and relaxed her demeanor. Ethan's gaze drooped slightly as he glanced at Aaron. His gaze fell on the gold-stamped business card in Aaron's hand, as if understanding something. He casually raised an eyebrow and said, "Well, you are indeed kind-hearted." With that said, he took Stella's hand and extended his palm to Aaron. "Since you kindly offered, I'll accept this business card on behalf of my wife," he said, his demeanor straightforward. Aaron stared intently at their clasped hands, the silver wedding rings standing out conspicuously. His gaze darkened, his fists clenched tightly as he struggled to maintain his composure. Were it not for Ethan's covert tactics, he wouldn't have been pushed so relentlessly by William over the past two months. Constantly shuttling back and forth overseas, he had been unable to spare any time. Understanding Ethan's deliberate intent, Aaron knew he needed to keep his emotions in check. "Well, it's just a small gesture of assistance," he suppressed his feelings, passing the business card to Ethan before adding with a chuckle, "Before returning to Seattle, Stella and I met Mr. and Mrs. Roberts at a celebration party. I believe they should still remember us." This seemingly irrelevant remark was just a reminder to Ethan that he and Stella had years of relationship. Stella felt somewhat speechless upon hearing Aaron's words. She had indeed met Mr. Roberts before, but that was because she was working at New Era at the time and needed to represent the company. Later, she and Aaron disagreed on the company's development direction, not wanting to escalate into an argument, so she withdrew from the company's decision-making process. She was about to say something to retort, but the man beside her spoke first. "Is that so?" Ethan chuckled softly, then lowered his gaze, "In that case, Stella, how about you introduce me to him another day?" Aaron's face darkened, wanting to say something, but not knowing what to express, he watched as they walked away.