Chapter 71

After returning from Mountside County to Seattle, Ethan immediately went on a business trip to Europe, a trip that had been scheduled long in advance. Since their marriage, he tried to free up as much time as possible to stay at home, but there were still many overseas video conferences and a lot of backlog that required his personal attention. This time, he would be away for almost half a month. Knowing he would be gone for a long time, before leaving on his business trip, Ethan instructed Stella, "If you don't want to be alone at home, you can also call friends to come and stay with you for a few days." So Stella called Layla, who eagerly packed her bags and moved in, settling into the guest room. As soon as she entered the room, Layla couldn't help but frown. "Why hang such a large wedding photo in the guest room? It's odd." The wedding photo in the guest room was reprinted and hung up by Ethan, and it did look somewhat out of place. "Ethan said that this way, even if I get mad at him and move back to the guest room, I'll still see him, which will help reduce the frequency of arguments," Stella explained helplessly. Layla was speechless for a while, then sighed and shrugged. "Alright, I didn't notice before. Turns out Ethan is quite sly." But then again, she hadn't noticed before that Ethan could silently crush on someone for 10 years. "Don't think about him these days. While he's away, you should enjoy your nightlife after being apart for so long," Layla said in a playful tone, lightly lifting Stella's chin. Stella smiled, pushing away her hand slightly. "You used to say you were too busy with work. Judging by your demeanor, you must still have plenty of time." "Well, since I'm not in a relationship, I need to enrich my life a bit," Layla said with a face full of sorrow, afraid that Stella would refuse. Stella thought about how she had turned down the confession of her crush, and felt it was time to relax a bit. She nodded. "It just so happens that Kate called me earlier. We'll call her one evening after work." Natalie had recently gone abroad to participate in Fashion Week, so she wouldn't be available to experience nightlife with them. Achieving her goal, Layla happily hugged her. "I knew you were the best!" Ethan was away on a business trip, and Stella found herself busy with the influx of work that followed. After signing the contract, Nevers officially announced its collaboration with Lush Aura. Dorian had been with Nakamura Bio and New Era for many years, and the rest of the team were also not unknown in the industry. Despite Lush Aura being a new company, Stella's investment in acquiring New Era's patents and having Dorian's team as a flagship made sure they were not underestimated. It was partly due to Nakamura Bio's previous reliance on industry barriers to decide on tiered pricing that Nevers, after being the first to cooperate with Lush Aura, saw several other brands showing interest in collaboration. After all, no one wanted their profit margins squeezed, reducing competitiveness. Previously, Nakamura Bio's main competitor was ST from Germany, with a wide range of business sectors, where medical beauty materials accounted for a small proportion and supplied only top-tier brands at high prices. Nakamura Bio wouldn't abandon orders from top-tier brands, but expanding other business investments required increasing profits for the next fiscal year. However, they did not expect that their decision on tiered pricing would suddenly bring Lush Aura, a competitor, into the mix. Stella simply set a fair price for everyone, but money still needed to be made. Of course, Lush Aura's raw material prices were not low either. Just after Stella finished a meeting with the brand operations department and returned to her office, Aurora knocked on the door and asked about her schedule, "Since Dorian will lead the team, do you still need to personally attend the negotiations with CF?" Lush Aura had successively signed contracts with several brands and received an inquiry from CF. This meant that even if Stella didn't meet with Mr. Roberts in person, there was an opportunity to compete for CF's supplier contract. Nakamura Bio's error gave Lush Aura an opportunity. If Lush Aura could secure CF's cooperation in subsequent negotiations, it would truly make a name for itself. After thinking for a moment, Stella asked, "Who is the representative from Nakamura Bio?" "Their Vice President of R&D," Aurora replied. After a pause, she added, "I checked. Besides Mr. Roberts, CF also has the newly appointed Chinese-American Design Director for their cosmetics line handling the negotiations this time. Also, CF has a new product launch event in New York at the end of the month, and they've invited the collaborating suppliers from this round of competition." Stella pondered for a moment, then said, "In that case, let Dorian handle the regular negotiations with CF. You and I will free up our schedules to attend CF's new product launch." "Alright, boss," Aurora responded with a smile, seeming in good spirits. A business trip with expenses covered meant they could stock up at the shop in NY. No matter how serious she was about work, Aurora was also a girl with a penchant for shopping. Seeing this, Stella said with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll give you a day off for shopping when the time comes." Busy until quitting time, Stella picked up Layla and then headed to the bar she had arranged with Kate. The bar was called "Night Encounter," near the Film Academy and run by several of Kate's college classmates, gaining quite a reputation in the area. The three sat in a booth near the bar, each with a drink in hand. After chatting for a few moments, ideas started coming to Kate's mind as she looked at Stella. "Stella, do you still need investments? I have money now, and Lavinia has become a shareholder of Lush Aura. Why not give me a chance too?" she asked, her eyes gleaming. Actress Lavinia had previously accepted Lush Aura's promotion and had recently become Lush Aura's official spokesperson, bringing a lot of attention to the brand. Lush Aura was quite hot right now. Stella was surprised when Lavinia didn't ask for a endorsement fee but proposed to invest and become a shareholder instead. With the former rival now becoming a major shareholder of Lush Aura, Stella wondered if Avery would see this as an act of opposition against her. However, Lavinia's stake wasn't substantial, and Stella saw no reason to reject her request because of Avery's perceptions. Moreover, with significant investments required for the new R&D base, Lush Aura truly needed funding. She hadn't considered seeking help from Ethan yet and didn't want to alter the relatively independent relationship between Lush Aura and the Carlson family, which could further complicate matters with shareholders and cause trouble for Wyatt. Seriously considering it, Lavinia's endorsement fee was quite substantial. For Stella, who was already in debt, saving money wherever possible was crucial. She was six or seven years older than Kate and still thought of her as a child. Thinking about this, Stella smiled and looked at Kate. "It's possible, but, when did you start thinking about investing to make money?" Kate shrugged. "I'm afraid that one day my family will force me into an arranged marriage, so I might as well prepare an escape route for myself in advance. If that day really comes, I might as well run away from home." Kate was used to being independent and not liking constraints, but she was also accustomed to a life of luxury. She wouldn't cope well without money to spend. Stella was a bit speechless, fearing Kate's impulse decision. She patiently advised, "Think it through carefully. Given the current situation of the Malone family, they shouldn't be pressuring you into marriage anytime soon." Knowing Claire's concern for Kate, she knew they wouldn't force Kate into a marriage unless absolutely necessary. Besides, Kate had just turned twenty, so even if marriage were considered, it was still very early. "Not needing now doesn't mean it won't happen. Even my brother was pressured into marriage by our grandfather. I have to plan ahead," Kate sighed, then looked at Stella seriously, "I trust you with my money more than anyone else." Upon Kate's trust, Stella felt touched yet somewhat resigned, adopting an educational tone, "Alright, stop flattering me like this. Aren't you afraid you'll lose money?" Kate chuckled, "Not afraid at all. Besides, with Ethan around, there's always more security compared to others. After all, marriage is a partnership of interests." Stella hadn't expected Kate to think like this. She rolled her eyes and said, "I don't think your peace of mind has anything to do with me." Clearly, it was all about Ethan. The feeling of being trusted quickly dissipated. Layla patted Kate's shoulder and said, "Your Grandpa loves you. He won't find you a mismatched marriage partner. Maybe you'll even hit it off with whoever he finds for you. Why don't you tell us what you like?" "Someone at least good-looking and not as boring and old-fashioned as my brother and dad," Kate said, resting her chin on her hand. "It would be best if it's someone I can meet by chance, like how Stella and Ethan did. Wouldn't that be great, even if you changed grooms?" Looking at Kate's sparkling eyes, Stella felt like she was immersed in a fantasy of idol drama romance. Just as she was about to say something, a clear voice came from behind. "Hey! You guys!" Stella turned her head and saw Jason and Luke standing a few steps away. Jason still had his enthusiastic demeanor, but Luke, for some reason, didn't look too good at the moment.