Chapter 77

The next morning, Stella and Aurora boarded the plane bound for Seattle. After boarding, Aurora glanced at her. Stella still appeared calm, as if unaffected by anything. "Mrs. Powers, Celestia mentioned that the Legal Affairs Department has sent cease-and-desist letters to several marketing accounts. However, before that, the related online posts had already been taken down." Although it had some impact on the company, the public opinion didn't escalate further, which gave an explanation to their partners and reduced a lot of trouble. The follow-up shouldn't be too difficult to handle. That was certainly good news, but Aurora felt that the incident had a larger personal impact on Stella. Despite Stella's outward calm demeanor, Aurora noticed moments of distraction from her since boarding. "After handling the platform complaints, we'll have the PR department issue a revised statement," Stella said, then turned to Aurora, "Coming earlier, I couldn't even give you time to shop." Before they departed, she had promised Aurora some time off, but the early return had dashed those plans. "I didn't expect you to think of me," Aurora said somewhat embarrassed, "No wonder even my mom says I've found a good boss." When Aurora was forced to resign earlier, it had been a tough period, and Stella had stepped in just in time to help her. For Aurora, Stella was more than just a boss. Stella casually asked, "Are you getting along well with your parents?" Aurora hesitated briefly and nodded, "It's okay." Stella nodded lightly, lowered her eyes, and said nothing more. In the evening, the plane landed in Seattle. In the airport terminal before leaving for overseas, Stella once again ran into the weary Aaron head-on. He seemed to have just landed, with Daniel trailing behind him, carrying luggage, watching Aaron approach Stella step by step. "Are you okay?" he asked. Clearly, he knew something. Stella understood that the online rumors might have been withdrawn by Aaron. Thinking about this, she pursed her lips slightly and then said, "Aaron, I can handle these things myself, you don't need to do anything." Aaron paused and slowed his voice, "I just want to help you. Don't worry, if Lionel—" His words halted abruptly as Stella's mouth curled up slightly. But then he realized she wasn't looking at him at that moment. Stella's gaze passed over Aaron to a man not far away wearing a dark gray coat. They hadn't seen each other in half a month, and his hair seemed a bit longer in front. He stood casually, amidst the noisy crowd in the terminal, reaching out to her. Across the bustling hall, she could clearly make out his mouth saying, "Come here." The next moment, Stella set down her luggage and walked over, throwing herself into his arms. "Why do you start acting cute as soon as we meet?" Ethan raised his eyebrows, rubbing her head. "Let's go home." "Okay." Meanwhile, Isaac took Stella's luggage, bidding farewell to Aurora. Aaron stood still, staring at the departing figures, feeling as though no one could intervene in their relationship. This realization instantly deflated him. Daniel steadied him. "Boss, are you alright?" As Aaron's assistant, Daniel understood his boss's feelings the best, and knew what he had been through recently. Knowing Stella wanted to start her own company, Aaron let Dorian go, and even disregarded the shareholders' objections to terminate all confidentiality agreements. He heard that Stella was going to Kenwest, knowing William was eagerly waiting for an opportunity to intervene, and still dropped everything to rush over. This trip to NY was also because he knew CF was selecting a partner. Afraid that Stella would not accept help, he personally went to see Mr. Roberts. Daniel could also guess what the boss had used the stack of SIM cards he had bought for. But Stella never wavered even a bit. After saying goodbye, she turned around and married someone else, without giving the boss another chance. Daniel had also accompanied the boss to wait downstairs at the Carlson Group's building, watching helplessly as Stella left with someone else. He felt that the boss could only watch others being affectionate, which was indeed quite tragic. But he also knew that if the boss approached, he would probably only face greater embarrassment. After all, Stella might seem gentle, but she was not someone to be trifled with. She even kicked the boss while he was down. Only after the figures disappeared did Aaron look away, his voice sounding lost. "Do you think... if I hadn't returned to Seattle, everything would have been different?" Daniel's face froze for a moment upon hearing this, unsure how to respond. Previously, Aaron had chosen to return to Seattle because William had become restless during his father's hospitalization, and Claire had actively requested his return. Despite some strained relations with his parents in recent years, Aaron couldn't refuse his mother's request during his father's illness. However, upon his return, whether due to netizens' excessive gossip or not, the rumors between the boss and Avery intensified, frequently appearing in hot searches. Aaron never paid attention to these things, perhaps considering them inconsequential. Yet, in less than half a year, his relationship with Stella fell apart. Daniel also wondered if, had the boss not returned to Seattle earlier, he and Stella could have ended up together.