Chapter 79

Early the next morning, Stella received a call from Wyatt, informing her that Lionel and Avery had already taken people to the old mansion. After Thomas passed away, Stella gave Troy and Linda a sum of money for their retirement and sent them back to their hometown. Thus, the old mansion was left empty. Months later, when she stepped into the mansion again, it already felt somewhat unfamiliar. Considering everything, Stella had only lived in the mansion for less than 3 years. As Ethan and Stella walked into the living room, Wyatt and Avery were sitting face to face. Her uncle, Lionel, sat next to a middle-aged stranger who brought along a young boy, both looking towards Stella and Ethan. The man next to Lionel wore a faded gray jacket, with a face marked by wrinkles and a touch of weathered redness. As soon as he saw Stella, he smiled warmly and greeted, "Coco, finally I get to see you." After saying that, he led the young boy beside him forward, "Tommy, this is your cousin and her husband." He intended to shake hands with Stella, but Ethan frowned and stepped in, blocking him. Understanding the identity of the person before him, Ethan silently scrutinized him for a moment, his indifferent gaze shifting to Lionel. "You say this is Stella's uncle. How do you prove that?" "Her mother ran off with someone, and her father died a few years ago from a fall at a construction site. If you really care, you can look for her mother who had a child and then ran away." Lionel remained expressionless. Previously, Lionel had considered releasing this information opportunistically, using public opinion to pressure Stella to compromise. Unfortunately, all of it was deleted without a trace, so he had to abandon that plan. Stella glanced at the man named Ronan in front of her, fingertips curling inward, but she said nothing. Lionel's recent words had stirred something in her heart. Yet, she didn't know if the man really had any blood relation to her, which made her feel particularly estranged. Ethan glanced down at her, then smoothly took her hand and calmly sat opposite Lionel. He chuckled lightly and said casually, "Suddenly, a person pops up claiming to be Stella's uncle, and conveniently there are no female elders to verify the family relationship. Isn't that a bit too coincidental?" The young boy beside Ronan glanced at Stella upon hearing this and muttered quietly, "It's all because of this little bitch that she ended up killing her own dad." Before he finished speaking, there was a loud bang—the transparent glass on the tea table grazed the boy's eye and smashed against the wall behind him, making a huge noise as it shattered into pieces on the floor. Terrified, the boy shivered all over. He met Ethan's fierce and cold eyes, his legs giving out as he fell to the ground, crying uncontrollably. His father had only said that recognizing this cousin who supposedly caused his uncle's death would earn them money to buy a house. He hadn't warned that this cousin's husband would seem so difficult to deal with. Also startled, Ronan pointed at Ethan, his words stumbling, "How dare you!" If that glass had hit his son's head just now, it would have definitely left a hole. "If he can't learn to speak like humans, I can teach him a lesson." Ethan's eyes were merciless, his voice cold as ice. "Now, get out." Ronan glanced at Lionel, who, clearly mindful of Ethan's status, frowned with a cold expression and gestured towards them. "Alright, you two should leave." Ronan wasn't really interested in finding the niece he had lost years ago; he had come here only because he saw an opportunity. Seeing Lionel's attitude now, he understood that he wasn't someone to mess with. He reluctantly pulled his crying son off the floor and walked out. "I'm okay," Stella sighed, taking Ethan's arm for support. Pausing for a moment, she softly added, "You're so fierce now, I'm a little scared." He was always laid-back and casual; she had never seen him so angry before. As she stared quietly at him, his expression gradually softened. Only then did Stella turn to Lionel. "Since you're questioning my identity, bringing two people may not be enough. There must be some other evidence." At her words, Lionel smiled knowingly, as if he had been prepared. He pulled out a document from his briefcase and handed it to her. "This is the testimony of that human trafficker. At the very least, it proves that you are likely not Thomas's granddaughter." Stella reached out and took the documents. As she examined the photo of the human trafficker, her eyebrows lightly furrowed, and her calm expression paused briefly. It was because of the scar on the left side of the man's chin in the photo—a one-inch long mark. Others might not recognize it, but in her recurring dreams of being shoved into a trunk, the man's face was blurry except for that scar on his chin, faintly visible. According to the testimony, the clothing of the abducted children didn't prove much. Initially, the three girls who were kidnapped could all potentially be Stella's from the Carlson family. "Finding all this information must have been exhausting for you," she said, closing the file, lowering her eyes, and smiling faintly. "So, what is it exactly that you want?" Lionel didn't beat around the bush and continued, "If you're not even part of the Carlson family, you need to drop my brother's case." "Drop it?" Stella raised an eyebrow calmly as she looked at him. "Is that all?" "You've only lived with the Carlson family for about 3 years. They raised you for nothing and even sent you to good schools. You've already been treated like royalty," Lionel said, glancing meaningfully at Ethan. "If you had any gratitude, you'd understand that you have no right to inherit Thomas's estate. Even if it doesn't go to my brother, it should go to Avery." In other words, Stella marrying Ethan was already a huge gain for her from the Carlson family, even though she had no blood ties. Dean misappropriated the Carlson family's property, and it was an internal matter of the Carlson family, so she had no right to intervene. After all, the Carlson family had done more than enough for her. Lionel or Avery clearly understood Stella's temperament. In this situation, she really couldn't justify keeping the shares. After Lionel finished, Ethan casually lifted his gaze and asked, "Do you want her to return the shares?" Lionel paused momentarily, his voice confident, "Mr. Powers, even if she's your wife now, there's no reason to hand over Thomas's property to a fake granddaughter." After speaking, he glanced at Wyatt, who had been silent all along, and then glanced at Stella, who hadn't responded. Truth be told, Stella didn't care much about who Carlson Group belonged to, otherwise she wouldn't have entrusted the company to Wyatt. Since she started operating Lush Aura independently, the shares of Carlson Group didn't mean much to her anymore. However, that didn't mean she was willing to hand over the shares to the Fletcher family either. Ethan leaned back casually. "Did you forget something?" He paused slightly, leisurely adjusting his clothes, "The shares of Carlson Group are our marital property. Even if Stella agrees to give them up, she needs to consult me first." Lionel choked slightly, "Mr. Powers, I don't think you care much about these shares." "Oh? Who said that?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, with his usual tone, "You probably don't know me well. I'm not one to turn down money." Lionel was speechless, clearly taken aback by Ethan's words. He glanced instinctively at Avery, who ignored his gaze. Even though Avery didn't like Stella, now that her goal had been achieved, she wasn't going to benefit the Fletcher family either. After a long silence, Wyatt, sitting opposite them, spoke in a deep voice, "Enough, Lionel. None of this evidence can prove that Stella isn't Griffin's daughter. Dean's imprisonment is deserved, and you don't need to care about the affairs of the Carlson family." With that, he glanced at everyone present, easing the tension, "I'll look into the remaining matters. For now, let's all go back."