Chapter 88

At the villa, Stella accompanied a troubled Natalie for a drink, but while Natalie didn't drink much, Stella got a bit tipsy. As the intoxication deepened, they lay on the bed in the guest bedroom, chatting intermittently. An hour later, Natalie, looking at the now asleep Stella and glancing at her missed calls on her phone, decided to leave. Just as she went downstairs, she heard a noise at the door. After leaving the Golden Brilliance, Ethan had the driver circle the main district twice before he leisurely returned to the villa. Seeing the man at the door, Natalie greeted him and advised, "Stella drank a bit and fell asleep. You should go check on her." Ethan glanced upstairs and nodded. "The driver is still outside. Let him take you home." "That would be good." Natalie didn't refuse. As she reached the door, she suddenly recalled the first time she met Ethan 4 years ago. He had seemed oddly persistent when he asked about the jade Buddha. "By the way—" Natalie turned around, "After getting married, Stella has become much more lively. She was actually more spirited when she was in the orphanage compared to after returning to the Carlson family." Natalie was 2 years older than Stella. Although they grew up together as friends, she also felt a sense of responsibility like that of an older sister. Looking into the man's deep, calm eyes, she paused and asked seriously, "Can you keep her happy?" Ethan pressed his lips together solemnly. "Of course." "That's good." Natalie sighed in relief. The next day, when Stella woke up rubbing her eyes, she realized she was back in the master bedroom. Turning her head, she saw the man beside her and frowned slightly. "Where's Natalie?" "She left." Seeing Stella in deep thought, Ethan flicked her forehead. "What, are you really thinking about kicking me out?" He was referring to her suggestion the previous day that if he drank too much, he didn't need to rush back home. Ethan felt she had no sense of controlling him at all. Stella shook her head and reached out to hug him. "No, but I did need to keep Natalie company." "Aren't you afraid I'll be taken away?" He looked down at her, speaking lightly. Stella paused, then looked up at him. "Would you?" "No." Ethan sighed, rubbing her head. "Don't worry, no one can take me away." Stella smiled, burying her head in his chest, then thought of something else. "What do you want for your birthday?" "Nothing." What he wanted most, he had already gotten. "How can you not want anything?" Stella was unsatisfied with his answer and lifted her head again, frowning at him. "Think about it." Ethan's eyes grew deep. "Do you think life can start over?" "Why do you ask that?" "If it could, I do have a wish." "What wish?" He didn't answer again. After Jack was imprisoned, Ethan visited him once. Jack was timid; with just a few threats, he revealed many things about Stella's early days back at the Carlson family. If there was anything Ethan regretted, it was not recognizing what lay behind her silence and the struggles she faced alone at that time. If he could truly start over, he would want to return to that period, to protect her every smile, to allow her to be fearless and unrestrained, and to live her life with boldness and confidence. Stella waited for a long time but never received an answer from him. She decided not to press further. However, this time, she wanted to give him the best birthday present. The short holiday quickly passed, and on the fourth, Stella returned to work as usual. Although Lush Aura was not the exclusive supplier, partnering with Nakamura Bio for the CF collaboration had significantly boosted their reputation, attracting several investors. However, Stella had no immediate plans for a major round of financing. In the office, Aurora had just finished reporting on the new product line for the C-end. After Stella signed off on the documents and handed them back, she asked, "How's the task I assigned you coming along?" Aurora understood what Stella was referring to and replied, "After Dean was imprisoned, Freya lost her financial support. Upon returning to the country, she immediately clung to Avery. It seems she won't stay in Seattle any longer." Freya Penelope, who had a child with Dean, had always been kept abroad. After Dean was imprisoned and his assets were frozen, Freya and her son lost their financial support and had to return to the country. As for why she clung to Avery, it was because someone had informed her about Avery. To be honest, at first, Stella didn't plan to make things difficult for Avery. She knew that Avery hadn't been involved in the Fletcher family's previous issues. Regarding Avery's little schemes, Stella had never misunderstood her, and even if she had, she wouldn't trouble another woman over a man and feelings. In a relationship, the only one a woman should deal with directly is the man. If Avery hadn't used Lionel to provoke her, Stella wouldn't have taken things this far, considering Wyatt's sake. After Aurora left the office, Stella received a call from Kate. "Avery sold several properties in Seattle, along with some paintings and jewelry. I've arranged for someone to buy them back for you." "Thank you." Stella smiled and walked to the window. "I'll have Aurora send the money to you later." "No need, consider it my investment." Kate's voice was a bit rushed. "I need to take my parents to the airport now, talk later." After the call ended, Stella was genuinely worried that Kate's naive nature would lead to her being deceived one day. Avery had expanded her company's production line recklessly after seeing good sales of a few imitation products, taking out substantial loans from the bank. Now that her company was bankrupt, she was listed as a defaulter by the court and urgently needed to repay her significant bank debts. The bank acted quickly, partly because Stella had intervened. She didn't want to be disturbed by Avery anymore. Stella knew how much Avery valued her reputation, and if she could leave Seattle, it would be the best outcome for her. Avery's lavish spending habits were unsustainable in her current situation, and dealing with Freya's pestering was already enough trouble for her. She likely wouldn't have time to think about Stella anymore.