Left Them Loved Myself (Stella Spencer) novel Chapter 133

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Outside the office building, Jeremy had clearly been waiting for a while. As soon as he saw Stella approaching, he hurried over. He first checked on Stella’s eyes, making sure they were almost healed, before turning to business.

“Stella, someone reached out to us this time. They want to collaborate on your Kiss of Dawn Collection jewelry line,” Jeremy said.

“Who?” Stella asked.

“It’s Kane Carter, the eldest son of the Carter family from Norston,” Jeremy replied.

“Seriously? Him?” Stella raised her eyebrows, a little surprised.

Jeremy looked a bit stunned. “Stella, you know him?”

“Jeremy, remember I told you Jessica took me to that party? Well, he was the host,” Stella added casually.

Jeremy remembered the party, but hadn’t realized Kane had been the mastermind behind it.

Now that Stella brought it up, Jeremy frowned, feeling uneasy. ‘Something tells me he isn’t really after a business deal–he’s after Stella,‘ he thought.

“What’s wrong?” Stella asked.

“It’s nothing,” Jeremy said, shaking off the strange feeling. “Just go with your gut on this. If you want to work with him, say yes. If not, we’ll just turn him down.”

“Okay.” Stella nodded.

As they talked, the group took the elevator up to the top–floor reception room.

The room was spacious, and the man inside wore a sharp white suit. The black rose–shaped brooch on his chest was impossible to miss. His messy dark hair and eyes with a playful arch focused entirely on Stella as she entered.

It was as if, for him, she was the only person in the room.

Jeremy could only feel even more sure about his hunch from before.

As for Stella, she didn’t even flinch at the way Kane stared at her.

As for Erica, nothing ever rattled her, especially in moments like this.

Her only rule for being around Stella was simple: mess with Stella, and one’d have to answer to Erica.

“Ms. Spencer, it’s been a while,” Kane said, getting to his feet with a warm smile and offering his hand.

Stella coolly gave his hand a brief, polite shake, her smile distant as usual. “Mr. Carter.”

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Chapter 133

“Please, have a seat,” Kane said, motioning for everyone to sit down.

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Jeremy waved everyone to their seats, did a quick round of introductions, then said, “Mr. Carter’s here because he’s interested in the Kiss of Dawn Collection. But nothing moves forward unless our designer gives her okay.”

“If Ms. Spencer’s cool with it, we’ll get the contract sorted and the partnership’s a done deal,” Jeremy added.

Having said his piece, Jeremy stepped back and let Stella have the floor.

Stella didn’t flinch at all. She opened with a direct question. “Mr. Carter, if this partnership goes through, will you be leveraging the Carter family’s influence to help us break into Norston’s market?”

No beating around the bush–Stella’s words cut straight to the point.

Usually, when two parties wanted to collaborate, they’d have their respective teams reach out first, confirm the intent, and then set up meetings. Only after that would they draw up a formal contract and have the top brass sign.

But Kane was there personally, skipping all the red tape. Stella’s question forced the Carter family into the game, whether he could officially speak for them or not.

For a moment, Kane was caught off guard, but he quickly smiled. “If I refused, wouldn’t that make you question whether I’m genuinely committed to this deal?”

“Of course,” Stella replied, nodding without hesitation.

If Kane was just there to play games, teaming up would be pointless–just a total waste of everyone’s time.

With the Carter family backing Stella’s company and opening doors, the Kiss of Dawn Collection could finally lock down its place in Norston.

Kane paused for a moment, then said simply, “I can do that.”

“Well…” Stella began, only to be cut off by Kane. “Ms. Spencer, you’ve had me on the hot seat for a while now. Don’t you think it’s about time I got to ask you something?”

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“So, are you gunning for the Carter family’s inheritance?” Jeremy threw out the question, eyes sharp.

Kane’s face twitched just a bit, but he kept his composure. “Mr. Ford, I honestly have no idea what you’re getting at.”

“The Carter family’s always been united–solid as steel. If you keep tossing out comments like that, I might just think you’re trying to stir up some rivalry,” he joked, his grin sly but guarded.

Jeremy could see right through the act; no matter how playful Kane tried to be, Jeremy caught every flicker of unrest in his eyes.

So even the Carter family–Norston’s supposed untouchable rulers–weren’t immune to cracks in the facade

after all.

Jeremy figured Kane had come to Seabrook hunting for some backup.

Jeremy didn’t try to test him–he just cut to the chase. “If you want exclusive rights to the Kiss of Dawn Collection, fine–but you’ll have to take care of Lloyd Group first.”

The excitement that had sparked in Kane’s eyes was instantly snuffed out. He frowned, clearly put out. “Mr. Ford, that’s not how deals work. If I have to deal with all the risks and problems alone, that’s just not fair, is it?”

Jeremy just grinned, almost teasing. “You want big rewards? Gotta pay the price.”

If Kane really had the skills to pull it off, Jeremy honestly wouldn’t mind giving him a boost.

If Stella chose to work exclusively with Kane, everyone would start thinking Lumière Group was closely tied

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Chapter 133

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to him. The other potential heirs in the Carter family would see them forming an alliance, and naturally, Lumière Group would end up their enemy.

The kind of pressure Lumière Group would be shouldering for him was far beyond anything money could buy.

“Mr. Ford, you really do live up to your reputation,” Kane said, and the smile disappeared from his face.

He honestly hadn’t expected Jeremy to be this perceptive–just a few lines and Jeremy had already pinned down his situation in the Carter family, and was coolly using that leverage.

True, his days in the Carter family were anything but easy. His grandfather who had always favored him wouldn’t last much longer, and now everyone was sharpening their knives, ready to seize the title of the Carter family’s head.