Left Them Loved Myself (Stella Spencer) novel Chapter 137

Seeing his expression, Stella couldn’t shake off a sense of foreboding. “Mr. Russell, did you get some news? Is it that another family is after the Spencer family again?”

Cody shook his head. “It’s not just one family. It’s…”

The brief pause made Stella’s heart clench with anxiety. What Cody said next nearly made her heart sink completely. “It’s most of the clite families in Seabrook.”

“No way!” Stella blurted out, her brows knitting together. “Wasn’t the whole hitman case already closed? It was proven that I didn’t break any of the industry’s unspoken rules. Why are they still coming after the Spencer family?”

“It’s all about profit,” Cody explained. “Before everything blew up, each family did their own thing and never considered joining forces.

“But that misunderstanding made them think you’d crossed the line, and even though I cleared it up quickly, they already got a taste of how good it feels to team up. Now, they’re not willing to let go of that advantage.

“The only reason they haven’t made a move yet is because the higher–ups are holding them back. But how long can they keep that up?

“Business is all about competition. If they weren’t worried about making things too chaotic and risking Seabrook’s entire economy, they probably wouldn’t even bother stepping in. They’d just let the local companies go at each other.”

After all, if one family went down, another would take their place. There was never a shortage of people ready to do business.

Stella wasn’t great with all these complicated business games, so she could only ask him directly. “Mr. Russell, what do you think I should do to help out the Spencer family right now?”

Cody chuckled. “You really trust me that much? Aren’t you worried I might throw you under the bus? After all, businessmen are all about profit.”

Stella smiled back, a genuine smile for someone she trusted. “You’re Erica’s dad. I know you’d never do anything to hurt me.”

Even though she hadn’t spent much time around Cody, the fact that he was Erica’s dad was enough for Stella to feel she could count on him.

“Alright!” Cody nodded, now looking all serious. “You’ve taken care of my troublesome girl for so many years -I can’t just sit back and do nothing.”

He then said, “I can team up with the Spencer family and stand by your side. But with just the two of us, there’s no way we can take on all those companies alone. You’ll need to bring in some more support.”

Stella went silent, her mind racing with possibilities.

Lumière Group could count as an ally, but aside from them, there was no one else she could call for help.

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Chapter 137

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“What if we bring in Lumière Group?” Stella tried, sounding unsure.

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Cody shook his head. “That won’t cut it. The rivals this time are real old money–the big shots who’ve been running Seabrook for ages.”

The way things worked in Seabrook was already set the moment Lloyd Group took the crown. After so many years, even the tiniest chance to get ahead was enough to tempt all those powerful families who’d been waiting for an opening.

“How much time do I have to get ready?” Stella asked.

Cody replied, “From what I’ve heard, the higher–ups can only hold out for another month, tops. If it goes any longer, the big companies will start grumbling, and it’ll cause a real headache for the local economy and everyone living here.”

Stella muttered, “A month…” Her gaze hardened with resolve. “That’s enough.”

“Oh?” Cody leaned in, his curiosity clearly sparked. “You’ve come up with something?”

Stella nodded. “The international exhibition is just two weeks away. If my jewelry designs make a splash and get ranked among the best, we’ll attract some major players who could become strong allies for the Spencer family.”

Cody couldn’t help but feel surprised and impressed–Stella’s idea was so clever, it was the breakthrough he’d never thought of himself.

His own plan had been pretty simple: get the Russell family, the Spencer family, and Lumière Group to join forces and defend together. If he couldn’t beat those old money families, he’d at least make them pay; maybe that tough stance would make the others think twice about attacking.

Being one of those rich families himself, Cody knew them well–those people guarded their power like crazy. The more they had, the more afraid they were of losing any of it.

But people weren’t machines–no plan ever worked out exactly right. This was a gamble, pure and simple.

Still, compared to his risky psychological standoff, Stella’s strategy of bringing outside partners and leveraging their strength was definitely one step ahead.

Stella asked, “Mr. Russell, will this really work?”

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Even Stella felt herself blush–she knew she was sugarcoating things a little.

After a few more laughs, Cody showed Stella the trick behind unlocking the wine cellar’s hidden entrance, urging the two besties to enjoy themselves but take it easy on the wine. Then he stood up and headed out.

*****

“Oh, the poor girl…” Erica was half–singing, half–complaining in her best fake prisoner act.

At the wine cellar entrance in the basement, Stella arrived just in time to catch Erica putting on her exaggerated dramatics.

As soon as Erica saw Stella, she put on her best puppy eyes. “Stella, did my old man really send you to bust me out of here?”

Stella, feeling a rare urge to mess with her, played along. “Mr. Russell said you’re not getting out of here until you write a ten–thousand–word self–reflection.”

“Ten thousand words?” Erica’s eyes went wide. “Is he trying to kill me or something?”

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Chapter 137

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Stella couldn’t help but laugh. “Come on, it’s only ten thousand words. It’s nothing compared to those times when the teacher caught you sneaking out of school and made you write way more.”

Erica wailed, “How is that even the same thing?”

Stella teased, “Seriously, what’s different about it?”

Erica groaned, “If I didn’t write my self–reflection at school, the teacher would broadcast it to the whole class ―total embarrassment, right on the spot. But my old man? Pili, what’s he gonna do, actually kill me?”

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