Chapter 162 The Name on the Gate
“Go to Verdant Villa first.”
Ethan’s voice was ice.
Jason didn’t dare argue. He nodded quickly. “Understood.”
At the next intersection, Jason tlipped on the turn signal and made a clean U–turn
But as he did, he couldn’t help but remind Ethan, “They’re reviewing the contract with Louis tomorrow.”
If there were no issues, the deal could be signed on the spot.
At that point, there would be no turning back.
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And with the long–standing animosity between Louis and Balan, if Louis secured the mineral rights, Ethan would be completely shut out.
Ethan didn’t respond.
Clearly, after hearing Judson had posted a dozen guards outside Lillian’s hospital room, his mind had completely derailed.
Bzzz, bzzz-
His phone buzzed again.
Lillian.
He answered. “Lillian.”
His voice was softer this time.
“Ethan your uncle, he…” Her voice trembled, breaking slightly. Even through the phone, her fear and helplessness were palpable.
A dozen guards suddenly stationed at her hospital door–what kind of message was that supposed to send?
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”
“Ethan, I want to leave the hospital. I can’t stay here another minute. Please, just let me go home.”
She pleaded, desperation thick in her voice.
Especially after seeing how the Keene family was treating her, panic had fully set in.
“Okay. You can be discharged.”
Ethan couldn’t say no–not when she sounded like that,
“Can I leave tomorrow?”
was originally planned for the day after.
He’d promised her everything before, but now she was getting anxious.
Maybe it was the illness, or just her gut–but she was scared she wouldn’t live long enough to make it out of that hospital.
Ethan’s headache worsened. He pinched his brow. “Okay Tomorrow.”
4:34 PM
Chapter 162 The Name on the Gate
No sooner had he ended the call than Judson’s name popped up on his screen.
He stared at it and silently declined.
He didn’t need to hear it to know what Judson would say.
Verdant Villa appeared before them not long after.
As expected, the car was stopped at the gates.
Jason looked toward Ethan, hesitant.
“I want a meeting with the owner. Now”
Ethan’s tone left no room for discussion.
It was clear he wouldn’t leave until he got one.
Jason nodded grimly and prepared to exit the car.
But just then, a car cruised past them–and rolled straight through the gate without question.
That car… looks familiar.
Wait.
“Sir, wasn’t that the same car Ms. Stella got into outside the Oriental Grand Tower earlier today?”
They’d seen it just hours ago.
Ethan’s expression twisted.
He looked up quickly, but only caught the tail end of the vehicle.
And yet, that was enough.
It was the same car Stella had gotten into with that man.
“He lives here too?”
Jason stayed quiet.
That man…..
Jason paused, then finally said, “Almost certainly”
With security this tight, someone without authorization.couldn’t get in like that
Ethan’s breath caught, his jaw clenched.
“Don’t tell me that man is the owner r of Verdant Villa”
Jason didn’t answer immediately
He didn’t know for sure.
But judging by how the guards treated that car like royalty, he finally said, “Most likely.”
The temperature in the car dropped to freezing.
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Chapter 162 The Name on the Gate
Furious, Ethan snatched his phone and called Stella.
But all he got was the automated message–this number has fucked you.
She’d blacklisted him long ago.
Ethan’s anger had nowhere to go. His entire body was shaking with rage,
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R
Meanwhile
A major event had just shaken Rivermount.
At 3:00 pm, several keywords simultaneously exploded to the top of trending searches across every platform.
Chapter 163 Burn the Bridge and Salt the Earth
The Reed family rejects their own daughter for not being good enough!
Stella is no longer a daughter of the Reed family!
Susan personally signed the severance agreement with her biological daughter!
Biological daughter vs. adopted daughter: The Reed family chose the adopted one!
A child raised from infancy can’t be replaced–not even by blood!
In just minutes, headlines like these flooded Rivermount’s trending topics, igniting a storm.
Ethan was at his wits end.
And Susan was faring no better.
The news had spread like wildfire. Several society ladies had already called her, pretending to be “concerned, but their tone. was full of smug mockery.
Susan felt like her liver, lungs, and heart were about to burst.
She frantically dialed Stella’s number over and over, switching phones when one got blocked.
Finally, Stella picked up. “Hello?”
-Stella, how could you do something like this?! The severance agreement was your idea, and now you’ve made it look like we wronged you!”
“You used Eddie and Rianne to lure me into signing. You tricked me—and now you’re painting me as the villain!”
Susan exploded, her voice sharp and breathless.
in her mind, she was the one who had been hurt. She was the victim–deceived and taken advantage of
And now the whole city thought she was a heartless mother.
On the other end, Stella was still foggy with sleep. After a moment, she munered, “Were you ever kind?”
“You-”
Susan nearly fainted from rage.
“Tell me what you want from me. What did I ever do to deserve this from you?”
She genuinely regretted ever bringing Stella back into the family.
If she had known this would happen, what difference would it have made if she’d never had a daughter?
Let her rot on the streets–it had nothing to do with them.
“You want money, is that it?”
Susan practically choked.
This kind of public spectacle–of course it had to be about money. What else?
She convinced herself that Stella must’ve hit rock bottom and now wanted to squeeze cash from them.
Chapter 163 Burn the Bridge and Salt the Earth
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“Have you completely lost your mind? Those people aren’t even blood: You want to bring them in and suck the Reed family dry too!!”
She was so furious, she forgot all about Stella’s multi–million–dollar studio.
And the billion–dollar necklace around her neck
All she could see now was a daughter staging a public scandal for money.
“You’re all starving!
Stella listened to her tirade quietly.
Then lazily rolled over in bed. “Right. I almost starved to death when I was living with the Reed family.”
Starving? She threw the word right back at them.
Two grand a month–and not even on a fixed schedule.
Good thing she never relied on it. If she had, she really would’ve died.
“You-
Susan’s rage sent dark spots across her vision.
Stella’s voice was calm. “Suck the Reed family’s blood? Do they even have any?”
Suck the Dawson family dry too?
With what? What blood? They didn’t have enough for a sip.
“You’re unbelievable. Then tell me, what was the point of making a spectacle out of this?”
Stella paused.
What was the point?
She hadn’t even seen what had been posted yet
But if you were going to make a point-
“Simple. So you people won’t get a taste of my blood.”
She didn’t care about the Reed family’s blood, but if they ever found out she’d been raised by the Dawson family, they’d definitely come crawling to exploit them.
So yes–she needed to burn this bridge publicly, and thoroughly.
Susan almost screamed. “We want to suck your blood?! What, that measly seven million of yours?”
“You really think the Reed family cares about a few peanuts?!”
Stella’s voice didn’t change. “Then I hope you remember what you said today, Susan.”
“You’re the one who better remember!”
Susan was shaking with fury when she slammed the call shut.
Stella stared at her phone. “Fine. Whoever forgets first isn’t even human.”
Chapter 163 Burn the Bridge and Salt the Earth
Abraham’s throat tightened. Hear
rushed through his body uncontrollably.
“What are you mad about?”
He walked over with a remedy in hand.
His voice startled her. She jumped and dove under the blanket. “Why didn’t you knock?!”
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Chapter 164 You Don’t Knock, I Don’t Forget
She was an adult now–what if she’d been changing?
Abraham placed the remedy on the bedside table, sat down, and pulled the blanket off her head.
“What haven’t I seen, hm?”
Stella’s brain went boom at that, her entire body flushing hot.
She snatched the blanket back and tried to hide.
But Abraham was faster–he pulled her into his lap. “Be good. Drink the remedy before sleeping.”
The neckline of her robe dipped a little, and in that moment, Abraham got a very clear view of just how well she’d developed.
He cleared his throat and pulled the blanket tightly around her before handing her the cup. “Drink. Now.”
Stella wriggled. “I can drink it myself.”
“Behave.”
One hand pressed against her waist–his gentle tone carried a firm command.
Abraham knew she hated the taste of the remedy. If she got away from him now, she’d make up a dozen excuses not to drink
Stella sniffed the bowl. “Ugh… Can I let it cool a little?”
“Want me to
to feed you?”
Stella blinked, Feed?What did he mean by that?
She glanced up at Abraham cautiously.
And met his serious, focused gaze.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Meanwhile, Ethan was going insane.
The moment he saw that man’s car go through the gates, every event from the past few weeks smashed together in his head.
“When did this place get a new owner!”
“Not long ago–maybe in the past month, Jason replied after a moment.
Everyone had known Verdant Villa was vacant before.
Ethan scoffed. “The past month. Hah.”
A lot had happened in that time. Ever since he delayed the wedding with Stella, it had all gone downhill.
But what he couldn’t forget was the man he’d run into at Kingston Heights.
After that, Stella had disappeared from there–and now she was here.
Chapter 164 You Don’t Knock 1 Don’t Forget
Eddie and Rianne were connected to her Now Verdant Villa too?
Was she doing this on purpose?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got
Jason hesitated “Should we ask Ms Stella?”
From the looks of it, Stella was clearly living here now.
If Ethan wanted to buy this place for Lillian, he’d need to go through her.
That thought made Ethan’s face darken even further
“Ask her what? So she can humilate Lillian?“
Jason didn’t reply
Humiliation? From what they’d seen, Stella had been playing them both–Ethan and Lillian.
They’d been losing sleep over this villa, only to find out Stella was already living in it.
No wonder Ethan looked ready to explode.
Bazz, bzzz–his phone vibrated agai
Judson,
Ethan ignored it.
So Judson called Jason instead–and he didn’t dare ignore it.
“Sir.” Jason answered, voice steady.
“Give the phone to Ethan.” Judson ordered. His voice was tight and dangerous.
Jason glanced toward the back seat. “Sir, it’s your father.”
Ethan opened his eyes and took the phone. “Father.”
“You went to Verdant Villa again?”
Judson’s tone was glacial:
Ethan stayed silent.
Judson growled. “So you’re really ignoring everything I’ve said.”
His tone was like a loaded gun.
“I’m going to meet the Luke heir today.” Ethan said, slow and deliberate, voice heavy with exhaustion.
“You don’t need to,” Judson snapped–and hung up.
Ethan blinked in surprise at the abrupt ending.
No more scolding? That wasn’t like his father.
But deep down, an uneasy feeling had begun to stir
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Chapter 164 You Don’t Knock, I Don’t Forget
Her phone had been vibrating non–stop, but she’d silenced it and slept straight through to past 7 p.m.
When she woke up, she noticed several missed calls from unknown numbers.
Just as she was about to check, another unfamiliar number started calling.
Send Gifts
Chapter 165 You Can’t Afford the Price
One slip of the finger, and she accidentally picked up the call. “Stella.”
It was Ethan’s voice–low, seething with restrained rage.
Stella’s breath caught. “What are you, a ghost? Can’t you stay dead and buried?”
So all those missed calls earlier. they were his!
A whole list of unfamiliar numbers–he must’ve used every single employee in the Keene Group to call her.
“That man–is he the owner of Verdant Villa?”
Ethan bit out each word like he was grinding glass between his teeth.
Stella snapped fully awake. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Tell him to sell it to me. Name the price–anything”
Stella was speechless.
From the tension in Ethan’s voice, she could tell he’d spent the whole afternoon going insane trying to reach her.
Now that he finally got through, he wasn’t even trying to sound polite. He was coming in hot, direct, and utterly overbearing.
“Sell it to you?” Stella repeated.
“Yes. Name your price!” he said again.
Stella scoffed. “And who gave you the ego? The man bought up the entire Seaflats Cove. You think he needs your chump change?”
On the other end, Ethan’s face turned green.
“What did you just say?”
Chump change? Was she mocking the Keene family?
Stella said slowly, “Let’s not play coy. Sure, the Keene family is the top in Rivermount. But how much can you personally put on the table?”
Ethan said nothing.
The silence spoke volumes.
Stella’s voice turned mocking. “Everyone says you’re the Keene family’s most outstanding heir–but that’s only because your mom only gave birth to one son. No options.”
“People kiss up to you, and you actually believe it?”
Blunt Brutal And true
Ethan almost blacked out from sheer rage “You–1”
You’re technically the CEO of Keene Group, sure. But do you really want me to remind you who actually runs the place
“Shut up!”
4:40 PM c
Chapter 165 You Can’t Afford the Price
Each sentence was a dagger. Each word, a carefully placed blade.
Ethan’s skull felt like it was going to explode.
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At this point, he almost hoped she’d just beat him up again–anything to shut her up. Her mouth was too damn vicious.
But the worst part? She wasn’t wrong.
After Lillian came back, the company’s financial approval system had changed.
Big–ticket expenses now required not only the acting CEO’s signature, but also the chairman’s
What Stella had said was spot–on. Not a hundred million. Ten million and up required Judson’s direct approval.
Ethan growled through gritted teeth. Then name your price.
Stella replied coolly, “Didn’t I just say you couldn’t afford it? Still asking like you’re gonna snatch it?”
That hit him like a punch to the gut.
Ethan wanted to hang up, needed to hang up–but it had taken him all day just to get through. He clenched his teeth and endured.
“In my face? And you think I’d let you get away with it?” Stella scoffed.
“I’m not trying to
“Can you even afford it? Scaflats Cove alone is worth at least five hundred million, no?”
Five hundred million.
The number nearly made Ethan’s face fall off. He wanted to yell You’re crazy! But deep down, he knew–it was a fair valuation. Verdant Villa was worth that much.
Ethan exhaled sharply. “I can’t get that kind of money right now.
This woman. How had lie never realized she was this shrewd?
She’d dissected the Keene Group’s structure as if she had the blueprints.
She wasn’t wrong. Judson had once promised to pass down control. But ever since Lillian returned, most of that power had been clawed back–masked as policy changes, but in truth, a total rollback.
Stella said lazily, “Oh. No money? So you’re begging, then? With that tone?”
Ethan was speechless.
Begging? That word hit like a slap.
Beg Stella? Who did she think she was?
“I’m just asking you to help me make an introduction to him.”
Stella took a sip from the glass on her nightstand. Just then, Abraham walked in and immediately caught the sly gleam in her
This little troublemaker–tobar mischief was she up to note!
With that, she ended the call–because she saw Abraham standing there
Abraham set the tray on the nightstand and reached out to touch her forehead. “No fever.”
His eyes curved into a smile. “Who was on the phone just now?”
Abraham’s smile froze ever so slightly.
Stella picked up a piece of fruit and popped it in her mouth. “He found out you’re the owner of Verdant Villa. Wants me to introduce you. Mm-”
Before she could finish, a hard seed jabbed her tooth.
When she came out again, there was a slight grumble in her voice. “Why do you like this stuff so much? The seeds are like
Stella never liked it. Her teeth couldn’t take it but Abraham loved it.
Abraham punched her nose with a smile. “Didn’t curse him out this time?”
He did like her fierce, little tiger mode. Even when he wasn’t around, she never let herself get taken advantage of
She looked up at him, prufully “Abraham”
Stella pouted, lips puffed like a sulking child.
Something fun? Why do I not believe you?
But judging by Abel’s expression, something serious was going on. So she wisely chose not to interfere.
So tonight, the Keene family was going to erupt.
“And the Reed family is scrambling too. They held an all–night emergency meeting last night. Still no solution”
다
Judson was clearly panicking after learning they’d already chosen a partner. That’s why he came in person.
Send Gifts
She loved furry little creatures. But she’d never bought a pet in Rivermount–she was always afraid she wouldn’t take care of it properly. The thought of not being able to keep something alive made her hesitate.
Sure enough, when he said yes, Stella lit up.
Snow was the snowy white fox Abraham had given her on her fifteenth birthday. Her coming–of–age present.
She treasured him more than anything.
When the Dawson family fell apart and Sheng Chun forced her to leave, Snow was the only thing she wanted to bring. She didn’t care about anything else. But with no idea where she was headed, she hadn’t wanted to drag him through that kind of life.
“He’s doing great,” Abraham said, ruffling her hair like always..
Seafiats Cove was peaceful and still.
But elsewhere in Rivermount, things were already falling apart.
She was pissed–but knowing the Luke family held what they needed most, she held her tongue.
Judson’s face was dark. “Call Ethan. Tell him to get his ass back here. Now.”
So that was why the heir kept refusing to meet. Somehow Ethan had already managed to offend him.
They needed to get to the bottom of this before contracts were signed tomorrow. If they didn’t fix it by tonight, the Keene Group was screwed.
Even as Ethan’s mother, Madeline was furious.
Still spinning in circles, trying to figure out how to buy Verdant Villa.
Her tone turned cold. “And don’t forget what those ten men outside Lillian’s hospital room are there for. They’re not just for show
After a moment, he gave e in. “Fine. I’m coming back.”
He’d never imagined things would get to this point–where he couldn’t even reach her.
As they got close to the Keene estate. Ethan finally broke the silence..
“How long do you think she’s known that guy?”
She’s definitely not as simple as they thought
“If that man really is the owner of Verdant Villa,” Jason said carefully, “then his background’s obviously no joke. Maybe Ms. Stella knew him through business?”
The second Jason said dating, Ethan’s expression sank like stone.
Stella wasn’t some nobody either. The studio she ran was doing well, and she’d built it on her own. The Reed family had no part in it–hell, they didn’t even know it existed.
Ethan’s voice stayed icy. “Either way, find out who he is. Fast”
Everyone knew the owner of Seaflats Cove wasn’t someone simple, but no one had ever uncovered his identity.
Even Madeline–who usually shielded her son–had a face like a thundercloud.
Ethan took a deep breath. “I said I’m going to meet the Luke heir before the contract review tomorrow.”
His voice was low and simmering.
What kind of heir got involved in another family’s internal affairs? What did that even mean?
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